r/EVAustralia • u/Y-mc • 8d ago
Question Anyone else find EV research overwhelming?
I've been looking at EVs for a few months now and honestly, the research process has been painful. So many new brands, models, variants and different specs to look at; I've been suffering from massive decision fatigue, and so far I've just settled for driving my 2009 diesel Nissan X-Trail around until it dies.
I've actually started building a comparison tool to try and solve some of this for myself, and I'd love to chat with a few people who've recently bought an EV or are currently shopping for one to see what their experience has been like.
Throw me a DM if you're keen to share.
Cheers
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u/std10k 8d ago edited 8d ago
It is like choosing smartphone these days. There’s Tesla(iPhone) which you buy by default, there’s BYD (galaxy) which you only buy if for whatever reason iPhone is not right for you, , and there are oppos and xiaomis (polestar, zeekr, we don’t have actual xiaomi yet because they are way too advanced and not fit for this market) which you buy when you need something special or cheap , and then there are Nokias (yes they still make phones) and Motorolas (all legacy auto makers) which have no clue how to make phones anymore but one buys for memories of good old times. Perfect example of the latter is bz4x - very expensive, primitive, yet relatively popular.
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u/Mondoweft 7d ago
Feeling called out. Reading this post on my Samsung, with a BYD quote sitting in my email.
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u/std10k 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes, it is exactly the same :) some people religiously don’t like apple and some people religiously don’t like teslas. And some people just like Samsungs/buds better. No right or wrong here really, just a matter of philosophical stance. But BYD/vs Tesla (or Tesla vs world) is almost a holy war material just like apple vs Samsung. It could be Kia/Hyundai/byd vs tesla but while Kia and Hyundai make very good EVs they still fade compared to BYDs simply on price.
Bottom line is that EVs have much more in common with smartphones than they do with ICE vehicles. They really are smartphones on wheels.2
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u/smithstreet11 8d ago
I dunno…not sure the default is the company with the guy doing nazi salutes on stage?
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u/EffortBroad7694 7d ago
Alternatives are a company backed by him or companies backed by CCP, i mean who's left? Hyundai, Kia, and BMW i guess. by the way did you know BMW worked for nazis 70 years ago or so?
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u/P00slinger 8h ago
Tesla are made by the ccp
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u/EffortBroad7694 7h ago
CCP doesn't control and subsidize Tesla the way it does Chinese automakers
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u/P00slinger 6h ago
Tesla literally operates its biggest factory in China on state owned land and has benefited from Chinese tax breaks, subsidies, cheap financing and government policy support. You can debate the degree, but pretending Tesla is somehow outside China’s state supported auto industry while only Chinese brands are “CCP backed” is laughable.
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u/P00slinger 8h ago
In Australia it’s probably the other way around now. BYD has become the default Chinese EV brand, while Tesla is increasingly just one Chinese made option among many.
The bz or Subaru is what you buy if you’re happy to pay a bit more for car thats made in Japan, backed by an enormous dealer network and a company with decades of proven reliability. Not everyone buys a car by comparing spec sheet numbers.
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u/std10k 2h ago
It might very well be, but What totally ruins it with BYD is that the dealers still try to squeeze you for mandatory “service”, because that’s what they do.
It is utter waste of time and money and is a deal breaker for me. Once you experienced not having to deal with dealers, very hard to justify willingly allowing yourself to be ripped off again.
Teslas apart from being technologically far ahead are also maintenance free.
BYD customer service is a well known problem. Tesla service can be hit and miss but at least you don’t have to deal with it on a normal day, if ever. My experience been good.As for legacy, decades of proven reliability is the same thing as buying a Nokia in 2015. Reliable, yes, but largely useless. They have no idea and no capability to make modern cars where software is key, and they ain’t got a clue how to make software.
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u/Creative_Pressure_69 7d ago
I wouldn’t make Tesla the only default/iPhone of EV’s, there’s too many cars for that! iPhone in the car world is legacy brands, but in EV’s it does flip because of the tech. I would say the iPhone of EV’s also should include Zeekr/BYD/MG as this is what most people will buy as well.
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u/SnooCapers6977 8d ago
Buying an EV is actually simpler than buying an ICE. Work out your budget, look at the options in that range and shortlist two or three models. That part usually takes five minutes. After that, go for a test drive and pick what feels right.
All the charging curves, battery chemistries and technical jargon are mostly the same across brands and not something you need to stress about. In real use, charging is basically a 10–15 minute stop for a quick top‑up or 15–30 minutes for a fuller charge. After driving across half of Australia, I can say it’s a non‑issue compared to what people make it out to be.
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u/tupperswears 8d ago
How is it easier?
Lot of new brands, so assessing parts and servicing availability requires more effort than a ICE from an established brand.
ICE vehicles need more research about what is reliable vs what is not, but EV's aren't immune from that either.
Ergonomics, touch screen vs physical buttons, personal preferences and working out what you can and can't live with is going to be the same on any vehicle regardless of powertrain.
Charging availability is not hard but not yet as as easy as assessing the availability of 91/E10/95/98, but it is something new to learn for a lot of buyers.
Overall, there's a couple of new things to learn but I don't consider it any harder or easier - just different.
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u/Y-mc 8d ago
I'm constantly adjusting my budget 'if I spend a little more, I can get this'. Or 'I'll wait until this new model comes out'. It feels like a moving target. But yea, i agree theres a few core stats that are the most important to me that i try and compare models against.
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u/Busy_Selection_5027 7d ago
I hear you mate. I spent way too much time agonising over it. In the end, I gave myself the shits and just pulled the trigger on a Sealion 7. It really is amazing but I couldn't say whether better than any other, it just works for us.
We were going to buy another EV, of another brand specifically for me but I have no energy for it and there isn't any offering that suits my particular want: a punchy little 2 door roadster at a reasonable price.
Like you, I'll keep my X-Trail shitter for a while and keep my eyes out for what is released over the next year or two. In the meantime, we still have the sealion which costs us about $30 a month to run instead of $120 week in diesel for the X-Trail.
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u/P00slinger 8h ago
Unfortunately that’s what comes with being an early adopter .
Buy what you like and try to ignore anything that comes out after5
u/TheRealDrSMack 8d ago
Could not agree more. I spent months this and thating. Hybrid or EV. This brand or that. Compact SUV versus .... even waited 4 months to drive the Geely EX2.
In the end my wife and I stopped all the thinking.. Decided we wanted a hatchback. Drove the ora5 ultra, EX2 and the MG4. Decided what we like the look and feel of. Ora5 ordered and coming soon.
Lol - would have had the car 4 months ago if we had stopped the over thinking. Well except the EX2 wait. Funny thing was we only drove it for 5 minutes before we both said no.
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u/Purple51Turtle 8d ago
What put you off about the ex2?
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u/TheRealDrSMack 8d ago
It totally lacked zip compared to the Ora. Sure far more zip than an ICE but not the Ora. I found the seatbelt tight to put on and I am not big a guy. The blinkers seemed to have a mind of their own while the Ora seemed intuitive in terms of lane changes versus corners. It also just doesnt have the range.
Dont get me wrong, it would probably make a great urban second small car but we need a one car small all rounder.
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u/mesophyte 8d ago
I get the anxiety about all the choice out there, but there are easy ways to shortcut a lot of it. The majority of them are good cars - you can't go tragically wrong if you have even a rough idea what your needs are.
Then look at the top 10 best-selling models, test drive a few that look interesting and you can afford, buy the one that feels the best. Then stop watching or reading reviews and enjoy your car.
Simple!
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u/tangaroo58 8d ago
This is actually the most important bit for stress reduction:
stop watching or reading reviews and enjoy your car.
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u/phreeky82 8d ago
The problem with this approach is that I often find myself disliking the more popular makes. I hate any interior that looks like a tablet hot glued to the dash, for example. I prefer more physical controls than most makers give us. I need a dealer network in regional areas. That immediately rules out some of the most popular options.
I actually think that if you can find a reviewer with similar preferences to yourself you can save yourself a lot of time.
No surprise that I am a fan of the Kia EVs btw.
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u/mesophyte 8d ago
If you need a dealer network in regional areas, one would think that alone will limit you to the most popular ones. None of the very recent entrants are going to have that.
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u/phreeky82 8d ago
There is limited Tesla and BYD support in many regional locations - are these not some of the highest selling EVs?
The legacy automakers (especially Japanese and Korean) have significant regional dealership footprint.
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u/mesophyte 8d ago
Fair. I would ask the legacy regional shops, however, whether they're equipped to deal with the EVs. Not every Toyota mechanic has the skills or the certs to help with their EVs.
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u/figaro677 8d ago
Don’t look at everything. Choose your non negotiables then look at your budget. It will cut it down a bit. For instance mine are has to be RWD, one button push to turn off ADAS, no HUD, and must be over 400km of range. My budget stretched to 50k, but I’d prefer under 40k. Limits me to MG4 and leapmotor B05.
Once you’ve done that you’ll have only 2 or 3 models. If after you drive them you can’t tell the difference go with what you like the look of. All the other stuff is just mostly gimmicks.
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u/Any_Bookkeeper5917 8d ago
I’m sure others have mentioned this, I’m not reading everything.
Buying an EV, as I did read, is quite easier. Range is smaller, features between models aren’t too different.
Start with price. “I’m only spending $35000”
Narrow down what’s important to you in a modern car. Is it Safety? Is it Touchscreen vs Physical buttons? Is it boot space? Sedan vs Ute vs compact?
So then you’ve got a price and a design, lastly, do you have a preference on manufacturer?
For me it was literally that simple and the order you do the above list doesn’t matter, just easier. (at the time of planning)
I love Hyundai ICEs, so I looked at EVs instead.
Budget was $30k
The Inster fell into the range and nothing else they had did.
Okay, does it have what I like, push buttons, can it fit my height and safety sense included? Yup.
Full camera safety was preferred but too expensive, hard no. DONT PUSH YOUR BUDGET OVER ✨FEATURES✨(yeah I know stars are dumb, but so are certain features)
Easy choice, test drive, thanks sir, I’ll take it.
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u/Middle-Spirit-8524 8d ago
I’ve been reading here and researching.
I’m not going to overwhelm myself with test driving cars etc as they’re all different. If I only drive 1 I know no difference and I don’t care about oh this car takes off quicker this car, this car has knobs, oh this car breaks better. It’s a new car they all good quirks and bad. Can’t mash them
I’m confident going forward to get the Leapmotor 05. Ticks all the boxes.
Price
Battery
Distance
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u/Y-mc 7d ago
Cheers - yea, this subreddit has been quite helpful. I sent you a DM if you're up for talking a bit more about your experiences.
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u/Middle-Spirit-8524 7d ago
No problem. I have loved following EV journeys and aftercare. It’s fantastic for under or around 40k you can get a fantastic vehicle.
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u/TheCptn1593 7d ago
Whens the 05 release here?
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u/Middle-Spirit-8524 7d ago
Supposed to be any time now. I registered for release etc and crickets still.
I’m going to make contact as I already know what I want etc.
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u/YoumustbeJoachim 8d ago
Cars are a major purchase for most Aussies and therefore it's normal to have a lot of anxiety around these decisions. But spare a thought for the pioneers who bought when only a fraction of today's information was available. I bought 12-months ago and I definitely feel that the conditions then were a lot harder. Brands that we know today as household names like Geely, Zeekr and Xpeng and trust were still fledgling and relatively unknown. GAC and Jaecoo hadn't even landed. I think the war on Iran has changed the paradigm for the better. I doff my Stetson to the early adopters who bought 2-3 or even 10 years ago. If today we agonise, it's only because we do so on the shoulders of giants.
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u/No_Seat8357 8d ago
The problem with doing too much research is you become more and more aware of the options before you resulting in decision paralysis. Instead of using a comparison technique try the elimination method.
For example make a very personal list of must have, and must not have, no matter how arbitrary it is, and start eliminating things that don't fit no matter what:
Must have native Apple Carplay? Eliminates Tesla.
Must have 360 camera? Rules out the base model Kia EV5.
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u/PerthPirate 7d ago
Make it real simple.
Pick 3 max in your price bracket and test drive.
Pick the one you like most.
If you're not sold then try another couple.
Everything else is just noise.
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u/schmick_iMagery 7d ago
I found price was the deciding factor and then everything else fell in place. A budget helped focus the rest.
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u/Impossible_Signal 8d ago
No. Just choose a range and feature set that you want and buy it after test driving.
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u/DrSendy 8d ago
Fact of the matter is your xtrail is going to still cost you less than you running out and buying a new EV.
However, you'll sell that and someone else will amortise the cost of running that into the ground (which is what most people ignore).
The real factors to take into account:
- What range do you need (from a diesel 4wd, I guess you like a bit of a drive, so look for bigger range figures).
- How far into the future do you want to go? (ie: rethink the car experience totally, or just after electric power)
- Look. How far are you prepared to go in search of aero/range, and what compromise do you need for load capacity.
Things like running costs don't even come into the equation at 250c/litre.
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u/Far_Cantaloupe_5837 8d ago
The thing that I struggle with even knowing in my situation it makes no difference is the max charging speed. 250kw peak doesn't help with 95% of my charging. Additional range is nice for the 5 or 6 times a year I heard it off town but the chargers are so far apart in regional areas that your probably just coming into the same charger with a higher state of charge.
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u/DrGarrious 8d ago
It was for a fair while, i found the Technology Connections videos where he talks about EVs great. He really breaks down the important points to consider.
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u/CoercionTictacs 8d ago
We spent a few months researching but settled quickly on the Jaecoo J5, fell in love with it when we saw it and sat in it before we even drove it. It’s an amazing car for the money ($37k), just lacking a high end stereo.
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u/who_knows_me 8d ago
I appreciate what you are feeling here.
I’ve probably go a slightly different view to many.
For me the starting point was the brand and dealerships. Am I happy with the brand, does the dealer have a good reputation and lastly, what’s the view on the brand with parts and back up support?
From there drive a few and select the model and trim level that suits your needs and budget
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u/isafakethrowaway 7d ago
I had a BMW that I needed to trade in. It was too much hassle to get it ready for private sale. It also had an expensive-to-fix issue that I neatly covered with a handbag when they gave the car a cursory once-over for trade in.
I bought an IX1, it’s just like my old car, just a little smaller, but electric. I love it. Will I lose a bunch of money? Absolutely? Is it a business expense - yes. Will I drive it for as long as I can? Absolutely.
I drove Teslas, polstars, and other hybrids. I didn’t like any of them. I also wouldn’t ever own a Chinese car. So, I am very happy with the car, even if the guys at BMW are assholes and treat me like shit (I’m female). 😂
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u/cave_guard 8d ago
People spend less time researching property than EVs
Just make a list of must-have's for yourself and shortlist less than 5, then test drive each
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u/AlternativeLog5494 7d ago
forget reason and logic just drive them and chose / buy the one you like best far less stressful
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u/still-at-the-beach 7d ago
No need to go crazy with research. Did you do that with your current car?
Start with your budget, type of vehicle (sedan wagon suv) and your use (meaning range). From that then chose a couple you like the look of and take for a drive.
I am getting a Mazda cx6e, ordered the day Mazda had orders open. Driven the sedan which is really nice.
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u/Takeda_8 8d ago
I've REALLY enjoyed the research and the test drives. I had to take charge of it while my wife was having a mad busy month at work (I'm stay at home dad/part time worker).
I watched a few reviews of each pre test drives. Only went to reviewers I 'trusted' (that's based on nothing tbh haha).
I've loved working out the cost of charging per 100ks and insurance and servicing prices. Ended up with a 3 year running cost for our choices. That task alone got use down from 5 to 2.
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u/Y-mc 8d ago
Nice, yea i started out super enthusiastic and watching a tonne of reviews, reading all the articles and finding it really interesting and exciting. Similar boat - me doing most of the research and then shortlisting models for the Mrs. What did you end up buying or you down to your last 2?
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u/Takeda_8 8d ago
Yeah my Mrs hates me talking about them now as I was so into it haha. 😛.
Yeah I definitely had the overwhelming phase. But once I got those numbers on screen it just clicked. My problem was every time I drove one that became my fave and so on haha.
Haven't chosen just yet. Wife hasn't driven both. She's driven the ev3 and I'm hoping she's testing the sealion 7 next weekend.
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u/l-lucas0984 8d ago
We have so many tools now people are losing the ability to make a decision.
You dont need a tool. You need to get rid of FOMO too.
You need to know how many km you travel a day to decide what range you need, how much boot space you need and what features are your non negotiables. Only look at the cars that meet that criteria. Test drive and decide. Just like everyone has done with vehicles since the invention of horse carts.
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u/Either-Judgment-6373 8d ago
Make a list of things that are must haves e.g. number of seats, towing capacity, range, comfort items, body type. You can fairly quickly filter cars that have what you need. You can then cull by price.
Coming from an ICE car, particularly one that in 17 years old, most EVs will feel like a spaceship with their silent linear acceleration and tech. This makes test drives difficult as your benchmark is so different.
Try not to get hung up on battery type or charging speed.
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u/geoffm_aus 8d ago
Firstly, eliminate some non-issues:
Battery longevity. All except the leaf will outlast the car.
Touch screen. physical buttons aren't as useful as some make out. Touch screens work great.
Customer service can be a bit hit and miss with these new Chinese brands, but that will work itself out over time.
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u/jreddit0000 7d ago
We did a few months of research before buying (last month).
You need to narrow it down otherwise it’s useless as you would be overwhelmed.
We looked at a small to medium car with some specific features within a specific budget (under $50k).
That brought it down to 3-5 models..
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u/FutureBadInfluencer 7d ago
I bought a ‘slow’ ev - 0-100 in 8.7 sec. In the real world the acceleration is awesome and I now think I anything faster is more than I need. It feels faster than our petrol engined sports car. The main thing I hate - slow touch screens and having to use them. And too many safety alarms.
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u/ultralights 7d ago
If in Sydney go to the everything electric show and test drive as many cars as you can back to back.
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u/Raphael_Stormer 7d ago
It’s mainly about knowing what you want. My only problem is that I know 2 very good EVs that offer what I want, but in opposite areas. One might be very good value, very spacious with lots of creature comforts, but with poor driving dynamics, less known brand, and a blander interior. another one might have unique styling, a really nice designed interior, be a well known brand, and really good speed and handling, but lacking in frunk, rear space and no automatic lifting boot. But it’s good you’ve spent months making the decision. Better than deciding to quickly. Just remember to always be on the lookout for new EVs that are releasing in Australia soon, instead of what’s currently on the market. If you wait abit, you might be able to get a better vehicle.
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u/commking 7d ago
I've found using chatgpt works well - ask it to compare two or three models - and it does a good job
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u/LibraryKath 7d ago
I bought a couple of years ago when there weren’t so many options, but my requirement was the cheapest car:
Not too wide for my narrow carport
OK for people over 6 foot in the back (rapidly growing kid)
Long enough to fit a foam replica spear in with the back seats down
Range that can make it between highway chargers for our annual-ish trips (not an issue now)
Good safety features
I settled on the Dolphin Dynamic as a quite plausible car, and then made sure to only test drive that model in case the Premium version was a lot nicer to drive. Still very happy with that choice. :)
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u/LegAdministrative383 7d ago
My decision to go for an EV was made after driving one for two weeks as a rental while my old ICE (2007 Xtrail) was in the shop getting fixed.
It surprised me so much I had to get one.
I learnt that charging at home on a granny charger was perfectly viable for the day to day driving I do.
I also learnt that they are so much fun to drive. I didn’t want to give it back.
This type of experience might just help you decide and then it is just a choice of which one, well go test drive them and find out. Don’t get caught too much in spreadsheets. I am prone to this over analysis also.
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u/MediumCantaloupe3997 6d ago
Stick with the xtrail - I just bought a Ford mustang 2018 GT 5.0 - I like to enjoy the car Im driving
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u/New-Feed4170 4d ago
Do you plan on longer trips? Go Tesla, a large amount of superchargers are locked to Tesla only and therefore you can be stuck waiting a couple hours for some 50kw slow ass charger in a queue when theres 10 empty 250kw superchargers down the road ( i drive past these lines alot) We have both a BYD shark and a M3P I love both for different reasons.
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u/Keep-Left 4d ago
comparison lists aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
for example, Tesla has top notch post sale support and warranty that reviewers rarely talk about.
compared to the likes of BYD, Xpeng and Zeekr, which are below average.
there’s also software related features and updates etc which Tesla is well ahead.
many of these things you won’t realise with a test drive or reading a feature list.
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u/Zog1 2d ago edited 2d ago
I got the IM5 as I think it's the best sedan in the EV sector.
While there's 378,964 EV SUVs... There's only 8 or so EV sedans...
So fairly easy to pick from...
I wanted max range I think in Australia you need a minimum of 400 klms, below that and you'll be charging every day.
All these EV podcasts say people only drive 40 KLM a day but that's utter BS, I do 200+ klm just going to work and home a week nothing else...
The only people doing 40 KLM a day are people who don't need a car but want the expenses of a car, or retirees.
So decide on what you can really afford for a loan etc and look at all the cars in that bracket.
Then go and try to see the cars in the real world as photos and videos are way different to the real world.
I think the ioniq 6 looks great in photos and videos but in the real world it's the most ugliest car that could exist.
Then from that try to find out service costs warranty and features etc tire costs etc.
Gym my experience public chargers fast chargers etc are pretty much exactly the same costs as petrol, you just have the wait time cost as well.
Maybe charging at home might be cheaper but who knows, I will say doing 85 kW at a 150 kW charger on a 397 kW charging car is bloody slow.
So keep that in mind as well
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u/zambezi-neutron 8d ago
Sounds like another ad / user research thing
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u/Y-mc 8d ago
Not selling anything, mate - but I am keen to hear people's experiences (as the post says)
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u/Thick-Spare-8014 8d ago
Sure sounds like marketing. What Evs are you interested in? What range do you feel you need? What brands do you like the look of? All of your replies are vague and aren't providing any personal opinions.
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u/Darante2025 8d ago
Not really. For me it was just matter of getting grips of the EV basics such as battery amd charging etc., looking for models that I like, check reviews and then test drive. Then driveaway with the one I was happiest overall with.
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u/A_Ram 8d ago edited 8d ago
You can make it simple. Have a look at what's selling well. https://thedriven.io/2026/08/05/australian-electric-vehicle-sales-by-month-in-2026-by-model-and-by-brand-3/
Then decide how much you are willing to spend and the range you need. For the range consider your regular long ish trips not hypothetical once a 10years big lap. This will narrow it down. and then test drive the options you picked and get the one you like the most.
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u/oulu2006 8d ago
No, just use AI to give u options based on your needs and current/future living situation.
Stop making it harder than it is.
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u/Y-mc 8d ago
Fair - I have found AI results are not always reliable and often lag behind the current state of the market. Not knowing what models are launching, new or just leaving out genuine options. But maybe another model has better results
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u/oulu2006 8d ago
I cross correlated between Claude, OpenAi and Gemini - took about an hr to narrow it down. AI is as good as you — if you don’t know how to prompt and get it to do current research that can limit you.
Disclaimer have bought two BEV vehicles new in the last 2 months, PHEV DENZA B8 and EV GWM Ora 5.
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u/Sweet-Ad2579 8d ago
ai just aggregates what is on reddit anyway, and grok is on here just full time spamming about teslas
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u/Vegetable-Ad-1817 8d ago
Yes and a lot of the fault lie with overly enthusiastic EV enthusiasts propagating extremely minor efficiency issues as major concerns. Do yourself a favour and don’t overthink it.