Tesla Model 3 alternatives: Six sleek electric cars you could buy instead
Bored of seeing Tesla Model 3s everywhere? Here are the best new and used electric executive car alternatives
There’s a good reason the Tesla Model 3 is one of the world’s best-selling cars. It’s competitively priced, offers excellent range and charging figures, and is backed up by a widespread network of easy-to-use Tesla Superchargers. Plus it is good to drive, costs little to run, is packed with tech and comes from one of the first brands that pops into most people’s heads when they’re thinking about buying an electric car.
Ubiquity isn’t for everyone, though. Nor is a car that caters more to those interested in technology than driver appeal. Plenty of people are also wary of the behaviour of the company’s CEO, and don’t really want a physical manifestation of that on their driveway.
So there are several reasons you might wish to expand your electric vehicle horizons and opt for something else, which is where the cars below come in. We’ve selected three brand-new alternatives to the Model 3, and three used models you might consider if you want even more bang for your buck.
New: BMW i4
- Prices from £51,370
The success of the Model 3 means it’s fair to assume some former BMW customers have jumped ship over time, but the BMW i4’s talents more than justify jumping back. It’s as strong a proposition in the EV world as the 3 Series always has been, and shows that BMW learned a thing or two from its early dabbling in EVs with the i3.
While the shape of the large grille may not attract everyone, the BMW i4 is a generally handsome shape, with a stylish, modern and well built cabin that shades the Tesla’s for quality and ambience. But the fundamentals are good, too, with a range of up to 373 miles in the eDrive40 and strong performance. And while the outright purchase price starts higher, lease deals for the i4 actually make it more affordable on a monthly basis.
New: Hyundai Ioniq 6
- Prices from £47,050
Model 3s are absolutely everywhere; they’re basically the Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Vectra of the 2020s. And just as you might have opted for one of their rivals in the Nineties so you didn’t have to see 50 cars identical to yours on your commute, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is that stand-out alternative today: a model that doesn’t blend into the traffic.
The sleek, sloping design is partly to aid aerodynamics, as the Hyundai is one of the most aero-efficient cars on the road. This helps contribute to a range of 338 miles for the rear-wheel-drive car. It’s attractive inside, and feels high quality, while it’s not short of tech – some models have camera door mirrors, with their screens integrated into either end of the dash.
New: Polestar 2
Prices from £45,160
The Polestar 2 has been a constant pain for Model 3 salespeople for several years, and it’s still a tempting electric executive car even with plenty of younger rival models now available. A mid-life refresh saw the Polestar 2 gain a slightly revamped design along with some boosted battery ranges, and the Long Range Single Motor variant claims up to 406 miles on the WLTP combined cycle.
If you’re a bit of a spirited driver, the Polestar 2 also provides a decent amount of shove in all guises. While it’s not quite as crazily fast as the Tesla Model 3 Performance in a straight line, adding the Performance Pack to the Polestar 2 Dual Motor will allow it to cover the 0-62mph sprint in just four seconds – enough to upset plenty of performance car owners.
Used: Porsche Taycan
There used to be a Porsche 911 advertisement that read: “Honestly now, did you spend your youth dreaming about someday owning a Nissan or Mitsubishi?”. Well in this case, you could swap the Japanese brands for Tesla, since used examples of the Porsche Taycan conveniently start around the same price as a new Model 3, and the German car surely still has the more aspirational badge.
The Taycan was one of the best-looking and best-driving EVs on sale when it arrived in 2020 and not much has bettered it since. 4S models with the 93.4kWh Performance Plus battery have a WLTP range of around 288 miles (it’s 301 miles for rear-drive cars). Those figures look a little mean by 2025 standards but they’re hardly unusable, and the Taycan’s performance is still competitive too: 5.4 seconds to 62mph for the RWD cars, 4.0 seconds for the 4S, and handling that justifies the Porsche badge.
Used: Audi e-tron GT
Suppose you don’t want a Model 3, but also want something that flies a little more under-the-radar than a Taycan? Well, the Audi e-tron GT fulfils that role quite neatly, being close cousins with the Porsche but offering different styling and a slightly more relaxed driving experience.
Performance and range are similar to that of the Taycan (read: just about sufficient by 2025 standards) and pricing for 2021 and 2022 cars also begins around the £40,000 mark. The driving experience feels like a Taycan with its sharper corners rounded off; the e-tron GT is a little smoother and more progressive in its responses than the Porsche, but still more precise than the Tesla (aided by four-wheel steering), more involving, yet still more refined.
Used: Mercedes EQE
There’s an Audi and a BMW on this list, so it’s only natural that a Mercedes should also appear. The EQE is the brand’s electric executive car, and while it’s still available to buy brand new, a rather brutal rate of depreciation has shaved tens of thousands of pounds off the value of a number of used examples. There’s more good news if you're a technology fan, too, because the Merc comes with plenty of gizmos. Search hard enough and you could even find an example fitted with the excellent ‘Hyperscreen’ set-up — a £7,000 option when new.
While several of the cars on this list (including the Model 3) have at least an element of sportiness about them, the Mercedes EQE focuses primarily on comfort. Don’t go thinking that this is a disadvantage, though, because you’ll be able to chew up miles effortlessly. On the subject of miles, range anxiety shouldn’t be a concern, given that the entire line-up can cover between 280 and 376 miles on the WLTP combined cycle.
Thinking of making the switch to an EV? Read our guide to electric car charging in the UK…
