The short version
- The Model 3 Long Range goes 750km WLTP, the longest figure we hold for any electric car on sale in Australia
- Cheapest: Mazda 6e GT at $49,990, and it is the longest car here at 4,921mm
- Biggest boot: Model 3 at 682L, more than double the Mazda's 337L
- Best tow rating: Mazda 6e at 1,500kg braked
- Most efficient: Model 3 at 141Wh/km, though the margin is small
- Safety vintage matters: the Tesla and Mazda were rated in 2025, the Renault in 2022
Almost every electric comparison in Australia is between SUVs, because almost every electric car sold here is one. But two of our top-twelve comparisons this fortnight were Model 3 against Mazda 6e and Model 3 against Megane E-Tech, which says there is a real audience for the cars that sit lower, weigh less and do not pretend to go off-road.
These three are very different answers to the same question. One is a range champion, one is a big sedan for small money, and one is a genuinely small hatchback. Here is how they compare on our own data.
750km, and why it matters more here than in an SUV
The Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD is rated at 750km WLTP from a 77.8kWh battery. That is the longest WLTP figure we hold against any electric car currently on sale in Australia, and it is 190km more than the next car in this comparison.
It is achieved the hard way, through efficiency rather than battery size. The Model 3 uses 141Wh/km, which works out to 7.1km from every kilowatt-hour. The Mazda 6e carries a slightly larger 78kWh battery and returns 560km, because it uses 159Wh/km and weighs 2,015kg against the Tesla's 1,747kg. Being a sedan rather than an SUV is most of the reason all three of these cars post good range numbers, and the Tesla simply does it better than the others.
The practical value is not that you will drive 750km. It is that you will charge less often, and that a winter highway run does not turn into an anxious one. Our range calculator shows what speed and temperature take off each of these figures, and the highway efficiency comparator ranks them at 110km/h, which is the condition that separates a sedan from an SUV most sharply.
The line-up and pricing
| Variant | Price | Battery | Range | 0-100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda 6e GT | $49,990 | 78 kWh | 560 km | No data |
| Renault Megane E-Tech Techno | $50,000 | 67 kWh | 500 km | 7.4 s |
| Mazda 6e Atenza | $52,990 | 78 kWh | 560 km | No data |
| Tesla Model 3 RWD | $54,900 | 60 kWh | 520 km | 6.1 s |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD | $61,900 | 77.8 kWh | 750 km | 5.2 s |
| Tesla Model 3 Performance AWD | $80,900 | 77.8 kWh | 571 km | 3.1 s |
A note on the Renault price. Our records carry $50,000 before on-road costs and a $54,990 drive-away figure, so depending on how the dealer quotes it, the Megane can look either cheaper or more expensive than the Mazda. Ask which basis you are being given.
We hold no 0 to 100km/h figure for either Mazda 6e variant. That is no data rather than a slow car: the 6e makes 190kW and 290Nm, which in a 2,015kg sedan should be comfortably quicker than the Renault. We simply will not print a number Mazda has not published.
The boot problem
This is the most surprising table in the comparison, and it goes badly for the biggest car.
| Measure | Model 3 | Mazda 6e | Megane E-Tech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boot, seats up | 682 L | 337 L | 440 L |
| Boot, seats folded | 682 L | No data | 1,332 L |
| Length | 4,720 mm | 4,921 mm | 4,200 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,875 mm | 2,895 mm | 2,685 mm |
| Kerb weight | 1,747-1,854 kg | 2,015 kg | 1,636 kg |
| Braked towing | 1,000 kg | 1,500 kg | 900 kg |
The Mazda 6e is 201mm longer than the Model 3 and carries 345 litres less luggage. That is a remarkable outcome for a car of its footprint, and it is the single strongest argument against it. The Model 3's 682 litres includes its front boot and a deep well under the rear floor, and it is a genuinely practical car in a way its shape does not advertise.
The Renault goes the other way. It is the smallest car here by a distance at 4,200mm, 520mm shorter than the Tesla, yet it holds 440 litres and opens to 1,332 litres with the seats down. If you want the smallest possible car that still swallows a weekend's luggage, the Megane is the answer in this group, and at 1,636kg it is also the lightest by 111kg.
The Mazda does win towing, at 1,500kg braked against 1,000kg for the Tesla and 900kg for the Renault. If you tow a small trailer or a box, run the real numbers through our towing and payload calculator before assuming any of these will do the job.
Charging
This is closer than you might expect, and the Mazda comes out well.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range and Performance: 250kW, 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 14 minutes
- Mazda 6e: 194kW, 24 minutes
- Tesla Model 3 RWD: 170kW, 16 minutes
- Renault Megane E-Tech: 130kW, 30 minutes
The Mazda's 194kW peak is higher than the entry Model 3's, which is not what most people would guess. The Renault is the slowest here and its 30-minute window is double the Long Range Tesla's, though on a 500km car you will be stopping less often to begin with.
What they cost to run
Electricity is the easy part of an EV budget to model, because consumption is published and tariffs are knowable. Here is what each costs to charge at home, assuming 15,000km a year and 30c/kWh, against a petrol sedan doing 7.5 L/100km at $1.90 a litre.
| Car | Consumption | Per year | Over 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 141 Wh/km | $635 | $3,173 |
| Mazda 6e | 159 Wh/km | $716 | $3,578 |
| Renault Megane E-Tech | 160 Wh/km | $720 | $3,600 |
| A petrol sedan at 7.5 L/100km | 7.5 L/100km | $2,138 | $10,688 |
The gap between these three is roughly $85 a year, or $427 over five years. The gap between any of them and the petrol car they replace is around $1,450 a year. That is the number that actually matters, and it says the choice between these three should be made on space, charging and warranty rather than on efficiency, because efficiency has already done its work by the time you have ruled out petrol.
These are modelled figures using each manufacturer's own consumption number and a stated tariff, not measured results. Public fast charging costs considerably more than 30c/kWh, so a driver without home charging should expect a materially worse outcome across all three. Run your own numbers in our fuel cost calculator.
Safety and warranty
All three hold five-star ANCAP ratings, but the vintages are not equivalent and it is worth being precise about that. The Tesla Model 3 and the Mazda 6e GT and Atenza were rated in 2025. The Renault Megane E-Tech was rated in 2022.
ANCAP tightens its protocols roughly every three years and ratings carry a six-year life, so the Renault's result was awarded under a materially easier standard and is now in its later years. That is not a statement that the car is unsafe. It is a statement that a 2022 five-star and a 2025 five-star are not the same achievement, and a buyer comparing the badges alone would not know.
On warranty, the Mazda 6e and Renault Megane E-Tech both offer five years with unlimited kilometres and eight years of battery cover. Tesla offers five years on the vehicle and eight on the battery. There is very little between them, which is unusual in a three-way comparison and means warranty should not decide this one.
So which one?
Buy the Tesla Model 3 Long Range if range or practicality lead your list. At $61,900 for 750km it is the longest-legged electric car on sale in Australia on our figures, it has the biggest boot here by 242 litres, it charges fastest, and it is the most efficient. The $80,900 Performance is the hardest car in this comparison to justify, since it costs $19,000 more than the Long Range and goes 179km less far.
Buy the Mazda 6e GT if you want the most car for $49,990. It is the longest vehicle here, has the highest tow rating, charges at a genuinely quick 194kW, and carries a 2025 five-star rating. The 337-litre boot is the compromise, and it is a significant one for a car this size. If you carry people rather than luggage, it is a strong buy.
Buy the Renault Megane E-Tech if you want a small car and are not willing to pretend otherwise. It is 520mm shorter than the Tesla, the lightest here at 1,636kg, and still holds 440 litres. Go in knowing the safety rating dates from 2022 and that 130kW charging is the slowest in this group.
See any two side by side on our Mazda 6e against Model 3 and Megane E-Tech against Model 3 pages, or browse the whole electric field in our listings.
On our figures
Every specification above is the value we hold against that exact variant, sourced from the manufacturer's Australian material. Prices are before on-road costs unless stated. Range figures are WLTP. Where we hold no figure, including the Mazda 6e's 0 to 100km/h time, the table says no data rather than estimating one. Checked 26 September 2026.