Tesla Model 3 2022 Review

The 2022 Tesla Model 3 is the US car-maker’s most affordable EV in Australia and last year cemented the brand’s position as the eternal disruptor – just when you thought the broader market was catching up.

Around mid-year, the entry point to the Tesla Model 3 range – the single-motor rear-drive version tested here – dropped below $60,000, while in November 2021 a further update was announced, ushering in a revised battery pack that improves its driving range.

This sees the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus – now simply known as the Model 3 – increase its WLTP-verified driving range from 448km to 491km.

There were no corresponding price increases either.

An enigma to many, Tesla is the pioneering electric vehicle manufacturer and founder Elon Musk is quite the unorthodox poster boy as such.

Despite the brand’s many vocal antagonists, the Tesla Model 3 is Australia’s top-selling electric car by a country mile, not least because of its relatively affordable pricing.

Although the company doesn’t publish its sales figures, local vehicle delivery data indicates that Tesla sold more than twice as many examples of the Model 3 last year than the total sum of every other electric car on the market combined.

Production delays have seen Tesla Model S sedan and Model X SUV prices removed from the car-maker’s local configurator, and estimated delivery times abandoned.

The Model Y launch has also been delayed until later this year, and your guess is as good as ours as to when the Tesla Cybertruck will arrive, despite many Aussies holding reservations.

But Tesla remains the clear EV market leader Down Under with Model 3 alone, which is built in China and currently has an estimated delivery time of 14-20 weeks.

Priced from $59,900 plus on road costs, the entry-level 2022 Tesla Model 3 is not simply a car for early adopters with deep pockets – its most recent price cuts made it one of the most affordable EVs available to Aussie buyers.

Such is its influence that other new contenders in the premium segment have been forced to follow suit wherever possible, with the Polestar 2 priced from an identical $59,900 plus ORCs.

A new entry version of the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric has just been announced at $72,990 plus ORCs, while the most affordable EVs from the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are also above $70K.

Among the mainstream brands, Hyundai couldn’t match Tesla with the IONIQ 5 priced from $71,900 plus ORCs, although a cheaper version of the model named 2021 carsales Car of the Year is due later this year.

You can get the standard Nissan LEAF and the MG ZS EV for less than $50,000, but as we found in our Best Electric Car mega-test last year, the Model 3 is hard to beat.

Importantly, the base Model 3 is not only competitively priced, it packs good bang for your buck.

Equipment in the Standard Range Plus on test here includes a 15-inch central touch-screen – home to infotainment and driver display information including satellite navigation – as well as dual-zone climate control, heated and electric-adjust front seats, Bluetooth connectivity, voice control and a Wi-Fi hot spot.

Dual inductive phone charging pads and four USB-C outlets are provided. There’s also a USB-A port in the glove box for storage devices attached to Sentry Mode or a dash cam. A panoramic glass roof is also fitted.

The Tesla Model 3 does not feature Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the phone-mirroring standard we’ve come to love and expect these days, but Tesla’s arcade game entertainment will distract you from that.

The entry model also features the basic Autopilot driving system with adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. It’s joined by other safety features including blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, speed assist and reversing cameras.

Tesla says “full self-driving capability” is available with the $10,100 pack that enables Autopilot navigation, auto lane changing, auto parking, traffic light and stop sign control, a “full self-driving computer” and a “summon” feature.

Eighteen-inch alloy wheels are standard too.

All Tesla Model 3 variants carry a five-star ANCAP safety rating and are covered by a four-year/80,000km warranty with an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty.

If the strong value-for-money equation isn’t enough, consider a driving range of almost 500km, a top speed of 225km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 6.1 seconds for the 2022 Tesla Model 3.

We’ve not yet sampled the incoming Model 3 with the revised battery pack, but the outgoing 50.9kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that provides up to 448km from a full charge proved to be well and truly sufficient for our inner-city requirements.

It was also a little bit quicker than the updated model, hitting 100km/h from rest at 5.9sec.

The rear-drive Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus is dynamically fun, too. Instant torque delivers the sense of immediacy that surprises drivers new to EV power.

It is quiet, refined and very comfortable for all occupants.

This Chinese-built Model 3 also shows no visible difference to the previous US-based products in terms of quality fit and finish which is good, but still lags a little behind European rivals for overall cabin ambience and polish.

Answer: Tech-savvy buyers with the environment on their minds.

Tesla remains a disrupter brand in the automotive world, from its online-first sales model to its minimalist design aesthetic.

It’s not for everyone. It does, however, seem that if you’re in the market for an EV, sales figures are proof that a large majority of people are choosing Tesla.

The second row in the 2022 Tesla Model 3 is comfortable and fit for three adult-sized passengers. It features two charge outlets, two directional air vents, an arm rest with cup holders, two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points and three top-tether child restraint anchors.

The entry-level Model 3 also has a power tailgate that reveals a large 649-litre boot and 60/40-split folding rear seats that facilitate much-loved load versatility.

The four-year/80,000km warranty is disappointing, though.

Despite the arrival of several new and equally (if not more advanced) tech-savvy rivals such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Polestar 2, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 is worth the hype, well beyond the fandom and fanfare that surround the brand.

If you’re in the market for an electric vehicle, the affordable and accessible Model 3 is definitely worth a drive.

How much does the 2022 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus cost?
Price: $59,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single AC synchronous electric motor
Output: 190kW/375Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 50.9kWh lithium-ion polymer
Range: 448km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 13.2kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)