Tech: 2024 Tesla Model 3 Review, Part 5 - The Finale

In the three months that I've owned my Tesla Model 3 "Highland," I've logged well over 5,000 miles, and I've come away with some conclusions about the car, the Tesla experience, and the state of electric vehicles circa 2025.

With respect to the Model 3, if you can qualify for the $7,500 tax credit (before our Fearless Leader kills it) and intend to keep the car for more than 5 years, the Model 3 is an incredible value. It costs about as much as a fully loaded Toyota Camry, has more standard features, and will save you thousands of dollars in gas over the life of the car (not to mention the money saved in oil changes, spark plugs, and other maintenance inherent to ICE vehicles).

As for Tesla, I found the purchase process to be fairly easy. Once you configure your vehicle online, you can complete everything via the Tesla mobile app, including payment, vehicle registration, and insurance. The only flies in the ointment are that, with no dealer network, there are few places to test drive and take delivery of the cars (I had to drive an hour to pick mine up). The jury's still out on how easy maintenance will be, but so far, things have been smooth.

Finally, on electric vehicles in general, I can't see myself going back to gasoline...ever. Unless you do not have access to free or low-cost charging at home or at work, an EV is actually more convenient than an ICE car.  You always have a full "tank" when you wake up or go home at the end of the day, and thus never need to visit a gas station.  Road trips are also okay with Tesla Superchargers, except when you have to drive more than 500 miles in a day (and in those cases, I'd probably take a plane anyway).  The future of cars is here, and it has a plug.