Honda E?

[hedges88]

I had my Personal independence payment increased to include the mobility component a few months back and I have thought here and there about exchanging my allowance for a Motability car but ultimately decided on the whole it was cheaper to keep and run my current privately owned car.

I am about to have to embark on some expensive maintenance including a new timing chain etc so I've been thinking again about going with a Motability car.

I can not believe that the Honda E (base model) is available with no advance payment and also you get help with having a home charger installed. For £76 or whatever a week I think that's an incredible deal but I've never owned or even driven an electric car. I like the Honda brand and I think the E looks good outside and inside.

I don't do long journeys but I hear some reviews saying the range is very poor and the infotainment UI is bad. Wondering if anyone has experience with one and if it makes for a suitable first foray into electric vehicle ownership?

[hedges88]

cj2013 said:

I think you'd be better have a few test drives.

The 'Honda E' (for some reason, not just the 'E' it seems) is more of a 'City car' based on the range, and one of the biggest issues is that the plethora of screens and cameras aren't exactly sympathetic to the efficiency of the vehicle itself.

The Stellantis (Peugeot/Citroen/DS/Vauxhall/Fiat etc) models are seemingly affected by aerodynamics and cold weather, making them also slightly more angled to the 'City Car' category than the 'comfortable commuter'. They do, however, seem to have more 'traditional' interiors, if the jump to an EV is better suited to not also gaining a minimalistic or overly-modern interior.

I assume your mobility will have some suitability towards a certain type of vehicle, so I'd definitely figure out what you can get, then try and visit some showrooms (before restrictions ramp up) to see which charging ports are better for you (honda E is at the front and can be fiddly, ID3 is like a traditional fuel flap) and what interior space/layout is best suited.


Once you order, you'll still no doubt be waiting several months, so it might not solve your current car issues.

I'm at a point where my problems mean supportive seats and lot's of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel are paramount so naturally I'll be doing a fair few test drives if I do decide to go ahead with a Motability lease.

For no advance payment you can get the Honda E, MG ZS 45KW, Leaf 40KW, Mini Cooper S 33KW or Hyundai Kona 39KW.

The MG name doesn't conjure up anything for me and I just see it as a Chinese electric car which I guess it is, the Hyundai Kona is very ugly. The Mini Cooper has a much more powerful motor and a few more miles range than the Honda E though. I think I'd probably have to try the E and the Mini before the others. I have economy 7 electric at home as well which I'm guessing is a bonus

[hedges88]

TheDeuce said:

There are quite a number EVs for sub 300 a month on lease these days.

Not sure how motobility works but taking the cash and leasing personally might well open up further options and even save some money.

As for the E, I quite like them! The range issue isn't an issue at all so long as it's 'enough' anyway.

You get about £62.50 or so a week for your mobility needs, so you can use it for public transport/taxis etc or you can forego the money and select a car instead. Some cars need an advance payment, say for example £1500 for a 1 series BMW but quite a lot of cars don't need any down payment. Any optional extras or paint finishes have to be paid upfront too. The main thing is that you really literally only need to add fuel, screenwash etc. Insurance, servicing, road fund license, breakdown cover and even tyres are all included. It's worth mentioning that Motability itself is a charity but the money for the cars comes from an individual's benefit entitlement. Considering disabled people used to have to drive those awful Tridents /plastic pigs, I think it's one thing successive governments can be proud of.

Range really is not an issue for me, the longest journey I do is from Luton to Stevenage & back which is 30 miles all round. I could probably charge a Honda E once a week and be good for mileage. Seems the popular opinion thus far is that if the range isn't an issue then it's the one to have. I just watched some YouTube videos of that Mini Cooper hitting 60 in around 6 and a half seconds though

I think the E is certainly the trendiest and funkiest of them all, and I know some don't like it but I think that interior is pretty sweet. Just hope the seats and my spine can manage to strike a deal

[hedges88]

MOBB said:

I test drove the mini and Honda

The mini ride is pretty firm

The Honda ride is sublime imo

Thank you for telling me this. I know the Honda E has fully independent suspension just like it was on my old Civic, I always found that to be a fantastic in terms of ride and handling. I don't like firm riding cars because 99% of the time my driving is purely for necessity, it's not worth a sporty suspension for that rarest of opportunities to enjoy driving.

Can I ask how you found the lack of door mirrors? are the mirror screens an easy transition? I've seen reviews say the cameras repel rain well enough and the blind spot detection is good.

I'm going to book s test drive in the new year but I'm glad I've asked for advice from PHers to rule out any immediate deal breakers. I adore the 70s Civic callbacks to the design too.

[hedges88]

oop north said:

Though 21ATS is, I believe, talking about Mazda MX30 not the Honda E

Either way I'm glad of the suggestion and will put the MX30 on my possible test drive list. Getting in and out and seat comfort are very much a priority. It's a tad slow on paper though, but I guess like diesels they actually offer the power you need for urban driving.

[hedges88]

MOBB said:

My Seat Mii electric is slow on paper, but nippy as hell in real life, catches many cars napping :-)

My boyfriend has an F21 BMW 118D and the effortless power delivery and grunt is very impressive in urban driving. Only when you get to the motorway do you realize you're only playing with 150BHP. The Honda E is actually just a few lb/ft off his 118D in terms of torque so. I imagine it to be lively enough for my purposes.

I think the Mazda that has been suggested is front wheel drive and has torque vectoring whereas the Honda E is rear wheel drive. I bet instant torque delivery and rear wheel drive on such a small car would be quite an experience. Shame the parking assistance system is on the high spec model only and not standard equipment. My 2009 A class can park itself!

I might test the Mazda first as it seems just like any normal car and then the Honda to see if I can really dive in head first to EV ownership. It's an important decision as I'll have to live with the car for 3 years, but on motability I don't have to care about insurance costs, residual values etc. I just make sure the car stays clean and damage free so I can get a bonus towards my next one.

There are a lot more to choose from than I realized. Plug in hybrids are available which might be a better steppingstone. The Hyundai IONIQ and Toyota Yaris hybrid look like pretty nice cars. The Vauxhall Mokka has a fantastic battery range

[hedges88]

cj2013 said:

An ICE engine has torque at a specific peak range, though, meaning that you need to build up to it - and it isn't necessarily linear.

An EV has peak torque instantaneously, meaning that the delivery of that torque is instant and has no 'lag' or 'build up', and so should feel far more performant compared to the BMW (although a weight difference may apply).

I'm looking forward to feeling what an electric motor feels like on power delivery, I've seen the YouTube videos and the crazy acceleration of EVs like the Tesla Plaid which is powerful enough to stick loose items in the cabin to the upholstery! My current car is very good on power delivery but ultimately has little power and has to be worked pretty hard, it would be very nice to drive something that feels more effortless. I take it that even low powered ev's must have pretty quick traction control if all their torque can be delivered instantly

[hedges88]

cj2013 said:

I've had a "performance hybrid" before with a Lexus, but drive my first full EV now. These days I enjoy finding efficiency just as much (if not more) than clipping apexes, and so far I've found that in an EV I need only tickle the pedal lightly to make progress, and they 'coast' much better (if you don't have one with obligatory regeneration, that is).

A couple of times I've tried out a bit of heavy throttle and it's more than plenty. I have just under 150bhp in mine, by the raw specs, but there's no direct equivalence to petrol cars (where that sort of figure would align with an n/a 2.0 petrol). It's comparable to a turbocharged engine with no lag, but completely bizarre experience as there's no angry noises coming from the mechanicals. There is a smorgasbord of stability controls, but in a rear-engine, rear wheel drive EV, there's less potential for loss of traction compared to the FWD ones that are just BEV-converted ICE platforms.

0-30 tends to be very quick, then it tails off a little from 30-60, but of course there's no gear changes either. Environmental credentials aside, electric motors are just better at the job.

I too find efficiency rewarding though I imagine it's a damned site more rewarding if you have a low mileage range EV like a Honda E. I didn't think about the layout, I guess the motor and that over the rear wheels is going to give a almost Porsche like tendency for the rear wheels to gain traction. I'm actually impressed it's only two hundred kilos more than my current car which is roughly the same size. I really am looking forward to some test drives now because I would like to feel how it is to drive without everything going through a transmission and all those angry sounding mechanicals you mentioned.