If you are in the Bay Area, Tesla’s Sentry Mode is a HUGE plus over BMW along with the charging network.
I have 2 friends, one who bought a Tesla 3 and another who bought a BMW i4.
The i4 guy regrets his decision and wishes he had bought the Tesla 3.
Except for the one in San Mateo and Newark, they are all good and normally even at peak time, spots are available.
I find this hard to believe. Like really really hard to believe.
440 is much better car overall. The seating position is better, it handles better and rear seats are much more spacious.
Not sure which part you find hard to believe…Sentry Mode advantage, charging network advantage or the fact that i4 guy wishes he had chosen the T3 instead.
Those 2 guys carpool together, alternating between i4 and T3. The T3 guy loves his car but the i4 guy regrets his decision. Personal preferences perhaps, but not “really, really hard to believe.”
No one ever regrets getting a BMW. Thats a fact of life
You could consider getting a smartphone like an iPhone or Android phone. Both types allow you to watch Netflix and Youtube. 
First post !
Tesla owner, BMW employee here. Are we talking i4 35 /40/ m50 ?
because the m50 is pretty quick. overall quality is really not even close. I love my Tesla but the fit , finish, is a no contest win for BMW.
Looking really at the i4e35 or 40.
(and yes - you’re right, i can watch Netflix on my phone but nothing like watching on that big screen!)
I would lease the Tesla 3 for 24 or 36 months and see how you like it, since you don’t qualify for the $7500 they bake that into the deal so you’re looking at $500/mo plus tax with $2500 down
BMW i4 35 would be around $550-600 or so
Now, as for performance, Tesla states 272 miles (assuming you’re doing base car) vs 256 with the BMW and the charging is a lot quicker on the Tesla. I think 2024 BMW has improved range, not sure though.
The model 3 is very nimble since it’s low to the ground, “entertainment” while charging??? Haha come on now, I have never used any of that stuff in any of my Teslas I’ve had, except for the music.
Also, consider insurance costs as well, I know BMW comes with the 30 mins free charging which can be good if you can include that into your routine but since your building has EV chargers you may not have to (are those FREE chargers BTW??)
Crunch the numbers and see, sometimes saving $$$ is a lot better than watching Netflix in a car 
This decision really comes down to two things. Do you care about charging infrastructure or do you care about interior quality? The other things are largely novelty I’d say.
Going 0-60 in 3 seconds is fun the first few days you have the Tesla, but you’ll get over that pretty quick I’d say. Also if you’re driving primarily during commuting hours you’re probably going 10mph along with everyone else. Netflix? Again, never even thought about using this while charging. Also you have to pay teslas subscription fee to access it and I’m too cheap for that when I can just watch it on my phone, or just listen to podcasts or audio books.
Ultimately I’d say look at you commute route. See how many chargers are on the way there and home. Check them at times that you’d be utilizing them for a week or two and see how often they are all in use or offline. If it seems like it’s going to be a struggle to charge, get the Tesla. If it seems like it won’t be an issue, get the i4.
When I looked online, it didn’t look like the EV credit was baked into the Tesla deal, only for purchase. I may be wrong - but does anyone know if thats part of the deal? I’ve driven a Tesla before and did like it, but came from a BMW 3 series and definitely love the feel of the BMW overall more. But the tech features are quite fun in the Tesla (and I only mention this because I did use Netflix a couple times while charging at a public charger that took >40 min).
I just found out my work has access to a ‘free’ charging spot where I plug into the wall ( I assume slow charging) so that is nice and could save on charging costs as well.
I appreciate the insight!
Would you consider an ioniq 5 or 6, they are much cheaper to lease now… $360/mo for 24 months with $2000 DAS for the ioniq 5 from @Jeff_BeachCitiesAuto ioniq 6 will spring you 360 miles on a charge 
thanks for the suggestion! I don’t love the looks of the Ioniq, and build quality material inside feels on the cheap end for me. It definitely is a $$ saver. But I think I’d prefer to pay more for a fun drive and a nice looking car!
(Also - if anyone knows about the EV credit for Tesla on leases, let me know! I don’t believe its a thing).
(Also - if anyone knows about the EV credit for Tesla on leases, let me know! I don’t believe its a thing).
It’s not a thing
Interior feels cheap compared to a low end Tesla? 
Thats a first
OP - do you know where you will be living in the Bay Area? South Bay, east bay, SF? Reason I ask is because it makes a huge difference in EA station availability.
Tesla’s are a dime a dozen here… I play a game here with the kids - how many Tesla’s do you see when we are stopped at a light? Highest I’ve gotten is 10…
The other point is that Tesla leases cannot be bought out. Which means you don’t have the option of buying out the lease, even if you wanted to. Just a some things to keep in mind.
I think the name of the game right now in the EV space is do you want the best EV on the market that happens to be a car or do you want the best car that just so happens to be an EV?
I meant in general the Ioniq feels cheap, but at least the Tesla makes up for it in many other ways (high tech features)… but was really comparing that it was cheap interior compared to BMW!
I will be living in Burlingame/San Mateo/Belmont/Foster City area.
Appreciate all the insight thus far. I think I will test drive the 440i and the i4.
I think I’d want the best car that happens to be an EV. To be honest, the EV isn’t SUPER important to me, but I really do love the way the i4 looks haha