Bizarre: The New Tesla Model 3 Ditches One Very Common Feature

Tesla's new "Standard" versions of the Model 3 and Model Y do without a number of premium features in a push to get their base prices lower. Some, like a rear touchscreen, buyers might not miss. One deletion, however, is strange: Power mirrors. According to a feature-comparison chart from Tesla on its online configurator, the Model 3 Standard only has "[m]anual-adjust side-view mirrors."

We can't think of a single car on sale today, no matter how decontented, that does without power-adjustable mirrors. The Model Y, it seems, won't have to go without this feature, as it simply deletes the power fold mechanism that other model variants have. We'd ask Tesla if this is just a typo, but the company doesn't have a PR team that fields such requests from media.

The Model 3 Standard also deletes a lot of other niceties. There's the aforementioned rear screen gone, and also deleted is ambient lighting, front-seat ventilation, leather trim, second-row heated seats, power-adjustable steering column, standard "Autosteer," and the FM/AM radio. The Model 3 Standard also has a slightly lower battery capacity, with 69.5 kilowatt-hours usable from its pack. 

Range is 321 miles—down from 363 miles in the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive, and Supercharging speeds are limited to 225 kilowatts as well. Tesla also claims a 5.8-second 0-60 mph time for the base Model 3. That may be down from the 4.9-second time of the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive, but it's still quick.

At $38,630, the Model 3 Standard is $5,500 cheaper than the Premium, and now, the cheapest way into a new Tesla. You'll just have to remind yourself that when you have to ask your passenger to adjust the mirror for you.

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