The title says it all.
I figured I'd share my experience between the two cars as I'm sure someone out there might be cross shopping and perhaps they would like the view/opinion of someone who owns both vehicles.
I have had my Tesla since 2013 and still love it. But I purchased a 2019 M5 to drive to some stores I deal with that are located in areas where it is just more practical to use a ICE. I wanted something sporty that had four doors so I went with a BMW.
My Tesla was feeling a little long in the tooth to me (I rarely keep a vehicle over two years). However, after driving the BMW, which is a very nice vehicle, I was surprised just how much better I like my 6 year old Model s and how much better a good EV can be than an ICE. This is all imho for this particular comparison, between these two specific models.
Below are my general observations between the two vehicles.
1) The regen breaking was the first thing I missed while driving the M5. The M5's gearing and tranny, along with the quick biting brakes create a night and day difference in feel. I much prefer the Tesla here. Much harder to modulate smooth braking in the M5.
3) My Tesla is not AWD, the BMW is. I personally like the steering in the Tesla just as much, if not more so, than the M5.I find the AWD is more prone to wandering a tiny bit on a road, less so with the Tesla. For day to day driving the Tesla is just easier and more comfy.
4) The BMW interior is a really nice place to be. However I find the Tesla interior more comfy (I do not have a center console so there is extra width for legs). The simplicity of the Tesla interior really is a bonus from a functional standpoint, though it may be a negative from an aesthetic viewpoint. I find the Tesla interfaces more intuitive than the BMW, though the Bimmers interfaces are good. Love the lighting in the BMW's interior, really nice, as well as the stereo. I also appreciate the trim BMW uses and the leather. The HUD is good as well.
5) I have not pushed the BMW hard yet (still in break in), when I have ventured to test it to some degree it is a beast with a awesome exhaust note. The Tesla spoiled me on acceleration in day to day and I am now convinced no ICE vehicle that is below 300k will change that opinion.
To be fair, the BMW M5 competition is the sports tuned version of a standard 5 series. It is sprung to feel sporty and that is to the detriment of the ride comfort, though it is not bad. Whereas the Tesla is closer to a standard 5 series, so it's not 100% apple to apple comparison. The BMW will ride harder, especially if you have air suspension on a Tesla to compare it against.
I will add the build quality of the BMW over my old Tesla is miles better and still much better than a new Model S P100d I sat in not too long ago.When I was an early adopter this was not an issue, I think the longer Tesla is around, the more of an issue this will become. I hope they solve this part of the equation.
In the end I came away feeling that EVs are the future of personal transportation even more than I did before I bought the BMW. If the Roadster comes out in 2020, gets good reviews, has the range, and build quality is there, I will trade in the BMW for that.
Cannot wait for my Rivian truck to get built, 2020 - 2021 are shaping up to be an exciting year for EVs.
Anyway, if you read this far, thanks and I hope you enjoyed the comparison.
I figured I'd share my experience between the two cars as I'm sure someone out there might be cross shopping and perhaps they would like the view/opinion of someone who owns both vehicles.
I have had my Tesla since 2013 and still love it. But I purchased a 2019 M5 to drive to some stores I deal with that are located in areas where it is just more practical to use a ICE. I wanted something sporty that had four doors so I went with a BMW.
My Tesla was feeling a little long in the tooth to me (I rarely keep a vehicle over two years). However, after driving the BMW, which is a very nice vehicle, I was surprised just how much better I like my 6 year old Model s and how much better a good EV can be than an ICE. This is all imho for this particular comparison, between these two specific models.
Below are my general observations between the two vehicles.
1) The regen breaking was the first thing I missed while driving the M5. The M5's gearing and tranny, along with the quick biting brakes create a night and day difference in feel. I much prefer the Tesla here. Much harder to modulate smooth braking in the M5.
3) My Tesla is not AWD, the BMW is. I personally like the steering in the Tesla just as much, if not more so, than the M5.I find the AWD is more prone to wandering a tiny bit on a road, less so with the Tesla. For day to day driving the Tesla is just easier and more comfy.
4) The BMW interior is a really nice place to be. However I find the Tesla interior more comfy (I do not have a center console so there is extra width for legs). The simplicity of the Tesla interior really is a bonus from a functional standpoint, though it may be a negative from an aesthetic viewpoint. I find the Tesla interfaces more intuitive than the BMW, though the Bimmers interfaces are good. Love the lighting in the BMW's interior, really nice, as well as the stereo. I also appreciate the trim BMW uses and the leather. The HUD is good as well.
5) I have not pushed the BMW hard yet (still in break in), when I have ventured to test it to some degree it is a beast with a awesome exhaust note. The Tesla spoiled me on acceleration in day to day and I am now convinced no ICE vehicle that is below 300k will change that opinion.
To be fair, the BMW M5 competition is the sports tuned version of a standard 5 series. It is sprung to feel sporty and that is to the detriment of the ride comfort, though it is not bad. Whereas the Tesla is closer to a standard 5 series, so it's not 100% apple to apple comparison. The BMW will ride harder, especially if you have air suspension on a Tesla to compare it against.
I will add the build quality of the BMW over my old Tesla is miles better and still much better than a new Model S P100d I sat in not too long ago.When I was an early adopter this was not an issue, I think the longer Tesla is around, the more of an issue this will become. I hope they solve this part of the equation.
In the end I came away feeling that EVs are the future of personal transportation even more than I did before I bought the BMW. If the Roadster comes out in 2020, gets good reviews, has the range, and build quality is there, I will trade in the BMW for that.
Cannot wait for my Rivian truck to get built, 2020 - 2021 are shaping up to be an exciting year for EVs.
Anyway, if you read this far, thanks and I hope you enjoyed the comparison.
