Buying a secondhand EV – things to check?

It’s just the worst possible time to buy a ‘cheap’ EV. Hydrocarbon fuel prices are pushing people to EV but there isn’t the maturity of market like there is for ICE stuff.

The KIA soul is a good alternative to the Leaf but prices are up a few £k from last year.

I’d buy older diesel for a few years until things settle down – anything with a VW PD, PSA group 2.0Hdi or a Yaris hybrid or Aygo depending on ULEZ

I’ve linked the right car but you haven’t played the game and linked an ICE 1/4 of the age, 1/8th of the mileage and better specced at the same price, Trailrat.

Once again you’re trying to put people off looking at EVs by dissing them with no facts to back up your dissing. So I’m asking you to back up your claims.

You haven’t read my original post and have cherry picked parts of it to make your point.

Make sure the PTC heater is still working. They are very expensive to get someone else to fix and a pig of a job to do yourself. This is a purely electric heater to preheat the cabin before the heat pump takes over. You can see on the power meter if it’s working as it should draw 4-5 kw with the heater on from cold.

A leaf and an Argo are not similar vehicles. So you’re not even starting from a fair comparison. An Auris would be a fair size comparison and a quick search shows that a 2016 Auris with less than 30000miles is about £11k in base spec…

Make sure you check that the clutch works.

Once again you’re trying to put people off looking at EVs by dissing them with no facts to back up your dissing.

Well, I’m very pro-EV but I still think old Leafs may not be that good of a deal. I would say only get one if you have a short commute and you can afford to care about your carbon footprint.

A leaf and an Argo are not similar vehicles. So you’re not even starting from a fair comparison.

Isn’t that because electric cars are often necessarily bigger to fit the battery in? If you don’t *need* a bigger car, and the main reason for an electric car is cheaper running costs, small 1 litre cars might be cheaper.

We bought an 2009 IQ about 6 years ago. It’s been incredibly cheap to run. Cost 2.5k. It only weighs 800kg so there’s just very little wear on everything. Tyres last agggess for instance, and they only cost 40 quid. All it’s needed are oil changes, brakes and tyres.

Unfortunately now it’s getting on a bit. 3rd gear syncro gone, clutch really needs doing. Tempted to get it fixed anyway what with 2nd hand prices.

It’s been incredibly cheap to run.

Unfortunately now it’s getting on a bit. 3rd gear syncro gone, clutch really needs doing.

Cheap because you’ve not actually maintained it?

Isn’t that because electric cars are often necessarily bigger to fit the battery in? If you don’t *need* a bigger car,

No. An EUp is about the same size as an Argo. It’s electric. What I’m saying is that a family hatch will be a different market to a super mini. So compare an equivalent car.

Electric cars aren’t bigger unless designed that way. Look at the Model 3.

If you don’t *need* a bigger car,

Is the key part of your quote there.

Op posted looking at an ev for his wife to commute to work. No mention of any other use.

Easy to see why they defaulted to a leaf because the gwizz was shit and the e-up is still mega bucks if you can find one. The leafs the original usable EV.

Doesn’t make it current good value for a single occupancy commuter due to the inflated prices though – I’d have bought one if it did. I wanted to buy an EV I really did but the maths is still well out of whack even when the fuel cost is minimal in the ev.

Fwiw you can get a family of three and their gear in a 5 door Aygo without any tears. I wouldn’t like to go on a driving holiday to the south of France in one mind…. But then I wouldn’t want to do that in a leaf either.