Expert answer

Hi David,

Driving and owning an EV is arguably easier than a petrol or diesel car with one important caveat – you get a home charger. Do that and, with your low annual mileage, you'll rarely have to bother with the public charging network. No more petrol stations, either. Just plug your car in at home overnight and it's ready to go in the morning, for a lot less “per kilometre” than any petrol or diesel model.

EVs are simple to drive as they're automatic and they also have a lot less maintenance. Even standard servicing requirements are less.

Pop into a Renault dealer and book a test drive and I doubt you'll look back. They'll even help you with the process of sorting the home charger. Once that's done it's all plain sailing and you just drive the car as normal.

Feel free to come back to us with any other concerns or questions. EVs don't suit everyone yet, but it certainly sounds like one would suit you. And they don't come much more desirable than the new Renault 5.

Expert answer

Hi David,

First up, the Mokka has comfortable suspension, so it will be good from that point of view. The three-cylinder petrol engine has plenty of go in 136hp guise, and it's mated to a six-speed gearbox so it shouldn't be too audible, even at higher motorway speeds. It can be a little loud getting up to speed, but fine when cruising.

One thing to watch out for is that the GS version you mention rides on bigger wheels than the lesser models in the lineup. That means lower-profile tyres, which are likely wider as well. This can certainly add to road noise at speed.

And, while the Mokka is above average in terms of refinement on the motorway for its class, it is still a relatively cheap-and-cheerful small car, and you can't expect it to be as civil as larger and more expensive ones at higher speeds.

The best advice we can give you is to take one for an extended test drive, including motorway speeds on a variety of road surfaces - and make sure the stereo is off and anyone with you is quiet so you can assess if it meets your needs.

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Hi Sean,

It would be very unlikely to pass, though you never know, as the testing standards across the country are variable. It could fail on a number of things, including excessive loudness, measured emissions and the fact it's a modified exhaust system.

Expert answer

Hi John,

Yes, you will get a full year of the NCT. Once the previous cert has expired, the next test is the starting point for the new one, regardless of ownership.

Expert answer

Hi Lee,

That generation of Kuga is generally quite dependable, certainly with the diesel engine. Just make sure that all the warning lights are working when you switch on the ignition and that they go off quickly when the engine is running. You want to make sure that the DPF isn't clogged, as that's relatively low mileage for the year.

For the same reason, make sure you take it for a decent test drive and ensure that there's no hesitation in the acceleration or in how the engine runs. Top tip: try to test drive other examples of the same car from other sellers so you get a feel for what it should drive like.

It isn't quite due a timing belt change yet, but no harm trying to get the seller to do that for you before you make the deal. Our data shows it's due once the car is either over 10 years old or has done 200,000km.

Expert answer

Hi Alan,

Yes, we've quite a bit of review and test content of the Seal U DM-i already live. Go to the BYD Seal U review page for more.

Expert answer

Hi Daniel,

The driver's seat has a lot of adjustment in it, for height as well as everything else, so we believe you'd be ok.

Make sure you go and take one for a test drive to know for sure though.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

While some owners have reported such issues with the Arkana, not all have – i.e. it's not widely known as an unreliable car, but some vehicles clearly are not up to scratch. Hence, go into the process with your eyes wide open and scrutinise any car you like the look of in detail, checking every sub-system and warning light and getting as long and as detailed a test drive as you can.

Insist on a full service history and also check that the car has had all its recall work done, as the Arkana was subject to a few recalls from Renault.

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 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.