New vs used electric cars: Tesla Model 3 or Porsche Taycan?
Electric car prices are dropping, but which car offers the most low-emission bang for your buck?
Mainstream electric cars have been with us for several years now, and as more and more drivers decide to make the switch, the used electric car market is starting to offer some very tempting prices.
It’s not just used car buyers that can reap the benefits, either, as brand-new EVs are also gradually becoming cheaper to buy as the competition heats up. For a budget of around £45,000 you can pick up some truly top-shelf electric cars, but is it better to buy used or brand-new?
Our expert road testers have lined up two fierce electric executive rivals to help you make your decision. The Tesla Model 3 has been a stalwart in this segment for years while the Porsche Taycan brings an element of sporting heritage into the mix. Whichever car you prefer, though, there’s no denying that both models offer strong battery range and plenty of prestige. So which one should you buy? Read on to find out.
New: Tesla Model 3
- Our pick: Tesla Model 3 Highland Long Range RWD
- Price: £44,990
- Standard kit: 18-inch alloys, 15-inch central screen, reversing camera, sentry mode
- Key stats: 5.0 miles/kWh, 0g/km CO2, 4.9secs 0-62mph
- VED: £620 for five years (from April 2025)
- Insurance group: 38
- Warranty: Four years/60,000 miles
Used - available now
2022 Mercedes
A-Class
57,433 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £17,700
2022 MG
HS
22,986 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £15,800
2018 Nissan
Qashqai
37,833 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £14,300
2021 Mercedes
A-Class
52,402 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £15,900The Model 3 revolutionised the EV market when it was launched in the UK in 2019. No other car offered so much range at such a mid-market price, all backed by Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Six years and one facelift later, the Model 3 remains a benchmark in real-world range – travelling more than 300 miles on a single charge is a breeze for Tesla owners, which is why we’ve picked the long-range rear-wheel-drive model. This upgrades the base 60kWh battery to 79kWh for a theoretical 436-mile range. It also boosts maximum rapid charging from 170 to 250kW: officially that adds up to 175 miles of range in a mere 15 minutes.
And the benefits aren’t just linked to rational figures, because the Tesla combines punch and responsiveness for a pretty engaging drive. With its 320bhp motor, the 3 zooms from 0-62mph in a hot hatch-beating 4.9 seconds. Swing the steering wheel and the Tesla jinks eagerly off the dead-ahead and carves through corners with plenty of grip. The ride is firm, however.
With the 2023 ‘Highland’ upgrade – marked by those narrower, beady headlamps – refinement improved dramatically, with much less wind noise and more sound deadening. The cockpit is better built with plusher materials and there’s a low-set touchscreen in the rear, which is great for the kids to stream YouTube.
But you do have to buy into the Tesla way of doing things: there’s no instrument binnacle, no indicator stalks (just buttons on the steering wheel), and no Apple CarPlay, because it’s Tesla’s super-fast operating system or bust.
Truth be told, the Tesla Model 3 remains in a league of its own. Even down to it being the first electric car brand to have a pop-up showroom at the White House with President Donald J. Trump as resident salesman. And that’s the elephant in the room – can you handle the political baggage that comes with driving a Tesla these days? If you can, it’s a very rewarding buy.
Used: Porsche Taycan
- One we found: Porsche Taycan 4S
- Price: £40,999
- Mileage/year: 36,000/2020
- Standard kit: 16.8-inch central screen, air suspension, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, Performance Battery Plus
- Key stats: 2.6 miles/kWh, 0g/km CO2, 4.0secs 0-62mph
- VED: £620 for a year, then £195
- Insurance group: 50
The Porsche Taycan has led a double life. At launch, everyone swooned over its performance and handling. Buyers came in droves: in 2021 and 2023 Taycan global sales topped 40,000 units.
Then came an outbreak of real life, with high insurance premiums – this 4S sits in the highest group 50 – triggered by its high performance and question marks over EV repairability, plus tumbling residual values thanks in part to the Taycan’s high supply.
All this means, if you’re brave enough and can handle the running costs, you could pick up one of the all-time great EVs for a bargain price. The 2020 4S we found has done 40,000 miles, costs less than half the original sticker price and is just over halfway through Porsche’s eight-year/ 100,000-mile battery warranty, which guarantees the car retaining 70 per cent of its capacity. This example also has the bigger 93kWh battery – officially good for 267 miles, but probably more like 220 miles from experience. The Plus battery also enables a higher maximum DC charging rate of 270kW.
The 4S has all-wheel drive and, unusually for an EV, a two-speed gearbox with a short first gear to maximise thrust off the line. With the upgraded battery bringing a boost in performance (a cool 571bhp), the 0-62mph sprint is dismissed in just four seconds.
But the Taycan certainly isn’t all about straight-line speed. The 4S corners beautifully and you can slacken off the adaptive suspension to feel very comfortable indeed. Some cars have four-wheel steering to sharpen their turn-in, although not this example.
Inside, the driving position is typical Porsche: low and looking out over those front wheelarch humps to help position the car in corners. Quality is good, and there’s adequate space for adults in the back, while the rear seats split 60:40 and there’s a reasonably roomy 407-litre boot.
Used - available now
2024 Porsche
Taycan
34,290 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £42,495
2024 Porsche
Taycan
23,068 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £45,995
2024 Porsche
Taycan
32,170 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £39,995Electric car buying advice
Tesla defends its new-car prices with an online sales policy, so you might also consider the plentiful bargain, pre-Highland cars in Auto Express’s marketplace.
So is this choice between a new Tesla and a brilliant used Porsche costing almost £4k less a no-brainer? Yes, if you can swallow the higher running costs. Because the Porsche’s superior dynamics, brand cachet, luxury and, incredibly, less stigma, make this the car to have.
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