Max Davies
The five best-selling EVs of 2024
In the market for an electric car but not sure where to start? Here are the five models Australians were buying most in 2024.
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About the Tesla Model 3
Last updated Dec 18, 2024It might be officially billed as a refresh, but over 50 per cent of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 is new, and some of those improvements are game-changing. The updated Tesla Model 3 is more expensive than before, but offers more features and greater range.
Missing from the range, at least for now, is the dual-motor all-wheel drive Performance, but the base RWD and all-wheel drive Long Range carry over.
The RWD is priced from $61,900 before on-roads (+$4500), while the Long Range is $71,900 before on-roads (+$500). Claimed WLTP range is up 22km to 513km for the RWD, and up 27km to 629km for the Long Range.
Pros
Cons
Tesla Model 3 News
2024 Tesla Model 3 Reviews
2024 Tesla Model 3 Price
Performance
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| Automatic, 4-door Sedan, Electric, 4x4 | $80,900 |
Long Range
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| Automatic, 4-door Sedan, Electric, 4x4 | $70,900 |
Rear-Wheel Drive
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| Automatic, 4-door Sedan, Electric, RWD | $58,900 |
*excl. on-roads
All Tesla Model 3 Pricing
2024 Tesla Model 3 Specs
See our comprehensive details for the Tesla Model 3
2024 Tesla Model 3 Dimensions
1441mm
1849mm
4720mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model.
See all 2024 Tesla Model 3 Dimensions2024 Tesla Model 3 Boot Space
Tesla quotes total cargo capacity of 682L across the front and rear storage areas.
2024 Tesla Model 3 Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the Tesla Model 3
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2024 Tesla Model 3 Exterior
From a purely aesthetic point of view, it wasn’t exactly a head turner either, as subjective as that may be. The old Model 3 was born with a slightly awkward face especially beside its far more handsome Model S sibling.
On the outside, the updated Model 3 features a slicker front design with a simpler lower section than before, while down back there are restyled tail lights.
Under the skin, the updated Model 3 features a revised suspension setup with new springs, dampers, and subframe mounting points designed to deliver a more comfortable ride.
Changes have also been made to the Michelin tyres, which are designed to offer more compliance through softer sidewalls – along with better noise suppression than is currently offered.
2024 Tesla Model 3 Interior
Inside, the new Model 3 has a new screen up front… with the same dimensions (15 inches) and processor as before.
The steering wheel is new, with no column stalks for indicators or cruise control. Instead, there are capacitive touch buttons on the wheel.
An ambient lighting strip runs along the base of the windscreen, and it’s now possible to turn off the passenger air vents.
Rear passengers get an 8.0-inch display to control media and climate, along with air vents and USB-C ports.
If you’re only just considering making the switch from an internal combustion engined vehicle to an all-electric car, then you might be in for a shock the first time you hop in a Tesla Model 3.
There’s not much to look at besides a steering wheel, seats and a large centrally mounted touchscreen – and that’s about it, at least on the surface.
Just below the trim though, the Model 3 is bristling with layer upon layer of the latest cutting-edge technology, designed to make driving easier, says Tesla.
Owners will use their smartphone as the key to their new Model 3, but we had to settle for the key card equivalent, which you can simply leave on your person to automatically enter the car after which time its simply placed in one of two wireless charging pads just below the touchscreen.
That powers the car up, and off you go – it’s that simple.
2024 Tesla Model 3 Infotainment
The central screen and so-called instrument panel is also new but now with a brighter display, thinner bezel (for a larger active area) and quicker response, though its supersize 15.4-inch dimensions remain the same.
Nevertheless, Apple addicts will likely be inconsolable to learn there’s no CarPlay, and therefore no audible text-messaging conversations on the fly, though you do get Apple Music in the Model 3’s pre-loaded app suite.
It means you’ll also miss out on apps like the licence-saving Waze, unless Tesla decides to add it to its list of pre-loaded apps via an OTA update at some stage.
You just have to subscribe to the fact that almost every single function you can possibly think of is accessed via the central touchscreen up front, including things like opening the glovebox, the boot and frunk for instance.
It’s not difficult but it does require something of a cognitive reset before you actually start enjoying the convenience.
2024 Tesla Model 3 Safety Rating
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors
2024 Tesla Model 3 Fuel Economy
The Model 3 can be charged at up to 170kW in the RWD and up to 250kW in the Long Range.
With the latter, Tesla claims up to 282km can be added in 15 minutes.
Claimed range under WLTP testing is 513km for the RWD and 629km for the Long Range
| Tesla Model 3 | Fuel Type | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic, 4-door Sedan, Electric, 4x4 | Electric | - |
Cost of ownership
What are the running and servicing costs of a Tesla Model 3?
Tesla backs the Model 3 with a four-year, 80,000km warranty, with a separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the battery and drive unit (eight years or 192,000km for the Long Range).
Given it has very few moving parts, there isn’t much maintenance required on the Model 3.
Tesla recommends having the air-conditioning filters changed every two years, and checking the tyre tread, balance, and rotation every 20,000km.
Thanks to regenerative braking, the brake pads and discs require work less frequently than in internal-combustion vehicles.
However the Model 3 will need to have brake fluid checked every two years, and the pads and discs lubricated every 12 months in colder climates.
How does the 2024 Tesla Model 3 drive?
Our expert take on Tesla Model 3 drivability.
Tesla doesn’t quote power and torque figures, but claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.1 seconds for the RWD, and 4.4 seconds for the Long Range version.
A new Model 3 Performance has been confirmed for Australia and due to arrive in the first half of 2024 featuring more powerful dual motors and is said to be, “pretty special”.
The Model 3 can be charged at up to 170kW using a DC charger, with Tesla claiming up to 282km can be added in 15 minutes.
Claimed range under WLTP testing is 513km for the RWD and 629km for the Long Range. It’s worth noting the new Model 3 has earned a drag coefficient of just .219 – meaning its exceptionally slippery through the air. By way of comparison, the Porsche Taycan boasts a 0.22Cd.
To put the car into Drive or Reverse, you’ve got two options; there’s a cloaked bank of touch buttons in between the two sun visors, which also houses a couple of very bright LED downlights, or just use the screen and finger-scroll forward or back.
The latter is the way to go, as it not only becomes intuitive after just a few moves, it’s quick when you’re manoeuvring in a tight spot or make a three-point turn under pressure. Tesla also makes do without the traditional driver’s instrument display behind the steering wheel, instead putting the relevant information into the top-right corner of the central display.
Again, you’ll soon get used to it, but I’m not sure I can fully subscribe to such an extreme level of minimalism. But then again what more do you need up there besides speed and possibly nav directions given Tesla still doesn’t offer a head-up display.
2024 Tesla Model 3 Colours
What colours are available for the Tesla Model 3
Pearl White Multi-Coat is standard, with the following finishes are optional:
- Solid Black ($1500)
- Deep Blue Metallic ($1500)
- Stealth Grey ($2300)
- Ultra Red ($2600)
2024 Tesla Model 3 Warranty
Should you buy the 2024 Tesla Model 3
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
For a mid-life refresh, the 2024 Model 3 Tesla has benefited from an exhaustive number of improvements covering almost every facet of the car; exterior, interior and under the skin.
To any other carmaker it might have easily qualified for the new-generation status, but either way, Tesla has put its best-selling Model 3 under the microscope and re-engineered both big and small ticket items that drew global criticism from previous Model 3 owners.
The improvement in ride comfort is simply game changing compared with the nausea-inducing suspension set-up on the previous iteration. Likewise, with the overall noise suppression in the cabin – it’s now a demonstrably quiet place to be and the perfect amphitheatre in which to enjoy one of the finest audio systems in the business.
While more work will need to be done with range and charging evaluation, when Paul Maric and the team put the car through the ringer at CarExpert’s proving ground – the new Model 3 is still a mighty impressive proposition and remains a bang-for-buck trailblazer on the EV landscape.
Tesla Model 3 FAQs
The cheapest Tesla Model 3 is the Rear-Wheel Drive that starts from $54,900.
The most expensive Tesla Model 3 is the Performance that starts from $80,900.
The best towing capacity of a Tesla Model 3 is null kg offered by the following variants: Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range and Performance.
The largest Tesla Model 3 is the Performance which measures 1849mm wide, 4724mm in length and sits 1443mm tall.
The most powerful Tesla Model 3 is the Performance which has 343kW of power from its null engine.
The Tesla Model 3 is built in China and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest Tesla Model 3 is the Performance which weighs 2305 kg (kerb weight).
The Tesla Model 3 uses electric.