It's been a while since my last post and I've had my model 3 LR for over a year now.
I remember being initially torn between the base model 3 and the LR, and I ended up ordering the LR, and while I don't regret it at all I have to say the case for the base model is still very solid - it is significantly better value, for starters.
These days I drive in Chill mode 90% of the time, it is still plenty fast and responsive, and is just more comfortable to drive I general. When I am in the mood or if there's a hoon that needs to be tamed off the line I'll switch it back to "standard" acceleration
I tried the performance boost for free and cancelled it, as I didn't notice any difference. The car you might argue is too fast already - it is kind of heavy and picks up speed so fast that when you hit the brakes it doesn't slow down as fast as you would expect so you have to be careful! Not to mention the thrill of acceleration means you're way over the speed limit in seconds - risky on many levels.
I suspect the base model being lighter will steer and stop better. I'll get a chance to drive it soon, really looking forward to that.
The sound system in the LR - man it thumps! I'm scared to turn it up past the half way point most of the time as it gets LOUD. Again looking forward to comparing with the base model but I suspect it will be more than enough.
Which brings me to my final point - the battery. The LR is both great and a little annoying since it has plenty of range for all practical purposes including going on road trips, BUT you really should keep it below 80% most of the time due to the battery chemistry. This basically reduces your daily usable range to the same as that to that of the standard Model 3 anyway. It is nice to have that extra 20% when you need it although I have not so far.
Another important point regarding the battery chemistry - say you don't have charging at home and you're driving home after a weekend away. With the base model you can get home with a low battery and worry about charging later. No so with the LR as you really shouldn't leave it overnight with less than 30% battery to avoid degradation. It would be nice not to have to actively manage the state of charge on the battery so much.
In summary while I love the LR if I were to buy a replacement model 3 in 5 years time I would probably go for the base model. After I drive the standard Model I'll post an update here.