Compare the2025 BMW 3 Series SedanVS 2024 Tesla Model 3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The 3 Series Sedan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Model 3 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 3 Series Sedan are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The 3 Series Sedan has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 3 Series Sedan offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model 3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 3 Series Sedan’s optional Cross Traffic Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The 3 Series Sedan has standard BMW Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the 3 Series Sedan and the Model 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the BMW 3 Series Sedan is safer than the Tesla Model 3:

	3 Series Sedan	Model 3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	207 lbs.	230 lbs.
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	42 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	201/230 lbs.	333/455 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	33%	33%
Neck Stress	170 lbs.	190 lbs.
Neck Compression	74 lbs.	101 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the BMW 3 Series Sedan is safer than the Tesla Model 3:

	3 Series Sedan	Model 3
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	532 lbs.	556 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	270	384
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	41 G’s
Hip Force	544 lbs.	557 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 3 Series Sedan for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model 3.

There are over 81 percent more BMW dealers than there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 3 Series Sedan’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 3 Series Sedan’s reliability 12 points higher than the Model 3.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 3 Series Sedan third among compact premium cars in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Model 3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 60 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Tesla.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Tesla With 62 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks BMW higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 5 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive electric motor:

	3 Series Sedan	Model 3
Zero to 30 MPH	1.9 sec	2.5 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14 sec	14.1 sec

Transmission

The 3 Series Sedan’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Model 3 doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the 3 Series Sedan’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model 3:

	3 Series Sedan	Model 3
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.6 inches

The 3 Series Sedan stops much shorter than the Model 3:

	3 Series Sedan	Model 3
60 to 0 MPH	103 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 3 Series Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Model 3 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The 3 Series Sedan offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model 3; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The 3 Series Sedan offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Model 3’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The 330i handles at .95 G’s, while the Model 3 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The M340i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Model 3 (25 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26.4 seconds @ .69 average G’s).

Chassis

The BMW 3 Series Sedan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 250 pounds less than the Tesla Model 3.

Passenger Space

The 3 Series Sedan has .7 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model 3.

Cargo Capacity

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the 3 Series Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model 3 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the 3 Series offers cargo security. The Model 3’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 3 Series Sedan’s available trunk can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

A Condition-Based Service Display is standard on the 3 Series Sedan to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspections based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model 3.

Ergonomics

The 3 Series Sedan offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The 3 Series Sedan’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model 3’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the 3 Series Sedan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Model 3 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The 3 Series Sedan also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The 3 Series Sedan’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model 3 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the 3 Series Sedan has standard extendable sun visors. The Model 3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the 3 Series Sedan owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the 3 Series Sedan with a number “3” insurance rate while the Model 3 is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 3 Series Sedan is less expensive to operate than the Model 3 because typical repairs cost much less on the 3 Series Sedan than the Model 3, including $135 less for a water pump and $403 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW 3 Series Sedan and the Tesla Model 3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 3 Series Sedan third among compact premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Model 3 isn’t in the top three.

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