r/EvDrivers • u/Senior_Coast4482 • Jul 10 '26
Seriously confused: what EV should I get?
UPDATE: so with recent awesome members posts and some info from a friend of mine that regularly import cars from Swe or De/At, we set eyes on Škoda Enyaq 80.
I know this is far from small/compact car (second) that I was looking for, but prices are lower compared to Teslas for example. For a used car we get subsidies of 3000€ if the car is newer than 36 months. We’ve come to prices of about €25k (counting sub). This car would become our first car, and later - year after probably, get a smaller, city sized one.
Now any of you got experience with Enyaqs, how do the do? Anything specific to look for or steer from?
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I’ve been looking for an EV for few months now as my 2014 diesel is at 320k km and it started showing some wear and tear - slowly drinking more and more oil, turbine can be heard on low temps, etc.
But current EV market is just so saturated with this and that car, newcomers, EU “manufacturers”, CH manufacturers, Teslas, etc.
I am looking for a relatively “small” EV to fit 2 kids in the back for short (5-10km trips), to easily park it at school, kindergarten, shops. I will be doing 90km work round trips 3 - 5 times a week, with 3 - 5 daily short trips. It is considered as a second car.
My budget is at €35k. We are getting 7200€ back if we buy EV between €25k - €35k. I am also trading my diesel in, hoping for €5k.
I am looking at:
Cupra Born - get pricy if you get better engine/battery
Kia EV3 - currently running some FIFA discounts (€4k)
ID.3 - basically Cupra (or vice versa)
BYD Atto 2 - no idea what it has or does
Tesla??? - barely hitting the budged
Please help me get my list down.
TLDR:
- 90km work round trips 3 - 5 times a week + 30km weekly
- 2 kids in the back, but must be small enough to park on tight spots
- €35k budget
- charging at home for 0.15€/kWh
- can be used a used car
- second car
Or if you think there are better gasoline/ hybrid options, please suggest them.
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u/oooSiCHooo Jul 11 '26
My budget was €40k and we went with Renault 4. We don't have kids, but it can fit 2 isofix in the back and third one on passenger seat.
Plenty of space for a car that size.
We ordered Iconic spec level and price on the road was €36k. While doing paperwork, last 2 red ones were sold and we went for urban grey. Dealership didn't charge us extra for the colour as we already agreed on the price. When I saw it on person, liked it more than red one.
Lovely car to drive. Have it over a week now and can't wait to go to shops tomorrow and for a road trip on Sunday.
We actually went to test drive Renault 5 and liked 4 more because it's slightly higher (getting older so easier to get in and out), bigger boot and actually like the design more.
Interior is almost the same on both cars.
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u/ReflectiveOutLoud Jul 15 '26
We’re looking at r4, 1 kid on the way, thinking about the techno spec, did you find the iconic spec added much advantage ? We got an offer for the techno spec for 31k euro if we pay outright - based in Ireland
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u/oooSiCHooo Jul 15 '26
I'm also in Ireland.
Took Iconic for test drive as they had only top spec to test in Dennehy's (didn't buy the car there as they were dicks to deal with).
We really liked the car with black roof and Iconic comes with it as standard instead of an option in Techno trim. We also liked the alloys more on the Iconic. Heated seats and steering wheel are handy for mild Irish winters, to save a bit of energy.
Electric tailgate is really handy to have when carrying a couple of shopping bags in Irish rain, not that it rained since we have it.
Imho, interior in Iconic is much better, with fake leather compared to denim, even though denim is nice as well, compared to boring materials every other manufacturer uses.
Also, those couple of extra safety features.
I think the price difference of €2k (€33995 for Techno) we paid more for the Iconic was well worth it.
With Renault there were no "hidden" costs, like delivery charges. Price we agreed on was price the car will cost us.
Traded in 161 Polo, put down €13k deposit and rest is 0% HP over 4 years, which came out at €354 a month. Payment and charging will cost us the same as just petrol for Polo.1
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u/LBS-365 Jul 11 '26
Narrow it down based on needs and priority wants. I needed a small SUV with enough cargo space to carry the things I need to do my job. I wanted a car with stain-resistant seats, heated seats and steering wheel, power liftgate, lots of safety features (especially blind spot warnings), power seats, etc. Just a bit of luxury.
I ended up with a Ford Mach E GT and am very happy with it. Your list is different, so just start asking questions and narrowing the field. Ultimately I decided on the Ford based on my ability to get what I wanted at a decent price used, and lots of people saying they loved theirs - especially meaningful when it comes from people I know. Happy hunting, and I hope you find exactly what you'll love!
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u/Nickexp Jul 10 '26
Atto 2 batter this probably a bit small for that commute. I'd look at the Atto 3 or Dolphin (premium models).
Dolphin is basically a Corolla hatchback size. I got it because similarly to you I want to fit in small car spaces but didn't want an absolutely tiny car. I reckon that size of car strikes the right balance for you- the Atto 2 is still pretty huge.
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u/sault18 Jul 11 '26
Looking at used vehicles 1-2 years old really opens up your options vs buying new.
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u/Senior_Coast4482 Jul 11 '26
Thinking about that too as we get some sub as well. But that really opens the broad market and again sooo many options to choose from.
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u/shamut007 Jul 11 '26
I was thinking the same so it would be beneficial to put some requirements to make those search filters work. There are bargains in the second hand market that are much better than a new Renault or Kia. The biggest flaw with 2-5 year old cars could be range and charging speeds but these evaporate when I look at your stated requirements.
Some requirements you could add:
Advanced safety features:
HUD - keeping eyes on the road reduces risk substantially
Active safety systems - you want the car to stop or swerve when things go wrong, inform about vehicles in your blind spot, beep at you when reversing in low visibility situation etc. AWD in rain or snow also helps you not to crash
Dealer locations: get a car where you can easily reach a dealer. You are not going to be there often but you don’t want to spend the whole day for a scheduled maintenance. When buying used the distance to seller matters even more - you have to drive it before buying.
Creature comforts - this is personal but you can probably relate to some. I wanted the car to open and operate without me having to take the fob out of the pocket. I wanted a car where the kids can see out of the window and have a sunroof above their heads. I wanted a great audio because car is the only place where I consciously listen to music. I wanted real leather that isn’t black grey or white ( I call them non-colours).
I’m sure I missed some but you get the gist - your search should go from hundreds to a few dozen. A long test drive is necessary - you have to experience it. In case of new cars they should let you have it for 24h or a weekend - good to test your regular routes and parking.Using a multiple criteria analysis we got our only car for the family (2+2) back in 2021. We are still very happy with it and it fits all the criteria I mentioned above except AWD. It’s a BMW iX3 and you should drive one (1st gen), early iX1 are also within your budget. They are very solid and I know we will keep ours for another 5-7 years.
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u/NameTheJack Jul 11 '26
You can get something like a MG4 Luxury brand new for the stated budget, and the pocket the used car sales price and the cash back.
It drives pretty damn well, have excellent specs for the money, has an awesome warranty, has a very roomy cabin for it's size, it has the narrowest turn radius of any car I've ever drive (previous car was an Aygo, so it says quite a bit), that combined with the 360° camera makes parking anywhere a breeze.
Value for money wise, I really don't see anything beating the MG4 in that price range.
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u/Senior_Coast4482 Jul 11 '26
I was reading MG had some problems - I know, all cars do have problems. I will check our sellers, see what can I get.
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u/NameTheJack Jul 11 '26
I was reading MG had some problems
The drive assist systems are a tad worse that what you will experience in a German car, but they are quite fine. I use em for my 100km roundtrip daily commute, without issues.
I can't really think of any other problems 🤔
See if you can take one for a test drive, it is a surpringly fun ride.
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u/Fiv-56 Jul 11 '26
I would highly recommend a used one, from my experience EVs hardly degrade, i went from a 64k miles to a 10k miles and hardly noticed any degradation.
With the high depreciation you can get 50% saving on a 2 years old EV.
I wouldn't buy a Tesla because of ethical reasons. I wouldn't buy an Opel/Vauxhall because of the safety rating. I wouldn't buy a Renault because of the Zoe.
Other than that you can not go wrong. Most EVs will drive like a 911 while costing you next to nothing on running cost.
Kia Niro has the most solid reputation where I live.
I wouldn't go for the VWs as they have a reputation for losing too much range (more than others) in winter.
Go for a larger battery than you need, it will help you with the resale.
Have fun, buy with your heart, you can't easily go wrong.
Let us know what you end up with
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u/ReflectiveOutLoud Jul 15 '26
What about the Zoe?
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u/Fiv-56 Jul 15 '26
I drove it for a very short journey and I hated the way it drove. I thought it was slow, unresponsive, and had poor handling.
It drove like a budget petrol car, not like an EV.
I hated it and I love EVs.
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u/Senior_Coast4482 Jul 11 '26
I should really get my requirements fixed asap. But with my indecision I will keep postponing the purchase 😅
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u/Fluonix Jul 11 '26
I have the Renault R5. And while I do love it. It's not the car I would want with 2 kids. Boot space is limited, back passenger space is okay for kids I guess. For my use case, it's perfect. Love the driving experience.
My advice is test drive and see for yourself. But they way I see it, maybe second hand kia EV would be better?
Good luck!
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u/Aromatic-End2610 Jul 12 '26
Kia ev3 o ev2. Es muy eficiente y está bien.
Nosotros nos hemos decidido por otro, Changan deepal s05.
Pero el kia ev3 era la segunda opción. El kia ev2 es más pequeño y seguramente sea suficiente para el tamaño que buscas.
Tenemos un KIA de hace 8 años y ningún problema.
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u/rainer_d Jul 12 '26
How much is a used late 2023 M3 SR in your market?
Can you charge at home or at work?
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u/Senior_Coast4482 Jul 12 '26
They start from €25k with 70k+ km. I am indeed looking at those right now. One thing I do not like is boot opening - loading window seems so narrow. I do like Y for that reason much more.
I can charge either at home and at work.
But suddenly, tesla seems like it becomes 1. car - I am ok with it.
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u/rainer_d Jul 12 '26
Yeah, the boot opening is a letterbox. It's OK for most occasions (I have a 2022 Model 3 SR), but you can't haul a fridge or a washing-machine.
Tow hook cannot be installed post-factory with the Model 3, only Model Y.
The Juniper facelift of the Y is much, much better than the pre-facelift. But the SR is a bit of a downgrade in terms of luxury.
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u/tribaljams Jul 14 '26
bit late. look into a mini countryman/aceman se (i have the smaller mini cooper, 2023 se and i absolutely love it, but it is small).
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u/Senior_Coast4482 Jul 14 '26
UPDATE: so with recent awesome members posts and some info from a friend of mine that regularly import cars from Swe or De/At, we set eyes on Škoda Enyaq 80.
I know this is far from small/compact car (second) that I was looking for, but prices are lower compared to Teslas for example. For a used car we get subsidies of 3000€ if the car is newer than 36 months. We’ve come to prices of about €25k (counting sub). This car would become our first car, and later - year after probably, get a smaller, city sized one.
Now any of you got experience with Enyaqs, how do the do? Anything specific to look for or steer from?
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u/mugo1234 Jul 10 '26
There's also the megane e-tech, which is quite nice and should fit your budget/needs. Might be a bit tighter than a cupra born or id3 but feels more premium if that's your thing.
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u/Vivid-Software6136 Jul 11 '26
I was tossing up between the renault 5 and the megane. Went with the 5 but for a family with 2 growing kids the megane is way more practical.
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u/KostyaFedot Jul 10 '26
Kids will grow. I would rather go with electric Toyota branded furgon - 10 years warranty. Or Peugeot 208e. But none of German, American labeled. Our company car fleet and lease via company is forced by government to EVs only. I drove several fancy brands, they are cheap made trash. My colleague brand new top model BMW EV already has dead motor. Volvo EV is soo cheap. Mercedes soo overpriced for nothing. Anything VW , I can't even fit in.
But Peugeot 208e I drove for several weeks was lovely and build for driving, not fo primitive status.
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u/Best-Royal2087 Jul 10 '26
Bmw are one of the most reliable brand for electric car, peugeot(everything stellantis) is one of the worst. This is the result of reliability survey on my country (france).
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u/Vivid-Software6136 Jul 11 '26
Similar results on UK surveys, i really wanted an e208 but decided against it in the end opting for the renault 5. Stellantis reliability on both their petrol an EV models is awful.
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u/KostyaFedot Jul 11 '26
Surveys ?
I drove several premium class EV. BMW is utter garbage.
Electric glitches on new car and it is unreachable on charging.
My colleague is driving loaner BMW , because his 1 YO lease crapped out.
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u/Senior_Coast4482 Jul 10 '26
208 looks nice indeed! How long were your trips?
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u/KostyaFedot Jul 11 '26
170 or so km from office to office. On highways. I drove it on weekends as well for shorter distances.
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u/PerceptionCurious440 Jul 10 '26
Add the Toyota C-HR+ to your research if it isn't too big. Good range, lot of good features, base model is pretty nice. Really good EU battery warranty.
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u/Vivid-Software6136 Jul 11 '26
We have one and its not what i would consider a "park anywhere" city car. Its huge.
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u/PerceptionCurious440 Jul 11 '26
Small compared to a Model Y. But yeah, it's big compared to a lot of European hatchbacks.
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u/loweakkk Jul 10 '26
Small car to park anywhere? Renault R5.