Former Tesla Model 3 Owner’s Thoughts on i4 M50

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BIMMERPOST

Not that anyone might care what a former Tesla owner might think, I still thought it would be nice to share my experience with the i4 M50 and how I think BMW has fared when comparing this to a Model 3

Finally had the opportunity to test drive one last night at my BMW dealer event. I have been eyeing this model for quite some time and I was curious to find out what BMWs answer might be to EVs and ultimately Tesla

First Look

– I have to admit, I think the front is really nice. I hate the grills on the M3/M4 and 4 Series but for some reason it works here.

– I like the rear maybe a bit more but I’m not sure why BMW decided to leave half the rear bumper in high gloss black trim. For that, I think this car looks best in black. I love the blue but that rear bumper bothers me with the black trim for some reason. If only the bottom rear was in high gloss black, I think the blue would be the color of my choice

Interior

– The interior is really nice and clean. I don’t mind the buttons on the center console. I think BMW did a really nice job here. Everything is easy to use and access for the most part. I actually do wish it had physical buttons for the heated seats but I was told those can be set to come on automatically after an outside temp has been set.

– The curved display is awesome and really nice. Everything is easy to read and navigate. The steering wheel also doesn’t intrude with the center console. The Porsche Taycan does slightly.

– The seats are very very comfortable. Comfort is worlds above the Model 3. I would like to have ventilated seats but I don’t think it’s worth upgrading to leather. The SensaTec interior is perfect in my mind.

– The rear seat area isn’t that big. Tall people might have some issues in the back seat if going on long trips. For me and my fiance it’s a non issue. The nod goes to the Model 3 for rear seating.

– Finally, HUD is an option. I really wish the Model 3 had this option.

Driving and Performance

– This is where the i4 M50 really shines. Performance feels similar to my Model 3 but I I feel it is definitely faster. In Sport Boost, the car really puts you back in your seat in the most fiercest way. Excellent I also enjoy the IonicSounds, I think it gives it character and emotion when driving it.

– Suspension feels really good. The adaptive suspension definitely helps here and ride quality is just about perfect. Sporty when you want it and comfortable enough for long trips. The Model 3 suspension is quite harsh compared to this i4. Also, even though the i4 is quite a heavy car, you wouldn’t know it when having fun on the back roads with spirited driving

Battery

– I think the battery technology blows away the Tesla here. The i4 gives you real world range and doesn’t have much, if any parasitic loss when driving. For example, I left the dealership at 99% battery and 242 miles of range. After about a 15 mile test drive mixed with sporty back road driving, flooring the accelerator most of the time and some highway cruising with some high speed bursts, we came back with 93% battery and 230 miles of range. My Tesla would of lost way more than that and that was my biggest gripe with it.

– Regenerative braking really works. I used to be able to do one pedal driving in the Tesla and I can do it here just as well but the i4 seems to charge the battery up a lot better when you have the regen braking on

Overall

In summary, BMW has hit it out of the park and into the next block here. They have successfully created probably the perfect EV to be able to compete with Tesla and other competition in this price point. I can see myself owning one in the near future

Thanks for taking the time to read my quick review



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