Model 3 Review after Test Drive - "Better than a BMW"

[Electroman]

Why do gearheads/petrolheads always use this as a metric? As though it has any real world benefit?

I do not understand.

Simple. There is absolutely nothing else to brag about anymore. One after another of ICE advantages are being shattered. Long distance driving, acceleration, maintenance, quietness, ease of refueling, exterior design, interior space and now finally cost - ICE has lost in each one of these parameters.


All they have got now is going in circles around a race-track, something that 99% don't care about.

 

[deonb]

Actually, there isn't even a "decent track" in GTA! You need to go to Cayuga, Shannonville or Clarington... and most BMW owners have not heard of those places.

Until Lon12's comment I thought I learned that 'Grand Theft Auto' doesn't feature racetracks unless you presumably play in some weird cities that nobody heard off. And I was wondering what changes there are in the gameplay from city to city...

 

[Wshowell]

LOL for a car that can't even complete 2 laps on any decent track before the battery pack overheats.....

Wow. I didn't think of that. Great point! Also, it doesn't fit a sheet of plywood flat like my tundra, I can't push start it like my Miata and it doesn't tow my horse trailer. These things are all important to me along with "track days" as I've done each of these things exactly once in 30 years of driving. I'll be cancelling my Model 3 reservation and getting my $1000. Thanks for steering me clear of such a monumental mistake I almost made.

 

[rcarpen22]

I have a race license and have spent countless hours on the track. It's great fun and there are, of course, better track cars out there than a Model S. I am really anxious to see the electric GT series, and am especially interested in how they will deal with cooling. But even my race car has aux cooling (external oil cooler). A Model 3 with a frunk full of heat exchanger might make an incredible track car. Also Porsche green-lighted (lit?) the MissionE. So whenever that car gets built, it will certainly be able to circumvent a track at speed. Battery cooling won't be an EV issue forever. My wife has a new BMW. It's a nice car. I don't really have anything bad to say about it, but I much prefer my car.

 

[Craig9080]

Ok, so as a guy who races in a regional series in a small formula class and a guy who tracks his street car (Focus ST) about 4 times a year...I have to agree that the overheating issues are of concern to a performance junkie as myself. I can guarantee that my Model 3 will find itself at a track while it still has temp plates on.

That being said, I cannot debate the performance advantages of the outstanding Tesla drivetrain and I am eager to see what kind of track durability enhancements they have made over the model S.

 

[ecarfan]

EVANNEX Founders review the Model 3 after their test drive at the reveal:

Don't understand how anyone can "review" a new model car after being a passenger in a prototype for two minutes.
And they didn't have a "test drive", they had a "test ride". None of them touched the steering wheel while the car was moving.

 

[zenmaster]

How can a car weighing 1000lbs more than another have better handling? All that inertia when cornering must force a pretty noticeable slowdown.

 

[asus389]

If Tesla can replicate the steering feel and handling of BMW 3 Series cars from the late 90s and early/mid 2000s I will be a happy camper.

 

[EVnut]

How can a car weighing 1000lbs more than another have better handling? All that inertia when cornering must force a pretty noticeable slowdown.

I can answer this one from experience. Certainly inertia plays a role. But so does center of gravity.

I own a 2002 Rav4EV. This is the original Rav4 design that is based on the Camry platform. It has over 1000 pounds of battery in it. And here's the kicker - the weight of that battery pack is below the axles. I finally had the chance to drive a gas version of my car recently, and I couldn't believe how terrible this lighter car was around corners. The reason is obvious - the engine is the heaviest part of the gas car, and that thing sits well above the axles.

My car weighs about 750 pounds more than the gas car. And it corners better because the CG is buried in the sand.

Please note: Neither one of these tall, narrow cars handles worth a damn! But definitely the EV version is less crappy than the gas version.

 

[wallet.dat]

Why do gearheads/petrolheads always use this as a metric? As though it has any real world benefit?

I do not understand.

Not overheating and avoiding damage to the drive unit and/or battery has no real world benefit?

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Not overheating and avoiding damage to the drive unit and/or battery has no real world benefit?

Right, I'm saying that over-heating occurring during track conditions (conditions the vehicle will not see off the track) has no bearing on real world driving.

Simple enough, I should think.

 

[wallet.dat]

Right, I'm saying that over-heating occurring during track conditions (conditions the vehicle will not see off the track) has no bearing on real world driving.

Simple enough, I should think.

I believe there have been several members who reported diminished power out on the street in certain conditions, though the worst thing that happened was some slight disappointment when the skinny pedal was pushed. Granted, it's not a deal-breaker for most, but certainly would be appreciated if the issue could be addressed in the Model 3 from day 0.

 

[Zoltrix77]

Simple. There is absolutely nothing else to brag about anymore. One after another of ICE advantages are being shattered. Long distance driving, acceleration, maintenance, quietness, ease of refueling, exterior design, interior space and now finally cost - ICE has lost in each one of these parameters.


All they have got now is going in circles around a race-track, something that 99% don't care about.

I love to drive at track days, but I care very little care to use a Tesla on a race track, the very best cars to drive on race tracks are rarely street legal anyway, ICE or otherwise. EVs make better daily drivers, I'll save the oil for classic high Performance track cars!

 

[starlord111]

EVANNEX Founders review the Model 3 after their test drive at the reveal:

"I think it is really going to embarass the Bmw 3 series" - he said

thanks for uploading the video, very informative.

 

[geturchiru]

LOL for a car that can't even complete 2 laps on any decent track before the battery pack overheats.....

While you get the fun at the track only, I get it at every signal beating the "cooler" car.

 

[Jayc]

LOL for a car that can't even complete 2 laps on any decent track before the battery pack overheats.....

Ha ha ha... you know you have a very special product on your hands when you start seeing lame statements like this from desperate folk.

I can't wait to get my hands on my Model 3 so I can sneak alongside unassuming petrol heads with big tailpipes and a tractor grunting engine and equally offensive looking front grills and a couple of badges saying R Racer GT GTD whatever crap they mean then flooring the hats off to leave them desperately changing their DSGs till they blow out ha ha ha....

 

[tdelta1000]

Well I think that TM has done an awesome job thus far. To surpass the great 3 series, TM will have to put together a very nice final product.

 

[BMW ///M3]

the admin asked me to list the stuff Tesla can learn from BMW, so here it goes: keep it mind when Model 3 comes out in 2018 or 2019 or which ever year you can actually get your hands on, the next 3 series would of been out on the street already. F30 3 series came out in 2012, so 2018 will be the next refresh.

-chassis construction: Model 3=steel mostly, next 3 series=carbon core (aluminum+carbon fiber) same method as the current 7 series. just keep in mind F150 is also aluminum. so I don't what is the big deal about good old steel on the Model 3. seems very backwards to me.

-HUD, LED display steering wheel design: BMW had perfected HUD and performance steering wheels for years, and both are optional on the current 3 series. I drove my friends Model S, no HUD such a disappointment.

-Heat management: some German magazine took a model s to the ring, it craps out under 1/2 lap due to good old overheat. BMW M3, M5 have been used for Ring taxi for decades, lap after lap every day, no issues. for a 150k car I can't even drive on a public road(which the Ring is), its pretty funny.

just FYI, I reserved a model 3 on 3/31 in store, and I will use that car for city and winter driving(beater). For pure driving pleasure, i have other dedicated tools for that.

last but not least, for education purposes, a basic 228xi does

2015 BMW 228i xDrive - Instrumented Test
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 13.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.7 sec @ 101 mph

which easily beats or matches a 70D.

the engine reaches peak at 1450rpm which is just 700rpm above idle.
Power: 240 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 255 lb-ft @ 1450 rpm

 

[JohnSnowNW]

the admin asked me to list the stuff Tesla can learn from BMW, so here it goes: keep it mind when Model 3 comes out in 2018 or 2019 or which ever year you can actually get your hands on, the next 3 series would of been out on the street already. F30 3 series came out in 2012, so 2018 will be the next refresh.

-chassis construction: Model 3=steel mostly, next 3 series=carbon core (aluminum+carbon fiber) same method as the current 7 series. just keep in mind F150 is also aluminum. so I don't what is the big deal about good old steel on the Model 3. seems very backwards to me.

-HUD, LED display steering wheel design: BMW had perfected HUD and performance steering wheels for years, and both are optional on the current 3 series. I drove my friends Model S, no HUD such a disappointment.

-Heat management: some German magazine took a model s to the ring, it craps out under 1/2 lap due to good old overheat. BMW M3, M5 have been used for Ring taxi for decades, lap after lap every day, no issues. for a 150k car I can't even drive on a public road(which the Ring is), its pretty funny.

just FYI, I reserved a model 3 on 3/31 in store, and I will use that car for city and winter driving(beater). For pure driving pleasure, i have other dedicated tools for that.

last but not least, for education purposes, a basic 228xi does

2015 BMW 228i xDrive - Instrumented Test
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 13.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.7 sec @ 101 mph

which easily beats or matches a 70D.

the engine reaches peak at 1450rpm which is just 700rpm above idle.
Power: 240 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 255 lb-ft @ 1450 rpm

First, the 228ix isn't comparable to a Model S, so I'm not sure why you're trying to do so.

Second, the BMW i8 also doesn't seem to be a particularly good track car, otherwise BMW would release the Nürburgring results.

Your comment about using the Model 3 as a "winter beater" is childish, at best.

 

[BMW ///M3]

b/c model 3 is not out yet? so the only comparable times are the stats from model S.
so many ppl said model s is fast, but when it comes to fact checks the 70D is even slower than a 228xi and that is just a fact. slower/even on both straight line and much slower on track that is a given.

I find it funny most ppl's argument is, oh EV has instant tq from 0rpm it felt so fast!
but modern turbo cars like BMW's also reaches peak tq just 600-700rpm above idle, the gap is really small.