Model S plaid vs. Model 3 Performance

[WilliamG]

My daughter has a 3P, my wife has a 3 and I've had the Plaid for 4 months now. My Plaid is a far, far better car, the performance is there if you want it (but I drive Sport mode instead of Plaid mode), the ride is superior in that the car is much quieter, the ride far better and the user interface and features are superior (except for the ill designed haptic buttons on the yoke). And BTW I do love the yoke, but it took a 1000 miles or so to really get use to it.

I agree. The Plaid is a much better daily driver than the 3. The only exceptions would be if you have a lot of really tight city driving maneuvers to make. In this case a smaller car is better. For everything else, Plaid all the way.

 

[Sudowoodo]

Comparing a 60k car to a 130k car is odd.

I get money is no object in your case and the Model 3 has SOME features that the Plaid doesn't (lighter and quicker mostly). However, across the board it isn't going to hold up to a car twice it's price. Plaid looks nicer (opinion but most people agree), a lot faster, nicer ride, etc.

 

[Jsvette56]

If the 3 had the suspension and quieter ride of the Plaid I would prefer the smaller car.

 

[WilliamG]

If the 3 had the suspension and quieter ride of the Plaid I would prefer the smaller car.

If the 3 had the suspension, quieter ride, performance, hatch trunk, second screen, ventilated seats, interior space of the Plaid, I would prefer the smaller car, too.

 

[DayTrippin]

In most places, especially if you live in a larger city, the performance difference is negligible on the street. I have hyper sport bikes that make the plaid look slow and you can hardly ever keep the throttle open for more than a few seconds without encountering traffic or serious risk of going to jail. Not to mention the brakes aren't up to stopping the car repeatedly hence the brake kit for it.

The safety nannies can't defy the laws of physics. A car with the capabilities of the Plaid can get you in over your head very quickly. Even the MS LR is a very potent automobile. Running in the high 10's at over 130 miles is pretty fast. I've seen way too many high performance cars/bikes crash on the street because of inadequate skill or poor judgement.

One of the reasons I ordered the LR over the Plaid is there are very few times that I could really open up the Plaid on the street. Even the LR will be really constrained by the environment. Now maybe if you live in some very open places, with very limited law enforcement, the Plaid might really be fun. One really fast speeding ticket can really impact your life.

 

[Duke846]

If the 3 had the suspension, quieter ride, performance, hatch trunk, second screen, ventilated seats, interior space of the Plaid, I would prefer the smaller car, too.

I would argue the 3 is a better vehicle regardless of cost.

 

[WilliamG]

I would argue the 3 is a better vehicle regardless of cost.

I would completely disagree with this. But since they’re not the same cost it’s hard to argue with the value the 3 brings.

 

[Duke846]

I would completely disagree with this. But since they’re not the same cost it’s hard to argue with the value the 3 brings.

Ok start with cabin size. 28cu vs 25cu and the trunk or hatchback s is the difference. So the cabin is the same. Legroom and headroom of the 3 drivers is actually more.
quieter ride, again drove them both and really hard to say, I would give the S the win but barely.
performance? Are we doing a autocross?
vented seating vs comfortable seating? 3 seats are better in my opinion. Again drove them both.
I did a 2 day turo with the S and canceled my Plaid. I really wonder how many others would have done the same given nobody’s really had a chance to test drive before they buy.
now we can do some of the things I see the 3 does better.
round steering wheel, stalks. > yoke hepatic touch buttons
UI on the 3> S UI is a mess
breaking 3 > S is scary
suspension 3 solid > s bouncy air rides
trackmode 3 > S maybe some day?
price 3 performance > S double the price really? I believe you can get a Plaid this time next year used for 100k I mean it’s a inventory car right now.
just my opinion.

not to mention the boat loads of problems you have had with your car.

just my opinion.

 

[WilliamG]

Ok start with cabin size. 28cu vs 25cu and the trunk or hatchback s is the difference. So the cabin is the same. Legroom and headroom of the 3 drivers is actually more.
quieter ride, again drove them both and really hard to say, I would give the S the win but barely.
performance? Are we doing a autocross?
vented seating vs comfortable seating? 3 seats are better in my opinion. Again drove them both.
I did a 2 day turo with the S and canceled my Plaid. I really wonder how many others would have done the same given nobody’s really had a chance to test drive before they buy.
now we can do some of the things I see the 3 does better.
round steering wheel, stalks. > yoke hepatic touch buttons
UI on the 3> S UI is a mess
breaking 3 > S is scary
suspension 3 solid > s bouncy air rides
trackmode 3 > S maybe some day?
price 3 performance > S double the price really? I believe you can get a Plaid this time next year used for 100k I mean it’s a inventory car right now.
just my opinion.

not to mention the boat loads of problems you have had with your car.

just my opinion.

There’s no question I’ve had a lot of issues with my car. But I respectfully disagree with you on most, if not all, points.

 

[Destiny1701]

Guys why the comparison over an Audi S4 over an S7? A Bimmer M3 to M8, a C63 to an S63 amg..is this reslly a fair comparison ?

M3P owners have a great advantage in turning/handling…point and shoot driving and can take out about 99% of the cars on the road if need be. UI is smooth and the cabin is starting to feel more S like with door trim and double pane glass. Interior space is similar other than hatchback.

MSP owners have suspension, a more touring type driving experience and stupendous power to take out 100% of the cars on the road. The utility out of the hatchback is incredible. Sort of a race car, sedan, suv all in one gorgeous package. (Perhaps not a fast as Bug Chiron as tested/raced)

These are totally different animals to compare.
Price wise you’d expect the S flagship to be superior in many ways however it’s not for everyone.

If money was no object however, I wonder how many 3P owners would convert in seconds lol there will be those who would and those who actually prefer the 3 handling, braking, cornering and agility.

Give the 3 a head up display and auto open door handles (aftermarket avail for $500 FYI) and it’a hard pass in my opinion!

 

[Duke846]

There’s no question I’ve had a lot of issues with my car. But I respectfully disagree with you on most, if not all, points.

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2024 Tesla Model 3 Review, Pricing, and Specs

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I have read almost all your posts, on this new S I Rented a Turo and objectively went through all points we are talking about here.
I did my comparison with my model 3 performance side by side with the refresh S. I would literally get out of one car and get in the other and drive.
I found most of these points shockingly to be very equal.
1. Road noise, used a DB meter I blamed the S 19” tires to make it louder.
2. audio sound. Maybe doing something wrong but almost all the sound seems to come from above the dash in the new S.
3. Lighter headliner in the 3 along with a windshield that’s just taller gives the feeling of more space related to the lowest seating position. (6”3 and a half it’s very obvious for me on this test)
4. I did 8 hard braking from 60-0 back to back in the performance and s, after 6 of them I didn’t feel completely confident the S was giving me full braking (braking faded badly) actually never felt very good from the start. My performance had no difference in braking feel.
5. steering not as tight in the S giving it less feel for sure. I blame the steering rate for this. (larger in the S)
6. Missing things like energy graph, trackmode, cannot adjust following distance on the yoke. ( unfinished UI) I rate a car on what it has, not what it’s going to have.
7. Plaid is definitely the best if speed is everything, outside of speed and exterior looks ( and wagon practicality) I think the m3 is a better car. not worth the big $ upgrade, and might not even be better at any price for a DD.

William do you have access to go drive a model 3 performance? I am aware you had one, If you could you might be shocked on the points I bring up.
After my turo and almost 500 miles I drove on my test drive refresh S the decision was very easy for me. I kept my 3pd canceled my Plaid and ordered a new performance 3.

to be fair I also drive 12/6 o’clock sometimes so the yoke was very annoying. Stalks make sense to me. Rear screen = me gives ZF, ventilation seats get lots of stuff stuck in them. Annoying had this before.

my requirements were the best DD for the price and Is hard to me the most popular selling EV on the market.

 

[Duke846]

Guys why the comparison over an Audi S4 over an S7? A Bimmer M3 to M8, a C63 to an S63 amg..is this reslly a fair comparison ?

M3P owners have a great advantage in turning/handling…point and shoot driving and can take out about 99% of the cars on the road if need be. UI is smooth and the cabin is starting to feel more S like with door trim and double pane glass. Interior space is similar other than hatchback.

MSP owners have suspension, a more touring type driving experience and stupendous power to take out 100% of the cars on the road. The utility out of the hatchback is incredible. Sort of a race car, sedan, suv all in one gorgeous package. (Perhaps not a fast as Bug Chiron as tested/raced)

These are totally different animals to compare.
Price wise you’d expect the S flagship to be superior in many ways however it’s not for everyone.

If money was no object however, I wonder how many 3P owners would convert in seconds lol

Give the 3 a head up display and auto open door handles (aftermarket avail for $500 FYI) and it’a hard pass in my opinion!

Agree point and shoot! I really wanted to like the S….. just couldn’t.
give me personally both cars free and I would DD the 3 all day long and do road trips with the Plaid maybe, probably use ice for road-trip.
for most people don’t road-trip everyday unless money is no object haha. (Make a Plaid 3 and this discussion is over!!!) can’t wait for the roadster………

 

[DBV1]

Agree point and shoot! I really wanted to like the S….. just couldn’t.
give me personally both cars free and I would DD the 3 all day long and do road trips with the Plaid maybe, probably use ice for road-trip.
for most people don’t road-trip everyday unless money is no object haha. (Make a Plaid 3 and this discussion is over!!!) can’t wait for the roadster………

Interesting that you found the S air suspension bouncy and the 3 was not. My two week old Model S has a very bouncy suspension and I find the Model S P90D that I have as a loaner to have a smoother suspension, which can’t believe can be right, so hoping mine is defective. I agree the UI on the Model S is really bad, but thought it was the same across all Tesla’s.

 

[jaguar36]

4. I did 8 hard braking from 60-0 back to back in the performance and s, after 6 of them I didn’t feel completely confident the S was giving me full braking (braking faded badly) actually never felt very good from the start. My performance had no difference in braking feel.

Why... Why would you do this? Are you planning on tracking the car? Or were you just trying to find something wrong with the S to point at? 8 back to back 60-0 stops is not something that is ever going to take place in non-track usage.

 

[JADCa]

They are completely different cars. They both have WAY more performance than needed on the street, neither are really track cars. They are both great, decide if you want a smaller, sportier car or a bigger, more luxurious car. Based on the OP not being an experienced fast driver, I would even say the S LR would be the better choice. More range and still slightly faster than the 3P. Even if you can afford either, spending an extra $40k for Plaid if you don't use it isn't smart financially.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

I'm completely new to Teslas and have only driven slow-luxury cars. Money is no object, so i was drawn the Plaid, essentially to say I had the best tesla available. However I am not skilled at driving fast (big) cars. And 0-60 2 seconds seems like it would be scary fast and probably a danger to me (and others). I'm also a little weary of plaid because its a brand new model, and feels like there may be issues with software/quality control. Model 3 feels like the tried and true tesla, and M3P still feels fast as hell (and i like the look a bit better, tbh).

Anyone else made this decision?

So, why not get a regular Model S and not a Plaid? Kinda silly to spend double the price for a Plaid just to put it in Chill mode and drive slow. Other than the acceleration, the regular S and Plaid are basically identical.

Standard Model S is just as fast as Model 3 Performance, but with some extra comfort. Neither is a true luxury car by S-Class standards, but the S is still leagues ahead of the 3 in terms of luxury.

 

[WilliamG]

So, why not get a regular Model S and not a Plaid? Kinda silly to spend double the price for a Plaid just to put it in Chill mode and drive slow. Other than the acceleration, the regular S and Plaid are basically identical.

Standard Model S is just as fast as Model 3 Performance, but with some extra comfort. Neither is a true luxury car by S-Class standards, but the S is still leagues ahead of the 3 in terms of luxury.

The new regular Model S is quite a bit faster than the 3P, mostly above 60mph where it’s an entirely different class of car in terms of acceleration.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

The new regular Model S is quite a bit faster than the 3P, mostly above 60mph where it’s an entirely different class of car in terms of acceleration.

Well, yes - but my point was, it's not like the Standard S is a slug - you're still significantly faster than typical luxury barges. And if OP is fearful of the Plaid's speed, why pay an extra $70k for it when all else is identical?

 

[Duke846]

Interesting that you found the S air suspension bouncy and the 3 was not. My two week old Model S has a very bouncy suspension and I find the Model S P90D that I have as a loaner to have a smoother suspension, which can’t believe can be right, so hoping mine is defective. I agree the UI on the Model S is really bad, but thought it was the same across all Tesla’s.

I really notice it when trying to type in a address while on autopilot on the highway in the refresh.
I also change my distance following all the time based on speed. Slow traffic I close the gap, highway speeds I use 7 and wish I had more.
(rock chips)
the 19” may have also been a little of the cause for the bouncy ride also.

 

[Duke846]

Why... Why would you do this? Are you planning on tracking the car? Or were you just trying to find something wrong with the S to point at? 8 back to back 60-0 stops is not something that is ever going to take place in non-track usage.

maybe because everyone that owns a Plaid complaining about it?

Plaid brake issues

I want racing recently in my s plaid for the first time, speed ventures, AAA raceway fontana ca. After first lap brakes started to fade and got worse as they heated up, these brakes SUCK, anybody with same issue and anybody who have improved there brakes? Thanks Peter

teslamotorsclub.com

Because everyone that owns the Plaid right now is looking at better brakes. When I first drove the car I immediately knew something was wrong with the brakes. Technically they are larger that the performance 3 so they should be better no? 400lb difference in weight.

I have since found out that I believe the problem was ibooster.
tesla has changed the part number in November on the Plaid and S LR.

Jaguar, the problem was the brake pump. It’s soft. I definitely think they improve the feel.

135k for the fastest accelerating car needs definitely the best stopping brakes.