2019 Tesla Model 3 electric

For the 2019 model year, the previously optional Performance Upgrade Package is now standard and includes a lot of go-faster goodies. Otherwise, carrying over pretty much unchanged over the 2018 Tesla Model 3, the car gets its lineup divided based on overall range and performance. For this year, Model 3 price starts at MSRP $36,200, and it competes against the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Kia Niro EV, and the BMW i3.

Although the moderate range is split into three broad trim levels, there is an actual availability of five trim levels in the lineup. These are mainly - Standard Range (which is available as a special order), Standard Range Plus, Mid Range (another special order), Long Range, and Performance. However, except for the standard range variants, everything comes with an all-wheel drive.

Which trim should you buy?

We find the base trim level well equipped as well as mechanically unexciting. However, everyone would want something that has a better range to address the issue of range anxiety. For this reason, we believe that the Long Range trim level is the one that makes the most sense. In fact, this has resulted in higher sales numbers for this particular trim level as well. At a whopping 322 miles of range with its larger battery pack, this has better range than most EVs in the market today.

Being electric vehicles, these cars are powered by a battery pack and motors. Between the trim levels, the rear-wheel-drive versions mean that there is only one motor available while the all-wheel-drive versions have a dual motor setup. This would mean that the Standard models have a rear-wheel-drive while everything upwards has all-wheel-drive setups.

The motor is a permanent magnet synchronous AC motor, and the transmission is the one-speed direct drive system. These transmissions are becoming more and more commonplace in electric vehicles these days and perform the duty quite well. Acceleration figures in the base engine itself are impressive with a 5.1 second 0 to 60 mph time as well as a 3.5 second 0 to 60 mph time in the Performance variant.

Tesla is the fastest car in its class, both on paper as well as in real life. However, it is also the least expensive car in this category and manages to undercut the price of its rivals by a whole lot. In terms of performance, the BMW i3 is the most unimpressive but has the highest sticker price on it. The Kia Niro and the Chevrolet Bolt are nearly on par in terms of performance as well as price, but the Niro happens to have better torque figures.

How well does the 2019 Tesla Model 3 handle?

The Tesla Model 3 handles surprisingly well due to its battery pack being distributed below the floor of the car. Combine this with excellent acceleration, and the car is in fact very pleasant to drive. The tires can be much better, but the handling is not exactly the reason why people buy cars like Tesla.

The steering is also equally good and remains responsive. The ride quality is also excellent especially when you consider the fact that there is not much of NVH inside. Overall it is a car that manages to strike an excellent ride and handling compromise and is very pleasurable to drive.

2019 Tesla Model 3 Braking Performance

Being part of the heavier cars in this category at 3,549 pounds, braking performance definitely needs to be good to bring the car to a stop. Fittingly, the car is fitted with 12.6-inch rotors in the front and 13.2-inch rotors in the back which are definitely sizable in the category. These rotors are enough to bring the car to a halt from 60 mph in 119 feet, which is nearly one of the best numbers in the category.

The BMW i3 is the lightest vehicle in this category but does not manage to have that performance in terms of braking. As a result of being heavy and being equipped with some of the smallest brake rotors in this class, the Chevrolet Bolt also has very bad braking performance. Tesla is the one that sets the class benchmark. One can definitely see that this car has an upper hand in terms of performance in all aspects.

One of the good things about the new set of electric vehicles is that they come with excellent fuel economy. The Tesla Model 3 is the most impressive of the lot, returning 148 MPGe in the city, 132 MPGe on the highway, and 141 MPGe combined. As a result of this and having some of the biggest battery capacities of the category at 50 kWh, it has the best range of 322 miles as well.

Fuel efficiency is single-handedly the department of Tesla because it not only has the best numbers in terms of efficiency but also in terms of range. One can clearly see that Tesla is far ahead of most manufacturers in terms of battery technology right here. The BMW has good fuel efficiency but feels very insufficient in terms of range.

The interiors of the Tesla Model 3 have been designed to be as minimalistic as possible. This has polarized opinions within the automotive sector, but some people are really good fans of it. Nearly everything in the car is controlled by the touchscreen that sits right in the middle. It also performs badly in terms of cargo capacity with just 15 ft.³ of storage.

In terms of interior space, however, the car feels like one of the largest ones in its class. There are enough storage spaces inside for most stuff, and the cargo capacity can be adjusted by folding the seats and making room for more. The interior material quality is not exactly as great as some of its rivals.

We find that the much smaller-looking rivals also have excellent interior space inside. The Kia offers the best cargo capacity, while the Tesla is only on par with the BMW. The BMW has undoubtedly the best material quality inside the cabin as well but sits only four, which is one person less than all of its rivals. In terms of features, however, Tesla impresses a lot. Some standard features include:

• A fully tinted glass roof
• 12-way power-adjustable heated front and rear seats
• Fold-flat second-row seats
• Premium audio – 14 speakers, 1 subwoofer, 2 amps, and immersive sound experience
• Custom Driver Profiles
• Power folding, heated side mirrors
• Center console with storage, 4 USB ports, and docking for 2 smartphones

What’s there to keep you entertained?

When we mentioned that everything in the interior is controlled by a single touchscreen, we were not joking. However, one of the things infamous about this car is that it does not provide either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Tesla is a truly modern car, and hence it does not skimp on its infotainment features other than that. The system is very easy to operate and the snappy response is very much appreciated. The touchscreen is very large measuring up to 15 inches in size. Some features of the infotainment system include: 

• Navigation and Voice control
• Mobile Wi-Fi
• 4 USB ports
• Remote control Smartphone application
• 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Tesla theatre that has access to Spotify Premium, Youtube, etc

In terms of looks, the Model 3 is one of the brand's best designs according to us. It not only gives the impression that it is a much larger car, but it also provides most of that sophisticated nature of the brand at a very competitive price tag. It definitely looks very premium and has attracted a sufficient number of buyers just due to this. The sedan weighs 3,554 lbs and stands 5.5 inches above the ground. 

It is not very hard to find that Tesla is much larger than any of its competitors. It has the longest wheelbase as well as the largest dimensions in every single aspect. And yet, it manages to be not much heavier than the competitors, which is an impressive feat. The BMW is the smallest car and hence is very convenient for driving inside the cities. Some standout features include:

• LED headlights
• Heated and powered side mirrors
• 18" alloy wheels
• Powered liftgate
• LED taillights
• Glass roof

In terms of safety, Tesla has always impressed due to its advanced driver assistance technology. It has scored an excellent five stars overall safety rating from the NHTSA which is the highest honor. It also performs very well in the IIHS crash test and has been named as a Top Safety Pick + which again is the highest honor. It has not only passive safety features but even has active safety features as standard such as automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and so on as standard. Some of the standout safety features include:

• Blind Spot sensor
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure warning
• Airbag occupancy sensor
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Tesla Autopilot
• Cruise Control
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Change Assist

2019 Tesla Model 3 Vs. 2019 Kia Niro EV

The only advantage the Kia Niro EV offers on top of the Tesla is that it has better cargo capacity. But in every other aspect, the car fails to impress when you compare it with the Model 3. It fails to have the performance, features, or technology despite being priced at the premium. All in all, it would be a no brainer to choose Tesla over Kia in the competition.

2019 Tesla Model 3 Vs. 2019 BMW i3

The BMW i3 is more of a style statement than a car that is capable. Despite being priced at a much higher range than the Tesla, it fails to offer anything of value. However, it has arguably better design as well as the convenience of being very tiny and yet offering excellent interior space.

2019 Tesla Model 3 vs. 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The Chevrolet Bolt EV has gently left buyers impressed but not after Tesla has launched the Model 3. We find that buyers who were not previously interested have also started flooding Tesla showrooms with their money because the car is much more in vogue. It also happens to provide excellent value for the Chevrolet.

The 2019 Tesla Model 3 is an excellent buy because it provides an entry into the brand without having to spend much. It promises the best of electronic technology in the automotive world and manages to pack a lot of value for its price point as well. It has managed to perform better than its rivals in almost every single segment that it has competed in and manages to impress customers overall. The only disadvantage would be that it is subject to very huge waiting periods, and if Tesla manages to speed up that process, the car would find more buyers.