Kia EV3 vs Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 costs £4,935 more than the Kia EV3. For that premium it adds 62 miles more WLTP range, 48 kW faster peak rapid charging and 222 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Tesla Model 3 comes out ahead overall.

The Kia EV3 is £4,935 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £144 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Kia EV3 comes out roughly £4,855 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 193 miles for the Kia EV3 and 229 miles for the Tesla Model 3 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Tesla Model 3 goes roughly 37 miles further between charging stops.

The Kia EV3 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 83 mm narrower than the Tesla Model 3. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 550 mm of total clearance for the Kia EV3 and about 467 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model 3. The Kia EV3 also turns in a 1.2 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 89% battery health for the Kia EV3 and 92% for the Tesla Model 3. That gives the Tesla Model 3 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Tesla Model 3's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Kia EV3's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.