Over 18 months and 32,500 miles, we daily-drove and road-tripped a 2022 Model 3 Long Range AWD through Midwest winters and humid summers to document real-world reliability and what it actually costs to own.
Our car is a dual-motor Long Range with the 75 kWh usable battery, 18-inch wheels, heat pump HVAC, and the 11.5 kW onboard charger. Tesla does not quote power, but our timing gear recorded consistent 0 to 60 mph runs in the low-4-second range. As-tested price when new was just over 54,000 dollars before incentives. Test mix skewed to commuting with weekly highway stints and five interstate trips of 500 to 800 miles.
Charging was 85 percent at home on a 48-amp Level 2 and 15 percent Supercharging. On all-season tires we averaged 260 Wh per mile; winter on snow tires pushed that to 310 Wh per mile, while mild weather dipped to around 230 Wh per mile. Reliability was generally solid but not trouble free. At 9,200 miles, cabin heat became intermittent below 10°F; service replaced the octovalve and a low-pressure sensor under warranty, which fixed it but sidelined the car for three days.
By 14,000 miles the front upper control arms squeaked over low-speed bumps; both were replaced under warranty, curing the noise and minor steering nibble. We also logged a trunk latch rattle at 17,000 miles and condensation in the left taillight at 20,000; both parts were swapped during a single visit. Two brief infotainment reboots occurred after OTA updates, and we observed a handful of phantom braking events on two-lane highways, unchanged by software revisions. Energy cost over the test totaled 8,450 kWh.
At 0.14 dollars per kWh at home and an average 0.36 dollars per kWh at Superchargers, we spent roughly 1,461 dollars on electricity, or 4.5 cents per mile. Tires were the big-ticket wear item: the factory 235/45R18 set corded on the inner shoulders at 22,500 miles despite rotations; a four-wheel alignment plus Michelin replacements ran 1,150 dollars. Brake wear was minimal, but we paid 180 dollars for a pad pin clean and lube after a salty winter. Other routine items: two tire rotations beyond the free ones (160 dollars), wiper blades (40), cabin filters at 2 years (45 DIY).
A windshield crack from a chip required glass plus camera recalibration at 1,100 dollars out of pocket. Battery health tracked well. Indicated range declined 6 percent by the end of the test, and fast-charging peaked near 170 kW on warm packs, tapering quickly above 60 percent state of charge. Cold weather adds meaningful overhead; plan for 25 to 30 percent more energy in subfreezing temps unless you precondition.
Insurance was 1,620 dollars per year in a suburban ZIP; registration averaged 250 dollars annually. All-in, excluding depreciation, our spend landed near 0.22 dollars per mile; remove insurance and it settled around 0.15 dollars per mile. Overall, the Model 3 proved quick, efficient, and easy to live with, but owners should budget for tires and the occasional glass bill, and cold-climate drivers should be aware of early heat pump failures that Tesla addresses under warranty. Our car required four service visits and about five days of downtime total.
If you mostly charge at home and keep up with alignments, the long-term costs are competitive, and the driving experience remains a strong draw.
