Larry Magid: New Tesla offers lower price, upgraded tech

I have a confession to make. I sold my 2018 mid-range Model 3 and bought a 2024 Tesla Model 3, formerly code-named “Highland,” which offers greater range, a much quieter and more comfortable ride and other refinements.

The reason I bought it this month was to take advantage of a temporary offer to transfer my so-called Full Self Driving (FSD) software from my old Tesla to the new one without having to pay $12,000 or $200 a month for the software. I’ll save the reason for my confession till I’m done reviewing the new car and the latest version of Tesla’s FSD software.

More luxurious and less expensive

Despite some minor outside cosmetic changes, the new 2024 Model 3 looks similar to the previous model, which has been mostly unchanged since it was introduced in 2017. The headlights are a bit slimmer, the fog lights have been removed and the car is more aerodynamic, which makes it more efficient. The car just seems better built. You can even hear and feel a difference when you close the door. It’s a lot more luxurious than it was when I bought mine in 2018. They even added ambient internal lighting, which is a bit of a gimmick but still nice.

The $38,990 starting price for the rear-wheel drive Standard Range model, which the EPA estimates having a 272-mile range, is about $10,000 less than what Cars.com says is the average price of new cars it lists. Even the all-wheel-drive (AWD) long-range version, at $47,700, is below that $49,000 average new car price. Two years ago, the long-range Model 3 cost just under $60,000.

Two models identical in most ways

In most ways, the new standard and long-range Model 3s are identical. The long-range has an EPA rating of 341 miles, an upgraded audio system with 17 vs. 9 speakers and accelerates a little faster (4.2 seconds vs 5.8), although both have the same top speed of 125 MPH.  Personally, I don’t care about speed. I’ll never accelerate that fast, nor will I ever drive anywhere near 125 MPH. The long-range all-wheel drive, which has a separate motor for each axel, is said to provide better traction in snow, but I haven’t tried that, nor do I have any plans to voluntarily find out if it can get me out of a ditch or a major snowstorm.

I bought the long range to eliminate range anxiety on long trips to out-of-the-way locations, but I admit that the anxiety is mostly in my head. My old mid-range Model 3 had an even lower range than the new standard range, and I never came close to running out of juice, although I did have to plan some of my trips carefully. There were a couple of times when I had to forgo a side trip because of fear of running out of electricity.

Because Tesla has an extensive network of Superchargers, you can drive almost anywhere and back so long as you’re near a major highway. Most people will not achieve the EPA estimated range, especially in cold weather or at fast highway speeds.

One other difference between the standard and the long-range model is that the standard’s battery can be regularly charged up to 100%. The long-range’s battery chemistry, to reduce degradation, is designed to be charged to 80% for daily use and 100% only for road trips. As a result, they both have about the same practical range for daily driving, so the long-range is only necessary for those who plan to use it on long trips or the rare commuter who has to drive more than 100 miles each way or those who can’t charge at home and want to avoid frequent use of public chargers.  All rechargeable batteries degrade over time, although Tesla batteries degrade slowly and LFP batteries used in the standard model are said to degrade at an even slower rate.

Awkward turn indicators

The one thing I don’t like about the new Model 3 is that Tesla has eliminated the stalks on both sides of the steering wheel that were used as turn indicators on the left side and shifting between drive and reverse on the right. Instead, you shift by swiping up (for drive) or down (reverse) at the left edge of the car’s touch screen. You indicate a turn or lane change by pressing a button on the left side of the wheel. I quickly got used to the gear shifting but am still trying to develop muscle memory for indicating turns. I wish Tesla had left the stalks where they were, but will eventually get used to the changes.

Software is superb

What really sets Tesla apart is its software. One exciting thing about owning a Tesla is that you typically get new software updates about once a month and sometimes they come with major improvements, though they are often just minor fixes. Tesla’s big differentiator is its autopilot and FSD. Autopilot, which is free on all models, does more than keep you centered in the lane on the highway. It actually steers for you and slows down or stops based on traffic. I find it incredibly useful on highways. You have to keep your hands on the wheel to prove that you’re sitting there, but the car truly does steer itself and, after tens of thousands of miles, I’ve had hardly any problems with the autosteer not only on major highways but on backroads as well. Unlike other cars’ auto-steering, Tesla’s works on any roads and highways, not designated ones.

Full Self Driving, despite its name, does not make the car autonomous but it does change lanes either automatically or in response to the turn indicator, stops at lights and stop signs, changes or exits highways to stay on your route and makes turns on city streets. Although you have to carefully monitor it and occasionally intervene, it mostly does drive itself. Glitches in early versions along with a lot of vocal critics have given FSD a bit of a bad reputation, but I’ve had pretty good luck with it.

FSD just got better

This month, Tesla started rolling out a new version of FSD (12.3) which is a big improvement.  Unlike the previous versions, it makes stops and turns smoothly, much in the same way I would if I were driving manually. I’ve driven about 100 miles on it so far. With the exception of one unwanted detour through a parking lot, it’s been great. For new buyers, FSD remains a $12,000 add-on, but Elon Musk announced this week that all Tesla owners will get a free one-month trial in an effort to convince them that it’s worth the upgrade cost.

My confession

A couple of years ago, I told friends that I would never buy a new Tesla because of Elon Musk’s antics. I know he has his admirers (and I still admire some of his accomplishments), but I’ve been very critical of his dismantling of Twitter’s moderation team, his disbanding of Twitter’s safety advisory council that I served on, and some of his more extreme statements. But after test driving the new Model 3 and thinking about Tesla’s amazing software, its impact on vehicle electrification and its progress toward self-driving, which may eventually save thousands of lives a year, I started to reconsider. The clincher was when a friend reminded me that the Model 3 is assembled in Fremont and partially designed in Palo Alto, employing thousands of my neighbors. So, I decided instead to donate to a couple of prosocial nonprofits that serve as antidotes to some of Elon’s more toxic actions.

Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at larry@larrymagid.com.