Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

Every EV on the market at that value will likely have peppy acceleration – certainly in comparison to your old Focus – and electric cars in general are also really reliable as they have so few moving parts.

The first car that comes to mind is the Hyundai Kona Electric. It's just within budget, but it gets a good warranty, it's comfortable and the brand has a great reputation for dependability.

We could say the same for the Kia EV2. This is a little smaller than the Kona, but it still comes with a comfortable, high-set driving position and it's really good on the road. There are more options in the lineup for under €32,000 as well.

Stepping back up in size is the great-value MGS5 EV, which also comes with the reassurance of a seven-year warranty.

With your low annual mileage, we'd urge you not to focus too much on the range of the EV you're choosing. So long as you can get a home charger installed, you'll barely ever use the full energy capacity of the battery pack.

I'm conscious of your comment about having too much choice, so come back to us if you want us to help you narrow things down further or widen the search.

And always test-drive a car you're considering buying before committing to it.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

That return trip is about 300 kilometres, so ideally, you'd get an EV with an official range north of 400km to allow for cold weather, etc. if that's an important requirement to you. Though obviously there are chargers on that route you could use if you had to.

There are loads of good-value options on the used market that fit the bill. The Cupra Born is one of them, with more interior space than your Leaf and a feature-packed infotainment system. You'll find a wide variety of examples priced between €20,000 and €30,000 and while the smaller-battery version is probably fine for your needs, the bigger-battery model is within budget too.

From Hyundai, you have a choice of the Kona Electric SUV, the Ioniq 5 or Ioniq 6. The latter two are the more impressive cars in our opinions and well-suited to long journeys. Again, there's a wide variety of options in the classifieds.

Likewise, you can afford the Kia e-Niro or EV6, but the latter is by far the more impressive, especially on the motorway.

If you want to stick to more compact cars, you'd get into a nearly new Peugeot E-2008 or E-308, and we're particular fans of the latter, though you will find a few examples of the E-3008 within budget as well. And the unique interior designs of these cars might appeal.

Remarkably, you could even get into an early example of the Polestar 2. It's a big step up from the Leaf.

There are loads of other options, so rather than bamboozle you with them, we'll leave it at that for now. Come back to us if you want more help narrowing things down.

Expert answer

Hi Mat – and thanks for such a detailed brief.

I'd rule the Volvo out right away and not for the price, but because it's so much smaller inside than the others listed.

Our top choices would be the MG or Kia, ruling out the Leapmotor for a few reasons:

- The brand is a big unknown and is unproven

- The driver-assistance systems are incredibly annoying, intrusive and over-sensitive

- The interior relies completely on the touchscreen

Go test drive these cars for yourself to get a feel for which one you prefer, though the MG is notably more affordable.

And do come back to us if you want more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Ron,

If you don't want the Honda or Toyota, then how about something from Nissan or Lexus? The X-Trail e-Power is a lovely SUV, but the only difficulty might be finding an all-wheel-drive one, as most of them sold were front-wheel drive only.

From Lexus, you could get into the luxurious RX for your budget, but it wouldn't be much newer than your existing car, so how about a Lexus NX instead?

Again, most are front-wheel drive, but we did find a few for sale with four-wheel drive, well within budget. Admittedly, the NX isn't quite as large as your Honda.

Lexus has a stellar reputation for reliability and quality, however.

Go and test drive a few options and come back to us if you want any more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Elaine,

Those cars are remarkably well-matched in terms of performance and interior space. They're both comfortable enough on the motorway and easy to drive around town as well. There's very little to choose between them.

While we do prefer the exterior appearance and interior design of the Dacia, the Opel does come with a longer warranty, so if you're planning on keeping the car for a long time that is certainly a factor to consider. Saying that, Dacia's cars are generally quite durable so we'd not be overly worried about it.

For us, the Duster just edges it, so I recommend you take both for as long a test drive as you can, including some motorway driving, to see which you prefer. 

And do us a favour - drop us a (private) message via the Contact Us page to let us know which you go for and why.

Expert answer

Hi John,

In terms of preference, I'd have a strong one for the Hyundai. It's a far more polished driving experience and it has a far more sensible interior layout that doesn't rely entirely on a touchscreen. Along with that, there's the back up of a full dealer network and Hyundai's strong warranty.

On paper, of course, the Tesla's stats are impressive as it's quicker accelerating, has a longer range on a charge and has a larger boot, but none of those things are enough to convince me it's the one to have in this comparison. 

Best advice I can offer is to go and test drive both for yourself and see what you think. Please do let us know what you think (in private) by submitting a message via the Contact Us page.

Expert answer

Hi Nick,

It might be tempting to go with the newer car, but the Peugeot engine has what's called a 'wet belt' and these can be problematic. Unless it has had more oil changes than is recommended, we'd shy away from this car. Shame as it's otherwise nice, and newer than the Fiesta.

Still, the Fiesta (and we're assuming you mean the 80hp non-EcoBoost one) is a great choice. The Peugeot and Ford are contemporaries when it comes to safety equipment and standards with the Fiesta slightly better anyway.

All in all, if those are the two cars on your shortlist, we wouldn't hesitate to say go for the Fiesta.

Expert answer

Hi Seraphina,

Either of those cars should serve your needs well, especially if you remove the rearmost seats from the Jogger to allow space for your dogs (it's an easy thing to do).

However, the Bigster – aside from being the newer and more impressive vehicle overall – comes with the added advantage of a higher driving position and so-called “hip point” so it should prove to be easier to get in and out of.

About the only downside to the Bigster that I can think of is that its boot lip at the back is higher up than the Jogger's, though that'll only affect small dogs or those that struggle with jumping up.

I highly recommend you pop along to a Dacia dealer for yourself and take both for a test drive.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick, 

It's not yet in Ireland (in fact, we're driving it in the coming week at its European launch), but we have been told that it should arrive in the second quarter of this year. We'd guess that means closer to the "262" plate in July in reality.

Expert answer

Hi Rachel,

We'd certainly recommend the Tucson over the Kona. It's a larger, but crucially, more comfortable and refined vehicle. What's more, there are loads of them available in the classifieds within your budget - though we'd suggest seeking out one with the newer 1.6-litre diesel engine as it's a bit quieter and more efficient than the 1.7-litre.

What you might not know is that the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson share the same mechanicals, so it's worth taking a look at examples of both so you can choose which you prefer.

Note that most of these vehicles are front-wheel drive only, which is perfectly fine for driving on the road most of the time. Don't buy a four-wheel-drive one unless you reckon you need the extra traction and ability during winter months on slippery surfaces, as they are not as economical.

Both Kia and Hyundai have a great reputation for reliability, though the Kias were sold with a longer new-car warranty so there may even be a portion of that still active, depending on how old a car you go for and its mileage. Ask the seller about that.

Our top tip to buyers of used cars is to test drive several different examples from different sellers so you get a feel not only for which you prefer, but also for how good – or not – a given car is.