TESLA MODEL 3
Can you separate the art from the artist? Elon’s abrasive antics have taken the shine off a Tesla, but somewhere in there there’s a car company crying to be taken seriously. This new facelifted 3 does look good though – sharper, more assertive and resolved. It’s improved inside, too, with a sense that the quality of materials and overall design is finally catching up with the tech.
You will still have to drive the car yourself though, sorry about that. The 3 comes with Autopilot cruise control as standard, but you can spend £3,400 for the ‘Enhanced’ version and £6,800 on ‘Full Self-Driving Capability’. The latter isn’t actually available, it’s more a hope it’ll eventually be possible. May as well go ahead and tick ‘World Peace’ on the options list while you’re at it.
No yoke here, but you will find that the indicators have moved to the steering wheel hub. There are no stalks at all, and it’ll probably be a few thousand miles before your hand is cured of Phantom Indicator Syndrome. Mostly it all works fine, but doesn’t feel like it’s been tested in an international setting – it’s a nightmare on roundabouts and the tight turns of most UK towns, occasionally just dangerous.
The Model 3 still sets a high bar for EVs – the soothing balm on your ownership experience is the ready made charge network that’s quick, convenient and simple to use. Some
