Back from an MG4 test drive and alas nor for me due to the seats. No lumbar support even on the higher spec vehicle and just a little low for my historic back issues. Could feel it even on an 20 minute tests drive, I’d be crippled trying to get out of it after driving to Cork.
Otherwise there was a lot to like about this car particularly the July €4000 off deal. Really drove well and the higher setting regenerative breaking really made driving easy and plenty of pep when needed.
I’m always amazed at how little thought apparently goes into seats in cars, even our 2013 Golf has lumbar support but our new car will have to have better seats than the Golf as in time when out last child leaves it will also replace a 2003 Lexus LS430 - now there’s good seats for you!
Very personal but my EV6 seat is as comfortable as a succession of Volvos before it; praise indeed. I also like the variable regen, controlled by steering wheel paddles in 4 stages from coasting (nil) to true one-pedal (ie will come to a complete stop). Adds a bit of control, and fun to use once you get used to it.
SJB, I also suffer from a dodgy back (lower lumbar in my case) and car seat comfort/ support is one of my top look outs. My last car was a Lexus RX450h and although quite unremarkable looking, that car turned out to have the (for me!) best seats I have come across in a car. Unfortunately Toyota group have not really hit the ground running with BEVs, unless things have changed recently, they suffer poor efficiency/ range. At the risk of being shot on here, perhaps have a look at a plug in RX or NX (not sure if the NX seats are similar).
Hi SJB,
we have both the BMW i3 and the ID3 at work and I have driven both a number of times. The i3 was more fun to drive, but its limited range put it out of consideration when I started looking at different BEVs. The ID and its relative from Cupra were at the top of my shortlist until the Fiat 600 was introduced. I prefer its handling and controls to the IDs. Apart from the over enthusiastic lane control I have had a nice experience driving and owning it for a little over six months now.
I think with what I hear, read and see about fiery batteries, inadequate infrastructure and some of the larger companies backing away somewhat from ev’s and the horrifying stories about the cost of replacing batteries in a future timescale, i.e. More than the initial cost of the car in some instances! or having a used car that you can’t sell because you can’t afford the cost of said battery, I’ll stick with my cat 6 diesel!!
Indeed my wife jokes (at least I hope she’s joking) that she will take the seats out of the Lexus when it’s a at end of life and put them in the front room. They really are probably as comfortable as lift and rise chairs.
At the moment the EV is to replace our second car - the Golf with the ultimate hope that when our daughter moves out we may then become a one car family and have an EV that will allow us thank our Lexus for all its love and move it on. A 21 year old Lexus is not worth much if anything, we bought it in 2008 for €23k, where new 5 years previously it cost €120k, so we will probably never have this luxury again. We use it very little, mainly on longer journeys so environmentally the jury would be out on whether using it sparingly considering the carbon already used it its manufacture vs replacing it with an EV if we cannot power it by clean energy
A long way around to saying I wouldn’t choose a newer Lexus I’d just stick with what we have (negatives to this are road tax of €1600/year and a few items needing fixing like motors on wheel and wing mirrors and the aircon).
Well I went for a test drive in the BYD Atto – not Otto as I have said above! - and whilst the specification for the price is very alluring and impressive – it seems to have every conceivable gadget and gizmo that might be on top spec cars - I did not like its driving ability at all it just felt and it’s not a word I use much but meh is the best description I could think of. And it’s not as if I’ve been driving sports cars all my life The majority of our cars have been Japanese (Toyota and Lexus) with the odd French (Renault 18) and German one thrown in – I did have a Ford Capri in the early 90s but it was from the late 70s itself and had very little left apart from a cool looking exterior. Had to carry a hammer to give the starting motor a whack any time there was drizzle, it didn’t last too long!
In a way I was probably relieved to find that this is not the electric vehicle for me as stating on its website rather proudly that it’s constantly connected to the cloud - and that cloud possibly connected to BYD in China didn’t exactly fill me with confidence or much inspire me to want to buy from this brand. However to look at this car is impressive. It is a decent SUV and yesterday we were on the road and both an ID3 and an Atto passed us and from the outside it is amazing that they both retail for the same price more or less.
Next up (just to prove I’m listening and taking advice) Cupra Born.
Well the Cupra Born is a nice comfortable car to drive (apart from when I seemed to hit a keystroke shortcut for the seat heating!). Nice feel from steering and handling. I’d have to try the ID3 again to see the differences more closely but I think it just feels more sporty, but a bit less airy in the interior with the rear window visibility seeming more restricted.
This is the first car I actually bothered to sit in the back of and It does seem a little cramped wrt headroom compared to the our Golf even though the front seating is vastly superior. I’m fine at 5’10’’ but my 6’3’’ son may not fit. Hard to know how much a real world issue this would be for us but I could see my daughter with 5 in the car heading down the country having issues. Presumably it’s a trade off between aerodynamics and practicality. @staniand in use have you noticed back seat height limitation?
Hi SJB - I’m the same height as you but it’s not been a problem for me really but then again my previous car was an Evoque and that was rubbish for back seat passengers.
I was pleasantly surprised how much foot room there is but it isn’t comfortable with three adults in the back.
It’s fine for the two of us and the grandkids but I guess you have to weigh up how many times you will have adults in the back. OK for two but not three.
Hi SJB, I regularly travel with a couple of 6 footers in the back and no complaints, I admit we are all different, and what affects one, may not bother someone else.
It’s a shame so many electric cars have SUV styling or are horrid square things. Our Audi A3 seems like the perfect car and what I really want is something that looks exactly the same, but is electric. The VW ID2 looks very interesting, and there will be a GTi version too. Mrs HH says we must wait until I get my state pension, which we can use to pay for a PCP.
Oh I can and will, there is no rush at all. The best cars I have ever bought were when I didn’t need to buy. We’re sorted for cars currently and I may well even decide to wait a little longer but there does seem to be a little lull in the market at the moment which may give me good value for a move to electric which I will make with my next purchase not matter when that purchase is.
Appreciate all the input and advice by everyone on the thread though, it’s so helpful to be able to share my thought process and experiences and get valuable feedback.
There’s a reinvention of the Renault 5 about to be launched, together with a rather lively Alpine version which will be a pocket rocket. The styling is a triumph. Both will be similar in size to an A3, depending on which generation of A3 you have.
I recommend taking care with VW MEB platform cars (I.e. the VW ID cars plus siblings) until they have sorted out their software division and the cars’ software. Our Skoda Enyaq was a super car but the software wasn’t great. In 2 years, neither we nor any dealer within an hour’s drive managed to update its software once.
The SUV thing i think is less about styling and more about a chassis to fit the battery. Most, if not all ground up EVs place the battery between the axles and low down for handling. This tends to favour a SUV / higher ground clearance look. Look at a Polestar 2, its not sure what it is, SUV, hatchback, saloon…
Until batteries get smaller and lighter i cant see this changing. The upside is that getting in/out of these EVs is easier. My bmw i3s is similar to my wife’s mini countryman and a lot easier than my Audi A6 Avant for access.
An alternative on the VW platform is the new Ford Explorer. It was held back almost a year to get it right, and was rehomologated to use different battery technology to VW. Reviews coming in are positive and some mention it does overcome the VW “buggy” software……presumably Ford proprietary software.
If you want to play around with an EV without investing in a new car, I would suggest you buy a used BMW i3. They are magic fun to drive, but only really suitable for local journeys. They look weird and indeed a bit like a toy car, but the acceleration is instant and breathtaking. Mind you, that is reflected in the insurance group.
