What EV to buy?

[Bug One]

My wife is currently looking into an EV/PHEV via salary sacrifice. She's just got a new job with a car allowance. If she went EV, that would mean we're a 100% EV household - so the only car worth considering is a Model Y.

Went to test drive a 3008 PHEV and a Model Y on Sunday. The 3008 was 'ok', although too small in the back - but damn, the Tesla is something else. Hopefully we (I include the kids here) can convince her that it's worth the extra expense.

 

[Simon]

How much is a Y, i thought they were pretty expensive for how they look compared to something like an I-pace (about £50 diff on my scheme)

 

[chanjy]

How much is a Y, i thought they were pretty expensive for how they look compared to something like an I-pace (about £50 diff on my scheme)

The difference in price is pretty big actually, £55k vs £65k (base models for both) and the Jag you probably need to spec up and option up to get more like the features on the Tesla.

£50 difference per month suggests Jag are giving the leaseco a decent deal on the price of the car.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

The base spec Jag looks nice apart from the tiny wheels, it’s a big give away and as above, you’ll need to go up the range to get a similar feature set.

Overall it clearly is a more premium car but it’s priced accordingly.

 

[Simon]

The difference in price is pretty big actually, £55k vs £65k (base models for both) and the Jag you probably need to spec up and option up to get more like the features on the Tesla.

£50 difference per month suggests Jag are giving the leaseco a decent deal on the price of the car.

I’m on about the salary sacrifice. Not the cost of the car RRP. Prob fair point on the options though. Was comparing a HSE to a Y LR

 

[Ranger07]

My wife is currently looking into an EV/PHEV via salary sacrifice. She's just got a new job with a car allowance. If she went EV, that would mean we're a 100% EV household - so the only car worth considering is a Model Y.

Went to test drive a 3008 PHEV and a Model Y on Sunday. The 3008 was 'ok', although too small in the back - but damn, the Tesla is something else. Hopefully we (I include the kids here) can convince her that it's worth the extra expense.

I think the Y is going to be our next family purchase, I think Tesla are the market leaders for a reason. Performance, range, charging network etc

 

[Simon]

I think the Y is going to be our next family purchase, I think Tesla are the market leaders for a reason. Performance, range, charging network etc

Hard to disagree just don’t look at them and you are fine

 

[paradigm]

Hard to disagree just don’t look at them and you are fine

They aren’t the prettiest cars, and most models are VERY colour sensitive. The Y looks off in Red, as does the early S. The Y IMO looks best in silver, but will never fully get away from looking like a 3 that’s been vertically stretched in photoshop.

 

[squerble]

I think the Y is going to be our next family purchase, I think Tesla are the market leaders for a reason. Performance, range, charging network etc

Yea I'm really hoping I've got an extra £300/month available in a couple of years to get myself a Y on lease next (as long as Tesla don't open up their networks to plebs like me).

 

[squerble]

Very impressive

Yep I'm very happy with it. I'm not one of these people who minimise use of climate to save a couple of miles or anything. I use it exactly as I have any other ICE car, the only thing I've done is drop down my motorway speed to 62-65ish as the drop in efficiency above 60mph is very pronounced.

 

[rodenal]

If you're waiting for the Niro and Megane, how about the Ariya (same underpinnings as the Megane I'm guessing)?

I did look at the Ariya, but even the base model is currently far too expensive in terms of monthly allowance - keeping an eye on the rates though as it's probably the ideal size/power/driving mix going by reviews of it so far

 

[Simon]

Yep I'm very happy with it. I'm not one of these people who minimise use of climate to save a couple of miles or anything. I use it exactly as I have any other ICE car, the only thing I've done is drop down my motorway speed to 62-65ish as the drop in efficiency above 60mph is very pronounced.

Oh that makes sense now.

That’s slow on motorways and hardly using it like an ICE and you have become ‘one of those people who’ drive slower ‘to save a couple of miles’.

 

[squerble]

Oh that makes sense now.

That’s slow on motorways and hardly using it like an ICE and you have become ‘one of those people who’ drive slower ‘to save a couple of miles’.

Perhaps, but I never went above 70 in my ICE so I'd say usage is very similar plus my motorway mileage makes up probably 10% of total usage anyway...

 

[Simon]

Speed is the killer of EV range in motorways. And obviously around town etc you get the benefit of getting energy back that would otherwise go into brakes

Shame you can find the m/kWh at 70mph for all cars easily

 

[jpaul]

Was also genuinely quite tempted by a zs EV as they're very cheap yet reasonable looking (interior notably better than the VAG cars) but for some reason can't get the more powerful long range model any more, plus it's a big sacrifice in terms of handling.

I prefer the 5; did you drive zs ev - uk firm ex mg employees are now doing handling/shock improvememts,
Podcast: ZS EV suspension replacement, Infotainment system, MG warranty & more
the comment on suspension bottoming going round a bend though, kia&mg warranty comparison is interesting, for private purchase.
... seems standard ranges(perhaps its just 5) use LFP batteries too, I'd thought that was unique to tesla.

 

[Simon]

Lithium iron phosphate aren’t some Tesla only thing. Again you can’t fault their marketing for getting people to think like Tesla have a USP

 

[rodenal]

I prefer the 5; did you drive zs ev - uk firm ex mg employees are now doing handling/shock improvememts,
Podcast: ZS EV suspension replacement, Infotainment system, MG warranty & more
the comment on suspension bottoming going round a bend though, kia&mg warranty comparison is interesting, for private purchase.
... seems standard ranges(perhaps its just 5) use LFP batteries too, I'd thought that was unique to tesla.

Link to that channel is interesting thanks, been having a bit of a look through. The 5 is probably a very good proposition if you can get over the way the thing looks (it sits at really quite a strange height which does not help the otherwise bland estate car looks), I can't tho.

I had a real quick spin in a zs, literally took it out for about ten minutes so not in a place to pass any sort of well informed judgement - enough to tell that it drove like white goods on wheels though....which I guess it is so pretty forgivable given the going rate for them. If they had a long range higher power car available through our portal I could still be tempted. Nothing doing though and seems that's the very trim level MG are finding impossible to produce.

If I'm waiting over 6 months I'd sooner try to get into a fresher model or accept spending a little bit more for something that ticks other boxes for me (and let's be honest has a different badge)

 

[SDK^]

I think the Y is going to be our next family purchase, I think Tesla are the market leaders for a reason. Performance, range, charging network etc

Interesting reasons you listed there

• Performance - this is about the same as some other similar priced EV’s
• Range - sure, they are a little more efficient but it’s not massive now. Hyundai, Kia and VW are only just behind.
• Charging Network - the Tesla SC network is about to be opened up to every other EV soon, so that’s a short term advantage.

For me Tesla is the Apple of the car world.
They have won over the trendy instagram/social media scene so the product sells based on that.

 

[rodenal]

In fairness the model Y is superb in terms of space and pace, which you don't get in many or any EV's at the moment (ok power is covered but not really the combination of the two) - albeit you absolutely do pay for it

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I'm not sure I agree on the performance point, the Model Y has more power and a notable amount more real world range than all its competitors in AWD trim. As you say are Kia and Hyundai are close, the others, less so.

I wouldn't even say the ID4, EV6, Ionic 5, Mach-E, Enyak etc are not materially cheaper either on a like for like spec. Yes, you can get them cheaper but its not really an 'apples for apples' car. An AWD Mach-E starts at £61k, to get an AWD ID.4 with a glass roof, you need to spend £57k so not exactly cheap either. I'm surprised the Model Y is still £55k and not more based on the list prices of other cars.