Tesla Model 3 RWD 4dr Auto Owner Review

This was a slightly spur of the moment purchase after my previous hybrid vehicle which I owned for 8 years had started to present with problems with a rusting exhaust. I took the plunge and decided to go fully electric.

Apart from the price (which at the time of my purchase was competitive), there were a number of reasons I decided on Tesla over manufacturers. Firstly, although the Model 3 has been in the UK for some 6 years at the time of writing this review, it is clear that when it comes to electric vehicles, their infrastructure is still leading the way. This may change in the future, but with Tesla you have access to their supercharge network which is excellent. I have used their supercharger twice now and it was simple to plug in and wait for it to charge to 80%. Secondly, it is evident that Tesla have invested a lot of money on the software and app capabilities which still surpasses other manufacturers. Just as one example, when you have finished the supercharger, the app instantly tells you how much you spent, and compares your expenditure on electric compared to petrol/diesel. The app can also act as the actual key to the car which for me is ideal (although for more traditionalists, you can purchase a key fob at extra cost at time of purchase if necessary). The app also has climate controls, and allows you to monitor the car with its integrated cameras in the car, which leads me to my third point. The car has lots of cameras at various parts in the car which makes everything so much more convenient. Most manufacturers these days provide a reversing camera, but where Tesla exceeds, is cameras for blind spots and also front facing camera. This is invaluable for when parking and when you want to monitor the car remotely. It makes you wonder why car manufacturers didn't provide this 10 years ago as standard. What is standard in Tesla would cost you thousands more as extras in other car manufacturers. It's an excellent business model and I can understand why other manufacturers just can't keep up with the pace of change. The reason why Tesla have done so well is because their whole business model has tried to get rid of third party companies that take commission and result in a higher price to the consumer. So for example, there is no third party dealership network - Tesla have and control their own service centres.
In terms of the car itself, I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is to drive. Acceleration without a doubt is fast and makes for enjoyable driving. But I have found you don't actually feel the need to drive it fast especially in town driving. I suspect its because when you take your foot off the accelerator, the car automatically starts braking until it comes to a halt without you actually pressing the brake pedal (a bit like a go-kart). It take a couple of trips getting used to, but makes a lot of sense (and means you will have to change your brake pads less!). You can of course change via the software whether you just want the car to roll when you take your foot off the accelerator should you wish to. Some people have said they don't like having to control everything on a large touch screen. I thought this was something that would annoy me, but actually now that i'm driving it, I've definitely got used to the easy to use menu on the screen. Also, the screen itself is actually quite close to your hand when you extend your arm (compared to other manufacturers where the screen is closer to the windscreen), so you find navigating the menu whilst driving isn't too onerous. It is also worth remembering there is always the option to click on the button on the steering wheel itself and talking a command which I find more intuitive and useful when driving in town and heavy traffic when you need to watch the road constantly.

Are there any downsides? These are minor to me, but worth bearing in mind. Firstly, the car is quite low down. If you are really tall, its definitely worth a test drive to make sure you can get comfortable. For me its perfect as a relatively short person, and it does feel more sporty being low down. Secondly, the turning circle on this car is not great. My old car had a much better turning circle. Thirdly, the wing mirrors are bizarrely a bit longer than I expected. I say bizarrely because you can tell the designers wanted to make the car as slick and slim profile as possible (for example door handles that are integrated into the body), but then the side mirrors do jut out more than other cars. I have seen other manufacturers integrate cameras instead of side mirrors and perhaps this is something Tesla should incorporate. Fourthly, to make it that bit more practical, it would have been better to have a hatchback boot opening instead of a saloon type boot opening. The boot lid raises quite high as it is, so it would have been better to design it to have the opening a bit higher too. Ultimately, this is relatively minor as if you need a bigger boot and more practicality, the Model Y would be more suited to you.

Overall, very happy with purchase and would certainly recommend if looking for an electric car.