Best used electric cars

Launched in 2019, the Tesla Model 3 has been a runaway worldwide sales success. It has state-of-the-art tech, great performance and an excellent range all wrapped up in a relatively affordable package. Of earlier models, the Standard Range Plus is WLTP-certified for 254 miles of claimed range and the Long Range steps that up to 348 miles. The Performance officially does 329 miles. All Model 3s come with plenty of luxuries, and the best news of all is that used prices have now fallen to an extremely tempting low.  

"The Model 3 has – and continues to be – a bit of a no-brainer for many electric car buyers and I can certainly see why. You get lots of range, lots of tech and that Tesla Supercharger network takes away a lot of the hassle of electric car charging." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus, 41,918 miles, £17,000 

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The Skoda Enyaq may look rather conventional next to one or two of its modern electric SUV rivals, but don’t be put off: it’s one of the best around, new or used, regardless of size. It’s good to drive, comfortable, practical, extremely refined and comes with a decent range.  The iV 60 version has a 58kWh battery and a decent official range. Bought used, it’s also great value. It could be all the car you’ll ever need. 

"The Enyaq was one of the first electric cars I ever got behind the wheel of. Still, even to this day, I find myself impressed with how practical, comfortable and well priced it is (new and used)." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2021 Skoda Enyaq iV 60 63kWh Nav Suite, 45,000 miles, £17,485

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The Kia e-Niro might not look like a revolution, but it was one of the first pure electric cars offered at a reasonable price that came with a terrific on-paper range. It's handily sized outside and roomy inside, and it comes with a range that will embarrass many more expensive electric cars. In one of our real range tests, it achieved 253 miles in real-world use. Look for '3' trim which has the 64kWh battery, because it's quicker, has a much longer range, is better to drive and gets an upgraded infotainment system.

"Another previous What Car? Car of the Year, the e-Niro came as a bit of a game changer – here's an electric car that was reasonably priced and that went very far on a single charge. And now, when used, it's more reasonably priced than ever before" – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2020 Kia e-Niro 64kWh First Edition, 55,512 miles, £14,399

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Launched in 2020, the Volkswagen ID 3 was the first-born child of the manufacturer’s ever-expanding all-electric ID series. It's good to drive, with nippy performance, it has plenty of range and it comes with a spacious and practical interior. True, the overall quality of the interior is a little underwhelming, and the infotainment system can be fiddly, but overall the ID 3 is now one of the best used electric cars you can buy. 

"I can't say the ID 3 is an exciting machine, at least in my opinion. However, objectively it is very good – and in a variety of areas – so it's very easy to recommend." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2021 Volkswagen ID 3 Pro Performance 58kWh Life, 51,000 miles, £13,250

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From its driving experience to its build quality, the BMW iX3 is a class act. It's well-rounded and in our eyes devoid of any major weaknesses. And the good news is you can now pick one up for a very healthy discount off the price you'd pay for one new. Part of its appeal is the way it drives. For a car as heavy and tall as the iX3, it has remarkable agility and composure in the bends. It feels well-screwed together and has lots of dense, squishy materials in the most important places. 

"I love the way the iX3 drives. As electric SUVs go, it's one of the sharpest and most fun out there. I also found it rather comfortable." – Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2021 BMW iX3 80kWh Premier Edition, 43,665 miles, £26,500

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The Kia EV6 is a brilliant and bang-on-trend electric car with a long range and the ability to charge up very quickly. It’s also plush inside and huge in the back and very good to drive. The cheaper rear-wheel-drive versions make more financial sense than the faster four-wheel-drive models, especially used. You'll also pick up the residue of Kia's excellent seven-year-from-new warranty.

"A previous What Car? Car of the Year, the Kia EV6 feels suitably futuristic but doesn't resort to the extreme minimalism found inside the Model 3 (something I sometimes struggle to get my head around): I like that the EV6 has a well-built, logically laid-out interior." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Kia EV6 77.4kWh GT-Line, 12,000 miles, £23,995

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Its sci-fi looks are arresting enough, but there's plenty more to like about the Hyundai Ioniq 5. It's a supremely comfortable and spacious electric SUV, with a surprisingly good range and eager performance to back it up. It's quiet and cosseting, there's loads of room inside and it's quick to charge. Despite all of that, used prices are very competitive – you can pay less than half what you'd need for a new one. 

"The space between the Ioniq 5's front and rear wheels – also known as its wheelbase – is larger than that of an Audi A8 limo, so yeah, it's spacious (if I'm to say the least)." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 Hyundai Ioniq 5 77kWh Premium, 18,381 miles, £22,444

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The Cupra Born is a more fun and more classy alternative to the Volkswagen ID 3. Both models share a great deal under the skin, but with only a few exceptions, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Indeed the only reason the ID 3 finishes higher up this list is because it's cheaper to buy age-for-age. 

Mechanically, the Born and ID 3 are very similar, with a choice of 58kWh and 77kWh batteries, delivering official ranges of 264 and 341 miles – although in our real-world tests, the former returned 183 miles (winter) and 219 miles (summer), with the latter managing 235 and 285 miles. 

We think the smaller battery makes the most sense because the range should be plenty for many drivers, and these are also the cheapest and most plentiful on the used car forecourts. 

"The Born feels very roomy up front, with plenty of handy cubbyholes, while a couple of six-footers will be comfortable in the back," – Oliver Young, used cars reporter 

We found: 2022 Cupra Born 58kWh V1, 34,000 miles, £20,995

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The Hyundai Kona Electric is practical and easy to live with. There are two power outputs and battery pack sizes available: a 134bhp/39kWh version and a more potent 201bhp/64kWh model. The range is exceptional, with the 64kWh version managing 259 miles on a single charge during real-range resting. That variant also has a fairly speedy 0-60mph time of 7.9sec. It just betters the similar Kia e-Niro (now dubbed the Kia Niro EV in its latest form) by having a slightly longer real-world range and being cheaper to buy age for age. 

"For a time, the Kona Electric held the top spot in our real range testing, going further than any other electric car we tested. I think that's remarkable." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2020 Hyundai Kona EV Premium 64kWh, 57,000 miles, £11,790

Read our full used Hyundai Kona Electric review

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The Porsche Taycan is sublime in many areas, from the driving experience to interior quality. You’ll find used Taycans are most affordable in 4S guise, because this mid-range variant was first to market. It has four-wheel drive and, if you find an example with the 93kWh Performance Battery Plus, a power figure of 469bhp (which rises to 523bhp for quick bursts). Prices are wonderfully low now on the used market, but watch out for infotainment-based reliability, which is a little mixed. 

"Getting out of the Taycan, the first thought I had was about how amazing it is, while the second was about how expensive it is. Fortunately, the used market has since changed that thought process. Sure, £40k is no small amount, but for what you're getting – wow!" – Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S 93.4kWh Performance Plus, 38,400 miles, £40,490

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