Tesla Model 3 vs Toyota GR86

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.

You’ve reached the end of this review and might be looking at the final score thinking it seems low. If you’re a keen driver and considering a GR86, all you need to know is this: the GT will provide plenty of fun for the money.

But if you’re more serious about your two-door rear-driver, and thinking about track days, the GTS with Dynamic Performance Pack might be worth it. It’s not an obscene amount more, and in a few years the extra cash might not even register.

Plus, there might not be much longer to be able to pick up cars like this new, anyway.

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.

The 86 was already an attractive sports car, with a traditional shape and just enough aggressive detailing to be appealing without looking too fussy.

Luckily, the GR86 remains restrained enough and changes are light enough that the lineage is clear. The car now looks a little more aquatic thanks to some rounding at the front, and its tail-lights are even more clearly from the Subaru side of the partnership.

While being less aggressive overall, the GR86 retains the essence of its first-gen forebear.

The interior is also clearly tweaked rather than entirely refurbished. Aside from the red carpeting and highlights in the example we’re driving it’s not massively exciting visually. But function beats form in this case.

Speaking of form and function, the red Brembo brake calipers are for more than show, with twice as many pistons helping stopping power. But given the number of comments from non-enthusiast friends, they’re also doing the job looks-wise.

Oh, and as mentioned, the White Liquid premium paint comes in at $575. 'Spark Red' is the only no-cost colour.

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.

For what it is, the GR86 provides enough to make par when it comes to interior convenience, but there are drawbacks to buying a compact four-seater, two-door sports car.

If you’re tall, getting in and out can be a struggle. Even at 180cm you might feel like getting out after a long drive is a bit of work.

The fact there are seats behind the front seats means you’re relatively snug even as far back as they’ll go, but the driver-focused feeling of the cabin is worth it.

The physical switches and buttons are welcome, and the fact the 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is only for audio, settings, or nav (if you have phone mirroring plugged in) is a win for minimising distractions.

The materials feel relatively rudimentary aside from the seating upholstery, and the cabin doesn’t escape the cost-cutting presence of plastic, but the layout is functional.

Cupholders can be hidden under a cover just behind where the driver’s elbow might rest, which can be annoying to reach even if its purpose is to be out of the way.

Behind the main seats, there’s room for kids for a decent trip or, if you’re not hugely fond of them, adults for a while. Again, I’m a fairly average height and I don’t feel like I could spend longer than a 15-minute trip there before getting antsy.

It’s good they’re there, because having bad seats is better than no seats in a pinch, but don’t seriously think of this as a car for getting more than two people around.

The 237 litres in the boot is decent for a sports car, enough to get luggage or groceries in, but a limited opening space means stowing bulky stuff is trickier.

While inexpensive on the scale of sports cars, the Toyota GR86 GTS with the 'Dynamic Performance Pack' option ticked is relatively pricey for the badge.

The GTS’s starting price of $46,090, before on-road costs (regardless of automatic or manual transmission), is joined by a $2200 bump from the Performance Pack, then in this example’s case there’s a $575 charge for the 'White Liquid' premium paint.

Toyota’s website suggests $53,924, drive-away, for a GR86 specified to match our test car. It’s not a huge ask in today’s world, but a Toyota 86 used to start for less than $30,000, before on-roads (we’re talking more than a decade ago), and the car wasn’t dramatically different.

Compare the top-spec Mazda MX-5 GT RS, the GR86 GTS’s (with the Performance Pack) natural rival, at $51,790, before on-roads, or even the GR86’s Subaru BRZ twin in tS spec at $49,190, before on-roads, and the GR86 looks like decent value.

Other options for little sporty things like the Mini Cooper or Hyundai i30 N start in the low $50,000 range, while $41,990 before on-roads snags you a slightly smaller VW Polo GTI.

For the money, the GR86 GTS packs in enough features to feel decently premium for such a small space. Having said that, the 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital driver display are nothing to write home about, nor are the six-speaker sound system or wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The GTS’s combination synthetic suede and leather (heated) front seats and its sportier trim (sports pedals, door scuff plates and door lamp) are notable however, as is the addition of extra safety kit over the base model. Really, though, rear cross-traffic alert and rear blind-spot monitors should be standard.

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.

The GR86’s 2.4-litre flat-four petrol engine remains naturally aspirated (rare for a modern sports car) and drives the rear wheels via either a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox - the latter also increasingly rare.

Outputs are 174kW at a lofty 7000rpm and 250Nm at 3700rpm regardless of 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.

A 50-litre fuel tank provides minimum 98RON petrol to the engine at a rate of 9.5L/100km according to Toyota, that’s here in the manual. The claim for an auto is 8.8L.

On test, we saw 11.0L/100km, which included a spirited mountain drive, a long highway stint and some rather stop-start inner-city commuting.

It’s not a bad figure for a sports car, but you’d be disappointed to see it from just about any other small Toyota.

With that in mind, realistically you’re looking at around 500L to a tank if you’re not pushing things too hard.

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.

This is where the biggest question lies regarding the GTS’s value proposition. Is it worth paying several thousand dollars more for a GTS with the Dynamic Performance Pack when a GT might be all you need? 

The GR86 sticks to the basic formula that made the previous 86 a gem, and just slightly improves areas where there was ‘feedback’ from buyers.

The biggest one is the torque dip that used to plague the middle of the 86’s rev range. If you looked at a dyno chart (which the 86 had built in, funnily enough) you could see the little drop where the torque fell away, so driving in either a lower of higher gear was sometimes necessary to dodge it.

No more with the bigger 2.4-litre engine. It’s more powerful, if thirstier, but still feels like a tool rather than something to really enjoy. It’s not the most characterful of things, and its fake engine sound through the cabin can feel a infantile. 

The gearbox is also not at the forefront. The shift feel is decent but there could be a little more clutch feel, getting into it after driving an old manual might see you stall and embarrass yourself once or twice.

The steering and handling, though, is sublime. The steering feel is sharp and tactile, you know what’s happening at the front tyres and you’re given the right information to make adjustments accurately. It’s well-weighted, and doesn’t have a big numb spot on-centre.

If you were so inclined, at a track, this is a relatively easy car to slide and let the tail hang just a smidge. 

If you find yourself making a mistake, the traction control is very good at catching errors before they become problems, but without stopping the fun while also letting you feel where it went wrong.

When it comes to the tweaked brakes and suspension included in the DPP, the GR86 is never going to be truly comfortable and unless you're tracking the car it’s not heavy enough to overwhelm the brakes on a public road.

The suspension on bumpy inner-city roads, even with the Sachs sports dampers which Toyota says “improve both on-road ride comfort and handling in dynamic situations”, don’t soak up the rough stuff particularly well. But they do stop it from feeling properly crashy.

Spoiler alert. Aside from the upgraded interior features, the GT’s $43,940, before on-road costs, price tag is some of the best-value motoring around, even if it’s much more expensive than the 86 was a decade ago.

The GTS’s asking price with the DPP at $48,290 isn’t atrocious, but it’s probably worth asking yourself whether the extra few thousand dollars is necessary, especially when the Sachs sports dampers don’t exactly make the car magically comfortable.

You’re going to have fun with this car in any form, so spending the extra on the GTS is optional, and the DPP is something you’ll probably get the most out of on a track.

The car we tested, despite costing the most it possibly could, still lacked some safety kit.

There are two ways to miss out on some safety features in the GR86 - buy the GT, or buy a manual.

If you opt for the GT, you don’t get rear cross-traffic alert or blind-spot monitoring. If you have a manual, you forgo a parking support brake and rear parking sensors.

There’s also no ANCAP rating for the GR86 though we aren’t marking it down for this. Toyota and ANCAP seem to think buyers of small sports cars are aware there might be safety drawbacks and understand what they’re getting into.

The GR86 has seven airbags, a seat-belt warning, auto high-beam, AEB in all variants, lane departure warning, and hill-assist. Nothing intrusive and a lack of annoying beeps and chimes which is welcome in a car focused on letting the driver be in charge.

If you're determined to fit a child seat (or two!) in the back there are top tether points and ISOFIX anchors for both positions.

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.

Toyota offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which increases to seven years if you keep your servicing within Toyota’s network.

It’s a step-up from what has been the standard mainstream warranty for some time, but other brands are pulling ahead with eight- or even 10-year warranties.

There’s also a capped-price servicing plan for five years and the first five services are limited to $335 at the time of writing.

Finding somewhere for that should be a breeze, Toyota has so many dealerships it simply lists ‘over 275 locations’ as its latest count.