Looking to buy an EV for about €25,000...
I'm looking to buy my first EV but not sure which is best value, performance, warranty, most suitable for family of five that, alongside city driving can also travel on 400km trips about 10 times per year and 1,000km drive once per year.
Looking for advice please. My budget is about €25,000.
Thank you.
Niall Murphy (Dublin)Apr 2025 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Niall,
With your requirements and budget, you'll certainly be looking at a used EV rather than a new one, which may mean buying a car that doesn't have much of its original regular warranty remaining (as the industry default is three years - though there are exceptions). However, the car makers include a longer warranty on the drive battery to reassure buyers of their longevity. Typically, this is for eight years and 160,000km (from new), though the precise figures vary from model to model.
You've not specified if any of your kids are in small seats or boosters so we assume three of them can fit across in one row of a normal car (do come back to us if we're wrong on that as that will limit your options considerably).
In terms of your driving use, and assuming you'll get a home charger to cover day-to-day charging, you're going to have to plan to use the public charging network on your longer journeys. Very few used EVs in your budget will do 400km on a charge all year around with five people on board.
Most should require just one top-up on that trip, however, taking no longer to charge than it will to get the kids all out and into the bathroom and for you to grab a coffee.
I'm sure you'd have to stop a few times on a 1,000km trip regardless of charging up the car.
Taking a look at what's on the market for under €25,000, here are some options we'd recommend:
Cupra Born: This is a five-seat, five-door hatchback about the same size as a Volkswagen Golf on the outside (and indeed it's the same underneath as the Volkswagen ID.3), but it has way more rear-seat space. Your budget gets you a 2022 example using the 58kWh battery pack, which means a realistic range of about 300km between charges.
Read our Cupra Born reviews here
Hyundai Kona Electric: The Kona is a five-door, five-seat crossover you should find as new as 2023 available within budget. That's the last of the previous-generation model. It's smaller in the boot and back seat than the Cupra mentioned above, but it is efficient. There are even some available with a 64kWh battery for a realistic range between charges of nearly 400km.
Read our Hyundai Kona reviews here
Kia e-Niro: This is another five-seat crossover, actually sharing its underpinnings with the Hyundai. However, the Niro is noticeably bigger inside the cabin and boot. There are loads of 2022 examples around with a 64kWh battery - meaning a real-world range of nearly 400km again. Sidebar: the Kia e-Soul is a stylish alternative sharing most of the same components, though it's less practical as a family car.
Read our Kia Niro reviews here
Read our Kia Soul reviews here
Skoda Enyaq: The Enyaq is a fantastic family car with much more space in the cabin and boot than all of the above. Sadly, there are very few about at your budget, though we did find a couple so it might be worth holding out for. The compromise is that you'll only be able to afford the 58kWh model, which should manage a little over 300km between charges.
Read our Skoda Enyaq reviews here
Volkswagen ID.3/ID.4: The ID.3 is VW's equivalent to the Cupra Born above and there are more of them about, most with the same 58kWh battery. Saying that, we did find a few with the 77kWh battery pack, enabling a much longer range. The ID.4 is notably larger inside and comparable with the Skoda Enyaq. It's not common within budget though.
Read our Volkswagen ID reviews
Hopefully that's some useful food for thought. Don't hesitate to come back to us if you want us to help narrow down your search.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor