Read the 2017 Tesla Model 3's introduction to our long-term fleet.
See all of the 2017 Tesla Model 3's long-term updates.
What We Got
We were among the first to take ownership of a Tesla Model 3. Doing so required a few mandatory options and a configuration that is no longer available. Outfitted with the (at the time) 310-mile battery and Premium Upgraded interior, our Model 3 long-range rear-wheel drive totaled $50,000 with destination. To that we added a color that wasn't black ($1,000) and Enhanced Autopilot ($5,000) for a total of $56,000.
You expect a few glitches when you buy a car in its first generation. But when it's an entirely new car from an entirely new car company that has entirely different ideas on how cars should work, those glitches get magnified.
Indeed, our 2017 Tesla Model 3 had a very rocky start to ownership, with frequent visits to repair centers for a variety of issues. But once those issues were addressed, our Model 3 quickly became one of our favorite sedans. We even named the current model a winner of Edmunds Top Rated 2020.
The Model 3 is a collection of radical new ideas, not just for electric vehicles but also for the automotive industry. When executed well, these ideas don't make the Model 3 feel futuristic. Instead, they make similar vehicles seem old.
It's small things like the absence of a power button (why do you need one?) and harmless fun baked into the entertainment system, like karaoke and a whoopie cushion. But it's also things like how you can control your ownership experience through your phone, from locking the car to scheduling service to ordering upgrades.
It's more like owning a modern cellphone or video game than a car. Tesla's over-the-air software updates promise new features and polish to existing ones. We caught ourselves checking online Tesla communities when an update was imminent simply because we were eager to play with the new toys.
Performance
"Highway 39 is tight and sinuous, and there's a fair bit of climbing through several switchbacks. Up here this chassis feels really sorted and well-balanced, and I really like the way the steering reacts, as well as the feel of the wheel in my hands. The electric motor delivers plenty of thrust, too. I actually caught up to a pair of sport bikes on the way up and walked away from an Alfa Romeo Giulia." — Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing
"The brakes felt smooth and easy to regulate on the way down the mountain from Crystal Lake. But even though I had the regenerative braking set to high, I did find myself using the brake pedal more often than I had when driving the Bolt EV down the same mountain at a similar clip. I suppose it's because the Model 3 is a rear-wheel-drive machine and the Bolt is a front-driver. Stability demands that the bulk of your braking be done on the front end, and that means Tesla can't set the Model 3's regen level quite as high. You'll find yourself using the brake pedal instead of lift-throttle braking more often in situations like this. The end result is an overall loss of harvesting efficiency because some energy that might otherwise be recoverable in a front-wheel-drive EV will be lost as heat in the Model 3's front brake pads and rotors." — Dan Edmunds
"The Model 3 definitely steers and handles better than, well, any other EV, frankly. Feels more satisfying to drive than a Bolt, Leaf, etc. The ride's a bit too busy, however, in a way that makes me think they need to make another pass at the damping. It's not harsh, but it's not spot-on, either. Still, thumbs-up for making an EV that doesn't mind a fun road." — Jason Kavanagh, senior road test engineer
MPGe
"I'm tired of this. I am not able to match, let alone exceed, the Tesla's rated range. This flies in the face of every other EV. I've driven 334 miles in a Bolt, which is only rated at 238 miles. I've had similar (and frequent) range-busting results in the Leaf, the Volt, the Kona EV and many others. But never in a Tesla, be it an S, X or 3. And I’m driving the same commute.
"I'm thinking their ratings are overstated. Of course they are. Who else recommends that you set the battery to 90% full on a regular basis to save the battery? No one, that's who. It allows them to claim a certain range but recommend against operating the car that way. Meanwhile, our Bolt is proving such tactics aren't necessary. It just achieved its best-ever result after 2.5 years and nearly 30,000 miles." — Dan Edmunds
Comfort
"This car rides too rough for my tastes. You feel every crack and imperfection in the road. I drove this back to back with our Chevy Bolt, and the Bolt was far more comfortable for me for daily driving. I get that this car has sporty intentions, but most people are driving these cars in cities full of potholes rather than winding mountain roads." —Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor
"The Model 3's back seat is an obvious weak spot, as my parents' recent visit underscored. They were generally gee-whiz amazed by the Model 3, but they were disappointed by the low-mounted rear bottom cushion and the lack of comfortable contours back there. Not much legroom, either. As comfortable as the front seats are — I find them delightful — I'm surprised Tesla couldn't do a halfway decent job with the rear compartment. The Model 3 is at a distinct disadvantage versus well-rounded rivals like the 3 Series in this regard." — Josh Sadlier, director, content strategy
Cargo Space
"I was recently transporting a large record collection, along with a few boxes of CDs, and the Model 3 was the car I had for the job. I was impressed by the Model 3's storage ability relative to its size, with the space to fit four massive storage containers and several cases of CDs with space to spare. The weight on top of the rear seats, however, set off the seat sensor, telling me there was something in the back seat. It did this, on a constantly displaying basis, for over 100 miles. Seems to me like there should be some sort of secondary sensor that knows the seat is folded down before it warns me that the plastic totes aren't wearing their seat belts." — Travis Langness, reviews editor
"Still in all, it was pretty simple if I slid the bike in tail first and chain up. I didn't have to drop my seat post to slip it through the opening either. There was more than enough longitudinal space to slide it in far enough to lay the bars flat at 90 degrees, and in this position the back tire was nowhere near the front seat, even when racked to my long-legged driving position. There's tons of room for gear bags all over the place, too." — Dan Edmunds
Interior
"I really don't like how there are no hard buttons in the Model 3 to adjust the side mirrors. It's a tedious process that you can't do on the fly. I often need to be parked to navigate the various button presses on the screen and on the steering wheel. Even if you're not like us, who switch drivers on a regular basis, mirrors are something that often need to be adjusted from the car wash or the valet." — Ron Montoya
"I love the steering wheel in our Model 3. It might be my favorite steering wheel in any car today. It's engagingly small in diameter, while the 9-and-3 grips are super thick and sized just right for my palms. Makes me think of an old arcade game like RoadBlasters, where the wheel's sportiness was exaggerated beyond anything you'd find in an actual car. Tesla puts such a wheel into a mass-market consumer vehicle as standard equipment — you don't even have to upgrade to a sport package or something. Perfect 10 in a category that doesn't get as much attention as it should." — Josh Sadlier
Audio and Technology
"I keep forgetting that the Model 3 doesn't have satellite radio. It's not much of an issue when I'm driving alone and listening to podcasts, but my friends and family don't enjoy listening to Adam Scott Aukerman talk about U2 as much as I do. In that case, satellite radio is the way to go, especially on long road trips where I can tune it to Alt Nation and not think about music for a few hours." — Cameron Rogers, reviews editor
"I've used several manufacturers' apps for loaned cars, but I don't find many of them useful. It's cool that you can precool or preheat the cabin and remotely unlock the doors, but most of the other functions aren't necessary. Even worse, manufacturers view these services as another source of revenue, and I'm not sold on paying hundreds of dollars per year for the privilege.
"That said, I love Tesla's app. It does the things I primarily use the other apps for — checking where I parked it, pre-conditioning the cabin and remotely heating the windshield to melt the ice off (yes, it has been cold enough in LA to do this early in the morning). Because I don't have a charging port at my house, I have to charge the Model 3 at a public charging station. The app also displays the current range and an estimated time of completion, which helps massively when I'm structuring my time around charging the car. Best of all, the Tesla app is free." — Cameron Rogers
Maintenance
"I don't want to jinx it, but it has been roughly 10 months since our Model 3 had to visit the dealership — perhaps the longest problem-free streak we've ever had in a Tesla. The reliability has improved with each Tesla model we've owned. Our Model 3 visited the dealer three times in just over a year of ownership, which is still well above average but roughly half the dealer visits of our previous Model X." — Ron Montoya
Miscellaneous
"I'm not sold on Tesla's Autopilot. It requires you to keep your hands on the wheel. But if you hold the wheel too hard, the system will deactivate. It sits a little too close to the left lane for my comfort but doesn't allow me to adjust it. If you activate the turn signals, it will change lanes automatically, which is impressive. But you still need to monitor it because it freaked out when it drove over some Botts' dots and then asked me to take over immediately. With all this monitoring, I preferred to man the wheel myself and use the old-fashioned cruise control." — Ron Montoya
"With the recent software update, the wipers in auto mode no longer act like they're drunk." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres
"A 19-inch upgraded performance wheel and tire combo only weighs 1 pound more than our stock 18-inch wheel and tire. That's cool." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, vehicle testing technician
"Doing a vivid blue vinyl wrap was fun, and the process was informative, but it's nice having the subtle gray exterior color back on our Model 3." — Carlos Lago, manager, feature content
Maintenance & Repairs
Regular Maintenance:
The Model 3's owner's manual recommends a tire rotation every 10,000 to 12,000 miles, a clean and lubrication of the brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles, a brake fluid check and cabin air filter replacement every two years, and an air-conditioning desiccant bag replacement every six years. Otherwise, it says the Model 3 should "generally be serviced on an as-needed basis."
Service Campaigns:
Our Model 3 was subject to one technical bulletin that required replacing the front stabilizer bar links.
There were no recalls, but our car experienced a litany of problems in its first year of ownership. Here is a brief list of the problems we experienced:
- Delivered with a cracked vanity mirror, dislodged interior trim, and a misaligned frunk hood. After repair, the vanity mirror later simply fell off.
- The central entertainment display had multiple failures, including Bluetooth inconsistencies, total blackouts (we lost count after 15), repeated and uncontrollable increases in stereo volume, and an erratically behaving navigation display (zooming and panning without input).
- At one point, the stereo turned on and went to full volume when the car was off, locked and unoccupied.
- Backup camera display occasionally failed to appear during reversing.
- An alert that regenerative braking was unavailable even when the battery had room to spare.
- Keycard to unlock the vehicle was not recognized multiple times.
- Occasionally the vehicle wouldn't shift into drive or reverse after startup. "Vehicle Systems Are Powering Up. Shift Into D or R After Message Clears" appeared on screen.
While we never had to leave the Model 3 at a service center for longer than a matter of hours or pay for anything, we did often have to wait for parts. For example, it took a little over two months from when we scheduled our first service to the repairs actually happening.
The problems got to a point where we even started a special channel in Slack to document everything. But just when the issues seemed insurmountable, they stopped happening (R.I.P. #lt_tesla3_problems).
We chalked up these issues to owning an early production Model 3 because once the service network strengthened and after a few updates rolled out, the remainder of our ownership was flawless. Plus, our experience with current model year Model 3s has shown a dramatic increase in quality.
Fuel Economy and Resale Value
Observed Fuel Economy:
EPA estimates for electricity consumption for a 2017 Model 3 are 27 kWh/100 combined miles and a range of 310 miles. These figures represent a fully charged battery, but Tesla recommends against charging this way. We charged to 90% the majority of the time, netting an estimated range of around 280 miles. Unlike most EVs we've tested and owned, we were unable to match either figure. Lifetime consumption was higher than the EPA rating, at 31.2 kWh/100 miles and our longest driven range was 261 miles.
Resale and Depreciation:
We purchased our Model 3 for $56,000. After three years and 24,290 miles, we decided to trade it in toward a new "off-the-menu" Model 3. Tesla appraised our vehicle at $35,500, essentially matching Edmunds' TMV Calculator for trade-in and reflecting a 37% depreciation.
Summing Up
Pros: Addicting passing power and delightful steering and handling. An ownership experience that makes similarly priced vehicles seem antiquated. No maintenance costs.
Cons: Poor initial quality meant plenty of trips to the service center. Rough ride quality. Rampant popularity can expose the limitations of the charging network during the holidays.
Bottom Line: The Model 3 pairs brilliant real-world driving dynamics with gee-whiz interior features, making it an excellent sedan for city commuting.
Total body repair costs: |
None |
Total routine maintenance costs: |
None (over 36 months) |
Additional maintenance costs: |
None |
Warranty repairs: |
Replaced driver-side sunvisor, replaced driver's seat trim, replaced front passenger seat adjustment switch, replaced touchscreen, replaced trim on driver and front passenger doors |
Non-warranty repairs: |
None |
|
|
Best observed range |
261 miles |
Best projected range |
322 miles |
Lifetime average consumption |
31.2 kWh/100 miles (108 mpg equivalent) |
EPA rating |
27 kWh/100 miles (126 mpg equivalent) |
|
|
True Market Value at service end: |
$38,751 |
What it sold for: |
$35,500 |
Depreciation: |
$20,500 (37% of paid price) |
Final odometer reading: |
24,290 miles |
Disclaimer: Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.






