Tesla's Model 3 sedan burst onto the scene in 2017 and quickly became a top seller worldwide. Tesla started selling the updated Model 3 in 2024. The Model 3 remains the most affordable Tesla electric vehicle (EV), offering impressive range, a comprehensive collection of advanced technologies, and sufficient space for both passengers and cargo. With recent updates, the Model 3 remains a compelling choice for small families, couples, or even singles seeking a compact electric sedan.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The "Highland" design and technical updates include a suspension retuning for improved ride quality, new front and rear bodywork, upgraded interior materials, ventilated front seats, a new steering wheel, and enhanced noise insulation including double-pane side glass for the front doors. All the instrumentation has been moved to the large 15.4-inch central screen, including the transmission selector.
Tesla builds the Model 3 exclusively as a four-door sedan, in three different power configurations. According to the company, the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) model offers a range of 357 miles and 286 horsepower. The Long Range All-Wheel Drive (AWD) provides 346 miles and 394 hp, while the Performance AWD version is rated at 298 miles and 510 hp. The Model 3 starts at just over $36,000, including the destination charge.
For this 2025 Model 3 review, I tested the Long Range RWD version with the following options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $54,630, including the $1,390 destination charge to ship the sedan to a local dealership from the Fremont, California, assembly plant. For eligible buyers, the price effectively drops to $47,130 after applying the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs manufactured in the United States. For even more savings, selecting the monthly subscription for FSD (Supervised) lowers the cost to $46,630, or to $39,130 after the tax credit.
I rented the test vehicle in Arizona to perform this review.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Getting in and out of the Model 3 is easy, despite the car's low height. However, the door handles need a push at the rear to release them from their flush position. Once seated, the Model 3 offers a very different environment than most cars. Nearly all the controls and instruments are on the large 15.4-inch center touchscreen; there are no gauges in front of you. There is no On/Off or Start button either.
If you've enabled your smartphone, it can act as your key and start the car as you open the door. I could not activate my iPhone, so I used the Tesla key card, locking and unlocking the car by touching the card to the B pillar.
There is no PRNDL (the traditional gear selector labeled Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low), gear lever, or stalk. To drive forward or reverse, touch and swipe up or down on the digital PRNDL displayed on the touchscreen, but only after you have buckled your seat belt. Additionally, when you unbuckle after stopping, the car can automatically shift to Park before your finger does.
The only controls outside the center touchscreen or the steering wheel are seat adjustments and door releases. Buttons on the steering wheel control turn signals, headlights, wipers, audio volume, voice recognition, and cruise control functions.
For me, turn signals were the hardest adjustment; flicking a turn signal stalk is deeply ingrained in us, and the Model 3’s turn signal buttons often caught me off guard.
The giant touchscreen always made adjustments instantly and without glitches. After driving this Tesla, I tested another car whose touchscreen took forever to wake up, and it froze twice entirely, with no audio. Many Tesla owners believe their vehicle's technology is more advanced than that of other cars, and this experience reinforces that belief.
The front seats were very comfortable, whether on short trips or during the long drive from Phoenix, AZ, to just south of Tucson, which took 2.5 hours each way. Some car seats cause a dull ache in my lower back after about two hours of steady driving. However, the Tesla seat didn't, not even a little.
An annoying issue for me was the phantom easy-entry function that kept adjusting the seat and steering wheel to a full-reclined 'gangsta' position every time I opened the door. After finally locating the unlabeled Driver Profile menu at the top of the touchscreen and turning off easy entry, the ghostly seat adjustments stopped. Tesla should place this feature under "Controls" or, even better, in the more logical "Seats" menu.
All Model 3 sedans feature a glass roof without a sunshade, creating a spacious and open atmosphere. It uses UV filtering to block heat and glare, but despite this, I still felt the Arizona sun beating down on me.
With the front seat adjusted for my six-foot-one-inch frame, the rear seat offers just enough space for someone of the same height to sit comfortably, although the short rear seat bottom provides very little thigh support.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The Model 3's infotainment touchscreen provides lightning-fast processing, handling any request or control change with ease. Covering its 15.4-inch display, all information is displayed here because no other instruments are present.
While this might be an elegant engineering solution, it is unfamiliar to most, including myself. Tesla owners adapt to it over time, though. I spoke with several Tesla-owning friends, and they agreed that there was a learning curve, but they became accustomed to it after about two weeks.
The Model 3’s infotainment system includes:
Generally, once acclimated, Tesla's touchscreen is easy to navigate with only a few issues. First, the font size is relatively small. Second, some functions are hidden in illogical locations, like the easy-entry setting.
Tesla does not include Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, even as an option. You can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth to stream podcasts and use your phone as a basic audio device, which mostly works. However, it disconnected my phone three times during my test. Reconnecting required a frustrating search through menus.
To clarify, even without Apple CarPlay, I could still answer incoming calls from the touchscreen. However, in 2025, the absence of proper phone integration is unforgivable.
The Long Range RWD Model 3's standard audio system works surprisingly well. With a single amplifier powering nine speakers, the clarity and volume were pleasing to this reviewer's ears.
Initially, the native navigation seemed a little lacking, but it turned out that the audio prompts for turns were disabled. Once enabled, it operated more smoothly, but the system consistently favored a heading-up rather than North-up map view. I prefer North-up, but apparently, the Model 3 disagrees.
My tester did not have the latest software update (2025.26), so it lacked Grok A.I. voice recognition. Although the existing recognition worked reasonably well, it only functioned with established trigger words, such as "navigate to," and could not interpret natural speech.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The standard Long Range RWD powertrain in the test Model 3 delivered excellent acceleration from a standstill and when passing on the highway. Still, honestly, it's not necessary, though you'll gain a bit more if you choose AWD for winter traction.
The Model 3's robust regenerative braking meant I rarely had to use the brake pedal. When I did need to brake, the pedal felt firm, responsive, and easy to control.
The softened suspension of this updated Model 3 results in ride quality comparable to a standard BMW 3 Series, Cadillac CT4, or Mercedes-Benz C-Class: firm yet comfortable. The Model 3 handled skillfully on both secondary roads and the highway, offering adjustable steering assist levels.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the Model 3 Long Range RWD’s range at 363 miles—slightly more than Tesla’s advertised 357 miles—and a combined rating of 137 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent, a measure of EV efficiency). All my testing took place during the Arizona summer, when temperatures hit 113 degrees Fahrenheit, so the air conditioner was constantly running, which slightly reduces energy efficiency.
My first combined highway and suburban drive showed a predicted range of 283 miles. After traveling 31 miles, it dropped to 204 miles; 31 miles of actual driving cost 79 miles of estimated range. Not good. Other trips proved closer to the range estimates.
My highest charge was 96 percent at a Tesla Supercharger, with a predicted range of 328 miles. Math majors will see that this is just 90.4 percent of the car's official 363-mile maximum range, suggesting either that the battery's total capacity has decreased slightly from its original 79.7-kilowatt-hour (kWh) rating or that there was an error in the calculation for some unknown reason.
During my total of 479 miles with the Model 3, which included half on the highway and half in suburban driving, the trip computer indicated an energy consumption of 27 kWh per 100 miles, or approximately 125 MPGe. That's slightly below the EPA combined estimate of 137.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Tesla’s Autopilot system has been the subject of much debate and discussion over the past 10 years, including by your author, mainly because of its name. Consumers familiar with the commercial aviation term "Autopilot" might assume it means the same thing, that is a system capable of autonomously driving the car in all situations, which is not true for Tesla’s Autopilot. It isn't autonomous, and it never has been.
However, when the Model 3’s standard Autopilot is combined with the optional FSD (Supervised) system, it provides an advanced level of driving assistance beyond most, including in urban areas and not just on highways. But the writer in me can’t help but notice that the branding term contradicts itself.
Like other manufacturers' advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), Tesla's FSD influences adaptive cruise control through acceleration and braking, can steer like other car makers’ systems, and recognizes traffic signals and signs like others. It differs technically in that it relies on multiple cameras feeding data into the system and does not use radar or lidar arrays.
But FSD goes even further. It works with navigation to help drive to a destination. Tesla also states that FSD is suitable for local and urban roads with traffic lights, intersections, bikers, and pedestrians, whereas other car makers only recommend using their systems on highways. All drivers must stay alert and intervene when necessary, regardless of the car brand or ADAS system in use.
I tested FSD on both highways and suburban streets. On open roads, it performed very smoothly, detected everything happening around the car, and never caused any concerning moments. Steering and lane assist worked perfectly. Removing your hand from the wheel eventually triggers a warning, as with other cars equipped with such systems.
It also automatically changes lanes to keep your set speed when the next lane is clear. During my test, the first time it started changing lanes, I counter-steered against it. This resulted in a "strike" against me in the system, where if you "strike" five times on one trip, Autopilot and FSD are disabled until you stop and park. On later occasions, when I didn't want it to change lanes, I just tapped the brakes to disengage the system, avoiding strikes. It "struck" me out once after falsely accusing me of not holding the steering wheel.
The following ADAS are included in Autopilot:
FSD (Supervised) adds the following:
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has yet crash-tested or rated the 2025 Tesla Model 3.
According to the JD Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Lexus IS ranks highest in the Compact Premium Car segment. The Genesis G70 and the Cadillac CT4 are the next highest-ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2025 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the BMW 4 Series ranks highest in the Compact Premium Car segment.
According to the JD Power 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, the BMW iX ranks highest in the Premium Battery Electric Vehicles segment. The BMW i4 and the Rivian R1S are the next highest-ranked models.
Other 2025 Model 3 competitors include the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
The updated Model 3 performed well on any road I chose, offering great acceleration along with capable handling, steering, and grip. It provides excellent driver comfort, quick infotainment processing, and ample cargo space in the trunk. The optional FSD system worked smoothly, although it once stopped working after mistakenly detecting that I was not gripping the steering wheel.
However, my actual driving range was almost always less than the predicted range. No smartphone integration is offered, even as an option, which is unacceptable in 2025. Additionally, a simple Bluetooth connection with my phone failed three times over the course of three days. Still, the Model 3 remains a good choice for those seeking an EV, especially given Tesla's extensive and robust Supercharger network.
Jim Resnick is an author specializing in automotive, mobility, technology, and related topics. He has lectured at universities about the auto industry's relationship with government legislation, drawing on his experience as Technical Editor and Editor-in-Chief. Besides JDPower.com, his work has appeared in over 30 media outlets, including Wired, The New York Times, Car and Driver, Kelley Blue Book, and the BBC.
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