Partly because of Tesla, the electric car has become so common in our country, it's now a regular sight to behold.
That means you're not only able to compare it with electric vehicles, but also with regular combustion cars.
That's why we've found ourselves a car to compare the Model 3 with, which is about the same size, with the same price, the same performance,
the same color and with a '3' in the name. The BMW 3-series.
On paper, these cars are very similar. In the real world however, that's not the case. That's mostly because the Model 3 does everything...
differently than a conventional car. It all starts with the ignition key, because this is it. You get some kind of credit card which you connect to...
your smartphone, which lets you control everything in the car. Locking the car, heating the car, checking the charging progress...
Everything is done through your phone.
If you open the door with handles you won't find on any other car, you can look at the interior.
I can't really call it an interior if I'm honest, because it's more like a big plank with an iPad mounted on top of it.
With that, you control everything. It's an incredibly quick touchscreen though, it works better than every other touchscreen available. That's because...
there's some kind of smartphone-logic to it. If you use your phone a lot, this won't take long to get used to.
I do have to say, there isn't a physical button in sight except for the automatic gearbox, the wipers and for the indicators.
Also, you get two scrolling wheels on the steering wheel, and they're used for all kinds of things.
If I go into this menu, this wheel is used for adjusting the steering wheel. It's kind of complicated, but if you get used to it, it's okay.
However, you're able to adjust your mirrors with the same scrollers as well. So I'm not going to say that every other manufacturer...
should do it as well. However, it's very Tesla. Just like the way the car has been designed.
In the front, you have a frunk because there's no combustion engine in the front. In the back, there's a luggage space of 425 litres with additional...
space underneath the loading floor, so it's pretty practical. In the back, the space is alright. There's a glass roof, which leaves you enough headroom.
There's also enough legroom, but because the battery pack is in the floor, the rear seat is a little low to the floor. That means your knees will be in...
an unnatural position. That's not the case in the front however, because the glass roof gives you a very spacious feeling.
That's because it is. The seating is very good as well, and if you look at your steering wheel, you just want to go out for a drive.
The first thing that stands out when you do get on your way with the Model 3, is how dynamic it actually is. Don't forget, it weighs more than...
1.800 kg, and that's a serious amount. However, because a lot of the mass is incorporated in the floor of the car and thus is very low,
you'll feel the weight but it won't work against you. So when you enter a corner at a higher speed, it'll move the mass to the outside.
After that, it'll remain neutral for a long time. Because everything is between the axles, you won't suffer a lot from under- or oversteer.
It's neutral until the tires give out, and that takes a very long time. You'll notice that it's a lot of mass, so after some time on a cloverleaf-junction,
you will smell the tires. But it's able to do it. In the meantime, it's sturdy but not too hard, so you won't bounce through the roof on bad roads.
The leap forward compared to the Model S is huge. The steering is incredibly direct, it's a fun car to drive and it's really quick.
This is a Dual Motor, so it has electric motors on the front and rear axles. Both work independently, they're only connected through software.
That means they both produce power at their own rate, so the traction is really incredible.
You literally exit corners with crazy speed. Sure, this is not the Performance-version but it still does 0-100 km/h in 4,8 seconds.
It does so in complete quietness, without a shifting gearbox... It's lovely, the combination of this amount of power and quietness and smoothness.
Really, really lovely.
Other things that stand out? It has a 75 kWh-battery pack, which should get you 560 km further according to the WLTP-cycle.
You won't be able to do that, but it's a kazillion degrees outside today and the airconditioning is turned on. Also, I'm driving 130 km/h...
but I'm still able to do 400 km on a full charge. If you take it easy, you should be able to reach 500 km on a single charge.
Also, you've got the Supercharger-network, the Fastned-network, so you won't have to worry about charging possibilities.
If you charge everytime you park it, you won't suffer from flat batteries anytime soon. Especially since charging goes relatively fast these days.
Besides that, you get Autopilot as standard. That means you get adaptive cruise control and a driving lane-assist. You're able to upgrade the Autopilot-pack,
and we're driving that upgraded version. Theoretically, this is able to drive autonomously. I do have to say however, I've tried that in the Model S,
and that felt more impressive. This follows the lines neatly, don't get me wrong, but when it wants to overtake a car it sometimes brakes for no reason.
Only to accelerate immediately again. Also, sometimes when you engage it, it disengages itself again. It doesn't want to because you give too much...
counterpressure, so it could've been better. However, Tesla is able to update your car over the air. So the car you're driving right now could be a...
different version than the one I'm describing right now. Also, when the Model S was first introduced, it wasn't even close to driving the same as...
this Model 3. So Tesla is going forward with big leaps, in a very quick rate as well.
Because of its dynamicism, the Model 3 has become a direct competitor to the BMW 3-series, which focuses solely on sportivity since the last generation.
So what are the differences? Well, this weighs 400 kg less. It's very fun and all that Tesla puts the mass between the axles,
but you can't suffer from mass that doesn't exist. You immediately notice the difference, because he steering is incredibly direct.
Whenever you steer the car, it'll solidify itself in the corner. There's just not as much mass sloshing from side to side, and that's something you'll feel.
I do have to say, this 3-series is fitted with the M-Sport-chassis, and it's harder than the already not very comfortable Model 3.
So yeah. You know, it's just different. The BMW only has rear-wheel drive, so you can manage the car more easily.
The steering offers you more feedback because you're only using disc brakes. You don't have to wait for the electric motors to kick in,
so you'll feel more connected to the car. It's just different, but it's not immediately better or anything. The Tesla offers you so much.
It's sensational in its own way, only with a different drivetrain. Speaking of the drivetrain, the Tesla does have the advantage.
This is the 330i, a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder producing 258 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. It's connected to the 8-speed ZF-automatic,
which is praised with a reason. It's incredibly smooth and it always knows what you want. However, the Tesla has brutal power and acceleration.
It's always there, it doesn't need gear changes, it doesn't produce engine noise, and that's a much more refined concept.
Sure, there's going to be a 330e plug-in hybrid, but the Tesla's drivetrain is so much better for daily driving. I'd go as far as saying that it's superior.
Looking at the interior however, it becomes clear why the BMW feels more like a car which is worth €50.000 to €60.000.
The finishing is better, it's quieter, the technology is more comprehensive, because things like laser-lighting and adaptive dampers aren't available on...
the Tesla. Also, ergonomically speaking this has the better features. Sure, the screen is smaller, but it's quick as well and you...
can add gesture control. You also have a central controller and you can even get voice commands, to a further extent than in the Tesla.
You're able to connect it to CarPlay, something that isn't possible in the Tesla. So with that in mind, this feels like more of a refined...
car. The space in the front doesn't matter too much. You can adjust the seats a bit more than in the Tesla, but they both have good seating.
The rear seat then. It's not more spacious or anything, but the way the seat is positioned feels more natural.
All the way at the back, the boot fits 480 litres. That's more than the Tesla, but the latter has a frunk. On the other hand,
you can get the 3-series as a Touring.
What Tesla does with the Model 3 is really quite impressive. The company isn't afraid to try things differently, and it results in a unconventional...
but very good product. The drive is really good. To be honest, the only downside to the Tesla is the interior.
Even though it's a special concept, the BMW still feels like a more expensive, more complete car with much better finishing.
However, it doesn't crush the Model 3, and we haven't even talked about the financial aspect. As a base version, the BMW is around €6.000 cheaper.
On the other hand, the Tesla pretty much comes with full-options, so in the end it will be cheaper. For private drivers,
Tesla offers very low usage costs, depending on the way you charge and drive. For company cars, the added taxes are very low.
In the past, you had to worry that you'd run out of electricity in a mediocre product, but those days are over.
Nowadays, if you bring a little over €50.000, you won't have to worry about a thing. What an achievement.