I have been driving my 2020 Model 3 SR+ for about a year now, at about 16k miles. Coming from an older, 2012 Honda Civic, this car is an upgrade in every single way possible. I love it to death, and I do plan to drive it for a long time. Here’s my pros and cons:
Pros:
- Performance: it’s technically the slowest in the Model 3 lineup, but I still find it effortlessly to accelerate and pass other cars quickly. At around 280 hp and 290 lb/ft torque (might be different from sources), I believe it has good enough power for the streets.
- Handling: with its nearly 50/50 weight distribution (the Performance is exactly 50/50 I believe) and the center of gravity on the bottom of the car, makes this car handles like a dream. I would appreciate having better tires however, the OEM MXM4s aren’t exactly great for gripping the road.
- UI: Honestly, I am not too disappointed of not having apple carplay/android auto with this car, it would not make it a Tesla at all if it does. The UI is quick and responsive, and it’s being constantly updated all the time for new features, which makes the car less outdated.
- Integrated dashcam/sentry mode: I cannot imagine having another car without this capability. I would worry all the time knowing my car is not recording events that may damage my car (thankfully not yet, and hopefully never will).
- Autopilot tech: Driving in LA traffic is terrible during peak times (before covid), autopilot reduces my stress and fatigue by a good 80-90% on the road, even with basic autopilot.
- Regen/efficiency: It’s good to see that I can gain some range back with regenerative braking, more efficient, and less wear on the brakes as well, making a bit lower cost of ownership in that aspect.
Cons:
- Noise: There have been various reports from other people in the forum stating high levels of noise, unfortunately my car can get loud from driving high speeds from the wind. I have tried various methods to attempt to reduce it, but not too much luck with it.
Neutral:
- Range: Personally, I don’t find range a problem even with a SR+. My average drive to work and back home, no problem at all. But it can be certainly limiting to some, knowing that you can’t go too far without having to charge, so you do have to plan if you are going somewhere far, where you don’t really have to plan with an ICE car where there’s a gas station somewhere around the corner.
- Minimalistic design: I do really like not having a bunch of buttons for doing everything, and some of the touchscreen buttons are placed very well for easy access. But, some things like the windshield wipers can be a bit of hassle to play with, even though it does mostly well with automatic wiping.
Pros:
- Performance: it’s technically the slowest in the Model 3 lineup, but I still find it effortlessly to accelerate and pass other cars quickly. At around 280 hp and 290 lb/ft torque (might be different from sources), I believe it has good enough power for the streets.
- Handling: with its nearly 50/50 weight distribution (the Performance is exactly 50/50 I believe) and the center of gravity on the bottom of the car, makes this car handles like a dream. I would appreciate having better tires however, the OEM MXM4s aren’t exactly great for gripping the road.
- UI: Honestly, I am not too disappointed of not having apple carplay/android auto with this car, it would not make it a Tesla at all if it does. The UI is quick and responsive, and it’s being constantly updated all the time for new features, which makes the car less outdated.
- Integrated dashcam/sentry mode: I cannot imagine having another car without this capability. I would worry all the time knowing my car is not recording events that may damage my car (thankfully not yet, and hopefully never will).
- Autopilot tech: Driving in LA traffic is terrible during peak times (before covid), autopilot reduces my stress and fatigue by a good 80-90% on the road, even with basic autopilot.
- Regen/efficiency: It’s good to see that I can gain some range back with regenerative braking, more efficient, and less wear on the brakes as well, making a bit lower cost of ownership in that aspect.
Cons:
- Noise: There have been various reports from other people in the forum stating high levels of noise, unfortunately my car can get loud from driving high speeds from the wind. I have tried various methods to attempt to reduce it, but not too much luck with it.
Neutral:
- Range: Personally, I don’t find range a problem even with a SR+. My average drive to work and back home, no problem at all. But it can be certainly limiting to some, knowing that you can’t go too far without having to charge, so you do have to plan if you are going somewhere far, where you don’t really have to plan with an ICE car where there’s a gas station somewhere around the corner.
- Minimalistic design: I do really like not having a bunch of buttons for doing everything, and some of the touchscreen buttons are placed very well for easy access. But, some things like the windshield wipers can be a bit of hassle to play with, even though it does mostly well with automatic wiping.
