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I would very much worry about that.
Yes, I don't know how common it is, but I've read tales of Kia/Hyundai getting picky about services being done at slightly over the required interval when it came to a warranty claim. Of course they might also get picky about it not being done at a main dealer, but apparently that is a fight I should be able to win as the garage is HEVRA certified and claims to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the service. Only time will tell I guess.
It's annoying as the Kia app gives the impression that booking a service is easy and should be done within a few days (which is why I waited until I was a bit closer to 20k before booking). But it turns out that it just lets you book slots that aren't actually available and my (not so) local Arnold Clark have a ten day wait for a service, which might be a bit too long unless we start messing around with juggling which car we use.
Elsewhere I've seen suggested up to a few hundred miles / a month as a tolerance, but can't find that written down now.
Thanks @theotherjonv
Seems pretty clear that there is no need to use the dealer as long as the independent garage follows the manufacturers rules (which they claim they will). Probably makes sense for me to actually keep the invoice for this one rather than chucking it in the bin as usual though 😀
The main issue on that RAC page seems to be using the correct grade of oil, which doesn't apply to an EV anyway. As far as I can tell the 20,000 mile service is mainly just a load of visual checks.
I guess having it serviced at a main dealer could help with resale, but we tend to keep cars until they are pretty much worthless anyway.
The question I have is does it charge up on a charger then run through all its battery capacity before switching to petrol or is it smart enough to flip between them?
I think you can choose through different modes, no?
there is a risk that I might have ticked over 20k
The I4 doesn't need any servicing before it's 2 years old; and that's only brake fluid aging out.
20,000 is an arbitrary "oil change" sort of distance that has no place in EV motoring.
And Arnold Clark are shysters IME
The question I have is does it charge up on a charger then run through all its battery capacity before switching to petrol or is it smart enough to flip between them?
I've got a Kodiaq PHEV. It has two modes - pure electric and hybrid. In hybrid mode it will fire up the engine if you call for more power and with the gearbox in sport mode it adds some charge to the battery too. It also has a function whereby you can tell it to maintain a certain state of charge and it uses the engine to supplement where necessary - this is particularly effective when using the sat nav and you want to, say, keep 50% for the return journey.
The I4 doesn't need any servicing before it's 2 years old; and that's only brake fluid aging out.
20,000 is an arbitrary "oil change" sort of distance that has no place in EV motoring.
And Arnold Clark are shysters IME
Yes, I'm sure Kia have defined 20k service intervals primarily to protect the servicing revenue for their dealers and Arnold Clark do seem to be taking the wee wee by charging £320 for what is basically just a series of visual checks. But there is no point buying a car with a 7-year warranty* and then not maintaining it. Hopefully using a (much cheaper) independent garage for the servicing will save a bit of cash and still preserve the warranty.
*It's not a 7-year warranty of course. That's just more marketing cobblers. It's 7-years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. So will actually be less than 5 years for me.
Interesting that it’s £320. I bought mine from Parks and got the service plan which covers 10 and 20k/year 1 and 2 services and cost £300. Mine will be a year old in June and is about to hit 10k. AFAIK the first one is just a check over and is done after a year even if the miles are over 10k.
it won’t be going to them for service as they are really poor on customer care, so it’s going to Flear and Thomson in Stirling who I have found to be really good, they supplied and fitted a towbar last year and more recently a new rear light cluster after original one was damaged.
Yes, I had a look at the service packs when I bought mine. They look more attractive than they really are though as far as I can see. There is a saving over what it would cost you to purchase those services individually. The "problem" is that only one of the services included in the package is actually needed. So, for me, even if I did it at the dealer it was £300 for two services vs £320 for the one service that is actually needed over that period (and a lot less than £300 to get that service done somewhere else).
If I only did 10k a year I might have gone for it as getting it looked over every year is probably not a bad idea. But doing closer to 25k a year would mean having to book it in and trek over to the dealer (and possibly hang around while they did it) every 5 months or so, which I didn't really fancy. Basically, the extra "free" service included in the pack just sounded like more hassle to me and even paying £20 extra overall sounded worth it to save those wasted hours. I like the fact that service intervals are 20k rather than the ~10k that I had with previous ICE cars so didn't want to give that up.
I know some dealers go as far as setting a 10k service reminder in the car (mine did) but it's easy to reset that and if you look in the handbook it's clear that it only needs to be serviced every 20k to preserve the warranty (and even that's probably overkill).
I can't really blame the dealers for trying this, but getting you to come in for a service every 10K on an EV seems to be more for their benefit than ours really.
*It's not a 7-year warranty of course. That's just more marketing cobblers. It's 7-years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. So will actually be less than 5 years for me
It certainly isn't as my mate literally just found out with his (hybrid) Niro when the screen went dead - apparently screens are not covered past 3 years.......bill to follow as it hasn't been fixed yet due to not having parts. 4 year old car unuseable.
Fair point, always worth checking the small print as a warranty is rarely what it seems to be at first glance (or what they want you to think it is when you buy the product).
Sp we bought a 15 leaf with 11 bars for £2500. Fsh and clearly loved.
What do you do at traffic lights? Just keep your foot on the brake or apply parking brake and car in neutral?
I’m wary of blinding people behind and burning out the bulbs.
Depends how long the change is. Some I'll put it in P rather than N, others I'll use the footbrake or autohold (Kona)
doesnt the leaf only move when you put your foot on the accelerator ? - certainly mums gen 2 does.
ERGO id stop - id hold my foot on the brake till a car stopped behind me then id take my foot off the brake.
in our peugeot - ill hold my food on the brake , Its not cougars 1977 ford fiesta - your not burning out the bulbs by using them any more.
We have been looking at a new car for my Wife.
Her 12 plate Ibiza is still fine, but she wants to change it. She's had it since 2013, no longer needs a diesel for her short commute (and is probably slowly killing it), it's a 3-door with long doors which makes car parks a pain sometimes & it's not the easiest for my daughter getting in & out of the back - although she's only 10 so not really any room to complain there.
We are weighing up petrol & electric options & whether to go second hand or get something through her salary sacrifice scheme, although the latter still looks more expensive than we really want to spend.
For 2nd hand electric and with a budget of £12k give or take, current thoughts are:
Vauxhall Mokka
Vauxhall Corsa
Hyundai Kona (although wife pulled a face when she saw a pic of it)
BMW i3 (again, not sure she is convinced by the looks)
MG4
Anything else? She probably wants something no larger than a mid-sized hatchback or SUV, and I suspect something like a Corsa would be as small as she would want to go.
I have seen ID3s around that price, but they look so bland I am not sure we could face one of those sitting on the driveway. Cupra Born (yeah, same car as the ID3 underneath) is an option although looks more expensive at the moment.
I know there are cars like the Nissan Leaf & Hyundai Ioniq (the original bar of soap looking one) but they are going to be a hard sell from a looks perspective - she will want something that is halfway decent looking.
Or anything that is plug-in hybrid? I am not sure if she has charging points at work. We will probably get one installed anyway.
Anything else?
Peugeot e208 and e2008. Underneath are exactly the same Stellantis cars as the Corsa and Mokka. I have a 21 plate e208 and 2.5 yrs into ownership have really enjoyed it.
Vauxhall Mokka
Vauxhall Corsa
Hyundai Kona (although wife pulled a face when she saw a pic of it)
BMW i3 (again, not sure she is convinced by the looks)
MG4
Other half has used a 2020 Corsa e for nearly 3 years and already from one heater motor failing and a slightly leaky boot where water pools in the wheel well it has been ok.
I looked at original i3 and was put off by the higher insurance cost and the price of replacement tyres. They are an odd size and sense to cost around £250 each compared to the Corsa tyres which are a respectable £60 each for a budget tyre.
I'd probably look for a byd dolphin or wait until the dolphins become cheap enough to consider one if I needed another small car.
Peugeot e208 and e2008. Underneath are exactly the same Stellantis cars as the Corsa and Mokka. I have a 21 plate e208 and 2.5 yrs into ownership have really enjoyed it.
Thanks. I'll investigate those options, but eve if they are logically the 'same' cars she might not be very receptive. Before the current Ibiza she had a Peugeot 308 that was an absolute turd. She vowed after that she wouldn't have another one.
Other half has used a 2020 Corsa e for nearly 3 years and already from one heater motor failing and a slightly leaky boot where water pools in the wheel well it has been ok.
I looked at original i3 and was put off by the higher insurance cost and the price of replacement tyres. They are an odd size and sense to cost around £250 each compared to the Corsa tyres which are a respectable £60 each for a budget tyre.
I'd probably look for a byd dolphin or wait until the dolphins become cheap enough to consider one if I needed another small car.
Thanks for the feedback. I didn't think about consumable costs, to be honest. I should probably pay that some attention although she only does about 6k miles a year so might not be such an issue on things like tyres.
BYD Dolphin looks pretty small. Ideally I think she would like something Puma sized, but then doesn't fully say she would rather a small SUV over a normal hatchback. I try to help her out with decision making but it's not easy when I am not sure even she knows what she wants. 😁
BYD Dolphin looks pretty small
The dolphin surf is the small dolphin.
The dolphin original I reckon is bigger than the Corsa e. Probably a bigger battery and better tech package as well on most models🤔
Ah yeah. I was thinking of the Dolphin Surf. Didn't know they also did a non-surfing Dolphin!
doesnt the leaf only move when you put your foot on the accelerator ? - certainly mums gen 2 does.
That's the one-pedal setting isn't it?
possibly - never driven it on any other setting.
How many miles annually @stumpy01
There are some good lease deals on things like Renault 5 and 4, Micra etc at the moment that make looking at a new electric no more expensive than a £12k second hand one... I was tempted but we wanted bigger and we still do 12k+miles a year...
Mileage probably around 6k so lease we'd play it safe and go for an 8k allowance.
I have been looking at lease deals. Some great headline offers for monthly rate on lots of cars but once you add the initial payment over the term it bumps the repayment up quite a bit.
We tend to keep our cars for a while. A £10k loan will be about £230 a month over 4 years and would likely keep the car for several years after that.
We are also looking at my Wife's salary sacrifice scheme through work (Tusker) as well as mine (Octopus energy).
They seem to be a bit more but come with all expenses thrown in apart from electricity, although the Octopus one also includes charger installation.
They are a pain to find proper numbers for because you have to log-in to investigate prices and then when you do, they barrage you with phone calls and emails to get you roped in.
Oh, and she'd absolutely love a R5 I reckon 👍🏻
I hear you on loan Vs lease.. We are the same.
Buuuuut, small car and low miles I would have leased a Renault 4 or similar I think.
Megane E Tech is missing from your list I'd say. Bit toppy on the budget but with your milage buying one with more miles on already wouldn't worry me. About the same size as an MG4 but looks a bit nicer to me. Sat in one recently and the interior seemed well laid out and comfortable. Also runs Android Automotive so native Google Maps and spotify etc.
Not sure where you are but I'd recommend visiting a local EV specialist to take a look at different options. This one is near me and has most of your options in stock for you to see:
Just drove my old ICE van to make sure it was still working before I sold it - my god it feels absolutely archaic 😂
Sure, the exhaust is snapped in 2 (because of course it would do that just as I try to sell it), but all the growls and whistles and grindings and rumbles associated with a diesel are horrible to drive with! Kept rolling forward at lights as I forgot it didn't have an auto-hold function, and changing gear in traffic is boring haha
Anyway, anyone want to buy a VW Caddy Maxi Kombi? HMU!
@richpenny - Cheers for the suggestion. I completely forgot about the Renault options. The Mégane does look good and there's another model I've seen on the road that looks good but perhaps too new to fit the budget.
The 5 is excellent but would be out of budget at the moment
Just drove my old ICE van to make sure it was still working before I sold it - my god it feels absolutely archaic 
I know what you mean. I drove Miss OTS’ mini (2l diesel turbo that goes like stink) this morning to get new tyres. I actually really enjoyed the change from the pilot assisted auto everything in the PS4. I’m sure my knee will soon remind me that the novelty of a manual gear box is short lived! 😀
Anyone here at STW towers got a Smart EV ? I really like the look of the smart #5, but don’t know a soul who has an EV from Smart, Tesla yes, vw yes, jag yes (but no), byd yes, polestar yes etc
I swap between Polestar and T5.
I also recognise the 'feels so archaic' comments.
Polestar 2 Long Range, Single Motor, Prime ordered this morning as replacement for my EV6.
22 week lead time!
22 weeks?! According to the press I thought EV sales were struggling against government mandate...Enjoy it when it arrives - ours did 150 miles on Saturday and it is a lovely place to be. As we drover down M90 we found ourselves in a wee Polestar convoy - 3x Polestar 2's, a 3 and a 4...
Had a look at a Polestar 3. Blimmin' lovely vehicle but way above my price range.
We had the 2 for a 90 minute test drive on Saturday and did about 40 miles on a variety of roads. I really liked it and decided straight away that I wanted one. It's a nice size, very comfortable and feels nice and solid. (Disappointed that it still only has 1 front cup holder though.)
Nothing “wee” about Polestars, weight or width!
Nothing “wee” about Polestars, weight or width!
Indeed. One of the downsides of it.
Can someone please make a Fabia estate sized thing that is a) not made by VAG b) has real world 250 mile range and c) not made by VAG
Newport and back yesterday for me in the ID7. 240 miles with all but the first/last 3 or 4 at each end motorway or dual carriageway. Used 91% of the battery which I'm ok with given the speed and duration. Had to endure a little bit of 'well you can't just drive to...' ribbing at the event though at £2.50 for the electricity Vs their nearly £2/l for diesel I think I can ignore that.
Zeekr 7GT - launching in UK later this year - I like the look of it much more than the current crop of huge SUVs. From Geely so same stable as Polestar Volvo and Lotus
I swap between Polestar and T5.
I also recognise the 'feels so archaic' comments.
I drive an ‘18 plate Peugeot Boxer all week as a work toolbox on wheels, when I get in our Polestar at the weekend it feels like a space shuttle! Monday is always a disappointment.
We might be in the market for a small electric car in the next few months ... R4/5 look like contenders! But, I am so out of touch with the motoring world; is there I good reliable YouTube channel that'll have plenty of reviews to watch?
Can someone please make a Fabia estate sized thing that is a) not made by VAG b) has real world 250 mile range and c) not made by VAG
Mercedes CLA shooting brake?
ok then EVERYONE nerds - My partner is returning to a full time in the office job so whilst we've enjoyed this for the past 5 years whilst she's been WFH, the time has come to replace the Saab with an EV.
theres a Kia dealer locally so we popped in to see if the PV5 might be a suitable replacement for our Caravelle but sadly no 7 seater yet (4 kids) but we did have a seat in a used EV6 which at £17k looked like stonking value but I know nothing of these things so im asking you chaps
She'll probably do 10k per year commuting (20 miles each way A-roads and M11) and we would use it for anything child free, shopping etc. but the Caravelle will remain for big trips. We'll have a charger at home (I guess thats another thread for another day) we have a slight preference to avoid SUV shaped cars and I'm ruling out Tesla for brand association reasons.
Ive had my Caravelle for 12 years so I'm well out of date looking at cars - if this was a decade ago I'd be simply buying a 3 year old Passat with nice seats and I'd be confident that would be a sensible proposition
so - if we say budget of around 17k, we want a comfortable and relaxing drive, low hassle ownership and something thats not going to leave me thinking I should have bought something better. anything better than this EV6?
and on the subject of Kia's - is the 7 year warranty worth sticking to the brand over say a polestar which for my budget would be well out of warranty??