My experiences with an I-PACE and Model 3 SR+

[EVMeister]

I'm one of relatively few people who regularly drive both the Jaguar I-PACE and Model 3 SR+. The I-PACE is my daily driver and the Tesla is a family vehicle I'm insured to drive. Here in the UK, the I-PACE's sticker price for the model I drive is about £65,000 whereas the Model 3 SR+ is around £38,500. I was recently asked on another forum which I'd keep if I could only pick one and here are my thoughts/ramblings. They're both great vehicles in their own way. So this is just my personal preferences and everyone will have their own opinion. But I'd keep the Model 3 for the following reasons.

1) The driving experience. I prefer the lower down ride (more "sports car" like) and I find the visibility much better, at the front in particular. I find parking the I-PACE forwards difficult because of the lack of forwards visibility (compared to the Model 3). It doesn't help that I've just got the basic model ("S) without all the parking aids, though. Both cars are good fun to drive though. I do like the AWD on the I-PACE, gives nice grip and torque even in poor weather. Although the traction control on the Model 3 SR+ is surprisingly good so I don't find it spins the wheels like my LEAF used to in bad weather. I also like the hold mode on the Model 3. With the I-PACE you need to jam on the foot brake and that only helps as a hill hold if you're on level ground or are on a slight incline. Sometimes you think you are but you're not and the car starts rolling backwards, so you need to put it in park. It's sometimes a bit laggy coming out of park and going into drive as well. With the Model 3 you simply take your foot off the accelerator and it will do the rest for you.

2) The technology. The infotainment system on the Tesla is in a different league and as a techy person I much prefer it - I find the autopilot and visualisations really useful as well. Autopilot is great when used in appropriate conditions, but you always need to be ready to take over. My I-PACE doesn't even have TACC, which is quite embarassing for a car costing ~£65,000 (I just lease it). The back of the Model 3 SR+ is a nicer place to be as well, with the glass roof making it feel very open and airy vs. the claustrophobic I-PACE. The glass roof doesn't come standard on that. I was expecting to find having to look to the side for the speedometer on the Model 3 to be weird, but I find it completely natural and actually prefer it as my hands on the steering wheel never obstruct my view of the speed. But either method works fine really.

3) The efficiency and charging process. The main things I prefer about the Model 3 SR+ revolve around the fact it's simply a much more efficient vehicle and has much greater flexibility with its charging options. It costs considerably more to charge up the ~90kWh battery of the I-PACE and it takes a lot longer. The CCS chargers I've been able to use with the I-PACE have been limited to 50 kW. That's if I'm lucky enough to find one that's in service and unoccupied. Supercharging is a much nicer experience. The car itself tells me which stalls are available to use, there's usually 8 or more at each location (vs. a couple of CCS chargers) and the experience is very intuitive. You just rock up, press the button on the supercharger to open your charging flap and plug in. No need to fire up any apps or use a contactless payment method. It charges up nice and quickly, shows you exactly how much it's costing to charge on the car's screen and when you've finished the charging port even closes for you automatically. It's the little things!

There are some other little things I like and dislike about each car. I find it hard to compare the vehicles aesthetically, that's definitely personal taste so I won't go into too much depth there. I personally prefer the look of the Model 3 but as far as SUV/CUV/raised hatchbacks (whatever you want to call it) go the I-PACE is pleasing to me. I prefer the squishy seats of the Model 3 vs. the rock hard I-PACE seats, but I'm not too fussed either way. And the sound system even on the Model 3 SR+ is, in my opinion, a lot nicer than the basic I-PACE Meridian system. Spotify integration is also wonderful. One thing I do particularly like about the I-PACE are the massive wheels. They're very forgiving when it comes to kerbs, with loads of rubber usually contacting the kerb. With the Model 3 I am super-careful as the wheels are far more vulnerable to curb rash.

 

[StealthP3D]

I'm one of relatively few people who regularly drive both the Jaguar I-PACE and Model 3 SR+. The I-PACE is my daily driver and the Tesla is a family vehicle I'm insured to drive. Here in the UK, the I-PACE's sticker price for the model I drive is about £65,000 whereas the Model 3 SR+ is around £38,500. I was recently asked on another forum which I'd keep if I could only pick one and here are my thoughts/ramblings. They're both great vehicles in their own way. So this is just my personal preferences and everyone will have their own opinion. But I'd keep the Model 3 for the following reasons.

1) The driving experience. I prefer the lower down ride (more "sports car" like) and I find the visibility much better, at the front in particular. I find parking the I-PACE forwards difficult because of the lack of forwards visibility (compared to the Model 3). It doesn't help that I've just got the basic model ("S) without all the parking aids, though. Both cars are good fun to drive though. I do like the AWD on the I-PACE, gives nice grip and torque even in poor weather. Although the traction control on the Model 3 SR+ is surprisingly good so I don't find it spins the wheels like my LEAF used to in bad weather. I also like the hold mode on the Model 3. With the I-PACE you need to jam on the foot brake and that only helps as a hill hold if you're on level ground or are on a slight incline. Sometimes you think you are but you're not and the car starts rolling backwards, so you need to put it in park. It's sometimes a bit laggy coming out of park and going into drive as well. With the Model 3 you simply take your foot off the accelerator and it will do the rest for you.

2) The technology. The infotainment system on the Tesla is in a different league and as a techy person I much prefer it - I find the autopilot and visualisations really useful as well. Autopilot is great when used in appropriate conditions, but you always need to be ready to take over. My I-PACE doesn't even have TACC, which is quite embarassing for a car costing ~£65,000 (I just lease it). The back of the Model 3 SR+ is a nicer place to be as well, with the glass roof making it feel very open and airy vs. the claustrophobic I-PACE. The glass roof doesn't come standard on that. I was expecting to find having to look to the side for the speedometer on the Model 3 to be weird, but I find it completely natural and actually prefer it as my hands on the steering wheel never obstruct my view of the speed. But either method works fine really.

3) The efficiency and charging process. The main things I prefer about the Model 3 SR+ revolve around the fact it's simply a much more efficient vehicle and has much greater flexibility with its charging options. It costs considerably more to charge up the ~90kWh battery of the I-PACE and it takes a lot longer. The CCS chargers I've been able to use with the I-PACE have been limited to 50 kW. That's if I'm lucky enough to find one that's in service and unoccupied. Supercharging is a much nicer experience. The car itself tells me which stalls are available to use, there's usually 8 or more at each location (vs. a couple of CCS chargers) and the experience is very intuitive. You just rock up, press the button on the supercharger to open your charging flap and plug in. No need to fire up any apps or use a contactless payment method. It charges up nice and quickly, shows you exactly how much it's costing to charge on the car's screen and when you've finished the charging port even closes for you automatically. It's the little things!

There are some other little things I like and dislike about each car. I find it hard to compare the vehicles aesthetically, that's definitely personal taste so I won't go into too much depth there. I personally prefer the look of the Model 3 but as far as SUV/CUV/raised hatchbacks (whatever you want to call it) go the I-PACE is pleasing to me. I prefer the squishy seats of the Model 3 vs. the rock hard I-PACE seats, but I'm not too fussed either way. And the sound system even on the Model 3 SR+ is, in my opinion, a lot nicer than the basic I-PACE Meridian system. Spotify integration is also wonderful. One thing I do particularly like about the I-PACE are the massive wheels. They're very forgiving when it comes to kerbs, with loads of rubber usually contacting the kerb. With the Model 3 I am super-careful as the wheels are far more vulnerable to curb rash.

Yes, but what about panel gaps! ................

Nice write-up! The Model 3 was such a dang good car I had to buy one after driving my wife's around. She was hogging it too much!

 

[CanadaEV]

I'm one of relatively few people who regularly drive both the Jaguar I-PACE and Model 3 SR+. The I-PACE is my daily driver and the Tesla is a family vehicle I'm insured to drive. Here in the UK, the I-PACE's sticker price for the model I drive is about £65,000 whereas the Model 3 SR+ is around £38,500. I was recently asked on another forum which I'd keep if I could only pick one and here are my thoughts/ramblings. They're both great vehicles in their own way. So this is just my personal preferences and everyone will have their own opinion. But I'd keep the Model 3 for the following reasons.

1) The driving experience. I prefer the lower down ride (more "sports car" like) and I find the visibility much better, at the front in particular. I find parking the I-PACE forwards difficult because of the lack of forwards visibility (compared to the Model 3). It doesn't help that I've just got the basic model ("S) without all the parking aids, though. Both cars are good fun to drive though. I do like the AWD on the I-PACE, gives nice grip and torque even in poor weather. Although the traction control on the Model 3 SR+ is surprisingly good so I don't find it spins the wheels like my LEAF used to in bad weather. I also like the hold mode on the Model 3. With the I-PACE you need to jam on the foot brake and that only helps as a hill hold if you're on level ground or are on a slight incline. Sometimes you think you are but you're not and the car starts rolling backwards, so you need to put it in park. It's sometimes a bit laggy coming out of park and going into drive as well. With the Model 3 you simply take your foot off the accelerator and it will do the rest for you.

2) The technology. The infotainment system on the Tesla is in a different league and as a techy person I much prefer it - I find the autopilot and visualisations really useful as well. Autopilot is great when used in appropriate conditions, but you always need to be ready to take over. My I-PACE doesn't even have TACC, which is quite embarassing for a car costing ~£65,000 (I just lease it). The back of the Model 3 SR+ is a nicer place to be as well, with the glass roof making it feel very open and airy vs. the claustrophobic I-PACE. The glass roof doesn't come standard on that. I was expecting to find having to look to the side for the speedometer on the Model 3 to be weird, but I find it completely natural and actually prefer it as my hands on the steering wheel never obstruct my view of the speed. But either method works fine really.

3) The efficiency and charging process. The main things I prefer about the Model 3 SR+ revolve around the fact it's simply a much more efficient vehicle and has much greater flexibility with its charging options. It costs considerably more to charge up the ~90kWh battery of the I-PACE and it takes a lot longer. The CCS chargers I've been able to use with the I-PACE have been limited to 50 kW. That's if I'm lucky enough to find one that's in service and unoccupied. Supercharging is a much nicer experience. The car itself tells me which stalls are available to use, there's usually 8 or more at each location (vs. a couple of CCS chargers) and the experience is very intuitive. You just rock up, press the button on the supercharger to open your charging flap and plug in. No need to fire up any apps or use a contactless payment method. It charges up nice and quickly, shows you exactly how much it's costing to charge on the car's screen and when you've finished the charging port even closes for you automatically. It's the little things!

There are some other little things I like and dislike about each car. I find it hard to compare the vehicles aesthetically, that's definitely personal taste so I won't go into too much depth there. I personally prefer the look of the Model 3 but as far as SUV/CUV/raised hatchbacks (whatever you want to call it) go the I-PACE is pleasing to me. I prefer the squishy seats of the Model 3 vs. the rock hard I-PACE seats, but I'm not too fussed either way. And the sound system even on the Model 3 SR+ is, in my opinion, a lot nicer than the basic I-PACE Meridian system. Spotify integration is also wonderful. One thing I do particularly like about the I-PACE are the massive wheels. They're very forgiving when it comes to kerbs, with loads of rubber usually contacting the kerb. With the Model 3 I am super-careful as the wheels are far more vulnerable to curb rash.

Thanks for that comparison of the I-Pace to the Model 3.
First thing is that, both being electric cars, that makes them superior vehicles. It removes them from any reasonable comparison to non-electric vehicles.

Owning a performance 3 myself, I'm really glad of a comparison by someone who has real experience with one of the alternatives.

Your preference being weighted toward the 3 does not surprise me. What would surprise me if you reported significant preference for the I-Pace. I wouldn't be surprised if you found it to be a truly more satisfying driving experience because I don't know about that. But it's hard to ignore the incredible flexibility to improve built into every Model 3.

One specific that you favoured in the 3 was the way it holds when you come to a stop. That wasn't always there - I got it as an OTA quite recently, after driving my car for 15 months. I had read where the Leaf has that feature as part of its one-pedal driving and thought it would be a superior feature. Sure enough, Tesla thought so too, and now I have it, and it's as good as I thought.

Similarly, when you mention the convenience of the Supercharger experience compared to CCS, I appreciate Tesla's commitment to the best possible experience.

So, the Model 3 is your preference now, and the indications are that it will be an even stronger preference as time goes by, as Tesla adds features or improves existing features through OTAs.
The Tesla engineering model as it is intertwined with software flexibility is just one of its advantages, but a very important one.

 

[MikeAtkinson]

How do OTA updates compare?

 

[EVMeister]

One specific that you favoured in the 3 was the way it holds when you come to a stop. That wasn't always there - I got it as an OTA quite recently, after driving my car for 15 months. I had read where the Leaf has that feature as part of its one-pedal driving and thought it would be a superior feature. Sure enough, Tesla thought so too, and now I have it, and it's as good as I thought.

How do OTA updates compare?

The hold mode is a great example of a really useful OTA addition to the Model 3. You'd never see something of that sort OTA with the Jaguar. You only see very basic things like infotainment updates, at least that's the case so far. They've promised some extra flexibility for future OTA updates, but I still don't think they'll be major or frequent like with the Tesla. They've been extremely basic updates and there aren't release notes provided on the screen accompanying the update. Nothing informative or useful, anyway. The only major update to be done on my I-PACE was to do with changes to the regenerative breaking update for safety purposes. It was actually a recall and I had to take my car to the dealership and wait around for several hours whilst they updated it there. Very different experience to the Model 3!

It's also worth mentioning that although I love the "hold" mode on the Model 3, I hated one pedal driving on the LEAF. It was really badly implemented and blended friction breaking with regen even at relatively high speeds. I could feel the friction breaks lightly apply even when cruising at 30mph with my foot lightly on the accelerator. It just felt off, as if I was driving through treacle. Well not that bad, but it definitely affected the smoothness of the drive even at that kind of speed. Even my passengers could feel the difference when I had it on vs. off. On the Model 3 it's seamless and only changes the feel and behaviour of the car at very low speeds, which is great.

 

[IsthataTesl.a?]

I'm one of relatively few people who regularly drive both the Jaguar I-PACE and Model 3 SR+. The I-PACE is my daily driver and the Tesla is a family vehicle I'm insured to drive. Here in the UK, the I-PACE's sticker price for the model I drive is about £65,000 whereas the Model 3 SR+ is around £38,500. I was recently asked on another forum which I'd keep if I could only pick one and here are my thoughts/ramblings. They're both great vehicles in their own way. So this is just my personal preferences and everyone will have their own opinion. But I'd keep the Model 3 for the following reasons.

1) The driving experience. I prefer the lower down ride (more "sports car" like) and I find the visibility much better, at the front in particular. I find parking the I-PACE forwards difficult because of the lack of forwards visibility (compared to the Model 3). It doesn't help that I've just got the basic model ("S) without all the parking aids, though. Both cars are good fun to drive though. I do like the AWD on the I-PACE, gives nice grip and torque even in poor weather. Although the traction control on the Model 3 SR+ is surprisingly good so I don't find it spins the wheels like my LEAF used to in bad weather. I also like the hold mode on the Model 3. With the I-PACE you need to jam on the foot brake and that only helps as a hill hold if you're on level ground or are on a slight incline. Sometimes you think you are but you're not and the car starts rolling backwards, so you need to put it in park. It's sometimes a bit laggy coming out of park and going into drive as well. With the Model 3 you simply take your foot off the accelerator and it will do the rest for you.

2) The technology. The infotainment system on the Tesla is in a different league and as a techy person I much prefer it - I find the autopilot and visualisations really useful as well. Autopilot is great when used in appropriate conditions, but you always need to be ready to take over. My I-PACE doesn't even have TACC, which is quite embarassing for a car costing ~£65,000 (I just lease it). The back of the Model 3 SR+ is a nicer place to be as well, with the glass roof making it feel very open and airy vs. the claustrophobic I-PACE. The glass roof doesn't come standard on that. I was expecting to find having to look to the side for the speedometer on the Model 3 to be weird, but I find it completely natural and actually prefer it as my hands on the steering wheel never obstruct my view of the speed. But either method works fine really.

3) The efficiency and charging process. The main things I prefer about the Model 3 SR+ revolve around the fact it's simply a much more efficient vehicle and has much greater flexibility with its charging options. It costs considerably more to charge up the ~90kWh battery of the I-PACE and it takes a lot longer. The CCS chargers I've been able to use with the I-PACE have been limited to 50 kW. That's if I'm lucky enough to find one that's in service and unoccupied. Supercharging is a much nicer experience. The car itself tells me which stalls are available to use, there's usually 8 or more at each location (vs. a couple of CCS chargers) and the experience is very intuitive. You just rock up, press the button on the supercharger to open your charging flap and plug in. No need to fire up any apps or use a contactless payment method. It charges up nice and quickly, shows you exactly how much it's costing to charge on the car's screen and when you've finished the charging port even closes for you automatically. It's the little things!

There are some other little things I like and dislike about each car. I find it hard to compare the vehicles aesthetically, that's definitely personal taste so I won't go into too much depth there. I personally prefer the look of the Model 3 but as far as SUV/CUV/raised hatchbacks (whatever you want to call it) go the I-PACE is pleasing to me. I prefer the squishy seats of the Model 3 vs. the rock hard I-PACE seats, but I'm not too fussed either way. And the sound system even on the Model 3 SR+ is, in my opinion, a lot nicer than the basic I-PACE Meridian system. Spotify integration is also wonderful. One thing I do particularly like about the I-PACE are the massive wheels. They're very forgiving when it comes to kerbs, with loads of rubber usually contacting the kerb. With the Model 3 I am super-careful as the wheels are far more vulnerable to curb rash.

I know two guys who drive an I-PACE. One used to drive a Fisker Karma and I overheard him bragging about the build quality of his Jaguar versus Tesla. Seriously? He's a good guy but if that's the main selling quality after the fact it doesn't use gasoline, it's pretty sad.

The other guy has a Ferrari F430, a McLaren, and two Model 3 Performance in addition to the Jaguar. He specifically said (or was it both of them?) that you can't really go anywhere, because of the whole CCS v. Tesla Supercharger thing.

I also told the guy with the Ferrari that I was considering taking out his Ferrari via Turo. He said, "Why? It's just going to make you like your Tesla more."

TESLA DRIVERS ARE SPOILED. THANKS, ELON !

 

[ktkemp]

I-pace owner here, who lurked in these forums for a long time and strongly considered a Model 3P before somewhat suddenly pulling the trigger on the I-pace. The reason I did it somewhat suddenly is that at least where I am in the US, Jaguar Land Rover was desparately trying to unload I-paces at the end of last year and the discounts available made the car irresistible.

As a result, my experience of the i-pace is pretty different from the OPs. I managed to get a full loaded "First Edition" (which is the top of-the-line HSE trim plus some additional options) out the door for about the same as a Model 3 Performance would have cost after factoring in that JLR buyers still qualify for the full US federal EV tax credit.

The First Edition equipment addresses many of the complaints the OP had about his car: full glass roof, TACC, upgraded 825 watt sound system, etc. The i-pace also has built-in Spotify streaming, at least in the US, but maybe the OP couldn't find it buried in the infotainment (more below).

I know @StealthP3D was joking, but the interior build quality and materials of the I-pace are noticeably superior to the Model 3. My car has a contrast stitched leather dashboard and interior trim, a much more interesting and engaging interior design, and an alcantara headliner Similarly, while looks are subjective, and I agree that I don't love SUVs, in person the i-pace doesn't really look much like an SUV. It's an interesting shape that's really only possible in an EV. While the Model 3 is not a bad looking car, there are a few parts of the design that feel rushed or unfinished to me, particularly from the front view. The I-pace doesn't really have a bad angle, although it is W I D E looking from behind.

I can't really compare the driving since my time in the model 3 has been pretty limited, but @CanadaEV nailed it when he said that them both being EVs elevates them above 90% of the cars on the road at this point. The I-pace is fantastic fun to drive. My I-pace has the adaptive air suspension which the OP's may lack, so our experiences of the I-pace are likely different as well.

There are few things about the I-pace that are inferior to the Model 3: the TACC system isn't great, I'd say it's less capable than our Volvo's Pilot Assist system; it's good enough to make my stop and go commute less stressful, but it's not driving me to work anytime soon. The infotainment system is not great, bordering on bad. In theory it's a really cool system, with a few notable features like being able to use the lower touchscreen (which is nominally the climate control screen) to display and control other functions like the radio/media player and the ability to create your own screen layouts. In practice it can be painfully slow to respond, and it seems like the developers ran out of time and just crammed a bunch of functions onto some extra screens and called it a day. There is literally a screen called "Extra Features" that is just a sea of buttons for things like the web browser, drive mode customization, etc.

Along the same lines, it's clear that this is JLR's first EV and they are still learning what matters. The charging system is adequate for most situations but isn't nearly on par with Tesla's. I'm not even talking about supercharging, I mean just normal at-home charging. The on-board charger is only 7Kw and with ~85Khw of usable battery capacity, even home charging is a bit slow. The system for setting up timed charging is hard to use, and inexplicably linked to vehicle climate pre-conditioning. There is no way to set a max charge level, the car's UI and design assumes you always want to charge to 100%. As the OP mentioned, public charging the I-pace is just not even in the same league as Tesla, though I admittedly have not tried to road-trip my I-pace yet.

JLR has begun rolling out OTA updates to the car, and while it's nowhere near Tesla's ability, it's heartening to see them making real progress. At the moment there are 3 (I think) modules of the car that are OTA capable (the infotainment, the BMS, and the telematics system), and they are making more subsystems OTA capable (though this, ironically, requires a dealer visit). So far the OTA updates are focused on bug fixes and usability improvements as opposed to adding features. JLR did issue one really notable update (that required a dealer visit) which increased the range of the car by about 10%.

There are some things about the I-pace that are better than Teslas in general and the Model 3 in particular: As I mentioned above, the interior is just much nicer. You may not prefer the more traditional look of the I-pace's interior, but it's really undeniably better put together with nicer materials. This extends to other areas as well - it's clear that the Jag is a luxury car with no obvious cut corners like the Model 3 sometimes has. It has CarPlay and Android Auto which I know people here may scoff at, but for me (and many others) it's an important thing missing from Teslas. It has myriad small niceties that the Model 3 lacks: heads up display, 360 degree surround camera, in-mirror blind-spot warning, cooled seats, heated windshield, rear sear climate controls, a door opening bicycle alert, powered tailgate, homelink. While the cargo capacity isn't really larger than the Model 3, it's much easier to load.

Overall, I think both cars are great and have their appeal. At about the same effective price, the Model 3P and the I-pace offer different takes on the EV, which will appeal to you based on how you prioritize their relative strengths. At the end of the day through, their "EV-ness" is what really separates them from other cars and ultimately makes them more the same than different.

 

[Colecaz]

Ktkemp, your list of missing niceties is exactly mine and takes the Model 3 out of the luxury class IMHO. I think of mine like a sports car and overlook the missing list.

 

[SUN-day Driver]

FYI you can do a brake hold on the I-Pace by pressing the parking brake button while stopped (not the Park transmission button). Like with Tesla when you accelerate to get moving again the brake is automatically released. The only difference is it’s a hand switch press instead of a foot press.

Glass roof is standard in the US. When I custom built my I-Pace last year there was no option not to have the glass roof.

I have TACC and lane keeping (essentially autopilot without lane changing). It doesn’t work as well as the Autopilot v.1 on my Model S. I am much less confident and relaxed while using it, but I’m still glad I got it as an option and I use it under strict supervision all the time.

 

[EVMeister]

FYI you can do a brake hold on the I-Pace by pressing the parking brake button while stopped (not the Park transmission button).

So you can! Thanks for the tip. I still prefer the Model 3 activating the hold completely on its own without a press of anything (just a release of the accelerator). But this beats using "P" (Park transmission button) on the Jaguar and then having to select "D" afterwards.

I also thought of something else I prefer on the Model 3, or more to the point my wife does. I guess it's part of the solid build of the I-PACE, but the doors on the I-PACE are heavy. They often close themselves and you need to be careful to really pull or push them open all the way. By comparison the Model 3's doors are very light and extremely easy to open. I've noticed the doors close unexpectedly for passengers of my I-PACE before. On the plus side the door operation on the inside is a lot more conventional than on the Tesla, that's one less thing to explain to new passengers of the vehicle.

 

[ktkemp]

FYI you can do a brake hold on the I-Pace by pressing the parking brake button while stopped

The ipace also has “hill hold” which will automatically hold the brake without doing anything else, but only when on an incline sloping down in the opposite direction of travel.

 

[EVMeister]

The ipace also has “hill hold” which will automatically hold the brake without doing anything else, but only when on an incline sloping down in the opposite direction of travel.

Yeah, I use that a lot but as I mentioned in my first post it can be unpredictable. If the incline is too slight the car rolls backwards and doesn't apply the hold. Downhill you'll roll forwards.