These Are The Cars You Should Replace Your Tesla With

The best time to sell your Tesla was six years ago. The next best time was yesterday, and the current best time is right now. I know that might seem like a daunting task with how expansive the electric vehicle market has gotten, but don’t worry — Jalopnik has you covered. 

Last week, we asked our readers what cars they would replace their hypothetical Teslas with, and we got some great answers. Many of them were from folks who previously owned Teslas and are now going through exactly what you are. Often they were sick of CEO Elon Musk’s political antics and knew it was time to ditch their Teslas, even if they liked the car based on its own merits.

We’ve got vehicles that span just about every price point and body style down below. That means you’re going to be able to find the perfect replacement you’re looking for. What are you waiting for? Check out what cars your fellow Jalops recommend you replace your Tesla with.

Replaced mine with an Audi etron GT. Got it used for basically 50% off msrp. My Tesla was a 2017 so before it had to make a noise when driving. That’s one thing with the new evs that takes some getting used to, particularly Audi which pipes in fake engine noises. Otherwise love it, and glad to be out of the Tesla/musk world. That guy is seriously unwell. 

Submitted by: Dbj25

As a Mach-E owner, the deals on it were hard to beat. Especially with employee pricing (Thanks, Grandma!)

But in all seriousness, the Kia EV6 was high on the list despite the $ difference to the Mach-E if only for the fast charge capabilities of the Hyundai/Kia cars.

Submitted by: potbellyjoe

I switched to a 2024 Cadillac Lyriq and oh boy…. true luxury, efficiency and comfort. The Super Cruise is phenomenal, the interior is fabulous. The range is excellent and the look sharp and unique. The app needs to improve, but other than that, best decision ever,

Submitted by: Tony

The IONIQs, Rivian and Lucid are obvious choices. But also the BMW i4 has great reviews. That Acura EV (rebadged Lyric) can move quick. As great as some folks think Tesla is (or used to be) they don’t offer lots of models to choose from. 

Submitted by: Enrique Cobas

After wanting a Model 3 Performance to replace my 2017 Fiat 500e for what feels like the longest time, I just purchased a Kia EV6 GT. I drove my friend’s Hyundai Ioniq 5N last year when he first bought it and was absolutely blown away by just how much it lived up to and exceeded the hype. I would have gone with the 5N, but the pricing and incentives were much better. The EV6 GT is built on the same platform and is 9/10ths of the way there. I don’t think I would have played enough with the myriad of screens and options in the 5N to have made it worth it. The EV6 GT is plenty fast and drives great. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

My wife and I are considering dumping her Model Y Long Range. If the Rivian R2 were available today, we already would have one. An R1S is too expensive and too big for what we need. So we’ll probably wait, even though the resale value is probably going to plummet between then and now. We’ve looked at the GM/Honda/Acura options because the lease deals are compelling, but the quality seems hit or miss from the early adopters.

Honestly, for those looking to jump in to the EV space, there is no reason not to consider a used one right now. The prices are low and the number of options that have access to the supercharger network are growing. For 90% of drivers, something like a Bolt EUV would be all the car one needs for just about anything you’d need a vehicle to do.

Submitted by: KM@PG

Have a 2018 model 3, and was shopping at Mercedes to replace it and came across a used EQB with 2,000 miles on it for $25K off MSRP, so bought it for my wife instead. she loves it and didn’t want a fast car and it is really luxurious and perfect for driving around town with the sub par range. Still looking to replace the model 3, and would never buy a Lucid (even though I love them) because I am giving up the Tesla for that same reason I won’t buy the Lucid. May look to lease a used MBEV while I wait for the CLA’s to come out.

Submitted by: chimera zand

Looked at Ioniq 5 & 6, both great cars, but eventually upgraded my Model 3 to a BMW i5. A bit pricier, but so much smoother to drive. Fast enough, and dropped about 10 miles of range, but the range estimates are more accurate. The iDrive technology, safety tech, and phone integration actually better than my Tesla. Gonna have to do some minor adaptations for charging, but not bad. Left me VERY HAPPY to leave Elon in the dust.

Submitted by: Dpridham

Not much talk about the Polestar here… I think they’re attractive, but know next to nothing about them beyond that.

I would go with a Toyota hybrid. 50-100 mpg depending on the model, you don’t have to plug them in or search for a charging station, readily available, and they don’t stink of Nazi. 

Submitted by: tallestdwarf

Grand Wagoneer. Trade overpriced garbage in for more overpriced garbage. 

Submitted by: half man half bear half pig

I recommend the Ionic 6. I bought one in May, 2023 after my wife told me she would divorce me if I bought a Tesla. As a result of that conversation, I got a license plate that reads “NO2TSLA.” It’s a great car, fun to drive and pretty reliable, except for the constant recalls for software issues. But the dealers are good at fixing those issues quickly.

Submitted by: DJCJR

I owned one of the first Tesla Model 3’s. I unloaded it 2 years ago because of Elon becoming worse and worse. Also, I sold it at a high post covid. We ended up buying at MSRP a BMW X5 45e. We missed the luxury of a BMW, and the quality. It can still drive 30mi pure electric, has carpool lane stickers, has a twin turbo, and we don’t have to stop on road trips. We get the best of all worlds. It’s an incredible SUV.

Submitted by: Tony

I’m expediting this now. The Mach-E was at the top of my list, but it’s lacking in back seat room. After seeing it at the local car show, I’m very enamoured with the IONIQ 5N. I just don’t want to deal with the local Hyundai dealer. Ugh.

It will be a short lease. I plan on getting the Rivian R3x when it’s available. 

Submitted by: dolsh

Hummer EV.

Keep the arrogance, lose the fascism.

Built by American labor unions.

Will actually be serviceable in 5 years after the rest of these companies go the way of Fisker.

Submitted by: John C

Model 3 owner here … I personally think this is the best EV I can buy (at least for my needs), However, because of Elon Musk I was looking right before the election into alternatives (after his come out in Butler), but all fell short for me, I would give things up that I love about my Model 3. But here I am again searching for alternatives since he is getting more crazy and embarassing (one big plus now is that more and more cars can charge at the Tesla charging network, which is just the best and much more reliable then any other network so many other chargers I pulled up to were either not working or super slow) … I love Rivians, but are too big for me (I am waiting for the R3X – pretty sure I will get that one once its available and the company still exists). But honestly right now, I might only consider the Ford Mustang Mach-E or the Kia EV6 … still not 100% convinced, none of them is perfect for me and offers everything that the Model 3 offers me – so once I do the switch it will be a step down, but I just can’t stand Elon Musk anymore (and I had 0 issues with my Model 3, I just love the car)

Submitted by: Willi Smart