[URBAN LEGEND]

Model X Plaid or don’t bother.

[nickgsa60]

Originally Posted by z335is

As it became time to turn in my M3cs, I knew right off the bat that the X3M would be on the short list. However, after running through a gamut of test drives (SQ5, GLA45, X5M50, Macan S), the one other car I keep coming back to is the Model Y Performance. It has the space that I'm looking for, performance is wild and I think it looks great (subjective I know).

What was a slam dunk for the X3M comp has now become a toss up for me and I'm seriously in anguish over this decision, lol. So now I'm here and wondering if anyone else cross shopped the two and what their thoughts were.

I see that the MYP has been talked about lightly here in the past but I'm really looking for the down and dirty honest opinions

Thanks!

I see that you ended up going with the Tesla, hope you enjoy it. I was in a very similar position and ended up ordering the X3MC. I agree that they are definitely competitors.

I stumbled upon your same question in the Tesla forums

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/thre...mw-x3m.223196/

and it is pretty amazing how 90% of the respondents there seemed so enamored by Tesla almost to the point of a religious experience. The bulk of people mentioned the amazing acceleration in any situation (I have no doubt it would likely beat an X3MC in most real world scenarios). Additionally, they loved the long term cost of ownership and the perceived better reliability due to increased simplicity. It really made me rethink my decision, however, in the end I'm sticking with the X3MC order. Here's my thought process:

#1 reason: I need a car that can easily handle medium distance road trips around the southeast . I don't want to have to schedule charging breaks only to get to my destination near empty and have to waste time at my destination seeking out a charge. The town where my parents live has one supercharger 40 minutes away from them. This alone could easily eat up a half day of my vacation time to deal with.

2) Build quality, interior, and features. BMW wins here. I'm super excited to have my first vehicle with quality leather, ventilated seats, HUD, etc... can't get any of that on the Tesla. I also just love the looks of the interior of the BMW so much better-- carbon trim, ambient lighting, leather colors.

3) I much much prefer the styling of the BMW over the Tesla.

4) Driving experience. This is where it gets complicated. I believe the Tesla has a more ideal drivetrain. Anyone can jump in with any conditions and get the max out of it. At the same time, I've come to realize that just because something is ideal, doesn't mean it is better than something else. A perfect example is why I chose a manual transmission on my M240i convertible instead of the superb ZF8. The auto is 'better' in almost every dimension -- faster, smoother, and easier and yet I still chose the manual because the joy I get from the additional engagement outweighs those other factors. The X3MC is going to offer a very different driving experience than the Y and one that I know will bring a smile to my face each time I drive it. I believe the Y would have also made me smile, but due to its different but still special driving experience. So on this one, I'll call it a toss-up.

Overall, I believe the X3MC has more of a soul and is a higher quality product, I recognize that it is going to cost more to operate and that is a drawback, but I'm going to enjoy its unique character as my last and best ever ICE vehicle.

I plan to keep the X3MC for 5-10 years, at which point I expect the range and charging infrastructure to be a non-issue. At that time, I'm sure there will be many more EV options out there to better align to my preferences.

------
Side note, if I still lived in CA instead of north Florida, I think my choice would be much more difficult. Living here in FL has forced me to drive for more of my trips around the region than I ever did in CA. This is because convenient regional flights are much harder to come by in FL. Additionally, the charging network in CA is much more built out. And of course the gas is quite a bit more expensive in CA.

[Kozumasbullitt]

Regarding build quality, the Tesla Y pales in comparison to BMW. All these threads with complaints about the X3 quality and Tesla is still worlds away. The model Y is a boring, lifeless drive and only does a couple things well. Teslas have unmatched power delivery and next-level tech for their class. Many people confuse Tesla's power delivery with being faster than its competition. While true for the S and X, the 3 and Y are not the same. The Y Performance only has an edge over the X3M in random speed rolls. From a standing start or higher speed runs, the X3M wins. In addition, the X3M has the driving fun-factor the Y can't replicate.

I almost bought into the hype until I got time with the Y Performance and made up my mind it's X or bust. I have had my hands on several Teslas and the issues and flaws found were not a random coincidence or isolated. On the other hand, I have only had time with one X3M and maybe I got lucky with my build quality.

[M3Pilot09]

Tesla is fast, that's where it ends. Overall so sterile compared to an X3M and cheap interior components. I could care less if it smokes my X3MC, the BMW is a better product!

[2020X3MCDG]

Trying to be a Tesla fan here as we have an S LR on order since May. The communication is so disorganized and the estimated deliveries are complete garbage. It is ruining my experience to be honest.

Right now I wouldn’t recommmend anyone buy a Tesla. Only reason I’m holding on is we got in 15K under the current price but still not sure when or if we will ever get a car delivered.

Love my X3MC.

[Kozumasbullitt]

Originally Posted by 2020X3MCDG

Trying to be a Tesla fan here as we have an S LR on order since May. The communication is so disorganized and the estimated deliveries are complete garbage. It is ruining my experience to be honest.

Right now I wouldn’t recommmend anyone buy a Tesla. Only reason I’m holding on is we got in 15K under the current price but still not sure when or if we will ever get a car delivered.

Love my X3MC.

Yeah, unfortunately they have weird production cycles and seem to be focused on the entry level models right now. I do give Tesla credit for their B2C sales model eliminating cringe dealers but they are a long way from being a legitimate automotive manufacturer that can deliver like the big-boys.

[2020X3MCDG]

Originally Posted by Kozumasbullitt

Yeah, unfortunately they have weird production cycles and seem to be focused on the entry level models right now. I do give Tesla credit for their B2C sales model eliminating cringe dealers but they are a long way from being a legitimate automotive manufacturer that can deliver like the big-boys.

Agree but they could do such a better job if they just put their customers ahead of a few things….

They deliver cars to customers that have ordered months after me, they tell me my car is going to be ready in September, then October, then
Novemenr, etc etc etc. we’re now on to February. It will be nearly a year. Before I may get this car.

Literally no rhyme or reason to the madness.

We have been down to one car Since July.

[V8MAN]

I cross shopped both mainly because the model Y would have been much cheaper than the X3M C I ended up with, while also offering pretty impressive performance numbers.
The Y was very fast and had all kinds of cool technology, gadgets, huge screen, felt like you were driving in a different world, did not really like having no dashboard in front of me. The interior was meh, pretty simpleton but some people like that, yes it was very fast but the handling was not that great and I think I would have gotten bored with the car pretty quickly specially coming from an M3. Tesla does have some great ideas and you can see and feel the innovation of the brand, other manufactures have taken notice which is a good thing...

When I test drove an X3M I just felt more at home, maybe just bias, but the interior is so much nicer, fit and finish and materials used on the X3M were almost night and day better, handling was very impressive. Yes gas mileage sucks and the price is over $80K, but with my X3M C I feel I am driving something special.

To each its own...

[f82fanatic]

Originally Posted by 2020X3MCDG

Agree but they could do such a better job if they just put their customers ahead of a few things….

They deliver cars to customers that have ordered months after me, they tell me my car is going to be ready in September, then October, then
Novemenr, etc etc etc. we’re now on to February. It will be nearly a year. Before I may get this car.

Literally no rhyme or reason to the madness.

We have been down to one car Since July.

Hey. I ordered a Tesla Model Y on June 22, 2021. Their delivery estimate at that time? 1-10 weeks.

I'm still waiting. And this is the estimate for that order now (see pic). 🤡

[2020X3MCDG]

Originally Posted by f82fanatic

Hey. I ordered a Tesla Model Y on June 22, 2021. Their delivery estimate at that time? 1-10 weeks.

I'm still waiting. And this is the estimate for that order now (see pic). 🤡

Yep. Aggravating. Difference is they make 250K+ 3/Y. And 10K S/x per quarter. You will probably get your order sooner than that but the EDD madness is infuriating. Impossible to plan for. All of a sudden your car will be here and you have 3 days to drop everything going on in your life to rush and pay/pick up the car or they give it to the next guy. Never mind the complete sh!t show experience you put up with prior.

I cannot wait for more competition.

[f82fanatic]

Originally Posted by 2020X3MCDG

Yep. Aggravating. Difference is they make 250K+ 3/Y. And 10K S/x per quarter. You will probably get your order sooner than that but the EDD madness is infuriating. Impossible to plan for. All of a sudden your car will be here and you have 3 days to drop everything going on in your life to rush and pay/pick up the car or they give it to the next guy. Never mind the complete sh!t show experience you put up with prior.

I cannot wait for more competition.

I don't want the car for myself anymore. I place that order and one for the X3M at the same time because, get this, I thought that the bimmer would take a really long time to get to me given it was an LCI 🤣.

The moment I get a call I'll quote the value in carmax/vroom,
/etc. If the trade is positive, I'll buy it, turn around and sell it.

I know I'll have to pay taxes on the purchase and sale. Believe or not, based on how they are trading now the numbers actually work for a tidy profit. Assuming the market stays as is.

[heavyD^2]

Originally Posted by SmogTM

I had a 2019 Model 3 Performance that I bought coming from a 2018 Audi S5 Sportback. That straight line insane performance got me. But that gets old quickly and you start to realize a lot of things are missing from the Tesla. For me the most important was the quality - it was nowhere near the level of an Audi, BMW, Mercedes - hell even a Honda, Mazda or any other mid range car. I found myself constantly buying things to make it better - got door seal kits, matte console wrap, inserts for the armrest compartment, replaced interior lights to blue etc. Things that I would have never thought to do in my prior cars. The other aspect was the lack of sound - it felt so sterile and no fun. I was planning on keeping the tesla for at least 6 years. Well, managed to keep it for 1 and couldn't wait to get my X3M Competition. Don't get me wrong, Tesla is great for anyone who doesn't care about driving feel and doesn't mind the spartan interior, but it was just not for me. Once all the cars are electric we will have much better pool to chose from, plus hopefully the new 3/Y generation will get a redesigned interior and much better fit and finish.

Best post in the thread. Everyone knows Teslas aren't built well and that they are fast in a straight line. It's been argued to death. What a lot of people don't realize is that the Model 3/Y are lacking a lot of features that drivers have taken for granted over the years. They are very bare bones vehicles and offer less features than well equipped economy cars and it's really hard to ignore at their price point.