The 2023 Tesla Model 3 delivers an overall enjoyable driving experience. It's nimble and quick, and its minimalistic interior design looks modern and upscale. Plenty of range and ease-of-charging are also high points. Build quality can be a bit of a dice roll, but ultimately there's a lot of upside to the Model 3 for the price.
Part of the first Model 3 generation introduced for 2017
What is the Model 3?
The Tesla Model 3 is Tesla's least expensive and most popular car. It's been a huge success for the automaker since the first one rolled off the lines in 2017 and can easily be considered the brand's bread and butter. With at least 272 miles of range on tap, the Model 3 is perfect for anyone who needs to scoot around a big city and can be stretched to work on longer road trips thanks to Tesla's massive Supercharger network.
For 2023, we can't see Tesla changing too much on the Model 3. It offers plenty of tech, more than enough range for the average commute, and enough space for anyone who's considering a smaller EV. We can always count on Tesla to add new features via over-the-air updates, but nothing major has been confirmed for the 2023 Model 3 yet. The only concern for Model 3 buyers is the price trajectory over the last few years. The Model 3's MSRP has slowly crept upward, and it seems like the dream of a $35,000 Tesla will stay exactly that, a dream.
It's hard not to recommend the Model 3 to people looking for their first EV. It offers a spacious interior, a comfortable ride, and an appealing blend of sharp handling and unexpectedly rapid acceleration. That's why the Model 3 has fended off the competition and won the Edmunds Top Rated EV award for three consecutive years. With that kind of hat trick under its belt, it's hard to bet against Tesla's smallest EV.
Edmunds says
The Model 3 formula has worked for Tesla so far — the automaker's sold more than 1 million worldwide — and for 2023, we don't think Tesla will mess much with what has been a very good thing.
251 milesThe range for a used 2023 Tesla Model 3 is estimated to be 251 miles because electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year, with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.
EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 251 miles.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.
Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Hemet, California. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.
NACSNorth American Charging Standard (NACS). Supports Level 1, Level 2 and DC fast charging.
Plug Type
10.4 hrs
240V Home ChargingEstimated total charging time when using a 240V outlet. This is either a 3-prong or 4-prong outlet used for appliances, for example a clothes dryer.
EV batteries should be kept at 30-80% charged to extend battery life.
8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.
According to GeoTab’s data, if the observed degradation rates are maintained, the vast majority of batteries will outlast the usable life of the vehicle.
Estimated battery warranty remaining is 6 years or 72,000 miles for this car.Warranty remaining value is based on the vehicle year, and on driving 14,000 miles per year. Confirm exact warranty coverage for each vehicle with the dealers and the manufacturer before purchasing.
EV Tax Credits & Rebates
$26,100
Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.
Restrictions:
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Replace Your Ride program offers income qualified residents a standard grant of $10,000, or a total of $12,000 (for residency in a disadvantaged community census tract). Offer is for scrapping a qualifying model year 2010 or older vehicle and replacing it with the purchase of a battery electric vehicle. Residents under the jurisdiction of the SCAQMD cannot participate in the Clean Cars 4 All program offered through the Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP). To qualify:
Income eligible applicant must currently reside within the jurisdiction of the SCAQMD.
Application approval and authorization letter required prior to purchase of a 2018 or newer vehicle with less than 100,000 miles (but not to exceed the scrapped vehicle mileage) from an authorized participating dealer.
Max vehicle price: $65,000.
Scrapped vehicle must be owned and operated by applicant in CA for the past 24 months.
Limited to one incentive per person per IRS household for the lifetime of the program. Previous participation in other CARB funded programs may affect eligibility.
Additional information:
For the $10,000, applicant must have an income at or below 300% of the current Federal Poverty Level as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For the $12,000, must also reside in a disadvantaged community census tract.
Participants may receive up to $2,000 for the installation of a Level 2 charger.
Participants who do not want to replace their old vehicles may obtain a $7,500 credit to be used towards car-sharing options like Zipcar, Turo, or vRide, the purchase of an e-Bike, or a discounted public transit pass.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) through the Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP) offers two pathways for applicants: the Clean Cars 4 All route or Financial Assistance route. The path outlined here is for the Financial Assistance, offering a standard down payment assistance grant of $7,500 towards the purchase or lease of an 8 year old or newer battery electric vehicle. Scrapping and replacing a vehicle is not required. Check with your local Air District for any available programs that may take precedence over the DCAP programs. To qualify:
Income eligible applicant must be a California resident.
Application approval required prior to purchasing or leasing from an authorized participating dealership.
Maximum purchase price of replacement vehicle not to exceed $45,000.
Previous participation in other CARB funded programs may affect eligibility.
Additional information:
For the $7,500, must have an income at or below 300% of the current Federal Poverty Level as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Participants may qualify for an additional charging grant, choosing between $2,000 for the purchase and install of Level 2 home charging equipment or $2,000 for a public charging card.
Fair financing may be available, capped at $45,000 with an interest rate no more than 8%.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers taxpayers a Used Clean Vehicle Tax Credit equal to 30% of the sale price up to a maximum credit of $4,000 for the purchase of a used plug-in electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Beginning January 1, 2024, Clean Vehicle Tax Credits may be initiated and approved at the point of sale at participating dealerships registered with the IRS. Dealers will be responsible for submitting Clean Vehicle Tax Credit information to the IRS. Buyers are advised to obtain a copy of an IRS "time of sale" report, confirming it was submitted successfully by the dealer. Not every version of the vehicle models will necessarily qualify. Please check with the dealer/seller to determine the eligibility of your specific vehicle.
For the vehicle to qualify:
Price cannot exceed $25,000.
Need to verify the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Must be at least two model years older than the current calendar year in which the vehicle was purchased.
Must be sold through a dealership, private sales not permitted.
Not have already been transferred after August 16, 2022, to a qualified buyer.
For individuals to qualify:
Must meet income eligibility, depending on modified adjusted gross income (AGI) and tax filing status.
Must not be the first owner of the qualifying vehicle.
Has not been allowed a credit under this section for any sale during the 3-year period ending on the date of the sale of such vehicle.
Purchased for personal use, not a business, corporation or for resale.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) through the Residential EV Charging Incentive program offers income qualified residents a rebate of up to $500 towards the cost of purchasing an eligible Level 2 (240V) charger. Covers up to $500 or the amount paid for the charger, whichever is lower. To qualify:
Income eligible applicant must currently reside within the jurisdiction of the SCAQMD.
Participant must show proof of income eligibility by either showing participation in CARE or FERA utility assistance rates or having a current CalWORKS or TANF membership.
Must be an eligible new Level 2 charger that is wall-mounted, hard-wired and permanently installed by a licensed electrician for use for a minimum of three years.
Limit of one rebate per individual, household, address, and/or vehicle (VIN).
Restrictions: Edmunds is partnering with Treehouse, an independent provider of home EV installation services. Edmunds visitors receive a $100 discount when they contract with Treehouse for their home charger installation. Discount excludes permit, hosted inspection, and load management devices. Valid for 30 days.
EV ownership works best if you can charge at home (240V outlet) This typically means a 240V home installation, or other places your car is parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice.
Adding a home charging system is estimated to cost $1,616 in This is an estimate for your area. Using your address and the answers you provide, Treehouse can provide a more accurate price.
Edmunds is partnering with Treehouse, an independent provider of home EV installation services. Learn moreEdmunds customers receive a 10% installation discount and 4% smart charger discount. Discount excludes permit, hosted inspection, and load management devices. Valid for 30 days.
Great customer experience buying, driving, owning!
5 out of 5 stars
JJD, 09/28/2023
2023 Tesla Model 3 Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
Needed a new car. I had no intention of buying an EV, let alone a Tesla. My wife wanted to check out EVs, so I reluctantly agreed.
First we drove some plug-in hybrids. Meh. Then she showed me the price of a Model 3 and I agreed to test drive it.
1. You schedule test drive via online. We found it super convenient. Knew exactly when and where we would be test driving, no waiting in car … lot for some idiot car salesman.
2. Sign in, Tesla rep greets us and lets us look around, then explains to us how to use the features. No sales pushing, just answering all our questions.
3. Supposed to be a 30 min test drive, we couldn’t stop, went for an hour. It was thought changing. I went from being EV skeptic, to Tesla enthusiast in 60 min.
4. Went online and bought a car that afternoon. Again, no scumbag slimy car salesman, everything straight forward and easy.
5. Did have to download the app to finish the process to fill out the paperwork. But, this was fine, do it from living room couch rather than in a cra##y office with some sales idiot bugging you to buy some stupid extras.
6. The only hiccup, app prompts you to pay before picking up car. I just messaged in the app that I preferred to see car before paying. Response, “No problem.”
7. Pickup fast efficient trouble free. People were great.
The whole experience left us thinking,” this all works together so well. Everything is well thought out and customer experience well thought out.” Car is just a pleasure to drive. Fun, fast, quiet, fast, handles well. Relaxing to drive in traffic.
With tax credits, cheaper than a Camry.
We did get a wall charger, makes the ownership sooo much better. Just plug it in every night and never worry about range for normal commuting.
Day three, first day commuting, we got a weird rock ding and broke front passenger door window. Got home. Called service (they answered fast) and the recommended using app to schedule service. (They offered to schedule over phone, but I wanted to try the app). Tried it, flawless to schedule service. Asked you to describe problem, take some pics and submit. Within minutes, got a message that a mobile appointment was scheduled. App asked for insurance, and that was it. Tech showed up in service time. Fixed window fast, answered a bunch of questions we had about features and then was off. No muss, no fuss. Mobile service was AWESOME!
Oh, total cost to us was $0.
Fit and finish great
Driving in rain great
500 mile road trip with family of four great. Total cost, $16. Time at supercharger, 14 min from 30% to 95%.
People complain about no car play/android auto, non issue. Tesla navigation is outstanding. Phone Bluetooth connects for calls. Connectivity lets you connect to streaming services you subscribe to. Don’t care about carplay/android auto anymore, it’s irrelevant.
You do have to take some time to learn how to use everything but it’s time well spent as there’s sooo much there for you to tailor the car to how you want things.
Tesla Model 3 LWD/AWD. Two months, 2000 miles. Loving it. Can’t wait for our other car to have an issue, so we can justify getting a model Y.
love it
5 out of 5 stars
hermes152, 06/10/2023
2023 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
We've had it for almost 2 months and 3,000 miles. It was a touch overwhelming at first. There is a learning curve. Nothing a few minutes with the owners manual can't fix. My wife and I are both hooked. going back to a gas car is like considering going back to rotary dial desk phone or black and white TV. Smooth, quiet, quick, comforitable. plenty of range. It's ready to go for the wife @ … 5am - full charge and the cabin is at her preferred temp. It costs us $2.40 a day for her to drive the 50 miles to work and back.
There are a few complaints. The wife doesn't like the headlights on auto dim because she thinks it dims to often and prefers to do it herself. The wipers can be a little fussy on auto as well. But Ive never seen a car that is perfect on auto. The headlights are incredible. bright, white and wide angle of view.
The back-up cameras are very nice. good view, clear pictures large display.
One pedal driving is the only way to drive. (It has 2 pedals, brake and acceleator. you can drive by only using the acc pedal though).
my biggest complaint is I hate driving my 8 yro smelly, noisy, vibrating old fashion gas car now.
If you want a car like your dad's ole buick you probably won't like a tesla. If you approach it with an open mind, then the fact that this car does things differently, and mostly better but sometimes just different, won't bother you.
**after 10 months nothing has really changed. If anything we have grown to like it even more. We've done a couple road trips of 200+ miles. No problems. Getting off the main interstate the chargers are fewer but we've had no difficulties so far. We didn't even really need to switch from the 110V charger to 220. At 10,000 miles we had spent $600 charging it, including super charging (~14%)
*****1 year plus and 18,000 miles later. We have only grow to like and enjoy the car more. Our actaul cost for electric is about $0.20/kwh so we spend about $60/month to drive. yes, this is how much our elctric bill went up. Balanced against this a decrease in gas costs of about $200/month. Our old car would have needed 4 oil changes at this point @ $70 each and there was usually something else added on top - bulb, filter replaced etc. It goes well in the snow, a concern of my wifes. The light for wiper fluid came on yesterday making, I think, the 4th gallon of fluid needed. It's needed nothing, given no problems and the periodic updates have added features it didn't have and improved others. Love it. My wife is head over heels for it. It's been nothing but impressive.
Say goodbye to gas forever
5 out of 5 stars
BrendanK, 12/04/2023
2023 Tesla Model 3 Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
I bought my first EV, the dual-motor Model 3, in March of 2020. I already knew enough about this car because a friend had one. But five minutes into the test drive and I was sold. I called it life changing, because it was like driving into the future. It's unlike anything I'd ever driven in the most sensory way, from the instant torque, the glass roof, and the minimalist design and … software integration. No more acceleration lag like my Infiniti EX had. Pick out a spot you want to be on the road and you are there in short order. The experience of buying online (no dealer BS) and all of the service interactions I've had since then are top notch. It was a tad better when half as many people owned Tesla's, but for me there is no going back to legacy OEMs and the dealership model. Mobil service rangers are the best thing ever.
Drove from Denver to Joshua Tree during Covid. No issues at all. Just pure enjoyment.
The Worst - MAYBE
3 out of 5 stars
WR, 01/24/2023
2023 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan (electric DD)
I have owned dozens of luxury cars throughout my life. The standard 2023 model 3 is the worst auto purchase (actually lease) I have ever made. The online buying experience was a nightmare. Tesla is there for you all the way until they have your money, then they are gone with the wind. Everything is done online but you can wait a week for a simple response. The build quality of the car is … horrible. Panel gaps, paint issues and more. It’s beyond frustrating. Since there is no dealership to take the car to, your frustration just mounts. I gave up a $50,000 loaded Q3 for the potential fun of an EV. Biggest mistake I ever made. Charging is another issues. I put a Tesla wall connector in my garage. It’s great but cost $1,000 with installation. Tesla does not care about their customers. They hype up the car and feed into the desirability aspects of the Tesla enthusiast. But for the average car buyer, you have to be out of your mind. Stay with ICE until you have to switch. And make sure there is a person to talk to and a dealership to go to. UPDATE after 5 weeks. Well everything I said about the customer service and pretty much everything else remains. However, after 5 weeks of ownership and a massive learning curve as it relates to all things technology and the dozens of settings and all the things you need to figure out, then learn, then implement, I gotta say I love this car. After all the bad stuff, this car is awesome. Most fun I’ve ever had driving a car and the small issues with paint and build quality I’ve sort of gotten over. The car drives like a dream. And the rear wheel model3 standard is the Best Buy for the money by far. I did get the $7500. discount which is what prompted me to begin with. The in the garage charging is awesome. No more gas stations. Love it. Actually starting to love the whole car!
2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 vs. 2023 Tesla Model 3 | Electric Sedan Comparison Test | Price, Range & More!
The Tesla Model 3 has been largely unchallenged in the entry-level premium electric sedan segment — until now, that is. The all-new 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the first true competitor to the Model 3, so we put the two head-to-head. Did Hyundai build a better Tesla? Or will the Model 3 reign supreme? Find out with Edmunds' Brian Wong in our electric sedan comparison test… above!
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