Five cars you can get for the price of a new Tesla Model 3

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Tesla recently – or perhaps more aptly, finally – dropped the price of its most affordable offering, the Model 3.

Now listed at US$35,000, or $47,600 Canadian, the price CEO Elon Musk had touted at the car’s launch in 2016, the electric sedan will no doubt be scooped up by a bunch of Canadians who have been waiting for a lower-cost Tesla option, or those who are already loyal to the brand and are looking to expand their collection.

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Five cars you can get for the price of a new Tesla Model 3 Back to video

That is pretty affordable, but up that high in market, there’s still lots of competition—it’s not hard to find plenty of similar cars that will get you to where you need to go for the same amount of cash.

From other electric options to sportier whips to more luxurious gas-powered vehicles, here are five cars you can get for the same price of a Tesla Model 3.

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Here’s your closest alternative: It’s also electric, also under $50,000, and, unlike the Tesla Model 3, it’s produced by a company with over a century of automotive manufacturing experience. Yeah, Chevrolet has been at it for 107 years. Wild, right?

The Chevrolet Bolt EV starts at $44,600, tops out at $49,600 and beats the Model 3 in range, at 383 km per charge. Sure, it’s not as sexy and your coworkers won’t want to take your car out for lunch just because, but it does have that hatchback, which they may want to utilize when it’s time to make a quick trip to IKEA.

Genesis G70 Elite

It has been a good year for South Korea’s Genesis Motors, as its G70 was named Car of the Year by Motor Trend, North American Car of the Year by NACTOY, as well as the best car of 2019 by the Canadian Automotive Jury. The compact luxury sports sedan, which shares a platform with the fastback Kia Stinger, beat out the competition in almost every category.

For just $42,000, you get a tech- and luxury-laden interior, as well as Genesis’ superior 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 252 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Bump that up to $47,000 to match the Model 3 and you’ve also earned yourself a navigation package. Because why not?

BMW 330i

That’s right, you can get one of the best cars ever made by any brand for the same price as Tesla’s largely unproven sedan. The 2019 BMW 3 Series may not be revered quite the same way it once was, but it’s still the marque’s best-selling vehicle of all time, and a helluva ride. The 2019 330i boasts a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine putting out 255 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, booting the sporty sedan up to 100 km/h from a standstill in 5.6 seconds.

You can’t plug it in, but the engine does get a respectable 6.1 L/100km combined, so you’re not going to be kicking yourself because you’re filling up every week. The price is just north of the Model 3’s at $49,000, but you can get into last year’s 2018 3 Series new for $44,900. Or you can wait for the electrified 330e to arrive in 2020—but you can bet that car won’t be in the same price range. 

Lexus ES 300h

Want to save at the pump but aren’t ready to go fully all-electric? Of course, you can ease into electrification with a hybrid like the 2019 Lexus ES 300h. It’s got great interior space, is next-level comfortable and our reviewer managed a respectable mileage number of 5.9 L/100 km in cold weather, which is just a touch above the brand’s number.

She did say she didn’t love the touchpad, but Tesla has been having problems with that too, causing it to lose its Consumer Reports ‘Recommended’ rating. Plus, at $47,000 flat, the ES 300h costs $600 less than the Model 3. You could find a use for $600, couldn’t you?

1969 Chevrolet Camaro

We know, we know, this is like comparing apples to an old oil painting of a bowl of oranges, but still, scrape together $1,800 bucks more than you’d need for a Model 3 and you could be cruising around in a piece of muscle car history.

This blue with black leather interior 1969 Chevrolet Camaro is listed for $49,500 on Autotrader.ca, and that’s having just undergone a full restoration to like-new condition.

What’s the gas mileage like, you ask? That’s not important. You drive a classic now.