I got into the EV thing as soon as I heard about the scrapping of BIK for EVs this year. What started out as a pipedream became a reality very quickly with only a small amount of research, and some help from a mate who already had a Model 3 after leasing a Model S for 3 years.
I was also used to good build quality cars - Audi A6 4.2, Toyota Kluger and LandCruiser (when in Aus), Lexus RX450h (getting towards greener credentials slowly!). These cars were also pretty well fitted out with all the techie options you could get. Lexus had everything you can possibly get. Auto everything. Also had a Merc CLK but wouldn't put this in the fab build quality category, it was actually a bit underwhelming but it served a purpose at the time.
There are things I miss about those cars but I can live without them. I do over 2,000 miles a month and with a salary sacrifice lease (even at high mileage) the amount I save in petrol almost pays the monthly lease. The Lexus was out of warranty and faced with massive bills for some things that were on the verge of failing, I got rid. Build quality was typical Lexus and everything was soft closing and gadgets galore but as others have mentioned this is PR / gimmick more than anything. Going EV was a no-brainer.
I've watched the Youtube videos of Tesla crash testing and it's impressive.
I test drove an e-tron but the range was not adequate for my travelling needs and the Tesla easily won out with the Supercharger network. Can't underestimate the weighting you need to add for this for a long distance driver. I have had no range anxiety whatsoever since I got my M3. The e-tron won on the useful day to day technology stakes - their autopilot is actually pretty good although will not evolve for the lifetime of the car I expect, and the 360 cameras were bloody useful, especially for getting out of parking spaces or blind junctions, where you can put the front bumper cameras on to see what is coming left and right. If I just wanted a premium car that wasn't going to do long journeys with green credentials and not being sensible about money then I would have gone with that.
I have had no qualms with the build quality and the M3 LR is a delight to drive every day. It is great for overtaking. It puts a smile on my face. The sound system is even better than the Mark Levinson system in the Lexus (but that's always a subjective thing). It's remarkably roomy and you can actually fit a decent amount of luggage in the frunk and/or the 'cellar' in the trunk. I have absolutely no regrets about getting one. I have been able to live with the odd little niggling frustration that crops up from time to time. It's fine as a family car, which was a concern going from the massive storage in the Lexus RX!
I don't think a test drive can do justice to the actual ownership day-to-day. It's actually a pretty sensible car with what seems to most people to be a hefty price tag, but at the moment there's a sweet spot for business lease that makes it more affordable than most ICE cars in those circumstances once you factor in BIK.
