Compare the2024 Porsche TaycanVS 2023 Tesla Model 3

The Taycan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Model 3 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Taycan helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Taycan offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model 3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Taycan has standard Porsche Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Taycan and the Model 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

The Porsche Taycan weighs 520 to 1337 pounds more than the Tesla Model 3. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Porsche pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taycan for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Porsche will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model 3.

There are over 27 percent more Porsche dealers than there are Tesla dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Taycan’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 90 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 6 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

The Taycan has more powerful engines than the Model 3:

As tested in Motor Trend the Taycan Performance Plus electric motor is faster than the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive electric motor:

The Taycan’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Model 3 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Taycan’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Model 3:

The Taycan offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Model 3 doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Taycan stops much shorter than the Model 3:

For better traction, the Taycan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model 3 (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. 235/45R18).

The Taycan’s optional 305/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Model 3 Performance’s 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taycan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Model 3. The Taycan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Model 3 Performance.

The Taycan offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Model 3 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Taycan offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Tesla doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Model 3.

The Taycan has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Model 3’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taycan is 4.9 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Model 3.

The Taycan 4S handles at 1.03 G’s, while the Model 3 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Taycan Turbo S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.8 seconds quicker than the Model 3 (23.6 seconds @ .87 average G’s vs. 26.4 seconds @ .69 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Taycan w/Rear Axle Steering’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Model 3’s (36.7 feet vs. 38 feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Taycan’s trunk can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Taycan to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model 3.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model 3, the Taycan offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Taycan offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Taycan offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Model 3 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Taycan’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model 3 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Taycan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model 3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Taycan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Model 3.

The Porsche Taycan comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Tesla Model 3 isn’t available as a station wagon.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Taycan first among upper midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Model 3 isn’t in the top three.