Tesla 3 Performance vs. I-Pace S

[pghstochaj]

Dear All,

I am looking at getting one of the above on lease (to replace an aging 635d), My 2010 635d, whilst dated now, offers a really strong performance all round so I want to find something different rather than better to replace it. Through NHS Fleet Solutions, we can currently get:

I-Pace S with metallic option /15k per annum / maintenance, servicing and insurance / new charging point for £366/month without any deposit (36 months). This is an offer.
Tesla Performance (no options)/ 15k per annum / maintenance, servicing and insurance / new charging point for £460/month without any deposit (36 months). This doesn't seem to be a special offer.


I don't like the I-Pace in S specification, I think it looks like a cheap car on the outside and obviously it is anything but. Taking the specification up to HSE specification makes it the same price as the Tesla. I also like the idea of having a 3.2 second 0-60 party piece in the Tesla and given that I am leaving a well specified 6 series which will be hard to match, I like the idea of something so fast to make up for the other shortcomings.. However, I am struggling to ignore the £100/month lower price for what is a higher list price car.

For my purposes, either car is sufficiently practical and I don't expect to use any supercharging network except very infrequently. I imagine the Tesla basic automatic driving features would be quite useful in some circumstances to me. I like comfortable and high quality interiors.

I was looking for opinions, would it be madness to go for the Tesla 3 Performance for an entire £100/month more than the I-Pace. The reviews I see are comparing the Tesla as the cheaper car of the two so it's hard to know if they would rate the Tesla as good as they do if the prices were switched.

Thanks.

[jason61c]

They’re great offer prices

[TheRainMaker]

£366.00 a month for an I-Pace is fantastic.

[pghstochaj]

TheRainMaker said:

£366.00 a month for an I-Pace is fantastic.

That's what I am afraid about! £100/month extra for a car which has a lower list price. It makes the I-Pace a very desirable choice, but my heart still says the Tesla. I was therefore hoping for somebody to either say "follow your heart" or "you've got to be out of your mind to think that the Tesla is the better option here".

Also, the longer I take to make the decision, the more likely it is that they will sell out at that price so I will be forced to go to the Tesla!

[gangzoom]

pghstochaj said:

I-Pace S with metallic option /15k per annum / maintenance, servicing and insurance / new charging point for £366/month without any deposit (36 months). This is an offer.
Tesla Performance (no options)/ 15k per annum / maintenance, servicing and insurance / new charging point for £460/month without any deposit (36 months). This doesn't seem to be a special offer..

£460/month for a P Model 3 on NHS salary sacrifice is a discounted rate, Tusker which charges you the list price is around £570/month take home pay and well over £1000/month gross - equating to nearly £40k over 3 years!!



However £366/month on any iPace is even more discounted. Given you wouldn't own these cars I would treat them as what you want to try for 3 years, rather than been obsessive about spec/options or even brand. Personally I would go for the cheapest deal possible.

Just make sure you work out your pension reduction as well.

Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 11th July 16:32

[stabilio]

If the speed you mention is that important, get the model 3P as there’s little to touch it in real world environments.

[MOBB]

Great prices on both options

I test drove both of those cars, and liked both, but chose the Tesla. It has its downsides but they are mostly exaggerated imo

Drive both if you can and you’ll know

[aestetix1]

Have you test driven either? They are very different, the Model 3 is much smaller and you should check if you fit in before anything else, otherwise it's a non-starter. Similarly some people don't like the step up to get in the iPace.

[SWoll]

aestetix1 said:

Have you test driven either? They are very different, the Model 3 is much smaller and you should check if you fit in before anything else, otherwise it's a non-starter. Similarly some people don't like the step up to get in the iPace.

?

It's no different to access than any normal saloon car and at 6ft4" and 15 stone I don't struggle for room. I've also never had a single complaint from a passenger in 7 months and 5k miles of use.

I do agree however that they are very different cars. Considered an iPace before getting the Tesla but realised it just wasn't for me, more of a traditional/comfortable choice rather than the tech/performance option I was looking for.

[pghstochaj]

aestetix1 said:

Have you test driven either? They are very different, the Model 3 is much smaller and you should check if you fit in before anything else, otherwise it's a non-starter. Similarly some people don't like the step up to get in the iPace.

No, I can’t see a way to test drive the Tesla at the moment, just online consultations. I’m not far from stockport so have both Tesla and Jaguar here but was expecting a blind “purchase” given the current situation and Tesla’s approach to avoiding test drives (perceived or actual).

I’m about 6’ and average weight so I think either would be fine. The I-pace doesn’t look large on the road, but I’ll check out the size difference, thanks.

[pghstochaj]

gangzoom said:

£460/month for a P Model 3 on NHS salary sacrifice is a discounted rate, Tusker which charges you the list price is around £570/month take home pay and well over £1000/month gross - equating to nearly £40k over 3 years!!

[Img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49455602853_cf5423ae7d_o_d.jpg[/thumb]

However £366/month on any iPace is even more discounted. Given you wouldn't own these cars I would treat them as what you want to try for 3 years, rather than been obsessive about spec/options or even brand. Personally I would go for the cheapest deal possible.

Just make sure you work out your pension reduction as well.

Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 11th July 16:32

Thanks. This is through nhs fleet solutions. I say “not a special offer” because the Tesla is just priced through the quote system, the I-pace is on a special offer page.

I’ll fixate on this decision for ages! I want the Tesla but the price difference is huge.

[gangzoom]

pghstochaj said:

I’ll fixate on this decision for ages! I want the Tesla but the price difference is huge.

The 'take home pay' difference will be £3600 over 3 years which isn't world changing, the pension will be more but not massive.

If you are worried about the 3 been a step down from your BMW, I would say don't worry. I had 335i before our Tesla, my wife has a fully speced Lexus, all our friends have Merc/BMWs, all the stuff you read about Tesla's feeling low rent etc in my view is all rubbish, others will disagree but there really is very little difference unless you really have a fetish for panel gaps and soft touch plastics (which alot of people do seem to have).

At the end of the day you aren't committing to longterm ownership in either car, 3 years goes by very quickly, if you don't like one or the either who cares, put it down as a life experience.

So ultimately it just comes down to whats an extra £3600 over 3 years worth to you. For some that's nothing, for others thats the difference between a good night's sleep versus worrying about the mortgage, only you can answer that question for yourself.

Personally I would still go for the base spec iPace, as you say its the better 'deal' and good deals need jumping on, since neither cars are been owned and both are comparable, for me it would all be all about lowest possible cost, and by definition the cheapest deal is the best. Use the 3 years to decide if EVs are for you or not, and save up for a car to buy/own after 3 years, its what I did with the crazy 2014/15 Nissan Leaf deals.

But if you are going to option up the iPace to Model 3 P prices go for the 3 as your cost difference is now zero.

Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 11th July 19:54

[aestetix1]

pghstochaj said:

I’m about 6’ and average weight so I think either would be fine. The I-pace doesn’t look large on the road, but I’ll check out the size difference, thanks.

Would be good to at least sit in the Tesla. I'm 6' and about average weight too but found it hard to get in and out of. The problem is that the roof is very low and there is a big lip at the bottom of the door. You have to swing down low to get your head in, then bring your knees right up to clear the door frame at the bottom, and even with the steering wheel all the way up and back my legs crashed into it.

You might be fine, it probably depends a lot on how flexible you are and what your body to leg length ratio is.

The iPace is the opposite, you have to step up a little to get in. Nice high riding position with great visibility. My wife found that the step down to get out was a little more than she would like but it wasn't terrible.

[SWoll]

aestetix1 said:

pghstochaj said:

I’m about 6’ and average weight so I think either would be fine. The I-pace doesn’t look large on the road, but I’ll check out the size difference, thanks.

Would be good to at least sit in the Tesla. I'm 6' and about average weight too but found it hard to get in and out of. The problem is that the roof is very low and there is a big lip at the bottom of the door. You have to swing down low to get your head in, then bring your knees right up to clear the door frame at the bottom, and even with the steering wheel all the way up and back my legs crashed into it.

You might be fine, it probably depends a lot on how flexible you are and what your body to leg length ratio is.

The iPace is the opposite, you have to step up a little to get in. Nice high riding position with great visibility. My wife found that the step down to get out was a little more than she would like but it wasn't terrible.

You need to take up Pilates, you'd then be able to get in and out without issue.

iPace is still quite low when compared to something like a RR I thought, my wife is 5.4" and didn't comment when we tried one for a weekend.

[Blue Oval84]

The tech in the 3 will be a bit better, and it'll be noticeably quicker I imagine. But the iPace is undoubtedly the nicer of the two to sit in (and better looking in my opinion but that's in the eye of the beholder I guess)

Do you mind me asking, are those net deduction figures based on higher rate tax?

[gangzoom]

Blue Oval84 said:

Do you mind me asking, are those net deduction figures based on higher rate tax?

Those figures are salary sacrifice schemes, so pre tax, pension, NI and hence gross reduction to take home pay is a much lower figure. The gross figures are higher. Our trust has P Model 3 at £570/month net but equates to £1100/month net.

Depending on which company each trust uses the rates are either rubbish (as in the case of Tusker), or reasonable as in OPs case. You also cannot cross shop between NHS trusts, the rate your trust offers is your only option.

The ture cost of these schemes also need to take into account reduction in pension contributions which will vary considerably between individuals. For me personally a £500/month salary sacrifice lease deals equated to nearly £900/month in true cost terms once loss of pension growth is factored in, so far from cheap.

[pghstochaj]

Blue Oval84 said:

The tech in the 3 will be a bit better, and it'll be noticeably quicker I imagine. But the iPace is undoubtedly the nicer of the two to sit in (and better looking in my opinion but that's in the eye of the beholder I guess)

Do you mind me asking, are those net deduction figures based on higher rate tax?

I think I need to look at an ipace property. In a spec I think they look fairly bad

Yes, those figures are both take home pay reductions for a higher rate tax payer.

[drmike37]

If you can get an ipace for £366 a month, can you get me one too?
My trust uses tusker and an ipace through them is twice that.

[gangzoom]

drmike37 said:

If you can get an ipace for £366 a month, can you get me one too?
My trust uses tusker and an ipace through them is twice that.

It is crazy cheap even for NHS salary sacrifice deals. No brainer to go for it if I was in OPs position, be interesting to see what the gross costs are to see where/how the discount is been applied.

[gangzoom]

pghstochaj said:

I think I need to look at an ipace property. In a spec I think they look fairly bad

You need to change your mindset, when go and get a rental car on holiday do you really care about the spec??

Its not your car, its a rental, but a good rental none the less at a massive discount. Treat it purely as cheap transport rather than any kind of ownership proposition to get attached to.

I suspect some people will be paying £100/month+ just on insurance for an iPace. You are getting the car + insurance + tyres for not that much more!!

Don't tick any options, just get one and enjoy very good value motoring for 3 years.