Before the arrival of the Tesla Model Y, the Model 3 was the best-selling electric car by a wide margin and for good reason. The Model 3 was relatively affordable and has become even more so over the years. Plus, it has access to Tesla Superchargers, which make road-tripping it relatively easy.
Today, you can get a Model 3 for as little as $38,990 for the base rear-wheel model. With 272 miles of range, though, it’s not the one we’d recommend buying. Stepping up to the longest-range model for $42,290 gets you 363 miles of range. That’s a killer deal, but maybe you just don’t want a Tesla, or perhaps you don’t like the look of a Model 3.
If that’s the case, then that’s okay because there are solid alternatives to consider. For example, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a stellar EV with fantastic fast-charging capability. You might also want to consider the BMW i4 or even the Polestar 2. The i4 can go up to 307 miles on a charge, though the version that goes that far is rather expensive. The $49,900 Polestar 2 single-motor version has 320 miles of range, so it’s not too shabby either.
Let’s explore the Model 3 alternatives by starting with what Tesla’s cheapest car offers and then diving into the other options.
The Tesla Model 3 is still the go-to EV if you want a compact electric sedan that does everything well and is affordable. There are several versions to choose from, starting with the $38,990 base rear-wheel model, which has 272 miles of EPA range and a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 5.8 seconds. The top $54,990 Performance model has 303 miles of range and an acceleration time to 60 mph of 2.9 seconds. The longest-range model is the $42,290 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive variant, which has 363 miles of range.
The only Model 3 rival that is not a bespoke EV, meaning it’s built on a combustion car platform, yet is good enough to challenge the Tesla is the BMW i4. The base single-motor i4 eDrive 35 costs $52,200; it has the same sprint time as the base Model 3 and a range of up to 276 miles if you stick to the smallest available wheels. The longest-range model is the dual-motor $61,600 i4 xDrive 40, with a claimed EPA range of up to 307 miles and an acceleration time of 4.9 seconds.
If you’re after all-out performance, BMW offers the $69,700 i4 M50 with 536 horsepower and a sprint time to 60 mph of 3.7 seconds. We’ve tried several versions of the i4 over the years, and it’s definitely a competent EV that looks great and is well-built. However, it’s also pretty heavy and not as effortless to thread around a twisty road as the much lighter and more nimble Model 3.
Hyundai went all-out on aerodynamics with the Ioniq 6, which is why it looks like a pebble—a design that seems to split opinions. Under its streamlined body sits the E-GMP platform that underpins most electric Hyundais and Kias. This platform runs on 800 volts, helping the car be efficient and charge quickly, with an average of about 200 kilowatts when hooked up to a sufficiently powerful charger.
The Ioniq 6 starts at $37,500, and for that, you get 240 miles of range from its 53-kilowatt-hour battery and just 150 horsepower from a single rear-mounted electric motor, enough for 0 to 60 mph in around 8.5 seconds. If you want slightly more power and the most range, the $42,450 SE variant with 225 hp and a larger 77.4 kWh battery gives you 361 miles and much quicker acceleration. Adding a second motor for all-wheel drive bumps the price up by $3,500 and the power to 320 hp while the range drops to 316 miles.
An even spicier Ioniq 6 N is also in the works.
The Polestar 2 is one of the original Model 3 rivals launched back in 2020. However, while the 2024 model-year vehicle may look almost identical, a lot has been done under the skin. The $49,900 single-motor model has 299 hp, sprints to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, and has 320 miles of range. Upgrading to the $55,300 dual-motor all-wheel drive increases power to 421 hp, drops the sprint time to 4.3 seconds, and increases the range to 276 miles.
If you want even more power, there’s a $5,500 Performance Pack, which pushes power to 455 hp and lowers the 0 to 60 mph sprint time to 4 seconds. It also adds Ohlins dampers and 20-inch wheels, which drop the range to 247 miles. All variants have the same 127 mph top speed regardless of power output.
InsideEVs contributing writer Andrei Nedelea contributed a significant amount of content to this story.
