Road test: Tesla Model 3 Performance, finally a proper driver’s car?

Tuesday, 15 October 2024

The Model 3 Performance has always been one of the quickest-accelerating cars on the market, but has previously been let down by a lack of substance beyond its straight-line abilities.

Electric cars in general come with plenty of quirks. When it comes to the really really fast ones specifically, the most amusing quirk is often the way they accelerate off the line with no noise, no vibration, no fuss.

Having been a little ho-hum about the styling of the standard Model 3, we reckon the Performance is the best looking 3 yet.

What makes this process especially amusing is how unassuming most EVs look. There are quite a few fairly mundane looking plug-ins that will crush a tuned Mitsubishi Evolution or rumbling HSV on the proverbial motorway onramp (whilst adhering to the posted speed limit, of course).

Elon's latest electric car touches down in New Zealand with new looks, more tech, and the weirdest indicators in the world.

The king of the subtle acceleration demolition job has long been the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Its spleen-squishing acceleration has long been wrapped in an incredibly unassuming package, one that looks almost exactly like that of a standard Model 3 — barring a little ‘Dual Motor’ badge on the boot-lid.

This era of Tesla Model 3 Performance traffic-light surprise may soon be a thing of the past. Tesla’s new Model 3 Performance has arrived in New Zealand, bringing with it racier styling (big diffuser, more aggro front bumper, spiffy 20-inch wheels) that differentiates it cosmetically from the bog standard one.

Bucket seats finally make an appearance. Note the ‘Plaid’ detailing, a nod to a scene from one of Elon Musk’s favourite movies, Spaceballs.

Lay out the full assortment of changes, and there is a lot to be excited about. Pleasingly, in spite of the often bizarre Elon Musk, it’s apparent that Tesla has actively taken some critiques of the previous Model 3 Performance on board. Or alternatively, it’s quietly admitted that the original Model 3 Performance was a bit of a rush job.

Adaptive dampers, a stiffer chassis, and wider Pirelli tyres lead Tesla’s mechanical changes to the Model 3 Performance.

The new Tesla ‘M3P’ (as the Tesla nerds call it) finally gets bucket seats with some modicum of lateral support, as well as more comprehensive chassis changes underneath. Along with an uprated brake package, it sits on a stiffened platform, with its own model-specific combination of springs, anti-roll bars, and adaptive dampers.

Its Track Mode now includes updated adjustability, allowing drivers to tune the car’s rotation bias through the touchscreen (peak understeer on the left, peak oversteer on the right). Its super sticky Pirelli P-Zeros are wider than the Michelins they replace. And these come atop Tesla’s other changes to the Model 3 range as a whole — much improved ride quality, infotainment screen for back-seat passengers, and the incredibly controversial decision to delete the indicator and drive stalks included.

Carbon trim and Alcantara highlights are standard in the Performance, although you can still option it with white door panels and seats instead.

The Performance is also amongst the only cars on sale today to get an update and somehow be cheaper than it used to be … and by almost 10 grand, too. A model that was $95,900 is now somehow $84,900 plus on-roads. Not only does that make it compelling for people who might’ve been turned off by the price of the old one, but that also makes it fifty grand (!) cheaper than arguably its closest rival; the $134,990 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Drivers can tune in and tune out oversteer via Tesla’s latest Track Mode software, whilst also being able to adjust steering weight and the new adaptive dampers.

And on paper, it’s a pretty close comparison. The 343kW/741Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive Tesla has less power but equal torque to the Hyundai, but is three tenths quicker to 100kph — sprinting there in just 3.1 brain-warping seconds. It also has a higher top speed … just, 261kph plays 260kph. I smell some benchmarking.

Larger brake discs and callipers mean improved stopping, although some have reported running into overheating issues during track use.

Of course, it would be remiss to not touch on all the range stuff. Tesla doesn’t actually quote an exact battery size for this thing, but it’s reportedly a 79kWh unit. The brand does quote a 528km range on the WLTP cycle, and we saw a range of just over 500km appear on the car’s range calculator when we first picked it up. That figure rapidly nosedives if you’re constantly launching it at the lights or indulging in track shenanigans.

The indicator buttons on the left of the steering wheel remain a sore point in what’s otherwise been a pretty successful update to the Model 3 line-up as a whole.

So a big range, plenty of meaningful upgrades, surprisingly solid value, cracking performance, improved styling … the Performance is a clear slam dunk on paper. And, having driven it, there are very few ‘buts’ to spoil the party.

Few drivers cars offer the sheer bang-for-your-buck of the Model 3 Performance.

Off the mark the Performance is obviously an incredibly impressive thing. Its three-tenth gain in 0–100kph acceleration time relative to the old one doesn’t seem transformative in theory, but in practice it actually feels substantially quicker than its predecessor. Stomp the throttle with Insane mode active, and you can feel your eyeballs sinking back into your sockets and your shoulders being shoved back into the seat.

But, straightline bite is very much the easy bit for the quickest Model 3. The more relevant test is whether it’s a better performance when the straight bit of road suddenly veers left and right a few times. The last Model 3 Performance was pretty handy on a B-road, owing to its low centre of gravity and Michelin rubber. But it also didn’t feel much more capable than any other Model 3. Surely something with ‘Performance’ in the name would ordinarily provide a bit more … performance?

Leg and knee-room in the back of the Tesla is better than you might expect.

There’s a lot going on on the Model 3’s touchscreen. A digital cluster for the speedometer, indicator cues, and range would be nice ...

The gear selector in the touchscreen will be peculiar to most motorists, but it works surprisingly well.

The Model 3’s platform is well balanced and handles bumps well for a low-slung sedan.

No surprise, the camera tech in the Model 3 is very crisp and clear.

Note the rear diffuser and the little ‘Plaid-like’ badge on the boot.

This is where the new model’s greatest gains sit. Much more than just some stickier tyres and a prayer, the new Performance feels like twice the car on a twisty road than the car it’s based on. It’s much more keen and controlled, you can push it quite a bit harder without wincing about understeer creeping into the picture or worrying about the chassis being overwhelmed by all that instant electric torque.

There’s markedly less body roll than the old one which, when combined with steering that feels a little sharper and quicker than it did previously, makes this a much more satisfying car to toy with. The new bucket seats aren’t a patch on the best in terms of support, but they’re aeons ahead of the flat, shapeless seats they replace.

What’s also impressive is the Model 3’s new-found adjustability. The difference in ride quality and general urban usability when everything’s in its most hushed setting versus when you’re in full beans mode is significant. I appreciate, too, the ability to have the car’s powertrain, chassis, and steering weight all individually customisable — rather than having all three be locked into some combined ‘Sport’ or ‘Track’ catchall setting like in some other cars. On my local drive loop, I found myself opting for the Performance’s ‘standard’ steering weight over the heaviest option.

Admittedly, I struggled to feel too much difference when fiddling with the understeer vs oversteer dial in the car’s customisable Track mode. But one, I wasn’t driving the thing on a track. And two, almost all of my driving was undertaken during a soggy, cold Auckland week. Perhaps something to revisit.

A proper, engaging driver’s car then? Yup. I’d probably still rather have the keys to a BMW M2 or Honda Civic Type R (sorry), but in the world of electrics the Model 3 Performance is the definitive choice for drivers for less than a hundred grand. It’s not as sophisticated or engaging as the Ioniq 5 N. But, it’s also about one whole Tesla Cybercab cheaper than the Hyundai. Perhaps a back-to-back drive of the two is in order.

I also can’t not talk about the Model 3’s indicators and gear selector. A second go in a Model 3 only galvanised my initial view that deleting the indicator stalk and plonking left and right indicator buttons on the steering wheel instead has more drawbacks than positives. The haptic buttons are well executed and work well, but trigger all sorts of awkward flailing hand movements when it comes to indicating while exiting roundabouts. Yes, you do get used to it after a while, but it’s like getting used to being lactose intolerant. I’d rather just … not have to.

The gear selector on the other hand, a virtual slider integrated into the main touchscreen, is comparatively okay. It’s a bit of a hassle when you’re trying to execute a quick three-point turn, but otherwise I find the system pretty inoffensive and usable … although my preference would still be to have a proper physical column shifter like in the last Model 3. The rest of Tesla’s software remains great, amongst the most intuitive on the market. A vital point when the interior is almost completely devoid of buttons.

So, the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Almost just as quick to 100kph as a Lamborghini STO, cheaper to run than a Suzuki Swift, less than half the price of a BMW M3, sensational software, and (finally) a properly engaging chassis. No longer a one-trick pony, this is a compelling option for anyone after a thrilling daily driver … electric or otherwise.

Bonus images