The Brand-New Tesla Model 3 Performance Already Got a Price Bump
This will come as no surprise to anyone, but Tesla is yet again changing its prices, though this time it’s on a less-than-week-old vehicle. The Model 3 Performance, which only went on sale last week, has already received a $1,000 price bump, making it $53,990 to start.
That price hike will come as a disappointment to hopeful buyers, but it’s still the only car in the Model 3 line that qualifies for federal tax credits, which can make it less expensive than the Long Range variant in some configurations. Its sub-three-second 0-60 mph time and 510 horsepower also make it an attractive buy from a performance standpoint, and it gets numerous upgrades over the standard car, including more aggressive bodywork, upgraded wheels, and a carbon lip spoiler.
Tesla made some options cheaper while increasing the overall price, as the black paint color and interior color upgrades are $500 less expensive. That said, while the other Model 3 variants lack tax credits for purchases, leasing remains a loophole in the rules that makes their monthly payments much less costly than the Performance.
One of the most significant selling points for Tesla vehicles is its advanced driver assistance tech, though the Full Self-Driving feature has long been a painful upcharge for buyers. It recently got a big price cut to $8,000, down from $15,000 in recent years, but questions remain about its driver monitoring capabilities and ability to prevent crashes.
[Image: Tesla]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I'd rather have turn signal stalks.
"One of the most significant selling points for Tesla vehicles is its advanced driver assistance tech"
I would disagree. Even their basic camera-based adaptive cruise control is prone to false braking. My cars' radar-based cruise control systems work better, from my experience.
A price bump? Give it a couple of bad months + an unpredictable Musk mood swing and the M3 Performance could be selling at Altima prices.
At some point, is TTAC going to explain how Tesla doesn't have MSRPs or dealers or dealer incentives? That there's no cash on the hood, subsidized leases or other games that legacy ICE automakers play with consumers?
Or is it just easier and more profitable for TTAC to just continue to make an article of every price fluctuation?