After the test drive my car, a 2020 Long Range Model 3, refused to unlock for me, and sulked the whole drive home.

Test driving a new Tesla Model 3

Some observations on the 2024 “Highland” edition

I’ve been a very happy Tesla Model 3 owner now for over 4 years. My work recently announced a new novated leasing scheme for electric cars, and the price of a new Model 3 has come right down since I bought mine. So I booked myself in for a test drive of the new “Highland” Model 3 and spent an hour taking it for a lap of Canberra.

There are so many small improvements over my early 2020 Long Range Model 3, but mostly these are improvements I’ll get used to so fast that I’ll hardly notice them. The screen is clearer (and cleaner!) than mine and slightly bigger but within the same sized frame. There are some silly inside trim lights I quickly worked out how to turn off before my wife saw them as she hates that shit, and rightly so.

I do love the minimalism of the Tesla Model 3 — and now without stalks it’s even minimalister; especially if you turn off all the trim and cabin lights, and don’t eat pies in the car while driving. After driving this, getting back into my own car was like crawling into a nest. I swore I’d never let my car get so messy; but here we are.

No Stalks

The no stalks thing worried me until I actually did it — then it was an aha moment for me and now I’m converted.

Instead of an indicator there are two little buttons conveniently placed right next to your thumb if you are holding the wheel properly and driving straight, and lets face it, you are…