Which £200pcm / 10k EV for me?

Which £200pcm / 10k EV for me?

Author
Discussion

Duke Caboom

Original Poster:

2,022 posts

204 months

Wednesday 2nd August 2023
quotequote all
I've done lots of research, including on here, because the answer seemed obviously (to me) to be an i3. However, some financial mission creep has suddenly opened the door to various cars I hadn't considered, and / or don't know anything about.

So I thought I'd better come back to the experts...

Must be able to seat 2 adults and 2 children.
Cost less than 10 k cash (12k absolute max) or 200/month an a pcp with 2k deposit
Capable of commuting 35 miles each way, cold start for return, with heater or A/C as required, inc winter. Steady rural cruise - rarely exceed 50mph.
Still capable of the range in 4 years / 60k miles as I don't change cars very often.
Will be garaged and charged each night.
Must be in some way mildly interesting and/or mildly fun to drive or look at.

There will be a ICE cars capable of long range transport of family and luggage for visits to parents, holidays etc. (Though if the EV could do that too then that's more money for the Elise fund.)

Thanks

Edit to add - 200pcm pcp with 2k deposit is equivalent of £13-16k cash. But generally only available for newer cars.

Edited by Duke Caboom on Wednesday 2nd August 19:57

JD

2,845 posts

233 months

Wednesday 2nd August 2023
quotequote all
I think you nailed it first time.

Regardless of battery option, an i3 is the only EV at the price point (and most price points) that is genuinely fun to drive.

I just had a look on autotrader and the low end ones are a bargain if you don't need to do many miles.

The only possible negative might be child size related, not sure how the doors are with dealign with child seats if you need them.

OutInTheShed

8,630 posts

31 months

Wednesday 2nd August 2023
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Autotrader shows Zoes and Corsas from about 2019 in your budget, plenty of range and all that.

to meet your 'amusing to drive or look at' requirement, you could paint a huge willy on the doors?
Or maybe change the tyres to bald cross ply remoulds?

Martyn76

694 posts

122 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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Hyundai Ioniq? Available for actually sensible money now, looks aren't everyone's cup of tea I know but probably one of the most efficient EVs out there, come with decent kit levels and looks like a properly usable family car and they do come with a lot of kit as standard

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302214...

SWoll

19,073 posts

263 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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Martyn76 said:
Hyundai Ioniq? Available for actually sensible money now, looks aren't everyone's cup of tea I know but probably one of the most efficient EVs out there, come with decent kit levels and looks like a properly usable family car and they do come with a lot of kit as standard

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302214...
This, all day long.

I'm an i3 fan but prices are all over the place wih £10-12k only getting you an early car with the smallest battery yet £14k can get you into a 3 year old car with the biggest battery.


M1C

1,881 posts

116 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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That i3 looks good value now doesn't it. I feel i'm getting closer to justifying an EV at the moment.

Nomme de Plum

5,725 posts

21 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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[redacted]

Shaoxter

4,169 posts

129 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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Martyn76 said:
Hyundai Ioniq? Available for actually sensible money now, looks aren't everyone's cup of tea I know but probably one of the most efficient EVs out there, come with decent kit levels and looks like a properly usable family car and they do come with a lot of kit as standard

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302214...
That interior is utterly drab compared to an i3 though. Also lower powered and several hundred kg heavier so won't be as much fun either.

Shabaza

253 posts

102 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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I wouldve thought the obvuiois answer is a post 2018 Nissan Leaf.

Will easily do 140 odd miles
if you find bigger battery model (which come up on occasion) it will do 200+ miles on a charge.

Will be far more reliable then the I3

Nomme de Plum

5,725 posts

21 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
quotequote all
Shabaza said:
I wouldve thought the obvuiois answer is a post 2018 Nissan Leaf.

Will easily do 140 odd miles
if you find bigger battery model (which come up on occasion) it will do 200+ miles on a charge.

Will be far more reliable then the I3
Do you consider the i3 to be unreliable? I know it's anecdotal but I know several owners and they've never had any issues at all. Are you referring to BEV version or hybrid?


M1C

1,881 posts

116 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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Another i3 question while we're on - are they known at all for battery degradation?

Like....a mk1 Leaf would degrade over time and use - does this happen to something like an Ionic and i3 too? (or the newer Leaf while i'm asking)

Shabaza

253 posts

102 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
quotequote all
Nomme de Plum said:
Do you consider the i3 to be unreliable? I know it's anecdotal but I know several owners and they've never had any issues at all. Are you referring to BEV version or hybrid?
ive heard of a few issues in my time working at BMW. Drivetrain malfunction error, usually a high voltage cable problem.
Was never cheap out of warranty.

The worst problem was a small rear bump would shatter the glass tailgate.

So I wouldnt say unreliable as such, but potentially more costly to repair

Over over under steer

673 posts

128 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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I've got a 2021 i3S.

It's genuinely nippy, particularly up to 50 mph. The range on mine (big battery) is up to 200 miles. I have done many 175 mile stints between charges without much fear.

It has very direct steering for a non-sports car, so the front end darts around. Suspension on the S has pretty aggressive rebound so it can get a little unsettled mid-corner on a bumpy road compared to other hot hatches. Once you learn to be smooth with your initial steering input it really is a genuinely enjoyable car to chuck down a road. I shamelessly have been grabbing the keys to it rather than my Porsche on quite a few occasions.

Later cars have proper engine mounts and a few other tweaks and are generally considered a reliable car. At 2 years old I have no appreciable battery deg.

ooo000ooo

2,565 posts

199 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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I just bought a 2018 Zoe ZE40 for £9995, done about 100 miles so far this week using 44% of the battery. GOM when we picked it up was suggesting 178 mile range, charged it overnight last night and it was suggesting 213 miles potentially although the wife drove the 6-7 miles to work this morning and said it had dropped to 198.

Toaster Pilot

14,647 posts

163 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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Zoe ZE50 if you can forego the excitement part


Bought this last week - just over £13k or less than £150 a month on PCP with a few hundred down. Not sure if the finance offer is still running mind - was a Renault backed offer at 2.4% APR over 36 months (or 0% for 24 months) presumably to shift the mountain of ex-Onto cars like this.

74merc

595 posts

197 months

Thursday 3rd August 2023
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[redacted]

Duke Caboom

Original Poster:

2,022 posts

204 months

Friday 4th August 2023
quotequote all

Duke Caboom

Original Poster:

2,022 posts

204 months

Friday 4th August 2023
quotequote all
SWoll said:
Martyn76 said:
Hyundai Ioniq? Available for actually sensible money now, looks aren't everyone's cup of tea I know but probably one of the most efficient EVs out there, come with decent kit levels and looks like a properly usable family car and they do come with a lot of kit as standard

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302214...
This, all day long.

I'm an i3 fan but prices are all over the place wih £10-12k only getting you an early car with the smallest battery yet £14k can get you into a 3 year old car with the biggest battery.

Yeah - I'm finding them really difficult to value. Hence the creep in maximum spend.

74merc

595 posts

197 months

Friday 4th August 2023
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Once I saw an i3 with the light loft interior, everything else was drab in comparison and my mind was made up. It really is fun to drive and always makes me grin when giving it the beans. Drove a Nissan Leaf as well which was pleasant but dull.