Tesla's new entry-level Model 3 ditches a few things in pursuit of a lower price tag, but we don't think you'll miss much of that content. Remember the $30,000 Tesla Model 3? The much-ballyhooed mega-affordable Model 3 that ended up existing for about as long as the average chunk of antimatter in the Large Hadron Collider? Well, the 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard isn't that, but it is a new base model that shaves thousands of dollars off the electric sedan's bottom line.
Granted, you'll have to make do with a little less, but we think the penny-pinching proves worth it. The Model 3 Standard treads most of the same water as the new Model Y Standard, though it doesn't get as many aesthetic workarounds. Since there were no wide light bars on the 3 to begin with, the Standard's exterior isn't that much different from the next-higher model, which is now called the Premium.
View Price on AmazonStandard exterior fare includes 18-inch steel wheels with covers, with the option to upgrade to aluminum 19s. Gray paint is the only no-cost choice; white or black paint will set you back an extra thousand bucks or so. While Tesla saw fit to seal occupants off from the glass roof in the Model Y Standard, the panoramic ceiling is still on display in the 3 Standard.
Inside the Model 3 Standard is where you'll find the lion's share of omissions that bring the price down. The seats lose half their vegan leather and replace it with cloth. The ambient lighting disappears from the dashboard, but not the footwells or door pockets. The front seats lose ventilation and some adjustments, the rears lose heating, and the 8.0-inch rear touchscreen is ditched in favor of manual vent control.
The steering wheel switches to manual adjustment, but more important, it has a real-deal turn-signal stalk again. The center console has uncovered cupholders rather than covered ones. Finally, the rear windows and the roof glass lose acoustic lamination. The resulting vibes are rather austere; it's clear from the moment you hop in that you're in the basic trim, especially in the back, where it's a bit too much like a New York City taxicab.
The Standard's single rear-mounted electric motor is said to make 286 horsepower, with a manufacturer-estimated 0-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds. However, we were able to squeeze a bit more out of a Model 3 Standard at the test track, where we managed to reach 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, before continuing through the quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds at 107 mph.
Source: caranddriver.com
