I’m moving to the Bay Area, in an apartment building with a few EV spots.
I am struggling to determine if I should get a BMW i4 vs a Tesla Model 3. I do like the idea of going electric based on the drive/speed.
Pros:
BMW i4: Better craftsmanship and interior, better handling/performance, looks better and unique compared to the Tesla market in the Bay; charging however seems like it could be a little more annoying
Tesla: Charging is quicker and at least has car entertainment (Netflix, youtube), cheaper than BMW i4 (overall)
Or, should I just consider getting the 4 series?! Any recommendations. Looks and drive are a big priority for me. But convenience is also important (charging).
Model 3 has a serious performance advantage. In almost every way, perhaps to excess. I would say the I4 has a more comfortable ride and is probably “fast enough.” Drive them back-to-back and it’s apparent. You really can’t go wrong with either one – but I4 is more expensive. If you can swing it, I would go I4.
I guess that makes more sense. All I remember about Tesla charging was being happy getting out of the backseat because the seatbelt kept trying to choke me to death…but then again, someone was driving a wee bit fast.
For me, I would say the charging convenience is a big factor since that is a quality of life consideration. If you have to charge everyday (depending on your commute) and your apt building does not regularly have a charger available, then Tesla is your only option. But if charging availability is not an issue, I would personally go for i4 if you can afford it (luxury and not cookie cutter like all the other Teslas in the bay).
Yea, these are the things I am struggling with! The Tesla entertainment is only for charging haha! Whereas the i4 I’d be bored charging.
I can afford the $600 payments for lease. Not as concerned with that payment as I am with the convenience, performance, and beauty of the car (I really don’t love the idea of not finding my car in the parking lot easily haha!).
Would a bmw 4 series generally be better? Or is the electric performance better in every way?
If you want to blend in with the other 5 million Teslas in the SFBA, get a Tesla. If you want to be unique, get an i4. An EV will never be as convenient as an ICE car. There are a lot of charging options, most require you to sign up - like at work and probably apartments as well, but there are also a lot of EVs.
charging at non tesla stations for our chevy bolt has always been fine for me in the bay area, I assume because everyone has a tesla / at home / at work charger.
Everyone’s experience is different however as someone who regularly travels long distance by road I can say Tesla is as seamless as it gets against a comparable ICE vehicle with the size and ease of use of their network.
EA on its base layer isn’t terrible, but once you add variables like under-maintained sites, less than ideal and or inconsistent placement for travelers it really can become an adventure.
I find this highly variable by area and type of charger. I would never rely on the peninsula EA stations, for example - at the before/after work times I try there’s almost always a wait and often many broken. That’s substantially worse than it was a year or two ago.
Non-EA dc fast chargers are usually way more available and reliable. L2 chargers are highly variable as well.
That’s helpful to hear, since I’ll be leaving in the bay area. I suppose in an i4, I’ll only really have access to the EA charging? Not sure what the terminology all means, sorry! Haha
What I would recommend is, if you are commuting to the same worksite regularly, you map out your route compared to where EA/tesla superchargers are and see how inconvenient it is. I also recommend using plugshare.com so you can get an idea of how good/bad the non-tesla charging sites are. The few EA stations I’ve used in south bay have generally been fine, but there are definitely reliability problems with the EA network as a whole. Would not recommend using EA if you are regularly going to be road tripping outside the bay.
