The 2022 Tesla Model 3 has been launched for a base MSRP of $39,940 and comes with no major changes other than an updated battery pack and a change in the overall range. This compact luxury fully electric sedan still retains the impressive performance of the electric motor, helping the car to do 0-60 mph in a lightning-fast 3.5 seconds with the Performance trim. The range on offer turned out to be the best of the bunch, too.

Apart from that, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 is adequately luxurious and the subtle design of the interior and exterior makes it stand out from its rivals pretty well. The massive infotainment screen remains unchanged and remains one of the biggest attractions of the cabin. A bucket load of safety and driver-assistance features comes standard too. Competing with the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Chevrolet Bolt EV, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Tesla Model 3.

RELATED: Jeep Trackhawk Takes On A Dodge Charger And Tesla Model 3 Over A Quarter Mile

10 Unmatched Acceleration

The 2022 Tesla Model 3 easily outshines the rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Chevrolet Bolt when it comes to the grunt and acceleration from its electric motor. Even though the exact horsepower and torque haven't been revealed by Tesla yet, the torque is instantaneous, and the car overall feels more fun to drive. The Performance trim managed to do 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.

Put the foot down from a standstill, and the 2022 Model 3 accelerates like a bat out of hell. The torque spread is wide, and the car is a joy to drive around in the city due to the punchy bottom-end performance. Even the driving experience offered on the highways is excellent, with the motor capable of doing highways speeds all day long.

9 Precise Handling

Being one of the heaviest offerings of the segment with a curb weight of 3,648 lbs, you would not expect the Tesla Model 3 to be a capable handler. The overall dimensions are also in line with those regular mid-size sedans out there, all of which point to a comfortable cruiser. However, the handling turned out to be spot-on, and the drivers are going to enjoy it thoroughly.

Take the corners a bit enthusiastically, and you would be surprised with the beautifully calibrated suspension setup, which is made to handle well. The front and rear end get an independent suspension setup and that coupled with slightly stiff shocks and rigid chassis adds to the confidence. Unlike the rivals, the steering offered an excellent feel and feedback too.

RELATED: Tesla Model 3 Gets Diesel Engine From Wonder Bread Truck

8 Has More Than Enough Range

Coming in with three trim configurations, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 offers different MPGe and range according to the trim that you opt for. If you opt for the base Rear-Wheel Drive trim, the Tesla 3 offers a claimed range of 272 miles, which is the lowest of the lot. However, if you upgrade to the Performance trim, the range rises to 315 miles. The Long Range offers the highest range of 358 miles.

Even though the base trims range turned out to be slightly lower than the others, when compared to the rivals like the Mustang Mach-E and the Ioniq Electric, it is superior. In terms of the MPGe as well, the Model 3 is rated much superior to the competitors, between 113 MPGe and 141 MPGe.

7 Fit And Finish Could Have Been Better

We have always been unhappy with the interior quality and the overall fit and finish of the Tesla Model 3 ever since it launched back in 2017. There were quite a lot of uneven gaps in the body panels and interior panels. The fitment wasn't up to scratch either. Even this 2022 iteration does showcase some of these issues more than the competitors.

The interior of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 did come with some low-rent materials in the form of hard plastics and not-so premium leather inserts. Even though the interior looks beautiful at one glance, there are quite a lot of imperfections. The same is the case with the exterior panels and fitment. The paint finish also wasn't as good as expected.

6 Lots Of Missing Features In The Infotainment

The infotainment duties and many other controls of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 are handled through the massive center stacked display. This is one of the best displays to be fitted to a car in this price range and the display quality, touch sensitivity, and overall user interface turned out to be a notch above the infotainment offered with the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Even though the infotainment scores a lot of brownie points in terms of intuitive interface and Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and many game playing capabilities, it misses some of the basic features, like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. SiriusXM radio and many other internet streaming radio services are not available either. This does bog down the overall experience quite a bit.

RELATED: 10 Coolest Sports Cars You Can Buy For The Price Of A Tesla Model 3

5 5-Star Crash Safety Rating

Like the outgoing 2021 model of the Tesla Model 3, this 2022 iteration also comes with all the bells and whistles like automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and many more as standard. Autonomous driving mode is available too, for an additional $12,000 depending on the trim that you opt for. All the basic safety features are offered as standard too.

With superb build quality due to the construction being entirely high-tensile steel coupled with a long list of safety and driver-assistance features offered as standard, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 received a 5-star rating in the overall crash test section of the NHTSA and was considered as the top safety pick + by the IIHS for the mid-size luxury car segment.

4 Interior Is Adequately Spacious

With no changes to the design and space on offer, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 is not going to disappoint the buyers in terms of comfort and space. The front seat offers superb under-thigh support and lower back support, making it pretty comfortable for those long drives. The seats have heating support and can be electrically adjusted, too.

We found the front space to be better than the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, with better headroom, legroom, and shoulder room. However, the rear seat experience may not be the best of the segment. The coupe-like rear quarter design does hamper the headroom and hence the taller folks would have a problem fitting. The seats are a bit firm as well.

3 Exterior Design Stands Out

Even after more than five years of being in continuous production with an almost similar exterior design, the Tesla Model 3 still manages to turn heads when out on the road. The simple yet elegant design does manage to stand out from the futuristic offerings of the segment, and subtle attention to detail and design upgrades helped this 2022 iteration to not feel too long in the tooth.

Coming in with five exterior color palettes, the Tesla Model 3 does look striking in all the color schemes. The front end is highlighted by the LED headlight with LED DRLs, neatly integrated bumper, and a small air dam with no grille. The side also looks purposeful due to the best in class wheelbase and length coupled with 19" alloy wheels and chrome window line. The rear end gets a coupe-like design, making it look quite expensive.

RELATED: You Can Buy These 10 Awesome Cars For The Price Of A Tesla Model 3

2 Ride Quality Is A Bit Harsh

The ride quality offered by most of the models from Tesla has never been great. They have always been tuned to the stiffer side when it comes to the suspension setup, and this always resulted in choppy ride quality. Even though many of the fully-electric offerings do have this issue, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 turned out to be one of the least comfortable models of them all.

Drive the car slowly through the congested city streets, and the passengers would feel all the irregularities on the roads. The potholes aren't filtered out like the regular gasoline or hybrid-powered luxury sedan, which might turn out to be a deal-breaker. Even with the stiffer setup, the ride on the highways wasn't too good either, with the larger bumps and potholes unsettling the car.

1 Excellent Brakes

With four-wheel disc brakes coupled with regenerative braking on offer, the 2022 Tesla Model 3 turned out to be excellent in terms of braking performance. The car comes equipped with 12.6" front ventilated rotors and 13.2" rear ventilated rotors, and this helps the car to do the 70-0 mph braking in just 147 feet, which is lower than almost all the rivals.

What makes the braking even better is the inclusion of many features like ABS, EBD, automated emergency braking, etc. The regenerative braking was also more than enough to stop the car without actually applying physical brakes. The brakes offered superb feel and feedback for an electric car, and the initial bite and braking progression have nothing to complain about either.