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Tesla Model 3 and Model S heated seats compared in temperature test showdown
One of the best things about Tesla’s vehicles is their capability to improve over time. Through over-the-air updates, Tesla’s electric cars receive safety enhancements, fun Easter Eggs, new convenience features, and even additional driver-assist capabilities free of charge. These improvements have been particularly notable in the Model 3, as the vehicle has progressively gotten better since it started rolling off the assembly line back in July 2017.
The Tesla Model 3 is the company’s most affordable vehicle today, with its range-topping Performance variant costing less than a Model S 100D. Since it was released, several improvements to the vehicle have been rolled out, from shorter braking distances (courtesy of Consumer Reports) to rear seat warmers. In the case of the latter, the warmers were even a point of discussion among Tesla owners prior to their activation, considering that the feature was absent on the vehicle when it was initially delivered to reservation holders.
By March last year, though, Tesla introduced heated rear seats for the Model 3, making the feature universal for all the cars in its lineup. Last December, Tesla released an update that made seat heating even more convenient, allowing owners to activate and set their vehicles’ seat warmers from the mobile app. For the company’s flagship cars — the Model S and Model X — even the steering wheel heaters could be activated from the Tesla app.
Inasmuch as the heated seats of the Model 3 are a welcome feature, though, it is still quite interesting to see how it stacks up against the excellent seat heaters in the more premium, albeit older, Model S. Having both cars, Tesla owner-enthusiast Erik Strait opted to conduct a test to compare the Model 3 and Model S’ seat heaters using a FLIR thermal camera. Needless to say, the test results were quite compelling.
As could be seen in the video, the Model 3’s heaters actually work well. Five minutes after activating the feature on the app, the Model 3’s seat heaters registered 73.3 degrees Fahrenheit on the back and 81.5 F on the bottom. That’s not too far from the Model S, which registered 69.2 degrees Fahrenheit on the back and 84.6 F at the bottom after 5 minutes of activation.
That said, the Model S’ heaters appear to have an advantage over the Model 3, thanks to the distribution of heat on the seat itself. The Model 3’s seat heater is pretty straightforward, with the changes in temperature being centered on the areas directly above the heating element. Thus, while the center portions of the seat warmed up well, other portions such as the sides remained noticeably cooler. The Model S’s heating element, on the other hand, appeared to be well-distributed, resulting in a more even temperature across the entire seat.
There would be more improvements coming to the Model 3 and Model S in the coming months. In the case of the flagship sedan, speculations are high that Tesla might update the vehicles’ batteries to newer, larger 2170 cells, which the company is using for the Model 3. With 2170 cells and more advanced cooling systems, the Model S would be even more impressive than it is today, despite being a benchmark for premium electric vehicles for years.
Watch Erik’s comparison of the Tesla Model 3 and the Model S’ seat heaters in the video below.
Tesla has adjusted the functionality of a crucial climate feature as Winter weather has started to arrive throughout some parts of the United States. The new feature was highly requested by owners.
Tesla has a Cabin Overheat Protection feature that helps keep the temperature regulated if it reaches a certain threshold. Inversely, it can be used in cold weather as well, which will automatically warm the cabin if it sinks to a temperature that is too low for the owner’s comfort.
This is a great way to keep the cabin either warmed up just enough or cooled down just enough so that it never gets too hot or too cold. Extreme temperatures could damage certain parts of the vehicle or damage personal belongings that are kept inside the car.
Overheat protection is a great thing to have in hot climates like Arizona or Texas, especially with the Premium trims of the Model 3 and Model Y, which feature a glass roof.
Many owners appreciate the feature, but they argue that using it at home will utilize too much energy, especially during extreme temperatures. For a while, many Tesla fans have requested an option to disable this feature when the car is parked at home, which the company recently added, according to Not a Tesla App.
The feature is part of Software Version 2025.44.3, and the release notes state:
“You can now choose Exclude Home when Cabin Overheat Protection or No A/C is enabled.”
Tesla has been great at listening to what owners want with new features, and this is one that will reserve some charge and prevent unnecessary utilization of available power, especially as the car is parked at home. If owners want to condition the cabin or get the car ready for operation with a comfortable interior, they can utilize the Tesla app to adjust the climate.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed today on the social media platform X that legacy automakers, such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, do not want to license the company’s Full Self-Driving suite, at least not without a long list of their own terms.
“I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy,” Musk said on X. “When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless.”
I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy …
When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless. 🤷♂️
🦕 🦕
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2025
Musk made the remark in response to a note we wrote about earlier today from Melius Research, in which analyst Rob Wertheimer said, “Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is,” in terms of autonomy and self-driving development.
Wertheimer believes there are hundreds of billions of dollars in value headed toward Tesla’s way because of its prowess with FSD.
A few years ago, Musk first remarked that Tesla was in early talks with one legacy automaker regarding licensing Full Self-Driving for its vehicles. Tesla never confirmed which company it was, but given Musk’s ongoing talks with Ford CEO Jim Farley at the time, it seemed the Detroit-based automaker was the likely suspect.
Tesla’s Elon Musk reiterates FSD licensing offer for other automakers
Ford has been perhaps the most aggressive legacy automaker in terms of its EV efforts, but it recently scaled back its electric offensive due to profitability issues and weak demand. It simply was not making enough vehicles, nor selling the volume needed to turn a profit.
Musk truly believes that many of the companies that turn their backs on FSD now will suffer in the future, especially considering the increased chance it could be a parallel to what has happened with EV efforts for many of these companies.
Unfortunately, they got started too late and are now playing catch-up with Tesla, XPeng, BYD, and the other dominating forces in EVs across the globe.
Tesla is backtracking on a strange adjustment it made to its in-car Navigation feature after numerous complaints from owners convinced the company to make a change.
Tesla’s in-car Navigation is catered to its vehicles, as it routes Supercharging stops and preps your vehicle for charging with preconditioning. It is also very intuitive, and features other things like weather radar and a detailed map outlining points of interest.
However, a recent change to the Navigation by Tesla did not go unnoticed, and owners were really upset about it.
For trips that required multiple Supercharger stops, Tesla decided to implement a naming change, which did not show the city or state of each charging stop. Instead, it just showed the business where the Supercharger was located, giving many owners an unwelcome surprise.
However, Tesla’s Director of Supercharging, Max de Zegher, admitted the update was a “big mistake on our end,” and made a change that rolled out within 24 hours:
The naming change should have happened at once, instead of in 2 sequential steps. That was a big miss on our end. We do listen to the community and we do course-correct fast. The accelerated fix rolled out last night. The Tesla App is updated and most in-car touchscreens should…
— Max (@MdeZegher) November 20, 2025
The lack of a name for the city where a Supercharging stop would be made caused some confusion for owners in the short term. Some drivers argued that it was more difficult to make stops at some familiar locations that were special to them. Others were not too keen on not knowing where they were going to be along their trip.
Tesla was quick to scramble to resolve this issue, and it did a great job of rolling it out in an expedited manner, as de Zegher said that most in-car touch screens would notice the fix within one day of the change being rolled out.
Additionally, there will be even more improvements in December, as Tesla plans to show the common name/amenity below the site name as well, which will give people a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at a Supercharger.
Tesla adjusts crucial feature as winter weather arrives
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends rivals dire warning about Full Self-Driving
