2023 Tesla Model 3 vs 2019

What's the difference?

While it still carries its share of small frustrations and flaws, the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive is simply the best value EV on the market right now considering its range and features for the price, and deserves its place at the top of the electrified sales charts.

It’s fast, fun, futuristic, and efficient, and while the ride is unnecessarily hard and the tech goes a bit too far in some places, it’s clear that its competitors are still playing catch-up.

It is fun. It is fast (actually, it's incredibly quick). It is functional. But it's also flawed.

The interior ergonomic quirks may be something you get used to, or you might actually appreciate. But the quality of workmanship - or lack thereof - is something that is harder to overlook, especially for a car at this price point.

The Model 3 is slick, modern, inoffensive, but perhaps a bit featureless? To me it looks a little bit like a wireless mouse, but it speaks volumes that despite being a sedan, the Model 3’s curvy, garnish-free design is seemingly universally appealing across many markets.

There’s certainly something slick about its nose which dips inward as though taking influence from Porsche. It comes as no surprise this design has an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.23cd.

Character is added back through the distinctive light profile, both front and rear, and the base 19-inch wheels on our car, which I know from various social media pages are seen as so stupendously cool that people buy them, or even steal them to put on other makes and models. It’s wild the cool bit is just a plastic aerodynamic cover for the alloy wheel beneath.

The cabin takes minimalism to the extreme, with just the single massive centre tablet interrupting the clean lines of the dash. The dash itself is low and finished with an appealingly simple woodgrain panel, and the directional air-vents are hidden away and controlled digitally rather than on full display.

This pairs with the abundance of glass to make for a space which is very… Apple Store. It’s spacious and pleasingly minimalist, but cars need to display information and have controls… more on this in the practicality section.

The mix of textures and materials is also pleasing, with soft surfaces where there needs to be soft surfaces, a neutral colour palette of blacks, greys, and silvers interrupted only by the woodgrain piece.

Again, I can see why this design is seemingly universally appealing. It’s simple, well executed, and feels modern.

It might seem harsh for the design score to be so low, but this is more about quality and physical fit and finish than the aesthetic of the car. I actually like the look of the Performance model, even if it is a bit amorphous at the front.

But it was the panel gaps and joins that were of most concern to me. If this particular model had come down the production line of one of the German brands, it would have been sent to the recycling centre. The workmanship for a car of this price is appalling.

One shouldn't be able to fit the tip of their finger in the gap between the front and rear doors. Nor should one be able to see a shadow on the rear door based on poor fitment of the front door. It was so poor on our test car, it made me think of a vehicle that had been crashed and put back together... and not very well.

This type of shoddy workmanship makes you wonder what other corners may have been cut. It has been widely reported that Model 3s were being assembled in a makeshift marquee-style tent in order for the company to hit its ambitious build targets.

The interior isn't without its fit and finish issues, either. Our car had a squeaky centre console (even though it had less than 700km on the odometer), and some of the plastics inside weren't fitted as well as they should have been.

See the interior images below for a closer look.

As modern as the interior feels though, it comes with a few drawbacks. Primarily, the fact that about 90 per cent of this car’s core functions are controlled solely through the multimedia screen. It’s a huge tablet with very impressive software that runs lightning fast, but its crisp resolution means the touch areas for some core features are a little too small to be comfortable to use while you’re on the move.

Unlike other cars where even a small button can at least be sought out by feel and provides tactile feedback once it’s been pressed, in the Tesla you are forced to take your eyes from the road at times to make sure you’re doing exactly what you want when you adjust things like the climate controls, steering tune, and radio.

The same can be said for the centrally located speedometer and power/regen indicator. With no dash or even a holographic display, these two key items have moved to the edge of the centre display. It’s not like this hasn’t been done before. Old versions of the Toyota Yaris, Nissan X-Trail, and Mini Cooper spring to mind, but it is annoying to have to constantly look to the centre of the car to reference something as important as your speed.

I’m seemingly fighting a losing battle on this one, with Tesla acolytes in the comment section roasting me every time I mention it, but for some buyers coming out of a car with a more traditional layout, it’s worth mentioning. The same can be said for the touch panel, and to be fair here, Tesla is a trend-setter with brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Polestar, and others moving to similar fully touch interfaces. For the record, I don’t like them in those cars either, but at least the Polestar had the good sense to maintain an actual instrument cluster and make the key functions have enormous touch regions in its menus.

Moving on, the Model 3’s interior is spacious for front passengers with some clever storage options. There’s a bottle holder in the door, two more in the centre console (although without adjustable ridges to hold smaller bottles in), dual wireless charging pads which help you have a cable-free interior, and two huge storage areas, one under the wireless chargers with a retracting lid, and another under the armrest console box.

The back seat is a less impressive story, with a more confined space courtesy of a descending roofline and seats which have bases much taller than in the front. I fit okay at 182cm tall, but if you’re any taller than me there’s a good chance your head will be touching the glass ceiling.

The seat trim is comfortable though, and it's a neat touch to have every position, even the centre position, heated. The flat floor gives you plenty of space for your feet, and amenity-wise there is a small bottle holder in the door, two more in the drop-down armrest, small pockets on the backs of the front seats, dual adjustable air vents, and dual USB-C power outlets.

The boot measures 561-litres (VDA) but this includes the large compartment under the boot floor which may not fit more unwieldy objects. We needed to use it to house the smallest (36L) CarsGuide luggage case to fit the whole set, but there was a little extra space to spare on either side once the larger two were loaded.

The frunk is 88-litres and was also able to fit the smallest luggage case, although this space is probably best saved for charging equipment.

The Model 3 is a bit of a storage marvel.

It has a boot, which measures 425 litres and has 60:40 split fold seats, plus a hidden storage compartment rear of the back axle for cables or other luggage. But there's also the 'frunk' (front trunk) which is large enough to house some backpacks or shopping bags (there are even curry hooks to stop the bags moving around too much) and it increases total storage to 542L.

Then in the cabin you have door pockets with bottle holders all around, a set of cup holders in the rear centre armrest, plus another set of cupholders and what can best be described as a cupboard between the front seats. There is a deep well of storage, between front occupants' legs, and a smaller section up between the seats, too. Plus there's a glovebox which operates using the touchscreen, because of course it does.

Space for adults is good up front, and the seat comfort and adjustment is pretty decent, too. The back seat space isn't great - there's limited toe room, the knee room could be better (anyone my height - 182cm - will feel a little cramped behind someone of a similar size) and you sit in a bit of a knees-up position, too. Headroom, too, isn't terrific - the roof angle is almost coupe-like, meaning you need to watch your noggin on entry and exit, and because it's all glass above, anyone with a bald spot might feel the sun a touch too much.

Now, about that screen...

It's a 15.0-inch unit that is located centrally, and it allows you control of basically everything in the car aside from the gear selection, engaging the cruise control or Autopilot (two quick taps of the gear selector - just don't get confused and tip it back into Neutral at speed...) and also the windscreen washers - oh, and there's a volume scroller on the steering wheel, thank goodness for that.

Everything else can be done using the touchscreen, from setting your side mirrors and the electric steering wheel adjustment (which will save to your profile), and you can Bluetooth stream music or connect via USB. The lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is questionable though.

If you're into games, there's a selection of arcade options to choose when you're parked, and there are other things like Santa Mode, Mars mode for the maps, and even a whoopee cushion app...because farts are funny.

Honestly, I dislike this gimmickry because I know the company could have been spending its time, money and resources making a better-built car, rather than a nerdy amusement park cockpit.

But I can see the point that 'no-one else is doing cars like this', and that it will have appeal to people who are maybe a little more light-hearted about the idea of spending $100,000 on a toy.

The all-wheel drive Performance variant tops the Model 3 range at $91,200 before on-roads.

That's a comparative performance bargain if you're thinking of it as a competitor to the likes of the outgoing BMW M3 ($141,610), Audi RS4 Avant ($152,529) and Mercedes-AMG C63 ($160,540).

This is what it says on the label - the most performance-oriented model in the line-up, with blistering acceleration figures we'll cover off in a sec.

It also adds 20-inch wheels, performance brakes, a carbon-fibre lip spoiler on the boot, lowered sports suspension, aluminium pedals, a higher top speed (up from 233km/h to 261km/h) and Track Mode setting.

It also has the "Premium Interior" with a 14-speaker premium audio system, in-car internet service with music and media streaming and satellite view mapping. That's all controlled by the 15-inch multimedia touchscreen that doubles as the car's dashboard, and it has Bluetooth plus controls for the dual-zone climate control. There are four USB ports (2x front, 2x rear).

Other standard gear includes LED front lighting, a fixed glass roof, auto-dimming mirrors (with auto folding and heating for the side mirrors), a key card (but no proximity entry), driver profile setups, and smartphone app controllability.

A couple of omissions: there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto phone mirroring, which could be a deal breaker for some. Plus you don't get wireless phone charging, and you can't get a 360-degree surround view camera system, and nor is there a head-up display (which you get standard on a $25k Mazda 3).

Tesla doesn’t talk power figures for its range, preferring instead to deal in 0-100km/h times, which are dubiously useful for the average buyer. Regardless, the RWD is the “slowest” Model 3, completing the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds. To put that into perspective, it’s about as rapid as a Hyundai i30 N but feels faster thanks to its instantaneous torque application. 

Data listed elsewhere has the Model 3 producing roughly 190kW/375Nm which seems about right to me. It’s both more powerful and has the advantage of rear-wheel drive as opposed to front-wheel drive compared to its closest base Polestar 2 rival.

Again though, this speaks to the value of this base car. It’s as fast as a hot hatch, has fun rear-wheel drive dynamics, and only costs $10,000 more than one while adding 491km of all-electric range. What’s not to like about that?

How backwards is it that Tesla is one of the most high-tech companies on the planet, yet still offers outputs in horsepower and pound feet? This grade of Model 3 has a combined output from its front and rear motors of 450 horsepower (335kW) and 471 lb-ft of torque (638Nm).

That's from 0rpm, which is important - and because it's all-wheel drive, the Model 3 Performance has a 0-100km/h claim of just 3.4 seconds.

The maximum speed for this variant is 261km/h.

First, range. 491km is the current number, although this seems to be changing frequently as Tesla tweaks the Model 3’s battery chemistry. The base car now has a new Lithium-iron-phosphate unit, which has both extended the range over its predecessor and eliminated the need to source the controversial cobalt as used in the more traditional Lithium-ion chemistries like NMC.

At nearly 500km of range though, the Model 3 RWD offers one of the longest ranges at this price-point, with the only rivals coming close including the Long Range Hyundai Kona electric (484km), new-generation Kia Niro EV (460km range) or Polestar 2 Standard Range (470km). 

In terms of efficiency the Model 3 RWD is one of the most energy efficient vehicles I have ever tested, scoring 13.4kWh/100km on my week with the car, against an official/combined number of 13.1kWh/100km. The only vehicle which I have ever pulled a better score from is the Hyundai Kona electric.

On the charging front the Model 3 maintains its great 11kW AC charger, but is able to charge at up to 250kW on a compatible Tesla Supercharger, well above the average for the segment.

Expect a charge time close to half an hour (from 10 - 80 percent) on DC, which is roughly what I experienced on my charge session on a 120kW Tesla Supercharger. According to the car’s computer, the session took 36 minutes to get to 80 per cent and cost $22.32 adding roughly 430km of range by the time it had achieved 100 per cent.

While Tesla location charging is no longer free as it once was for buyers, it is notable that Tesla users have the largest selection of chargers to choose from as they are compatible with both the software-locked Tesla stations and the regular public fast-chargers, as in Australia the Model 3 has a standard Type 2 CCS charging port.

One small downside to the Model 3 is it doesn’t yet offer V2L features (the ability to power devices from the car’s charging port) like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 or Nissan Leaf.

Battery range. We all know fun is only fun if it isn't over too quickly...

The claimed range based on NEDC standard testing for this spec of Model 3 is 560 kilometres - that's 100km more than the entry-grade car because this model has a bigger battery pack. According to the Green Vehicle Guide, it will use an average of 20.7kWh/100km.

So what sort of range have we seen on test? Well based on my driving - which included some, ahem, rigorous testing of the acceleration and a few jaunts up and down a hilly, twisty section (and more than 150km of highway driving), I calculated a real-world range of 387 kilometres based on covering 309km and using 56kWh to do so.

Charging is dependent on your circumstance. Most people will get a home charger installed, and you can choose between different outputs (single phase, three phase) which will change the rate of charge. If you're going to buy a Tesla, be sure to speak to the company about your options to recharge it at home.

You can use the brand's Supercharger network, at a cost of $0.42 per kWh (about $25 and a bit over an hour from empty to full - or about a quarter of tank of 98RON premium unleaded in a similarly sized luxury performance car).

The Model 3 is as slick and modern to drive as its design suggests, the minimalist approach extending to your interactions with the car’s inputs.

Visibility is great out the front of the Model 3, with the low dash and abundance of glass making it easy to see in most directions, it is only out the rear where visibility is a bit limited by the tall boot lid.

The steering is somewhat artificial, and has three modes. ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ are far too heavy, with 'Comfort' the only mode I’d be using day-to-day. Even then, it was a relief to return to the comparatively featherweight steering of my Kia Niro long termer after my week in the Model 3.

The Tesla is much more fun though, with its absurdly responsive acceleration. Sure, on the numbers it’s only about as fast as a Hyundai i30N, but bloody hell does it feel faster. Dipping your toe into the accelerator simply throws you into the back of your seat, with the corresponding warp in speed anything but smooth. Use it to terrify your friends, family, EV naysayers, and family pets.

As heavy as the steering is, it’s also reactive, combining with the eager acceleration, firm ride, and rear-driven axle to make even this most basic Model 3 a lot of fun to steer.

For everyday driving though, the firm ride can be a bit much. It makes the car feel harsh and brittle, communicating much of the road through to the cabin. The base rear-drive with its 19-inch wheels is more comfortable than the Long Range or Performance grades too, with their bigger alloys, so keep this in mind if you’re shopping up the range. This problem is something the Model 3 shares with the Model Y, so buying the SUV version isn’t going to help.

One advantage the Model Y does get is ride height. The Model 3 is quite close to the ground, making it quite possible for it to scrape on speed bumps and driveways. This, no doubt, is to keep the drag down, but it might be too low for access to some driver’s properties.

The Model 3 is offered with a single regen tune, which can alternatively be switched for a more traditional drive experience where the brake pedal blends the regen in. The standard tune is nice though, with a linear roll-on and instant activation, saving you energy in every possible moment it can. It’s not quite as strong as some rival’s ‘single pedal’ driving modes, but it suits the Model 3 well.

Thanks to the hard ride the Model 3 is not the quietest EV when it come to cabin ambiance, with some road noise and thuds from the suspension being easily heard in the cabin. It also doesn’t emit a noise, with only a high-pitched whine from the rear electric motor when really pushed.

The software continues to be a strong point, with the Model 3 offering a very cool radar screen showing you all the objects around you, even ones you may not have seen, and the fact that there’s no push-start ignition or need to use keys is pretty neat, just hop in and drive, hop out and walk away, the car takes care of the rest.

Finally, the autonomous cruise feature is disturbingly good and deserves a special mention. While it’s hard to recommend the absurdly expensive ‘Full Self Driving’ upgrade ($10,100!) which is dubiously legal and offers you the opportunity to pay to be Elon Musk’s beta tester, the standard adaptive cruise is very good.

It stays in its lane better than pretty much all other active cruise systems I’ve used, is very clever at steering and avoiding objects, although does have a penchant for being a bit heavy on the brakes when in stop-start traffic. 

I’d go so far as to say this base Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 is the pick of the bunch by a long shot. It’s fast and a lot of fun with a futuristic feel from behind the wheel. Sure the steering is heavy and the ride is hard, but it’s easily one of the best EVs to drive right now regardless.

Sit-ups. Crunches. Squats. 

Do some of those before you go getting into the Model 3, because you'll need your core strength if you plan to launch the car from 0-100km/h regularly.

In Sport mode, the acceleration is frightful. It's truly gobsmacking, so much so that it might make passengers feel ill if they're not expecting it. That it happens in near-silence is a compounding factor, as the only noise is a whirr from the electric motors and the whoosh of the wind as you cut through it.

It's a great party trick (like all those silly screen games!) but you won't be able to use it all the time, as it does eat battery range every time you do.

There are practical benefits of this level of immense acceleration - if you find yourself needing to get out of the way of an oncoming car, for instance, or if you just need to overtake a slow moving vehicle over a short opportunity. It's immensely helpful.

But what's more, the fact you can select Chill mode and have a considerably more sedate driving experience - presumably with the benefit of added range - is an advantage. It dulls things dramatically, but not too much.

There are other modes. The steering has Comfort, Standard and Sport variations, all of which have different weight and response to suit. I think Comfort is the best and most natural of the three - the Model 3 has quick a fast steering rack, and a lighter action makes for better involvement. Standard is just a touch too heavy, and Sport is numb.

Part of that, of course, comes down to the fact the AWD system means the front tyres have to steer and put power down at the same time, and like any AWD model, there's a compromise to the feeling of the way the car corners. I prefer the entry-grade RWD model from a purist perspective.

And in urban driving, you will note that the turning circle is bigger than you might think of a car of this size. At 11.8m, it takes more turning room than any of the equivalent luxury cars.

While we know its main wow factor is straight-line speed, it goes through corners well. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber is superbly sticky in the twisty stuff, and the mechanical grip is great too, though you can feel the weight of the car (1847kg) in tighter bends. There's some road noise to contend with a higher speeds on coarser road surfaces, too.

We didn't sample Track mode, but based on my drive in Sport mode through a twisty mountain pass, I'd suggest I'd want more than just a mode to choose - I'd want more braking power (these were okay, but not as good as I'd hoped), more supportive seats (these are okay, but they don't hold you in place like you might want), and I'd want better steering.

The ride comfort of the Model 3 Performance was surprisingly just a touch better than the standard base model car, and that's despite it having 20-inch wheels and lowered sports suspension. It could have something to do with extra weight helping tie it down a little more, but I will say this - it's still not a terrific ride, as it tends to bobble over repetitive bumps, and can clunk down on sharp edges.

Tesla scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating for the Model 3 range, and of particular note was the car's 94 pert cent score for Safety Assist tech, which is the highest ever. It also got 96 per cent for adult occupant protection.

All Model 3s come with six airbags (dual front, front side, full-length curtain), plus an advanced safety suite consisting of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) that works at city and highway pace and has pedestrian and cyclist detection. There's also blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and that's all wrapped up in the 'A' word... Autopilot.

There's also the brand's "Full Self-Driving Capability" option ($8500) available apparently later in 2019, which includes auto lane change, auto parking, the ability to recognise and act upon red lights and stop signs, automated driving on city streets, the company's Summon system (where your parked car will come and find you autonomously) and navigation-linked Autopilot. You can option this after the fact, but it could cost more.

There are dual ISOFIX child seat anchor points and three top-tether restraints, but parents take note: because the rear seat has integrated headrests, your baby seat may not be able to be fitted as tightly as you'd like in the outboard rear seats. This is a common complaint when the headrests aren't removable.

The Model 3 is covered by a four-year and 80,000km warranty which seems on the face of it, quite lacking. It is in front of only BMW’s three-year warranty, and behind the industry standard five-years or more desirable seven-years.

The battery and drivetrain components however, are covered by a different eight-year or 192,000km warranty, adding at least some peace of mind.

Servicing is computer-determined, meaning the car will tell you when it wants to visit the shop, depending on how it has been driven and how long it has been between visits.

Scanning Tesla’s inventory of parts, filters, and fluids, none seem particularly expensive, although to maintain efficiency and handling you’ll want to keep the expensive EV-specific tyres in good condition.

Tesla backs the Model 3 with a less-than-excellent four year/80,000km warranty for the car itself, which doesn't really instill confidence - especially considering it was quietly rolled back from eight years/160,000km.

You get a longer warranty on the powertrain, though - for the RWD model it's eight years/160,000km, while AWD versions have eight years/192,000km cover.

Tesla doesn't offer maintenance plans anymore - it used to have a selection of three- or four-year cover plans, but the brand says its maintenance requirements are so minimal it doesn't need to have that level of cover anymore.

But there is an inspection checklist that customers should abide by. Every two years the cabin air filter and brake fluid should be seen to, while the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter requires checking every three years, and the air conditioner needs service every six years, too.

There are wheel balance/alignment/tyre rotations to consider, too.