In 2023, the Tesla Mannequin Y was the best-selling automobile on this planet. It is a stellar electrical crossover and a best choice in that class, however some consumers do not desire a Tesla. That is okay, although. There are various sturdy contenders within the electrical crossover class as of late, so in the event you do not wish to purchase a Tesla, the excellent news is that you’ve got choices now.
This wasn’t the case when the Mannequin Y launched years in the past, however since its debut, many automakers have stepped up with competing merchandise. None of them will dethrone the Mannequin Y atop the best-selling podium, however some aggressive autos are higher than the Y in some methods.
This submit will begin with the Mannequin Y and what makes it stand out. It’s going to then current choices that embrace the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Polestar 4. Every car has its strengths and weaknesses, nevertheless it’s seemingly you may discover no less than one which meets your wants.
Maybe now shouldn’t be the precise time to purchase for you. That is okay, too. The longer term is stuffed with thrilling, upcoming EVs. So, purchase when the time is true and when the automobile you need is obtainable.
Tesla Mannequin Y Specs: Why It is Powerful To Beat
The Tesla Mannequin Y appears to be the proper car for immediately’s automobile consumers: it’s a sensible and roomy crossover, appears to be like like a sporty coupe-like fastback, and has numerous efficiency and vary. It wasn’t an accident that it grew to become 2023’s world best-seller, surpassing even the ever present combustion-engined Toyota RAV4.
It has a beginning value of $44,990 for the Lengthy-Vary Rear-Wheel Drive variant that goes 320 miles on one cost and sprints to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. The $47,990 all-wheel-drive Lengthy-Vary Twin Motor lowers the vary to 308 miles however provides extra energy and drops the acceleration time to 4.8 seconds. The Mannequin Y Efficiency prices $51,490 and sacrifices some vary (279 miles EPA) in favor of a 3.5-second time to 60 mph.
Constructed on the identical E-GMP platform because the Ioniq 6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is likely one of the hottest Mannequin Y alternate options. The bottom $41,800 Normal Vary mannequin has 168 hp and 220 miles of vary, which isn’t a lot, so it’s a must to get the variations with the bigger battery pack to drive additional on one cost.
The least you’ll pay for one is $45,850, and also you’ll get 225 hp and 303 EPA miles of vary. Including a second prices $3,500 further and ups the ability to 320 hp however lowers the vary to 260 miles. There’s additionally the bonkers range-topping $66,100 Ioniq 5 N, which lets you shift faux gears and hearken to a simulated engine, nevertheless it’s additionally blistering in a straight line and enjoyable across the bends (and a monitor).
Though the Kia EV6 shares mechanical similarities with the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, it boasts a singular look akin to a futuristic rally automobile on stilts. It supplies a extra dynamic driving expertise in comparison with its Hyundai counterparts. The bottom mannequin prices beneath $43,000 and has a 58 kWh battery with 232 miles of vary.
You’ll have to pay no less than $45,590 to get the bigger 77.4 kWh battery pack, which provides you 310 miles and ups the ability from 168 hp to 225 hp. The $49,850 Lengthy Vary AWD mannequin provides a second motor on the entrance axle for 320 hp mixed, however the vary drops to 282 miles. The new 576-hp EV6 GT prices $61,600, and it might speed up to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, nevertheless it’s additionally the lowest-range mannequin, with 206 miles on one cost.
Ford makes one of many extra fun-to-drive electrical crossovers, the Mustang Mach-E. It won’t appear like it, nevertheless it handles properly (to the detriment of journey high quality), offering some justification for utilizing the Mustang nameplate. It additionally has a terrific inside with numerous area and first rate vary.
The Mach-E vary kicks off at $41,995; you get 250 miles of vary and 267 horsepower from a single rear-mounted electrical motor. Improve to the Prolonged Vary battery pack for $45,990; the vary goes as much as 320 miles. The drive unit will get extra energy to compensate for the heavier battery and nonetheless delivers the same 6.1-second benchmark dash time. On the prime of the Mach-E vary sits the $60,900 Rally mannequin, which will get extra energy and means that you can have enjoyable sliding round a mud street.
After our first drive, we appreciated the Chevrolet Equinox EV lots. We appreciated its breadth of capabilities and the way regular it felt to drive. With a beginning value of $34,995, it’s additionally fairly inexpensive, and also you get numerous automobile for the cash. The vary is fairly spectacular, too.
The bottom front-wheel-drive mannequin is rated as much as 319 miles on a single cost, and in the event you go for all-wheel drive, that drops to 285 miles. The twin-motor 2LT Equinox EV, the decide of the vary, will price $43,295. The value goes as much as $46,795 for the highest 3RS variant.
Polestar needs to make a splash with the Polestar 4 crossover. Its coupe-like rear finish resembles the Mannequin Y and Mach-E by way of physique type, nevertheless it’s uncommon as a result of it does not have a rear window. For $54,900, you get the bottom single-motor long-range mannequin, which has 272 hp and 300 miles of EPA vary.
Choosing all-wheel drive will drive the value to $62,900 and double the ability to 544 hp. The acceleration time to 60 mph drops from 6.9 seconds to three.7 seconds, however so does the vary, which is 30 miles decrease than within the single-motor variant.
InsideEVs contributing author Andrei Nedelea contributed a big quantity of content material to this story.
