Tesla Model 3 Review & Prices

The Tesla Model 3 has become something of a default answer to the question “which electric car should I buy?” It’s easy to see why – the Model 3 offers excellent range between charges, smart and sporty styling, and all of the technological wizardry you could want from a modern EV. You do miss out on some exterior customisation and a couple of luxuries inside compared with the Model 3 Premium, but compromises are few and far between.

It’s a bit like buying a cheapest pair of Nike trainers – if you can accept that they look a bit more basic you still get all the in-built tech that makes them so comfortable. You might wonder why you should bother with the more expensive versions at all.

Much like perusing the wall of shoes in your local outlet store, there are plenty of electric alternatives to the Model 3. The most similar are the BYD Seal, Mercedes CLA Electric and Polestar 2, though you could also consider SUVs as varied as the Skoda Enyaq and Peugeot E-3008.

The ubiquity of the Model 3 makes it easy to dismiss what a smart design it has, with its simple yet sharp lines in the front bumper, narrow headlights and swooping roofline. It’s a bit frumpy at the back, but it’s otherwise a sleek, modern design that looks in no way inferior to Premium versions of the car.

Tesla Model 3: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 332 miles
Efficiency: 4.8 miles per kWh
Battery size: 63kWh
Max charge speed: 175kW
Charge time AC: 10h, 0-100% @ 11kW
Charge time DC: 30mins, 0-80% @ 175kW
Charge port location: Left rear
Power outputs: 279hp

If the exterior looks simple, it’s positively fussy in comparison to the interior, which takes minimalism to the extreme – if that’s not an oxymoron. Open the door and it looks plain and underwhelming, but once inside everything actually works well.

Tesla started the craze for ditching buttons in favour of using the touchscreen for everything, but to be fair, it’s one of the most intuitive systems around, so it’s tough to complain.

These basic Model 3s come with cloth seat upholstery, losing the artificial leather of pricier models, but other than that you’d need to be a Tesla nerd to spot where corners have been cut. (In case it’s a pub quiz question, you lose the second-row touchscreen, covered cup holders, heated rear seats, and the option of a white interior.)

Otherwise there’s little to complain about. Rear seat space is generous and you can fit a bulky child seat without compromising knee room for those in front, the boot is bigger than alternatives, and you get a space under the bonnet, too. The saloon boot opening isn’t hugely practical, though, making an electric SUV easier if you regularly carry bulky items such as buggies or bikes.

Being the most basic Model 3 means you get the smallest battery in the line-up and therefore shortest range at 332 miles (compared with up to 466 miles in the pricier Model 3 Premium). That’s reasonable, but a BYD Seal will go further – and a Peugeot E-3008 much further – for similar cash.

Still, none of those alternatives are as good to drive as the Tesla. In fact, the Model 3 is one of the best-driving electric cars you can buy. The steering is ultra-responsive and the suspension is pretty stiff, which makes it feel sporty. It’s certainly less comfortable than those other cars, particularly the Mercedes CLA Electric, but it’s still a refined enough companion for long motorway drives.

Verdict

The Tesla Model 3 is a fantastic electric car that also happens to be fantastic value for money. The shortcomings over the Model 3 Premium don’t feel like deal-breakers, so unless you really need the extra range or the upgraded stereo, it’s hard to justify paying more for that car.

You can check out Tesla Model 3 deals right here on Carwow, or find a Tesla Model 3 lease deal. We have loads of used Teslas for sale, too, and remember that Carwow can even help you to sell your old car when the time comes.

The Model 3’s trump card is its value for money, because it undercuts most of its obvious alternatives. It starts at a tenner under £38,000 – only the Mercedes CLA Electric is offered with a version that runs it close. A BYD Seal starts at £45,000, and you need to spend a few grand more for a Skoda Enyaq that will go further than the Tesla on a charge.

There are cheaper alternatives with better range if you’re willing to sacrifice some space and practicality, such as the Nissan Leaf and Kia EV4 Fastback.

Standard equipment includes an all-black interior with cloth upholstery, a panoramic glass roof, and a heated steering wheel and front seats. You also get the excellent infotainment system with built-in Grok AI.

Fun to drive on a country road, but it’s a bit noisy on the motorway and jiggly about town

In town

You don’t have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate how good the Tesla Model 3 is to drive, because the pedals and steering are so well judged that it’s an absolute breeze to pilot around town. The big windows make it easy to see around you and place the car in tight spots, while the slew of cameras alert you to anything you might have missed.

Just about the only complaint you can throw at the Model 3 is that it’s not as comfortable as most alternatives. The sporty suspension setup means it can jiggle about on rough roads and crash through potholes.

On the motorway

Even though this Model 3 has less power than pricier versions of the car, it has more than enough punch to get you up to motorway speeds and pull off overtakes.

It’s not as quiet at a high-speed cruise as the Peugeot E-3008, but the sleek body helps to make it really efficient. Couple this with easy access to Tesla’s Supercharger network and it’s a good choice of electric car if you spend a lot of time on the motorway.

Being the most basic Model 3 doesn’t mean you lose out on nice-to-have assistance kit like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance. You can also upgrade to the so-called Full Self-Driving Capability. It doesn’t offer exactly what the name implies, but it adds lane-changing assist as well as the ability to overtake cars and switch lanes by itself, with the driver still monitoring and paying attention.

On a twisty road

If you enjoy taking the scenic route home then the Tesla Model 3 is a great choice – and you don’t need to spend extra for the ultra-powerful Performance version to get something out of it, either. Whichever version you go for, the Model 3 is great to drive with a low centre of gravity and responsive steering that makes it feel more like a sports car than a family saloon.

Decent space and useful cubby holes are good, but adjusting the seat through the screen will never not be annoying

You get a useful amount of space in the front of the Tesla Model 3, and the driving position is excellent. You can sit quite low while still getting a good view out thanks to big windows and a low dashboard. Moving the seat is annoying, though, because you have to do it through the screen, unlike the seat-mounted sliders you get on other Model 3s.

Storage is decent, with large door bins and a covered space beneath the armrest. There’s an angled area for two phones beneath the screen, which also acts as a pair of wireless phone chargers. One of the few concessions to this being the base model is the fact you don’t get a sliding cover for the two cup holders.

Space in the back seats

Space is pretty good in the back of the Tesla Model 3, but the seat cushions are quite close to the floor so you don’t have much under-thigh support. That can make long journeys a bit uncomfortable.

There’s enough room to the seat in front to fit a bulky child seat, but the ISOFIX mounting points are awkward to get to. That’s fine if you put the seat in once and forget about it, but can be annoying if you regularly switch it between cars.

Boot space

The boot is a real selling point for the Tesla Model 3. It has a capacity of 594 litres, which is comfortably more than most alternatives at this price. The BYD Seal has a capacity of 485 litres and the Mercedes CLA just 405 litres. Even the uber-practical Skoda Enyaq lags behind the Tesla at 585 litres.

On top of this, there’s a useful 88-litre storage space under the bonnet, which is roomier than the one you get in the BYD Seal, though it is smaller than the one in the Mercedes CLA Electric.

The interior design is a bit plain but the big infotainment screen works really well

Tesla has set the standard for minimalist interiors and the Model 3 is no different. When you open the driver’s door you’re greeted by a sea of black and grey, with a plain steering wheel, a flat dashboard showing nothing in the way of design flourish, and cloth seat upholstery.

It looks disappointingly cheap at first glance, but the Model 3 manages to err on the side of minimalist rather than dull. Somehow, once you’re on the move, you forget all of that because everything just works so intuitively.

The driving position is spot on and the huge 15.4-inch touchscreen display is slick and easy to navigate.

Proof of this intuitive setup is the fact that Tesla does not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in its cars – and yet you never really miss it. The sat nav uses Google Maps anyway and you can download apps such as Spotify for your music, so you’re not stuck using clunky manufacturer-made systems instead.

The double wireless smartphone charger is a neat touch, keeping your phone easily accessible and meaning you don’t need to fight with your passenger over who gets to top up.

Just about the only things you lose out on by not going for the Model 3 Premium are wraparound ambient lighting, a screen for rear passengers to adjust the climate controls, a sliding cover for the cup holders, and the option of an all-white interior.

The Tesla Model 3 comes with one battery size and a single-motor setup, which gives you a range of up to 332 miles between charges. That’s almost exactly the same as a similarly priced Mercedes CLA and further than the more expensive BYD Seal. Both the Tesla and the Mercedes can be had with over 450 miles of range, but you’re looking in the region of £45,000 for those versions.

One of the best things about owning a Tesla is easy access to the company’s excellent Supercharger network. Using one of these chargers can add up to 168 miles in 15 minutes.

Being an electric car means that the Tesla Model 3 is eligible for the lowest first-year tax rate, and its low price means you don’t need to pay the expensive car supplement in years two-to-six on top of the usual annual rate. Company car drivers benefit from low benefit-in-kind rates, too.

Tesla Model 3 Euro NCAP (2025): 5/5

Adult occupant: 90%
Child occupant: 93%
Vulnerable road users: 89%
Safety assist: 87%

Tesla has long been known for building safe cars and the Model 3 continues this trend with fantastic scores across the board. Not only is it very safe for occupants in the event of a crash, it also has some class-leading assistance tech built in.

All Model 3s get blind-spot collision warning, lane departure avoidance, a built-in dashcam and Sentry Mode, which activates the exterior cameras if the car detects someone nearby. You can also subscribe to the Full Self-Driving package, which regulations dictate cannot yet be used to let the car drive for you, but does include other advanced assistance kit such as traffic-aware cruise control, automatic lane changing, and the Summon feature, which lets you move the car short distances from outside the vehicle.

Tesla hasn’t had the best reputation for reliability historically, but those issues are largely a thing of the past. In fact, the Tesla Model 3 was voted the best car to own in the 2026 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey.

You get four years and 60,000 miles of cover, which is slightly better than the industry-standard three-year cover, but can’t quite match the six years you get with the BYD Seal.