Advice needed: ev/hybrid/petrol family car

[wheezy87]

Hi all.

I currently drive a 15 plate Qashqai and am looking for a change to a hybrid or EV.

Budget is around 20k. Ideally less. I don't do an awful lot of miles but I do have to commute from Edinburgh to Newcastle once a month for work.

Looking for something a similar size to a Qashqai - just not smaller. Can't do a Juke and I found the Mokka too tight. I've got two boys, a tall husband and a large dog.

I visited Arnold Clark today to get an idea of size and ask questions but was told "there are no EV family cars" and felt a bit pied off.

I don't have my heart set on any particular make. Just something reliable

Any advice more than welcome! And if you think I'm better off just going petrol, then say. I'm a bit lost.

Thanks!

[FamousPheasant]

There are loads of ev family cars to pick from in the budget. Evs will make a lot of sense if you can charge from home. You could get a Skoda enyaq comfortably in budget and that should be plenty large enough.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025040309...

Alternatively ( and again you can charge from home) a plug in hybrid can make a lot of sense. Something like a Suzuki across ( a rav 4 in a different skin) will be big enough, will do 40 miles on battery and 500 on petrol. They will do 40 to 50mpg even with a flat battery.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025031903...

The Toyota rav 4 also comes in a "self charging" hybrid version. It will have negligible pure electric range but will do decent fuel consumption. They make sense if you can't charge from home.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025040108...

[Pica-Pica]

Honda or Toyota hybrid. A Honda Jazz is a decent car.

[ZX10R NIN]

EV wise the Ioniq5 73kwh Ultimate is a great family car:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504221...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503180...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502229...

EV6:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504071...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504231...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504111...

Hybrid:

Tucson Ultimate:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504151...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504091...

DS 7:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502108...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501288...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504241...

Grandland:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503120...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504161...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503280...

Kuga ST Line X:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504091...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502048...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503049...

[Pickle_Rick]

If your lifestyle suits an EV, eg you have off-road parking, don't have a 5 gallon bladder and regularly drive 300 miles without stopping or only like to drive at 100mph, then an EV is like going to 4k from an ICE VHS. Once you have one you won't want to go back to faffing around with petrol stations, waiting for the car to defrost or heat up in the morning, and that bmw 320 driver who used to push in front at the traffic lights will soon be a dot in the rear view mirror. RS baiting performance in a car with running costs of a push bike is awesome. Sound systems sound so much better in an EV too as it doesn't have to overcome any droney or clattery ICE engines or vibrations (though granted there are times when you might want to listen to a V8 or v10 soundtrack)

Do it!

Just avoid anything made by stellantis and VW and you won't go wrong.

Some family friendly EVs for under £20k are:

Hyundai ioniq 5
Kia ev6
Polestar 2

If feeling brave you can get a jaguar ipace HSE for under £20k with sensible mileage, one of the best looking EVs imo and the interior is lovely, but youll need an approved warranty (approx £1k a year) and have to deal with JLR dealers. Similarly you might find EQC in budget, but theyre a bit crap and will break on you.

[Back2theFuji]

No family sized EVs?! What a load of nonsense!

Some good suggestions above. A Skoda Enyaq would be a good call, as would an EV6 which feels premium and is nice to look at as well as to drive.

[robertfleckney]

We have a Polestar 2 and three children. Unless you’re carrying a pram/pushchair, it’ll be fine in 99% of situations. We also have a Volvo V70 when we need to carry the dog, got to the tip etc

[wheezy87]

Aw thanks everyone, this has really cheered me up! Felt totally lost but I will absolutely get back to the search now. Maybe unlucky with the dealerships I went to today :shrug:

All the cars mentioned look amazing! I was considering Hyundai, Skoda and KIA before. I guess with a hybrid you might lose bootspace?

We have a driveway so plenty space for a charger. I'll just need to price that in.

[samoht]

Edinburgh to Newcastle is 120 miles (via the A1). Can you charge the car at work?
Almost all EVs will do 120 miles comfortably (especially as it's A-road rather than motorway); however if you want to do 240 miles year round, you'll need to pick one with a longer range. Or you can just accept a ~20 minute charging stop on the way back.

Lots of good suggestions above. For some slightly cheaper options you could look at the Kia e-Niro 64 kWh or VW ID3 / Cupra Born, or the larger ID4. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504181...

If you only need to make a long trip once a month, you may be able to start with a ~£150 three-pin plug charger, and decide with experience when to upgrade to a wired-in one (which will charge the car quicker).

If the range works for you, an EV will be nicer to drive and cheaper to run.

[andy43]

wheezy87 said:

Aw thanks everyone, this has really cheered me up! Felt totally lost but I will absolutely get back to the search now. Maybe unlucky with the dealerships I went to today :shrug:

All the cars mentioned look amazing! I was considering Hyundai, Skoda and KIA before. I guess with a hybrid you might lose bootspace?

We have a driveway so plenty space for a charger. I'll just need to price that in.

Well worth sitting down for an evening with Autotrader and YouTube and working out what looks like it’d work for you, rather than wasting time speaking to GAP and paint protection salesmen.
Another shout for Kia/Hyundai/Toyota here - 7/5/10 year warranties respectively and they all know what they’re doing with hybrid and EV.
Don’t assume you need a 7kw wall charger at great expense either - we’ve run EVs for a decade mostly off a three pin plug.

[66HFM]

wheezy87 said:

Aw thanks everyone, this has really cheered me up! Felt totally lost but I will absolutely get back to the search now. Maybe unlucky with the dealerships I went to today :shrug:

All the cars mentioned look amazing! I was considering Hyundai, Skoda and KIA before. I guess with a hybrid you might lose bootspace?

We have a driveway so plenty space for a charger. I'll just need to price that in.

And that is why you don't got to Arnold Clark....
Maybe they didn't have any particular 'family' EVs in stock, which would surprise me, or the 18 year old didn't know anything about EVs....
How many EV SUVs are there...? Nearly all of them!

[wheezy87]

Hi all,
Just an update to say I finally bought a EV! I ended up going for the Hyundai Ioniq5 and I absolutely love it. Thanks for all your help!

[samoht]

wheezy87 said:

Hi all,
Just an update to say I finally bought a EV! I ended up going for the Hyundai Ioniq5 and I absolutely love it. Thanks for all your help!

Fantastic stuff, really glad you got one and are enjoying it. And thanks for updating the thread with your final decision. Sounds like a really good pick for your needs.

[jamesbilluk]

We have an Ioniq 5 Ultimate, with a 2 year old, and 5 year old, it's been brilliant, more than enough room for everything we can throw at it, very comfortable, range is more than what we need as well.

[ZX10R NIN]

Glad you got sorted OP