WWYD: The Ultimate Thread

[LoneStarrPlaid]

I am exactly 4 weeks to the day from returning my leased car to Mercedes. Previous cars include 3 600whp cars as daily drivers, so I like powerful cars.

I am considering a M3P, but I have some concerns and think I might be crazy for even considering this. I am reading multiple threads on here of people with build quality, fit and finish, missing pieces, etc. I would be purchasing the M3P vs leasing another BMW/Merc/Audi.

I am not so concerned with depreciation, as I would plan to own the car for 5+ years.

What I'm considering

Leasing bmw 440i
Leasing something else
purchasing M3P

I am really aiming this question towards owners and not perspective buyers. If you could return time and the notion that you didn't make a mistake of a purchase, would you still buy your M3P?

WWYD?

 

[kgoroway]

Have you test driven a M3P?

 

[LoneStarrPlaid]

Have you test driven a M3P?

yes...I enjoyed the test drive and my best friend owned a X P100D that I have driven.

 

[LoneStarrPlaid]

yes...I enjoyed the test drive and my best friend owned a X P100D that I have driven.

but the same M X P100D has fit and finish issues as well...things that would probably bother me on a 158500 MSRP ride

 

[commasign]

Keep in mind that the vast majority of Tesla owners are not on the forums, and that the forums by their nature are where the small percentage of people who do have issues come to post. You'll find the exact same phenomenon at similar BMW and Mercedes forums too. I know a dozen Tesla owners who are NOT on the forums and they are all happy with their cars and generally don't have the issues you find posted here. My own experience with a 2014 Model S, 2016 Model X, and 2018 Model 3 is that there's no systemic build quality issues and I have zero regrets buying Tesla.

 

[SR22pilot]

You may have a few cosmetic issues at delivery which Tesla will fix. After that you will be fine unless you need massaging seats, multicolored interior lighting, diamond seat stitching etc.If you like to drive, you will become addicted to the zero lag performance.

 

[Trevor B]

but the same M X P100D has fit and finish issues as well...things that would probably bother me on a 158500 MSRP ride

Then why bother asking here?

 

[ammulder]

I've been an owner for all of three hours, but in my opinion, you'd be crazy to consider anything else.

Yeah, OK, I'm still sort of glowing around the edges...

But I'd have been amazed by either a car that accelerates so fast it gives me a head rush, or a car that will never subject me to a gas station again. To have both at once sort of feels like I've slipped into an alternate reality.

 

[LoneStarrPlaid]

Then why bother asking here?

because I dont know any M3P owners. Stop being a smartass!

 

[SR22pilot]

I was at the local service center one evening and I got talking to a guy picking up a Model 3 Performance. He had mentioned his tradein to the staff. I asked what he was trading in. He pointed to an immaculate looking white 911 sitting outside. He just smiled and said "I'm over it." Reading this thread reminded me of that incident and of this post A Love Letter & A Goodbye | CleanTechnica

You will find fanboys on most forums telling you why they have the answer. The difference here is that a lot of the people here have owned some very nice cars. There are a lot of ex BMW M3 owners. I have owned an NSX and an NSX-T. I don't have a Performance. I just have an AWD. It is the most enjoyable daily driver I have owned. The NSX had the best build quality but the Model 3 impresses much more with how it integrates into my life. It's hard to describe but so much about it is effortless. It starts with not having an ON/OFF switch and goes form there.

 

[neroden]

I will say that most people don't need or benefit from Performance. If you're coming from a gas car less high-end than a Maserati, look at the insane specs of the non-Performance; it'll be plenty for you, as it will have better acceleration and handling than any of your Merc/BMW/Audis. (Hmm, I think they're no longer putting the LR/AWD specs on the website... marketing choice there...) Tesla makes their demo cars Performance to upsell people, and it usually works. Performance does raise your car insurance rates, as well, and substantially.

So unless you are a real acceleration demon, you probably want to get normal LR AWD. If you're unsure, find a way to test drive a non-Performance.

The extra $10K in your pocket goes a long way towards dealing with any little issues which may come up. For recent cars, build quality issues have been minor (on earlier cars they actually had sabotage in the paint shop which was causing a lot of paint problems).

 

[jjrandorin]

If you are expecting typical german car fit and finish from the tesla model 3 (and are one that closely examines things like panel gaps etc) this may not be for you.

If it means anything, I have been a "bmw guy" for about 15 years, and just came OUT of a bmw 435 (grand coupe version, or 4 door version), and picked up a model 3 P instead of leasing a 440. Between the 440 and the Model 3 P for actual driving, its no contest. Model 3p wins hands down. You would need to be considering the M4 instead of the model 3 P for it to be close but I personally am not a huge fan of the 2 door 4 series bmws.

Its different for sure, but I LOVE being able to blow away almost anyone from a start, with no noise. I thought that no noise would bother me, and its the opposite now. I love that you have so much power, and dont draw any attention to yourself (other than silently pulling away) from almost any car on the road... provided you were not already at highway speeds to begin with.

Anyway... as far as driving performance goes, the model 3 P is one of the cheapest "performance" cars you can get.

 

[M3Rider]

I am exactly 4 weeks to the day from returning my leased car to Mercedes. Previous cars include 3 600whp cars as daily drivers, so I like powerful cars.

I am considering a M3P, but I have some concerns and think I might be crazy for even considering this. I am reading multiple threads on here of people with build quality, fit and finish, missing pieces, etc. I would be purchasing the M3P vs leasing another BMW/Merc/Audi.

I am not so concerned with depreciation, as I would plan to own the car for 5+ years.

What I'm considering

Leasing bmw 440i
Leasing something else
purchasing M3P

I am really aiming this question towards owners and not perspective buyers. If you could return time and the notion that you didn't make a mistake of a purchase, would you still buy your M3P?

WWYD?

It's beyond me to believe that anybody having enough money for the 3 & knowledge of what it is would even consider stinky rattling alternatives that lack so much in terms of friendliness of UI, convenience of home charging etc. etc. etc. The forum is full of the info.

One test drive does not do justice to the overall experience. You need to get used to having a full charge every morning, never needing to rush to a gas station when you need to be somewhere and just remembered that your tank is empty. The stink of gas on your hands and exhaust in your garage - both gone forever. The number of things you can configure to your liking or do ad-hoc from your phone is a whole new level of convenience.

My AWD car is from sabotaged Q3 2018 and I had a few minor paint defects that I documented, but didn't really intend to fix until Tesla scheduled an appointment for me. Now all is fixed and I didn't have any fit and finish issues to start with. Super happy after 6 months.
I would be happy to schedule a few more service appointments to fix any other issues if I had any over driving a gas guzzler, it's totally worth it. All these stupid Consumer Reports compare Teslas to non-Teslas based on some idiotic fit and finish when in reality for 99% of owners that would not be a consideration. You are comparing future to the past. Once you drive it for a few weeks, you'll understand. This is not just about 0 to 60 time.

 

[Brandonn22]

You won’t regret the Tesla. I had a BMW M2 and an Audi TTS, which I don’t miss. I know the concerns over quality, but Tesla will address it if there is anything wrong on delivery. I actually haven’t even received my LR AWD yet, but was sold on the test drive. I was sold in a standard range model 3 test drive too. The best part is not having to fill up the gas tank. LR or Performance you get excellent range like a normal car. Just order it ASAP so you can get hopefully get the tax credit. The BMW 4 series is in its last model year run too before the redesign as the 3 series has just been redesigned. I still don’t think it compares to what Tesla has. It’s the future and the best way to go. message me and I can share a referral. You get 5,000 free supercharging miles!! Order today or be disappointed in another car.

 

[OCR1]

I’ve owned BMW and Mercedes vehicles for many years and have never found them to be reliable. They are nice to drive but they are expensive to repair and they break frequently. I’ve owned three Lexus LS vehicles and never had a single issue with any of them, but they were horribly boring to drive.

We now have two Model 3’s and they have been absolutely flawless to operate. There were no fit and finish issues on either delivery and we have had zero issues since owning them. I would never go back to driving an ICE car after experiencing the Tesla difference. It’s night and day driving a Tesla compared to an ICE vehicle of any manufacturer.

 

[ZoomsansVroom]

I'm switching over from my E550 Cabriolet - and had the usual litany of M3s, Porsches, etc.

Its a comfy sedan. Its very cheap to drive, relative to a MB. My MB always had little things, being fixed. I got to know my service advisor fairly well between the various ones I had. Hopefully, the Tesla will not be as problematic.

The thing is, what else do you want to buy? Anything interesting starts at 100-110, or is a Dodge Hellcat, which I didn't find that comfortable. (If a Redeye is comfortable for you, though, and you don't mind the fuel usage, it's nifty.)

 

[ForeverFree]

I am exactly 4 weeks to the day from returning my leased car to Mercedes. Previous cars include 3 600whp cars as daily drivers, so I like powerful cars.

I am considering a M3P, but I have some concerns and think I might be crazy for even considering this. I am reading multiple threads on here of people with build quality, fit and finish, missing pieces, etc. I would be purchasing the M3P vs leasing another BMW/Merc/Audi.

I am not so concerned with depreciation, as I would plan to own the car for 5+ years.

What I'm considering

Leasing bmw 440i
Leasing something else
purchasing M3P

I am really aiming this question towards owners and not perspective buyers. If you could return time and the notion that you didn't make a mistake of a purchase, would you still buy your M3P?

WWYD?

Previous thirty year's cars: Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 (twice), BMW 330xi, Audi S4, Audi S5.

All stick.

All fun, fast, fantastic cars.

All a blast to drive, especially on Angeles Crest, SM Mountains canyon roads, etc.

But ...

Absolutely no contest. Can't even be mentioned in the same conversation.

Compared to Teslas, they are rattly, smelly, inconvenient, old-tech, non-upgradable and slow.

When I picked up my first S, I was wistful watching my S5 drive away. Until I drove away in my Tesla ...

 

[dmurphy]

Just got out of a Cadillac and into a Model 3, so I know where you’re coming from. Not one second - not one - of regret.

I don’t think you’d be making a mistake, at all. There may be a few things you’d like better about the Mercedes (I miss a few small things from the Caddy) but the overall Tesla experience is like nothing else.

 

[Feathermerchan]

I certainly don't need a Model 3 Performance but boy do I love it. Several people have said they feel funny after a 0-60.
So if you are healthy go ahead and get one. Everything else seems old to me now.

 

[jjrandorin]

OP, there was another thread a couple of months ago or so with a similar theme, from a poster named @destructure00 (hope he doesnt mind me quoting him). Its a really good read and on topic of what you are asking.

Feedback from BMW or other premium brand converts?

One thing you will see by reading that thread is, there are a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of tesla drivers who either still have a german car or got rid of one to get their tesla.

In fact, I would feel that BMW has to be hurting the most from tesla specifically.. as its likely the most "mass market" of the premium luxury german car market, and it feels like every other person here either owns or owned a BMW.

Give that thread a read, and see what you think. One thing to remember about that thread however is that it was pre hardware 3, and pre elon personally coming out on twitter and confirming that, yes everyone who purchased a tesla and got FSD would get the new hardware retrofitted.

So, dont get confused by that part of the conversation in that thread