Is the Tesla Model 3 Performance Version the “Best Car In The World”?
Let’s start with the take home message, after just about two weeks of ownership. The Tesla Model 3 Performance Version is an affordable four-door Ferrari that gets the equivalent of 110+ miles per gallon. It combines amazing efficiency with great handling, performance, and space utilization . . . and it rides pretty decently too. With one person on board, it will get you to 60 mph in just a tick over 3 seconds but with no wheelspin, no engine noise, and no drama whatsoever – in stark contrast to any car within its performance ballpark, where all the racket lets you know immediately just how hard the engine is working. Although Tesla quotes 0-60 in 3.5 seconds for this model, several road testers have beaten this by .3-.4 seconds, consistent with Tesla’s statistics typically being conservative. Nothing costing this little is nearly as quick – only supercars and exotics (price tags from $150-300K) beat its 0-60 time (not counting the ludicrously quick Tesla S). Amazingly, its braking and handling might be just as impressive, particularly in ‘track mode’. It not only offers this BMW M3-beating performance with very little noise, drama or fuss, it might be the easiest car to drive I’ve ever owned . . or driven. It’s basically as quick 0-60 as my ‘bucket list’ sports car – the Ferrari Italia 458. It has even taken that car off the bucket list. Don’t test drive one!!! It will make your expensive BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Alfa Romeo, or ANY other premium sports sedan feel like a primitive 19th century horse and buggy. If you just bought one of these premium sports sedans, a test drive of the top Model 3 will literally make you sick with regret.
It might even be “the best car in the world” – factoring in price, performance, features and efficiency. Of course there is the ecological equation, where the Model 3 isn’t just way cleaner and better for the planet than any hybrid let alone gas vehicle, but is more efficient than any other electric vehicle, except one (which is only equally efficient and weighs a thousand pounds less). OK, one might ask “How can anyone argue that X is the best car, or the best anything for that matter. Doesn’t it depend on what functional virtues you value most, and also what you are willing to trade off against that?” Well, of course that’s true, but this car comes shockingly close to optimizing everything, and almost violating this technological principle of intrinsic trade-off. What might justify that appellation (“Best Car In The World”) is that the Model 3 strikes such a stunning balance, in which very little is compromised. There are a handful of ridiculously expensive cars that are quicker, more than a handful that might ride better, a very few that handle better, and many larger vehicles that have more carrying capacity. But there are ZERO more economical to operate/ecological vehicles, and none with this exceptional composite competence in performance, utility and comfort. None, zero, zip, nada.
The fact that Tesla has not merely made a fantastic electric car, but very possibly the best vehicle you can drive, achieved in the space of just a few short years of manufacturing fully electric vehicles, plainly documents that Elon Musk has assembled a elite team of world class vehicle designers and engineers. The Model 3 shows that they’ve basically lapped the field, in the space of just 6 short years since the production of the first Tesla Model S. That’s incredibly rare in technological horse races, and merits real recognition. If you drive it, you’ll want it. It’s that good. So whatever you do, don’t test drive it, unless you are in a position to put down a deposit, because otherwise, you might walk out of the dealership wondering what your left kidney might get you on the black market. J
PROS/BENEFITS:
1) As noted above, an incredible overall dynamic envelope of performance, handling, braking, with a pretty decent ride – a fantastic driver’s car, easily the equal of any sports sedan extant, in overall dynamics
2) Equally incredible efficiency and, with heavy free supercharger use, potentially a way lower cost of both ownership and daily operating expense – even without free supercharging, much cheaper to own and operate
3) Comfortable and spacious feeling interior, with seats that are comfortable and supportive without being constraining, (a glass moonroof adds to the spacious feel), with a strong ‘minimalist’ theme (but see Cons)
4) Very good control over wind and road noise, and as mentioned, virtually no engine or transmission noise. (some wind noise over 70 - fix on the way!)
5) Better space utilization than anything in its class, with two trunks, including a useful front one, a ‘frunk’
6) Will charge fully overnight from any house current 240 volt line, and one of Tesla’s Supercharging stations can get you 100 miles of range in 15 minutes, 170 miles in 30 minutes, and 280 miles (90% charged) comes in 56 minutes (hopefully just enough time to do the errands at the mall, and get a bite to eat).
7) Exceptional value for the dollar, esp. if you can get the free lifetime supercharging, and tax credits, that might cut as much as ~$15,000 off the sticker, such that a $75K sticker is more like $60K. Lower operating expenses, lower maintenance, potentially saving another $15-$20,000 over a 10 year ownership.
8) Significantly future-proofed via updates to core system software, and easy updates over Wi-Fi.
9) Very well integrated operating system run through touchscreen control. Menus are reasonably compact, well-organized, and easy-to-understand, and don't have too much depth, but see Con #8.
10) Best autopilot cruise control available – and it’s almost there for full autonomous driving, but this thing is too much fun to hand it over to the computer, however competent that might be!
11) Massive convenience of controlling, starting & locking/unlocking your car without interacting w/ keys/key fobs, via smartphone encrypted Bluetooth connection. Game changer. Why didn’t anyone else think of this first?
12) Premium gear and materials throughout, from Brembo brakes, the touchscreen, seat materials, Michelin Super Sport 4S tires, aluminum body panels, etc. How’d the hell did they do all this for $65-75K? (Note: some items in the interior like the seat rack could use some spiffing up)
13) In addition to the car’s exceptional dynamics, exceptional efficiency, and exceptional value, the car also achieved a best in class result in all five national highway safety impact tests. Its resistance to lateral intrusion impact is significantly better than the second best car, a Volvo. Its touchscreen integrates and displays the location of every car around you, including those you can not see. Therefore it might be the safest car you can buy, particularly with its automatic emergency braking (enabled even if you're not using cruise control).
14) One of the best sound systems in any car – with again an excellent and easily accessed menu of various streaming audio options, Bluetooth audio on your phone, etc..
CONS/CONCERNS:
1) Tesla is being impacted by the incredible demand for Model 3 and the painful transition from boutique to mainstream manufacturing. Questions about production quality control linger and with occasional horror stories about delays in getting parts and rectification of problems on new vehicles. Hopefully, these will be resolved.
2) The new experience of “range anxiety” – you are very conscious that you don’t want to run out of ‘gas’ because AAA can’t just come and bring you a gallon of gasoline to get started, but instead they will have to tow you home or to a charging station (perhaps Tesla should make and market a quick charge battery pack that can boost a car in 5-10 minutes to get you 30-60 miles and home or to nearest Supercharger). Cannot be towed with wheels on the ground without serious damage to electric motor.
3) Possible over-reliance on a touchscreen as control center for the entire group of operating systems, at least for some drivers – why not have conventional mirror controls for example? (answer is likely cost) No physical glove box button? Computer control of the glovebox??? However, this does make the glovebox a secure space.
4) The moonroof isn’t a sunroof, and can’t be opened. Oh well. But it is heavily laminated and very strong.
5) 20 inch wheels on the Performance version are very heavy (32 lbs), why not design a lighter one to reduce unspring weight and improve impact harshness?
6) Combined with seriously short sidewalls from the race car 235/35-20 tires, wheels and tires are both at risk, from potholes, which are unavoidable, and curbs, which are avoidable, but requiring a lot of vigilance. Likely that most owners will be anteing up serious dollars for wheel repair at some point, and in New England, blown tires from potholes. Why not equip the Performance Model with 19 inch wheels and 40 series tires, at minimal to no cost to its great handling, and with a better ride too, at least in cold weather states with rough roads? Or at least make that the base equipment, with an option for the radical 35 series tire and 20 inch wheel package?
7) Aluminum body panels are easy to dent (but save a lot of weight!)
8) Complex operating system, and almost totally touchscreen-centered, might scare off some people, esp. the technophobic and change-phobic. Some menu diving required to explore the full envelope of car functions and options, somewhat like a big professional camera. Not for everyone.
9) The biggest downer – once you have experienced this, you can’t ever go back to the old legacy tech (ICE).
Indeed, one of my biggest concerns has nothing to do with the car. Rather than any sense that you are getting overcharged, one wonders how Tesla can make money outfitting the Model 3 with a military grade components while charging just over Honda prices – can they survive and eventually make money with this approach? Investors are worried about this issue. This isn’t a concern with any other car manufacturer, but Elon Musk appears to be, if anything, generous to a fault, and one wonders how much longer he can put off showing a profit before the bean counters drop the hammer on him, with negative consequences for Tesla and its financial situation. The continuing drama in the background about Tesla, whether it will stay a publicly owned company, its profitability, etc., may serve unfortunately to distract from the excellence of the Model 3, scare off customers and promote a negative feedback cycle – one can only hope that the technical excellence of the Model 3 carries the day, as Elon has argued it will. Demand for the Model 3 is unprecedented in automotive history – half a million people plunked down $1000 cash, sight unseen and test drive undriven – that sense of promise and potential, and the staggering excellence on display in the premium Performance Version, suggests the promise has been realized and that his gamble will pay off. But Tesla isn’t out of the woods just yet.
DFWatt
