limtam
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I have owned a Model 3 Dual Motor for the last 3 years, it goes back in a couple weeks so am looking at replacements.
Looking at a small SUV, narrowed it down to two options: Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3.
Drove both this weekend, test drives back to back, about an hour in each, as these are relatively new to the market I thought Iād share my impressions. Roads were soaking wet for both drives.
Volvo EX30
I drove the Single Motor Extended Range in Plus trim. 272hp RWD.
Slower than the Tesla but plenty quick. I was surprised how much traction it had even in RWD guise. The Twin Motor must be very fast.
Corners better than I expected. Feels a bit more crossover than the Tesla, obviously, but low CoG seems to help. Cornering and the drive out of corners was actually not bad. Not a sports car but didn't feel like trying to hustle along a boat.
It is a small car. Very little rear leg room. Front is plenty spacious. It felt no bigger than a VW Golf.
The rideā¦. is not great. Had that cheap car feeling of being bouncy and picking up every little bit of the road. It was felt unsettled on bumpier sections of motorway.
Hi-fi surprisingly good, if I take Tesla as 10/10, Iād say it was an 8.
Infotainment is google based. Snappy and worked well enough. I didnāt feel the need to connect Carplay. Some weird stuff though, no button on the steering wheel to play/pause music?!
It does lack some features that I really like about the Tesla: No dog mode, no phone key (yet), and the infotainment isnāt as good. No blind spot camera or auto indicators. Steering wheel and stalk setup not as good as Tesla. Only the very top trim has Drivers' seat lumbar.
Overall I would say 7/10. It drove better than I thought. Itās a close re-work of a Tesla interior but not quite as good. It feels very ābuilt to a priceā.
Kia EV3
They only come with 201bhp FWD powertrain. I drove GT-Line so 2nd to top trim.
The interior is *amazing*. Like really really good. Perfect mix of big screens and physical buttons. Everything feels high quality and sorted.
Slightly bigger car than the Volvo. Proper sized trunk. And some legroom ā as opposed to none ā behind a 6ft tall driver. This is an observation rather than criticism of the Volvo.
Hi-fi: not as good as Volvo, if Tesla a 10 I would say Kia a 6.
However trying to hustle it along a bit, bear in mind the roads were soaking, exposed some issues. It handles well enough for a small SUV, low CoG helps, but under power I got a few torque steer moments and the slightest wheelspin was clamped down very heavily by traction control. Road conditions probably didnāt help but it wasnāt fun to push along. Compare this to the AWD Model 3 that just hauls along no matter the conditions, and even the RWD Volvo that felt planted. It is significantly slower than the Volvo.
Refinement and ride deserve a mention. Really really good. Nicer on the highway than Tesla and leagues ahead of the Volvo. Really quiet and smooth.
I really liked the EV3. The interior feels very high end. The powertrain is surely fine for daily driving, but does feel like the weak link. A dual motor EV3 would be a seriously good car.
I would give it an 8 or 9 out of 10. I think for most buyers this is up there with the very best EVs on sale, certainly at this price point.
Looking at a small SUV, narrowed it down to two options: Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3.
Drove both this weekend, test drives back to back, about an hour in each, as these are relatively new to the market I thought Iād share my impressions. Roads were soaking wet for both drives.
Volvo EX30
I drove the Single Motor Extended Range in Plus trim. 272hp RWD.
Slower than the Tesla but plenty quick. I was surprised how much traction it had even in RWD guise. The Twin Motor must be very fast.
Corners better than I expected. Feels a bit more crossover than the Tesla, obviously, but low CoG seems to help. Cornering and the drive out of corners was actually not bad. Not a sports car but didn't feel like trying to hustle along a boat.
It is a small car. Very little rear leg room. Front is plenty spacious. It felt no bigger than a VW Golf.
The rideā¦. is not great. Had that cheap car feeling of being bouncy and picking up every little bit of the road. It was felt unsettled on bumpier sections of motorway.
Hi-fi surprisingly good, if I take Tesla as 10/10, Iād say it was an 8.
Infotainment is google based. Snappy and worked well enough. I didnāt feel the need to connect Carplay. Some weird stuff though, no button on the steering wheel to play/pause music?!
It does lack some features that I really like about the Tesla: No dog mode, no phone key (yet), and the infotainment isnāt as good. No blind spot camera or auto indicators. Steering wheel and stalk setup not as good as Tesla. Only the very top trim has Drivers' seat lumbar.
Overall I would say 7/10. It drove better than I thought. Itās a close re-work of a Tesla interior but not quite as good. It feels very ābuilt to a priceā.
Kia EV3
They only come with 201bhp FWD powertrain. I drove GT-Line so 2nd to top trim.
The interior is *amazing*. Like really really good. Perfect mix of big screens and physical buttons. Everything feels high quality and sorted.
Slightly bigger car than the Volvo. Proper sized trunk. And some legroom ā as opposed to none ā behind a 6ft tall driver. This is an observation rather than criticism of the Volvo.
Hi-fi: not as good as Volvo, if Tesla a 10 I would say Kia a 6.
However trying to hustle it along a bit, bear in mind the roads were soaking, exposed some issues. It handles well enough for a small SUV, low CoG helps, but under power I got a few torque steer moments and the slightest wheelspin was clamped down very heavily by traction control. Road conditions probably didnāt help but it wasnāt fun to push along. Compare this to the AWD Model 3 that just hauls along no matter the conditions, and even the RWD Volvo that felt planted. It is significantly slower than the Volvo.
Refinement and ride deserve a mention. Really really good. Nicer on the highway than Tesla and leagues ahead of the Volvo. Really quiet and smooth.
I really liked the EV3. The interior feels very high end. The powertrain is surely fine for daily driving, but does feel like the weak link. A dual motor EV3 would be a seriously good car.
I would give it an 8 or 9 out of 10. I think for most buyers this is up there with the very best EVs on sale, certainly at this price point.
