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The Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD is a machine that quietly rewrites the daily contract between driver and automobile. Where so many cars still cling to the vestiges of combustion, the Model 3 demonstrates that speed, range, and long-haul endurance can coexist with a kind of ease that borders on decadent.
One owner recently chronicled a full year behind the wheel, and what emerged was not a sterile data sheet, but a story of miles traveled, money saved, and a surprising amount of unrestrained joy.
Here’s how the owner put it:
“August 20th marked exactly 1 year of ownership. 2024 model 3 long range RWD. I’ve road tripped in the car from Anaheim to Seattle, Phoenix, Ensenada, and in a few weeks, Vegas. The car has been an absolute dream.
13,561 miles on the odometer
227.2 kw/mi -or- 4.40 mi/kWh over the life of the car. I don’t make an effort to be efficient. I use the thermostat as I please (ceramic tint all around). I use dog mode all the time in unshaded SoCal parking lots. This car is extremely efficient.
80% charge now shows 270 miles. I do not notice any degradation, but it goes without saying there’s undoubtedly been some.
I’m happy with all of the above numbers, and more importantly, I’m thrilled with the experience of owning this car. Looking forward to many more years!
Would love to hear others’ experience after a year, especially with the highland.”
What stands out is not just the odometer reading but the kind of life those miles have lived. This car has carved a path from Anaheim to Seattle, wandered down to Phoenix, slipped across the border to Ensenada, and is already set to point its nose toward Las Vegas.
These are not theoretical ranges posted in a laboratory. They are real journeys, on real highways, with the kind of spontaneity and freedom that makes a car more than a tool. The Model 3, in this case, is not tethered by range anxiety but liberated by capability.
Tesla Model 3 After 128k Miles
- A Model 3 owner reflecting on four years and ~128,000 miles reports that real-world range gradually declined, from about 310 miles per charge down to 240–260, but still finds it satisfies his needs reliably.
- New EV drivers often find themselves “converted” by the Model 3’s seamless tech, autopilot, regenerative braking, mobile app control, and over-the-air updates, transforming mundane driving routines.
- One driver’s quick conversion: after just one month and ~745 miles, they realized how much they missed not having to fuel, with no gas costs, service bills, or outdated tech, regretting not switching sooner.
- A former Tesla skeptic, a self-described “car guy”, picked up a Model 3 Performance and was won over by its instantaneous cornering power and surprising enjoyment of FSD, changing his tune entirely.
The efficiency numbers alone tell a remarkable story. Averaging 227 Wh per mile, 4.4 miles per kilowatt-hour, while making no conscious effort to save energy is the automotive equivalent of eating steak and ice cream while still losing weight.
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Climate control runs freely, Dog Mode hums away under the Southern California sun, and still the car returns figures that would shame older hybrids. It is this effortless thrift, paired with unflappable range, that explains why so many owners are willing to trade in gas pumps for charging cables.
Naturally, the comments from fellow Tesla drivers rolled in. Arturo Acosta remarked, “Your charging stats are very different than mine, and I’ve had it 10 months. I’ve charged more and spent less. Saved more, too, compared to gas. Like a lot more.” In that brief note lies the larger point: this is not simply about electric versus gasoline, it is about financial freedom. For some, the savings stack up so quickly that every charge feels like a small victory against a system that once demanded hundreds of dollars in fuel every month.
Charging Costs With The Model 3
Charging costs do vary, and the original poster clarified his reality.
“That’s because I live in an apartment where the chargers are charge points and it costs $0.35/kW. However, the savings are an underestimate because gas is far more expensive in SoCal than the national average the app pulls in.”
This detail underscores the variability of the EV experience, but it also reveals something deeper: even in less-than-ideal charging conditions, the economics still tilt favorably toward electricity. In Southern California, where gas prices bite hard, the calculus is undeniable.
Tesla Model 3 Simplified My Life
- One driver shared how switching to a Model 3 simplified life in unexpected ways, from skipping gas station runs and service visits to feeling a sense of peace knowing their home charging setup might even be solar-powered.
- A tester named Daniel said a single drive in a 2019 Model 3 Performance “rewrote everything” he thought he knew about cars, turning him from indifferent to enthralled in an instant.
- Some long-time ICE loyalists openly admitted their allegiance eroded: a self-described Toyota diehard switched to a 2025 Model 3 and said he’d never go back to internal combustion, even his old Tundra is now a thing of the past.
- A once vehement EV critic confessed that after driving a Model 3 Long Range RWD, all resistance vanished. He fell in love instantly, even though he still “bashes” the Cybertruck’s looks.
Another commenter, Jeff Woodard, cut through the noise with one line: “Few understand just how good these cars really are…”
That sentiment is echoed in the owner’s reply:
“They’re fantastic. Nothing in the price range compares.”
Here, stripped of fanfare, lies the essence of the Model 3’s appeal. It is not merely an efficient car, nor simply a fast one. It is a car that delivers so consistently across categories that competitors struggle to find footing in the same conversation.
What remains most compelling about this story is the joy. It is not the defensive pride of an owner justifying a costly purchase, but the open enthusiasm of someone who has found a machine that fits seamlessly into their life. The Model 3 has carried dogs, endured the Southern California sun, conquered road trips, and still greets its driver with the same verve a year later.
This is the kind of relationship that drivers once reserved for beloved sports cars or long-haul sedans, now transposed into an EV that proves the future does not have to be sterile or joyless. It can be as thrilling and dependable as the best cars we have ever known.
Image Sources: Tesla Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
