Self-proclaimed Bay Area car enthusiast Zygrene has loads of content on his YouTube channel, and it appears he's been adding new car reviews on a very regular basis for several years now. However, there's something missing. This car reviewer has never spent time in an EV.
Interestingly, his very first EV review covers three cars at the same time. While some folks may not see all these particular electric cars as direct rivals, they're all arguably sporty and practical, and they're similarly priced (sort of).
Zygrene set out to cover the latest $50,000 to $60,000 mid-range electric vehicles. He ended up with the Tesla Model Y Long Range ($65,990), the Polestar 2 Performance ($57,400), and the all-new Kia EV6 Wind with all-wheel drive ($51,400).
Sure, the Model Y is more expensive, and it doesn't qualify for the $7,500 US federal EV tax credit. However, Zygrene notes that he wanted to compare the rival EVs with the "gold standard" in the segment, and he's specifically focusing on these cars' overall driving dynamics. There's nothing quite like a twisty canyon road to get an idea of how these EVs perform.
As we've learned with from many similar videos, there may have been better choices to compare to the Model Y, but reviewers often take what they can get. The Polestar 2 is really more of a Model 3 rival, and with the Performance Pack, it should arguably be compared to a Performance Tesla.
That said, there's really no harm in comparing any number of today's EVs against one another to give prospective owners an idea of how vehicles from various brands stack up. It provides a good starting point, and if you decide that you'd rather check out the cheaper Model 3 instead of the Model Y, at least you'll have a solid idea of what to expect.
At any rate, after spending some quality time with all three compelling EVs, Zygrene says he believes the Polestar 2 Performance has the best driving dynamics, by far. However, he says Tesla has the obvious advantage with regard to charging infrastructure, though that stands to change in the future.
As far as the EV6 is concerned, Zygrene is impressed with how comfortable it is. It's not nearly as much of a corner-carver as the Polestar, but perhaps it doesn't aim to be. The Kia is also going to save you a notable chunk of change compared to rivals, and, in Zygrene's opinion, it's the best daily driver among these EVs.
The Model Y is also a solid daily driver, and it's very family-friendly, but you have to ask yourself if it's worth the significant cost compared to the Kia.
Do you think the Tesla Model Y is worth the extra money when compared to the Kia EV6 and Polestar 2? If you had to choose one of these all-electric rivals, which would you pick, and why? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below.
