A benchmark for many future EVs
Tesla’s latest fun to drive but it isn’t yet affordable and has production kinks
It’s probably fair to describe the interest around Tesla, and particularly the Model 3, as a phenomenon.
Now it’s hard not to consume any type of news media without you reading this or that about Tesla and Elon Musk. Much of it focuses on the Model 3 and whether or not Tesla can “ramp up” production to a certain figure by a certain date, or how it’s being made in a temporary production “tent.”
I think it’s important to separate the tumultuous and sometimes controversial company from its cars for a review such as this, though, because as a stand-alone car the Tesla Model 3 is very good. Great even.
I acquired this car with the help of ride-sharing app Turo, who gave me a ride credit to acquire a car for a couple of days and give their app a try. Anot-so-affordable EV The owner of this Model 3 ordered the car with most of the optional extras including the long-range battery, premium interior and Enhanced Autopilot. You also have to throw in at least $1,000 for any colour other than black. That means this car would ring in at about $71,000 without tax incentives. It’s not an affordable EV, then — this is a bona fide luxury car.
While it is expensive, the longrange Model 3’s powertrain and battery live up to expectations. The single, rear-axle mounted electric motor is rated at 271 hp and, much more importantly, 307 lb-ft of torque. The robust yet refined powertrain hurls the Model 3 down the road with an incredible amount of thrust, tempting you to pin it away from every stoplight you come across.
The steering feedback wasn’t half bad either. The Model 3’s steering actually felt crisper than a BMW 340i I sampled recently, but it isn’t as satisfying to corner with as, say, the Alfa Romeo Giulia.
One downside to the driving experience is the regenerative braking system. You can adjust the system’s power between “standard” and “low,” but neither allow for one-pedal driving like you can do in some other EVs. How about the quality? Build quality is a hot topic of discussion regarding the Model 3. Tesla hasn’t worked out its various production kinks yet, but the car I rented seemed rel- atively well built to my eye. The panel gaps weren’t really anything to scoff at, there were no weird interior rattles and everything operated as it should. Right now it’s hard to say how the quality of the car will hold up over time, but there weren’t any glaring quality issues with the car I tested.
The giant 15-inch interior display also operated nicely, with a bright, clear screen and fast, responsive touch operation that leaves some other in-car displays feeling like one of those early Garmin navigation units from 2005. But considering how much the car relies on the screen to operate, saying it’s fast and responsive isn’t really a compliment
As for the rest of the interior, it’s mostly up to par with the competition. I find the airy, minimalist design a bit drab, but most of the materials seemed of good quality.
The exterior, meanwhile, is ti- dy and appropriately progressive, if not anonymous. It reminds me of a standard issue car from a dystopian sci-fi novel with simplified styling and a clear focus on usability. The verdict The Model 3 is a wonderfully engineered and very fun to drive EV, but for now, I think it’s best enjoyed how I experienced it: as a two-day rental.
You’re still an “early adopter” if you buy a Model 3 at this point — it can be hard to get parts for repairs, the quality between vehicles can vary and Tesla is still rolling out overthe-air-updates that seem crucial to the vehicle’s performance. The clock is still ticking on the $35,000 base model, too — which was the entire reason the Model 3 was so hyped up in the first place.
If you’re looking at a Model 3 as your only vehicle and plan to rely on it for getting to and from work or making the daily school run, we’d probably wait while Tesla irons out the kinks and brings the more affordable version to market. Besides, everything is made better with a little bit of competition and that will be true for the electric car industry as well. More automakers are set to have EVs in their portfolios soon, which should drive prices down for all electric cars and eventually help bring the quality and performance up as well.
That said, I think the Model 3 will be the performance and technology benchmark for many future EVs. It’s different, daring and fun to drive — characteristics that legacy automakers haven’t yet been able to work into their many of their products. With the Model 3, Tesla deserves kudos for thinking outside the box in an industry that’s been moving much too slowly as of late.