by LeftieBiker (Posted Tue, 06 Feb 2018 00:19:55 GMT+7)
I don't think the markets overlap as much as people think. Having similar prices doesn't mean that similar people are strongly attracted to one or the other. The Leaf is more like a Corolla or Civic, and attracts people who want value and comfort, with excellent reliability and adequate performance. The M3 is more like a BMW M3, in that people want some luxury mixed with high performance, with the other factors being of less importance. What confuses matters is that the cars - at the lower end, anyway - are similarly priced, and they are both the same "kind" of car - compact EVs. There are also enough people who would consider either a base M3 or a Leaf SV to add some surface validity to the idea that the cars are directly competing with each other, even though IMO they are not.
When it's easy to test drive both cars, things will sort themselves out: people who like comfortable cars with comfortable rides will choose the Leaf, while those who want great handling and acceleration in their EV will choose the M3. Or maybe the Bolt.
I don't think the markets overlap as much as people think. Having similar prices doesn't mean that similar people are strongly attracted to one or the other. The Leaf is more like a Corolla or Civic, and attracts people who want value and comfort, with excellent reliability and adequate performance. The M3 is more like a BMW M3, in that people want some luxury mixed with high performance, with the other factors being of less importance. What confuses matters is that the cars - at the lower end, anyway - are similarly priced, and they are both the same "kind" of car - compact EVs. There are also enough people who would consider either a base M3 or a Leaf SV to add some surface validity to the idea that the cars are directly competing with each other, even though IMO they are not.
When it's easy to test drive both cars, things will sort themselves out: people who like comfortable cars with comfortable rides will choose the Leaf, while those who want great handling and acceleration in their EV will choose the M3. Or maybe the Bolt.