The heat pump was added end of 2020. In terms of build quality they say the Chinese built are better than US.

US VIN begins 5JY (e.g. Inventory | Tesla )

China VIN begins LRW e.g. ( Inventory | Tesla )

Lots of info of changes here:
Tesla history of model changes by year (tesla-info.com)

 

I would definitely go for the models after late 2020 with the heatpump, powered tailgate, updated centre console and dechromed.

 

.. updated centre console ...

What's better in the updated one?

 

The Model 3 is currently an excellent choice scondhand with prices dipping below £30k for the first time. If you absolutely need the range then have a look at a long range car. If you are fine with the standard car’s range ( circa 180-220 miles ) then you have a wider choice of car’s.If you are buying on a budget then have a look at used early 2019 car. Most of these early car’s would have been purchased on finance so be sure to do a full HPi check.

There was a fairly extensive update in 2020 when they had a nicer softer centre armrest fitted to replace the somewhat scratchy glossy plastic. The cars post 2020 were fitted with double sided windows,heat pump, powered tailgate,etc.If you can stretch your budget a tad then my choice would be to go for one of the post 2020 models if you can.The Model 3 has proved to be a fairly reliable EV but when looking at an early one I would recommend looking for any panel damage and/or stone chips at the front,check for any clonking/noises from the front suspension, have a peek at all the disc brakes for scoring,plus see if the car has been privately owned or used as a company car.

So, to sum up. If you have a fixed budget then have a look at an early 2019 car but make sure to also have a look at a 2020 update car to see if the improvements are important to you. Hope that helps and let us know your exact budget.

 

Which M3s from 2021 have heat pump? Is this easy to check from ads?

 

The refresh car’s have black trim on the exterior ( around the door and window upper areas ) in place of chrome. How much are you spending and are you needing finance ?

 

I drew the same conclusions as the OP and bought a 2021 LR on Tuesday. All the advice given above is spot on.

2021 cars with heat pump were the sweet spot in my view. You can tell if it is a facelift car by black trim rather than chrome around doors and windows, matt centre console and wrap around door trims.

If I was buying new the RWD car with LFP battery gives 300 mile range and is all the car most people need, if your budget is £34-40k look at face-lifted LR cars - the increased range, performance and premium interior with better hifi are worth the £3-4k premium over SR cars. Less than that you still have huge choice but condition and options are likely to sway you. Ideally, you want a car with some warranty remaining (less than 5 years old and 50,000 miles) but don't be afraid of well looked after older cars. Software is still updated so ownership experience will be similar and only nerds like me will likely know the difference.

Don't buy the first car you see. There is lots of choice and prices are still on the slide but will stabilise soon as prospective buyers of other brands see the value in Model 3 cars.

Happy hunting

 

[QUOTE="WalkingBootWeather, post: 3385440, m.
.....If I was buying new the RWD car with LFP battery gives 300 mile range ....
[/QUOTE]

But it really doesn't in practically every real-world situation.

Tesla efficiency is very good, but sensibly the RWD will achieve ~180-240 miles depending on a while heap of things, most significantly outside temperature and the speed at which it is driven.

 

Post march 2021 reg (21 plate) would be China built, pre march 2021 (70 plate) would be American built. China cars have the wood trim extending into the door cards and that's probably the most obvious giveaway especially if the car has a private reg on it.

I think from summer 2021 the passenger lumbar support was removed, as was data capability from the usb ports in the centre console meaning you could only use them for charging so to connect a game controller it would have to be via the glovebox usb port. A minor thing but worth knowing.

P.S. I actually decided to keep my car, but as I get free advert relists on autotrader my car is still on there, at a competitive price, just incase someone does want it, I would still happily sell it. It's a march 2021 long range with 11k miles

 

Yup, my December 2020 M3 SR+ (non LFP) will get around 180 miles on a cold day at motorway speeds. The claimed range of 265 miles is fiction.

 

For comparison purposes we can talk about anecdotal experiences or we can quote lab results.

WLTP figures, battery sizes, estimated winter range at 100% and 80% are as follows:

Variant	Battery	WLTP	Winter	80%
SR	54	237	177.75	142.2
SR+	54	278	208.5	166.8
RWD	60	305	228.75	183
LR - 2020	75	350	262.5	210
LR 2021 -	82	382	286.5	229.2

So in winter, in a SR charging to 80% as recommended, you might only see a range of around 142 miles in the real world, similarly for a SR+ you might get around 167 miles.

In a RWD you are encouraged to charge to 100% which will give a winter estimated range (75% of WLTP) of 229 miles, but due to heat pump, losses will be less than SR hence you'd probably get around 240 miles in most conditions.

For a LR car charged to 80%, expect a winter range of around 210 miles for earlier cars without a heat pump or 240 miles for MY 2021 with heat pump and slightly bigger battery.

In warm dry conditions with a light right foot it should be possible to do quite a bit better than this.

Yes I know that you can charge beyond 80%, but if it was my car I'd only do that exceptionally (unless it was a RWD)

 

For comparison purposes we can talk about anecdotal experiences or we can quote lab results.

I prefer to go from anecdotal/real-world experiences.