Standard Model 3 & Y vs. 2027 Chevy Bolt

With two (technically three) announcements of affordable electric vehicles coming within 24 hours of each other, I took some extra time to research these vehicles before sharing my thoughts with all of you. First and foremost, if you are an average person actively looking for a new mode of transportation, don't finalize any deals just yet! It doesn't matter if you are looking for an electric or gas-powered vehicle; having affordable cars like these enter the market can lead to extra discounts on existing cars in a last-ditch attempt to entice buyers. Even if discounts don't materialize soon, these vehicles sound awfully attractive on there own. Don’t get me wrong, all three of these cars aren't perfect, but by the end of this article, you might just find the amount of compromises made are outweighed by the amount of savings you gain.

Let’s start off with the Tesla twins, more specifically the Model 3 Standard. It represents the better deal of the two, coming in at $5,500 cheaper than the next trim level (at the time of writing), while still achieving a strong estimated range of 321 miles. As long as you can get along with no FM radio, a 7-speaker sound system, and rougher suspension, all of which is also found in the new Standard Model Y, the amount of savings received makes this car seem worth it.

Speaking of the new Model Y, it comes in at just $5,000 below the next trim above it. Which doesn't seem far off from the Standard Model 3 at first but quickly becomes disappointing when you learn about the Model Y-specific subtractions. Along with the sound system and suspension changes covered earlier, the Standard trim also receives revised bodywork that removes the current Model Y's front and rear light bars. Whether you like the new look or not, I approve of the change since it cuts down on the amount of LEDs and wires used in the name of savings. On the other hand this justification falls short when trying to explain the closed glass roof. How does this choice make any sense if the Model 3 Standard was able to leave the panoramic glass roof unchanged and get a deeper discount over the current models? While I am open to learning more about the manufacturing process and being wrong about this, it seems like Tesla made the standard Model Y worse on purpose to push people towards the higher end trim levels. All of this combined makes me lean farther away from the Model Y and closer to the Model 3 in terms of interest. Let's see if the new Chevy Bolt has me scratching my head as much as this standard Model Y does after reading more about it.

After looking over the new Chevy Bolt I'm confident in saying that this vehicle is one change away from being the perfect affordable EV. Even with the most range in an EV under $30,000, 255 miles of range on a single charge is short of my ideal 300 miles of range for an affordable EV. Seeing this as an issue, GM did equip the new Bolt with much faster charging than the previous model and a NACS port that enables you to charge at Tesla Supercharges. Just like the previous Chevy Bolt, GM is betting that people will be okay with losing some range for a better-equipped interior that comes with features like the dual-screen dash and more traditional controls not found in Tesla vehicles. I would be inclined to agree with GM's approach if they weren't actively fighting against themselves by skipping over features like phone mirroring.

Now that we looked over all three vehicles, I'm excited to get behind the wheel of both the Model 3 and Chevy Bolt, so I can dig deeper and see if these two cars can be more than just good deals on paper. Even though I'm not as excited for the Model Y due to its sacrifices, my mind is open, and I hope I can get a different perspective on it from behind the wheel.

P.S. the Model 3’s side view mirrors are not manually adjusted. Thanks to a mistake on the Tesla website, everyone (including myself) thought it would ditch power-adjustable mirrors; however, digging deeper on the website as well as seeing other people's videos (shoutout to Kim Java) on the vehicles have disproved the website listing.