2020 Audi E-Tron Sportback
Discussion
So, time to start a thread about this - my first EV.
Like a great many new EV drivers, my position as Director of a limited company (powerfully built, obviously), coupled with the current advantageous BIK arrangements made it a no-brainer to get an EV as my next company car. Leasing/contract hire was sensible to me also for other reasons - tech in this area is fast-moving, and I could see EV's declining in value fast as it does so. Better for me to be able to hand it back, and move on to whatever the latest technical tour-de-force is.
My needs were fairly simple. With two kids under four, I am still in the pram/kitchen sink going everywhere with you mode, so a full four seat family car with sensible Isofix points and a big boot were pivotal. As a long term back pain sufferer, it had to be comfortable. Because of the unwieldiness of our double pram, a hatchback was definitely preferred.
I like SUV shaped cars, and find them eminently practical and comfortable. They are great family holdalls. After two Range Rovers and a Discovery, I don't need to be convinced. Whatever I got had to be able to tow as well, as I pull a horse trailer, a boat trailer and a motorbike trailer - though not at the same time!
When I was looking (summer last year), I quickly established a shortlist. Jag iPace, E-Tron, Tesla Model X, Polestar 2, and Tesla Model 3 (i know it is a saloon with a boot, but it would have been churlish not to consider it). I dismissed the Model S - even though it is a hatchback because I used to manage a small fleet of Teslas - all S's - and the issues with them were many, and worryingly consistent. I also don't like the look of them - which I appreciate is a very personal thing, but it is my view.
The two Tesla's were eliminated first. As I said, I am not keen on Tesla's styling, but a few strings pulled from my old fleet management days enabled me to borrow examples of both for a few days each and actually live with them. The Model X is a bizarre thing in a UK suburban London context. It is enormous - it's width in particular makes width restrictions nerve wracking and parking in multi-storey car parks equally awkward, as it doesn't fit in a standard UK bay. Even if you can get in, you then can't open the doors and get out. The rear doors are splendid theatre, but rule out any kind of roof transportation system. I personally hated the huge screen in the middle of the dashboard, and the quality of construction was laughable for what was, all said and done, a £100K car.
The Model 3 was harder. I really didn't like the duck-billed platypus looks, but the size was much better suited to UK roads and parking spaces. The downside was the letter-box boot opening (stupid - because the boot itself is actually quite decently sized and shaped). I actually found it more comfortable than the X, though again I hated the huge central screen and, unique to the M3, the total lack of any kind of instrumentation ahead of the driver. I actually drove two different M3's - a standard and a Long Range and in both cars the seat adjusters were virtually hanging off and there were myriad rattles around the cabin. This was especially disappointing in the second car, as when I picked it up, it had only covered 442 miles from new.
This narrowed the field. I managed to get onto one of the Polestar test drive days. I had high hopes, but I found it beautifully made, super comfortable, but absolutely completely lacking in any kind of personality at all. It was like driving a washing machine really, albeit a very good one. I liked the looks, and Volvo do fantastic interiors now, but we just didn't gel.
That left Jag and Audi. At the time, contract hire rates were noticeably better on the E-Tron, but then Audi UK announced the brand new Sportback and put some manufacturer support behind the early orders, which made the gap yawning. Whilst I had enjoyed a drive in the Jaguar, the cost difference in monthlies was just too much. I am not normally a fan of fastback SUV's but I actually thought that the Sportback looked good, in a brutish kind of way, and I particularly like the rear "haunches" (and I still do). The Audi had a lovely interior (the Jag has since improved in this area - it needed to), so that swung it. I ticked the boxes for S-Line trim, metallic grey with rotor grey interior (thought that would make each change from black, and don't regret it for a second), Comfort & Sound pack, pan roof, and tow bar. And waited.
The car arrived just before Christmas. I liked it immediately. The driving position is adjustable every which way, and it is impossible not to get comfortable. The seats are excellent. The boot is accommodating and delightfully easy to load. Leg room front and rear is vast. The interior is well designed and beautifully built. It is a joy to drive and has a delicious "waftiness" which is very difficult to describe. Naturally, being an EV it is dead quiet. The air suspension gives an outstanding ride - especially over the speed bumps that seem to be everywhere in south London nowadays. It easy to place on the road and to park.
So, you ask, what about the whole EV thing? Well, I had to wait six weeks for my home charger to be fitted, so was reliant on public charging for that time. Maybe I am lucky, but I have found it painless. There are plenty of chargers on my local driving routes, including a decent number of the faster ones. I have not yet found a charger occupied or broken. Audi supplied a charging card with the car, which was bit of a pickle to set up and register initially, but I only needed to do it the once, and it has £150 credit on it, so all my charges until my wall point was fitted were on Audi - perfect. We will see if my opinion changes when we emerge from lockdown and my work travelling kicks back in, but so far, no complaints about charging or living with an EV.
I will try and keep the thread updated with my experiences as I go along, but for now, thanks for reading.
Like a great many new EV drivers, my position as Director of a limited company (powerfully built, obviously), coupled with the current advantageous BIK arrangements made it a no-brainer to get an EV as my next company car. Leasing/contract hire was sensible to me also for other reasons - tech in this area is fast-moving, and I could see EV's declining in value fast as it does so. Better for me to be able to hand it back, and move on to whatever the latest technical tour-de-force is.
My needs were fairly simple. With two kids under four, I am still in the pram/kitchen sink going everywhere with you mode, so a full four seat family car with sensible Isofix points and a big boot were pivotal. As a long term back pain sufferer, it had to be comfortable. Because of the unwieldiness of our double pram, a hatchback was definitely preferred.
I like SUV shaped cars, and find them eminently practical and comfortable. They are great family holdalls. After two Range Rovers and a Discovery, I don't need to be convinced. Whatever I got had to be able to tow as well, as I pull a horse trailer, a boat trailer and a motorbike trailer - though not at the same time!
When I was looking (summer last year), I quickly established a shortlist. Jag iPace, E-Tron, Tesla Model X, Polestar 2, and Tesla Model 3 (i know it is a saloon with a boot, but it would have been churlish not to consider it). I dismissed the Model S - even though it is a hatchback because I used to manage a small fleet of Teslas - all S's - and the issues with them were many, and worryingly consistent. I also don't like the look of them - which I appreciate is a very personal thing, but it is my view.
The two Tesla's were eliminated first. As I said, I am not keen on Tesla's styling, but a few strings pulled from my old fleet management days enabled me to borrow examples of both for a few days each and actually live with them. The Model X is a bizarre thing in a UK suburban London context. It is enormous - it's width in particular makes width restrictions nerve wracking and parking in multi-storey car parks equally awkward, as it doesn't fit in a standard UK bay. Even if you can get in, you then can't open the doors and get out. The rear doors are splendid theatre, but rule out any kind of roof transportation system. I personally hated the huge screen in the middle of the dashboard, and the quality of construction was laughable for what was, all said and done, a £100K car.
The Model 3 was harder. I really didn't like the duck-billed platypus looks, but the size was much better suited to UK roads and parking spaces. The downside was the letter-box boot opening (stupid - because the boot itself is actually quite decently sized and shaped). I actually found it more comfortable than the X, though again I hated the huge central screen and, unique to the M3, the total lack of any kind of instrumentation ahead of the driver. I actually drove two different M3's - a standard and a Long Range and in both cars the seat adjusters were virtually hanging off and there were myriad rattles around the cabin. This was especially disappointing in the second car, as when I picked it up, it had only covered 442 miles from new.
This narrowed the field. I managed to get onto one of the Polestar test drive days. I had high hopes, but I found it beautifully made, super comfortable, but absolutely completely lacking in any kind of personality at all. It was like driving a washing machine really, albeit a very good one. I liked the looks, and Volvo do fantastic interiors now, but we just didn't gel.
That left Jag and Audi. At the time, contract hire rates were noticeably better on the E-Tron, but then Audi UK announced the brand new Sportback and put some manufacturer support behind the early orders, which made the gap yawning. Whilst I had enjoyed a drive in the Jaguar, the cost difference in monthlies was just too much. I am not normally a fan of fastback SUV's but I actually thought that the Sportback looked good, in a brutish kind of way, and I particularly like the rear "haunches" (and I still do). The Audi had a lovely interior (the Jag has since improved in this area - it needed to), so that swung it. I ticked the boxes for S-Line trim, metallic grey with rotor grey interior (thought that would make each change from black, and don't regret it for a second), Comfort & Sound pack, pan roof, and tow bar. And waited.
The car arrived just before Christmas. I liked it immediately. The driving position is adjustable every which way, and it is impossible not to get comfortable. The seats are excellent. The boot is accommodating and delightfully easy to load. Leg room front and rear is vast. The interior is well designed and beautifully built. It is a joy to drive and has a delicious "waftiness" which is very difficult to describe. Naturally, being an EV it is dead quiet. The air suspension gives an outstanding ride - especially over the speed bumps that seem to be everywhere in south London nowadays. It easy to place on the road and to park.
So, you ask, what about the whole EV thing? Well, I had to wait six weeks for my home charger to be fitted, so was reliant on public charging for that time. Maybe I am lucky, but I have found it painless. There are plenty of chargers on my local driving routes, including a decent number of the faster ones. I have not yet found a charger occupied or broken. Audi supplied a charging card with the car, which was bit of a pickle to set up and register initially, but I only needed to do it the once, and it has £150 credit on it, so all my charges until my wall point was fitted were on Audi - perfect. We will see if my opinion changes when we emerge from lockdown and my work travelling kicks back in, but so far, no complaints about charging or living with an EV.
I will try and keep the thread updated with my experiences as I go along, but for now, thanks for reading.
You didn’t opt for the camera wing mirrors then, I think it would take me a while to get used to them.
Nice car though, it sounds like it makes sense having one, leasing through your company. For me at the moment EVs don’t make sense, due to cost and range. The new VW ID3 is getting there but real world range is still only 200 miles, that’s not enough for my trips.
Nice car though, it sounds like it makes sense having one, leasing through your company. For me at the moment EVs don’t make sense, due to cost and range. The new VW ID3 is getting there but real world range is still only 200 miles, that’s not enough for my trips.
Following with interest.. We are in a similar position and looking to change our Discovery Sport. I'm tempted by something EV for the tax benefits, but we need something at least the same size.
We have a baby, and a big golden retriever. So family days out mean dog and pram in the boot, all the other gubbins on the back seats.
I'm just not convinced the Etron would quite be big enough boot wise? It's probably top of our list looks wise
We have a baby, and a big golden retriever. So family days out mean dog and pram in the boot, all the other gubbins on the back seats.
I'm just not convinced the Etron would quite be big enough boot wise? It's probably top of our list looks wise
So, here we are, seven months on and a lowly 1,800 miles on the odometer. Nonetheless time for an update as I have been living with the car for a while now, and have also done a few longer trips.
Any appraisal of a EV has to assess it first as a car, and then as an EV. As a car the E-Tron is brilliant. For me, it is the right size - big enough without being too big. The boot is accommodating and the interior very comfortable and well laid out. Materials and finish are high-quality and are everything that the Tesla's I tried were not. As a family holdall it works effortlessly.
It is also up there with the most comfortable cars I have ever driven, or been in. The standard air suspension, coupled with the weight of the thing, gives a fantastic ride quality, which on crappy suburban roads is much appreciated. High speed ride and stability are imperious, and the near silence makes for a very calming, relaxing drive.
So, what of the EV bit? Well, in truth it's a bit of a non-event really. I have a wall point at home and have settled into a routine where I charge it about every eight days, unless I am undretaking a longer trip - in which case I charge it the night before. It charges happily overnight, and the electricity bill doesn't seem to have gone crazy - though I am not on a particularly EV-friendly tariff.
I have done seevral quite long trips now with my work and, as others have said, you do need to plan ahead. I now have built up a mental knowledge of convenient fast charger locations on my various regular routes, and the E-Tron certainly charges fast. I have yet to encounter a broken or occupied charger that didn't say it was thus on the App. I have found ZapMap to be the least up to date, and the Audi App to be the best in that regard, though Plugsurf also seems well updated. The need to charge can be an irritant if you do not build it into your timing calculations, but this is part and parcel of the comprmise involved in running any EV. The knack is, as I said, to plan it into your schedule. The Audi charges fast, so I can plug in at Ionity at Chippenham for example, and in the time taken to walk to the facilities, use them and come back to the car with a cuppa, it will have added around 40-45% to the range. It really is not that painful, when you get it right. The worst case so far involved me sitting doing some emails for an hour or so, which saved time when I got home anyway.
Range has varied from about 160 miles in the depths of winter (with no pre-conditioning at all) to a best so far of 228 miles (I could have gone further, but I arrived home at that point). Some folk over on the EV section slate the E-Tron for being inefficient, but I have nothing to compare it with and it works fine for me.
So, overall a very positive experience so far. If you are in the market for an EV, and need a larger family vehicle you could do far worse, and you will go a long way to find a more comfortable car of any sort.
Any appraisal of a EV has to assess it first as a car, and then as an EV. As a car the E-Tron is brilliant. For me, it is the right size - big enough without being too big. The boot is accommodating and the interior very comfortable and well laid out. Materials and finish are high-quality and are everything that the Tesla's I tried were not. As a family holdall it works effortlessly.
It is also up there with the most comfortable cars I have ever driven, or been in. The standard air suspension, coupled with the weight of the thing, gives a fantastic ride quality, which on crappy suburban roads is much appreciated. High speed ride and stability are imperious, and the near silence makes for a very calming, relaxing drive.
So, what of the EV bit? Well, in truth it's a bit of a non-event really. I have a wall point at home and have settled into a routine where I charge it about every eight days, unless I am undretaking a longer trip - in which case I charge it the night before. It charges happily overnight, and the electricity bill doesn't seem to have gone crazy - though I am not on a particularly EV-friendly tariff.
I have done seevral quite long trips now with my work and, as others have said, you do need to plan ahead. I now have built up a mental knowledge of convenient fast charger locations on my various regular routes, and the E-Tron certainly charges fast. I have yet to encounter a broken or occupied charger that didn't say it was thus on the App. I have found ZapMap to be the least up to date, and the Audi App to be the best in that regard, though Plugsurf also seems well updated. The need to charge can be an irritant if you do not build it into your timing calculations, but this is part and parcel of the comprmise involved in running any EV. The knack is, as I said, to plan it into your schedule. The Audi charges fast, so I can plug in at Ionity at Chippenham for example, and in the time taken to walk to the facilities, use them and come back to the car with a cuppa, it will have added around 40-45% to the range. It really is not that painful, when you get it right. The worst case so far involved me sitting doing some emails for an hour or so, which saved time when I got home anyway.
Range has varied from about 160 miles in the depths of winter (with no pre-conditioning at all) to a best so far of 228 miles (I could have gone further, but I arrived home at that point). Some folk over on the EV section slate the E-Tron for being inefficient, but I have nothing to compare it with and it works fine for me.
So, overall a very positive experience so far. If you are in the market for an EV, and need a larger family vehicle you could do far worse, and you will go a long way to find a more comfortable car of any sort.
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