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Tesla Model 3 review: Auto journalist calls it “Coolest Car” of the year

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Automotive journalist and veteran car reviewer, Doug DeMuro, who previously gave us a humorous look at why the Tesla Model X is an “awful car“, is back with another Tesla vehicle review this time of the California car maker’s mass-market Model 3 sedan. The writer extraordinaire and ex-Jalopnik contributor who turned his passion for writing and playing with cars into a successful YouTube channel, takes us into the elusive world of what it’s like to be behind the wheel of a Model 3.

“Here’s how this happened: I got an email from a viewer with a Tesla Model 3, and he asked if I wanted to review it. So I flew to California and spent the entire day with it.” says DeMuro on Autotrader where he serves as Editor.

Unlike the recent deep-dive Model 3 review video published by the Model 3 Owners Club, DeMuro’s review is equally in-depth but reviewed in a manner that somehow manages to connect with the audience, in a way that can only be characterized as Doug DeMuro style. “They’ve only delivered something like 222 cars, and I got to drive one of them, so nanny nanny boo boo.”

DeMuro dives into many of Model 3’s features that members of the Tesla community have become self-proclaimed experts in by now, like understanding how to gain vehicle entry through a keycard or the ability to manage vehicle functions directly through its center touchscreen. But where DeMuro’s Model 3 review really shines is its ability to distill mundane details into something more relatable to the average consumer that might be looking to purchase the car.

“It’s the midrange power that’s especially exciting; the Model 3 is raucously fast from 30 or 40 miles per hour — though ‘raucously’ is probably the wrong word, since the car makes absolutely no noise. It’s like a drama-free BMW M3.” says DeMuro in describing Model 3’s mid-range performance. “The car has clearly been engineered to begin turning the moment the wheel is moved slightly, as if Tesla thinks drivers will equate ‘responsive steering’ with ‘good handling.’” he adds.

DeMuro noted that the interior of the Model 3 he reviewed experienced no creaking or rattling, despite the relatively cheaper interior trim. “Yes, I wish the overall materials were nicer, but they weren’t falling apart; given Tesla’s highly publicized difficulty bringing these things to market, I figured the interior trim would be loose and most of the interior panels would visibly shake whenever I went over a bump. Not so. Everything seems to be as well-tightened as you’d expect from any normal production car.”

Watch DeMuro’s video review of the Tesla Model 3 and see how it stacks up against a comparably priced BMW 340i, but more importantly why he thinks Model 3 is the “coolest car” of the year.

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Gene has been obsessed with cars since before he could legally sit in the front seat. Writer, researcher, unofficial CS support, accountant, native suit guy when needed, and overall stick poker. He approaches every story the way he approaches a road trip: with too much enthusiasm, not enough planning, and a surprisingly good outcome. gene@teslarati.com

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Tesla Summer Update begins rolling out: a look at the new features

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has started to deploy the 2026 Summer Update to owners across its fleet, and among the biggest changes are improvements to Navigation, a new startup animation for the Model 3 and Model Y, Caraoke scoring, and new capabilities for Grok.

As the update has started making its way to some cars, we can now see a few of the features operating in real-time. We will show you what some of the new features look like in this article, along with some additional details on what changed.

Not all of the new features in the 2026 Summer Update have quite made an appearance, but some of them have, so we’ll show those here:

New Animation Screen for 3/Y

Tesla is rolling out a new startup animation for Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners. This is present in Launch Edition and Performance Model 3 and Model Y, but other trim levels do not have anything like this.

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Owners can adjust the color associated with the startup animation to suit their preferences. It is a surprise that more automakers do not focus on this animation for their vehicles; it can be a great first impression piece and make the car immediately feel more luxurious.

Tesla has included this on more premium trims, but it is nice to see it on the Model 3 and Model Y.

Grok Improvements

Grok can now adjust more things in the car outside of the Navigation system. Now, drivers can adjust anything from climate to driving settings by simply speaking to the AI assistant in the car:

You don’t even have to push a button, either. Instead, you can just say “Hey, Grok,” if you have it enabled. That feature rolled out with the 2026 Spring Update just a few months back.

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This is a great feature, especially pertinent for the Robotaxi platform, as there will be no buttons inside the Cybercab when it eventually starts giving rides to the public. It also broadens Grok’s capabilities, which were relatively limited in terms of vehicle setting adjustments beforehand.

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Tesla briefly offered this Robotaxi part for your personal car

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Credit: @tpgoebel | X

Tesla briefly offered one Robotaxi part in its Parts Catalog for your personal car, only to remove it just a short time after it was first noticed.

Tesla’s Robotaxi camera washer apparatus was briefly available for purchase on the company’s Online Parts Catalog. The camera washer was first noticed on Model Y Robotaxi vehicles about six months ago in Austin.

First noticed by Not a Tesla App, the Camera Washer entries appeared for the new “Juniper” Model Y under a category called “Halo,” which has also now disappeared. Interestingly, Halo probably is related to Tesla’s internal “Project Halo,” which was a project that aimed to retrofit customer-owned Model Ys into functional Robotaxis.

This hardware addition would likely be required for the vehicle to operate as a Robotaxi, as the Camera Washer seems to be a non-negotiable part of the vision-based system Tesla utilizes for self-driving efforts.

However, this part has since been removed and is no longer visible on the EPC.

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Now the true question lingers: Why would Tesla add this Camera Washer to the Model Y parts catalog? Is it planning to make it available for owners to utilize on their own cars for personal use, or will it become a prerequisite for Robotaxi operation in customer-owned cars?

While discussing the upgrade options for Hardware 3 vehicles during the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had said that the company could establish small, satellite shops that would upgrade cameras and self-driving computers. Perhaps this same strategy could be utilized for vehicles that want to be included in Robotaxi but do not have the correct hardware.

AI4 is currently represented as capable of unsupervised self-driving, and the same was said about HW3 at one point, only for Tesla to admit last quarter that it would, unfortunately, not be possible. Perhaps AI4 vehicles might need this camera washer as a prerequisite, just as HW3 cars will need that camera and computer upgrade.

This could be the first hint of that’s where we are headed.

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Tesla Robotaxi gets sweeping but polarizing change

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has started rolling out a broader change to the ride experience for its Robotaxi fleet by silencing turn signals, but the change is certainly polarizing.

Tesla has generally made it clear that its purpose-built ride-hailing platform, Robotaxi, will cater to the rider in nearly every way possible. This includes having climate preferences, music, and other personal settings loaded up in the car as the rider enters.

But Tesla is taking it a step further by muting turn signal chimes altogether, a change that appears to be a way to make the ride more peaceful:

However, there are a handful of people who are not thrilled about this change. Turn signals are a conditioned part of the human mind for those who ride in a car regularly.

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Taking a turn without one feels strange and odd, and not hearing it click while activated could set off some alarms for riders, who might use the noise as confirmation that other drivers know of their intention to turn.

Turn signal noises are still audible in customer cars, so if you use FSD in your personal vehicle, you will still hear the turn signal.

The move is certainly one that is unique, but not one that separates it from other ride-sharing services. In a normal car, the clicking sound confirms to the driver that the blinker is active. In a fully driverless Robotaxi, that feedback serves no purpose for passengers, other than peace of mind.

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