2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard First Drive Review: Better Value Without Compromise

• The entry-level Tesla Model 3 Standard starts at $38,630 including destination.
• The Standard offers few compromises compared with the Model 3 Premium alternative.
• The Model 3's strong performance and sporty handling remain in the Standard car.

— Austin, Texas

Tesla has a history of producing special entry-level versions of the Model 3. Five years ago, Edmunds bought one of the fabled $35K Model 3s, essentially an off-menu special that you could buy if you knew what to ask for. The 2026 Model 3 Standard is less shrouded in secrecy.

We’ve already reported on all the changes compared to the existing Model 3, so here we’re going to concentrate on our driving impressions. How does the $38,630 Standard stack up against the existing Model 3 (now renamed Premium) and the Model 3 Performance, both of which we bought with our own money?

A proper Tesla experience

In our first drive review of the 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard, I noted just how different the Y feels compared to the Premium alternative. The Model 3 has had similar revisions — namely the downgrading of the suspension dampers — but the impact is much less significant. 

The Model 3 is a sedan rather than an SUV. At the risk of sounding geeky, this means the center of gravity is lower and it's easier to stop the car's body from leaning in a corner. As a result, it's easier to achieve a good ride quality without unduly compromising the handling response. 

If you enjoy driving, the Model 3 Standard is much more engaging than the equivalent Model Y. Moreover, it still feels like a traditional Tesla. The trademark direct steering response — turn the wheel and the car reacts instantly — is still present and correct, and there's little roll through corners. It still feels like a sporty sedan. Nor is this at the expense of an uncomfortable ride quality. This is a refined family car. 

Plentiful performance

According to Tesla’s own figures, the 0-60 mph time for the Model 3 Standard is 5.8 seconds, up from 4.9 seconds for the Premium. It's slower, but under 6 seconds is still rapid for a family-oriented car. I think it unlikely that anyone will step out of the Model 3 and say it wants for performance. 

The way the car accelerates is also familiar. Unlike the Model Y, the accelerator response hasn't been detuned to a noticeable degree, so the 3 still feels fun and sporty. In no way does it feel like a cut-price alternative. 

What else should you know?

As I detailed in our first look article, the changes for the Model 3 are much less extensive than they are for the Model Y. The absence of a cover for the cupholders hardly feels like an omission, and from the driver's seat, there's almost nothing else to indicate that you're in the entry-level car. The panoramic glass roof, eliminated in the Y, is still present in the 3, to the benefit of all. It's a subjective opinion, but I also rather like the fabric seat inserts, which might cost less but also provide a nice antidote to the swaths of vegan leather. 

The only questionable deletion is the removal of autosteer functionality. As you can see in the video above, this is just a marketing ploy to get customers to pay more, either for the Premium car or for Tesla's Full Self-Driving software (an extra $99 per month). The ability of a Tesla to steer itself helps reduce driver fatigue, particularly on the highway.  

This inconvenience aside, the Model 3 remains a fine family car that we named our Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car for 2025. It might lack the versatility of an SUV and it’s not as roomy in the rear as the rival Hyundai Ioniq 6, but it's still a spacious, practical car for four adults. 

The stalk is back!

We rate the Model 3 highly, but one feature that always drove us mad was the removal of the indicator stalks in favor of buttons on the steering wheel. Customers clearly agreed, and Tesla has reinstated the stalk for the Standard version and all other 2026 versions of the Model 3.

Should you buy one?

The Model 3 Standard costs $5,500 less than the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 Premium. This is a bigger price difference than between the Model Y Standard and Premium, which is hard to fathom given that the changes for the 3 are minimal by comparison. While we question whether the Model Y Standard represents a better value than the Premium, the case for the Model 3 Standard appears clear-cut. The Model Y Standard feels like an entry-level alternative; the Model 3 categorically does not. 

Photos by Alistair Weaver