Tesla Model 3 - long-term review

Depending on what side of the fence you’re sitting on, the used EV market right now is either a bloodbath or riddled with opportunity. As choice increases exponentially and the market is flooded by recently expired three and four-year lease deals, there’s a surfeit of supply to demand… and prices tend to take a dive. Bad news if you’ve just been told your three-month old £85k Merc EQE is worth £45k trade-in, but music to your ears if you’re in the market for something affordable and pure-electric.

Which is why the time felt right to tell this story from the inside… of a Tesla. We’ll be running an approved used Tesla Model 3 for the next six months, a 2021 Model 3 Long Range AWD to be precise, that would have cost around £50k new, but is now worth £27k with a little over 30,000 miles on the clock.

There’s another angle here, too, because while Tesla’s build quality has been steadily improving over the last five years, earlier models were known for panel gaps as even as Steve Buscemi’s teeth. Will longevity of the fit and finish be an issue? Is the dreaded battery degradation really a thing? Will the styling, interior and chassis upgrades made to the Model 3 late last year be sorely missed on this earlier car? Much to discuss.

Also, while I’ve driven most Teslas in the range, I’m yet to live with one for any extended period of time and keen to explore how good the digital ecosystem, that defines the four-wheeled hardware, really is. Is this the first car companion app I might actually find useful? What treats will over the air updates bring me while I sleep? And with two small kids, will I ever be able to turn fart mode off? Cutting edge journalism here I come.

First item on the agenda: a 2,000-mile European road trip, four-up, for two-weeks, putting the French supercharger network to the test, and quite possibly our marriage when I show my wife the size of the boot. Wish me luck!