After a year full of twists and rumors, Tesla has finally revealed its “affordable” cars. Once thought to be new, standalone models, the cars in question are, in fact, just a Model 3 and a Model Y with slightly different looks and some missing features.
Called the Model 3 and Model Y “Standard,” they’ll cost $38,630 and $41,630, respectively, including destination—$5,500 and $5,000 less than their more expensive counterparts.
There’s a lot to unpack here, from the exterior changes to the missing features to the revised drivetrains. Let’s get into it.
How About Those (Missing) Lightbars?
The cheapest Model Y will be easy to spot in a crowd of Teslas. Unlike the more premium trims, this one doesn’t have lightbars front or rear to connect the exterior lights. Up front, that area is occupied by the bumper cover, while in the back, there’s no black piece of plastic on the tailgate. The Model 3 is a bit tougher to differentiate, seeing as how it didn’t have lightbars in the first place. The only exterior change, according to Car and Driver, is a front-mounted camera that’ll eventually make its way to the rest of the range.
Then there are the wheels. Up until now, the smallest wheels you could get on either the Model 3 or Y were 19 inches in diameter. But these new versions come standard with 18-inch wheels. While that might be bad news for the design-obsessed, those who prioritize range might actually be excited. Smaller wheels often result in better range for EVs, thanks to their lighter weight.
As Motor1 points out, not even the side mirrors made it out unscathed. According to a comparison chart on Tesla’s website, the Model Y has manual folding mirrors. The Model 3 mirrors, meanwhile, are fully manual, without motors for adjustment (something I’m not sure any other car currently on sale is missing). Tesla really didn’t hold anything back here with the cost-cutting.
What Else Is Gone?
Most of the Standard’s savings can be found inside. The front seat ventilation is gone, as is the rear seat heating. There’s no vegan leather to be found, as it’s been replaced by more traditional textile material. The steering wheel adjustment is now manual, and the rear touchscreen for the second-row occupants has been deleted and replaced with vents. There’s also a new center console setup.
Weirdly, the Model Y Standard retains its glass roof, but it’s been totally covered up on the inside by a headliner and a bunch of sound deadening. The company told Car and Driver this was cheaper than developing and installing a fixed metal piece. Why it didn’t just keep the glass roof as-is, I’m not sure. Even weirder, the Model 3 Standard retains its glass roof without any changes.
Let’s Hear The Numbers
The normal Model Y comes with either rear- or all-wheel drive, netting drivers 295 horsepower or 375 horsepower, respectively. The Standard is available only with a single motor at the rear, rated at 300 horsepower (more, weirdly, than the more expensive model). Tesla says it can sprint to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, a fair bit more than the normal car’s 5.4-second estimate.
The Model 3 Standard gets a single-motor rear-drive setup as well, rated at 286 horsepower (the same as the current Model 3 Long Range RWD). Despite the identical power numbers, Tesla quotes a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds for the Standard, versus 4.9 seconds for the RWD.
The battery in both cars is the same, with just 69.5 kWh of usable capacity. Tesla says both cars can achieve a range of 321 miles on those base 18-inch wheels, or 303 miles on the optional 19-inch wheels. Charging at any of Tesla’s Supercharger sites is also limited to 225 kilowatts—a slight dip from the normal car’s 250-kilowatt capabilities.
Is It Actually Cheap?
The Model Y Standard is the more important car of the two, being one of the world’s best-selling cars and all. The car’s new price puts it right alongside cars like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Hyundai Ioniq 6, but it can’t match the excellent value of something like the Chevy Equinox EV, which offers similar range to these Tesla Standard models but for even less money.
Interestingly, the Model Y Standard is about as expensive as the normal Model Y was before the federal tax incentive went away. This trim will, presumably, be the bridge to fill the gap for buyers who couldn’t previously afford the car without the incentive.
At $38,630 including destination, the Model 3 Standard is a bit more compelling, especially considering its range. By my estimates, it’s now the sixth-cheapest EV on the market, just behind the Toyota bZ4X, which is short on range by about 100 miles versus the Tesla. Considering it performs identically to the Model Y standard, I’m not sure why you’d choose the crossover over the sedan (unless you really, absolutely need that bit of extra space, which most people don’t).
Both cars are already available to order on Tesla’s site, so if this price cut was what you were waiting for, head on over to its configurator and dive in.
I’m getting a lot of “Faceless Outcasts from Wednesday” vibe here. If that’s your thing, your chariot has arrived, I guess?
A bunch of the stuff they removed sounds fine, but the manual mirrors are definitely a bridge too far.
With savings like these I can finally overlook how Terrible the CEO is.
The cloth seats should be an option in all Tesla’s. Look way better than the vinyl.
Are we talking TCO?
I’m not a Tesla fan, but I’ve gotta say that this would be compelling to me if I was. Cloth seats, rear vents instead of a stupid screen, solid range, no Cyber-truck-esque light bar, and it’s cheaper.
But then again, if I wanted a Tesla I’d just buy a used one since their value has tanked as of late. A quick search of my local area yielded multiple 1-2 year old Model 3 Performance models with under 25k miles for this exact same price.
The comments section never fails to disappoint with it’s contradictions. “Cars are too expensive!” and then when a ‘cheaper’ alternative comes out “It’s stupid because it doesn’t have heated rear cup holders like my XYZ car had!” or “I can’t live without <something that humanity has lived without for 125 years of automotive existence>”
The loss of EV range due to oversized tires… the actual impact of that was unexpected. Tesla bros have been wasting energy this whole time just to have large wheels?
Not just Tesla… so many cars do this stupid “put big wheels on it ‘cause that’s what the buyers want” move, at the expense of range/fuel economy/wheel curb rash and pothole resistance.
Granted I get the whole wheel tire package needs to be big to have a large contact patch for all the powahhh and weight at play here, but c’mon, high waisted pants have been back for years now, don’t you think it’s time we make chonky sidewalls fashionable again!
I’m struggling to understand why anybody would bother with the Model 3 Standard… there are pre-owned 2024+ Long Range AWD models with fewer than 10k miles available for around the same price. You get all the content that Tesla offers in the Model 3, more range, more power, AWD, and it’s still the latest generation. On top of that, the best financing deal on the new “Standard” trim is 5.19%?
I suppose it works for folks who get scared when they hear the words “pre-owned”, are hellbent on having a new Tesla, and have a budget in the low $40k range. It’d be a no from me, even if I was in the market.
Newer FSD hardware (front camera). If you believe autonomy is the future and don’t like driving.
Part of making a “cheap” version of a car is not always to save cost, it’s to make that model less desirable to encourage customers to spend more on the more expensive version.
In fact, due to lower volumes on a specific “cheaper” part (and loss of economies of scale) and having to design and make those different parts, it can be cheaper to just stick with what you already have.
I’m reminded of an Autopian comment or who told Uncle Adrian about headlights on the British Austin Metro car. While the lamps themselves were cheaper, they didn’t include turn signals and separate units had to be fitted. That required modifying the bumper such that when everything was factored in, overall the headlamps on the base model actually cost the company more than the nicer ones on the more expensive models.
The glass roof being covered with a headline is dumb, but since this is a cost save model, it makes sense. If their body shop wasn’t ever designed to have a slick top roof variant from the get-go, they are likely missing an entire roof load station. Integrating that into an existing production line is extremely costly. That’s if they even have the floor space and capability to integrate it into the existing line. That’s also not even accounting for the die manufacturing to make the roof blanks, sheet metal, production capacity, recertification, etc. Getting the headliner manufacturer to make you a new headliner panel with the existing roof design is cheap, and it is likely installed by human hands already. So, from a vehicle production standpoint, it’s an easy no brainer to add the new part to the process. Plus, you get the poor people spec from a marketing approach, which can help you upsell to the higher model. I have a feeling this is going to be a very low volume model, just to get people into the brand, so after the first lease they want the nicer one. Brand loyalty is huge to the OEMs
*I work for an OEM in body manufacturing, specifically in the equipment engineering side of things. I just completed a new model launch converting existing tooling to run new parts as well as the old ones, so I’ve seen a thing or two like this*
It also seems like a very Elon middle finger to buyers of the cheap version to cover up the glass roof with a new headliner instead of keeping the existing one, just because…
….or buy a used low mileage Model 3 or Y.
The original cheapest variation of the Model Y was canned because 230 miles of range was “unacceptable”. I’m glad the near-trillionaire’s idea of what’s worth paying extra for hasn’t been compromised.
The 20 mile range boost from using smaller wheels really shows off how ridiculously bad giant wheels are, especially on EVs. If range/cost is all anyone cares about, then automakers should be offering smaller wheels on every EV they make. Save money, add range. Get ’em down to 15 inches and become the new prophet of the range/cost ratio religion.
I MISSED the manual mirrors. Power mirrors are one of the few omissions I considered somewhat problematic on the Slate Truck. On a TESLA? Hell no.
Does it still have all the hardware for self-driving? That would make it especially insulting.
They went to the trouble of designing manual adjustment mechanisms and everything that comes with that kind of change just for this one model? I guess the money saved on motors × the expected sales volume should come out ahead eventually. Does anyone in the biz know roughly what savings can be achieved by removing the electrical guts, and the cost of developing and integrating a new assembly?
I’m guessing they didn’t design a new manual mechanism – just deleted the motors and gears. You roll down the window and push on it with your fingers. That’s how all mirrors worked for probably 75 years so there’s precedent
There’s no little handle inside? That would be super janky.
These already looked bad but that’s even worse looking.
Yep completely underwhelming
So obviously DOA to me, but…. I’d actually have really preferred fabric seats in the first place. Similarly the headliner, except that its a straight loss in weight high up (even if a small one) and more importantly a straight loss in headroom (since the thick glass is still thick and glass).
Otherwise… lol manual mirrors? in 2025?
The pricing is not even cheaper than what they were selling standards rwd in 2020/2021.
I like manual mirrors on this. Cheaper to replace when these get smashed up in an accident.
Re. Manual mirrors: in the ’80s even Mercedes wasn’t going to waste engineering and weight on stuff that isn’t necessary. In the R107, the passenger-side mirror is electric, but the driver just gets a handle to adjust the mirror manually, like an ape.
My ’78 Benz is even worse that way. It has a power moon roof and heated front AND rear seats, but both outside mirrors are manual.
You are clearly a man/woman/toaster of taste! Cloth/fabric seats are objectively better than leather (real or fake).
Also, remember that Toyota Yaris ad from back in the day where the slogan was “It’s a car!” ? At least the Yaris looked like something. That white Model Y looks like those sleeping ghosts from Super Mario if they downed a six pack of Dramamine.
Even if you are a single person and never have to share your car with anyone you will loathe manual mirrors the first time they get tapped out of alignment by a car wash or something and you have to get out, go around, manually move the glass, get back in, realize it needs to go down a tad, and repeat. This is laughable. Also this article didn’t mention that all AM/FM radio is deleted entirely, which I would call a safety issue.
It’s not only someone bumping against your mirrors. It’s the fact that most modern cars with electric mirrors tilt them to reverse so you see the curb.
My fucking 1996 BMW E39 has reverse tilting mirrors for gods sake. This is hilarious.
The only thing Tesla missed were unpainted bumpers.
My ’17 Accord has electrically adjusted mirrors but lacks that feature. Which I am totally fine with.
Reverse tilting side mirrors always annoyed me, and I disabled it in my profile on a 2018 Acura MDX my wife and I owned. Before the Acura, we had her ’15 X5 which did the same thing, depending on how the mirror switches were set. And that was a mild tug of war when one of us got in the car after the other had driven it. Lol
I want to see people walking behind me (cranial muscle memory before rear view cameras were a thing) as I’m backing out of a parking spot and I still prefer using my swiveling neck and mirrors over the camera most of the time. My wife liked it, but that’s the great thing about key fobs that adjust the car to the preferences of whoever’s fob is in the driver’s seat.
We’re no longer married. She’s remarried and now drives a Lincoln Aviator, and I don’t give a F about her or her husband’s preferences. Or its capabilities. I once in a while wince about her $1K+/month payments on the Aviator when the Acura was paid off. But that’s just empathy, I guess.
I thought it was the law (in the USA) that cars had to have AM radios to pick up those traffic information stations. Maybe that changed and I missed it?
I think the law in the USA depends on how much money you’ve donated to Trump this week.
This is pretty much Chrysler’s 1980s playbook, squeeze some extra life out of aging designs by giving them a new value-priced trim package. Should have gone with their naming scheme and called it the Model 3 Miser
(Joe Garagiola appears) “Introducing the Tesla Model 3 America!”
The Pride is Back, Tesla Model 3 America, the unbelievable American under $39,000, 47 standard features to convince you, backed by Tesla’s 4/50 Protection Plan
I’m honestly surprised they didn’t shoehorn some ‘wacky’ eye-roller name onto these. I expected better out of Elon.
Fucking lol. This is de-contenting in the very very worst sort of way.
The glass roof thing is hilarious. But nothing beats the sadness of manual mirrors. My fucking 1990 Geo Prism had electric mirror controls.
A car I bought for 750$ back in 2005 should not have features that a car in 2025 doesn’t. And this is all for the privilege of spending, at a minimum, THIRTY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS. I’m all for simplicity and shit but goddamn.
Edit: Wait, I misread it. The Y has manual folding, the 3 has nothing. My bad! Original comment left for posterity. I don’t erase history even when it makes me look silly and wrong. Because I was.
I don’t disagree with your point. These things suck. But I think you are missing that the mirrors are still electric for adjustment, just don’t have electric motors to fold in. If you want to fold them in, you have to do it yourself. But, like, who does that? I always feel like that’s a European city parking thing.
Ha yeah, it’s just the 3 with the totally manual mirrors. I too don’t erase history.
I do fold my driver’s side mirror fairly often when I street park, as I have a van and the mirror can intrude on the travel lane on narrow streets. Just a couple extra inches is a lot for someone on a bike sharing a lane with a brodozer.
Obviously not necessary in parking lots.
I am confused. By the head line I thought you were saying normal as in ICE. I didn’t see mention of ICE cars, also wonder why you are surprised why a cheaper car has less options. Kind of the last 100 year’s of cars. In my personal opinion driving a CUV 18 in tires are as big as you need on the road, sure for 4 wheelers you need bigger, but just how big do you want tires to be? I didn’t see a single mention of performance or capabilities did you test drive one? Making assumptions based on nothing but a term paper is not a review I would remotely trust or consider reliable.
I look forward to seeing those budget model Y’s used in the role they were perfectly made for: background NPC vehicles in sci-fi streaming shows.
Is the mirror adjustment remote cable or by pushing the glass by hand? I thought it would be more expensive to have cables by what we keep being told about power accessories. Rather than refute that common claim, though, it seems like this might not really be much cheaper to make and exists more to push people into the next step up, especially factoring the fiberglass cover for the glass roof. While I’d prefer the more sparse nature, I pretty much hate the vehicle in every other way without even getting into the face of the company and other manufacturers have better offerings.
I bought a fully loaded Escape PHEV two weeks ago for less than the pre-tax price of the “cheap” Model 3.
I had to do a one way rental in a vile nicotined Corolla to the middle of nowhere to get it, but still.
Meanwhile Hyundai just cut $9,000 off the price of the Ioniq5 and didn’t decontent a thing.
They should both be about $10k less to sell really well.
The values of these will probably tank even harder than the “normal” Model Y and 3