Sold the R and bought an American muscle car

[Bodhizefa]

After having the R for two years, I sold it and bought an American muscle car -- the Tesla Model 3 Performance (2020 Stealth version). The following notes comparing the two are only my opinion, so your mileage may vary. I am happy to chat about any and all points. I cherished the R during my time with it, so please know this comes from a place of love (and that I am typically a very critical person in general)...

Here are my thoughts after having driven both the Type R vs the Performance Model 3:

1. Acceleration -- Model 3 wins
   1. The Civic Type R accelerates for sh*t. While it's not rated as bad as Chill Mode in the Model 3, it certainly feels worse because its wheels slip in 1st and 2nd at anything around 50-60% max torque. Even on the best tires in the best conditions imaginable, this car has wheel slippage issues and Honda is silly if they add more HP in the next generation R without making this car an AWD vehicle from henceforth. Every good thing you've ever heard about the Type R starts after the car gets to 30-45mph, because everything before that is absolute garbage.
   2. The Model 3 Performance accelerates like an M5 Competition at half the price and boy is it impressive. Track and drag strip performance aside, this is helpful from a variety of standpoints in day-to-day driving. People talk about point-and-click vehicles, and Tesla nailed it with the Model 3 Performance. You can use this vehicle to do just about anything you want in city/urban driving. It can hit any gap you need with its instant torque and speed, and there's no way anyone can beat you off the line at a stop light unless they're in something close to a supercar... or another Tesla.
2. Daily Driving Ride Quality -- Model 3 wins
   1. Type R: The R has 3 driving modes: R+, Sport, and Comfort. In stock form, the R rides too stiff in R+ mode although its heavy steering is fun and direct. The ride quality is borderline comfortable in Sport mode, although it is still stiff. Meanwhile, comfort mode is way too bouncy for my liking, and its tapered-off throttle was silly. There's no dampening of the stiffness in the 2017-2019 model that makes sense unless you swap to 18" rims. At which point the R becomes a reasonable daily driver. Its seats are absolutely phenomenal, though.
   2. Model 3 Performance: The M3P has much better ride quality and stiffness in daily conditions, especially on the 18's in the stealth version I have. Its seats are comfortable overall, but they are nowhere near as good as the Type R's front seats for comfort and locking you into place.
3. Cornering in the Twisty Bits -- Type R wins
   1. The Type R handles much better in the corners and turns. Once you add the super comfortably snug seats that grip you in and hold you tight, you can't ask for a tighter cornering car under $40K.
   2. Model 3 Performance: Its body roll is pronounced compared to the R's virtual lack of roll. I have not driven a lowered suspension Model 3, so there is a gap in my knowledge as to how those feel. Perhaps the .4 inches is a real difference maker, but I doubt it. Simply put, it's just not as fun to corner as the R.
4. Brakes -- Type R wins
   1. Type R: It brakes like a Porsche 911. You can tail just about anyone a car length or two away if necessary in tight traffic and know you're stopping way sooner than they are as long as you're paying attention (and in a non-nanny car like a Type R, of course you're paying attention!)
   2. Model 3 Performance: The Model 3's emergency brake system is woefully lacking for a 2 ton car. And even though I don't have the performance brakes, I've seen plenty of videos showing the car still not performing well in braking scenarios to know that Tesla has underestimated the needs of a 4,000 lbs. vehicle and its braking demands. Where I used to ride 2-3 car lengths from those who were going "too slow", I've now increased my distance to the cars in front of me during daily driving because the Tesla Model 3's brakes are not ready for prime time tailing. The R is advertised as around 100 feet brake distance at 60mph while the Tesla is more like 133 feet brake distance at 60mph. And it feels like an eternity of a difference between the two.
   3. Side note: Yes, regenerative braking is awesome. Yes, the Model 3's brake pads will last longer due to regenerative braking. Yes, this is a good thing overall! But the lack of good emergency braking power (and track braking power) is a legitimate concern as far as safety and overall performance is concerned. The Type R feels light years ahead in this category.
5. Washing/Detailing -- Model 3 wins
   1. Type R: It takes me roughly 45-50 minutes to hand wash the car and the wheels (depending on how long it's been since the previous wash as the brake dust can get insane on the R). And my right arm is dead tired at the end regardless. I never manually dried the car since it took so long to wash. All that aero comes with a steep washing price!
   2. M3P: It took me 25 minutes to wash the car and wheels plus dry off the glass on the windshield and sunroof. Not having all that crazy aero and venting sure does help cleaning time. The leather seats also make wiping things down a lot easier than the cloth and alcantara seating in the R.
6. Storage and Miscellaneous -- Model 3 mostly wins
   1. Type R:
      1. It has an awful-sounding stereo system; my wife's CR-V stereo destroys it.
      2. It has tons of space both for passengers as well as for storage/transport. It has so much space I never knew what to do with it all.
      3. It has a crappy A/C system that Honda won't admit is a failure. There is a class action lawsuit for all Honda Civic A/C units designed in this era.
      4. Cabin storage is poorly designed. There is barely room for an iPhone Pro in the center console. If you have a larger phone and want to charge it, you're out of luck. The drink storage situation is silly, too, because who can row gears with a drink right behind the gear shifter?
   2. M3P:
      1. The stereo sound is much better than the R, but it lacks bass punch overall.
      2. I miss the ease of the hatch for storing and toting items. Anyone know of a good trunk divider or net for the Model 3?
      3. No problems with the A/C in the Model 3!
      4. Cabin storage is much more usefully separated and set-up in the Model 3. It's a breath of fresh air compared to the R.
7. Final Thoughts
   1. Type R: Corners on rails, has amazing seats and brakes, and looks like a Decepticon -- these are all great things in my opinion. However, there are some notable negatives. The manual transmission occasionally grinds in 2nd, which can be incredibly annoying. Its econobox roots are obvious in some instances, too. The car rattles in places when its turbo kicks in and it drones at highway speeds. It is a formidable foe in and above its price range from a performance perspective but the downsides are that it is not a great city car in stock form and it accelerates well... for grandmas.
   2. Tesla Model 3 Performance: Its All Wheel Drive feels incredibly planted compared to the FWD R. Its acceleration and torque are unmatched in its price range. And it generally has an elegant and premium feel in its cabin compared to the R. Downsides are that it can't hang in the corners with the R, and since it doesn't have any exhaust drone I can now hear my toddler son when he has a meltdown in the back seat, lol. Overall it's a much more fun car to drive in the city where I live, so it suits my commute and family needs a lot better.

I will miss this forum and appreciate everyone's input. Take care and enjoy your R's!

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[StanMan]

Not going to shit on someone else's choice. I appreciate basically all types of car and truck. Enjoy.

If you enjoy what the Model 3 Performance does, enjoy and have fun. I would love one as a second car but I could never not have at least one car with an amazing stick.

 

[rwht]

Nice writeup, congrats on the switch to a Model 3! Like the Type-R a Model 3 needs to be experienced (even the base model) to understand why it's so popular. It's not sharp like a Type-R around corners, but the instant torque and acceleration is so accessible that you can have fun in it at any speed.

That said, I'm planning on going the opposite direction from a Model 3 to a Type-R, primarily because I want something that asks a bit more of me. As capable as the Model 3 is, I don't find it engaging to drive and miss having something I can wring out around corners. Seems like the grass is always greener on the other side haha...

 

[NapalmEnema]

Cool enjoy the golf cart and going super fast quietly with zero visceral fun outside of having nice amenities in said golf cart.

I always make sure to open the exhaust on my M2 going by a golf cart to ensure they hear what they are now missing.

 

[BryanCO]

Do people really cross shop these two cars?

 

[Jwolf]

Click bait. Tesla's are appliances, not muscle cars.

Enjoy your new ride.

 

[BryanCO]

Click bait. Tesla's are appliances, not muscle cars.

Enjoy your new ride.

Ya, I just ignored the muscle car reference....like somehow a Tesla is the answer for every class of car.

 

[Jwolf]

Ya, I just ignored the muscle car reference....like somehow a Tesla is the answer for every class of car.

I think OP knew what he was doing writing this. Referencing a 911 and M5 when I'm going to assume he's not driven either based on the comparisons made.

 

[MadMage]

Enjoy your new car. My wife has a Model 3 Long Range. And in general your comparisons are pretty much the same I have.

In short, though the M3 is fast, it really isn't a performance car, even the performance model. It's a near luxury sedan (wannabe) and is great for an urban commute and even not bad for interstate road trips. It corners like a sedan (with all wheel drive) and brakes like a boat.

Do people really cross shop these two cars?

I considered it. But I wasn't looking for a rush hour commuter. The M3 is great for those that have to commute, especially at rush hour when you can use the HOV lanes by yourself. I decided I wanted a driver's car I could track.

 

[17RGuy]

I think OP knew what he was doing writing this. Referencing a 911 and M5 when I'm going to assume he's not driven either based on the comparisons made.

Exactly. His automotive comparison review has less credibility than reading about a random guy comparing playtex to Kotex for his monthly visitor.

 

[Sam3]

I test drove the Model Y Performance and the Model 3 Dual Motor but not the Model 3 Performance (the Tesla center didn't have it that day). I agree with most of the points the OP wrote. On acceleration, I came away with two observations:

1. The acceleration from stop and very low speeds is very strong and addictive. Love it. However, once you're going like 80 and floor it, it doesn't give you that strong rush and pull build-up that a beefy V8 gives you when it drops a couple of gears and screams. The acceleration is tamer from highway speeds.
2. If you go on a spirited drive with several WOTs, the available range dwindles very fast. I took the Model Y Performance for 13 miles test drive, but that ate like 25 miles off of its remaining range.

The Model Y in particular didn't inspire much confidence at high speeds. It's narrow and tall, and the seating position is high (even when the seat is at the lowest setting as it sits on a tall block). I felt quite unsettled going high speed at freeway curves. The Type R in comparison feels very planted and confidence inspiring at much higher speeds and tighter curves. Compared to the Model 3 Dual Motor, the Type R is a lot more flickable and maneuverable.

 

[MoTeC R]

Yeah 140-170tq just strips those tires bald. ?

 

[AngryLettuce]

If it isn't a V8 manual rear wheel drive petrol powered car, it is by no way in any essence a muscle car. If anything it's an ipad.
I can't see how you can even play rock music through the stereo of a tesla without feeling offensive?

I appreciate industry advancements, but, I raced a tesla (rolling starts) in my 6.4V8 and the muscle was just too mighty for the poor little dishwasher, at 120 I simply kept growling away like a car with big hairy danglies. The whisper quiet tesla simply and silently just got smaller. Maybe it was running out of charge

 

[Siiick]

Click bait. Tesla's are appliances, not muscle cars.

Enjoy your new ride.

Bingo. I will say I am glad they are enjoying it but if it were me, I would have kept the R to go along with the Tesla.

 

[chattanoogaR]

Do people really cross shop these two cars?

No, they absolutely do not.

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