New car time - thinking EV
Discussion
I’m in the market for my next car. I have a Z4 for weekends etc and a 9-3 Aero for doing everything else - and she's currently up for sale. I've had the Z4 for 7 years and while it's been a great car I think I've done the 2 car thing for now.
At the moment I cover less than 5000 miles a year, mostly short journeys but the occasional long one, so was leaning towards an EV as the engines on my ICE cars don’t always get fully warmed up which won’t do them much good when it’s day in day out.
I know my mileage means I shouldn’t take fuel costs into account and perhaps I should go for the V8 I’ve always wanted, but at the end of the day an XFR would be £750/year tax and may be difficult to move on once I’ve had enough!
Budget £15-20K with wriggle room at the top end. Because it will be sat on my drive the majority of the week, the lower end is better but I am open to spending a bit more. We have a teenage son so 4+ seats are essential, 5 doors desirable (he seemed happy being folded into the back of a friend's C-class coupe despite being 6 foot tall so not a deal breaker).
EV shortlist at the moment is as follows. I have checked out insurance already and no concerns there.
- Ioniq 5 - was a passenger in my BIL’s over the last week and it was a nice place to be
- Tesla Model 3 (Performance or Long Range) - seem to offer the best bang for buck, regardless of Musk’s politics
- Tesla Model S - probably 2017-18 in my price range, are these getting a bit long in the tooth now though?
- Cupar Born (infotainment has put me off but haven’t seen it in person)
- Polestar 2
Hoping to test drive at least the Model 3, Polestar and Born in the next few days. Am I missing any that I haven't thought of?
Finally I know an EV isn't very PH'y but I think for now it would fit my usage perfectly. If the Z4 does go I think I'll still get a second petrol car again at some point.
At the moment I cover less than 5000 miles a year, mostly short journeys but the occasional long one, so was leaning towards an EV as the engines on my ICE cars don’t always get fully warmed up which won’t do them much good when it’s day in day out.
I know my mileage means I shouldn’t take fuel costs into account and perhaps I should go for the V8 I’ve always wanted, but at the end of the day an XFR would be £750/year tax and may be difficult to move on once I’ve had enough!
Budget £15-20K with wriggle room at the top end. Because it will be sat on my drive the majority of the week, the lower end is better but I am open to spending a bit more. We have a teenage son so 4+ seats are essential, 5 doors desirable (he seemed happy being folded into the back of a friend's C-class coupe despite being 6 foot tall so not a deal breaker).
EV shortlist at the moment is as follows. I have checked out insurance already and no concerns there.
- Ioniq 5 - was a passenger in my BIL’s over the last week and it was a nice place to be
- Tesla Model 3 (Performance or Long Range) - seem to offer the best bang for buck, regardless of Musk’s politics
- Tesla Model S - probably 2017-18 in my price range, are these getting a bit long in the tooth now though?
- Cupar Born (infotainment has put me off but haven’t seen it in person)
- Polestar 2
Hoping to test drive at least the Model 3, Polestar and Born in the next few days. Am I missing any that I haven't thought of?
Finally I know an EV isn't very PH'y but I think for now it would fit my usage perfectly. If the Z4 does go I think I'll still get a second petrol car again at some point.
Edited by ajguk on Monday 11th August 13:14
Edited by ajguk on Monday 11th August 13:15
I've been running a 2016 Model S for over a year now and really like it.
75D seems to be the sweet spot for these by consensus - no large drive unit, which can have issues with leaking coolant - and the years that you're looking at should have the updated media package (MCU2).
It's a big car, but then most seem to be these days.
75D seems to be the sweet spot for these by consensus - no large drive unit, which can have issues with leaking coolant - and the years that you're looking at should have the updated media package (MCU2).
It's a big car, but then most seem to be these days.
I recently bought a Polestar 2 LRDM (71 plate). I enjoy driving it and the range seems good for my needs. Probably the only downside is that the ride is not very comfortable on some of our poor road surfaces. I'd suggest checking the room in the rear seat as its not huge. We did a road trip to Vienna in it last month and the google sat nav was excellent at finding chargers as needed. Overall I'd recommend it.
If you're feeling brave you could consider an I-Pace - big, fast, cheap - but some owners have been waiting months & months for Jag to sort out their failing batteries.
If you're feeling brave you could consider an I-Pace - big, fast, cheap - but some owners have been waiting months & months for Jag to sort out their failing batteries.
smn159 said:
I've been running a 2016 Model S for over a year now and really like it.
75D seems to be the sweet spot for these by consensus - no large drive unit, which can have issues with leaking coolant - and the years that you're looking at should have the updated media package (MCU2).
It's a big car, but then most seem to be these days.
Thanks for the tip on those....this one is quite close and may be worth a look. There is just the concern of the battery warranty being done at 8 years old.75D seems to be the sweet spot for these by consensus - no large drive unit, which can have issues with leaking coolant - and the years that you're looking at should have the updated media package (MCU2).
It's a big car, but then most seem to be these days.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508035...
Edited by ajguk on Monday 11th August 17:45
samoht said:
I recently bought a Polestar 2 LRDM (71 plate). I enjoy driving it and the range seems good for my needs. Probably the only downside is that the ride is not very comfortable on some of our poor road surfaces. I'd suggest checking the room in the rear seat as its not huge. We did a road trip to Vienna in it last month and the google sat nav was excellent at finding chargers as needed. Overall I'd recommend it.
If you're feeling brave you could consider an I-Pace - big, fast, cheap - but some owners have been waiting months & months for Jag to sort out their failing batteries.
Cheers - Polestar 2 is now firmly on the list. The Jag's are nice but would worry me a little too much. I think any of these are some kind of gamble but if I can minimise that a bit I will.If you're feeling brave you could consider an I-Pace - big, fast, cheap - but some owners have been waiting months & months for Jag to sort out their failing batteries.
Maybe slightly left-field but you could look at a BMW i3s. I had mine for four years and it was a fabulous fun car to have.
I'm 6'6" and we routinely had four 6ft adults in the car, it's a proper Tardis.
Looks are a bit marmite, so that's up to you of course.
On the other side, I now have an Ioniq 5, which is totally different to the I3s, but is very comfy and capable, although if you're not doing very many long journeys, it may be a bit overkill.
I'm 6'6" and we routinely had four 6ft adults in the car, it's a proper Tardis.
Looks are a bit marmite, so that's up to you of course.
On the other side, I now have an Ioniq 5, which is totally different to the I3s, but is very comfy and capable, although if you're not doing very many long journeys, it may be a bit overkill.
Big Nanas said:
Maybe slightly left-field but you could look at a BMW i3s. I had mine for four years and it was a fabulous fun car to have.
I'm 6'6" and we routinely had four 6ft adults in the car, it's a proper Tardis.
Looks are a bit marmite, so that's up to you of course.
On the other side, I now have an Ioniq 5, which is totally different to the I3s, but is very comfy and capable, although if you're not doing very many long journeys, it may be a bit overkill.
Funnily enough a good friend of mine has an i3 and is a bit of an evangelist, so on that basis I ruled it out I'm 6'6" and we routinely had four 6ft adults in the car, it's a proper Tardis.
Looks are a bit marmite, so that's up to you of course.
On the other side, I now have an Ioniq 5, which is totally different to the I3s, but is very comfy and capable, although if you're not doing very many long journeys, it may be a bit overkill.
however his isn't the S.....being perfectly honest, that or the Honda E would probably be the ideal size, I just 'want' something a little bigger (we were just in Amsterdam and went past a Nio showroom. They had what looked like a rebadged Honda E and the Mrs loved it. It did look pretty cool). I also have a mountain bike I sometimes chuck in the back (fits easily in the Saab with the front wheel off) so whatever I get would preferably need to be suitable for this too.ajguk said:
Big Nanas said:
Maybe slightly left-field but you could look at a BMW i3s. I had mine for four years and it was a fabulous fun car to have.
I'm 6'6" and we routinely had four 6ft adults in the car, it's a proper Tardis.
Looks are a bit marmite, so that's up to you of course.
On the other side, I now have an Ioniq 5, which is totally different to the I3s, but is very comfy and capable, although if you're not doing very many long journeys, it may be a bit overkill.
Funnily enough a good friend of mine has an i3 and is a bit of an evangelist, so on that basis I ruled it out I'm 6'6" and we routinely had four 6ft adults in the car, it's a proper Tardis.
Looks are a bit marmite, so that's up to you of course.
On the other side, I now have an Ioniq 5, which is totally different to the I3s, but is very comfy and capable, although if you're not doing very many long journeys, it may be a bit overkill.
however his isn't the S.....being perfectly honest, that or the Honda E would probably be the ideal size, I just 'want' something a little bigger (we were just in Amsterdam and went past a Nio showroom. They had what looked like a rebadged Honda E and the Mrs loved it. It did look pretty cool). I also have a mountain bike I sometimes chuck in the back (fits easily in the Saab with the front wheel off) so whatever I get would preferably need to be suitable for this too.You can get that stupidly fast MG4 for your budget now.
Not saying you should but its there!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025081053...
Not saying you should but its there!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025081053...
I chickened out of the Jag too ;-) reliability concerns & rather wide.
ajguk said:
I also have a mountain bike I sometimes chuck in the back (fits easily in the Saab with the front wheel off) so whatever I get would preferably need to be suitable for this too.
Do be aware that the Model 3 is a 4 door saloon, not a 5 door hatch. Although front wheel off may work.samoht said:
Do be aware that the Model 3 is a 4 door saloon, not a 5 door hatch. Although front wheel off may work.
Yes I've done a bit of research and wheel off should go in. The Saab is also a saloon although I suspect a wider boot opening. A rack wouldn't be the end of the world, it's just a bonus if it fits. ajguk said:
samoht said:
Do be aware that the Model 3 is a 4 door saloon, not a 5 door hatch. Although front wheel off may work.
Yes I've done a bit of research and wheel off should go in. The Saab is also a saloon although I suspect a wider boot opening. A rack wouldn't be the end of the world, it's just a bonus if it fits. Re Tesla, is the Model Y in budget? That's a hatchback and has a very large boot.
Over over under steer said:
Another vote for an i3S, get a 2021 or later. I was skeptics when we got ours three years ago, first EV, but it’s the best car I’ve ever owned
They are tempting. Why would you recommend a 2021 onwards? And do you feel like you are sat 'on' them rather than 'in' them? It's been a while since I've sat in my mate's one....his is an earlier one with the range extender.Also, most of them seem to be cloth interior - is there a certain trim level to look out for (for the leather) or is it just optioned? Thanks in advance!
Big Nanas said:
I missed the requirement for the bike, but the i3s with seats down, does have a very capacious boot. (Im a wheelchair user, so this is important to me).
Re Tesla, is the Model Y in budget? That's a hatchback and has a very large boot.
They're on the pricier end and tbh if it was between one or a 3 I'd go for the 3, I'm not a fan of the taller shape.Re Tesla, is the Model Y in budget? That's a hatchback and has a very large boot.
Model S and Model 3 are very different to drive. The S is a huge, wafting cruiser barge, while the 3 feels much more nimble and direct. Think BMW 3 series vs 7 series in character. The S has the advantage of the world’s largest tailgate, but you can carry a bike in the Model 3 without too much hassle. With the back seats folded down, there is plenty of room to slide a bike in. I’ve done it myself many times. Infotainment UI is much better on the Model 3, although it’s years since I drove a Model S.
ajguk said:
They are tempting. Why would you recommend a 2021 onwards? And do you feel like you are sat 'on' them rather than 'in' them? It's been a while since I've sat in my mate's one....his is an earlier one with the range extender.
Also, most of them seem to be cloth interior - is there a certain trim level to look out for (for the leather) or is it just optioned? Thanks in advance!
Larger 42kWh battery from c.2020 I think. Also earlier cars have had some expensive failures, later models are better I think.Also, most of them seem to be cloth interior - is there a certain trim level to look out for (for the leather) or is it just optioned? Thanks in advance!
Look for "Suite" interior for leather.
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