First, a big THANK YOU to everyone on this forum. Over the nearly three years of 2018 LR RWD M3 ownership the information on this site has been wonderful and the overall atmosphere welcoming and supportive.
A short time ago my wife's 2011 BMW 335D's Check Engine iight appeared. We brought it to the dealership where it's been maintained over the years and they confirmed what I suspected, namely that future repair would likely continue and would be costly. That led to a long look at alternatives including Tesla.
Surprisingly after testing many different brands/models she settled on BMW 330e, a plug in hybrid that provides the instant torque we both enjoy. As I drove her car I began to notice how much quieter it is than my M3, and how the suspension is far more enjoyable and compliant to experience. That led me to notice other things about the M3, specifically the constant noise from tires/road, which was very noticable compared to her new ride. Once I experienced it I couldn't ignore it.
Add to that the need for new tires (28.5K miles on my car), and a very generous purchase offer (at least compared to other dealers) for my M3, and I found myself looking at other cars. To make a long story short, yesterday I sold the Tesla replacing it with an ICE (yes, I know).
What I learned is that Tesla is still the best EV on the planet, but things are changing. I overlooked the typical assembly issues that I experienced - paint/panels/etc, but the biggest factor is the road noise. The M3 windows are frameless, obviously, but that requires near perfect alignment and sealing to avoid wind noise. Sadly even the 2021 model I drove was far noisier than I expected, especially compared to more traditional brands.
That doesn't mean I'm bashing Tesla, far from it. I'm still on the list for the CT, but I've aged in the last few years and priorities have shifted a bit more toward comfort and quiet instead of pure acceleration. That doesn't negate Tesla's other obvious benefits, but I think that Tesla would be wise to place more emphasis on NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) when designing the next level cars.