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Community Question: BMW i3, Audi A3 E-Tron, Or Tesla Model 3?

Which entry-level luxury EV would you be most likely to opt for: the BMW i3, Audi A3 e-tron, or forthcoming Tesla Model 3?

We have a feeling we know what the obvious answer is (*cough* Tesla Model 3 *cough*), but bear with us a moment as we introduce some additional food for thought. For starters, the Tesla Model 3 – like both the Roadster and Model S before it – will most certainly use Tesla Motors’ own proprietary recharge plug. There’s nothing wrong with it, but when the time inevitably comes that you are forced to venture out of town, you may very well find that range anxiety kicks in as you struggle to have quite the same luck finding recharge stations as you’d have in either the BMW or the Audi.

Meanwhile, the BMW i3 can always be optioned with the onboard, two-cylinder gas generator, and the Audi A3 e-tron – featuring Volkswagen’s excellent 1.4-liter turbo – is even less distance-restricted by a need to recharge, simply by being a PHEV.

And then, there’s the simple fact that waiting for the Tesla Model 3 comes with its own set of risks. Some have questioned whether the EV can possibly deliver on its low promised MSRP, and even more than with the Model S, demand will almost certainly exceed availability for a long time. By, like, a lightyear.

Bearing all this in-mind, which of the formidable EVs would you most want to have? The BMW i3, Audi A3 e-tron, or would you wait for the Tesla Model 3?

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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