2018 vs 2021 Model 3

[stcptl]

Has anyone owned both 2018 and 2021/2022 Model 3s (non-performance)?

What would you say are the improvements/differences beyond the obvious updates that are well known?

I had a mid 2018 and it was great to drive, but there were a few complaints. The wind noise at highway speeds was absolutely terrible, worse than a mainstream midsize sedan. The build quality also wasn’t great. There were areas inside doors with missing paint, I started noticing some areas with rust after just 3 years, had multiple service center visits for both cosmetic and mechanical issues, the interior quality wasn’t too great and many materials were cheap, some even badly scuffed easily. The standard aero wheels also seemed to lose grip a little bit easier than I would’ve liked during faster cornering.
I’ve since sat in a 2021 Model 3 and Y once each and my impression was that there were improvements such as in some buttons/materials etc. Not so sure about wind noise and overall quality/reliability. Would the optional (non-performance) wheels help with grip without hurting noise and ride? Any other feature additions that are particular useful day to day?

Can anyone comment on this if you’ve had extensive experience with both model years.

Thanks.

 

[tm1v2]

For the wind noise part, I really suggest test drives! I was surprised in multiple ways about 2021 Model 3 and Y wind noise (tested MYLR, M3LR, M3P and bought M3P), but I never had a 2018 Model 3 to compare with.

For cornering grip and tire noise...just buy the tires you want, no matter which wheels you have. Tires are cheap compared to a car. (Only issue can be really unusual sizes with limited tire selection, but that's not a problem for any of the stock Model 3 sizes.)

 

[whatdoiknow]

I went from a 2018 Model 3 LR RWD to a 2021 M3P. Wind and road noise is substantially reduced, even with the bigger wheels and tires on the M3P. It also has better / more durable interior materials in many places.

 

[stcptl]

I went from a 2018 Model 3 LR RWD to a 2021 M3P. Wind and road noise is substantially reduced, even with the bigger wheels and tires on the M3P. It also has better / more durable interior materials in many places.

That is what I gleaned from my brief impression as well in a 2021 Model Y. Seemed significantly quieter than the 2018 Model 3 I had with better quality materials. Was only in a newer 3 for a very short time so not sure to what extent this comparable to newer 3s. Can anyone comment on 2021 Ys vs 2021/2022 3s? Will book a test drive to see for myself as well.

 

[tm1v2]

Can anyone comment on 2021 Ys vs 2021/2022 3s? Will book a test drive to see for myself as well.

The 2021 MYLR I tested had really bad wind noise at 70+ mph. Worse than my 2013 S. I was surprised how bad it was, to the point where I now wonder if something was wrong with that particular car.

A week or two later Tesla had Model 3 test cars back in stock. I tested an M3LR first and was shocked how much better/quieter the wind noise was. Way better than that MYLR. Better than my 2013 S. Not as quiet as Mach-E or Polestar 2 but still very acceptable to me, nothing to complain about.

Two days later I tested an M3P, wind noise was the same (good). A week later I picked up my M3P and it's the same too (also good).

I would say tire noise is more noticeable in my 2021 M3P at my typical highway speeds with the stock wheels+tires. Overall noise level is perfectly fine to me though, it's not luxury but I've owned noisier cars and nothing about the 2021 Model 3 wind or tire noise bothers me.

Interior quality is better than I recall from sitting in older Model 3s pre-pandemic. Again it's not luxury or anything to write home about, but perfectly good to me and nothing to complain about either. Zero rattles so far, though somehow it feels like it might develop some as it ages. (For what it's worth, while I appreciate a really high quality interior, I've never been one to prioritize that in my car purchases.)

The 2021 Model 3 interior is not as solid-feeling as the Polestar 2 interior though (as a competing EV reference point).

 

[Dirty Dog]

I went from a 2018 Model 3 LR RWD to a 2021 M3P. Wind and road noise is substantially reduced, even with the bigger wheels and tires on the M3P. It also has better / more durable interior materials in many places.

How is the ride? Is it bumpier? Honest answer please