► Tesla Model 3 review
► Trend-setting electric car, from £43k
► All versions of the Model 3 tested
The Tesla Model 3 is like the Apple iPhone of the motoring world – it’s made high-tech electric cars cool and popular for the mainstream. And it’s done so by finding the magic ratio between affordability, user-friendliness and sensational performance.
And although it’s now the second-bestselling Tesla electric car after the Model Y (having been the second-bestselling car of any kind in 2021), it’s clear the smallest Tesla has real staying power. It remains a key part of the EV market even after newer rivals such as the Polestar 2, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Kia EV6 and BMW i4 have arrived on the scene.
For anyone shopping for a mid-size electric family car, it’s impossible to ignore. As this Tesla Model 3 review will explain.
Group test: Tesla Model 3 versus the competition
What versions of the Tesla Model 3 are available?
There are three variants of the Model 3 on sale in 2023: the regular, rear-drive Model 3, plus two all-wheel-drive Dual Motor versions called the Long Range and the Performance. Tesla prices change more often than we change our socks, but as of February 2023 here’s what the Model 3 costs:
- Tesla Model 3: £42,990
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range: £50,990
- Tesla Model 3 Performance: £57,990
In this review we cover:
> Design
> Interior
> Autopilot
> Performance
> Range, specs and price
> Verdict
Design and engineering
The Model 3 flies in the face of the car industry’s obsession to rush headlong into the arms of the lardy SUV (though the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model X can sate that appetite, should you desire).
At 4694mm long and 2088mm wide, including door mirrors, the Model 3 is shorter than the established junior execs, such as the BMW 3-series and Audi A4. It’s also recognisably a Tesla thanks to its low nose, tapering rear and ample glasshouse. Think of it as a Model S scaled down and viewed from the bottom of a beer glass.
It also has a conventional saloon rear end rather than a tailgate, and clever though the boot hinge purports to be, it loses a little practicality on this basis (helping the Model Y make a better case for itself).
Still, this is a distinctive car. Anyone with even a passing interest will know what you’re driving.
Tesla Model 3 interior: a minimalist cabin
Even as you approach the interior, it’s apparent this car does things differently. There is no key, rather you use an RFID card (see below) or you can access the car via your smartphone.
In our testing, we ended up wafting the card up and down the B-pillar to find the secret spot rather too often – and then had to repeat the process inside, on the centre console, before the car would set off. This seems a backward step from the traditional keyless fob of the Model S (but may be circumnavigated if you place your pre-configured phone in the correct cradle and owners will quickly adapt).
This is a roomy and minimalist cabin. The windscreen is panoramic, and the scuttle is low, meaning that the view forwards is clear and commanding, even if you don’t sit with the seat in a high position. That full-length glass sunroof makes it bright and airy inside, and the floor is flat.
There are no buttons on the centre console, just a pair of roller-knobs on the steering wheel, four window switches on the door and (buried on the seat) the usual electric backrest and squab adjusters. It’s uncluttered and lovely – if you like controlling everything from a touchscreen.
Happily, the 15.0-inch screen is pin-sharp, high-res and unerringly logical, even if you must learn its intricacies first (we stumbled with the door mirror adjustment for a good five minutes before finding it buried in a sub-menu).
Below the screen you’ll find twin fixed inductive pads that allow wireless charging of your phone. However your phone just sits there staring at you which is annoying because you can see it flashing with notifications.
Unusually, a tall adult can fit comfortably in the rear middle seat, thanks to a cleverly sculpted centre console armrest with space for that fifth person’s feet. However, those in the back will find their heads close to the panoramic roof, and if the driver gets enthusiastic in corners, there’s a real risk of banged heads on the bulky cant rail above the window.
Note also the unusual, thin chromed door handles. No auto-pop-out theatrics here: you tap one end, nudging the rest of the handle out to open it manually. They open from the inside differently, too – with a simple door switch that looks just like an electric window button.
Quality is good enough in here. It’s a step-change over the ageing Model S and we’d judge that users in this price bracket will be quite comfortable with the trim and materials used, with slush-moulded, soft-feel materials deployed throughout.
But standards are high in this sector and it can’t quite live with the exquisitely built cabin of the BMW i4.
What’s it like to drive?
Much of the experience will be familiar to anyone who’s driven a Tesla Model S (or, indeed, any premium electric car). Which is to say, the Model 3 is near silent and ridiculously fast – the disconnect between the lack of noise and the staggering performance becoming quite eerie at times.
You get used to it. You’ll quickly learn that driving flat-out everywhere isn’t good news for the battery range (let alone your licence), so thankfully you should also find there’s satisfaction to be had in learning to be efficient.
After all, this is a slippery shape. Tesla quotes a drag coefficient of just 0.23, and the car does indeed cleave through the air quietly and with minimal fuss. All the better for refinement and battery efficiency.
The body rigidity is reasonably good, though we’d hesitate to describe the cabin as creak-free over rougher B-roads – and particularly not on the 20-inch alloys standard on the Performance version, which tend to thump into surface intrusions. The suspension is a touch brittle, too, if still better than earlier Teslas.
Quick steering gives the Model 3 a pointy agility, impressive for an 1800kg saloon. You can tailor the steering weight to personal preference, but European tastes are probably most closely tuned to the firmest setting in Track Mode. It feels right-sized for the UK – a good compact shape that’s not too bulky for Britain’s busy roads. It also offers impressive agility for a saloon weighing not far off two tonnes. But it also seems a little lacking in depth of character, especially compared to the likes of the BMW i4.
Regardless, it is by no means a chore to cruise around in, and the bursts of brilliant acceleration even the single-motor standard car is capable of will likely keep you smiling. The Dual Motor variants are quicker still, and come with plenty of traction. Such is the torque available, you’d be unwise to take too many liberties in the wet, however.
We noted a few ergonomic inconveniences. The windscreen A-pillars are noticeably thick and the rather ugly steering wheel is chunky to hold. One quirky detail which grated was the shroud around the forward-facing camera at the top of the windscreen, which kept masking the view ahead every time we looked at the rear-view mirror.
What about Autopilot?
Designed for long, straight American freeways, we were interested to see how the Autopilot system performs on the UK’s congested and bendier motorways.
On the whole, it works well – and you can see that with each software update, the system becomes more intuitive, less nervy, and more capable of dealing with busy situations. Don’t imagine you’ll be driving hands-off, though – the car will nag you if you’re off the wheel for more than 20 seconds or so, and if there are three transgressions, the Autopilot system is deactivated.
To operate it, you tap the transmission selector down (once for adaptive cruise, twice for Autopilot) and then just rest your hands on the wheel. When you want to change lane, tap the indicator and wait for the car to gently ease you across the lanes. As for Autopiloting on UK motorways, it’s not perfect; this is a system designed to relax the driver and encourages delicate input, while maintaining full alertness on the road ahead.
Newbies will definitely need time to adapt to its sensitivity, and forgiveness for the times it applies the brakes for no apparent reason. As a semi-autonomous driving aid, it’s about seven-tenths of the way there for UK and European drivers.
Even regular Teslas are pretty quick, with a claimed 0-60mph of 5.8sec for the entry-level Model 3 and 4.2sec for the Long Range; the range-topping Performance is insanely rapid. Feeling every bit as fast as the 3.1sec 0-60mph claim, it is monumentally, addictively rapid.
We spent the day at Paul Ricard to review the Model 3 Performance’s limits, both on track and at the skid pan. All the better to explore how the Performance makes use of distributing the dual motors’ torque split, adaptive thermal controls, low centre-of-gravity, 48:52 weight distribution, Brembo performance brakes and bespoke Michelin tyres.
In Track Mode, Tesla claims it maximises the motors to turn the car, the brakes to make it faster in corners, the battery to store more electricity, and the radiators to stop the damn thing going pop. A combo that’s said to result in 5% faster lap times on any given circuit (quite the statement).
It’s also intended to make an average driver lap faster and more confidently. Can’t say we’ve seen many Model 3s at track days, but presumably the shift to electric power is going to happen at some point.
In practice, Track Mode certainly sharpens up the steering and turn-in gets even more aggressive. But you’re always aware of its hefty kerbweight – although it turns and steers crisply, the Model 3 will still understeer if you’re timid with the throttle or carry too much entry speed. And there’s still a fair bit of body roll to contend with.
Buying a Tesla Model 3 in the UK: range and specs
As outlined at this top of this page, Tesla offers three models in its UK range, with pricing (in August 2022) ranging from just over £51k to nearly £63k. There are few options to choose from, so you won’t rack up a massive bill beyond this, but you also won’t be able to personalise your Model 3 in the manner of more traditional rivals.
Be wary of future technology that’s set to be delivered via over-the-air update, such as the full self-driving capability option; you may end up paying for something you never actually receive.
You can buy a Model 3 online as well as via a physical retailer, including having it delivered straight to your house. You will probably have to deal with a monster waiting list, either way.
The Tesla Supercharger network now features more than 1000 charging points spread across over 100 locations throughout the UK, so long-distance driving in a Tesla should be entirely feasible for most drivers. But do note that this network is being opened up to other EVs, so you may find yourself in a queue.
There are lots of other charging points available beyond Tesla’s own – check out Zap Map, for example – but it’s equally clear that the infrastructure is failing to keep up with the growth in electric vehicle sales. It’s still not as easy to run an electric car as it is a petrol or diesel model.
Still, Tesla quotes 150 miles of extra driving range in half an hour if you’re on a Supercharger; or 37 miles an hour of recharging on a dedicated home charger. As for three-pin charging – don’t bother, unless it’s an emergency and you have a lot of time on your hands.
The entry-level Model 3 has a WLTP driving range of 305 miles, the Performance stretches this to 340 miles, while the Long Range (unsurprisingly) has the longest range at 374 miles. In our experience, Teslas are much more likely to get close to those claims than many rival EVs.
Tesla Model 3: the CAR verdict
The Model 3 has an impressive real-world battery range, a roomy and airy cabin, is decent – if not outstanding – to drive, and offers driver-assistance tech that largely works well in the UK. Despite nearly all controls being accessed via the central touchscreen, it’s easy to get to grips with, as if the car’s designers are as well versed in infotainment operating systems as they are in vehicle dynamics…
However, the fastback shape hints at a more useful hatchback the car didn’t receive, and there are consistent murmurings about less-than optimum customer service when things go wrong. Worth considering if you’re used to traditional premium-level car and attention.
What’s more, having been out in front for so long, Tesla is now in a situation where the established brands are doing more than simply playing catch-up. The BMW i4 is a sensational electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers bonkers design, the Kia EV6 is an awesome all-rounder – there many more alternatives now than when the Model 3 was launched. Don’t dismiss it, but don’t buy on autopilot, either…
Specs below are for the Model 3 Performance