How does the BMW, Audi, and Mercedes feature set compare with:
- ~90MPG / with 5.X second 0-60
Yes, the comparable fuel economy is good but electricity prices will also keep going up over time. Also, most entry level luxury sedans have comparable acceleration.
- Top end acceleration comparable to $500K supercars
You'd have to describe this in more detail, because AFAIK, they have shown nothing to indicate this will be the case.
- Drive coast-to-coast (possibly for "free")
Sure, stopping every 2.5 hours when cruising at interstate speeds and spending 30 minutes "fueling up" at a SC station, not to mention your having to plan your entire route based on availability of said SC stations is going to be a huge draw. /sarc.
- Never stopping at a gas station again
See above.
- Autopilot / Collision Avoidance / Summon / Mobile App
Yes, this is one area where Tesla should be able to completely out-class the competition.
- Over-the-air updates for any hardware-present feature
Yes, Tesla, to date, have demonstrated a willingness to do this, we'll see if that holds when they are supporting millions of cars.
- No 5K mile routine maintenance
My BMW needs servicing every 12 months or 10K miles and for the first 4 years or 50,000 miles it is fully included. They also provide a high quality loaner vehicle while they are servicing the car and at no cost to me. While Tesla has waffled back and forth, they
recommend the $565 annual service on their cars which actually makes them kind of pricy compared to the German cars, at least over the first 5 years.
- 8-year unlimited mile drivetrain warranty
I'd have to look this up, I didn't think it covered the electric motors. Lots of S owners have had multiple motor failures and some have had to have their cars flat-bedded after a failure. The cost, after warranty, if this happens will be enormous, as I believe it's something like $12,000 to replace one of the drive motors.
- 5-star safety rating across the board (planned but not yet achieved)
Similar to most other cars in entry luxury segment.
- More interior space than any car its size
We will see. Three adults still can't fit comfortably in the back, which is more important to me than maximum headroom... but I don't want a car as large as the Model S.
- More storage space than any car its size
The space is less useable because of intrusion in both the trunk and frunk due to electric motor intrusion into the space... also odd sizes of the openings. I can fit two massive steamer chests side by side in my 3 series... where-as I'm skeptical if you can even get a golf bag in the frunk of the Model 3.
Comparing interior build quality, as in "the seats and leather in a BMW exceeds a Tesla", is utterly missing the forest for the trees.
. I have a news flash for you. 99% of all the time you spend "with your car" is sitting in the cockpit. The current Model S leaves a lot to be desired in this area, as the fit, finish, amenities, etc, are so sub-par compared to the Germans it isn't even funny. Model S didn't even have basic things like map pockets and cup holders until recently.... and not everyone wants to have to interface with a non-haptic touchscreen to do basic things like change volume, cabin temp, etc.
I'm an Audi A4 owner and a reservation holder.
And I'm a 3 series owner and a reservation holder because I would prefer my next automobile to be greener, cheaper to own long term and more reliable with fewer headaches than the cars I currently like. We'll have to see how many boxes Tesla can actually tick on my list when the Model 3 is actually out.
I'm assuming the other ~370K reservation holders aren't all first-time car buyers, so it's possible some of them are also current BMW/Audi/Mercedes owners.
You seem to be under-estimating the draw of the entry level price plus the huge tax breaks many are anticipating getting. A lot of people are salivating at the thought of buying a $35,000 "luxury" car that will, after tax breaks, be less than $25,000. People like me who expect to spend more like $55,000-$65,000 before any breaks (and I don't assume I will get them either by the time my order is filled) will hold Tesla to a much higher bar.
You are also under-estimating the "green" factor of Tesla. There are people who will choose a Tesla or similar product over other products for no other reason than that they think they are saving the world by driving an EV instead of an ICE vehicle. In CA in particular there seem to be a lot of eco warriors driving Tesla cars for no other reason than green bragging rights.
