FabSwingers.com forum: Petrol, electric or hybrid car?

By *litterbabe OP Woman
2 days ago

hiding from cock pics.

I'm looking a cars at the moment, and really don't know what the best way to go is.

Im self employed, with business use of only about 5%, so the tax benefits of an electric car don't really make a lot of difference to me with such a low business use.

I feel potentially purchasing an electric car may not be a great idea because it just won't hold its value, as the battery in about 10 years woould need replacing and therefor make the car have a low residual value.

I bought my current car 10 years ago when it was five years old so this is a whole different way of doing things. I'm not even sure whether to look at leases, PCP plans or really what to do.

Any advice is appreciated. Please keep the messages in the thread so whomever can contribute if they would like to.

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By *aptain Caveman41Man
2 days ago

Home

Diesel

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By *utual InterestsMan
2 days ago

Kent

"Diesel "

Agreed ..... all day long

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
2 days ago

hiding from cock pics.

[Removed by poster at 28/01/25 01:49:55]

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
2 days ago

hiding from cock pics.

I have a diesel currently, and it's been great, it is going to be time to change in the next six months or so.

I will consider another diesel though.

Can I ask why you advise a diesel. It's just there's so many choices now since I last looked at buying one, 10 years ago.

I wish I could benefit more from the tax advantages of an electric car.

I don't even have a lot of faith in EVs regardless of anything

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By *ools1964Man
2 days ago

Swadlincote

I would day diesel too, my personal opinion is electric vehicles are not the long term solution, adequate infrastructure is not in place & MY idea of adequate infrastructure never will be, to my mind hydrogen is the long term future, I'll just pick up on one other thing, you suggested that after 10 years the battery in an electric car needs replacing, my understanding is the batteries are designed to last the lifetime of the car & would only need replacing if they developed a fault, manufacturers do point out battery performance drops off over time but not to the point that the vehicle becomes unusable... not my cksim remember... theirs.

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By *orcsmatMan
2 days ago

Kidderminster

Diesel.

We can travel 500 miles on a tank then fill it a few minutes.

Electric vehicle technology cannot match that. Not yet anyway.

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By *aughty driverMan
2 days ago

Romford

I currently have a diesel and that van runs really well. But to be objective i think a hybrid makes quite alot of sense. The technology in the hybrids is actually really good and after alot of mileage they stil do hold value. One of the best is a toyota prius which is what most taxi drivers use. Hybrids can give be extremely economical when driven in cities as most of time you cant do more than 30 but then on the long drivws u can put your foot down and just still enjoy driving without it being a gas guzzler. Its quite beneficial on the pocket and there reliable hence why the taxi dtivers use it. Hope that helps

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By *ootyfruityCouple
2 days ago

andover

We love our electric, it’s very cheap to charge at home. We worked out that what we save in fuel would nearly pay the pcp cost each month, however I wouldn’t buy an electric for the reasons you just mentioned, instead we will swap it in every few years

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By *rHotNottsMan
2 days ago

Dubai & Nottingham

You do know you can salary sacrifice the lease payments of an electric car and get a free installation of a charger on one of the super cheap mans tariffs.

If you pay tax particularly 40 or 45% rate or you have student loans to pay off, then a new EV is pretty much a no brainer

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By *ootyfruityCouple
2 days ago

andover

I also strongly disagree with anyone that says there isn’t the infrastructure for electric cars, using the zap map app, there are always loads of places to charge on whatever route you take, just sometimes needs a little planning beforehand.

However switching to octopus, being put over to their EV rates and charging at home, for us, is 10 times cheaper

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By *echanichandsMan
2 days ago

newcastle upon tyne

With electric there second hand valve is shocking, can you charge it at home if you need to? Have you got time to wait for it to charge up. These are all factors to take into account. If you do short journeys is it worth getting a diesel. The amount of cars with dpf faults from short journeys is crazy! Most petrols now are clean running and have good fuel economy.

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By *akegarda2023Couple
2 days ago

lake garda Italy

Diesel, just bought a kia last year

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By *oodo222Man
2 days ago

WIGAN

Petrol.

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By *icknmix500Man
2 days ago

South Gloucestershire

Petrol

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By *WC 101Man
2 days ago

Aberdeen

From a practicality point of view, and just my opinion, the infrastructure for electric cars is not there yet. If you use the car mainly for work commuting then fine, but long journeys or driving to remote areas the recharging could become an issue.

Also, the technology is expensive in comparison to petrol / diesel vehicles. So you’re paying more for a start. I also think, if you are going to own the vehicle the depreciation is typically higher than traditional fuel cars.

I know a few people who have had reliability issues with their EV as well, but I also know others with same on their diesel car; so not sure on this part of the equation.

And finally, whilst the tax benefits might be favourable for EV’s now, bear in mind this may change and the gap closes against the other fuel vehicles.

Like I say, just my opinion.

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By *alandNitaCouple
2 days ago

Scunthorpe

"I'm looking a cars at the moment, and really don't know what the best way to go is.

Im self employed, with business use of only about 5%, so the tax benefits of an electric car don't really make a lot of difference to me with such a low business use.

I bought my current car 10 years ago when it was five years old so this is a whole different way of doing things. I'm not even sure whether to look at leases, PCP plans or really what to do.

Any advice is appreciated. Please keep the messages in the thread so whomever can contribute if they would like to.

Real world evidence has actually shown that EV batteries actually last MUCH better than expected with most used EVs still having 80% or more of their original range.

Also, according to the repair & recovery industries, EVs are 60% less likely to break down.

Cal

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By *arney MagrewMan
2 days ago

Taplow

As a recent owner of an ev. I can advise that over the last few weeks and cold weather, the battery range is affected considerably. Some public charging is very expensive. You pay more x3 for the rapidness of the charge. And as others have said the network in the uk is poor. The cold weather ups the demand and makes the places very busy. And in the summer your aircon drains the battery. Unless you have private charging I would go for a petrol/diesel option.

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By *eardedwonder999Man
2 days ago

Worcester

Personally I don't think Ev is ever going to be here to stay it's more of a stop gap as there is no infrastructure in a place for them, also the batteries are just not good enough for real world driving, then there is the cost

If I were you I go Hybrid preferably a petrol version

Personally I would stick with a nice V8 Petrol

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By *ootyfruityCouple
2 days ago

andover

"Personally I don't think Ev is ever going to be here to stay it's more of a stop gap as there is no infrastructure in a place for them, also the batteries are just not good enough for real world driving, then there is the cost

If I were you I go Hybrid preferably a petrol version

Personally I would stick with a nice V8 Petrol"

Seriously not true with the infrastructure, there are so many charge points if you know where to look. But I would definitely consider a hybrid!

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By *rbiggyMan
2 days ago

Northwest

What qualities are you looking for in a vehicle?

Low running cost

Low outright purchase

Power on demand

Luxury experience

Etc

Once you have an idea of these then you can make a personal informed decision.

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By *ensualtongue2023Man
2 days ago

furnace

Elec be absolutely useless where I live and mileage I need to do

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By *erry bull1Man
2 days ago

doncaster

Diesel hybrid

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By *ripfillMan
2 days ago

Paris, New York, Hong Kong and Havant

Facts speak for themselves … diesel / petrol not EV

short term fix until hydrogen is commercially available then switch

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By *inkygentkentMan
2 days ago

Maidstone

I've got a non-plug-in hybrid and love it. Get diesel-like MPG on some journeys and has the benefit of electric instant torque.

Better in the warmer weather though - I got it in the summer and the electric system was used more. In the colder weather the engine runs more to keep up to temperature and the battery depletes faster.

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By *oughmanMan
2 days ago

Sunderland

I'm seeing a lot say diesel but it's going to depend on how far you're travelling when you do use it. Diesel fuel usage is great for long journeys but absolutely garbage for short. Electric I believe the infrastructure still isn't there to make proper use of them anyway yet.

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By *riSiMan
2 days ago

Nottingham

I rated my Toyota corolla hybrid, super efficient and decent to drive. There's a reason a lot of Uber drivers use them.

2 months ago, I got a plug in BMW. Great for 40 mile range on battery. A bit thirsty when on engine only. I use a 3 pin charger at the moment on Octopus tariff. Good tax savings make up for it.

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By *scapenwMan
2 days ago

North Wales Coast

Totally agree with this

I’ve had an EV on sacrifice for four years.

Just signed this morning to replace it with another.

The charging for long journeys isn’t an issue anymore. You get 300 miles easily and that’s realistically 5 hours. I’m stopping after 5 hours for 30 mins regardless.

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By *ensualtongue2023Man
2 days ago

furnace

"Totally agree with this

I’ve had an EV on sacrifice for four years.

Just signed this morning to replace it with another.

The charging for long journeys isn’t an issue anymore. You get 300 miles easily and that’s realistically 5 hours. I’m stopping after 5 hours for 30 mins regardless. "

But useless when you have power cut and get that reg here

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By *scapenwMan
2 days ago

North Wales Coast

Just keep it charged.

You’d still have loads of range left unless your power is off for days.

Then the car would be the low in my list of worries.

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By *xhib12Man
2 days ago

Blyth

I've always had petrol cars but wanted to try an EV as my circumstances changed and I most of my driving is now fairly local.

I bought a 3 year old Jaguar I-Pace so the previous owner had taken the hit on depreciation and I got a very nice, low mileage car with all the bells & whistles for a little over 20 grand.

I've had it for about 8 months and spent around £150 charging it in that time. That's home charging, public charging would obviously be more. The saving in petrol costs will have easily covered the cost of the charger installation within a year.

In the summer the car was showing a range of around 260 miles on a full charge. That was with using air con, etc. In the really cold snaps recently that dropped to around 210 miles when using heaters, heated seats, heated steering wheel, heated windscreen, etc.

The car makes perfect sense financially given I'm only doing short journeys. It's lovely to drive and I've had no problems with it at all. However, it doesn't have that engine note when you put your foot down so in that respect it's a bit soulless really.

Would I recommend EV's? Absolutely as long as it makes financial sense to you and that's all you're looking at. However, if you're a bit of a petrol head then an EV is probably not for you.

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By *anonfire96Man
2 days ago

Mansfield

Insurance seems to be higher on EVs for some reason.

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By *lik and PaulCouple
2 days ago

cahoots

If you're putting it through the business I would suggest leasing an EV from a tax perspective. Depending on how much long distance travel you do just check on the ranges...mine will do 400 easily and if you're on a long run you should stop for a break anyway and it'll charge up to 80% by the time I've had a coffee and cake.

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By *ineapple_turnoverCouple
2 days ago

London

"Insurance seems to be higher on EVs for some reason. "

I think it's just because of the much higher cost for equivalent cars.

We had an electric for a few years and for 95% of our driving it was brilliant.

My advice is always based on these things:

Do you regularly do long motorway journeys (more than 75% of the stated range).

Do you have the ability to charge at home easily

How many miles do you do a year

Charging on the go is a bit of a pain, but fine if you only need to top up from 20% to 50-80%. Driving on the motorway eats the battery quickly compared to city driving.

Charging at home is cheap and easy. If you always have to top up away it's expensive and not far off cost of petrol per mile.

The extra cost of an electric car erodes the benefits of the price per mile even if charging at home. That is unless you do lots of shortish trips (say under 150 miles round trip and 8k+ a year) and less if you have solar power at home

If these aren't issues for you then electric is amazing. Otherwise for now you'd be better getting a cheap petrol car

My final advice is I vastly prefer lease to PCP, in fact better than any form of buying a new car really. You can choose your deposit from zero to 12 months and the payments are lower,z some incredible deals on at the moment. 3 years later you can get yourself a new one again or just go and buy a 2nd hand car. Add insurance for wheel trims etc and you can get maintenance, otherwise you need to pay for servicing yourself.

Good luck

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By *amera man 25Man
2 days ago

Honley Huddersfield

Petrol/ electric hybrid every time! brilliant mpg, no range anxiety I have had five Hondas, Jazz, Civic and CRV, all were totally reliable and hold their value better than most….

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By *eltCuteMightDeleteWoman
2 days ago

Reading

I'm not going to claim to have any real knowledge about cars but when I looked at the amount I drive (to and from work once a week and just here and there the rest of the time) I went with a petrol hybrid car.

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By *rafter69Man
2 days ago

upminster

V8 petrol all day long

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By *old MemberMan
2 days ago

Worcester

Diesel Mild Hybrid and automatic, keeps the wanking hand free

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
2 days ago

hiding from cock pics.

Thank you so much for everybody's perspective, you are all really helpful.

To answer some of the questions, I'm a sole trader so I can't salary sacrifice.

I would be doing around 10,000 miles a year, mostly less than 50 in a day round trip but occasionally somewhat more if I get to visit family around 200 miles away, which I only do about twice a year.

To a fixed place of work I can't claim those as business mileage so my business mileage is very low. Probably only 500 miles a year so I don't see how I can rmbenefit from a tax perspective electric car, although like somebody said those picks tax wise may disappear soon like the free congestion charge, parking and road fund all have.

I do have a driveway so I could put in a home charger.

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By *smithukMan
2 days ago

cardiff

If you can get it through a company then EV. The tax treatment is so much better of EV company cars.

As a sole trader you can’t take advantage of that. But it would be worth asking an accountant if it was worth incorporating so that you can do it (and other tax advantages).

For the journeys you’re doing an EV would be fine. I’ve done long journeys and it is not an issue. You need to approach it slightly differently (top up when you can) but stopping for a coffee whilst it charges is all that’s needed.

To be honest I think that you’re going the wrong way about choosing. Don’t ask what type of car should I buy as the answer is it depends. Look at what you can afford and make a short list of options. And then choose between those, which will be an easier, more specific question. If the EVs you can afford are small with a rubbish range then you can cross them off.

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By *ountainwalkerMan
2 days ago

port talbot

Generally EV's lose 1% of their charging capacity per year, so a 10 year old battery would give you 90% of the range of a new one. That's not really much of a difference so saying they need replacing after 10 years is not really accurate.

In the long term hydrogen would be a better bet but at present there is not the infrastructure in place to support it.

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By *2000ManMan
2 days ago

Worthing

Petrol - Porsche flat 6, American V8, Aston Martin V12. The choice is yours.

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
2 days ago

hiding from cock pics.

Someone said very interestingly, that when no new petrol or diesel cars are allowed to be sold in the UK, in 2030, will it become much more expensive to maintain existing ones, and will the government be doing things to make it more difficult to keep them on the road like extra taxes.

I felt this was an interesting point and wondered what people thought about that?

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By *over of ladiesMan
2 days ago

cannock

As an ex petrol station owner,the simple answer is diesel,however it won't be too far away that hydrogen is the best form of fuel,but this has its own issues as you shouldn't tax water,so governments won't make a shit load of revenue.

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By *ohn.Wick.Man
2 days ago

The Continental

"Someone said very interestingly, that when no new petrol or diesel cars are allowed to be sold in the UK, in 2030, will it become much more expensive to maintain existing ones, and will the government be doing things to make it more difficult to keep them on the road like extra taxes.

I felt this was an interesting point and wondered what people thought about that?"

I imagine manufacturers will maintain a high stock of parts for those last cars sold, plus, there’ll still be millions of 2nd hand petrol of diesel cars on the road for years after that. Maybe 10-15 after the ‘ban’, it might start to become an issue. I guess it depends if parts makers and suppliers see any profit in it by then.

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By *ertcamembertMan
2 days ago

Reading area

I felt this was an interesting point and wondered what people thought about that?"
By 2030 we may have a new party in government who have already stated they will scrap net zero policies and allow petrol and diesel cars to be sold as normal

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By *ustamanMan
2 days ago

weymouth

Personally unless your current vehicle is being very unreliable or simply rusting away I'd be inclined to keep it and run it into the ground. The overall environmental cost will be less, you already own it so no finance to keep up and I think at the moment the car industry is in a state of flux and (abit like the whole beta max/VHS thing for those that remember) id not want to invest on the losing tech.

Which is why I'm keeping my 10y old van

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By *ohn.Wick.Man
2 days ago

The Continental

"Personally unless your current vehicle is being very unreliable or simply rusting away I'd be inclined to keep it and run it into the ground. The overall environmental cost will be less, you already own it so no finance to keep up and I think at the moment the car industry is in a state of flux and (abit like the whole beta max/VHS thing for those that remember) id not want to invest on the losing tech.

Which is why I'm keeping my 10y old van

That’s my plan too.

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By *smithukMan
2 days ago

cardiff

I felt this was an interesting point and wondered what people thought about that?"

Politically that would be a bold move. It only works if most people have moved to a different solution that they are happy with.

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By *upersonic SamMan
2 days ago

wigan

I'm waiting on my Hybrid being delivered. I went for the salary sacrifice scheme. My current diesel is great but costing a lot to maintain. I can have a charger fitted but the Hybrid will pull the same MPG as my diesel and has the torque boost of the battery. The 24 week lead time sucks dick though.

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By *hunky GentMan
2 days ago

Maldon and Peterborough

I've had my hybrid for nearly 5 years now.

I absolutely love it.

I think it gives me the best of both worlds:

Electric for short journeys

Diesel for long journeys.

Both to beat the boy racers off the line.

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By *rHotNottsMan
2 days ago

Dubai & Nottingham

"I also strongly disagree with anyone that says there isn’t the infrastructure for electric cars, using the zap map app, there are always loads of places to charge on whatever route you take, just sometimes needs a little planning beforehand.

However switching to octopus, being put over to their EV rates and charging at home, for us, is 10 times cheaper"

Octopus are so good, so generous too. Some days they pay you for taking power , I’m spending a fraction of what I was this time last year

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By *rHotNottsMan
2 days ago

Dubai & Nottingham

"If you can get it through a company then EV. The tax treatment is so much better of EV company cars.

As a sole trader you can’t take advantage of that. But it would be worth asking an accountant if it was worth incorporating so that you can do it (and other tax advantages).

Why would you ask an account this. It is always more beneficial to incorporate. You pay way less tax. You get VAT knocked off purchases, assets or protected, you can do much more on business expenses such as VAT free vehicle leases.

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By *dam1971Man
2 days ago

Bedford

EV owner here, problems with charging seem to be vastly overstated. I did 500 miles last weekend and I wasn’t even slightly worried about getting around. If you’re mostly charging at home (as you would be with what you said) the fuel savings can be significant. The daily commute is easy unless you get something ancient with terrible range.

My previous car was petrol (after several diesels before that) and if you’re not sure about going electric I’d say a petrol is favourite.

With recent emissions regulations, diesels have a lot of very expensive equipment to make them cleaner and any fuel savings over petrol can be wiped out immediately. Petrol cars are generally simpler and therefore more reliable and cheaper when they’ve slid past need to be fixed.

Hybrids can seem like a halfway house but you have all the complexity, weight and cost with a small saving in fuel.

Mostly though, get something you like. We spend a lot of time and money on these things so an attraction is useful.

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By *UGGYBEAR2015Man
2 days ago

BRIDPORT

"If you can get it through a company then EV. The tax treatment is so much better of EV company cars.

As a sole trader you can’t take advantage of that. But it would be worth asking an accountant if it was worth incorporating so that you can do it (and other tax advantages).

You don’t have to be incorporated to be reclaiming VAT (it’s not knocked off, you pay it and reclaim it)

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By *ags73Man
2 days ago

glasgow-ish

Diesel ideally but the fu kers are pushing anything but.

There will be a load of shit underpowered cars about in next few years.

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
2 days ago

hiding from cock pics.

"If you can get it through a company then EV. The tax treatment is so much better of EV company cars.

As a sole trader you can’t take advantage of that. But it would be worth asking an accountant if it was worth incorporating so that you can do it (and other tax advantages).

Why doesn't everybody incorporate them, there are a lot of sole traders who are not incorporated.

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By *tanley FunseekerMan
2 days ago

stanley

If you buy new they will try and get you into Electric as they are required to sell a certain percentage or they get fined. If you plan to change in 3 years then longer term value doesn’t matter as you can go for a PCP where you get a guaranteed future value at the end of the PCP term.

Insurance has also become more in line with similar fuel powered vehicles. Try everything and pick what you like best

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By *cLovin2Man
2 days ago

Reading

So I have a hybrid Hyundai Ioniq, a full tank takes 40 litres & will drive around 550 miles. Before they changed the fuel type, it could do over 600 potentially.

I don't understand the obsession with diesel, which is dirty but also a lot of towns are introducing congestion charges, eg London, Birmingham, Oxford.

I drove a new Tesla from London to Birmingham last year. Electric makes sense if most of your driving is local. If you charge at home electric is cheaper. If you charge at a charging point it's about 40% cheaper than fuel. But much more expensive than home.

In your position I'd buy electric, as most journeys are local. Diesel I guess makes sense if you travel long distance. But if you need to do that, then you can hire a diesel for the rare long drive.

Perhaps a diesel enthusiast can advise why?

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By *litlickhull69Man
2 days ago

Hull

Good used diesel any day. Lose to much buying new. Electric depreciation is terrible and range/charging is a nightmare. PCP don’t put much deposit down. Put low mileage in agreement and swap 3 years in on a four year agreement with different dealer. PM for more

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By *orthern StarsCouple
2 days ago

Durham

Petrol or diesel. I won't be buying an electric car until I'm absolutely forced to.

Ruby

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By *ty31Man
2 days ago

NW London

"So I have a hybrid Hyundai Ioniq, a full tank takes 40 litres & will drive around 550 miles. Before they changed the fuel type, it could do over 600 potentially.

I don't understand the obsession with diesel, which is dirty but also a lot of towns are introducing congestion charges, eg London, Birmingham, Oxford.

In your position I'd buy electric, as most journeys are local. Diesel I guess makes sense if you travel long distance. But if you need to do that, then you can hire a diesel for the rare long drive.

Perhaps a diesel enthusiast can advise why?"

Diesel makes sense for me due to high miles I cover and the type of driving I mostly do- it's cheaper to run a large engine diesel than an average petrol engine (mpg wise) plus I find that diesel engines are a bit more reliable (at least in my experience).

A hybrid vehicle doesn't make sense for me as covering distance it would be pretty much running on petrol. A hydrid might be good for someone who does a few miles locally (short commute etc) and very occasionally needs to do a longer drive.

I like the idea of switching to electric (emissions and it's cheaper to charge) but right now I'm put off by a few things- there's not many that I actually like the look of and the ones that I do are prohibetely expensive. Currently I have nowhere at home to charge the thing up (which would be almost daily) and I'm concerned about the longevity of the battery life and the ethics of where the materials were extracted from (there's been allegations of human rights abused at the mines)

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
1 day ago

hiding from cock pics.

"Good used diesel any day. Lose to much buying new. Electric depreciation is terrible and range/charging is a nightmare. PCP don’t put much deposit down. Put low mileage in agreement and swap 3 years in on a four year agreement with different dealer. PM for more "

How would it work swapping in a year early with a different dealer, and also if I put low mileage in but do higher mileage they'll be quite a big penalty to

pay.

I don't really understand but I'm very keen to know more.

A low deposit is fine but it just makes the payments higher so in the end the effective monthly cost of having the car (before running costs) will still be quite high.

Unders I understand it it makes no difference if it a low deposit as that just increases the monthly payments.

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
1 day ago

hiding from cock pics.

"So I have a hybrid Hyundai Ioniq, a full tank takes 40 litres & will drive around 550 miles. Before they changed the fuel type, it could do over 600 potentially.

I don't understand the obsession with diesel, which is dirty but also a lot of towns are introducing congestion charges, eg London, Birmingham, Oxford.

In your position I'd buy electric, as most journeys are local. Diesel I guess makes sense if you travel long distance. But if you need to do that, then you can hire a diesel for the rare long drive.

Perhaps a diesel enthusiast can advise why?

All these are very good points.

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By *ergus1622Man
1 day ago

Dundee

Either get a petrol / diesel or hybrid I wouldn't get a full electric. Hydrogen is the future

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By *teveinYorkMan
1 day ago

Pocklington

Just avoid like the plague Teslas or any of the Chinese Zippos and Ronsons!

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By *litlickhull69Man
1 day ago

Hull

There’s only a penalty for exceeding you contracted mileage if you run full term and swap with same dealer if you part ex in with another dealer they don’t want to know originally contract or deal it’s just a part ex

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
1 day ago

hiding from cock pics.

"Just avoid like the plague Teslas or any of the Chinese Zippos and Ronsons! "

Can I ask why you feel like that about the Chinese cars, there is one company that I'm looking at.

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
1 day ago

hiding from cock pics.

"There’s only a penalty for exceeding you contracted mileage if you run full term and swap with same dealer if you part ex in with another dealer they don’t want to know originally contract or deal it’s just a part ex "

I believe there's a fine for leaving the contract early though?

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By *ertcamembertMan
1 day ago

Reading area

"Just avoid like the plague Teslas or any of the Chinese Zippos and Ronsons! "
Yes, there's plenty to see on Y** T*be regarding BYD aka burn your drive!

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By *abioMan
1 day ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

I have had the OG hybrid (Toyota Prius) for almost 9 years now.. still getting 50-55 mpg out of it.. but I’ve never been a boy racer and the “engine noise” thing has never been a issue

Love it, would recommend it to anyone

Having said that, I am not gonna lie… I have been looking at switching to an EV (I remember being on the original model 3 waiting list many moons ago when they said even then it was going to be around 25-30k)

Well.. that price never materialised… and the EV price had always been just outside my range

But now… the cheaper EVs are finally coming, was looking at Tesla, waited to seen what the updated model Y was coming out at… now going elsewhere!

So there are two different ways to attack EVs, I could look at getting a 2nd hand business/ex fleet of which there are loads coming onto the market after the first lot of tax write offs finish

Or I could look at a new one…. If I had the money tomorrow I’d get a Kia EV9, since I’m living in the real world the EV3 is a baby EV9, also don’t sleep on Skoda, they do some fantastic EVs….

One last thing about EV’s that should be mentioned, the EV/hybrid road tax rules are changing as of April ! So if whatever you are buying is between year 2 and year 6 AND was more than 40000 at its original pricing… it will cost you an extra 400 pounds per year to get taxed

So on a 2 year old car… that would be an extra 2k in road tax until it gets to year 7

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By *dam1971Man
21 hours ago

Bedford

A couple of points worth correcting, electric cars don’t catch fire all the time, petrol / diesel catch fire 20 times more often and that’s taking into account there are more on the road.

Batteries seem to last longer than the car, except for very early Nissan Leafs and their type. The warranty is usually 7 - 8 years and there are plenty of EVs on 150,000+ miles and still going strong. Cars have very sophisticated battery monitoring systems and cooling systems so it’s not like a phone or laptop that loses its capacity after 2 years.

If you’re concerned about the chemicals used in the battery packs, LFP technology is available in some cars which uses zero cobalt. The place that does use a lot of cobalt is the refining process for petrol and diesel.

Whatever power method you look at, it seems like the sweet spot is 2-3 years old and keep for 5+ years. That should get you something which has some warranty left but has done a chunk of its depreciation.

Also worth looking at what servicing costs will be while you own it, by the time it gets to 6 years old there could be some big bills which change the value calculations. I’ve definitely had fuel savings wiped out by an expensive repair.

It’s worth doing the sums to see if a lease or bank loan is cheaper, the difference could be sizeable.

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By *isterMushroomMan
20 hours ago

Warrington

All the people saying avoid electric cars usually have no experience with them, I’m on my 3rd and have had no issues at all. I’d never go back to diesel . In 10 years time what ever you buy will have lost most its value.

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
20 hours ago

hiding from cock pics.

Thank you for all the contributions so far, I'm learning alot, there is some great advice on here.

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By *enfella4uMan
18 hours ago

staffs

I have a 74 plate Volvo xc60 t8 recharge it’s petrol hybrid 455 bhp and absolutely wonderful motor got every upgrade possible and I absolutely love everything about it

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By *elshie_69Man
18 hours ago

Mean streets of Heathrow

I had a petrol ‘64 plate Honda CRV for 4yrs up until May of last year, changed it for a ‘70 plate Honda CRV petrol/hybrid..was getting around 32 MPG in my old one, now getting around 50 MPG in this one..bulletproof engines too.

Bought a cheap private plate 3 months ago too..XX 69 LUV..as well 🤣

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By *ornucopiaMan
15 hours ago

Bexley

"Diesel.

We can travel 500 miles on a tank then fill it a few minutes.

Electric vehicle technology cannot match that. Not yet anyway. "

Unfortunately the best diesels are gone.

They were reliably, uncomplicated and ran just fine on cheap,legal, cooking oil for most of the year. Glad I was lucky enough to enjoy 10 years or so of owning one.

Back on petrol automatic again.

Can't afford the oncost of innovation or inconvenience and, above all, complexity

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By *innamon_flameWoman
14 hours ago

london

Something about you in a Nissan figaro that hits right. A pink one naturally.

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By *vcarolTV/TS
14 hours ago

kilmarnockish

I’m in the motor trade - fixing the what are very expensive purchases.

Simply list your alternatives. There cost, project that over the period. If you get any tax breaks/ discounts/ returns included that as well .

Ask a dealer for valuation on your possible intended trade in in 2/3/4 years time.

Factor all the costs- including depreciation.

Everyone has different circumstances and values and costs change and have done dramatically over the past 2 years alone.

My best thought on what you’ve said, looking at costs wise will be a small petrol, possibly ex demonstrator, on a simple purchase HP deal.

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By *litterbabe OP Woman
11 hours ago

hiding from cock pics.

"Something about you in a Nissan figaro that hits right. A pink one naturally. "

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By *heCelticGentMan
10 hours ago

Kempston

Only consider an electric car if you have (or can have) a home charger fitted. In turn, this implies that you have an off road parking space, ideally your own driveway. Public charging costs are about 10x what you can expect to pay compared to a decent home tariff.

With that out of the way, are you looking to buy new or used? How are you funding the purchase? Can you accurately predict the annual mileage that you will do? These are crucial to questions to answer. You’re taking about two things here. The most suitable vehicle and the most effective way to get the vehicle. (Purchase outright, lease, hp, pcp, etc.)

I’d disregard diesel straight away, unless you’re looking at a large van, or commercial type pickup truck, and do very high mileage. The latest diesel engines require adblue, and the DPF fitted means that unless you are doing long journeys every day then diesel is unsuitable for your use.

A hybrid car will comfortably give you over 500 miles to a tank of petrol, which is cheaper than diesel. But without knowing more about your circumstances it’s difficult to say.

Be wary of taking decisions based on the tax policy in place today. They can and do charge at the drop of a hat.

Ex motor trade, so happy to take any questions.

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By *ichaelsmyMan
9 hours ago

douglas

nissan qasqai tekna is a good compromise.

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By *econdtimelucky101Man
8 hours ago

Oldbury

It depends on how you use the car. Short or long trips. I would stay away from electric and hybrids as you have said resale won't be great. If you do a lot of motorway driving a diesel is definitely for you. If you tend to stay local I would say petrol. I have a hybrid and my previous car was diesel, they are company cars so it made sense for me tax wise but the diesel was way better.

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By *hoenix_1Man
8 hours ago

richmond

EVs only make financial sense at the moment, the government are going to need to replace the revenue that is starting yo be lost due to the increase in EVs, so road tax and electricity will start to rise soon

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By *abioMan
7 hours ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

"EVs only make financial sense at the moment, the government are going to need to replace the revenue that is starting yo be lost due to the increase in EVs, so road tax and electricity will start to rise soon "

With regards to EVs and hybrids as I said the road tax rules are changing as of April

For cars bought before April 2025

It’s 10 pounds in road tax in yr 1 of a cars life….

Then from year 2 onwards it’s 195 pounds per year

The same applies for cars built after April 2025 with one major exception

However .. if the car is worth more than 40000 pounds at it’s original selling price, then between year 2 and year 6 of that car’s life, it will have an “expensive EV road tax premium” of 410 pounds per year on top of the 195.. so in year 2 to 6 of a 40k plus EV, in effect it would cost £605 per year in road tax

If you keep the car from year 7 it goes back down to 195 pounds per year

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By *hoenix_1Man
7 hours ago

richmond

With regards to EVs and hybrids as I said the road tax rules are changing as of April

For cars bought before April 2025

It’s 10 pounds in road tax in yr 1 of a cars life….

Then from year 2 onwards it’s 195 pounds per year

The same applies for cars built after April 2025 with one major exception

If you keep the car from year 7 it goes back down to 195 pounds per year "

And as we know that could change any time soon

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By *inaTitzTV/TS
7 hours ago

Titz Towers, North Notts

More or Less went into this a while ago and in the long term an EV is the best option.

Also Skeptoid went into the facts and science of EVs and they came out well.

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By *tanley FunseekerMan
6 hours ago

stanley

With regards to EVs and hybrids as I said the road tax rules are changing as of April

For cars bought before April 2025

It’s 10 pounds in road tax in yr 1 of a cars life….

Then from year 2 onwards it’s 195 pounds per year

The same applies for cars built after April 2025 with one major exception

If you keep the car from year 7 it goes back down to 195 pounds per year

And as we know that could change any time soon "

I pay that additional tax element on my current petrol Audi.

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By *ushym8Man
6 hours ago

Bedfordshire

The electric infrastructure is just poor, many times I’ve arrived at the services where they have 2 chargers, one not working and a massive queue for the others. Until that improves would never recommend that the only car in the household is electric. If it’s part of a pair of cars in a household then one fossil fuel for long distance type driving and electric for local commute then all good

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By *otsossieMan
6 hours ago

Chesterfield

" road tax and electricity will start to rise soon "

And here we have the problem with fuelling transport from a utility. Especially given that we’re being pushed to go electric for heating (heat pumps) and cooking.

Ditch gas, no more standing charge.

But if leccy prices go up because of car usage that’s going to punish the poorest people in society who already struggle to heat their homes.

So it’s more likely that vehicle taxation is increased for all fuel types. That will still leave electric vehicles cheaper to run than ICE and encourage the switch whilst allowing us to keep the lights on.

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By *earded Inked BrummieMan
5 hours ago

Bromsgrove

Im very sceptical of electric vehicles...I drive over 15,000 a year a lot of motorway miles so I'm sticking with a Diesel vehicle..I'm currently awaiting delivery on my new SUV,LeaseLoco have some good deals on for business and personal use

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By *J swingCouple
5 hours ago

North

I bought diesel due to having a caravan, electric cars are due to begin paying Rd fund fees next year so hold off buying till then.

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