This weekend, I parted ways with my beloved 2021 M3P for an RS3. This transaction was not really on my radar but I received an unsolicited call from my local Audi dealer that they had an unspoken for allocation for a 2023 RS3 (Kayalmi Green no less) and gave me about an hour to decide before moving on to the next person. The RS3 is extremely hard to come by and I was told previously wait times were upwards of 2 years. Prior to my M3P, I have owned Porsche, BMW and Audis. I very much enjoyed my M3P and believe electric is the future. However, when given the opportunity to grab an ICE (perhaps for the last time), I felt compelled to do the deal. That and the fact that I was given an excellent trade in value on my Tesla made the math work for me. Here are the things I will miss and not miss about my Tesla for those considering similar trades:
Pros
1. Jaw dropping acceleration. The Tesla is just a freaking rocket ship and it's very apparent compared to the RS3 that the Tesla is faster. Instant torque on demand that never ends. The Audi, by comparison, feels slow. Hard to believe given it's a 3.5 second car.
2. Quick steering. This was my favorite feature of the Tesla. The steering is quick, precise and perfectly weighted. The RS3 is no slouch but the steering is lighter in feel and doesn't provide as much feedback.
3. Never filling up for gas. Not elaboration needed. I'm already sick at the thought of needing to go to a gas station.
4. OTA updates, new features and amazing infotainment. The Audi MMI is cooler but nothing beats the OTA updates and superb navigation of the Tesla. I found using android auto annoying and clumsy by comparison.
Cons
1. Rough ride. The suspension on the M3P is pretty rough. I did have mine lowered on eibach springs but tbh it was just as bad before as well. The RS3 is plenty firm as well but it does not crash over bumps like the Tesla did. Even this weekend, I prepared myself to cringe over typical road hazards only to find the Audi dealt with them far better. Tesla needs to improve this.
2. Interior. Here is probably the biggest drawback to the Tesla IMHO. The interior build is just not up to par for a $55k car. Tesla desperately needs to improve this going forward. I know this is news to no one but honestly if the interior were better, I might have kept it. In comparison, the RS3 is like a dream. Sport seats with quilted leather, interior led lighting, carbon fiber trim. All of this and the base price for an RS3 is only 5k more than the M3P. Just an entirely different experience. I will not buy another Tesla until they up their interior game.
3. Range anxiety. Yes, it's real at least for me. I only took a couple of road trips and despite the easy process of finding a supercharger, I found each trip to be a PIA due to having to plan around stops. On a recent trip, the nearest supercharger was 15 miles past my destination. That destination was 45 minutes away due to traffic and added 3 hours to my trip overall. This is obviously part of the EV game and its fine but it was far from ideal.
4. Decreased performance on lower charge. This always bugged me after I took delivery. I did my research but did not realize that performance would degrade so quickly as SOC reduced. For a performance car, I found this bothersome and it was very prevalent in the cold months. Not being able to get 100% performance out of my 55k after 70SOC was a bummer. Yes, the car remained quick at all times but it wasn't the same as 90 SOC.
All in all, I very much enjoyed my M3P and will own one again someday. I have nothing but praise for the car overall - despite my list of complaints above. The RS3 is on another level in terms of interior feel and driving engagement. Yes, I missed shifting (dual clutch) and breaking. This is probably my last hurrah with an ICE. I'll probably keep stopping by here from time to time to check in. If you own an M3P or have one on order, it's an awesome car and you can't go wrong with one. I'll add some pics shortly.
Pros
1. Jaw dropping acceleration. The Tesla is just a freaking rocket ship and it's very apparent compared to the RS3 that the Tesla is faster. Instant torque on demand that never ends. The Audi, by comparison, feels slow. Hard to believe given it's a 3.5 second car.
2. Quick steering. This was my favorite feature of the Tesla. The steering is quick, precise and perfectly weighted. The RS3 is no slouch but the steering is lighter in feel and doesn't provide as much feedback.
3. Never filling up for gas. Not elaboration needed. I'm already sick at the thought of needing to go to a gas station.
4. OTA updates, new features and amazing infotainment. The Audi MMI is cooler but nothing beats the OTA updates and superb navigation of the Tesla. I found using android auto annoying and clumsy by comparison.
Cons
1. Rough ride. The suspension on the M3P is pretty rough. I did have mine lowered on eibach springs but tbh it was just as bad before as well. The RS3 is plenty firm as well but it does not crash over bumps like the Tesla did. Even this weekend, I prepared myself to cringe over typical road hazards only to find the Audi dealt with them far better. Tesla needs to improve this.
2. Interior. Here is probably the biggest drawback to the Tesla IMHO. The interior build is just not up to par for a $55k car. Tesla desperately needs to improve this going forward. I know this is news to no one but honestly if the interior were better, I might have kept it. In comparison, the RS3 is like a dream. Sport seats with quilted leather, interior led lighting, carbon fiber trim. All of this and the base price for an RS3 is only 5k more than the M3P. Just an entirely different experience. I will not buy another Tesla until they up their interior game.
3. Range anxiety. Yes, it's real at least for me. I only took a couple of road trips and despite the easy process of finding a supercharger, I found each trip to be a PIA due to having to plan around stops. On a recent trip, the nearest supercharger was 15 miles past my destination. That destination was 45 minutes away due to traffic and added 3 hours to my trip overall. This is obviously part of the EV game and its fine but it was far from ideal.
4. Decreased performance on lower charge. This always bugged me after I took delivery. I did my research but did not realize that performance would degrade so quickly as SOC reduced. For a performance car, I found this bothersome and it was very prevalent in the cold months. Not being able to get 100% performance out of my 55k after 70SOC was a bummer. Yes, the car remained quick at all times but it wasn't the same as 90 SOC.
All in all, I very much enjoyed my M3P and will own one again someday. I have nothing but praise for the car overall - despite my list of complaints above. The RS3 is on another level in terms of interior feel and driving engagement. Yes, I missed shifting (dual clutch) and breaking. This is probably my last hurrah with an ICE. I'll probably keep stopping by here from time to time to check in. If you own an M3P or have one on order, it's an awesome car and you can't go wrong with one. I'll add some pics shortly.
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