The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Gut-dropping acceleration
- Sharp handling
- Up to 358-mile range
- Intuitive touchscreen
- Available Supercharger network
Dislikes
- Noisy for the luxury price tag
- Touchscreen controls everything
- Questionable quality control
- Stiff, busy ride
- Erratic pricing
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2023 Tesla Model 3 combines leading efficiency with trendsetting tech to set the bar for electric sport sedans, but it’s not as well-built as other luxury cars.
What kind of car is the 2023 Tesla Model 3? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Tesla Model 3 is an electric mid-size sedan that sets a high bar for the electric cars that have followed, ranging from the Ford Mustang Mach-E to the BMW i4, and even the related but less impressive Tesla Model Y crossover.
Is the 2023 Tesla Model 3 a good car?
The Model 3 balances performance and efficiency better than any other electric car, and automakers still can’t match the technology nerve center of the Model 3. But questionable build quality and a noisy, busy ride suppress its otherwise high TCC Rating of 8.0 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Tesla Model 3?
Following last year’s switch to a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery in the base model, the electric mid-size sedan stands pat. For now. Rumors suggest a redesign for the five-year-old Model 3 could follow the larger Model S.
What hasn’t changed much is its blistering performance. The rear-wheel-drive base Model 3 has 272 miles of estimated range, and it can hit 60 mph in less than six seconds. But the dual-motor Performance model can’t be matched, with a stunning 60 mph time of 3.1 seconds that induces giggles and gasps alike. The range for that version tops out at 315 miles, but the dual-motor Long Range model splits the difference with no compromise: It has a 358-mile range, and can sprint to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. But, at publication time, Tesla was not accepting orders for it. All Model 3 tend to the firm side, and can be noisier than other electric cars and other luxury sedans.
The spacious interior with the fixed glass roof is defined by its minimalism as much as by its 15.0-inch touchscreen central command center. The menu structure is easy to navigate and the screen is fast and snappy, though it lacks Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity.
Tesla equips the Model 3 with a wealth of standard safety features that complement its stellar crash-test ratings. An expensive option misleadingly called Full Self-Driving enables automated lane changes, automatic parking, and a summon feature, but nothing close to full self-driving.
How much does the 2023 Model 3 cost?
Price hikes dominated Tesla news in 2022, but early in 2023, Tesla slashed prices across the board. The 2023 Model 3 RWD costs $45,380, including a $1,390 destination fee in most states. Standard features include heated front and rear seats covered in synthetic leather, wireless phone charging for two phones at once, four USB-C ports, and a heated steering wheel.
The dual-motor Model 3 Long Range (when available) costs about $60,000, while the Performance model tops the chart at $55,380. Add on some semi-autonomous driving hardware or red paint and it hits $75,000.
Where is the Model 3 made?
The Model 3 is made in Fremont, California.
2023 Tesla Model 3 Styling
An icon in the making, the Model 3 concedes style to aero, but the undercover interior forces rivals to rethink cabins.
Is the Tesla Model 3 a good-looking car?
The Model 3 stretches out with sports car proportions, with up to 20-inch wheels pushed to the corners and a nose that dips low into the bumper. There are some mismatched parts, however, like the gym guy who skips leg day every day. The tall front bumper rises into rounded shoulders, but the flush door handles and greenhouse are all aero, with an arc that resolves into a snub decklid that could be mistaken for a fastback if not hatchback. The design is divisive but distinct, and that earns a point here. The interior earns another point, radicalizing the Swedish preference for minimalism. It’s a 7.
There’s something of an undercover spy motif in the interior. The upper dash conceals a thin horizontal vent panel, and then steps down over metallic and wood trim. There’s no instrument cluster, nothing between the steering wheel and the windshield, but a horizontal 15.0-inch touchscreen dominates the center and controls virtually all functions. Some of the console pieces feel like add ons, including the standard wireless smartphone charger, but the overall look is one of total simplicity, except for the swole screen.
2023 Tesla Model 3 Performance
The Model 3 sets a performance bar for its gut-dropping, grin-inducing acceleration, but it might ride too firm for some drivers.
The Model 3 is quick, but the dual-motor all-wheel-drive models are blistering. It earns two points for its alacrity, and another for its planted handling. It’s an 8.
Is the Tesla Model 3 AWD?
The base Model 3 is single-motor rear-wheel drive, but most shoppers upgrade to dual motors and all-wheel drive with either the Long Range or Performance versions. Tesla’s traction and stability systems are also well calibrated for wet and slippery roads, and winter tires allow any Model 3 to handle snowy weather.
How fast is the Model 3?
The base model impresses with a 0-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds, but the Performance model leaves the competition in its dust. With an estimated output of 450 hp and 471 lb-ft of torque, it hits 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, with gut-dropping surges that should come with a warning from the driver. It’s bonkers, perhaps even ludicrous. Even the 346 hp and 389 lb-ft Long Range model sprints to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, giving shoppers no compromise when it comes to quickness and range.
The Model 3 utilizes a double wishbone front and multilink rear suspension for pliant but stable handling, thanks to its low center of gravity and curb weight estimated to be about 4,000 pounds with both motors. It rides firm and jittery, however, overcaffeinated perhaps, and tends toward the loud side, lacking the dynamic suspension components that can adjust damping to suit different moods. The steering matches this. One-pedal driving is offered in the highest regen settings, accessible via the screen.
2023 Tesla Model 3 Comfort & Quality
The Tesla Model 3 has a spacious footprint but the finish could use a cobbler.
The interior of the Model 3 presents a compromise. It’s roomy and its four main seats provide good comfort for what the EPA classifies as a mid-size sedan, but panel gaps, misaligned trim pieces, and the noisy cabin undermine its luxury leanings. Most automakers build their cars better. It earns a point each for its front seats, relatively roomy rear seats, and a large trunk with 19.8 cubic feet of space, more than most other sedans. The 3.1 cubic feet of frunk space, good enough for a couple carry-ons, is an added bonus. But the build quality costs it a point. It’s a 7.
Tesla equips the Model 3 with front power sport seats, and all five seats come standard with heaters, which is unusual. The fixed glass roof and bowed roofline make for an exceptionally airy cabin, especially for a sedan. Rear seat passengers have better legroom than headroom, due to how the roof resolves over the rear wheels, but the 35.2 inches of legroom and 37.7 inches of headroom match the BMW 3-Series.
The 60/40-split rear seats fold forward with a latch on the seat top, giving it good versatility but not quite a flat load floor all the way from trunk to cabin.
The Model 3’s bugaboo, and Tesla’s at large, is what appears to be a lack of attention to detail. The drab interior trim lacks much variance or warmth, and panel gaps and mismatched colors continue to disappoint. It’s much louder inside at highway speeds than most other EVs, and even many luxury gas cars.
2023 Tesla Model 3 Safety
The 2023 Tesla Model 3 earns top crash-test ratings.
How safe is the Model 3?
The Model 3 aced crash tests with a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and a top five-star rating from the NHTSA. Tesla equips it with active safety features designed to avoid or mitigate crashes, with standard automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors. Outward vision earns another point, with an airy open cabin and good sight lines. That gives it a 9 for safety.
Tesla’s most advanced and controversial feature affects safety, however. Tesla misleads customers by naming its semi-autonomous drive system Autopilot, suggesting that the car can drive itself in circumstances where it shouldn’t and can’t. The NHTSA and DOJ are investigating Tesla for Autopilot’s role in several fatal car crashes. Its $15,000 Full-Self Driving package can change lanes and park automatically, but it falls far short of the SAE’s Level 4 or Level 5 grades of driving automation. It’s a marketing issue more of a technical one, which makes it all the more egregious. The $6,000 Enhanced Autopilot gives most drivers all they need when it comes to semi-autonomous driving.
2023 Tesla Model 3 Features
The 2023 Model 3 comes well equipped with more creature comforts than most base luxury cars.
The centerpiece and command center of the Tesla Model 3 is a 15.0-inch touchscreen that doubles as a climate control center, instrument cluster, and just about every other function to control the car, aside from the steering wheel and pedals. Continuous over-the-air updates keep it fresh with the latest features and upgrades, as well as potential fixes. Many automakers have copied and failed at the simple layout and intuitive nature of the touchscreen, though it can be a major distraction with certain gimmicky features, from an internet browser to a Toybox that has a fart mode.
Despite that silliness, the touchscreen earns a point, as do standard features such as a glass roof, four USB-C ports, a wireless phone charger, seat heaters on all five seats, and a heated steering wheel. Options are limited to misnomered semi-autonomous drive systems and wheel upgrades. It’s a 7.
Tesla provides a 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, and a 8-year/120,000-mile powertrain and battery warranty. It just misses a point here for the lack of complimentary scheduled maintenance, though the Teslarati would argue there is none.
Which Tesla Model 3 should I buy?
It’s a question of range and performance, as the feature set stays pretty much the same. The 2023 Model 3 RWD costs $48,190, including a $1,200 destination fee in most states. The dual-motor Model 3 Long Range costs about $60,000 but be warned: Tesla prices change early and often. At the time of publication, the Long Range model was not available to order, and that’s what we’d recommend for its class-leading range and impressive performance.
How much is a fully loaded Model 3?
The top Performance model costs $64,190 and can reach $80,000 with the alleged “Full Self-Driving” package. Red paint adds $2,000. Upgrades include 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires, better brakes, a carbon fiber spoiler, and other performance enhancements.
2023 Tesla Model 3 Fuel Economy
The 2023 Tesla Model 3 is one of the most efficient electric vehicles around.
With efficiency ratings surpassing 3.3 miles per kwh even in the least efficient Performance grade, the Model 3 goes farther on a charge than every other EV at this price. It’s a perfect 10 on our scale.
The base RWD model has an EPA-rated range of 272 miles and travels 4 miles per kwh. No other EV in this class can compete. The Long Range AWD model has a 358-mile range and goes 3.8 miles per kwh. The Performance AWD has a 315-mile range.
The battery pack replenishes in 10 to 11.5 hours on a 240-volt outlet, and Tesla’s efficiency advantage is matched by its omnipresent DC fast-charging network. There are at least 1,500 Superchargers in the U.S., in every state and territory, and they pump out up to 250 kw of power. Tesla says they can add up to 175 miles of range in 15 minutes.
