The phrase refined is commonly utilized in automobile evaluations to explain top quality merchandise. After spending 24 hours with the Tesla Mannequin 3 Highland refresh, “refined” sums up my ideas on this automobile. The refreshed Mannequin 3 has over 50% new elements in comparison with the outgoing mannequin, and so they mix to make this a cohesive and vital replace.
For comparability, I’m utilizing my very own 2019 Tesla Mannequin 3 that was constructed within the Fremont manufacturing unit in California. To grasp the impression Tesla’s steady updates over the previous 4 years have had on the automobile, I additionally take a look at drove a present Shanghai constructed 2023 Mannequin 3 rear-wheel drive instantly after returning the Highland Mannequin 3.
I had anticipated a brand new 2023 mannequin to really feel half manner between my 2019 mannequin and the Highland refresh, however was stunned when it drove remarkably much like my older automobile when it comes to experience, noise and luxury ranges.
From this I drew two conclusions. Firstly, my 2019 Mannequin 3 is holding up remarkably effectively after greater than 4 years, which is nice. Secondly, Tesla clearly required a extra vital overhaul of the automobile to noticeably elevate the bar with the Mannequin 3.
There are too many modifications within the Highland refresh to listing all of them, so I picked three areas that stood out to me as essentially the most impactful. Different areas I might have expanded on are the sleeker exterior design, improved aerodynamics, security updates, longer vary and connectivity enhancements.
Snug and squishy inside
The Highland Mannequin 3 features a raft of inside updates that make it extra snug and opulent to take a seat in. I discover the seats on my Mannequin 3 very snug already, together with on lengthy highway journeys the place I’ve pushed for a number of hours or extra. On scorching days they could be a bit sweaty although, particularly in your decrease again.
The refreshed seats are much more snug, with further aspect and thigh help. After spending a complete morning driving I felt no discomfort in any respect. The perforated seats with air flow also needs to assist forestall sweaty backs on these scorching days.
Transferring on from the seats, Tesla has nearly eradicated exhausting surfaces from the cabin except the centre console lid and steering wheel buttons. Every thing else you contact other than the touchscreen is tender and squishy together with the complete sprint, console surrounds and door liners.
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Even the underside of the door bins are lined with tender carpet so steel drink bottles or different gadgets positioned in there gained’t rattle round a lot. Stepping again into the 2023 mannequin, the exhausting plastic sprint and door liners on the white inside really feel low cost and cheesy as compared.
Supremely quiet cabin
Elimination of exhausting plastics and surfaces from the inside has little question helped scale back noise ranges contained in the Mannequin 3 cabin. The Highland refresh can be fitted with acoustic double-paned glass throughout reasonably than simply the entrance home windows beforehand. Improved aerodynamics additionally play a component in lowering wind noise in addition to growing vary.
Collectively these updates make the brand new Mannequin 3 supremely quiet even when cruising down the motorway or on bumpier again roads. There may be little or no wind noise and solely a small quantity of highway noise, aided by the Hankook Ion Evo tyres that are designed particularly for electrical autos.
To assist illustrate simply how quiet the cabin is, I might barely hear oncoming automobiles passing on a single lane two-way 100 km/h highway. In distinction, again within the 2023 mannequin on Sydney roads, the encompassing site visitors was simply heard even at metropolis speeds.
Improved experience and dealing with
I’ve learn evaluations criticising the present Mannequin 3 experience high quality and I can perceive the place they’re coming from. Tesla EVs have at all times been recognized for his or her straight line acceleration, however not essentially their cornering capacity and dealing with generally.
Suspension on the Highland refresh Mannequin 3 contains softer springs and smarter dampers and the distinction was clear instantly. The automobile now not crashes over sharp bumps and it feels far more balanced and calm taking corners at velocity.
Throughout regular metropolis driving the improved suspension provides to the serenity of the snug and quiet cabin described above. I additionally seen the steering within the new mannequin is much less direct because it takes greater than two full turns lock to lock.
No stalks
The shortage of stalks on the Highland refresh Mannequin 3 is essentially the most controversial replace, so I used to be eager to do that change in individual. After my time with the automobile, I’m probably going out on a limb by saying I truly loved it.
Sure, I discovered myself glancing down on the wheel when indicating with the steering wheel buttons for the primary hour or so. After that it began to turn into muscle reminiscence as I used to be considering “backside left, prime proper” which is sensible as that’s the route you’re about to show the wheel.
Utilizing the indicator buttons was additionally a lot simpler when driving along with your palms within the 9 and three o’clock place, which I’ve grown accustomed to after taking driving programs previously. Along with your palms on this place I discovered the indicator buttons have been only a thumb twiddle away and you may preserve your palms on the wheel with out concern.
Activating autopilot by urgent on the right-hand scroll wheel additionally grew to become simple. I don’t suggest the one click on autopilot activation setting as a result of this implies the automobile disables cruise management altogether and slows down whenever you point out to vary lanes. With the double click on setting, it drops again to site visitors conscious cruise management when indicating.
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Altering gears by swiping up and down on the aspect of the display screen was pretty intuitive and I discovered three level turns and parking have been OK.
It could take longer to get used to this than the indicator buttons as you don’t change gears as typically. The automobile additionally goes into park whenever you take your seat belt off when stopped, or you may faucet the highest nook of the display screen.
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Objectively, I can perceive the shortage of stalks goes to be a giant change for some individuals, particularly in case you are coming from a extra conventional automobile with stalks and a daily sprint in entrance of the wheel.
If no stalks is perhaps a dealbreaker for you, I might suggest taking greater than a single brief take a look at drive as this isn’t sufficient time to correctly expertise the brand new interface.
A few small downsides
Other than getting used to the steering wheel buttons, I got here throughout a few different small downsides with the Highland Mannequin 3. Firstly, I skilled many false proximity alerts whereas driving at low velocity. For instance, the automobile would typically beep and warn me to cease whereas taking off at site visitors lights or pulling away from being parked on the kerb.
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Within the picture above you may see the Highland Mannequin 3 detects the entire kerb as an object, whereas my automobile solely detects taller objects approaching the corners of the automobile. I puzzled whether or not this was because of Tesla’s swap to counting on imaginative and prescient reasonably than ultrasonic sensors for object detection.
This appears to be the case as present fashions being shipped to Australia are nonetheless fitted with ultrasonic sensors, and the problem was not current on the 2023 Mannequin 3 I drove both. Hopefully Tesla can enhance or eradicate this downside with future software program updates.
One other minor concern was the indicator sound and autopilot chimes have been tremendous loud on the Highland Mannequin 3. In hindsight I imagine this was most likely as a result of “Joe Mode,” which reduces the amount of those sounds was not enabled, however sadly I used to be unable to return and make sure on the automobile.
Conclusions
Total I used to be impressed with the Highland Mannequin 3 refresh and it brings a big replace to the ageing Mannequin 3. This replace retains the Mannequin 3 aggressive with newer electrical sedans such because the BYD Seal, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and 2024 Polestar 2 refresh.
The shortage of stalks or the Tesla model generally is probably not for everybody, however there’s a lot to love about this automobile if you will get previous these factors. I might suggest no less than taking a take a look at drive earlier than dismissing the shortage of stalks as a dealbreaker.
If you’re contemplating a brand new electrical automobile on this worth vary, the entry stage rear-wheel drive for $61,900 plus on-road prices is nice worth contemplating the complete bundle. For $10,000 extra the long-range all-wheel drive Mannequin 3 provides a second electrical motor to the entrance axle and boosts WLTP driving vary from 513 km to 629 km.
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Tim has 20 years expertise within the IT trade together with 14 years as a community engineer and website reliability engineer at Google Australia. He’s an EV and renewable power fanatic who’s most captivated with serving to individuals perceive and undertake these applied sciences.