Expert answer

Hi Kay,

From your description, I'm going to assume you need a decent boot, but outright range is probably not so important and you're unconcerned with rear-seat space. Given you have solar panels, you should be able to charge up the car at home during the day, for 'free' most of the time as well, which is great.

There are some excellent brand-new electric cars around for under the €30,000 mark, such as the MG4 EV, Nissan Micra and Renault 5. The boots in the latter two may not hold all your golf stuff, though you can of course fold down the rear seats to do so. And if you're willing to do that, then you really should also consider the excellent Hyundai Inster.

Our top choice for you, though, is the Renault 4 E-Tech electric, which has a bigger boot than all of the others mentioned here, along with a relatively upright seating position, making it easy to get in and out of.

Here are links to our reviews of the above cars for your interest, but don't hesitate to send us another question if you want us to help you narrow down your search:

MG4 EV reviews

Renault 5 reviews

Nissan Micra reviews

Renault 4 reviews

Expert answer

Hi Terence,

I'm assuming you and the car are not in Ireland. If so, then I'm afraid VRT is still payable on importation into Ireland regardless of the fact that the car is a gift.

It is paid on what Revenue calls the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the value Revenue believes the car to be worth following registration.

Expert answer

Hi Haris,

It will be difficult to find a car that will fit two large rear-facing child seats and a booster in a single row without going for much larger vehicles. The alternative is an SUV with a third row, but that comes with compromises as well.

Anyway, searching within your budget, there are options. Large SUVs such as the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 would fit you all in, but at €25,000 you'd be buying relatively old ones with high mileage and likely high maintenance costs. Same for the BMW X5.

The Hyundai Santa Fe would be a better bet, as would the Kia Sorento or indeed the Nissan X-Trail. All of these are large SUVs and well-priced, reliable and decently equipped.

Finally, and I think this might be the best option, there's the Peugeot 5008. It has three separate seats in the middle row, so should fit all the kids in and you can fold away the rearmost seats to maximise boot space. There are petrol and diesel variants within budget with far lower mileage than the premium-badge options mentioned above.

You've not told us about any other preferences in terms of fuel, size of vehicle or anything, so come back to us if you want us to help narrow down the search further.

No matter what you decide, make sure you bring the child seats with you on any test drive and ensure they fit in properly.

Expert answer

Hi Santiago,

The electric Nissan Micra is offered with two different battery capacities and chemistries. The entry-level 40kWh battery uses lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) without any nickel or cobalt. This chemistry generally means lower cost, but also better thermal stability and durability.

The 52kWh battery in the Micra uses nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC), lithium-ion chemistry. NMC batteries generally have higher energy density, but are more expensive to make and sometimes less durable.

Expert answer

Hi Dee,

Hybrids such as the Juke have very small batteries and can therefore only drive on electric power for very short distances. If you're in stop-start traffic, it might use the battery for most of the time, but if the traffic is free-flowing and the speeds are higher, then it will not.

Unfortunately, the Juke Hybrid does not give a readout showing how much time is spent using the battery alone so you can't monitor it accurately.

If you drive slower, the car will use the battery more in town. Likewise, less use of the heating or air conditioning should mean less need for the engine to start up.

Bear in mind through all this that most of the energy used to charge up that battery comes from the engine itself, so it's not free energy.

Choose the Eco driving mode for maximum efficiency, but really, it will come down to your driving style as much as anything else.

Expert answer

Hi Mairead,

That's a good shortlist of cars to start with. Of them, we'd be slow to recommend the KGM due to the small dealer network and the way the distributor is set up here as an outpost of a Maltese company. The Torres EVX  undoubtedly is the most spacious of the three cars, with a huge boot and more space in the back seats, but we're not convinced by these things alone. The Skoda and Kia are far better cars in all other respects.

Before discussing them in more detail, I will say that it will be almost impossible to fit three child seats across the same row in any car of this size, especially with ISOFIX in use in the outer seats. If you're likely to be having a third child before changing car, and the older two will be in ISOFIX seats for some time yet, then I'd urge you to consider one with an extra row of seats. That'll reduce your choice of car unfortunately.

Anyway, both the Skoda and Kia are decent cars, and you'd likely be happy with both. The Enyaq has a slightly larger boot, but the EV5 fights back with a decent extra storage space under the bonnet up front to complement the regular boot so in effect there's little difference between them on that front.

In '85' specification, the Skoda has the longer official range, at up to 573km, while the best range the Kia manages is 530km. Those are comparable, as few EV owners would leave it that close to charge up on a long journey. Most do most of their charging at home and anyway, the vast majority of people cover less than half that range in a week, never mind a single journey. It's nice to have the comfort of more range of course, but the difference between these cars is negligible in real-world driving.

Although the Enyaq was updated earlier this year, the Kia is newer and feels larger inside, with a far nicer interface and loads of useful storage in the cabin.

Our money would go on the Kia if the choice were between just the three cars you named, but we'd suggest you take the time to go test drive as many models as you can to form your own opinion and bring your car seats along with you so you can see how much space there is.

A really good seven-seat electric SUV is the Peugeot E-5008, which is priced at a similar level to the cars you've mentioned. Read our review of that here.

An alternative five-seat model that has a little more space in the back seats is the Nissan Ariya. It has a smaller boot than the other cars here, but more space between the seatbelt buckles in the rear so it may be possible to fit a third child seat in, depending on its bulkiness. Read our reviews of that here.

Please do come back to us and let us know what you go for, or if you want more help narrowing things down.

Expert answer

Hi Shona,

Before we take a look for potential cars for you, I would say that you should avoid diesels, as they're not suited to mostly city driving and will end up costing more in maintenance. Stick with petrol, or hybrid if something comes up within budget.

A small estate such as the Skoda Fabia Combi could work well for you. There are plenty within budget, they're reliable and they have huge boots. The only reservation I have is that the rear seating isn't huge, which might be a problem if you have two rear-facing child seats in there. Worth going to take a look at one and making that decision for yourself. The SEAT Ibiza ST (Sports Tourer) is pretty much the same car underneath, incidentally, if you prefer the look of that.

There are VW Golf and Passat estates on the market within budget and with petrol engines as well, and they come with much more rear legroom than the Fabia, but you'd likely have to make do with an older model for under €10,000.

On a completely different tack are cars such as the Nissan Note and Kia Venga, which are more upright than most hatchbacks that take up the same amount of space on the road, to the benefit of interior space. They beat the Fabia for rear legroom, for example, but their boots aren't huge. I wouldn't want to be carrying a travel-system-style buggy as well as anything else. Nonetheless those ones I've mentioned are reliable and within budget.

The Honda Jazz is similar and it's an excellent choice.

Let me know if we're on the right track with this and if you need further help narrowing your search. 

Expert answer

Hi Sue,

That's quite a good selection of new EVs you're trying to choose from. Let's look at the facts first:

Exterior dimensions:

Kia EV4: 4,450mm long, 2,820mm wheelbase
Nissan Leaf: 4,350mm long, 2,690mm wheelbase
Toyota C-HR+: 4,520mm long, 2,750mm wheelbase

The wheelbase figures in particular tell us a lot. That's the distance between the front and rear axles and it's an indication of how much interior space a car has. And the Kia EV4 definitely has the most spacious cabin of the three. If you're regularly carrying larger people in the back, it's the one to go for, but it's also notably roomier up front.

Boot space with all seats in use:

Kia EV4: 435 litres
Nissan Leaf: 437 litres
Toyota C-HR+: 416 litres

The Kia and Nissan appear to be more or less identical on this metric, but the EV4's more upright rear means it can handle bulkier loads when you need it to.

Official range (battery capacity quoted as 'usable' figures):

Kia EV4: either 440km for 55kWh battery or 625km from 78kWh
Nissan Leaf: either 440km for 52kWh battery or 622km for 75kWh
Toyota C-HR+: 606km from 72kWh battery

This data reveals that the Nissan Leaf is a little more efficient than the other ones – in that it uses a bit less energy to go the same distance - so it should prove a little cheaper to run. The differences are slight, though. Note there is only one battery option for the Toyota.

Always remember that these are the official range figures the car makers have to quote according to a standardised test procedure, and it's very difficult to replicate them in real-world situations. Saying that, most people don't travel 400km a week, never mind a day, so it's worth considering the versions with the smaller batteries.

Pricing:

Kia EV4: from €39,940 for 55kWh model, €43,275 for the 78kWh version
Nissan Leaf: no Irish price confirmed as yet, but we'd guess €37,000 for the 52kWh model
Toyota C-HR+: from €42,160 (two grades available, but one battery)

Our opinions:

The Toyota and Nissan look similar in that they're curvy crossovers, while the Kia is a conventional five-door hatchback shape, albeit one with interesting design details.

They're all quite different inside in terms of style, though all of high quality and fitted with all the technology you'd need. The Kia is undoubtedly the most spacious feeling.

The Nissan is – marginally – the best of them to drive, with the Kia in second place, though there really isn't a lot between them in that regard.

In summary:

You'll have noticed that there aren't yawning gulfs between the cars – unless interior and boot space are top priorities - so it may well come down to your own preferences and the pricing. We'd highly recommend you go test drive each of them to see which you prefer.

Do let us know which you choose – and why.

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

That budget limits the options a little in terms of roominess. With five of you on board, especially if one or two are in boosters or child seats, then you'd definitely need a larger model. The Nissan Qashqai e-Power or the hybrid versions of the Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tucson would be perfect, for example.

Nonetheless, if there are no car seats to contend with then you should pop into a Toyota dealer and ask to check out the Corolla 'Touring Sports' estate and the Corolla Cross. They're both very good cars.

Another possibility is the Hyundai Kona. It's available as a hybrid, is within budget and is way larger than its predecessor inside, so it may well fit the bill.

One of the best options - if you're ok with an SUV shape - is the Dacia Bigster. Even a high-spec hybrid version is within budget for you, the rear has loads of room and it's great value for money.

Finally, the Renault Austral competes with the larger SUVs above and is fantastically spacious. It's slightly out of budget at a starting price of €41,995, but maybe you can do some negotiating...

Let us know if we're on the right track or if you need further help refining your search.

Expert answer

Hi Abdullah,

The Pixo is a decent enough city car for light-duty work, but we'd urge caution putting it to hard use. The engine itself is quite dependable, but the Pixo was always a budget car made for a budget price so you can't expect it to be incredibly durable.

Nonetheless, that's not particularly high mileage for it and, if it comes with a complete service history, the chances are it is capable of the same again without any major costs. 

Take it for a test drive to see if it feels up to scratch before you decide.