New Tesla Model 3 Performance vs used BMW M3: which fast saloon is best?
December 16, 2024 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
Let’s say you’ve got £60,000 to spend on a sporty saloon, should you go for a rapid electric car or stick with a big, powerful petrol engine?
The latest Tesla Model 3 Performance is a seriously impressive bit of kit. For £60,000 you get a comfortable, practical electric car with great driving range, loads of tech on board and two electric motors putting out a whopping 460hp.
There are very few brand new cars on the market offering that sort of power for the money, but what if you look towards the used market? Well for £60,000 you could pick up a second-hand example of one of the finest sports saloons of them all – the BMW M3.
So where should you put your money? We’re going to compare these cars side by side to find out which is best.
New Tesla Model 3 Performance vs used BMW M3: power and performance
Let’s start with the main reason you’ll be looking at cars like these: speed. The Tesla Model 3 Performance has two electric motors which send 460hp to all four wheels.
It’ll do 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds officially, and we’ve timed the car at exactly 3.0 seconds in the real world. We’ve also sent the latest Model 3 Performance down the quarter mile, where it recorded a time of 11.3 seconds – the same as an Audi RS7 Performance and the 900hp Lotus Eletre.
The BMW on the other hand is powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six engine with 510hp, and it also has four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Despite the extra power over the Tesla, the M3’s claimed 0-60mph time is 3.5 seconds, although we’ve managed a 3.4-second sprint in reality.
So for a traffic light Grand Prix the Tesla is the better bet. This comes as no surprise because electric cars can deliver all of their power instantly, however that’s not the end of the story. We’ve managed to get an 11.2-second quarter mile time out of the M3 before, so in a drag race it’ll come out on top – just.
We actually raced an all-wheel drive M3 Competition against the old Model 3 Performance a few years ago, and the BMW won that race by the narrowest of margins. This is likely due to the fact that, while the Tesla can get off the line quicker, it’ll run out of puff at higher speeds whereas the M3 just keeps on going.
New Tesla Model 3 Performance vs used BMW M3: chassis and handling
That’s straight-line speed dealt with, but what if you’re all about having fun in the corners? Well this is where the BMW starts to pull ahead slightly.
The M3 has been hailed as one of the best-driving saloon cars for decades now, and you can tell from behind the wheel that this is a proper driver’s car. It’s nimble, the steering is sharp and responsive and you can enjoy the great sound from that straight-six engine as you rev it out.
That’s not to say the Model 3 isn’t fun when the going gets twisty, because it can actually put a smile on your face through the corners. Despite being an electric car, it only weighs around 60kg more than the M3, so it’s pretty agile when you chuck it into a bend.
You can also alter the power split to make it more rear-wheel drive biased for some tail-out action, just like you can on the BMW, and the latest Model 3 Performance has adaptive dampers which you can stiffen up to reduce body roll through the corners.
Both are excellent B-road blasters then, but it’s the BMW M3 which takes the prize as the most engaging of these two saloons. It’s just that little bit more precise and the throaty engine noise makes it feel more visceral as well.
New Tesla Model 3 Performance vs used BMW M3: interior and practicality
So what about the sensible stuff? After all, the whole point of these cars is that they’re both fun to drive and easy to live with. Well if practicality is your top priority, the Tesla blows the BMW out of the water.
Its boot is over 100 litres larger than the M3’s at 594 litres, and you get an additional 88 litres of storage space under the bonnet. The Tesla is also more spacious in the rear seats, and the full-length glass roof just makes it feel more light and airy.
That said, the M3’s cabin is a bit easier to use. Because you’ll be looking at the pre-facelift version for this sort of money, you get physical buttons for things like the climate control (an update to the M3 in 2024 saw these deleted in favour of touchscreen controls).
The M3 also feels like a more high-quality product inside. The latest Model 3 is a huge improvement over the old one, but it’s still not as solidly made as the BMW, nor are the materials as plush-feeling.
If you want a cabin which feels sporty, the BMW is the clear winner here. All the carbon fibre and contrast stitching looks great, and you can get the M3 with some carbon bucket seats which wouldn’t look out of place in a supercar.
You can’t ignore the massive central touchscreen you get in the Tesla, and it’s really clear and easy to navigate. A good thing seeing as all of the car’s controls are routed through it. The BMW’s screen may not be as impressive, but it’s still intuitive and you have the option to control it using a handy swivel wheel – which is much better when you’re on the move.
New Tesla Model 3 Performance vs used BMW M3: the verdict
Choosing between these two cars is really difficult, because they both bring something different to the table. The Tesla is quicker off the line and more practical, but the BMW is more fun to drive and feels better built inside.
A big part of the decision will come down to whether or not you’re ready to switch to an EV. Access to home charging will make the Model 3 significantly cheaper to run than the BMW, while relying on the public charging network will make those savings less impressive.
If you are ready to take the plunge and buy an electric car, the Model 3 Performance is the logical choice here. Being brand new you’ll get a warranty with it, and it’s an awful lot of car for the money. However, if you want to stick with a petrol engine, and maximum smiles per mile is your top priority, a used M3 is a great shout.
New Tesla Model 3 Performance: other used alternatives
There are loads of other used cars you could consider for the same price as a Tesla Model 3 Performance. For petrol-powered thrills you could also consider an Audi RS4 Avant, an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio or a Mercedes-AMG C63 S.
For you EV lovers out there, £60,000 could get you a Porsche Taycan or a nearly-new BMW i5 M Sport. We also found a Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 for this sort of money, and if you shop around you can even find the ballistic Tesla Model S Performance with over 600hp.
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