Tesla Model 3 review: We didn’t like the Model Y, but its smaller sibling changed our minds

Tesla’s cheapest model combines impressive range, sharp handling and lower pricing with some frustrating high-tech quirks

Tesla Model 3 RWD review: We test the €40,000 electric car’s range, handling, comfort, performance, technology and everyday practicality.

TESLA MODEL 3
Rating	★★★★☆
Price	€38,990 — it’s their cheapest model
Power	Pure EV with 201km/h
Range	Claimed to be 534km and will get pretty close to that
The Spec	Very thorough, if only you could access most of the good stuff with ease
Verdict	Despite unnecessary tech and a buttonless interior, this is a fine car that drives really well

A LITTLE while back we reviewed the Tesla Model Y. We didn’t like it. At all. Poor handling, terrible ride comfort, and past-the-sell-by-date technology failed to put a shine on the electric car’s excellent range and motors and its unsurpassed charging network. Indeed, we found little in the SUV-ish Tesla that provoked positive comment.

This week we’re focusing on another variant from the car maker, the Model 3, which is actually the cheapest vehicle they make and the one which propelled it to worldwide popularity.

Originally introduced in 2017, it quickly gained near-legendary status and became the top-selling plug-in EV globally in consecutive years from 2018 to 2020 and was the first electric car to shift over one million units, with the US followed by China as the two biggest markets for it.

Initially Tesla eschewed the traditional sales powerhouse for cars — the dealership — relying instead on online sales and the odd bleak Tesla store.

Despite these successes, the Model 3 was dogged by production hiccups but, in fairness to the company, it quickly addressed issues such as braking distances, loose body trim, and glass defects. Supply chain issues also hindered production, and many contemporaneous videos showed the threat of fire to be a worrying one.

But still, the Model 3 proved to be a resilient and durable seller, beloved by techie types and fashionistas who saw it as the antidote to the largely expensive and inefficient cars produced by so-called premium brands.

Now that did not stop the company from charging premium prices for the product but, as time has gone on, it has slowly managed to bring prices down. That said, while this week’s tester, the Model 3 RWD, costs just under the €40,000 mark, you can still pay decent bobs for such as the Premium Long-Range version with all-wheel drive.

Despite some misgivings about the Model 3 — the largely buttonless cabin, the all-controlling touchscreen system, and the bumper-car-esque cockpit — this turned out to be a well-rounded driver’s car which is quick but enjoys excellent handling traits and a very efficient suspension layout.

This is actually the second-generation version of the car and not too much has changed. They’ve redone the front end slightly and there are new light clusters and a revised front bumper/bonnet design which improves the overall drag coefficient.

The latter fact has also improved the claimed range to 534km (and, in fairness, it doesn’t tell too many porkies, with at least 500 being readily achievable); top speed is now 201km/h and the 0-100km/h dash takes a sprightly 6.2 seconds.

Refinement has also been boosted thanks to double-glazed acoustic glass which nearly completely eradicates wind noise, while upgraded suspension bushes have boosted handling and ride prowess.

Tesla Model 3 RWD review: We test the €40,000 electric car’s range, handling, comfort, performance, technology and everyday practicality.

On the inside, the minimalist cabin is as was, although the touchscreen has been boosted to 15.4” and many of the materials used have been upgraded with slush-moulded, soft-feel surfaces throughout.

There’s also a panoramic roof which, along with the large windscreen, allows for a really airy cabin which is completely light-filled to go along with the roominess and very comfy seats which have remained a constant.

I was not madly impressed by the sole stalk on the steering column for the indicators, which are supposed to be touch-sensitive, but I found that they stayed operating when you didn’t want them to and didn’t do anything when you did.

That everything — and I do mean everything — is controlled via the touchscreen was something I found distinctly perplexing — not to mention unsafe when you’re trying to adjust things while on the move — and it is something the Chinese are setting about addressing. That’s something our friends in Europe, Japan, Korea, and America should also attend to.

The Chinese are also set to enforce changes in the door handle designs, both on the inside and the outside — as they are essentially electronic and prone to not working in emergency situations. This is another move that should be followed across the globe.

Another thing I found unnecessarily annoying was the fact that entry to the car was not by key, but by an RFID card and finding the sweet spot on the B-pillar to get it to open can be tricky. You also need to have the card sited in a certain place underneath the touchscreen to get it to go.

Sure, you can do all this via your phone if you’re fully connected to the car, but the whole thing was, I found, rather painful.

Tesla Model 3 RWD review: We test the €40,000 electric car’s range, handling, comfort, performance, technology and everyday practicality.

Out on the road, things are rather less complicated. The well-damped and firm suspension sends out all the right messages to the enthusiastic driver and, in truth, I enjoyed the experience much more than I expected.

The weighted steering is excellent (although it can be adjusted — via the touchscreen, of course — if you choose to do so. I didn’t find that necessary, as the car has a darting ability to change direction and does so with ease, even in a tricky series of bends.

Even in comfort mode, the car also displays brisk acceleration, and you will also never doubt its overtaking capability, which is nearly breathtaking. But, like any EV, this one, while keen to do your bidding, will chew into its range quite quickly if you abuse things.

LIKE much of the new Chinese wave coming at us right now, the Tesla — and this one specifically — has given the traditional car manufacturing industry much to ponder upon.

While initially regarded as an upstart start-up, Tesla has quickly become a sensation among both buyers and industry observers. It really does nothing according to any accepted playbook, and that’s probably part of the appeal to many.

But simply because it actively seeks to be different doesn’t necessarily mean it is the be-all-and-end-all. It isn’t. It’s just different — and that’s fine too.

We didn’t at all like the Model Y, but we really liked this one. Aside from the regular, normal beefs with the OTT tech, the buttonless operation, and the total absence of instrumentation, the car proved to be a fine, worthy driving companion, as well as being a comfortable, airy and spacious (the boot space is huge too) car to live with.

Notable too is the fact that Tesla has brought prices down, bringing it much more onto people’s radar than was previously the case.

A good job all round, then.