Tesla renamed the Model 3 Long Range trim to Premium AWD for the 2026 model year, so if you are cross-shopping today, that is the trim sitting one step below Performance. The badge changed, but the question buyers actually ask has not: how much more does Performance cost, and what do you get for it?
Premium AWD starts at $47,490. Performance starts at $54,990. That puts the gap at $7,500 before options, taxes, or destination and order fees, which Tesla adds separately at checkout.
The most obvious trade is range for acceleration. Premium AWD is rated at 346 miles of EPA range and reaches 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. Performance drops to 309 miles of range but cuts that to 2.9 seconds, with a top speed of 163 mph versus roughly 125 mph for Premium AWD. You give up about 37 miles of range in exchange for a noticeably quicker car.
Performance also brings hardware Premium AWD does not get, according to published spec sheets: larger front brake discs (355 mm versus 320 mm), electronically adjustable continuously variable dampers instead of the standard suspension tune, and 20-inch wheels in place of the 18- or 19-inch wheels on lower trims. Performance also unlocks Track Mode V3, a software mode that manages motor torque and stability control for repeated hard driving on a closed course.
None of that changes how the car behaves in daily commuting, parking lots, or highway cruising, where both trims feel quick off the line by gas-car standards. The bigger brakes and adjustable suspension matter most if you actually drive aggressively on backroads or take the car to a track day. On a normal commute, the adaptive suspension mostly shows up as a firmer ride rather than a feature you will use.
Performance makes sense if you want the quickest Model 3 for its own sake, plan to autocross or track the car, or want the larger brakes as a margin for repeated hard stops. If your priority is maximum range, a slightly softer ride, or keeping the extra $7,500, Premium AWD (Long Range) gives you the same daily-driving experience — quick, quiet, all-wheel drive — without paying for capability you may never use.
Photo by I’m Zion.
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