I'm sure I'm going to get blasted in these parts but I recently picked up a i4 M50. I had a 2021 M3P for 2 years and an Audi RS3 for 1 year in between. The reason for the imminent change was a job change requiring me to commute 5 days a week (something I haven't done in 4 years). I enjoyed my M3P during the time that I had it. I had it lowered with 20s and a few visual cues to set it apart. Car was fast as hell and fun to drive and toss in corners. Literally a go kart on wheels. I knew I wanted to head back to an EV and if the Highland model had been released, I might have considered that over the BMW but I needed a car now. I actually cross-shopped the BMW with the Model S given current pricing even though the i4 is more traditionally considered a M3 competitor.
I've had the BMW for a week and have really enjoyed it. My biggest gripes with the M3P was the spartan interior, low quality materials and road noise. Traditionally, I've owned German sedans so the i4 was really targeted at me and addressed the 3 complaints directly. The fit, finish and interior are several steps up from the Tesla. It's really not even close. Yes, the penalty for all of this luxury is the extra weight and additional cost (I got a screaming deal on the BMW however). For me, these trades offs are worth it on a personal level. Some observations for those who may be comparing these vehicles:
1. Acceleration - the BMW is a hare slower than the Tesla in a straight line, but still plenty fast. Most tests put it at about 2/10 behind the current M3P. Feels about right to me.
2. Range - I usually got about 260-270 out of my Tesla. I'm seeing about 240-250 on the BMW. Pretty darn close tbh. BMW underrates and Tesla overrates. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a push since it’s pretty cold where I am.
3. Handling - Tesla gets the win here in large part due to the weight. The Tesla is a legit fun car to toss around. The BMW is more of a GT car. It's pretty planted in street driving but you can't hide the weight.
4. Suspension - This is a big win for BMW. The M3P suspension is flat out horrible in stock form. The BMW in contrast is sporty but very comfortable. The air suspension on the rear is really a joy for a daily driver. No contest here. BMW nailed it.
5. Tech - This is a close call. The BMW idrive has a great large screen and is snappy. Probably not as intuitive as the Tesla but everything is there. The BMW has a full 360 degree camera system that's amazing and parking sensors. The HK audio system is pretty good, maybe a bit worse than the M3P but comparable. The BMW offers a screen in front of the wheel and HUD is standard.
6. Charging - I plan to charge at home so it's mostly a non-factor for me. However, on my 4 hour ride home from the dealer I did stop at an Electify America station and it was a complete debacle. 6 of 8 chargers were down and there was a line of people waiting for a charger. What should have taken me 15 minutes, took me 90 minutes. I was definitely not happy about that.
Fun to drive? For me, the BMW wins largely because the suspension is that much better than the Tesla and for my daily needs,. The BMW feels great in normal conditions and not at any limits. Since I'm not taking the car to the limits, I'm very pleased with handling and super planted feeling. Others may prefer the Tesla for good reason and I couldn't blame them if they did. The Tesla is trackable and tossable.
In short, the i4 m50 was really the perfect car for me. It fixes my major gripes with the Tesla but still retains the best things about EVs (namely, blistering acceleration and immediate torque). Sure, not getting gas is nice too. Please go easy on me. Yes, I know people don't like the grill (I kinda like it) and it's a porker.
"BMW i4 M50 1X7A7379" by Alexander-93 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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I've had the BMW for a week and have really enjoyed it. My biggest gripes with the M3P was the spartan interior, low quality materials and road noise. Traditionally, I've owned German sedans so the i4 was really targeted at me and addressed the 3 complaints directly. The fit, finish and interior are several steps up from the Tesla. It's really not even close. Yes, the penalty for all of this luxury is the extra weight and additional cost (I got a screaming deal on the BMW however). For me, these trades offs are worth it on a personal level. Some observations for those who may be comparing these vehicles:
1. Acceleration - the BMW is a hare slower than the Tesla in a straight line, but still plenty fast. Most tests put it at about 2/10 behind the current M3P. Feels about right to me.
2. Range - I usually got about 260-270 out of my Tesla. I'm seeing about 240-250 on the BMW. Pretty darn close tbh. BMW underrates and Tesla overrates. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a push since it’s pretty cold where I am.
3. Handling - Tesla gets the win here in large part due to the weight. The Tesla is a legit fun car to toss around. The BMW is more of a GT car. It's pretty planted in street driving but you can't hide the weight.
4. Suspension - This is a big win for BMW. The M3P suspension is flat out horrible in stock form. The BMW in contrast is sporty but very comfortable. The air suspension on the rear is really a joy for a daily driver. No contest here. BMW nailed it.
5. Tech - This is a close call. The BMW idrive has a great large screen and is snappy. Probably not as intuitive as the Tesla but everything is there. The BMW has a full 360 degree camera system that's amazing and parking sensors. The HK audio system is pretty good, maybe a bit worse than the M3P but comparable. The BMW offers a screen in front of the wheel and HUD is standard.
6. Charging - I plan to charge at home so it's mostly a non-factor for me. However, on my 4 hour ride home from the dealer I did stop at an Electify America station and it was a complete debacle. 6 of 8 chargers were down and there was a line of people waiting for a charger. What should have taken me 15 minutes, took me 90 minutes. I was definitely not happy about that.
Fun to drive? For me, the BMW wins largely because the suspension is that much better than the Tesla and for my daily needs,. The BMW feels great in normal conditions and not at any limits. Since I'm not taking the car to the limits, I'm very pleased with handling and super planted feeling. Others may prefer the Tesla for good reason and I couldn't blame them if they did. The Tesla is trackable and tossable.
In short, the i4 m50 was really the perfect car for me. It fixes my major gripes with the Tesla but still retains the best things about EVs (namely, blistering acceleration and immediate torque). Sure, not getting gas is nice too. Please go easy on me. Yes, I know people don't like the grill (I kinda like it) and it's a porker.
"BMW i4 M50 1X7A7379" by Alexander-93 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail
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