Any Tesla talk these days inevitably turns political. That's understandable; a lot of longtime electric vehicle fans aren't happy with the guy up top. But like it or not, Tesla still sets the tone for much of the EV space, and so far, the updated Tesla Model 3 Performance doesn't have much in the way of competition.
I’ve driven quite a few quick EVs over the years, but the new Model 3 Performance is my favorite. The new "Highland" model builds on that with more visual differentiation, better seats, a nicer interior and better suspension. That all adds up to form the image of a very credible sporty EV that punches well above its price point.
Tesla Model 3 Performance (EU-Spec)
Tesla Model 3 Performance: How It Drives
The car I drove was a Euro-spec Model 3 Performance made in China, which doesn’t get the fancy new Performance 4DU fourth-generation drive unit, so it has a bit less power than U.S. cars. My tester’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup had a combined output of 460 horsepower and 533 pound-feet (723 Nm) of torque and a claimed acceleration time to 62 mph (100 kph) of 3.1 seconds.
U.S.-spec cars can sprint to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. I can’t imagine what an extra 50 hp and 13 lb-ft (18 Nm) of torque must feel like in this, which already feels ridiculous. Even with less power, this thing can still embarrass some supercars, and when you punch it in Insane mode, nothing feels quite like it.
I’ve driven more powerful EVs than this, several with power figures that begin with a six, but they were all heavier cars. The Model 3 Performance is lightweight compared to most performance EVs, weighing in at 4,080 pounds (1,851 kg). The feeling you get in an electric car that’s this powerful and light is hard to even come close to, especially in its price bracket.
Before picking up the Model 3 Performance, I had a BMW M4 Competition with xDrive for a few days, and the Tesla feels every bit as fast, both off the line and from a rolling start. It’s also comparably cool and composed through the corners, showing immense grip and poise and even a bit of playfulness.
Tesla doesn’t do fake engine sounds, and if you mentioned fake gear shifting to a Tesla engineer they would probably laugh you out of the room. After spending a week with this car and driving it quite a lot, I began to like the quiet demeanor, even though it felt like something was missing in the first few days. But having the ability to slingshot yourself toward the horizon in absolute silence certainly has its merit.
It's A Proper Corner Carver
I’m not the most comfortable sliding the tail out on powerful rear-biased electric vehicles. The weight just makes it all seem like a slow-motion pendulum that’s just waiting to spin you around. However, in the Model 3 Performance, Track Mode allowed me to tailor the handling to my liking, and I could get the car to oversteer slightly on corner exit without it feeling scary.
The Model 3 Performance never felt cumbersome or unpredictable around the corners, and it really bolsters your confidence quickly. I'd much rather drive this quickly around some bends than a BMW i4 M50, which feels heavy and lethargic by comparison. Part of this confidence-building character comes courtesy of the steering, which felt better compared to the aforementioned BMW M4.
The steering was one of the highlights of the driving experience. There’s a directness to it that makes it feel natural and even though it’s very quick (one turn lock to lock), it never makes the car feel twitchy. This makes it easy to drive daily while also being incredibly direct for spirited driving.
Having a much thinner-rimmed and smaller steering wheel than in the BMW works really well with the quick rack, and the way you sit in the car further enhances the sportiness. You don’t have the lowest driving position in the Model 3, but it makes up for it with its excellent visibility and a very forward driving position. You feel like you’re in a mid-engined sports car with a short nose and clear views of where the corners of the car are.
To me, this made driving it feel special. The best part is that you get this view whichever Model 3 variant you choose, including the Long Range Dual Motor example that we drove last year in Europe. The non-Performance Model 3 impressed us with its very comfortable and compliant suspension, which felt a world away from the pre-refresh Model 3, whose ride was notoriously choppy. The non-Performance Model 3 didn't feel quite as good around the corners as the pre-facelift model, though.
Tesla Model 3 Performance: How Adaptive Dampers Change Things
The Model 3 Performance gets a stiffer suspension setup, and it loses the frequency-selective damping from the regular model. It gains adaptive shock absorbers that have a firm and soft setting. Even with the latter selected, the Model 3 Performance feels considerably stiffer than lesser variants.
If you firm it up, then it gets quite bouncy, especially over rougher roads. Having driven the regular Model 3 around the same roads, I can say the difference is significant. The Performance feels about as stiff as the M4, but the BMW’s dampers feel more sophisticated and smoother, keeping the car from ever feeling bouncy.
While I appreciate that Tesla went to the trouble of equipping the Model 3 Performance with special sport seats with huge side bolsters, these lose a lot of comfort over the regular model’s seats. They hold you very well through the corners, but the seat could use some an extendable thigh support.
The cushion felt a bit short for a six-footer like myself, and my legs felt like they were dangling in the air a bit, even in the Performance with its chunky lateral support. The seat in the M4 was a bit less aggressive but a lot more comfortable than the one in the Model 3 Performance.
The Model 3 Finally Looks The Part
Tesla listened to people complaining that the pre-refresh Model 3 Performance didn’t have enough visual differentiation from lesser models. The new Performance fixes that with an aggressive front bumper with active side vents that reduce lift at speed and a big splitter.
It also has new-design “Warp” 20-inch staggered wheels. Their design seems focused more on aero efficiency, and they don’t look nearly as special as the older Performance model’s 20-inch Überturbine wheels.
In the back of the new Model 3 Performance, you’ll notice a more aggressive diffuser (that, thanks to the car’s flat underbody, should be there for more than just show) complemented by a subtle carbon fiber ducktail spoiler. Overall, I thought it looked really good, even though my tester was on 19-inch wheels that were missing their center caps.
How It Stacks Up With Electric Range
Gallery: 2025 Tesla Model 3 Performance (Euro-Spec)
The only real drawback of the Model 3 Performance is that its range is noticeably lower than that of the regular Long Range model. In Europe, the WLTP range rating drops from 390 miles (629 km) in the Long Range dual-motor to 328 miles (528 km) in the Performance. For U.S. cars, which also have a different battery pack, EPA range drops from 346 miles to 298 miles.
The week when I had the car was especially cold, with temperatures only going above freezing for just one day. With an almost fully charged battery, the car displayed 285 miles (458 km) of range, which is pretty good in the cold. The range dip over the Long Range isn’t significant enough to matter, and you still drive this without any range anxiety.
We only have two Tesla Superchargers here in Bucharest, and they are quite busy, so I only charged it once. Preconditioning the battery on the way there for around 15 minutes after starting the car after a night out in the cold, it never pulled more than 88 kilowatts, although it could have been that the power was split between the chargers as the station was almost full.
Model 3 Performance: Verdict
Overall, the Model 3 Performance, whether Euro- or U.S.-spec, is a great performance EV, one of the best. Considering the starting price of €57,490 in Europe and $54,990 in the U.S. before applying the federal tax credit, this is a lot of performance EV for the money. You also can’t go quicker for less, which makes this appeal even to those who wouldn’t have previously conceived of switching to an EV.
The competition is getting better, for sure. The BMW Neue Klasse i3 will likely have something to say about this car, and so will an eventual Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. For now, this Tesla sets the bar pretty high.
