Matthew DeBord/BI
Yep, it's really that good.
- After driving the Tesla Model 3 several times for short periods, I finally got to spend some quality time with Tesla's newest set of wheels.
- I borrowed a long-range Tesla Model 3, with rear-wheel-drive in Premium trim, to conduct my actual life for a week.
- I was already sort of blown away by the Model 3, but a week with the car wiped out the whole "sort of" part.
I feel like I've been living with the Tesla Model 3 for years. I attended the unveiling of the car in 2016 and the subsequent launch in 2017. Later, I drove the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of what's become the most anticipated new car in history.
But I really, really wanted to do what I've done with other Teslas, which is live with the Model 3 for a week. This is the ultimate test of Tesla ownership: Can one of its sexy all-electric future-machines - with their sharp looks and neck-snapping speed, their layers of technology and fully autonomous aspirations - handle everyday existence?
The Model S is a lovely luxury sedan, and the Model X is a tech-y over-the-top SUV. The Model 3, by contrast, was designed to be an entry point to the Tesla Way. For the moment, that means a four-door boasting more than 300 miles of range on a single charge, but priced at around $50,000, a lot more than the $35,000 base version that Tesla isn't building yet.
Still, a car priced between $50,000-$60,000 is going to attract plenty of attention, and not incidentally help Tesla and CEO Elon Musk achieve the goal of turning a profit in 2018.
The big question, of course, is after all the delays endured by the Model 3 as it entered production last year and the drama around Musk and Tesla, how does the car measure up? And more importantly, if it's an initially impressive effort, what's it like after you've driven it around for a few days, in rain and shine, with a full load of passengers or by yourself.
I was eager to find out. Here's what I learned.
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