A BMW only has to hold up for 3 years. The build quality is excellent, as just about every owner or journalist has said or will tell you. Reliability is a different story, but this is Leasehackr. I think it’s fair to focus on the presumed initial 3-year ownership experience. Test drive a Highlander and X5 back to back. There is a very real and noticeable difference in “quality” at least as far as materials go. The X5 also feels more luxurious, which is kind of important to many people at this price point. Things like overall comfort, ride quality, and NVH are important factors. The relatively poor build quality of a Model S, perceived and actual, is very off-putting to some people and a joke given the price tag.
A current model year BMW has BMW maps AND Google maps (via AA/CarPlay). Is that a win for BMW? There’s no real difference here as far as I’m concerned. Current BMWs do have (substantial) OTA updates. They’ve added features such as wireless AA/CarPlay support, Alexa integration, and various apps like a lap timer.
Most people do not need brake service during their lease term. Some people manage to destroy their rotors and/or pads that quickly, but this is certainly not usual. At least we have dealerships with service departments and loaner cars?
Sure, you don’t need oil changes, but in the event that you need any sort of work, the turnaround time is measured in weeks and months, not hours and days as it is with most companies. No loaners. Unending delays on parts. Shady 3rd party shops. It’s an absolute joke and I think the lack of a luxury experience is a major issue at this price point. Imagine having an issue with a near or over 6-figure Model S and they tell you it’s going to take weeks or months to fix and give you some Uber credits and refer you to Enterprise. I would Uber to the nearest Porsche dealership and drive home in a Taycan. Two or three (round) trips to the dealership for oil changes or losing your sanity if something goes wrong? Easy choice for me…
The sound system in a new Model 3 for example is good from a hardware standpoint, but the abundance of glass (reflective surfaces) and poor build quality (noisy environment) significantly detract from the experience. Let’s call it even here, although I much prefer a less noisy cabin in general.
As for the “price range” comment… that’s pretty specific. What about the more expensive models? There are owners who are disappointed with the sound quality of their X/S. I’m not an expert on Tesla, but the sentiment is there.
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/sound-system-quality.161540/
Headlights? Really? Any modern LED headlights are perfectly adequate. Maybe some people really care about this, but I care more about how the headlights look than how they function (assuming they are LED). BMWs had adaptive headlights first (that turn and with high beam assist, not just automatic)… does that count as a win? The 3 and Y just recently got adaptive headlights? I don’t see any evidence that they turn, though. https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/the-new-tesla-model-3-y-adaptive-headlights
Feel free to elaborate how either:
- the best Tesla headlights are superior to the best BMW headlights today
- or the current top trim on a comparable model is better, e.g. 3 series vs Model 3.
Carrying keys isn’t an inconvenience to many people, and I’m usually carrying other keys as well…? At least we can’t get locked out of our cars because an app goes down. Also, we have the option to use a key card or app as well.
Teslas have blind spot detection, but it works differently compared to well, every other car. I personally don’t understand why it’s not implemented in the ‘usual’ way, i.e. warning lights on the mirrors and audio cues. Many owners complain that it’s not implemented well. See this thread for example: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/model-y-no-blind-spot-warning.194299/
For the record, I’m not anti-Tesla. I just can’t stand the cult-like following that espouses a mentality that Tesla can do no wrong because of what, the CEO being active on Twitter? Wrong is wrong and right is right. They do some things well and get some things wrong, just like every company. People wouldn’t rag on Tesla build quality and such to this extent if there weren’t real issues. People wouldn’t praise Porsche this and Porsche that if they made a $30k shitbox. (They would say Porsche this and that except that one model.)
What you like is subjective. Opinions can be wrong, but if you stop at “I like X,” there’s no argument to be had. Apparently, not liking Tesla is a hate crime.
