Toby Hagon’s best electric car of 2023: Tesla Model 3

It’s time for our editors to vent about their electric car experiences and expectations!

OK, so this one will be polarising given Tesla is a brand some love and others love to hate.

But the reality is the Model 3 is a big seller with good reason. For a couple of years now it’s outsold the Toyota Camry, which is no small achievement given it costs tens of thousands of dollars more.

And the Tesla Model 3 is one of the few EVs that genuinely takes the fight to mainstream brands.

Put it down to its impressive interior space, class-leading tech, excellent performance and efficiency and keen pricing.

The late 2023 update to the Tesla Model 3 (codenamed Project Highland) addressed many of the issues with the car.

Chief among those it how it drives. While the Model 3 retains its generally fun and athletic demeanour, the addition of frequency selectable dampers and revised suspension components has added a new level of comfort.

Tyres also play a role, and while the new hoops have gone backwards on grip slightly the trade-off is absolutely worth it.

Throw in more gear – including a rear infotainment screen – and it makes the Model 3 more tempting than before.

If you’re in the market for a circa-$65K EV then the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive should absolutely be on your shortlist.

Biggest EV surprise of 2023: MG4

MG has had its fair share of underwhelming cars in recent years and the ZS EV falls squarely into that basket.

But the MG4 shows the brand is listening and knows how to do electric – really well.

While the entry-level car is sparsely appointed, it’s terrific to drive and a practical size. The circa-$40K price tag cements it as a genuine alternative to petrol-powered city hatches.

The only thing holding it back from being my best of 2023 is the dilution of value the further up the range you step.

That said, the XPower is a riot in the way it accelerates – and promises to introduce a new breed of buyers to supercar-like EV acceleration.

The electric car I am most looking forward to in 2024: Volvo EX30

Volvo is going hard on EVs and there are some important newcomers coming in 2024, including the EX90 that will be the all-electric replacement for the XC90.

But it’s the Volvo EX30 that is the most interesting courtesy of its $59,990 (plus on-road costs) starting price.

While oversees reports have been mixed, there’s enough tech and design pizazz in the EX30 to edge it to the top of my list of cars I’m hanging to drive.