Tesla Model 3 receives stellar 5-Star rating from premier UK auto magazine

Ahead of its release in Europe’s right-hand-drive regions, the Tesla Model 3 has gone through an extensive review by Auto Express, one of the UK’s leading automotive publications. The electric sedan from Silicon Valley proved impressive, receiving a stellar 5-Star rating from the magazine.

Auto Express is among the most prominent car-themed publications in the region, at one point being the best-selling motoring magazine in Britain. The publication also holds the distinction of being the first to reveal the name of the Model 3 five years ago. In its recent review of the vehicle, Auto Express noted that despite the long wait, the Model 3 is ultimately a “stunning electric car you can enjoy every day.”

The magazine tested a Long Range AWD version of the Tesla Model 3, which was rated in the region with a range of 348 miles (under WLTP standards) and a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The publication praised the Model 3 for its performance, particularly its “addictive” acceleration and its impressive drive. The Model 3’s exterior design, which allows the vehicle to look compact despite being longer than other cars in its class like the BMW 3-Series, was praised as well.

The UK-based publication highlighted that the Model 3 it reviewed had a solid build. According to the magazine, the electric sedan that they tested featured materials that looked and felt posh, and there were no rattles or squeaks observed while driving. These observations bode well for the electric car, which experienced build quality issues during the first months of its production.

Elon Musk responded to these build quality reports by rallying Tesla employees to work harder in ensuring that the vehicles they produce are as finely-built as possible. Optimizations to the vehicle’s production line were also implemented to refine the buildout of the Model 3 further. These recent observations from Auto Express, which likely used one of Tesla’s newly-built Model 3, prove that the electric car maker is mastering the manufacturing of its most disruptive vehicle to date.

Considering the advantages that the Model 3 offers — from the fun it provides while driving, to more practical benefits like affordable charging rates and decent trunk space, to its class-leading features like Autopilot — the publication concluded that the car is a class of its own, at least today. All this adds up to a vehicle that could be considered as the “coolest car you can buy right now.”

The Tesla Model 3 has been gaining rave reviews from publications and news agencies across the globe since the company started the vehicle’s international ramp. Last March, the Model 3 achieved the rare feat of getting a rave review from Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s leading publications that has proven skeptical of Tesla in the past. The Model 3 Performance also impressed reviewers from China’s Know the Car group, which tested the electric sedan on a track against cars like the BMW M3 and the Ferrari 488 GTB.

Tesla is preparing to start deliveries of the Model 3’s right-hand drive variants. Order pages for the vehicle have already been opened in areas such as the UK, with the company noting that deliveries for RHD markets will begin in the second half of 2019.