2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard Is a Better Value and Still Great to Drive

What else should you know?

As I detailed in our first look article, the changes for the Model 3 are much less extensive than they are for the Model Y. The absence of a cover for the cupholders hardly feels like an omission, and from the driver’s seat, there’s almost nothing else to indicate that you’re in the entry-level car. The panoramic glass roof, eliminated in the Y, is still present in the 3, to the benefit of all. It’s a subjective opinion, but I also rather like the fabric seat inserts, which might cost less but also provide a nice antidote to the swaths of vegan leather.

The only questionable deletion is the removal of autosteer functionality. As you can see in the video above, this is just a marketing ploy to get customers to pay more, either for the Premium car or for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software (an extra $99 per month). The ability of a Tesla to steer itself helps reduce driver fatigue, particularly on the highway.

This inconvenience aside, the Model 3 remains a fine family car that we named our Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car for 2025. It might lack the versatility of an SUV and it’s not as roomy in the rear as the rival Hyundai Ioniq 6, but it’s still a spacious, practical car for four adults.