Tesla Model 3 vs Volvo S60

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Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model 3

$44,800 - $79,800

2024 price

Volvo S60
Volvo S60

2024 price

Summary

2024 Tesla Model 3
2024 Volvo S60
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Not Applicable, 0.0L

Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
Electric

Premium Unleaded/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
0.0L/100km (combined)

1.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Looks a bit dull
  • Steering too light
  • Still feels cheap inside

  • Sedate cabin compared to rivals
  • Works best as a four-seater
  • Not a lot of storage options
2024 Tesla Model 3 Summary

It is highly unusual to drive around in a bed, but that’s what it felt like we were being asked to do with the new and terribly exciting Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Tesla doesn’t do media launches, nor traditional marketing, so everything about this event was predictably peculiar, but when we were told this new car was causing so much excitement that we should pull a sheet over it every time we stopped, to avoid people photographing it, or touching it (“if someone tries, just politely ask them to stop” as we were advised) we hit peak weirdness.

Eventually, they did agree to pull the sheet off one and let us have a look at the most exciting car Tesla has ever made that’s not a Cybertruck

The Performance is the Model 3 Tesla engineers and designers always wanted to make. Clearly, it was going to be called the 'Ludicrous', because some staff kept stuffing up and calling it that. It’s a shame the name wasn’t used, but at least it still gets an 'Insane' mode.

They really wanted to go all out with the original Performance version, but “a guy called Elon” didn’t want to add all the complexity that required at the time - he was focused on quality issues and ramping up production - but this go around he has let them have their heads, and encouraged them to go hog wild.

That means an entirely new power unit at the rear, staggered 20-inch wheels for sportier turn-in, aerodynamic changes for more downforce and less lift, new seats and the fitting of active dampers to a Model 3 for the first time, to help provide proper, track-ready handling.

We set out into the embrace of the adoring Los Angeles public (truly, no city on Earth boasts so many Tesla owners, they are everywhere) to find out if all the fuss is worth it.

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2024 Volvo S60 Summary

Sedans have long been supplanted by SUVs as the family favourite but they still have their charms for those drivers who like something that feels more dynamic on the road.

Enter the limited edition Volvo S60 Recharge Black Edition which sees the return of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for Volvo’s only sedan.

I’ve been family-testing the PHEV variant to see just how practical a sedan is for the modern family, and whether it's rivals, the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C200 have anything to worry about.

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Deep dive comparison

2024 Tesla Model 3 2024 Volvo S60

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