- Delivered across Sydney
- Bond and fees shown before you pay
- Never swapped to a lesser car
The 2025 Tesla Model Y RWD has a 466 km range, but the 2017 Model X P100D hits 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds. That gap between efficiency and outright acceleration is the whole story of choosing a Tesla to hire in Sydney. We run five models through the same lens: what each one is actually for, and who should book it.
Book the Right Tesla for Your Trip
Whether you want Track Mode in the Model 3 Performance or six seats in the Model Y L, the Tesla hub shows every model we run in Sydney. Rates and availability are live on each car page.
Why a Tesla Models Compared Guide Matters in Sydney
Sydney is a city that punishes the wrong car choice. Tight underground car parks in the CBD, long motorway runs to the Blue Mountains, and the daily reality of Parramatta Road traffic all reward different strengths. A Tesla models compared guide is not about picking the fastest badge. It is about matching the car to the trip you are actually taking.
Drive Tribe runs a small, deliberately chosen Tesla fleet. We do not list every variant Tesla has ever built. We list the ones that make sense for Sydney renters, and we keep the specifications honest on each car page. This article walks through each model, the real numbers, and the situations where one clearly beats another.
If you want the short version of what is available right now, the Tesla hub page shows the whole range in one place.
The Fleet at a Glance: Five Models, Three Driving Experiences
We group our Teslas into three experiences. Self-drive performance, self-drive family transport, and chauffeur-driven luxury. The Model 3 Performance sits in the first group. The Model Y and the incoming Model Y L sit in the second. The Model X P100D sits alone in the third because it is chauffeur only.
Then there is the Model S. Tesla's flagship sedan is not currently in our fleet, and we will not pretend otherwise. But renters ask about it constantly, so we cover where it fits in the comparison and what to book instead if you want that shape of car.
One thing that applies across the whole fleet: delivery is available anywhere in Sydney, or you can collect from the car's base suburb. The Model 3 Performance lives in Parramatta. The Model Y and Model X live in Merrylands.
Model 3 Performance: The Driver's Tesla
The 2020 Model 3 Performance is the car we hand to people who actually enjoy driving. Dual-motor all-wheel drive, 370 kW, 660 Nm, and a 0-100 km/h time of 3.3 seconds. Range is 567 km. It is based in Parramatta and it is self-drive with a minimum driver age of 20.
What separates it from every other Tesla in the fleet is Track Mode. This is not a gimmick. Track Mode rebalances power between the front and rear motors, sharpens throttle response, and lets the rear step out in a controlled way. On a damp run over the Spit Bridge climb, with the road still greasy after rain, the car felt planted in a way that a standard Model 3 never does. You can feel the torque vectoring working before the stability system has to intervene.
We have a full explainer on how to use it safely: Track Mode on the 2020 Model 3 Performance, Explained for First-Timers. Read it before you book if you have never driven a performance EV.
The trade-off is practicality. The Model 3 Performance has a lower roofline and a firmer ride than the Model Y. It is brilliant for two people and a weekend away. It is less brilliant for three adults in the back over a long drive.
Model Y RWD: The Sensible Sydney Tesla
The 2025 Model Y RWD is the car we recommend most often, and the numbers explain why. 220 kW, 420 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, and 466 km of range. It is rear-wheel drive, which makes it efficient rather than fast. Five seats, silver, based in Merrylands, self-drive with a minimum driver age of 25.
When I drove it through the Lane Cove Tunnel and out toward the Northern Beaches, the thing that stood out was how little effort it demanded. The steering is light, the ride is compliant, and the single motor means fewer things to think about. For a family doing the school run and a weekend trip to Palm Beach, it is the obvious choice.
It is also the cheapest way into a modern Tesla with us, though we do not publish rates in articles. The rate, bond and every fee are shown on the car's page and in the booking total before you pay.
If you are considering buying one, hiring first is genuinely useful. Our article Try a Model Y for a Week Before You Buy One covers exactly that.
Model Y L: The Six-Seat Long-Wheelbase Option
The Model Y L arrives in the fleet on 26 September 2026 and is bookable now. It is self-drive, delivered anywhere in Sydney, and it changes the family maths because it has six seats: two individual second-row seats plus a two-seat third-row bench.
The wheelbase is 3040 mm, which is 150 mm longer than the standard Model Y. That extra length goes into rear legroom, which is the whole point. Dual-motor all-wheel drive, 378 kW combined, 590 Nm, and a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 5.0 seconds. WLTP range is 681 km.
We have not set a minimum driver age for the Model Y L yet. Age and licence requirements are confirmed at booking. There is no car page for it yet either, so every link for this model points to the Tesla hub: book via the Tesla hub page.
Who is it for? Groups of five or six who want one car instead of two, and families who need the third row for kids rather than adults. The 681 km WLTP figure is a lab number, not a Sydney reality, but it signals a bigger battery than the standard Model Y.
Model X P100D: Chauffeur Only, and Proud of It
The 2017 Model X P100D is the outlier. It is chauffeur only, never self-drive, and there is no minimum driver age because a Drive Tribe driver is at the wheel. Seven seats, 568 kW, 967 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds, 465 km of range, all-wheel drive, Ludicrous mode, falcon-wing rear doors, blue, based in Merrylands.
The falcon-wing doors are the party trick, but the reason to book it is the rear seat. This is the car for a wedding, an airport transfer with clients, or a birthday where someone else should be doing the driving. Ludicrous mode in a seven-seat SUV is absurd in the best way, and the chauffeur knows when to use it and when not to.
Because it is chauffeur only, the comparison with the self-drive cars is not really about speed. It is about whether you want to drive at all.
What About the Model S?
The Model S is not in our fleet. We are not going to invent a listing for it. But it comes up in almost every enquiry, so here is the honest comparison.
The Model S is Tesla's large sedan. Historically it has been the longest-range, quickest-accelerating car in the lineup, and in Plaid form it is a genuine supercar rival. If you want that shape of car from us, the closest match is the Model 3 Performance. It is smaller, but it has the same dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout, a similar focus on driver engagement, and Track Mode, which the Model S does not offer in the same way.
If you specifically need a large sedan for rear-seat passengers, the Model X P100D with a chauffeur is the better answer. It has more space, more presence, and someone else drives.
Spec-by-Spec: The Numbers That Actually Matter
Spec sheets are easy to misread. A bigger range number does not mean a better car for your trip, and a faster 0-100 time does not mean more fun in traffic. Here is how we read the key figures.
- Power: The Model X P100D leads at 568 kW, followed by the Model Y L at 378 kW, the Model 3 Performance at 370 kW, and the Model Y RWD at 220 kW.
- Torque: The Model X P100D again leads at 967 Nm. The Model 3 Performance has 660 Nm, the Model Y L 590 Nm, and the Model Y RWD 420 Nm.
- 0-100 km/h: Model X P100D 3.1 seconds, Model 3 Performance 3.3 seconds, Model Y L 5.0 seconds claimed, Model Y RWD 5.9 seconds.
- Range: Model Y L 681 km WLTP, Model 3 Performance 567 km, Model Y RWD 466 km, Model X P100D 465 km.
- Seats: Model X P100D seven, Model Y L six, Model Y RWD five, Model 3 Performance five.
Notice that the Model 3 Performance and the Model X P100D are close on acceleration despite very different body shapes. That is the difference between a sports sedan and a large SUV with Ludicrous mode.
Which Tesla Should You Book?
The decision usually comes down to three questions: how many people, how far, and do you want to drive.
If you want to drive and you love cars
Book the Model 3 Performance. Track Mode, 3.3 seconds to 100 km/h, and a chassis that rewards a good road. Minimum driver age 20, based in Parramatta.
If you need space for five and a big boot
Book the Model Y RWD. 466 km of range, five seats, and the easiest Tesla to live with day to day. Minimum driver age 25, based in Merrylands.
If you need six seats
Book the Model Y L. It arrives 26 September 2026, has a 3040 mm wheelbase, and is the only six-seat self-drive Tesla we offer. Book via the Tesla hub page.
If you want to be driven
Book the Model X P100D. Chauffeur only, seven seats, falcon-wing doors, and 3.1 seconds to 100 km/h if the driver decides to demonstrate it.
If you wanted a Model S
Book the Model 3 Performance for the driving experience, or the Model X P100D if you need the size and a chauffeur.
Charging and Living With a Tesla in Sydney
Every Tesla in the fleet uses the Supercharger network, and Sydney has good coverage. The bigger consideration is home charging. If you are staying in a house with a driveway, a standard wall outlet will top up a Model Y overnight. If you are in an apartment in the CBD or Chatswood, plan around public charging instead.
For a full rundown of the questions we get asked about charging, tolls, and insurance, see our Tesla Rental Sydney FAQ: The 25 Questions We Get Every Week.
Delivery is available anywhere in Sydney. If you would rather collect, the Model 3 Performance is in Parramatta and the Model Y and Model X are in Merrylands. We cover the logistics in Tesla Hire Near Me: How Delivery Anywhere in Sydney Works.
What We See Renters Get Wrong
The most common mistake is booking the fastest car for a trip where speed does not matter. A Model 3 Performance on the M4 to the Blue Mountains is wasted. A Model Y RWD on the same trip is comfortable, efficient, and easier to park at the other end.
The second mistake is assuming the Model X is self-drive. It is not, and it never will be with us. If you want to drive a Tesla yourself, look at the Model 3 Performance, the Model Y, or the Model Y L.
The third mistake is ignoring the age rules. The Model 3 Performance requires a minimum driver age of 20. The Model Y requires 25. The Model Y L has no set age yet, and the Model X has none because it is chauffeur only.
For a broader view of the whole range and how it fits together, our article Tesla Rental in Sydney: Every Model You Can Actually Hire is the place to start.
The Bottom Line on Tesla Models Compared
There is no single best Tesla in our fleet. There is a best Tesla for your trip. The Model 3 Performance is the enthusiast's choice. The Model Y RWD is the everyday family car. The Model Y L is the six-seat option arriving in September 2026. The Model X P100D is the chauffeur-driven flagship. The Model S is not available, and we will not pretend it is.
Every rate, bond and fee is shown on the car's page and in the booking total before you pay. Start with the Tesla hub to see what is bookable right now.
If the Tesla is booked
We never move you down a tier. If your dates are taken, these are the luxury cars we will offer instead, and we will tell you plainly if none of them is free rather than substituting something lesser on the day.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
- 370kW
- 3.3s
- AWD
- 567km range
Self-drive from 20, dual-motor and the quickest of the three to 100. Based at Parramatta, delivered anywhere in Sydney.
Tesla Model Y RWD
- 220kW
- 5.9s
- RWD
- 5 seats
Self-drive from 25, the everyday electric SUV in the fleet. Based at Merrylands, delivered anywhere in Sydney.
Not Sure Which Model Fits?
Tell us how many people, how far you are going, and whether you want to drive. We will point you to the right Tesla and arrange delivery anywhere in Sydney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Tesla models can I rent in Sydney from Drive Tribe?
We run the 2020 Model 3 Performance, the 2025 Model Y RWD, the 2017 Model X P100D and the Model Y L, which arrives on 26 September 2026. The Model S is not in our fleet. Each car page lists the exact specifications, seats and base suburb.
Is the Model X P100D self-drive or chauffeur only?
The Model X P100D is chauffeur only. A Drive Tribe driver is always at the wheel, so there is no minimum driver age for passengers. If you want to drive a Tesla yourself, book the Model 3 Performance, the Model Y RWD or the Model Y L.
What is the minimum driver age for each Tesla?
The Model 3 Performance has a minimum driver age of 20. The Model Y RWD has a minimum driver age of 25. The Model Y L has no set age yet, and requirements are confirmed at booking. The Model X P100D has no driver age rule because it is chauffeur only.
How many seats does each Tesla have?
The Model X P100D has seven seats. The Model Y L has six seats: two individual second-row seats plus a two-seat third-row bench. The Model Y RWD and the Model 3 Performance each have five seats.
Can I get a Tesla delivered anywhere in Sydney?
Yes. We deliver anywhere in Sydney, or you can collect from the car's base suburb. The Model 3 Performance is based in Parramatta. The Model Y RWD and Model X P100D are based in Merrylands. The Model Y L is delivered anywhere in Sydney.
Why is the Model S not available to hire?
We do not currently run a Model S in the fleet. If you want a fast Tesla sedan, the Model 3 Performance is the closest match with dual-motor all-wheel drive and Track Mode. If you need a large car with a chauffeur, the Model X P100D is the better fit.