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If not a Tesla, then what would you get?
- Thread starter jpaz
- Start date
I have both a 2012 RAV4 EV and a 2015 e-Golf. I recommend both of them. They are both available used today for about $15k-$18k in California. However, they both have the same problem as an Arizona owner - lack of service. There is a guy in Tucson who has to decide whether he wants to tow his RAV4 EV to California for immediate service or wait a month for Toyota to send someone out to diagnose his failed on-board charger. In either case, the repair will take 2-4 weeks after diagnosis. Toyota will pay for a rental car only after the car is diagnosed and approved as a Powertrain Warranty repair.
Since we just got our Model 3, the leased e-Golf is going back within the next week.
Since we just got our Model 3, the leased e-Golf is going back within the next week.
Olle
Active Member
If exterior looks and appearance is a consideration, IMHO the e-Golf and the Ford Focus Electric are worth a look. Focus has water cooled battery and from 2017 onwards it has a 33.5 kWh. Compared to Leaf, these feel more like grown-up cars on the highway. Smaller trunk than the others though.
I forgot to mention about my Leaf. Because it is such a tall car, range melts away quickly on the highway. Over 80 mph you can literally watch the range meter fall in real time. I think it gets about 50 miles highway. Not sure how they managed to get 83 miles EPA, must be very few highway miles in the test cycle. Its an electron sipper in the city though.
I forgot to mention about my Leaf. Because it is such a tall car, range melts away quickly on the highway. Over 80 mph you can literally watch the range meter fall in real time. I think it gets about 50 miles highway. Not sure how they managed to get 83 miles EPA, must be very few highway miles in the test cycle. Its an electron sipper in the city though.
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Don TLR
Active Member
That gray ELR is drop dead sexy but second on that list is a Volt, I tossed around the idea and test drove one and liked the power-train along with the looks.
I had my '97 CR-V for over 20 years and finally sold it a few months after getting a Tesla. I wanted an AWD long-range electric vehicle and only Tesla had a car that met those requirements.
Cirrus MS100D
Member
I got jealous of my wife’s Model S, but my kids still wanted us to save for college or something stupid like that, so I got a used Fiat 500e and I absolutely love it.
They’re a little overpriced on the used market right now IMO (I got mine for $8600) but even around $10k, they’re a steal.
It ain’t a Tesla in fit, finish or performance, but so long as the recalls have been performed, you should be getting a reliable 100 miles (or more) of range per charge. The standard L1 charger will take a while to get back from 0%, but you could pick up the JDapter and use your existing Tesla HPWC and get a full charge in about 4 hours.
I just need it to commute from home > school > train station > home. I much prefer taking it over the Tesla for coffee runs or picking up a sandwich in town.
They’re a little overpriced on the used market right now IMO (I got mine for $8600) but even around $10k, they’re a steal.
It ain’t a Tesla in fit, finish or performance, but so long as the recalls have been performed, you should be getting a reliable 100 miles (or more) of range per charge. The standard L1 charger will take a while to get back from 0%, but you could pick up the JDapter and use your existing Tesla HPWC and get a full charge in about 4 hours.
I just need it to commute from home > school > train station > home. I much prefer taking it over the Tesla for coffee runs or picking up a sandwich in town.
Attachments
tescroft
In Musk, we trust.
I need adequate space for five relatively tall people at reasonable cost. At this point in time the new Kia Niro EV seems like my best new car alternative in the near future. It's not available yet but I will most likely be able to get one sooner than a Model 3. It's definitely not as sexy as the Tesla but should be a fair bit cheaper also. Looking a bit further ahead it will be interesting to see what Volkswagen Group and others will be rolling out in the next few years.
Hank101
Go Tigers!
Dropped my 3 reservation, bought a new 2018 Volt (cheap), gonna wait it out till more realistic options are available, 2-3 years. I drive less than 40 miles commute a day, it will get at least 50 mile per charge, so the Volt serves as a pure electric in my case. Very high quality, no bugs or "weird" options, locally serviced, no range anxiety, got the color and type interior and exterior desired. I keep 2 gallons of gas in it at all times, which provides a 80 mile buffer for emergencies - no point in lugging around a tank full of fuel....
iPace is nice, but pricey, and not currently available. If I needed more range, I think that I would look into the Leaf as a hold over until better options are available, like tranquilgarden.
I fear that current EV car values will plummet when the market see other competitive options, but if you want an EV, you gotta enter the "game" at some point in time.
iPace is nice, but pricey, and not currently available. If I needed more range, I think that I would look into the Leaf as a hold over until better options are available, like tranquilgarden.
I fear that current EV car values will plummet when the market see other competitive options, but if you want an EV, you gotta enter the "game" at some point in time.
Blu Angel
Member
If you are a proponent of “Sustainable Future”
Brand New Vehicle:
2018 Chevy Bolt
2019 Nissan Leaf
Used Vehicle:
CPO Tesla S
Brand New Vehicle:
2018 Chevy Bolt
2019 Nissan Leaf
Used Vehicle:
CPO Tesla S
Actually this is a good idea from another perspective. I spoke with a Volt owner at a recent Earth Day event, and he said that after a year, the car will force you to burn off the old gas, regardless of how much you have in the battery. The less gas you have sitting in the tank, the less you waste.
david_42
Member
Skotty
2014 S P85 | 2023 F-150L
This is what tempts me for the first time in my life to maybe get a motorcycle. What has always kept me away from motorcycles is how noisy and obnoxious they are. I realize a quiet motorcycle comes with more risk of not being noticed while in operation, but I'll happily accept that risk.
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
david_42
Member
I rode for several decades; having a quiet motorcycle will not make any difference. People in cars do not notice motorcycles, or emergency vehicles, police cars, fire trucks, etc. Your survival is 100% on your alertness.
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
I test drove several BEVs over the years: Zoe, Model S (twice), i3, e-Golf (twice), Ioniq.
After those experiences I made the decision to reserve a Model 3. (Model S and X being completely out of reach financially, plus they are far too large for my needs, and the Model 3 has the far more practical interior - and better effciency as well).
But now that delivery of the Model 3 over here in Europe is pushed ever further away, I decided to get an e-Golf (which incidentally I ordered just today).
I still keep my reservation though, because when the Model 3 finally does arrive here (end of 2019, beginning of 2020 I would assume), it can replace our family car (VW Touran TDI), while the e-Golf is intended to replace my current car (BMW 330 Cd).
As for why the e-Golf specifically? Several reasons:
First - the i3 imho is not only fugly as hell, but also very impractical, mainly because of those idiotic rear doors. Just what was BMW thinking?
Second - the Zoe, the Leaf and the Ioniq to me don't have that familiar look and feel to them that the e-Golf has, plus the interior materials used seem much cheaper, and I don't like that. I want a high quality interior. At least in that respect the i3 was on par with the e-Golf.
Third, I would have loved to try out the Ampera (German version of the Bolt), but getting a test drive is near impossible, plus Opel is not really interested in selling it anymore anyway, now that they have been sold by GM to PSA.
Last, all other alternatives are either too expensive (Jaguar i-Pace) and/or not even available yet (Audi e-tron, Porsche Mission e), or test drives were not available or dealerships just didn't get back to me (Merc B-class, Smart).
To sum up, even though my enthusiasm for VW has gone down the drain after Dieselgate, the fact remains that the e-Golf to me still is the best non-Tesla EV currently available for a reasonable price.
After those experiences I made the decision to reserve a Model 3. (Model S and X being completely out of reach financially, plus they are far too large for my needs, and the Model 3 has the far more practical interior - and better effciency as well).
But now that delivery of the Model 3 over here in Europe is pushed ever further away, I decided to get an e-Golf (which incidentally I ordered just today).
I still keep my reservation though, because when the Model 3 finally does arrive here (end of 2019, beginning of 2020 I would assume), it can replace our family car (VW Touran TDI), while the e-Golf is intended to replace my current car (BMW 330 Cd).
As for why the e-Golf specifically? Several reasons:
First - the i3 imho is not only fugly as hell, but also very impractical, mainly because of those idiotic rear doors. Just what was BMW thinking?
Second - the Zoe, the Leaf and the Ioniq to me don't have that familiar look and feel to them that the e-Golf has, plus the interior materials used seem much cheaper, and I don't like that. I want a high quality interior. At least in that respect the i3 was on par with the e-Golf.
Third, I would have loved to try out the Ampera (German version of the Bolt), but getting a test drive is near impossible, plus Opel is not really interested in selling it anymore anyway, now that they have been sold by GM to PSA.
Last, all other alternatives are either too expensive (Jaguar i-Pace) and/or not even available yet (Audi e-tron, Porsche Mission e), or test drives were not available or dealerships just didn't get back to me (Merc B-class, Smart).
To sum up, even though my enthusiasm for VW has gone down the drain after Dieselgate, the fact remains that the e-Golf to me still is the best non-Tesla EV currently available for a reasonable price.
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