Is it possible to review Tesla's Model 3
without getting pulled into the
company's gravitational hype vortex? I
don't know. We will try forget
flamethrowers rockets and Joe Rogan. In
this video we're focusing solely on the
Model 3 and how it fares as a car. First
let's level set. The Model 3 is the
smallest and cheapest car in Tesla's
all-electric lineup. It seats give, has a
maximum 310-mile range, and a theoretical
starting price of $36,000 including
destination charges. That we'll dig into
later. Before that let's talk about the
car. Item one: it's amazing to drive in all
regards. Acceleration is instantaneous,
relentless, and intoxicating. Need to blast
pass yet another Camry? Sure thing. Want
to merge authoritatively with freeway
traffic? Done. Want to dazzle your
three-year-old with the majesty of
electric torque? Can do.
I'm gonna do it again. Where automotive
parlor tricks are concerned the Model 3's
hushed propulsive intensity is
one of the best. Press the accelerator
and there's no downshift or engine
related delay. You just go. Add lateral
G's and the Model 3 shines even
brighter. The steering feels stable on a
straight line, but off-center it has a
sporting quick ratio. Small adjustments
make big changes in your trajectory. The
Model 3 is the kind of car that rewards
precision and a willingness to probe the
limits. There's a stop sign. No self no
probing right now. Real mature Mike. With
it's well tuned multi-link suspension
and weighty battery pack placed low in
the chassis the smallest of Tesla's is a
grade-a badass in the corners. If you've
dismissed electric cars as joy crushing
sadness goblins you've clearly never
driven a Model 3. Yeah there's no
emotional engine noise, but consider this,
without a dramatic internal combustion
soundtrack the Model 3 can still create
reactions like this. Meanwhile interior
noise is decently subdued, though the
lack of an engine highlights sound from
the tires. The brakes feel completely
natural which is a stellar
accomplishment for an electric car, and
if you don't like the acceleration and
regenerative braking intensity, vehicle
creep behavior, or steering efforts
simply change them. Regarding steering
settings, with such a quick ratio the
light efforts of comfort mode make it
hard to steer with accuracy.
So don't use them.
One last driving observation, there's a
blind spot over my right shoulder.
Surely technology has a solution for
that. Why yes, it does  on-camera Micah. With
the $5,000 enhanced auto pilot package
the Model 3 can steer, accelerate, brake,
and automatically change lanes for you.
Once activated with the drive selector
it shows a real-time readout of the
vehicles around you and the road ahead,
including how it curves. Right now it's
incredibly cool tech that operates with
more precision than some goober drivers,
but the system requires constant
attention. This is not autonomous driving
though Tesla promises that will come
later.
If constant vigilance is required when
using autopilot personally I'd rather
just drive. You may feel differently. It got very
dark for a second there. I got it. That
said the real-time display makes auto
pilot far more engaging than other semi
autonomous systems. My big complaint is
the effort required to overpower the
autonomy. You can't simply add a bit of
steering or brake when good human
judgement suggests that's a good idea.
Instead you have to force your way
through the autonomy, which then abruptly
deactivates the system. During critical
moments that can be disconcerting.
Autonomy aside the Model 3 is a
wellspring of unexpected but logical
conclusions. Kind of like talking to a
three-year-old it's the sort of car
where you have to leave your
expectations at the door, literally. To
unlock the door you can either use your
phone as a key or tap the valet key card
on the B-pillar. Modern living right? The
door handles don't extend like the Model
S's but they do flip out GTR style.
Inside if not using your phone place the
key card behind the cupholders to enable
drive mode. You'll notice there's no
start button, just pull the drive
selector down and go. In fact look around
and there's a conspicuous lack of
physical controls. These guys adjust the
seat and these scroll wheels do almost
everything else. They move the mirrors.
They adjust the steering wheel position.
They change the audio volume, and they
also alter how far you follow the
vehicle head using dynamic cruise
control. Yeah pretty much anything a
normal car would do with a button or a knob
these guys do.
That really sounds like robot noises.
Very very well done Tesla. You sound
properly futuristic.
Contrasting the lack of buttons is an
abundance of screen. Cramming all vehicle
settings infotainment controls and the
traditional gauge cluster readout into a
central 15-inch touchscreen sounds like
a one-way ticket to failure town, but no,
it works great. Tesla has done a
brilliant job creating a clear,
attractive, instantly navigable interface.
Tabs along the bottom helpfully guide
you to the right sub menu. Options are
unambiguously displayed, and you can even
check out your favorite website, you know
the one that pays you to review cars, oh
crap,
is that the runtime? We don't have time
for all this stuff. There's too much to
talk about.
Lightning round, okay, here's a quick
rundown of the Model 3's abilities
and quirks. Over-the-air software updates
expand its capabilities over time, for
example Tesla updated the anti-lock
braking tuning yielding a notable
reduction in stopping distances. The 15-
cubic foot trunk is supplemented by a
vast underfloor hold and a roomy front
trunk. The rear seats fold but the
releases are inside the cabin
necessitating a field trip inside to
drop them. A low hood and large windows
provide a clear view out while a glass
roof provides a clear view up.
I see green clouds. Front seats are comfortably
shaped, supportive and include adjustable
lumbar support. The armrests are well
positioned and soft. Oh hey, happy
squirrel. Rear passenger space is fine
for my average five-foot ten-inch body
but the seat backs could use more
recline. It's like I got good posture, and
low seat cushions place occupants knees
higher than we prefer the middle seat
offers abundant flat foot space, but
shoulder room is super tight with three
abreast. Yes we've heard about build
quality complaints by some customers, but
as you might expect our test car was
well sorted aside from little stuff like.
Wear marks near the electronic door
release, this bunching door seal, and
chrome exterior door trim that didn't
quite line up. Interestingly any color
besides black will cost between $1,500 and
$2,500 dollars. Tesla's screen-based vent
controls are much better than Porsches,
and the Tesla app offers handy
information about your vehicle. Plus the
ability to control various functions
including the summon feature that lets
you remotely motor the vehicle into and
out of tight spots, or you can just
ignore the legal department and ghost
ride the whip. Is that something the kids
still do or is it all just Tide Pods now?
Charging your Model 3 with a
standard household outlet is possible
but dumb, gaining only one to two miles
of range per hour. A full charge would
literally take this 240-volt charger
speeds things up adding roughly 14-miles
per hour. Charged for overnights at home
that's fine, but on the go
one of Tesla's nearly 1,400 supercharger
stations is the play. During our test we
surged from 65- to more than 270-miles of
range in about an hour.
Just keep in mind crowded stations mean
extra wait time, and unlike Model S and
Model X owners Model 3 owners have
to pay it a super charge. In our case 200-
miles of range cost a modest $14.04. A basic Model 3 includes eight
airbags, automatic emergency braking,
Wi-Fi, an LTE Internet connectivity, dual
zone climate control, rear wheel drive,
and 220 miles of electric range all for
a base price around $36,000. Except as of
when we shot this video Tesla isn't
building any of those the versions you
can get are the mid-range rear-wheel
drive. The long-range dual motor
all-wheel drive and the all-wheel drive
performance model like our tester that
adds a lowered suspension a higher top
speed, 20-inch wheels,
performance brakes and carbon fiber bits
to the equation. All of those prices
include destination charges, but exclude
the federal government $7,500 tax credit.
A tax credit that may not exist or will
likely be greatly reduced by the time
your Model 3 is actually built.
Some folks might compare the Model 3
to the roomier Jaguar I-Pace, but
starting at $70,000 it's much pricier.
Cheaper alternatives include the
Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona EV and
Nissan Leaf, but none of those matched
the Tesla's technical anesthetic cool
points. The BMW i3 occupies a vaguely
similar price spectrum, but it's no match
for the Model 3's range and speed.
Truth be told Model 3 is in a class by
itself. It's stupid quick, aggressively
innovative, comfortable for its size, and
assuming they ever build the cheap one,
excessively priced. I for one welcome our
new electric car overlords. So, about that
flamethrower thing...
