[Z4LOV3R]

I currently have an i3 on lease until Dec and I love everything about it. I got a very good lease on it at only $180/mo with $800 Down 36/10k. I also qualified for the $2500 electric incentive they were running at the time bringing my effective lease to $110/mo.

Now that my lease is almost over I'm looking for a replacement but I'm torn between getting the new i4 with the $7500 CA incentive or if I should go for something more "economical".

is the i4 worth it? or is it better to go with a model 3?

[Space Cadet]

Personally I would go and have a good look at both, and drive them as well.

I couldn’t get on with the Tesla interior choices and design. Part of that may also be that having driven ‘normal’ cars for 40 years, and BMWs for the last 18, the i4 just felt like another conventional BMW. The interior is far better built and the instruments where I expect to find them - directly in front of me or on a HUD, not a giant iPad in the middle! Servicing of the Tesla is more of a challenge as there just aren’t enough local dealers whereas BMW are far more common.

I had also noted that owners of Teslas seem to report more issues with theirs with dealer support not being as good.

But, the Tesla is significantly cheaper and easier to get than an i4 at present. You may well be waiting a while if you go to the full-fat M50, with the eDrive 35/40 versions more easily obtained.

[cruzer666]

It depends on what’s important to you.
One’s a proper built Driver’s car (subjective quality), the other one is a cheaply built iPad on wheels that’s considerably cheaper.

You can get a standard range Tesla model 3 considerably cheaper ($36,500) after the $7500 rebate but you’d have to pull the trigger sooner rather than later.

[Bluehighways]

I believe the $7,500 lease incentive BMW was offering on the i4 e35 ended February 28th. OTOH, it sounds like enough dealers were spicing that incentive with significant reductions in the MSRP. To me, that sounds like BMW has a lot of e35's and not enough buyers. Also the general auto market is clearly softening. So who knows what things will look like when December rolls around. If you can wait, I certainly would.

[techwhiz1]

Originally Posted by cruzer666

It depends on what’s important to you.
One’s a proper built Driver’s car (subjective quality), the other one is a cheaply built iPad on wheels that’s considerably cheaper.

You can get a standard range Tesla model 3 considerably cheaper ($36,500) after the $7500 rebate but you’d have to pull the trigger sooner rather than later.

I'd just like to add that the $7500 is only if you meet the income test of $150k for singles, slightly higher for head of household, and $300k for couples.

[Jonathan S.]

Not that I want to encourage anyone to buy a Tesla, but:

Originally Posted by techwhiz1

I'd just like to add that the $7500 is only if you meet the income test of $150k for singles, slightly higher for head of household, and $300k for couples.

... those so-called income limits are actually AGI, which can be far lower than what anyone thinks of as income, i.e., a couple earning significantly more than $300k will still meet the EV "income" limit.

[techwhiz1]

Originally Posted by Jonathan S.

Not that I want to encourage anyone to buy a Tesla, but:



... those so-called income limits are actually AGI, which can be far lower than what anyone thinks of as income, i.e., a couple earning significantly more than $300k will still meet the EV "income" limit.

You can also look back a year for qualification.

I just wanted to make sure people understand that there is an income test.

[Jonathan S.]

^ Good point, I'd forgotten about that, and it's the lesser of the year placed in service or the prior year, so a big plus for anyone on the edge, or anyone with variable income from year-to-year, or anyone who can shift taxable income from year-to-year.

[kindofblue]

I traded in my MY AWD for the i4 40eDrive as I tired of Tesla's "phantom breaking" (google it) and being essentially a beta tester for them even without their "full self driving" option.