Hey everyone,
I took delivery on Sunday, 6/23. Below is my honest assessment and some basic pictures. I’m sure some will disagree with my overall assessment. I’m not trying to start a long conversation (or debate), but just providing my perspective.
Order Date- 4/27
Phoenix, AZ
Most recent EDD- 6/21- 6/30
VIN date (6/21)- I called my SA and snagged a “demo” vehicle on 6/21 that was already en route to AZ. It was never a demo, but was slated to become one. The car had 17 miles on it when I picked it up.
Fit and finish: The paint quality was exceptional and much better than my 2023 M3P. There are one or two panel gaps that can likely be adjusted 1-2 MM, but they are not noticeable unless you’re looking for them. The level of clear coat on the car is really good. The pics below are with a simple polish and hand-applied ceramic coat. That’s all I’m doing. No PPF, etc. This has always been my method. I’m old school.
Interior: There is one rattle on the dashboard. I located it and it’s the carbon fiber strip. I placed the service request right away. My old M3P also had a rear rattle upon delivery. The seats are nice, but they are tight. I’m only 145-150 pounds and there’s less than an inch on either side remaining. If you’re 200 pounds, it’s going to be like a sardine can. LOL. The seats feel a bit firmer, so if you’re looking for a comfortable seat for road trips, then this isn’t the model for you. The interior material and build does seem to be of higher quality. Everything lines up well and feels somewhat sturdier. The ventilates seats don’t seem very strong. It’s better than not having them, but nothing amazing.
Stereo: The stereo system, especially with the dual sub setup, is much, much better than the 2023.
Wheels/Tires: I opted to have the aero blades removed for visual appeal. I really liked the solid design of the Uberturbines. Yes, they were 30 pounds versus 22 on the new model, but at least they didn’t have plastic, garbage inserts. And yes, the new aero inserts all squeaked and creaked at low speeds. I asked the service tech at the delivery location about this and he said it’s a known “design flaw” and they won’t be able to fix it. This further solidified my decision to remove them.
In any case, I visited my friend at Discount Tire. We dismounted all four wheels and removed the inserts carefully from the back. Even doing it this way was *very* difficult. I was watching them like a hawk and they were super careful. They did not scratch anything. As others suggested, the marks from the blades did leave some significant residue that mostly came off with
Goo Gone. But there are a few residual scratches that remain---primarily on the spokes where the aero blades were originally touching. It’s not a huge issue, but if you remove the blades, you’ll likely have a few scratches. Don’t expect them to be perfect.
One important point: if you remove the aero blades, you definitely need to rebalance the wheels/tires. We checked them before and after, and they were all 1-2 ounces off with the inserts removed. So, I would recommend not simply ripping them off at home if you want a perfect wheel balance.
Performance: Yes, this thing is significantly faster. It’s definitely much more powerful on the mid and top-end. For example, it was 110 degrees out, dry AZ conditions, tires warmed up, and I was cruising at 45 MPH. I punched it and the front tires actually broke loose a bit. It felt like front torque steer on a FWD car. This never, ever happened on my 2023 M3P. To be honest, I do feel like the old model was dialed-in in terms of power. There might be *too* much power for this chassis. I’m not complaining, and I’ll take it, but it’s slightly less inspiring given the likelihood of losing traction. In my view, the updated suspension simply does not compensate for the power/lack of traction. :/
Range/efficiency: My 2023 had a screen range of 240 miles at 80% when new and remained there after one year. This model has an 80% range of 236 miles. That’s not a huge difference given the increase in power. Real-world efficiency is slightly worse in my opinion, but I have not driven it long enough for the average to be meaningful. After about 100 miles of mixed driving (including some crazy initial driving), I’m at around 300-ish WH/mi. My old model was 285 lifetime, so I suspect it’ll get under 300 eventually with more driving. Though, removing the aero inserts likely won’t help.
Suspension/steering: This is where I was really not super impressed. I know, I know, but Jason Camissa said it’s perfect, so it must be! LOL. Suspension has always been my thing, and I’ve driven every type of setup you can imagine, so I do have a good sample size for comparison. In my 2023 M3P, I thought the suspension was great. I had very few complaints. The occasional “juicy” rebound on certain corners, depending on the road, but nothing to gripe about. I always drove the 2023 with the following settings: sport acceleration/sport steering. In the 2024, I have it set to “Insane/Sport/Heavy.” Given these settings, the road feel is very similar, and I would argue just as rough as the 2023. I really cannot tell the difference. If you move the ride/handling into “standard,” then it is much softer. I don’t prefer the soft ride and love to feel the road, so for me the comparability between the 2023 and 2024 is very similar in “sport.” For those that want a softer ride, then I think they’ll be very happy with the “standard” ride setting. The “heavy” steering setting is extremely heavy, which I generally like, but significantly heavier than the 2023 “sport” steering mode. The 2024 “standard” steering, to me, is lighter than the 2023 “sport.” I wish there was a fourth option (between standard and heavy), which would be perfect.
Turn signal/Gear selector: I’m happy with the stalkless gear selector. It took just a day or so to get used to this. I would prefer a stalk, but it’s not an issue. However, the steering wheel turn signal feature is ridiculously annoying. This is going to take a very, very long time to get used to. I keep reaching for the stalk, like a phantom limb. When zooming in and out of traffic quickly and changing lanes (one of the perks of this car), I had to hesitate to think about it, which was unsafe. I ended up not even using my blinker a few times to avoid the time lag so that I didn't crash, which probably angered a few drivers.
Styling: This is where I feel like the new model shines (literally and metaphorically). The overall styling, stance, front and rear bumpers, diffusers, lights, etc. are significantly better.
Overall impression:
2023 M3P: 9.0/10
2024 M3P: 9.5/10
*The car is certainly better, but I think it’s an exaggeration to say that it’s in a different class altogether. I made the move because with the tax incentive my monthly payment actually dropped, so it was a no-brainer. For those that love their old M3P, have no monthly payment and are on the fence, I don’t know if I would recommend the immediate switch, especially given the order delays, etc. If anything, it might be best for someone to wait a bit until the demand has dropped and it’s easier to obtain, assuming one has the time to wait. There’s always the chance the $7,500 credit will be removed (not by Tesla necessarily, but from the Feds, given the political climate).
Put another way: In retrospect, if I had *not* purchased this car, would I feel like I am missing out (FOMO)?................No.
Thanks for reading!