Tesla Model 3
Electrifying performance is a core strength of the Model 3. Does it outpace the Polestar 2 in other key areas, though?
IN Dual Motor Performance trim, the Tesla Model 3 is more expensive than the Polestar 2 Performance pack, priced from £56,490, but it offers more performance and range. Is it worth the extra?
Design & engineering
THE Model 3 uses Tesla’s tried-andtested skateboard architecture that it pioneered for electric cars – it’s rapidly become the norm for many manufacturers. It uses a chassis with the battery sandwiched in the floor and, on this Model 3 Performance, a motor on each axle.
The 75kWh battery is slightly smaller than the Polestar’s, but it offers the same 72.5kWh of usable energy. Given the Tesla weighs only 1,847kg compared with the 2,198kg Polestar, this means a claimed range of 329 miles. That’s 37 miles more.
Those motors combined push out 483bhp and 660Nm of torque. This first figure is more than the Polestar; the second matches it. Like the 2 with the Performance pack, the Model 3 Performance features 20-inch alloys, upgraded brakes and some suspension tweaks (it’s lowered, but the dampers are adaptive).
Those are the mechanical tweaks, but as you’d expect with advanced electric cars like these, a lot is also controlled by software. The engineering here includes torque vectoring by braking and plenty of electronic adjustment for the steering weight, regenerative braking level and accelerator pedal response. The Polestar 2 offers this functionality, too.
While the Tesla may offer more claimed range, plus more power and torque, it can’t match the Polestar for quality and finish. The build of Teslas has improved over the years to the point where the Model 3 is the best of the breed, but it can’t compete here on this front. The materials are okay – the dash top and wood trim give a clean look – but then the plastic covers for the central storage area are cheap and feel flimsy.
Driving
EVEN the most hardened EV sceptics will be convinced the first time they use full throttle in the Model 3 Performance. It is incredibly quick. Tesla claims 0-60mph takes just 3. 2 seconds, and the punch off the line is superb. It feels noticeably faster and more alert on the throttle than the Polestar, not that the 2 feels slow, while its mid-speed acceleration is stronger.
Few combustion-engined cars can match the Model 3 for pace on the road because it’s so easily accessible, with no discernible lag. Even at motorway speeds the Tesla streaks forward when you ask for it. Yet the characteristics of the drivetrain that make it so fast don’t compromise it around town. The throttle is less aggressive at the top of its travel than the Polestar’s, so it’s smoother at low speed, while it’s pretty much just as refined.
You hear a little more noise from the suspension, but the softer set-up means the Tesla’s body and wheels take rolling undulations and some bumps more gently. The 20-inch wheels do still bounce over big marks on the road surface, though.
The softer suspension and extra power mean the Model 3 doesn’t feel quite as composed as the Polestar, however. The steering is quick and can unsettle the car if you’re too aggressive. No matter
what mode it’s set to, it’s not as nice as the 2’s. Surprisingly, despite it being the lower, lighter car, it feels like the Tesla rolls more, but there’s still a good level of grip and great traction.
Practicality
TESLA claims a total cargo capacity of 542 litres, but this isn’t the whole story. Together, the front and rear areas offer 425 litres, and although the Model 3 is a saloon, the opening is relatively wide. There is a useful under-floor area, for extra bags or the charging cables. However, the ‘frunk’ is more than big enough to store these, so both offer more practicality than the figures suggest.
The Tesla is roomier in the rear. You sit lower and that curving roof means there’s more headroom. The panoramic roof is better executed, too, while legroom shades the Polestar. Storage in both is good, and although the materials around the Tesla’s main storage area aren’t the best, there is more space.
The Model 3 was the first Tesla to accept CCS charging, but with a 250kW V3 Supercharger an 80 per cent top-up takes around 15 minutes. Adding up to 75 miles of range in just five minutes makes longer journeys very easy. See our full specs on Page 49 for more info on charging times. You have to pay for Supercharger use, at a cost of 24p per kWh in the UK.
Ownership
SATISFACTION amongst Tesla owners is high, even though the brand didn’t rank in this year’s Driver Power poll. There’s a four-year/50,000-mile warranty, which beats the Polestar’s three-year/60,000-mile package, while the battery is covered for eight years or 120,000 miles. Polestar offers eight years/100,000 miles cover.
There’s a level of autonomy that exceeds even the 2, with Tesla’s semi-autonomous cruise control standard, plus you can add full self-driving capability for £6,800. This adds auto lane changing and auto parking with ‘Summon’, where you can park and retrieve your car without being in it. Otherwise, autonomous braking with lane-keep and blind-spot assist are all standard.
Running costs
FINANCE dominates the new car market today, but if you’re interested in buying with cash then the popularity of, and confidence in, EVs is shown by these models’ predicted residual values. Our experts say the Model 3 Performance will retain 59.4 per cent of its original price, which means depreciation over three years/36,000 miles of £22,912. The 2 has a retained value of 60.7 per cent and depreciation of £20,397.
Servicing should be cheaper on an electric vehicle due to fewer components than an ICE car – Tesla has moved to an ‘as needed’ service schedule, while Polestar offers three years’ maintenance free.
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