Used Tesla Model 3 long-term test

The car 2021 Tesla Model 3 Long Range All-wheel drive | Run by Claire Evans, consumer editor

Why it's here To see if you can enjoy all the pleasures of Model 3 ownership without having to stump up the cost of a new model

Needs to Eat up motorway miles with ease, have enough range for longer excursions and be a comfortable and economical mobile office when needed  

Mileage on arrival 19,298 Mileage now 21,618 List price when new (2021) £50,890 Value on arrival £31,000 Test range 287 miles Official range 360 miles

6 July 2024 – Better than new

Driving along an unlit motorway one night recently, I was impressed with the reach of my used Tesla Model 3's main beam headlights, and how the light beam followed the curves in the road as it approached them. 

While I’d usually have thought this was down to the efforts of a geeky lighting engineer during the original development of the vehicle, it is, in fact, the result of a recent software upgrade that’s improved this headlight function. It is just one of many improvements that have been made to my 2021 Tesla Model 3 since it was first registered via Tesla’s innovative over-the-air updates. 

The US car maker was the first to introduce the concept back in 2012, remotely sending software updates to Tesla Model S vehicles while they were parked on owners’ drives at night. Initially they didn’t always work, but now the technology has been perfected it’s sparked a revolution among other car brands, many of which now offer over-the-air updates too. 

There are benefits all round: customers get improved tech without having to go take their cars to dealerships, and that means it’s also quicker and more efficient for the car maker.

While many of the tweaks made to Tesla models are small, such as improvements to the sat-nav mapping or the infotainment, or tweaking the steering wheel controls so they can be used to alter the windscreen wipers, they may also be more significant changes, such as a revision to the car’s car’s energy management or a boost to charging speed and efficiency.   

More important improvements have also been made, such making the car’s autonomous emergency braking system more sophisticated so that it is capable of better detecting vulnerable road users such as children, cyclists and motorcyclists in daylight and at night, and preventing or mitigating collisions with them. 

As a dog owner, though, my personal favourite is the ongoing improvements that have been made to Dog Mode. It can now be activated via the Tesla app and allows you to set the temperature inside the car for when you leave your dog in the car alone for a short while. While the dog is in the car, a large message is displayed on the touchscreen to let passers by know your pet is safe.

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