We suspect real-world range is the reason, though. (And of course, we’d ask Tesla, but it doesn’t employ a PR department.) We never range-tested the old Model 3 Performance ourselves, but based on non-Performance Dual Motor Model 3s from the same time versus those from today, real-world range has improved dramatically with the new generation. Even still, our Real World Road-Trip Range test returned just 265 miles at a constant 70 mph, 16 percent off the EPA rating, a typical result for current Tesla products.
Performance, Matured
From the driver’s perspective, it still feels like a more mature and sophisticated sport sedan. The old car always felt a bit like a work in progress, partly because Tesla invited us and our resident pro driver, Randy Pobst, out to a racetrack to help develop it well after the other Model 3 variants went on sale.
This time, it feels like Tesla planned to do a Performance model right from the start. Indeed, Track mode is now on its third official software version, and it’s more user-friendly than ever. The slider bar on the screen works as promised, allowing you to adjust from the baseline neutral handling toward more understeer or more oversteer as you like. Each notch on the bar makes a perceptible difference in limit handling, allowing you to pick your personal favorite setting. Unexpectedly, we got our best figure-eight lap with a decent amount of understeer selected, demonstrating tangible performance differences between the settings.
While the all-season tires are fine on the test track and in the world, we can’t help but want more. The braking power feels damped by the relative lack of grip versus what the brakes are capable of. Both in straight-line stopping and during lapping, we kept wishing for more tire so it would stop shorter and grip harder. The summer tires are a no-brainer for anyone who wants the most performance out of their Performance model.
While we’re making suggestions, we’re also hoping for a little more flash from this performance car. The Model 3 Performance is a Q ship for sure, and while we’re not necessarily against that, it’s also not great when it’s hard to tell your high-performance model from all the other Model 3s at the Supercharger.
American car culture was built on cheap speed, and it was measured on the boulevards and dragstrips across the country. Times have changed, and if you want to win that stoplight drag today on a working person’s salary, you’d better bring a Tesla. Wanna really rub it in? Let the car semi-autonomously self-drive to the starting line.
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