First Drive: Refreshed 2024 Tesla Model 3 Improves Upon Its Winning Formula
A smoother ride and quieter cabin are high points, but the controls have taken a turn for the worse
Tesla has given its Model 3 sedan a major freshening for 2024. There’s updated exterior styling, acoustic glass for all of the windows, greater use of soft-touch materials throughout the cabin, and an 8-inch touchscreen for rear passengers that allows them to adjust the climate system and entertainment controls. On the mechanical front, the Model 3’s ride has been softened slightly. Those are all good things.
Since we first tested the Model 3 in 2018, we’ve found Tesla’s most affordable offering to be quite fun to drive, thanks to the immediate thrust from its all-electric powertrain along with superb, tied-down handling. It also benefited from an impressively long driving range, not to mention the ability to recharge quickly on Tesla’s Supercharger network.
But the Model 3’s ride was overly stiff—more akin to a serious sports car than a sedan—with a suspension that struggled to absorb bumps with any grace. Distracting controls and an uncomfortable rear seat also counted against it.
