Model 3 Highland
Discussion
I just happened to be passing Tesla store a couple of days ago and noticed they had a new Model 3 Highland on display. I'm sure we've all seen pictures of this refresh of the Model 3 but it was nice to see one in the metal.
Like many others (I suspect) the front bumper on the Model 3 was the one thing I disliked about the styling. To my eye, the rest of the car looks as good as any other car on the market today. The new bumper and slimmer headlights are a huge improvement IMO. The car looks much sleeker at the front now. The new rear lights have changed of course but not so much that you'd notice (my wife thought they looked the same) but maybe that was partly down to the car colour (the new dark grey metallic). On a white car, perhaps it would be more obvious. Yes, the lights are fixed to the boot so they move when the boot is opened. The rear bumper has changed slightly too with a venturi-style lower half in black. And of course, the Tesla emblem has been replaced with the words T E S L A across the boot lid (the emblem is still on the frunk).
We both thought the quality of materials on the interior had been improved too, to the point where we both commented at the same time about the 'thunk' of the doors when we closed them. My wife doesn't normally notice anything on a car so it was a testament to how much Tesla has changed things. Ok, it's not difficult to improve the sound a door makes when you close it, some well-placed sound deadening will do the job but it was nice to see...and hear.
Much has been said about the indicator stalks being removed and replaced with buttons. I didn't drive the car but honestly, I can't see this being a massive issue and certainly not a 'deal breaker' as others have suggested. Humans are quite quick to adapt to change and this would be a minor change when it comes to driving IMO. And the removal of the gear selector from a stalk to the screen isn't going to be a massive issue, is it? Ok, when parking and moving from forward to reverse, I agree it's easier to have a stalk to select gear but as I said, I'm sure you will adapt. And how long will it be before someone offers an aftermarket stalk set-up?
The rest of the interior is quite familiar apart from the wood trim across the dash and front doors. The steering wheel seemed slightly smaller and the rim a little fatter and more shapely. The stitching of the wheel cover was more 'obvious' to the touch too. I assume the lights across the dash and door caps will go out or at least dim when on the move. If not, I think might be distracting when driving but again, not to the point where it would be a 'deal breaker' for me. We all know about the rear screen for passengers. I didn't bother to look at this too much but I'd like to be able to switch it off as I wouldn't want my passengers messing around with the car's settings, however limited those settings might be. Call me a control freak if you must
Other changes to the seats and interior materials were quite pleasing to the eye and to the touch and I'm sure the vented seats will be a welcome improvement, especially in the summer.
The only thing I disliked was the plastic trim on the wheels. This showroom model was fitted with 19" rims and the plastic trim around the edge of the wheel between the 'spokes' looks naff. I know they've probably done it to make the wheels look bigger (it's an optical illusion) but I could get my fingers behind the plastic and if I can do that, imagine how much road grime will collect there over time. I've seen pictures of wheels with the plastic removed and they look awful. I'm not a fan of the aero wheels so if and when I change my Model 3 to a Highland, I think I'd seriously look at getting some aftermarket wheels.
And I do wish that Tesla would offer silver metallic paint on the Model 3 (as they do on the Model Y). I've been told it's down to the paint application equipment/processes which are different in Berlin compared to China. Maybe Berlin will start to assemble Model 3's for the European market in the future in which case silver paint might become an option.
Like many others (I suspect) the front bumper on the Model 3 was the one thing I disliked about the styling. To my eye, the rest of the car looks as good as any other car on the market today. The new bumper and slimmer headlights are a huge improvement IMO. The car looks much sleeker at the front now. The new rear lights have changed of course but not so much that you'd notice (my wife thought they looked the same) but maybe that was partly down to the car colour (the new dark grey metallic). On a white car, perhaps it would be more obvious. Yes, the lights are fixed to the boot so they move when the boot is opened. The rear bumper has changed slightly too with a venturi-style lower half in black. And of course, the Tesla emblem has been replaced with the words T E S L A across the boot lid (the emblem is still on the frunk).
We both thought the quality of materials on the interior had been improved too, to the point where we both commented at the same time about the 'thunk' of the doors when we closed them. My wife doesn't normally notice anything on a car so it was a testament to how much Tesla has changed things. Ok, it's not difficult to improve the sound a door makes when you close it, some well-placed sound deadening will do the job but it was nice to see...and hear.
Much has been said about the indicator stalks being removed and replaced with buttons. I didn't drive the car but honestly, I can't see this being a massive issue and certainly not a 'deal breaker' as others have suggested. Humans are quite quick to adapt to change and this would be a minor change when it comes to driving IMO. And the removal of the gear selector from a stalk to the screen isn't going to be a massive issue, is it? Ok, when parking and moving from forward to reverse, I agree it's easier to have a stalk to select gear but as I said, I'm sure you will adapt. And how long will it be before someone offers an aftermarket stalk set-up?
The rest of the interior is quite familiar apart from the wood trim across the dash and front doors. The steering wheel seemed slightly smaller and the rim a little fatter and more shapely. The stitching of the wheel cover was more 'obvious' to the touch too. I assume the lights across the dash and door caps will go out or at least dim when on the move. If not, I think might be distracting when driving but again, not to the point where it would be a 'deal breaker' for me. We all know about the rear screen for passengers. I didn't bother to look at this too much but I'd like to be able to switch it off as I wouldn't want my passengers messing around with the car's settings, however limited those settings might be. Call me a control freak if you must
Other changes to the seats and interior materials were quite pleasing to the eye and to the touch and I'm sure the vented seats will be a welcome improvement, especially in the summer.The only thing I disliked was the plastic trim on the wheels. This showroom model was fitted with 19" rims and the plastic trim around the edge of the wheel between the 'spokes' looks naff. I know they've probably done it to make the wheels look bigger (it's an optical illusion) but I could get my fingers behind the plastic and if I can do that, imagine how much road grime will collect there over time. I've seen pictures of wheels with the plastic removed and they look awful. I'm not a fan of the aero wheels so if and when I change my Model 3 to a Highland, I think I'd seriously look at getting some aftermarket wheels.
And I do wish that Tesla would offer silver metallic paint on the Model 3 (as they do on the Model Y). I've been told it's down to the paint application equipment/processes which are different in Berlin compared to China. Maybe Berlin will start to assemble Model 3's for the European market in the future in which case silver paint might become an option.
I should get my RWD in March. Paid a little extra for Blue.
I've had an SR+ since March 2020, so the extra ~60 miles will come in useful for the 270 mile trip to my in-laws 2-3 times a year. I've found the 200 mile range of the SR+ to be more than adequate when coupled with the Tesla SuC network, now even more so with the expansion of the charging network in general.
I sat in the new model a few weeks ago and concur with a lot that you say. I've had no issues with build quality/panel gaps on my Freemont build Model 3, but the interior materials are a definite step up from mine.
Time will tell on the indicators though
And the LED interior light strip does turn off.
I've had an SR+ since March 2020, so the extra ~60 miles will come in useful for the 270 mile trip to my in-laws 2-3 times a year. I've found the 200 mile range of the SR+ to be more than adequate when coupled with the Tesla SuC network, now even more so with the expansion of the charging network in general.
I sat in the new model a few weeks ago and concur with a lot that you say. I've had no issues with build quality/panel gaps on my Freemont build Model 3, but the interior materials are a definite step up from mine.
Time will tell on the indicators though
And the LED interior light strip does turn off.
Maracus said:
I should get my RWD in March. Paid a little extra for Blue.
I've had an SR+ since March 2020, so the extra ~60 miles will come in useful for the 270 mile trip to my in-laws 2-3 times a year. I've found the 200 mile range of the SR+ to be more than adequate when coupled with the Tesla SuC network, now even more so with the expansion of the charging network in general.
I sat in the new model a few weeks ago and concur with a lot that you say. I've had no issues with build quality/panel gaps on my Freemont build Model 3, but the interior materials are a definite step up from mine.
Time will tell on the indicators though
And the LED interior light strip does turn off.
Mine is a 2022 SR+ and I get an indicated 262 mile range (on 19" wheels in summer and 18" wheels/winter tyres without aero covers in winter) and always charge to 100%. Tesla have made a point about increased range with the Highland due to better aerodynamics so you should be very happy when yours arrives.I've had an SR+ since March 2020, so the extra ~60 miles will come in useful for the 270 mile trip to my in-laws 2-3 times a year. I've found the 200 mile range of the SR+ to be more than adequate when coupled with the Tesla SuC network, now even more so with the expansion of the charging network in general.
I sat in the new model a few weeks ago and concur with a lot that you say. I've had no issues with build quality/panel gaps on my Freemont build Model 3, but the interior materials are a definite step up from mine.
Time will tell on the indicators though
And the LED interior light strip does turn off.
Like you, I've had no issues with mine which was a China build. There was one trim clip missing underneath the car but that was fixed by a mobile tech within a couple of days of taking delivery. And the paintwork (Pearl White) is flawless. I wonder if that's partly down to the fact that I asked Tesla not to wash the car before I took delivery. They did as I asked.
CharlieAlphaMike said:
Mine is a 2022 SR+ and I get an indicated 262 mile range (on 19" wheels in summer and 18" wheels/winter tyres without aero covers in winter) and always charge to 100%. Tesla have made a point about increased range with the Highland due to better aerodynamics so you should be very happy when yours arrives.
Like you, I've had no issues with mine which was a China build. There was one trim clip missing underneath the car but that was fixed by a mobile tech within a couple of days of taking delivery. And the paintwork (Pearl White) is flawless. I wonder if that's partly down to the fact that I asked Tesla not to wash the car before I took delivery. They did as I asked.
Thanks for the info. Like you, I've had no issues with mine which was a China build. There was one trim clip missing underneath the car but that was fixed by a mobile tech within a couple of days of taking delivery. And the paintwork (Pearl White) is flawless. I wonder if that's partly down to the fact that I asked Tesla not to wash the car before I took delivery. They did as I asked.
The indicators have been talked about at length and your view largely boils down to whether you want to believe they are a problem or not. There are definitely scenarios on U.K. roads where they are a problem, mainly mid sized roundabouts when turning right and some awkward road intersections, arguably exactly the times when you need good indication.
This video just shows lots of scenarios and demonstrates the issue when it occurs and equally the many when it doesn’t
https://youtu.be/WCy5YHRYO7s
This video just shows lots of scenarios and demonstrates the issue when it occurs and equally the many when it doesn’t
https://youtu.be/WCy5YHRYO7s
I do also prefer the styling of the Highland, compared to the previous model. I am not so sure about the slimmer lights, but the bumper is a lot better.
I am not too concerned about the lack of direction indicators stalk, but the subsequent lack of any physical wipers command: I was driving last night through Switzerland (San Bernardino for those interested) with a mix of rain and snow and the auto-function is dreadful, going in and out of tunnels also meant that I couldn't keep them at a fixed speed, so sometimes the only way to see out was to press the button on the stalk. I wonder how this would have panned out with the new one...
I am not too concerned about the lack of direction indicators stalk, but the subsequent lack of any physical wipers command: I was driving last night through Switzerland (San Bernardino for those interested) with a mix of rain and snow and the auto-function is dreadful, going in and out of tunnels also meant that I couldn't keep them at a fixed speed, so sometimes the only way to see out was to press the button on the stalk. I wonder how this would have panned out with the new one...
Well I was looking forward to my test of a new Long Range but fear they will NOT be getting many Tesla repeat customers!! Did their check on trade-in value for my immaculate 13,000 mile 2022 M3 Standard Range. I paid £44,500 for it in cash for it back in March 2022. At one point WBAC offered me £45,950 for it. Today my official Tesla trade in against a new M3 Long Range was £20,975. Never in more than 40 years of owning cars from Lada to BMW have I witnessed such depreciation. I think I will have my current M3 for a very long time ... the £30,000 or so needed to change me can be put to better use.
oldmanbm said:
Well I was looking forward to my test of a new Long Range but fear they will NOT be getting many Tesla repeat customers!! Did their check on trade-in value for my immaculate 13,000 mile 2022 M3 Standard Range. I paid £44,500 for it in cash for it back in March 2022. At one point WBAC offered me £45,950 for it. Today my official Tesla trade in against a new M3 Long Range was £20,975. Never in more than 40 years of owning cars from Lada to BMW have I witnessed such depreciation. I think I will have my current M3 for a very long time ... the £30,000 or so needed to change me can be put to better use.
I don’t understand this. Surely 12-24 months is top of the depreciation curve? I wouldn’t expect more for any car. AlexIT said:
I do also prefer the styling of the Highland, compared to the previous model. I am not so sure about the slimmer lights, but the bumper is a lot better.
I am not too concerned about the lack of direction indicators stalk, but the subsequent lack of any physical wipers command: I was driving last night through Switzerland (San Bernardino for those interested) with a mix of rain and snow and the auto-function is dreadful, going in and out of tunnels also meant that I couldn't keep them at a fixed speed, so sometimes the only way to see out was to press the button on the stalk. I wonder how this would have panned out with the new one...
For a quick 'wipe', there's a button on the steering wheel (right hand side) which will be no more difficult than using a wiper stalk. I find that using the quick wipe wakes the auto wipe up. I do agree the auto wipe function isn't great but in my experience, it's far from perfect on pretty much every other car. I am not too concerned about the lack of direction indicators stalk, but the subsequent lack of any physical wipers command: I was driving last night through Switzerland (San Bernardino for those interested) with a mix of rain and snow and the auto-function is dreadful, going in and out of tunnels also meant that I couldn't keep them at a fixed speed, so sometimes the only way to see out was to press the button on the stalk. I wonder how this would have panned out with the new one...
Gone fishing said:
The indicators have been talked about at length and your view largely boils down to whether you want to believe they are a problem or not. There are definitely scenarios on U.K. roads where they are a problem, mainly mid sized roundabouts when turning right and some awkward road intersections, arguably exactly the times when you need good indication.
This video just shows lots of scenarios and demonstrates the issue when it occurs and equally the many when it doesn’t
https://youtu.be/WCy5YHRYO7s
Interesting.This video just shows lots of scenarios and demonstrates the issue when it occurs and equally the many when it doesn’t
https://youtu.be/WCy5YHRYO7s
Track day style steering wheel technique for the big wheel turns?
CharlieAlphaMike said:
For a quick 'wipe', there's a button on the steering wheel (right hand side) which will be no more difficult than using a wiper stalk. I find that using the quick wipe wakes the auto wipe up. I do agree the auto wipe function isn't great but in my experience, it's far from perfect on pretty much every other car.
Ok, I wasn't aware of that. Glad that they thought about it.Yes likewise: I never found a satisfactory auto-wiper function yet.
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