• Tesla will sell you a Model 3 with an old battery in it
• Instead, buy a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with the same range for less
• The Ford Mustang Mach E also offers similar range for similar money

If you haven’t heard by now, Tesla is offering consumers an interesting deal. If you just cannot wait to get a Tesla Model 3, you can get one right now. The catch? An older, slightly degraded Model 3 battery. We decided we wouldn’t want that, so instead, we put together a list of the best cheap EVs, like the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with more range than those Model 3s.

What is the battery life of a Tesla Model 3?

Before we get into new cheap EVs like the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach E, let’s discuss our logic here. In their report, the folks at Jalopnik stated that the degraded Tesla Model 3 battery can cost owners up to a 12% loss in range. However, it’s hard to tell if these Model 3 EVs are 2022 cars with 2017 batteries or 2017 cars with 2022 window stickers.

Unfortunately, Tesla’s site isn’t exactly clear on their cheap EVs. Obviously, as the brand has no PR department, it’s a bit tough to reach out for clarification. You can read the full report on all the Tesla Model 3 battery drama over on Jalopnik’s site. Regardless, we took that 12% range loss as a worst-case scenario and subtracted it from the real-world range test done by Edmunds. The result? 304 miles of range.

How much will the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 cost?

Now, the Tesla Model 3’s range advantage is effectively nullified. Suddenly, that MSRP of $44,990 is tough to justify. That’s especially true when you consider this hatchback/crossover thingy: the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5. Fresh from cameo appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 starts at $43,650. At the very least, for that money, you know you’re buying an EV that looks like nothing else on the road.

However, the real win for the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 comes from the range figure. It’ll go 300 miles on a charge, just short of our adjusted Tesla Model 3’s theoretical range of 304 miles. $43K makes not a cheap EV, but it’s sure a lot easier to stomach. See, the biggest issue regarding this whole Telsa battery ordeal isn’t even that the battery costs you 40-odd miles of range. It’s that the battery in your Tesla Model 3 will continue to degrade.

The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach E qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit

Then there’s another pseudo-crossover: the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach E. The Mach E starts at $53,100 which, less the $7,500 EV tax credit, brings it to $45,600. Just a hair more expensive than these Tesla Model 3 EVs. Again, the biggest advantage to spending that extra cash is you’re buying a new car with a new battery. Plus, the Mach E will match the 3’s adjusted range, with 300 miles of juice. Both the Ioniq and the Mustang are solid “cheap-ish” new EVs with plentiful range. We’d absolutely recommend going with either of these options given the unknowns associated with getting an older battery pack.