Tesla Model 3 vs Audi R8

What's the difference?

Tesla has done enough with the introduction of this Premium Long Range RWD variant to keep the Model 3’s head well and truly above water in an increasingly competitive segment. After more than six years it still looks good, with a pleasant cabin environment, plenty of performance and leading energy efficiency. Safety is top-shelf and it stands up well in terms of practicality and driving dynamics. 

That said, the ownership proposition is average, the determination to make so many functions screen-based is frustrating and the optional Full Self-Driving system is unconvincing. With the Model S and Model Y now discontinued globally it will be interesting to see how the Model 3 continues to evolve.

The Audi R8 V10 RWD and V10 Performance Quattro have their own personalities. I'm a big fan of the lower-powered rear-wheel drive car, but the Performance is the ultimate here with better brakes and that 330km/h top speed. Either way the R8 is a true supercar, but one that doesn't have to be driven gingerly as though something may break off.

After four years in market, a heavily upgraded version of the Model 3 arrived in Australia in 2023, the biggest visual changes being a reshaped bonnet, aero massaged overall profile and angular slimline headlights.

The boot lid now incorporates a lip spoiler and the tail-lights were remodelled to create a truncated, two-layer effect. And in true Tesla fashion, the standard 18-inch alloy rims are fitted with matt black-finish aero elements filling the gaps between the satin black wheel spokes. Two new body colours - ‘Stealth Grey’ and ‘Ultra Red’ - were recently added to the available palette. For reference, our test car's finish is 'Quicksilver'. 

It’s still clearly recognisable as a Model 3, but these relatively minor design changes have helped the mid-sizer keep up with the slew of sleek newcomers it now faces.

The interior was also given a substantial makeover, the expansive 15.4-inch central display screen backgrounded by an all-new wrap-around dash and revised console treatment, the former featuring a raised insert and the latter a two-device wireless charging station.

Introduction of this Premium Long Range RWD model also brought the small but significant addition of a physical indicator stalk on the left-hand side of the steering column, replacing buttons on the steering wheel. Big ergonomic tick for that.

Customisable ambient lighting lifts the tone, soft materials look and feel good and the doorcards, bins and armrests have been reprofiled into a more sophisticated arrangement.

Our test car’s dark grey and white synthetic leather trim combination lifts the mood as does light from the huge, two-panel glass roof. But beware, while white trim looks dazzling on the showroom floor it takes some extra work to maintain its schmick appearance in the day-to-day grind.

After seven years in market the Model 3 has aged well and still looks sleek and contemporary.

Lamborghini styling can look over the top, McLarens can sometimes appear delicate and fragile, and Ferraris seem to be everywhere, and even for me, begin to blend into one.

The R8, though, looks exactly how an Audi supercar should look – understated, tough and serious. Have you seen that Audi advert with the R8 on a dyno not wearing any pants? That sounds ridiculous but Google it because it sums up what the R8 is – a real car with a raw race car underneath, that's meant to be driven comfortably on the road and hard on a race track and the styling indicates that intent with little in the way of fanfare.

Well, there is that big window at the back which shows off the engine and the 'side blades' that surround the large vents carved into the side of the car to cool the engine.

The latest update has taken the design from the second-gen car which arrived in 2016 and added a new grille, front bumper, door sills and vents in the rear bumper. It's a more angular, sharper, and busier design with more vents and winglets than ever.

The R8 V10 RWD and R8 V10 Performance are close to identical in their styling. You can pick the Performance by its gloss carbon front spoiler, side sills, mirror caps and rear diffuser. The RWD has gloss black elements instead.

Which looks best: the Coupe or Spyder? That's a personal thing, but I reckon race cars need to have a hardtop roof, so it's the coupe for me, please.

Built using the 'Audi Space Frame' which weighs only 200kg, the R8 is 4426mm long and just 1240mm tall, but at 1940mm across it has a wide, planted stance.

At just over 4.7m long, more than 1.8m wide and a bit over 1.4m tall (with a 2875mm wheelbase) the Tesla Model 3 is a low-slung medium-size sedan. 

There’s plenty of space up front, a feeling enhanced by the standard panoramic glass roof and our test car’s white trim brightening up the cabin.

There are long, wide bins on the front doors with enough room for large bottles, a slim glove box (which opens only via an on-screen button, which is annoying) and a generous lidded storage box between the seats that doubles as a centre armrest.

The console houses two cupholders with another storage cubby ahead of them (both with sliding covers over the top) and the dual device wireless charging bay on the lower part of the dash under the media screen.

Switching to the rear, at 183cm I have a surprising amount of foot, leg and headroom when sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position. The rear door aperture is surprisingly large which helps entry and egress.

Technically able to accommodate three passengers, the back seat is best for two full-size adults on anything other than a mid-length journey, although the flat rear floor helps ease pressure on the centre occupant.

There's a well-hidden fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, there are useful bins in the doors and hard shell map pockets on the front seatbacks.

The crisp 8.0-inch rear screen is a welcome entertainment option for back-seaters and there are adjustable air vents underneath it.

For power and connectivity there are two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket in the front compartment, a USB-A in the glove box (mainly for dash cam and ‘Sentry Mode’ data storage) and two USB-C ports in the rear under the vents.

Boot space is a ample at 682 litres (the bootlid is adjustable for opening height) with an 88L ‘frunk’ in the nose. And if you need to tow a relatively light load like a box trailer or Jet Ski (or two) you can hook up a 1.0-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked).

While we understand it helps maximise battery space and reduce weight, we’re not on board with Tesla’s policy of providing a repair/inflator kit rather than a physical spare tyre. Even though this is likely to be a primarily urban cruiser, it’s not good enough. 

Then, there’s the Tesla app, an electronic Swiss Army Knife that facilitates everything from remote vehicle access and cabin ‘preconditioning’ to planning your route (complete with charging stops) and monitoring Sentry Mode (checking the vehicle’s surroundings and receiving alerts of potential threats).

The list of functions goes on and on, but suffice it to say the app is hugely handy. For example, ‘Dog Mode’ keeps the air con on with the car locked for the benefit of your four-legged friend and lets passers by know the doggo is safe via a bold message on the central screen. An internal camera, accessible via the app, lets you check-in remotely, too. Nice. 

Given its overall size and despite its conventional sedan configuration, the Tesla Model 3 offers efficient packaging and a heap of thoughtful features to enhance everyday practicality.

The R8 is a two-seater supercar and practicality isn't high on its 'to do' list with limited cabin storage in the form door pockets almost as small as my jeans pockets, two cupholders hiding under a trapdoor in the centre armrest, a hidey hole in front of the shifter containing a wireless charger and two USB ports and the glove box.

As for the boot – there are two: one in the nose with a 112-litre cargo capacity and another behind the mid-mounted engine with 226 litres.

Room for people, well you and a friend, is excellent. I'm 191cm (6'3") tall with a 2.0m wingspan and found the footwell deep and spacious, while head and shoulder room is also good.

The entry level R8 RWD Coupe lists for $295,000, while the Spyder version is $316,500. The R8 V10 Performance Coupe is $395,000 and the Spyder is $416,500.

It's in my view the best value supercar on the market. The Lamborghini Huracán Evo shares the same 5.2-litre V10, the transmission and the chassis (like Audi it's part of the Volkswagen family) and starts at $460K.

A Ferrari 488 Pista is pushing $600K, but the McLaren 570S is closer in price at $395,000 – although I find the R8 much less stressful and completely different to drive – read about that below.

Let's talk features. Coming standard on the R8 RWD Coupe and Spyder are laser LED headlights (new to the R8 for this update), 20-inch cast aluminum wheels (also new), a full leather interior (new) with heated and power adjustable RS sports seats, 12.3-inch instrument cluster, Bang & Olufsen 13-speaker stereo (new, too), sat nav, digital radio, proximity key and wireless device charging (new).

The R8 V10 Performance Coupe gets all of the features above but swaps the wheels for lighter, milled alloy rims, ditches the steel brakes for ceramic (pricey to replace, though), and adds other mechanical extras over the entry car such as Audi's magnetic dampers, plus a carbon-fibre reinforced polymer front swaybar.

What's missing? A central media screen would be good so your passenger can pick the music or follow the sat nav. Audi calls it a 'driver-focused cabin', but the Huracán has a media screen in the centre console.

I think there's a bit of advanced safety equipment missing, too – but that's in the section down further.

The Tesla Model 3 Premium Long Range RWD is powered by a single permanent magnet synchronous electric motor producing a handy 235kW and in excess of 400Nm.

It sends drive to the rear wheels only via a single-speed, direct-drive automatic transmission. 

Kerb weight is 1747kg and Tesla claims 0-100km/h acceleration in a rapid 5.2 seconds.

There are two grades in the Audi R8 range – the entry-point R8 V10 RWD which has rear-wheel drive (RWD), and the R8 V10 Performance Quattro which has all-wheel drive (AWD).

Both obviously have V10 engines, it's a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre petrol unit (so no turbos here), but the RWD makes less power and torque at 397kW and 540Nm, while the Performance produces 449kW and 560Nm.

The V10 is mounted behind the driver's seat but ahead of the rear axle making it mid-engined car. The engine even has its own window and you can see it in there with its face pressed up against the glass.

There are two body styles as well – the Coupe and Spyder (convertible, roadster, just another word for a retractable soft roof). We'll get to the prices in the next section, but let's talk about the more interesting numbers such as top speeds.

The V10 RWD in coupe form can reach 324km/h and the Spyder can hit 322km/h while the V10 Performance Coupe and Spyder are both a smidge quicker at 330km/h.

Those are all go-straight-to-jail speeds in Australia, so if you're tempted to fact check my numbers then do it on a racetrack. Audi holds excellent track days – I've done them and you'll not only get to drive the R8 as fast as you can, the instructors will help you improve your advanced driving skills, too. Do it, it could save your life.

Acceleration from 0-100km/h is rapid – 3.7 seconds and 3.8 seconds for the V10 RWD Coupe and Spyder respectively, while the V10 Performance Coupe and Spyder can nail it in 3.2 seconds and 3.3 seconds.

The V10 engine has a cylinder-on-demand feature which can shut down five of the cylinders while cruising on a motorway, say at 110km/h. It's a fuel-saving system, but keep in mind this V10 loves petrol and lots of it – I've hidden that all the way down the bottom of this review.

Shifting gears in all R8s is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Tesla claims a WLTP range of up to 750km for the Model 3 Premium Long Range RWD, the official EV term for which is… a lot. 

As mentioned earlier, at the time of the car’s local launch in October last year Tesla claimed it as the longest-range EV in Australia and at the time of writing nothing had arrived to change that.

Unlike the standard Model 3, which is powered by a CATL-sourced LFP battery, the Long Range RWD is fitted with a lighter, more energy dense NMC pack from LG with a total capacity of 82kWh (78kWh usable).

In terms of energy consumption, Tesla claims 12.5kWh/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and on test we experimented with liberal use of the accelerator pedal, higher than average freeway running and keeping the car constantly chilled during extremely hot weather, which resulted in an average of 15.7kWh/100km. 

Aside from that, more typical stop-start urban driving with occasional use of the ‘Chill’ (eco-focused) mode brings the number down to 13.1kWh/100km.

That’s an impressive performance, with even the upper test figure more than acceptable for a 1.75-tonne electric sedan.

Capable of accepting a 250kW fast charge, Tesla says the Model 3 Long Range RWD can take on 311km of range in 15 minutes, at that speed.

On a 150kW pylon we saw capacity go from 15-85 per cent (theoretically, 600km of range) in roughly 50min, although the charger fluctuated below peak output throughout.

That's like asking how many calories are in this pavlova that I'm about to push into my mouth? Seriously if you're asking then you shouldn't be eating it – or driving the R8.

But just for the record, according to Audi the RWD R8 uses 12.0L/100km in Coupe form and 12.2L/100km in Spyder guise after a combination of urban and open roads, while the AWD R8 of course will use more at 13.4L/100km for both Coupe and Spyder.

So, surprise, surprise, the Tesla Model 3 Premium Long Range RWD is quiet. But it’s quiet, even in the context of other EVs in this part of the market.

That’s thanks in part to acoustic glass in the front, rear and side windows as well as the dual-pane glass roof and the Bridgestone Turanza T005 EV tyres (235/45x18) featuring ‘B-Silent’ technology. Corny, but it works.

A kerb weight under 1.8 tonnes is relatively lightweight for an EV of this size and the Model 3 RWD is quick with 0-100km/h acceleration in a fraction over five seconds. There’s always plenty of pulling power under your right foot. 

Suspension is double wishbone front, multi-link rear and ride comfort is respectable rather than exceptional. Smaller bumps and irregularities find their way into the cabin but never to an alarming degree.

Steering sits in the middle-of-the-road between tactile and wooden, which is par for the EV course, although it's accurate and pleasingly progressive. Body roll, even in enthusiastic cornering, is modest. 

The physical brakes are ventilated discs front and rear although they don’t come into play all that often because the Model 3’s regenerative braking system is so good. Single-pedal operation soon becomes the norm. 

Our test car’s optional ‘Full Self-Driving (Supervised)’ will set you back $10,100 as a one-off payment, or $149 per month and Tesla says when using it, “Under your supervision, your car will be able to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention”.

We engaged it for a 30km trip through suburbia, across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and into the city’s inner south. 

A rainbow-coloured magic carpet in front of the car graphic on the nav map tells you the system is engaged and although things went smoothly at first we soon sliced a bit off the inner oncoming lane as we turned right at a T-intersection, which was alarming. 

The system also has a consistent tendency to stick to the far right-hand side of the lane, stay five to 10km/h under the signposted speed limit and it continued to operate without my hands on the wheel, although I kept them there for 99.9 per cent of the drive (which is tiring when you’re not doing the steering).

Having been squeezed to the point where we couldn’t merge safely into a particular arterial road the nav took us on what’s known in the trade as a wild goose chase that had to be nipped in the bud. If I hadn’t known my way around it could have been a huge waste of time and (vehicle) energy. As much a nav issue as an FSD one, but overall, let’s just say, I’m not convinced.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, I’m not a fan of the on-screen gear position slider in place of a physical control. It’s needlessly fussy, although its ability to automatically switch between D to R (and back) during slow-speed manoeuvres is helpful. 

The software behind the car’s multitude of functions is exceptionally good, as is the ability to swipe in the vicinity of the temp and audio volume screen sliders, rather than having to hit them bang on and the blind-spot camera view which pops up on the screen when indicating on either side is handy.

A race circuit is the best place to test the performance of an Audi R8. I've been lucky enough to have done this in the past, but for this update of the R8 the Australian launch was held on public roads and included a convoy of RS models such as the RS 6 Avant, RS 7, RS Q3 and TT RS.

Even then I think I was 'stitched up' because I began the day in the R8 V10 Performance Coupe but spent almost the entirety of my allocated time in roadworks at 40km/h before swapping to an RS Q3.

So, while I can't honesty comment about the dynamics on this updated R8 V10 Performance Coupe I can tell you that having driven every iteration of the R8 since 2012 that it's a weapon, with helicopter-like visibility out of that large front window.

If, like me, you think turbos are 'cheating' (superchargers are fine), then you'll love the linear power delivery of the R8's naturally aspirated V10, and while I love front-engined sportscars, nothing beats a mid-engined car for the feeling of balance and lightness in the nose while having the sound of thousands of explosions going off just behind your back.

Having AWD is not just great for acceleration and perfect traction from Audi's quattro system, I think it's a good safety feature in a supercar, and while only your judgements can stop things going pear shaped, the system will be there to help on slippery roads.

The following day was different. I was in the R8 V10 RWD, the country roads were superb and while it wasn't a racetrack it was enough to get a hint of the capabilities of the RWD R8.

While the R8 V10 RWD feels the same to sit in with the same great view, it feels different to drive than its faster sibling, in a good way. First there's the noticeable power difference – more than 50kW and 20Nm less – but also the lack of AWD makes the front end feel more pointable, and the car feel more like a traditional sportscar that pushes from behind rather than pulling from the front. Less power, but more fun.

The RS cars in our test convoy were all awesome machines, but stepping out of even the RS6 Avant and slipping down into the R8 cockpit was like getting into a UFO – it's so far ahead dynamically of any other Audi that all I could do was laugh like an idiot. Corners which were making an RS 7 really struggle, were handled effortlessly by the R8. And in a straight line it's a bullet in a barrel.

The Performance has the better brakes: 380mm ceramic discs with six piston calipers up front and 356mm discs with four piston calipers at the rear. The RWD has steel discs – 365mm with eight piston calipers up front and 356mm discs with four piston calipers in the rear.

Keep in mind if you are planning on track days, you'll find the ceramic discs costly to replace, and beside the stopping power of the steel ones is excellent.

And yet, on pot holed course bitumen the ride is a lot more comfortable than you might think and having driven the Performance in traffic it's a much nicer place to sit than the claustrophobic cabin of a McLaren 570S. You could honestly use the R8 daily.

ANCAP has not tested the Audi R8 so there's no star rating available. What we can tell you is that the R8 has a low level of advanced safety technology – there's no AEB, no adaptive cruise control, no rear cross traffic alert, nor blind spot warning, nor lane keeping assistance. That's the reason why the score is so low here.

The R8 does have electronic stability control and ABS, and active roll over protection, plus six airbags, although the Spyder doesn't have curtain airbags.

From January 1, 2026 all new Teslas sold in Australia have been covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty (including roadside assistance for the duration), up from four years/80,000km, previously.

A big step forward, no doubt, but that just gets Tesla to a base, mainstream market level with a dozen brands now at seven years, several at eight and three at 10 years (conditional).

The drive battery is covered for eight years/192,000km, which is in line with the category norm. And a Body Rust Limited Warranty covers rust perforation for 12 years, unlimited kilometres, which is reassuring.

Tesla servicing is condition-based, so there’s no fixed schedule, with a summary on the car’s touchscreen providing a record of when vehicle maintenance was last carried out and prompts for when they should be performed next.

In the absence of a combustion powertrain the emphasis is on things like wheel rotation, balancing and alignment, brake fluid testing, air-con servicing, camera precision, radiator cleaning and high-voltage battery maintenance.

Theoretically, if a workshop visit is flagged in the car’s system, it could include actions like a ‘Vehicle Health Check’ ($270), ‘General Diagnosis’ (270 per hour), brake fluid flush ($240.80) and replacement of both cabin air filters ($106.60).

Things like air-con desiccant bag replacement ($89.18), tyre rotation ($81.00), a wheels check - if tyre wear is abnormal ($81) and a wheel alignment ($225) are also set inspection and service items. All prices exclusive of GST.

In the States, the brand provides a range of estimated annual service pricing of between US$257 - US$499 ($367-$712), based on data collected by car buying specialist CarEdge. The suggested service range is around 20,000km and the first five annual estimates are at US$300 ($430) or less.

Tesla has 25 stores in Australia, not surprisingly covering mainly urban and larger regional centres, including four each in Melbourne and Sydney, three in Canberra, two each in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth as well as one in Hobart.

The R8 is covered by Audi's three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty which not only falls behind in duration compared to mainstream brands but also its direct rival Mercedes-Benz which now has five-year, unlimited kilometre coverage.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km but unlike other Audi models there isn't a three-year or five-year plan available.