New Electric Car Choice.

Phat Momma Hoe

Phat Momma Hoe

Phat Momma Hoe

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
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1,754
I've the option to get a new company electric car.
My first dip in the EV world was with a modest Kia Niro EV, which has been a good car to be fair, just not very exciting to drive.
Its very clinical and does very little to get the blood pumping, fortunately I have a V6 Mercedes C250 to remember what its like to actually 'drive' a car.

But this time round I'm after something that can make people look a bit daft at the traffic lights when my EV pulls away.
Budget is variable but generally around the 50k mark or lower that can do 60 in around 4 seconds.
What I've looked at but found irritations with are -
Volvo EX30 AWD
Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range
Volvo C40 Recharge

Is there anything else currently available within the price range that would be worth having a look at ?
 
If you're looking at raw performance you're unlikely to get better bang for your buck than the MG4 Xpower.

If you want a bit more refinement then the EV6 GT is another option.
 
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MG is a bit tight in the cabin for me. 6'4 and all legs so I found a comfortable driving position awkward to find, plus the back end of it is awful. But for smiles, it is hard to beat in a straight line !
I do like the EV6, but like the IONIQ 5, I think it may just be over my budget to get the performance I'd like.
Was hoping the BYD seal might be the ticket, but prices are a bit higher than I was expecting.
 
Putting £50k on a brand new EV sounds a very fast way to lose money. What about a nearly new ? Opens up more options then too

Ones that are fast in a straight line won’t be any less clinical for it either. So you probably want to try a few and see which are dynamically better (most compared to a fwd EV)
 
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Phat Momma Hoe said:
I've the option to get a new company electric car.
My first dip in the EV world was with a modest Kia Niro EV, which has been a good car to be fair, just not very exciting to drive.
Its very clinical and does very little to get the blood pumping, fortunately I have a V6 Mercedes C250 to remember what its like to actually 'drive' a car.

But this time round I'm after something that can make people look a bit daft at the traffic lights when my EV pulls away.
Budget is variable but generally around the 50k mark or lower that can do 60 in around 4 seconds.
What I've looked at but found irritations with are -
Volvo EX30 AWD
Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range
Volvo C40 Recharge

Is there anything else currently available within the price range that would be worth having a look at ?
Click to expand...

I'm a bit bias as I have a Tesla and would find it hard to change to another brand to be honest. So get yourself to the Fully Charged/Everything Electric show and get straight to the test drive section and get booked up.

The MG4 & BYD Seal have straight line speed but are both soft in the corners and like a lot of the Chinese cars they seem to go out of their way to annoy you with silly software warnings and quirks. Tesla went too stiff with the 20-22 Model Y but seem to have refined the suspension in the '24 Model 3.

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Simon said:
Putting £50k on a brand new EV sounds a very fast way to lose money. What about a nearly new ? Opens up more options then too

Ones that are fast in a straight line won’t be any less clinical for it either. So you probably want to try a few and see which are dynamically better (most compared to a fwd EV)
Click to expand...

It’s a new company electric car scheme they are using.

Is a Polestar 2 performance on there? I do admit the C40 Twin motor I tested was as fast as my I-Pace but the handling was a bit worse.
 
bimbleuk said:
I'm a bit bias as I have a Tesla and would find it hard to change to another brand to be honest. So get yourself to the Fully Charged/Everything Electric show and get straight to the test drive section and get booked up.

The MG4 & BYD Seal have straight line speed but are both soft in the corners and like a lot of the Chinese cars they seem to go out of their way to annoy you with silly software warnings and quirks. Tesla went too stiff with the 20-22 Model Y but seem to have refined the suspension in the '24 Model 3.
Click to expand...

Although I haven't driven one as of yet, the 3 biggest gripes I have is the lack of an indicator stork, I live on an Island with no motorway and everything is A and B roads and roundabouts. Having the indicators as a button on the steering wheel sounds like an absolute nightmare when you constantly have to use them.
The lack of parking sensors in favour of just a 360 degree camera and no keyless entry unless you pay for that option. No idea why "Use your Phone" or "Slide a card on the door pillar" became a preferred method.
I do agree about the Chinese cornering though.

ICDP said:
Is a Polestar 2 performance on there? I do admit the C40 Twin motor I tested was as fast as my I-Pace but the handling was a bit worse.
Click to expand...

One of my colleagues has a Polestar 2 (Before the facelift though). It is a nice car, but to get the performance pack it takes it out of my budget. And surprisingly, when I had a go in it I found the driving area extremely cramped for someone my size, it felt like I was always having to tuck my elbows in as I constantly knocked against the cabin.
 
Phat Momma Hoe said:
Although I haven't driven one as of yet, the 3 biggest gripes I have is the lack of an indicator stork, I live on an Island with no motorway and everything is A and B roads and roundabouts. Having the indicators as a button on the steering wheel sounds like an absolute nightmare when you constantly have to use them.
The lack of parking sensors in favour of just a 360 degree camera and no keyless entry unless you pay for that option. No idea why "Use your Phone" or "Slide a card on the door pillar" became a preferred method.
I do agree about the Chinese cornering though.



One of my colleagues has a Polestar 2 (Before the facelift though). It is a nice car, but to get the performance pack it takes it out of my budget. And surprisingly, when I had a go in it I found the driving area extremely cramped for someone my size, it felt like I was always having to tuck my elbows in as I constantly knocked against the cabin.
Click to expand...

I also found it cramped and my wife and I both preferred the C40 for practicality and the smaller size, yet bigger interior. We went for the single motor though.

If size is a problem the C40 Twin is a lot of power in a mid size package. If size is not a problem and the impracticality of a saloon is not an issue, then a Model 3.
 
I'd also advise looking at nearly new if you're buying.

Check out the 2-3 year old Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar cars. You're really limiting your options by only looking at supercar level performance figures.
 
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The heart wants what it wants.
Not worried about the badge on the car, doesn't stand for quality any more. Out fleet of Mercedes, which were hybrid A classes, and EQC and EQA have all had massive issues.
Out of 3 Taycan's. 2 ended up going because of charging and heater issues, along with stones constantly getting stones stuck between brake calliper and disc.

Just want something that's going to put a bit of a smile on my face when I drive it, rather than a beautifully functioning machine that has no excitement what so ever to drive as a lot of EV's have no soul.
 
Phat Momma Hoe said:
The heart wants what it wants.
Not worried about the badge on the car, doesn't stand for quality any more. Out fleet of Mercedes, which were hybrid A classes, and EQC and EQA have all had massive issues.
Out of 3 Taycan's. 2 ended up going because of charging and heater issues, along with stones constantly getting stones stuck between brake calliper and disc.

Just want something that's going to put a bit of a smile on my face when I drive it, rather than a beautifully functioning machine that has no excitement what so ever to drive as a lot of EV's have no soul.
Click to expand...
Nothing to do with the badge, just that premium cars from 2-3 years ago already had the kind of performance and batteries that you can now find in the mid - budget range EVs.

Compare the specs of something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186309147329 (55 spec, no sunroof or silly mirrors) to what you can buy new. And, the range is similar to the Xpower or EV6 GT.

The build quality of a Q8 or the iPace is a long way from what you'll get new for £50k. As a bigger bloke, you'd find one of these much more comfortable than a smaller EV.
 
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An AWD Extended Range Mach-E fits your criteria (although thicker end of 4 seconds for 0 - 60)

A nearly new GT model would get you the bonkers power option for traffic light grand prix.
 
Phat Momma Hoe said:
The heart wants what it wants.
Not worried about the badge on the car, doesn't stand for quality any more. Out fleet of Mercedes, which were hybrid A classes, and EQC and EQA have all had massive issues.
Out of 3 Taycan's. 2 ended up going because of charging and heater issues, along with stones constantly getting stones stuck between brake calliper and disc.

Just want something that's going to put a bit of a smile on my face when I drive it, rather than a beautifully functioning machine that has no excitement what so ever to drive as a lot of EV's have no soul.
Click to expand...

If you are looking for a driver's car, you aren't going to find that in an EV sadly. Especially not for sensible money. They are all pretty bland appliances.
 
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And which ones stand out as fun drivers cars exactly?

No one talks about EVs and a great driving experience. Only the information system.
 
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