It鈥檚 a marketer鈥檚 dream 鈥?the amount of hype behind the all-new Tesla Model 3. And, it has all been achieved with zero marketing spend from Tesla, the company run by billionaire Elon Musk. So, has all the hype been worth it? Today we had the chance to have a brief drive in Tesla鈥檚 most important car around the company鈥檚 factory in Fremont, California. 35,000 - UK pricing is expected to follow shortly. Launched with a single variant capable of driving 220 miles, a longer-range battery can be ordered to increase range to 310 miles. 0-60mph acceleration is rated at 5.6 and 5.1 seconds respectively for the 220 mile and 310 mile versions. Nothing to worry about. Inside the cabin, Tesla has run with a minimalist design that employs a 15-inch colour touchscreen in the centre of the cabin. It鈥檚 an important screen because it controls everything, and we mean everything. Mirror, steering tilt and telescopic adjustment, infotainment, climate, charging and cargo controls are all actioned using the touchscreen. Even the open, close and direction changes of the air vents run through the central screen. It鈥檚 an incredibly elegant cabin with rough-grained wood adorning the dashboard.
Minimalism is key with two distinct storage areas in the centre console, plus a glove box. Keeping with the theme of minimalism, door handles have been switched for door-mounted buttons, while the doors are opened from the outside using a push and pull mechanism 鈥?like in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Rear leg room is good, but distinctly smaller than the Model S and X. Rear seat passengers get their own air vents, plus an additional two USB ports. If you carry kids, you鈥檒l be thankful for two child seat anchorage points. The 60/40 split-folding second row also folds flat to increase cargo volume. Total cargo volume is 423 litres, with a large hold available beneath the boot floor, plus a reasonable sized front boot that Tesla aficionados love referring to as a 鈥榝runk鈥? Thankfully the electric car driving experience remains, despite the cut-price price tag. Our drive was only brief, but we had the chance to get immersed in the experience. Hit the throttle at any speed and you鈥檙e pinned to the seat.
Model 3 launches with rear-wheel drive only, but we didn鈥檛 find any traction issues with this level of power. Steering feel is great and can be adjusted through three levels - comfort, standard and sport. There鈥檚 enough feedback in each level to make driving the car easy. The ride is also good, despite the Model 3 not being offered with air suspension. While it took a little while to get used to, the containment of speedometer and trip functions to the centre screen worked well. In the top left corner of the screen, speed and AutoPilot information is displayed and remains static while driving. Tesla expects the Model 3 to achieve a high crash rating, with six airbags up front and two curtain airbags to keep occupants safe. The Model 3 will come with a four-year, 50,000-mile warranty for the vehicle and an eight-year 100,000 mile warranty for battery components. Production of the Tesla Model 3 begins immediately, but whether the company can produce over 500,000 cars per annum remains yet to be seen. So, if you鈥檙e thinking about pre-ordering, get in sooner rather than later. This was only a quick drive of the Tesla Model 3 around Tesla鈥檚 chosen Fremont factory roads. Expect to see a proper drive when we get our hands on the car locally.
In this case you will have to use your common sense, does that 10 year old Ford Fiesta look like it's done only 30,000 miles? Worn pedals and saggy driver's seat should give you a good idea! Not all stolen cars are recovered and those unlucky enough to have bought a stolen car could find that their car is taken away by the police, with little chance of getting their money back from the seller! You won't be able to tell from a superficial look that a car is stolen; criminals will always replace the original number-plate with a fake and may even re-spray the stolen car. Criminals selling stolen cars will be keen for a quick sale and bank on unsuspecting buyers not looking too closely. It's not just the condition of the car you should be concerned about when buying a used car, many unsuspecting buyers have fallen foul of unpaid car finance.