Motors Help me pick a car

Volvo and their quest for zero fatalities in their cars, also maintains interior space, they've been doing the PHEV like that since 2015 so it's well known.

The contrast in size of the power sources amuses me, when you consider capable distance, that big battery (miniscule for an EV) does 48 miles WLTP, that tiny petrol tank behind, 550 miles if you don't use the e-assists, 3500 with if you believe WLTP which you shouldn't

Every PHEV/Hybrid is a bit of a Marvel, more so on the software calibration side, making it all work seamlessly such that you don't need to do anything, genius.

It's a compromise for us, we'd be full BEV if it wasn't for the need of a tow car.

 

Yeah, that's where a change of vehicle may be needed if range dropping below 200 miles means doing the same trip and adding an extra 10min stop becomes tiresome. The vehicles will be perfectly good for someone else, or the current owner could do an extra 10min stop somewhere if this trip is not too often, or find a destination charger if it's 200 miles return trip.

But considering vehicles like Kia Niro EV or Hyundai Kona have range of 300+ miles, it will have to degrade below 70%. It's unlikely within 10 years time. Got to remember my Leaf 80% datapoint is from first gen EV powertrain with 5 years battery warranty, whereas all EV after ~2018 have 8 years battery warranty.


My Leaf lifetime average is 3.9 mi/kWh according to data I download from Nissan's EV webpage. We set worst case winter range to be a pessimistic 50 miles, loads for local runabout. She drives 12-25 miles each day, mostly 12 miles school runs. Well within the car's capability.

As long as you can charge at home, range really isn't an issue. I used to need to drive wife's panda to buy petrol. She has to remember checking it and I have to spend 30min every few weeks top up for her. With EV, wife only drives, never has to worry if it needs refuelling. Often she doesn't even know how much range car has left because she only drives known local routes. I get HA notification to plug it in before I go upstairs if below 50%. Simple.
(well, it used be simple with 1 EV 1 charger. now need to do a bit of forward planning because 2 EV 1 charger, will be simple again when V2H and new charger is installed)

 

I made a mistake. I sat in and then drove the Ioniq 5. Its soooo much nicer to be in than the Kona. Going to go see a cheap(er) 2nd hand one tomorrow to see if I can build up the balls to splash the cash. Alternatively we found a 4 yr old leaf (40kWh Tekna) with only 2k miles on it for less than £20k. Yes it wont do 200 miles (not even close) but 95% of our journeys are more like 20 miles. Can still keep my cruddy old diesel for the long journey to visit relative (or simply hire) because it works out at about £300 a month less than the ioniq.

But god damn the Ioniq 5 is lovely and is like sitting in a living room given the amount of space. I'm 6ft 1" and with the drivers seat in a comfy position I could sit in the rear seat AND still have best part of a foot before my knees hit the drivers seat. Its like a bloody limo.

 

Yup the 5 is nicer than a Kona, the Leaf is going to feel like a step back in time in comparison to the Ioniq too.

If your long trips aren't frequent you'll probably find you'll do them just fine in the EV, just have to plan a charging stop on your journey, a manageable inconvenience for the occasional thing, not sure the Leaf is the route I'd go due to Nissan having a different DC charging point to everything out there adding that extra layer of charging complexity but if you mainly charge at home its no biggie, quick look on AT would suggest 62Kw Leafs are in that same price ball park too, more mileage on them but still quite low.

The chademo vs CCS might not be an issue, perhaps it is an irrational concern, I just wonder how long new DC charging points will support it when it has pretty much been deprecated in Europe with the push to CCS combo standards, its feels a bit like buying microUSB device in 2023s USBC world.

When I looking at buying a Leaf back in the day Nissan would loan you an ICE car a couple of times a year if you needed it, don't know if that is still a thing?

 

Well the dealer wouldn't budge on the price of the leaf which I reckon is about £1k-£1.5k overpriced vs autotrader. The car had obviously been sat under greenery for a while as the sills and wipers were green and the front tires were cracking. They did promise to swap those but the price was still a bit rich. I should be able to pick up the Ioniq 5 on a salary sacrifice lease through work (i.e. pre tax monthly payments) which make it much more appealing price wise. Obviously don't own it at the end but I figure in 3-4 years time the EV market will look very different so depreciation on this gen of cars could be uncertain.

 

On a Salary sacrifice your dream option (EV6) is probably in reach no?

 

Still more expensive than the ioniq 5 and unfortunately on a very long lead time Vs the ioniqs.

I would still have a massive grin on my face in the ioniq plus space for the whole family (even if they were all 6ft 6)

 

Yup interior space is important, when our SUV got barred out of Bristol due to ULEZ we'd go in our Punto an apparently fine occasional family car when I bought it over 12yrs ago, when kids were small, but it just got ridiculous squeezing grown people/teenagers in it and the associated stuff, after a couple of trips the missus said bugger that, just pay the £9, still cheaper, more comfortable and more convenient than public transport

Blimey 3 school rucksacks only just fit in the boot

 

Exactly that, except the cables are non exchangeable so you can't even bring your own cable to rapid charge.

Also, 4 years old Leaf for 20k is rather expensive. 1 year old for this price is more like it: https://www.speakev.com/threads/if-...ld-you-buy-and-why.176042/page-3#post-3400663

For EV's that had been sat for long time, you need to be sure it had been charge cycled a few times recently for BMS to update battery health. Or know the previous owner and sure it wasn't left at 0% or 100% for majority of its life (something traditional dealerships don't seem to understand) Li-on battery like to be stored at around 50%.

 

Hahahaa! I normally defer to your wisdom on here, but you're clearly suffering from a mini-stroke at the moment - the RS and the Mk2 Rally/Mexico are stone-cold classics! The one above even has the original cassette player so you can bang out your rave mixtapes whilst drag-racing the seafront - can't beat that with a big stick, indeed . I see your Astra though, plus will offer the Mk2 Golf GTi as a companion piece. I do like those old rally-type models (but the prices of some of these old cars are ludicrous currently).

I might have to tap you up on a PM for some ideas here, if you don't mind. About time I got my act in gear and you sound like you know what you're talking about .

This again just makes me think I need to stay away from this EV minefield. I feel like you need to do a course now, just to buy a car...! What does it cost these days to convert an existing petrol car to electric, out of interest?

 

Take a look at this: https://yourcar.co.uk/electric-car-conversion/

I used to think something like a 205GTI would be a lot of fun to drive but, after last November's crash my view has changed.

The wife and I walked away with seatbelt bruising, thanks to all the little car's safety systems working as intended. In a much older car we would both have been badly injured. The appeal of an old, lightweight hot hatch, without even so much as a single airbag, waned a lot.

(I know I said I was done with this thread...)

 

Yup I like the old rally stuff, I particularly like the recreations

What's old is new again, I have a strong desire for something like this, box fresh, no driver aids or safety

https://mst-cars.com/models/

The favorite would be the alfaholics GTAm but it is even more expensive

I think anything old school running box arches is pretty much full of win. Integrales, Chevettes, Mantas etc.

God no, go to a professional, I've made many, many mistakes in life, which means I do somethings better now than I used to but if I was any good at this I wouldn't be working for a living Just trying to teach my spawn how to do this stuff so that planning and budgeting concepts are understood and not to make my mistakes for a better life than me....standard parent goals

 

1. Win Lotto
2. Buy new replica shell from Motorsport Tools in Pwllheli
3. Trailer down to Electric Classic Cars in Newtown, Powys
4. Wait several months
5. Drive away "brand new" electric Escort Mk1, Mk2 or (just announced) Metro 6R4.

EDIT - Ninja'd by @sandys
EDIT 2 - Added link to 6R4 announcement

 

Do a buy! I would have one already but I didn't fit in without head hitting the roof....

Apparently many aftermarket options to resolve that now.

 

Now that would be fun and, being a Toyota, it will always work.

 

10yr warranty too.

 

Latest update: The Ioniq 5 can be had on a 3 year lease (10k p/a mileage) with salary sacrifice to a net cost to me of less than £550 p/m.

Obviously a serious chunk of change each month but it includes maintenance, insurance, a charger, 4000miles of electric (via octopus). Effectively a company car but I pick up the lease bill (booo!). Clearly far more affordable per month than outright purchase but I don't own the car at the end of it and far more tax efficient than personal lease.

Part of me says that allows the EV market to develop without much risk of being stuck with an outmoded car (though this is low risk imho). I would be offered to buy the the car at the end so not that different to PCP in overall function.

 

Personally, as someone who never took a liking to ICE, I find buying used ICE a minefield. Sure, components can be swapped out easier than BEV, should they a fault develops, but that's still hidden extra cost.

My previous Skoda Octavia 2.0 diesel had water pump fail in less than a year but after 6 months of purchasing second hand. It's a known weak point on these engines, but it sucked being stuck with £500 bill and stuck 150 miles away.
My wife's previous Fiat Panda had an automated manual that slowly had more and more chance of not engaging gear.

EV's, as long as it has not sat for a long time at extreme ends of charge level, should be problem free. The fewer serviceable components *in theory* means they are designed to outlast a typical car lifetime.