Men take BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y on a 600-mile road trip to see if the new EV can knock Tesla off its perch
Published on May 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Two presenters from the magazine What Car? pitted the new Neue Klasse BMW iX3 against a Tesla Model Y to see if somebody has finally built a worthy rival for the Model Y in Europe.
The iX3 was unveiled not long ago, and many believe it could be a serious competitor for the Model Y.
If we look at their test, the result both validates and contradicts this sentiment.
But the answer is a bit more nuanced than that.
The problem for Tesla competitors in Europe
In Europe, generally speaking, Tesla’s dominance in the EV market is largely unchallenged if we look at ‘domestic’ products.
Porsche and indeed BMW provide some solid competition in some segments of the market, and there are outliers (the Škoda Enyaq, for example) in certain regions.
But, other than that, competition for Tesla mostly comes from China.
However, when the iX3 was introduced just a few months ago, a lot of people immediately saw that as an opportunity for BMW to challenge Tesla.
And, according to What Car?, all those people may have had a point.
But with a caveat.
Tesla’s Yorkshire accent is hilarious
What Car? presenters Will Nightingale and John Howell conducted a 600-mile road trip from London to Yorkshire to compare the newly-launched BMW iX3 xDrive50 and the Tesla Model Y Long Range.
The first test – the important one, dare we say – was to verify whether the car’s AI could ‘fake’ a Yorkshire accent.
Yes and no.
The BMW apparently didn’t have that feature, and the Tesla sounded exactly like an American trying to fake a British accent.
Which it was, technically.
After the crucial tests were done, the presenters focused on less important things like range and the driving experience.
BMW can certainly compete with Tesla, but can it beat it?
Jokes aside, the test confirmed something people already suspected: the ‘better’ car depends on what you expect.
The BMW iX3 boasts a larger 108.7 kWh battery and a potential 500-mile range, while the Model Y offers a 79 kWh battery with an official range of 391 miles.
But, and it’s a big but, Tesla Supercharger network’s superiority became evident during the test, both in terms of cost and also ease of use.
When it comes to the driving experience per se – this was hardly surprising – the BMW was king.
Ultimately, it seems the presenters brought us back to square one: the Model Y probably remains a better all-rounder, but the BMW can shine for people who want something a bit spicier.
After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
