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On the fence

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Just my guess, but... supply and demand. There are very few Tesla certified body shops, and relatively very few Teslas. Body shops are charging a lot for Tesla because they can. Parts costs might be high too right now with the demand far exceeding supply.
That makes sense for real body work (say, from an accident). Where it doesn't make sense is stuff like hail. The actual hail removal quote is too high. Tesla has SOME special materials (hood, roof, etc) but replacing those is NOT the majority of the price.
 
You are probably right but, most likely, I'll still get M3 and drive it for few months. Hopefully, I will be able to get rid of it with minimum losses if I decide it's not for me. Also we recently moved to a new condo and got Tesla charger in our parking spots from the previous owner who had Model S
I got out of a 330e, still have a X3 for carrying larger items/family road trips. The only thing i wish for was real leather and wireless Car Play.... the safety items are a trade off with better User interface.
 
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After 20 years of exclusive BMW driving I'm done with them. So much plastic in the interior any more in the 3/4 series...I hated my last 4 series coupe. I bought my M3P in August and took delivery in September and could not be happier. The car ABSOLUTELY has compromises but what are the really important things to you? I personally loved having a HUD, better seats, Android/Apple Car play...but here I am.
 
Please show me this 20K car that has front parking cameras, front cross traffic alert, and run flats, etc.

It really doesn't sound like you are a good match for Teslas. You shouldn't be on the fence, a Tesla will not make you happy and we are not going to convince you.
 
Thanks for more thoughtful replies, guys. Most likely, I will give M3 a chance and get it. I can always sell it down the road if I'm unhappy with it. Again, I really really liked how it drives. My insurance co is Geico and I got a $1,600 annual quote for M3 compared to $1k I paid for my much more expensive Mercedes.

As a side note, I ordered M3 in white but now I see that with the latest price bump grey became a standard color too. I will call Tesla tomorrow and ask if I can switch to grey for no fee which I doubt. Is the white multicoat paint somewhat more durable than the grey one?
Stop! Please don't get a Tesla. We forgot to tell you that the build quality sucks and service sucks, and it takes at least 2 weeks to get simple stuff fixed. Other major stuff will take months! Also the paint sucks and no paint choices. The car will eat through tires like it's its job.

Also the car doesn't make me coffee.
 
If you aren’t in an immediate rush, suggest looking at the Cadillac Lyriq. It has all the premium features you want, with a luxury interior, AND a full electric drivetrain. Really can’t wait to see one in person.

(This is likely the one thing @jjrandorin and I aren’t in full agreement on. He’s a former BMW guy, and I’m from Team Cadillac.)
Yes the lyriq may be a good option. If you are willing to wait a couple of years you should have lots of choices.
 
Yes the lyriq may be a good option. If you are willing to wait a couple of years you should have lots of choices.
Audi Etron and Ford Mach-E are here today and are both good cars with comparable real world ranges. If I were looking for a new car I would test drive both of them as well as the Model 3 and Y.
The big Tesla advantages over both of those are the Supercharger network and mature OTAs.
Before buying any BEV you should look at the charging maps in your region to see if you can get everywhere you want to go. Before I bought my Tesla I monitored the Supercharger map for the coverage in New England. In mid-2019 the Superchargers in New England reached the point where all of the places I go were covered. If I were shopping today I'd do the same for Electrify America. In my region, New England, I wouldn't be comfortable with EA's coverage yet, I think they might be as much as two years away from reaching the coverage that Tesla had in 2019. On the West Coast I'd bet they are at the good enough level already.
The other thing that you won't get from a test drive is how well over the air updates work. Tesla has been doing them for a long time, the process is smooth, reliable and frequent. Ford and VW are new to OTAs, I can't imagine that the process will be as seamless for them. Tesla's huge advantage is that they write all of the software for their cars and it's completely integrated. The legacy companies bolt together a bunch of parts that are built by outside suppliers, that includes software. They will never be able to respond as quickly as Tesla to software issues.
Service is something that the legacy companies can do better. They have thousands of dealers so you are never far from one, Tesla only has a handful of service centers. Tesla will do a lot of things in your own driveway and that's great for things that can be handled like that. I haven't needed anything other than a tire rotation in the two years that I've had my Tesla so the fact that the Tesla service centers are much less convenient than the Audi, Ford or Cadillac dealers hasn't been a problem. But if something serious does happen I'd rather have a dealer 15 minutes away vs a Tesla service center which is an hour away. An Audi will also have the features that you think you will miss from the BMW.

As for going EV. A single test drive should convince you. My first EV was the Chevy Volt, The second I put my foot on the accelerator I was convinced that ICEVs were as obsolete as analog TVs. My shopping list at that time came down to the Volt or the Audi A4 and I picked the Volt because the advantages for electric drive were so huge that the Volt's short comings vs the Audi, i.e. a cheap Chevy vs a fancy German car, didn't matter. The Model 3 is a vastly better car than the Volt so the compromises are much less. The thing that stood out for me was the lack of a transmission, new ICE cars are always hunting for gears because they have 8 or 10 speed transmissions now, EVs don't have transmissions. EVs have instant acceleration, Tesla's especially. They don't have engine noise although the Model 3 suffers from way more road noise than a $50K car should have, my guess is the Audi will be quieter. Finally there is much less to go wrong, if I look back at the things that killed my ICE cars it was the transmission (failed in two of them), turbo charger (only had one turbo car and when it blew up that was the end of that car), emission system failures (my last ICEV needed new catalytic converters, that's what killed it), the fuel tank had to be replaced on one car (wouldn't vent properly), and multiple head gaskets. EV's don't have any of those components. Electric motors are a factor of 100 simpler than an engine, there are no transmissions, no emission systems, the only thing that's going to wear out is the battery but there is an 8 year 120,000 mile warranty on that.
 
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Audi Etron and Ford Mach-E are here today and are both good cars with comparable real world ranges. If I were looking for a new car I would test drive both of them as well as the Model 3 and Y.
The big Tesla advantages over both of those are the Supercharger network and mature OTAs.
Before buying any BEV you should look at the charging maps in your region to see if you can get everywhere you want to go. Before I bought my Tesla I monitored the Supercharger map for the coverage in New England. In mid-2019 the Superchargers in New England reached the point where all of the places I go were covered. If I were shopping today I'd do the same for Electrify America. In my region, New England, I wouldn't be comfortable with EA's coverage yet, I think they might be as much as two years away from reaching the coverage that Tesla had in 2019. On the West Coast I'd bet they are at the good enough level already.
The other thing that you won't get from a test drive is how well over the air updates work. Tesla has been doing them for a long time, the process is smooth, reliable and frequent. Ford and VW are new to OTAs, I can't imagine that the process will be as seamless for them. Tesla's huge advantage is that they write all of the software for their cars and it's completely integrated. The legacy companies bolt together a bunch of parts that are built by outside suppliers, that includes software. They will never be able to respond as quickly as Tesla to software issues.
Service is something that the legacy companies can do better. They have thousands of dealers so you are never far from one, Tesla only has a handful of service centers. Tesla will do a lot of things in your own driveway and that's great for things that can be handled like that. I haven't needed anything other than a tire rotation in the two years that I've had my Tesla so the fact that the Tesla service centers are much less convenient than the Audi, Ford or Cadillac dealers hasn't been a problem. But if something serious does happen I'd rather have a dealer 15 minutes away vs a Tesla service center which is an hour away. An Audi will also have the features that you think you will miss from the BMW.

As for going EV. A single test drive should convince you. My first EV was the Chevy Volt, The second I put my foot on the accelerator I was convinced that ICEVs were as obsolete as analog TVs. My shopping list at that time came down to the Volt or the Audi A4 and I picked the Volt because the advantages for electric drive were so huge that the Volt's short comings vs the Audi, i.e. a cheap Chevy vs a fancy German car, didn't matter. The Model 3 is a vastly better car than the Volt so the compromises are much less. The thing that stood out for me was the lack of a transmission, new ICE cars are always hunting for gears because they have 8 or 10 speed transmissions now, EVs don't have transmissions. EVs have instant acceleration, Tesla's especially. They don't have engine noise although the Model 3 suffers from way more road noise than a $50K car should have, my guess is the Audi will be quieter. Finally there is much less to go wrong, if I look back at the things that killed my ICE cars it was the transmission (failed in two of them), turbo charger (only had one turbo car and when it blew up that was the end of that car), emission system failures (my last ICEV needed new catalytic converters, that's what killed it), the fuel tank had to be replaced on one car (wouldn't vent properly), and multiple head gaskets. EV's don't have any of those components. Electric motors are a factor of 100 simpler than an engine, there are no transmissions, no emission systems, the only thing that's going to wear out is the battery but there is an 8 year 120,000 mile warranty on that.
I actually live only 15 minutes from a Tesla center in Baltimore county. Like I already said, I'm proceeding with my M3LR order. Hopefully, I see some updates to the delivery status that hasn't changed since I placed the order on 10/25.
 
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Test drove 2022 M 240 I XDrive today. There's a lot to like about the car such as engine, handling, seats, fit and finish, normal blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert, etc. However steering was just atrocious with no feedback whatsoever. During my extended test drive M3 steering felt much more natural. Not at the e90/92 level but much more pleasant than in the 240.
 
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Test drove 2022 M 240 I XDrive today. There's a lot to like about the car such as engine, handling, seats, fit and finish, normal blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert, etc. However steering was just atrocious with no feedback whatsoever. During my extended test drive M3 steering felt much more natural. Not at the e90/92 level but much more pleasant than in the 240.
That's pretty sad...I would've hoped BMW could figure out good electric power steering by now. I know it's possible because Mazda figured it out almost 20 years ago! Maybe BMW just doesn't care anymore.

I remember test driving an E90 and F30 back-to-back when the F30 was new. The E90 was surprisingly nice to drive, it had a great balance of driving feel and refinement. "Ultimate driving machine?" For an ICE daily driver, it was pretty convincing I have to admit. Definitely a good car and overall deserving of its popularity.

Then came the F30 test drive, and it could hardly have been more disappointing after the E90. Numb, bland, and boring to the bone. Yes it was even smoother and quieter and more refined than the E90...but all the driving joy was gone. The totally numb steering was the worst part. It made a mockery of the "ultimate driving machine" tagline.
 
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I’ve had the LR since September and I’m about to sell it this or next week. It’s a cool car, super fast, has a nice display but I’m not big enough of a Tesla fan to overlook the annoyances that I’ve had with this car.

I came from a 250 GLC and that car just worked, it wasn’t anything crazy or dramatic but things just worked and that’s what I miss most. Examples would be the easy entry not working about 30% of the time (even though I have the overpriced key fob), auto windshield wipers not adjusting speed correctly when it rains and phantom breaks on cruise control which I’m now afraid to use. Also, I find it extremely irritating that I can’t choose routes while using directions, I always have to use the one and only route that Tesla decides is the best which is a software thing but as I said, I’ve had the car since mid Sep and this issue hasn’t been addressed at all. I got tired of these small things and decided to go for a more conventional car like the BMW IX3.

At the end of the day it’s a cool car and it depends on whether you can overlook the small ( but many) inconveniences for the sake of having the coolest tech or would just rather have something that works. That’s my opinion.
 
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I found this thread very interesting and helpful, thanks to all. I did a 30 minute test drive and placed an order for a M3. I have Geico, so that discussion was helpful. I just assumed since we were trading an Alpha Romeo Guilia, which is expensive to insure, that the M3 would hopefully not cost more. Will need to check on that now. While we had two Prius, this will be our first EV, so lots to learn. Our gas in SOCAL is expensive, and Guilia requires premium to boot. Electric is higher than other parts of the country (.24 kWh) but if I've done my math correctly we should still be way ahead of gas (near $5 a gallon). Life is full of trade-offs, and each of us weighs the pro's and con's of every purchase. My big con for the M3 was how low to the ground it is, which makes getting in and out harder for those of us with double knee replacements. But I drive the truck the most, and the my wife will be the primary driver of the M3. (I can manage) I heard that the radar might be going away to be replaced by the cameras. In our test drive, the M3 displayed in inches how far away you were from the concrete tire stops. Does anyone know if that will continue to work that way with cameras only?
 
I found this thread very interesting and helpful, thanks to all. I did a 30 minute test drive and placed an order for a M3. I have Geico, so that discussion was helpful. I just assumed since we were trading an Alpha Romeo Guilia, which is expensive to insure, that the M3 would hopefully not cost more. Will need to check on that now. While we had two Prius, this will be our first EV, so lots to learn. Our gas in SOCAL is expensive, and Guilia requires premium to boot. Electric is higher than other parts of the country (.24 kWh) but if I've done my math correctly we should still be way ahead of gas (near $5 a gallon). Life is full of trade-offs, and each of us weighs the pro's and con's of every purchase. My big con for the M3 was how low to the ground it is, which makes getting in and out harder for those of us with double knee replacements. But I drive the truck the most, and the my wife will be the primary driver of the M3. (I can manage) I heard that the radar might be going away to be replaced by the cameras. In our test drive, the M3 displayed in inches how far away you were from the concrete tire stops. Does anyone know if that will continue to work that way with cameras only?

If the height of the vehicle is a concern, have you considered the Model Y? It’s all the goodness of the 3, but raised up a bit - much easier to get in-out of.

Congratulations in either case! You’ll love it — and not stopping for gasoline even more. :)

And yes — no worries on the distance sensor…. That uses the ultrasonic sensors in the bumper; those aren’t going away.
 
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I found this thread very interesting and helpful, thanks to all. I did a 30 minute test drive and placed an order for a M3. I have Geico, so that discussion was helpful. I just assumed since we were trading an Alpha Romeo Guilia, which is expensive to insure, that the M3 would hopefully not cost more. Will need to check on that now. While we had two Prius, this will be our first EV, so lots to learn. Our gas in SOCAL is expensive, and Guilia requires premium to boot. Electric is higher than other parts of the country (.24 kWh) but if I've done my math correctly we should still be way ahead of gas (near $5 a gallon). Life is full of trade-offs, and each of us weighs the pro's and con's of every purchase. My big con for the M3 was how low to the ground it is, which makes getting in and out harder for those of us with double knee replacements. But I drive the truck the most, and the my wife will be the primary driver of the M3. (I can manage) I heard that the radar might be going away to be replaced by the cameras. In our test drive, the M3 displayed in inches how far away you were from the concrete tire stops. Does anyone know if that will continue to work that way with cameras only?
Did you have the Quadrifoglio with the V6?

Before going electric, I wanted to get a Q really bad ($500/mo in gasoline be damned) until I learned that Alfa Romeo wouldn't offer a manual here in the USA (and they still don't, sadly.)
 
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I did a 30 minute test drive and placed an order for a M3.

We ordered our M3P ('21) on a Friday night, with only a few weeks online research and some brief exposure to a few Model S over the years and seeing a few on the road.

It's spectacular, zero regrets, it pushes all the right buttons with me and the "annoyances" are barely a blip on my radar.

I wont even consider another electric car brand until they have a supercharging system equal or better to Tesla...That is the biggest selling point for me over and above anything else.

We got ours in July, but even if I would've waited till today, or even based on what I'm seeing about upcoming models for another 6 months, I'd still go Tesla, several reasons why, but your post is a __huge__ differentiator. And with the upcoming CSS adapter for fast DC on non-Tesla chargers, it just got even better.

Also the car doesn't make me coffee.

I guess you haven't installed 2021.50 yet ...





:p