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Tesla Model S vs BMW 3 Series

What's the difference?

VS
Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S

$54,990 - $65,981

2017 price

BMW 3 Series
BMW 3 Series

$62,988 - $114,990

2023 price

Summary

2017 Tesla Model S
2023 BMW 3 Series
Safety Rating

Engine Type
0.0L

Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
0.0L/100km (combined)

6.5L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Sadly, it's not a sports car
  • It's a lot of money
  • Lack of convenient charging

  • Harder ride might bother some people
  • Cosy back seat for child seats
  • Lacklustre lane keeping tech
2017 Tesla Model S Summary

If you have even a passing interest in the Tesla Model S, you'll have seen the endless internet videos where someone has lined up a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or another fast exotic car you could name, to race against it.

There's a long build-up, usually involving men who can't operate a baseball cap, a drag strip and idiotic words in the headline like "destroys" or "rips", or whatever. There's usually a bunch of honking bros with bad haircuts watching on, already planning their next viral video where they set a perfectly good mobile phone on fire.

It's facile and idiotic and doesn't give you any real clue as to the depth of whatever supercar it has "humiliated" or, just as importantly, the depth of the Model S and its spectacular engineering.

So, I won't be spending the next thousand words building up to the conclusion that the Model S P100D with Ludicrous Mode is up there with the world's fastest production cars from 0-100km/h, because I'll tell you now that it is, and it does it in a claimed 2.7 seconds.

Now that's out of the way, there's quite a bit more to the Model S than a "broken" Nissan GT-R owner weeping into their bento box.

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2023 BMW 3 Series Summary

Back in the day, the 3 Series sedan was often the entry to the brand for first time BMW owners, and for good reason. They offered practical interior space without compromising on engine performance.

And they simply looked good, no boring nanny design elements. Then the 1 Series came along and price points bumped up, so how does the ‘entry’ BMW 320i M Sport live up to its long-standing reputation?

With an updated dashboard that brings the interior and tech up to market and a sharper exterior design, it more than holds its own at the table of luxury sedans, despite hard competition from the likes of the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C200 and Jaguar XE.

However, if the Merc is a placid and well-behaved mare… the BMW is the barely-broken-in bronco and it takes a certain kind of ‘rider’ to enjoy what the 320i has to offer.

I’ve been discovering just that this week with my family of three. What did we find out? Read below!

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Deep dive comparison

2017 Tesla Model S 2023 BMW 3 Series

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