Model 3 is here - BMW beware!

[afadeev]

Model 3 is out, I put down the deposit.
Anyone else?

It will likely steal the garage spot from one of my BMWs.

$35K base price (before $7.5K Fed and no NJ sales tax, though Fed tax credit may run out mid 2018).
215 mile range for base model
Full autonomous driving support
Seating for 5 adults
0-60 in 5.x seconds (beats most 3-series/A4 Audi/C-class Merc models)

Higher battery capacity and performance AWD options will have:
300+ mile range
0-60 in 3.x seconds (beats ///M3 and C63s AMG)

Model 3 will not only devour i3 sales, but will take a huge bite out of 3-series/A4 Audi/C-class Merc luxury segment sales.

a

[RAYADAM]

Congrats on your deposit, however some of us might celebrate 2 birthdays before your car gets here LOL!

[NeilE30]

I heard it was only 215 miles on a charge.

Neil

[RAYADAM]

Majority of people only look at the range of electric cars ,very few ever look at what really matters.MPGe is the efficiency of the E vehicle.BMW i3 BEV is the most efficient car that gets more range per kilowatt hour (@125 MPGe) . Tesla's best car gets about 100MPGe and go as low as 85MPGe which puts them as one of the most inefficient E cars on the road.
Sure BMW could add to the existing 22kwh battery and increase range , but you could say goodbye to the 2600lb handling machine . And yes if you live near Tesla's superchargers , yes you can charge for free . Also , when it's 15 degrees outside , I guarantee you this testla 3 won't break 125-150 miles with 40kwh standard battery.
Regardless , I have tons of respect for Elon . Just expressing my opinions and protecting our brand we cherish in this club .

[afadeev]

Majority of people only look at the range of electric cars ,very few ever look at what really matters.MPGe is the efficiency of the E vehicle.BMW i3 BEV is the most efficient car that gets more range per kilowatt hour (@125 MPGe) . Tesla's best car gets about 100MPGe and go as low as 85MPGe which puts them as one of the most inefficient E cars on the road.
Sure BMW could add to the existing 22kwh battery and increase range , but you could say goodbye to the 2600lb handling machine.

Ray,
From someone who has enjoyed an i3 for a year and ~13K miles: MPGe without sufficient range is just a statistic. It's akin to arguing that every BMW owner dreams of buying a 320i because it gets the best mileage. Not exactly.

I'm happy that i3 is efficient in energy consumption, but the BEV's 80 mile range was, and remains, inadequate for my needs. So I had to say goodbye to the 2600 lbs $45K BEV and pay extra for 2900 lbs $50K REX that goes at least ~135 miles (~70 miles in EV mode, and another ~65 miles on motorcycle generator, after coding hacks - another story!). About 25% less than that when temps drop below freezing.

REX is reported to be outselling BEV 4:1, so adequate range concerns among i3 buyers are real and pressing.
Granted, "adequate" is a relative term that each person gets to define for himself. But evidently, 80 miles of i3 BEV range is not cutting it for most i3 buyers.

215 mile range out of basic $35K Model 3 is much more appealing (higher priced models get larger battery with an even greater range).
Sadly, anything approaching this EV range is something BMW is yet to figure out how to engineer at any MPGe or price level. Even the new MY'17 i3 is only bumping BEV range by 50% to ~120 miles.

Regardless , I have tons of respect for Elon. Just expressing my opinions and protecting our brand we cherish in this club .

Competition is wonderful force that drives progress in automotive (and other) industries.
And we are living through an amazing period in auto industry evolution right here, right now.
Model 3 is the latest high watermark of EV development and affordability.

I don't think "our" brand needs protection.
Rather, it needs a solid kick in the butt to respond to the latest challenge from Tesla (plus Nissan, GM, and others) to raise its game, and release i5 sooner than 2020.

Else, Model 3 will do to 3-series intro-luxury car market share what Model S did to 7-series in premium sedan market:
http://gas2.org/2016/02/15/tesla-model- ... che-in-us/

a

[RAYADAM]

I'm sure it's going to be great,enjoy yours when you get it . hope you'll beat out most of the 200,000 orders

[kbsilver]

I would seriously consider the 3 as replacement for our 335D when the time comes. BUT, AS Tesla already has 200,000+ preorders (in 2 days!!) for the 3, and it may be well past 2020 until you can get one if you are on the end of the list...

[RealM3E30]

What kills me is the tax credit, that comes out of "our" pockets !!!

[kbsilver]

What kills me is the tax credit, that comes out of "our" pockets !!!

Simple solution, just purchase a Tesla 3 and get your money back!

[afadeev]

What kills me is the tax credit, that comes out of "our" pockets !!!

Same problem as you should have with every other type of tax spending causes that have no direct benefit or relevance to your household:
- funding of local schools (if your kids have graduated, or you don't have kids)
- social security (if you are not retired, or planning to in the near future - well, this may be a tad too close for the majority of the club members
- <insert your favorite tax program here>