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Which EV?

  • BMW I3

    Votes: 3 9.1%
  • BMW I3s

    Votes: 2 6.1%
  • Hyundai Ioniq

    Votes: 12 36.4%
  • Renault Zoe

    Votes: 13 39.4%
  • Peugeot e-208

    Votes: 3 9.1%
  • Nissan Leaf 40

    Votes: 0 0.0%
3K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  Hairy Leafer 
#1 ·
First some background, this is my first post on this forum so I hope that asking for recommendations is okay! I have a ICE car that I use for longer journeys and weekends, however I am looking at getting an EV through work to commute in. As the car is leased the reliability is not really an issue to me.

My normal commute is a 80 mile round trip that is 95% motorway with no traffic, however for a couple of days a week this would increase to 120 miles, again, almost all motorway. Charging is available at work if needed however, I would like to avoid using it where possible as the rate is not very good.

Below are four cars that I'm interested in, I'm booking test drives over the next few weeks however these are some thoughts and opinions I have so far:

38 kWh Hyundai Ioniq
  • Larger car with lane assist, seems like it would be good for motorway
  • Fairly nice spec car it seems what's interior build quality like?
  • Not sold so much on the looks.
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 110 - 150
120 Ah BMW I3 / I3s
  • Smaller car, really nicely built, unique looking
  • Nice place to be looks wise, however is comfort a bit questionable?
  • I3S is better for motorway work due to being more stable?
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 100 - 130
Peugeot e-208
  • Very new car, looks really cool
  • Not sure what the infotainment and comfort will be like until I test drive, no experience in the field
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 130 - 170

Renault Zoe ZE50
  • Seems to have the largest range of the 4
  • Again, unsure of infotainment and comfort.
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 140 - 180

Really what I'm looking for is some people's opinions, real world feedback on range, and what car you would like to spend around 2 hours of your day in! :)
 
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#2 ·
Have a look at this thread on latest ZE50 testing:

 
#3 ·
The Ioniq is probably the best of these options. Comfortable, super efficient, well built, lots of features etc. Hyundai is definitely one of the best manufacturers out there for EVs. The only thing to watch out for is the new 38kWh model is a little slow at rapid charging. It doesn't seem like you will need to do much/any of this though in day to day use with charging taking place at home or work so I don't really see any down sides to it.

The Zoe would probably be my next best vote. Especially now the ZE50 is out it is very capable thanks to its bigger battery and rapid charge support. The build quality does appear to have improved over time, though it is still a cheaper, french car. It won't feel as good as, nor have as many features as the Ioniq.

The BMW i3 is a car that I personally like less and less the more I drive it. For what it is, it is quite expensive and a little impractical. The horror stories as these things age and the crazy repair prices are rather offputting too. It has the usual BMW i-drive infotainment system which I am sure it's reputation will speak for itself without me needing to elaborate on why that is a bad thing. On the motorway it feels quite twitchy, and especially with the recent strong winds we have had it doesn't feel as solid as the other cars. The amount of 'cheap' feeling plastic everywhere is a little disappointing too.

I Don't know much about the i3s variant, nor have I yet had the chance to try or even see an e208 in person so can't give much comment on that.

That's my opinion, and I am sure many people will disagree with me as they come to post their advice too. But if you want something comfortable for regular use on the motorway, as well as the best efficiency at high speeds it definitely has to be the Ioniq if you ask me.
 
#4 ·
I voted new Zoe, for two reasons: I'm very biased and you have replacement parts in Europe.

If the ioniq would have been built in Europe, that would have been my first suggestion as well, mostly because it's way more elegant (the looks will grow on you pretty quick) and comfortable if you have to drive such long distances almost every day.

A former colleague of mine had, sadly, an issue with his Kona that meant having the motor assembly replaced; still under warranty, but had to wait 3 months for parts to be shipped from Korea (was loaned a ioniq plugin hybrid for the duration though). Now, I'm super sure this was just bad luck and I have not heard of Hyundai having serious issues, but it kind of deterred me from looking at EVs manufactured outside Europe (Tesla has an assembly line in Tilburg, Netherlands); My previous Zoe has had its motor assembly replaced as well, and it took two days to have it shipped from France and fitted into the car. As I mentioned, I'm quite biased.

In terms of range, I have literally just returned from a trip in the new Zoe, 170 km (100 miles) journey on the autobahn most of it at 120+ km/h on the outward leg and uphill and sadly some stop-and-go traffic on the return journey but downhill, outside temperature 5C and the wind you had two days ago in the UK. Here's the trip summary and average consumption:

127888


127889


I would disqualify both Peugeot and BMW based on this result; the Peugeot is thirstier than Zoe and the BMW has lower range.

ioniq is the most comfortable of them all, suspension is great and the seats are very comfortable. The only downside to the driving experience in the ioniq I found to be the visibility in the back; the spoiler takes quite a big chunk of the view.

So, for comfort and driving assistance I'd go for ioniq. For range and quick service (albeit, biased because I'm in Germany) I'd go for Zoe. Both come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the infotaiment (cabled, not wireless); recently I'm not very fond of the infotaiment software from car manufacturers.

There, did I confuse you enough? ;)
 
#6 ·
Firstly, I am amazed by how responsive everyone on this forum is, very refreshing! :) And secondly thank you for all of your input.
I've managed to get a test drive in an Ioniq and Peugeot this weekend so I'll see how I feel with those for a start. Again the reliability shouldn't be a concern to me as it will be through work and I have another car anyway if there are any issues. Does anyone have any experience of the 38kWh range? Or would it just be best to look in the dedicated section on this Forum?

Out of interest, How come the Ioniq is so good in the range department. I know it has a quoted Cd of 0.24 which is very low, but is this the only factor? Or do they have some very efficient power and motor technology compared to other manufacturers?
 
#7 ·
Firstly, I am amazed by how responsive everyone on this forum is, very refreshing! :) And secondly thank you for all of your input.
I've managed to get a test drive in an Ioniq and Peugeot this weekend so I'll see how I feel with those for a start. Again the reliability shouldn't be a concern to me as it will be through work and I have another car anyway if there are any issues. Does anyone have any experience of the 38kWh range? Or would it just be best to look in the dedicated section on this Forum?

Out of interest, How come the Ioniq is so good in the range department. I know it has a quoted Cd of 0.24 which is very low, but is this the only factor? Or do they have some very efficient power and motor technology compared to other manufacturers?
Can't give you first hand info on the new Ioniq an mine is still on order :(

It's a good idea to g and give the folks in the Ioniq forum section a nudge, they are a nice bunch ,and lots of folk have had deliveries recently, I am sure they'd be more than happy to furnish you with all the data they have gathered thus far.

As for the efficiency, it a bit of everything, there is not single magic bullet, you only need to look at how well the Hyundai Kona does for range to see the effect the drive train has as well as the design and aero.
 
#9 ·
Have a play on abetterrouteplanner.com with your planned route. You can select your Ev, play around with speeds, see what it expects to happen if you dial in winter & headwinds etc. This website uses figures based on real-world use-cases, so with a bit of luck should be reasonably believable!

Re the comment about Ioniq spoiler hindering the rear view; I've been driving an Ampera for 4 years now, has the same split-view with the spoiler tailgate-lip thing cutting across the view. After a few miles this is actually not a problem at all, as there's plenty of height in the top section for normal rear view, and the bottom bit of the view is really only of use when reversing, and the rear-view camera is probably more use there anyway. I test drove the Ioniq Mk1 as a possible replacement, and what I did notice about the Ioniq rear view is that it's actually a bit narrow side-to-side! The tailgate glass is bordered by black paint/goop stuff, seems to be how they're all done these days, and that extends quite a way in from the edges. So I deffo found the view a bit constrained compared to the Ampera. But apart from that, I found the Ioniq to be a cracking Ev, and I ordered the Mk2. I cancelled the order once the full specs came out, and it was clear you can't put a tow-bar on the Bev, although the Phev can take one! But that's another story.
 
#10 · (Edited)
If there's any danger you'll be taking passengers in the back or carrying more than one suitcase forget the i3.
I'd suggest the 208 just for a change over the usual suspects and as it's a lease and since from reviews it seems reasonable and it has a very good range.
 
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#11 ·
In the Ioniq Prem SE (don't know about the Prem) you can enable the rear view camera to be on anytime so that helps with the visibilty a lot. I was used to the Ampera which was similar so not really an issue for me anyway.
Also, re waiting lists. Maybe only for outright purchase, but.....I decided I wanted one and so rang around most of the Hyundai dealers in a 80 mile radius (of Bristol), found 5 for sale, so even had a (limited choice ) of colour. This was 2 weeks ago. The Bristol dealer had one in Grey which I wasn't keen on, Worcester had 2, Gloucester had one. Mainly pre reg or demos.
 
#13 ·
First some background, this is my first post on this forum so I hope that asking for recommendations is okay! I have a ICE car that I use for longer journeys and weekends, however I am looking at getting an EV through work to commute in. As the car is leased the reliability is not really an issue to me.

My normal commute is a 80 mile round trip that is 95% motorway with no traffic, however for a couple of days a week this would increase to 120 miles, again, almost all motorway. Charging is available at work if needed however, I would like to avoid using it where possible as the rate is not very good.

Below are four cars that I'm interested in, I'm booking test drives over the next few weeks however these are some thoughts and opinions I have so far:

38 kWh Hyundai Ioniq
  • Larger car with lane assist, seems like it would be good for motorway
  • Fairly nice spec car it seems what's interior build quality like?
  • Not sold so much on the looks.
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 110 - 150
120 Ah BMW I3 / I3s

  • Smaller car, really nicely built, unique looking
  • Nice place to be looks wise, however is comfort a bit questionable?
  • I3S is better for motorway work due to being more stable?
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 100 - 130
Peugeot e-208

  • Very new car, looks really cool
  • Not sure what the infotainment and comfort will be like until I test drive, no experience in the field
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 130 - 170
Renault Zoe ZE50

  • Seems to have the largest range of the 4
  • Again, unsure of infotainment and comfort.
  • Cold-Mild motorway range (evdatabase): 140 - 180
Really what I'm looking for is some people's opinions, real world feedback on range, and what car you would like to spend around 2 hours of your day in! :)
Have you picked yet?
 
#15 ·
Again, thank you for all the feedback! I'm leading towards the Ioniq, but I may go for the Peugeot if it really impresses me, just as something a little different. The waiting list for the Peugeot is 12 - 14 weeks currently if anyone is interested.
I'm going to test drive them all over the next 2 weeks so I'll see how that goes!

As for the other car: Its a Golf Mk2 GTi that's a project of mine and that I have as a weekend and show car
 
#16 ·
Today I was meant to test drive the Ioniq however the drive got cancelled at the last minute as the car wouldn't charge and is having its battery replaced. However I did manage to get a test drive in a e-208 GT! Its a really fun car to drive and actually a pleasant place to be. Unfortunately, I got the vibe that I knew more about the car than the salesman, and the test drive was only about 15 minutes. I've got the Ioniq rebooked for next week and I will be driving a 208 at a differently dealership I think,
 
#21 ·
FWIW I've just ordered an ioniq too. The Leaf's mid/end of life refresh was really disappointing.

Its pretty much the same 10 year old car in a crap party dress, it just has a bigger battery and a slightly more powerful inverter than it launched with (and so it bloody well should have as the prices of those components plummeted), but with some (slightly) prettier panels bolted on, its otherwise the same car and its starting to show.

It should have been brilliant by now but it isn't and it doesn't even have a good place to keep your sunglasses anymore.

Nissan really dropped the ball by not investing in updating or replacing it properly.

If next years cashcow EV variant isn't epic they could end up being in significant difficulty. IMHO the rest of the market is beginning to transition to electrification (hybrids not just EVs) better than Nissan despite their significant headstart.
 
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