Compare the2025 BMW i5VS 2025 Tesla Model 3

The i5’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 i5 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 i5 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 i5’s standard Cross Traffic Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Brake Intervention automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The i5 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 i5 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The BMW i5 weighs 862 to 1356 pounds more than the Tesla Model 3. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the i5 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for tire rotations, 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 69 percent more BMW dealers than there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the i5’s warranty.

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 i5’s reliability 11 points higher than the Model 3.

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’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 9 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

The i5 has more powerful engines than the Model 3:

As tested in Consumer Reports the i5 M60 electric motors is faster than the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive electric motors:

The i5’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.

For better stopping power the i5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Model 3:

The i5 stops much shorter than the Model 3:

For better traction, the i5 has larger standard tires than the Model 3 (245/45R19 vs. 235/45R18). The i5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model 3 (F:255/35R21 & R:285/30R21 vs. F:235/35R20 & R:275/30R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the i5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Model 3. The i5’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Model 3 Performance.

The i5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the i5 flat and controlled during cornering. The Model 3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The i5 M60 offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Model 3 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The i5 M60 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Tesla doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Model 3.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the i5’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the Model 3 (117.9 inches vs. 113.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the i5 is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model 3.

The i5 M60 xDrive handles at .96 G’s, while the Model 3 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The i5 M60 xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Model 3 (23.9 seconds @ .86 average G’s vs. 26.4 seconds @ .69 average G’s).

The i5 has 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model 3.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the i5 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 i5’s 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.

A Condition-Based Service Display is standard on the i5 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for brake fluid replacement 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.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model 3, the i5 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The i5 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information 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 i5’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 i5 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Model 3 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The i5 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The i5’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.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are optional in the i5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The i5 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Model 3.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW i5 and the Tesla Model 3, based on reliability, safety and performance.