Reading Consumer Reports' judgments based on their subscriber surveys, I would say that Tesla reliability is comparable with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The Tesla Model S rates 3/5 or "average" in expected reliability, while the Model X is 1/5 or "much worse than average".

Out of 12 reviewed BMW models, the 2 Series is 5/5, the X1 is 4/5, and all others are 3/5. (BMW also owns Mini; all 3 reviewed Minis score 2/5.)

Benz is worse, or at least less consistent: out of 12 models, 7 score 3/5, 2 each score 1/5 and 2/5, and one scores 5/5. (Benz owns Smart; the Smart ForTwo scores 2/5.)

I think that at worst, you can say that Tesla is slightly worse than BMW and Benz. And since the Model X is a new model, the low score for it could reflect early bugs not yet fixed.

What "build quality"?

I don't mean to be flippant, but it seems to me that most new cars have uniformly good build quality. And if something does go wrong, it gets fixed under a ubiquitously generous warranty. This applies to almost every brand I can think of on the market, from Tesla to Toyota.

Not so much. I've been in a Tesla - the dashboard feels cheap, gives, creaks under any weight (resting your hand on it). "Plastic-y". Similar with door internals.

My 2015 Audi? Not even a little bit. The build of the Tesla feels like that of my old Altima on the inside.

The dash electronics? Certainly nice hardware, at least.

I'm all for Tesla to succeed, but I was very shocked when I drove in a Model S. It feels like a budget Volkswagen inside, it's several levels behind Mercedes/BMW/Audi cars of the same price. The dashboard tablet feels like a cheap 2010 android tablet. It can't even scroll a grid of images without severe lag. Very disappointing.

Most people complain the interior is cheap and is making noise after some time. That's what I was refering to.

That's a lot more excusable when your car is priced at 35k than 75k.

Both BMW and Mercedes have models comparable to the Model 3 financially. I'm sure a 2-series or 3-series BMW, or CLA or C Class Mercedes far surpasses Tesla's build quality.

they cost the same, but are they electric? otherwise, it is not apples to apples.

Of course they are. I don't care if the car I drive is electric, gasoline, diesel, biofuel, or hydrogen fuel cells. The majority of vehicle purchasers are the same. If you're in the market for a high end electric vehicle, your choices are a Tesla, an i8, and I think that's about it.

To be fair, in this case it is apples to apples. The average car consumer does not weigh in the electric component with so much weight to overlook poor interior quality. Tesla's cars must be on the same level if they are to win the public's heart.

Why does it matter? The customer of this segment doesn't really care about the engine.

The complaints are levied against the $65k Model S, not the $35k Model 3. No one has really seen the interior of a production Model 3.

Even then I wouldn't believe it. I'll accept a subpar interior on a $25k Toyota. I won't on a $40k when there is competition that knows what they're doing (Acura, BMW, Cadillac, etc).

I know, which is why I pointed out the price of the Model 3.

I agree with you thought. My Accord is very nice. I have a feeling it's nicer than the fit & finish on the Model 3 will be.

Against the 3 series this could be an issue, but have you been in an i3? The interior is shockingly crappy, and easily bested by something like a hyundai sonata even.

The cheap CLA class doesn't feel that great inside either, and is really cramped. Plastic all over the place and weird design choices here and there.

They're on a much more level playing field here than they were in the model S price range, where it really did stick out like a sore thumb.

At least someone else said it first.

To turn on a Reed Hastings quote, 'Tesla needs to become BMW faster than BMW can become Tesla'.

RTFA

> Tesla also gets to pick from the best, most reliable suppliers. When the carmaker first built the Model S, suppliers assumed it would never sell more than 3,000 units and the company would eventually go bankrupt, according to Musk. That’s changed. It “went from basically getting like the worst team on second-tier suppliers to getting the best team on first tier suppliers,” he said in February. “Really big difference.”

CEO of company in question claims that now they get the bet teams from best suppliers... That have already been working with their competitors for years.

RTFA won't help you consider sources and how much salt to ingest with their words.

Getting parts from the best suppliers does not by itself ensure quality. What kind of tolerances are you speccing from said suppliers? How tight are your build processes and quality assurance testing? How accurate and precise is your tooling?

If that's the case they need to do a major overhaul of the Model S...