Tesla Model 3 RWD vs Premium RWD: What the Cheapest Tesla Gives Up for $9,000, and Whether It Matters

Image credit: Tesla Australia

Tesla now has a Model 3 for $45,900 before on-road costs, its cheapest car in Australia and $9,000 under the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive. We covered the price moves across the range in our price story. This one is about the part that actually decides whether you should buy it: what goes missing for that $9,000.

Everything below comes from Tesla's own Australian configurator and Model 3 page, read on 1 October 2026. Where Tesla doesn't say, we don't either.

The odd bit: the cheap one goes further

Usually the base car is the slow, short-legged one. Not here. Tesla rates the Rear-Wheel Drive at 572km WLTP on its 18-inch Prismata wheels, against 520km for the Premium RWD, and quotes up to 286km added in 15 minutes at a Supercharger against the Premium's 244km. It's 6.2 seconds to 100km/h, a tenth behind the Premium, which nobody will feel on the way to work.

Tesla hasn't published a battery size or motor output for the new car on its Australian pages. Reports say it shares the Premium RWD's motor and battery, but we'll hold off printing those numbers until Tesla does.

Every difference, side by side

Source: Tesla Australia configurator feature lists and compare table, 1 October 2026. "No data" means Tesla lists the headlights as a Premium feature but doesn't describe the RWD's. The 19-inch Dark Nova wheels are a $1,800 option.

What you keep

Quite a lot. The 16-inch front screen, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, three USB-C ports, a hands-free power boot, power-folding mirrors and a laminated glass roof are all on Tesla's list for the cheaper car. So is vehicle-to-load at 230V 15A, as long as you buy Tesla's Outlet Adapter separately. Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane departure avoidance are standard, and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is available as a $149 a month subscription.

Seat adjustment is done through the touchscreen rather than buttons on the seat, and the indicator stalk is standard. Paint is Pearl White at no cost, with Diamond Black at $1,500 and Stealth Grey at $1,900. There is one interior, all black.

So, does it matter?

For a lot of buyers, no. If you mostly drive solo or with a passenger up front, the rear screen, rear heated seats and power steering column are things you'll rarely touch, and you get more range for less money. That's a good trade.

Three things are worth thinking about before you sign. Ventilated seats are the one comfort item Australians actually miss in January, and the RWD doesn't have them. The passive dampers are the biggest unknown, because ride quality is something no spec sheet settles; Tesla itself sells the Premium on its quieter, smoother suspension. And the radio: Tesla's compare table lists FM/DAB for the Premium and leaves it off the RWD. If you rely on the footy or talkback without streaming, ask Tesla directly before ordering.

Where $45,900 lands

On our own listings the BYD Seal Premium is $52,990, the Kia EV4 Air Standard Range $49,990 and the Mazda 6e GT $49,990, all before on-road costs. The cheapest Model 3 now sits under all three. If you were weighing an electric sedan against a hybrid, the Toyota Camry Ascent Hybrid is $39,990, so the gap to a Tesla is now $5,910 rather than five figures.

Salary packaging changes the maths again. At $45,900 the car sits well under the 2026-27 fuel-efficient luxury car tax threshold of $91,661, and under the $75,000 cap that is announced to apply to the full electric car FBT exemption from 1 April 2027. Run your own figures in the novated lease calculator. Current as at 1 October 2026, and general information rather than tax advice.

Orders are open now. Tesla's configurator showed an estimated delivery of October to November 2026 when we checked, plus a $400 order fee and a $1,400 delivery fee on top of the list price.