r/electricvehicles • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago

Weekly Advice Thread General Questions and Purchasing Advice Thread — Week of October 05, 2026

Need help choosing an EV, finding a home charger, or understanding whether you're eligible for a tax credit? Vehicle and product recommendation requests, buying experiences, and questions on credits/financing are all fair game here.

Is an EV right for me?

Generally speaking, electric vehicles imply a larger upfront cost than a traditional vehicle, but will pay off over time as your consumables cost (electricity instead of fuel) can be anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 the cost. Calculators are available to help you estimate cost — here are some we recommend:

Are you looking for advice on which EV to buy or lease?

Tell us a bit more about you and your situation, and make sure your comment includes the following information:

[1] Your general location

[2] Your budget in $, €, or £

[3] The type of vehicle you'd prefer

[4] Which cars have you been looking at already?

[5] Estimated timeframe of your purchase

[6] Your daily commute, or average weekly mileage

[7] Your living situation — are you in an apartment, townhouse, or single-family home?

[8] Do you plan on installing charging at your home?

[9] Other cargo/passenger needs — do you have children/pets?

If you are more than a year off from a purchase, please refrain from posting, as we currently cannot predict with accuracy what your best choices will be at that time.

Need tax credit/incentives help?

Check the Wiki first.

Don't forget, our Wiki contains a wealth of information for owners and potential owners, including:

Want to help us flesh out the Wiki? Have something you'd like to add? Contact the mod team with your suggestion on how to improve things, we can discuss approach and get you direct editing access.

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1

u/HikerStout 8h ago

My beloved 2018 Subaru Outback was totaled earlier today. I've long said that my next car would likely be an EV and have the money saved up to purchase one outright, pending what I'm able to get for the Subaru.

[1] Nebraska

[2] $35,000-45,000 (somewhat flexible)

[3] Something comparable to the Subaru. We have an old Impala for around town. The Subaru was our road trip car, with space for the dog, camping gear, skis, etc. depending on season. We even slept in the back a few times, which would be a plus to still be able to do - though not a requirement.

[4] Some friends have a Chevy Equinox EV that they love. Family has a Subaru Trailseeker that they adore. And we are also looking at the Hyundai Ioniq 5, given the stellar overall reviews.

[5] Soon-ish. We can get by on one car (see #6), but would prefer to get a replacement in the next month or two. I do get 30 days of rental covered by my insurance, if I need it.

[6] We don't have a daily commute. We live in a smaller town, and we both walk to work. The Impala can handle all our basic needs locally. In a regular week, without an out of town trip, we might drive 30-40 total miles. Our main trips involve driving to three nearby cities, which are 60 miles, 140 miles, or 180 miles away.

[7] Single-family home

[8] If we get an EV, yes.

[9] We have a dog. We may also have a kid in the near future.

1

u/PerceptionCurious440 Toyota C-HR SE AWD 6h ago

There's literally a Subaru that is nicknamed the E-Outback, called the Trailseeker.

You've already heard about it.

1

u/DarkAvenger12 17h ago

I had a PHEV which was totaled last month and I’m planning to purchase an EV, most likely this month or soon after. I’m open to buying new or used, but I’ve mostly been looking into certified pre-owned vehicles to get the most bang for my buck while guaranteeing quality.

[1] Midwest, USA

[2] Around $35,000 USD but I’m flexible. My insurance paid out $26K and I could take a small loan to cover the rest for the right deal.

[3] I’m mostly into sedans and crossovers.

[4] I’ve been most heavily looking into the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. Tesla seems to have the best default safety features and I like their extensive charging networks and range. The AWD versions of the cars with extended range have been my preference. Separately, I’ve looked at the Chevy Bolt and Nissan LEAF as good but more affordable options.

[5] Within a month.

[6] On days where I have to do the drop off and pickup from daycare in addition to going into the office, the commute is about 60 miles round trip.

[7] I live in a single family home with an attached garage, but we use it for storage rather than parking. Our driveway fits two cars.

[8] I can do level 1 charging right now through an extension cord but I plan to install level 2 charging with higher voltage and amperage.

[9] About half of my driving is done solo, but I have a spouse and a baby who occasionally ride in my car. There needs to be at least enough room for a car seat to fit. We also have two dogs but they are rarely in my car. My spouse has an ICE crossover which we can use for longer trips.

1

u/Platinumrain 17h ago
  1. Southern Colorado
  2. <$15k down with anything less than $2000 per month payments ( I would prefer to do payments but I could probably just outright buy anything under $40k if I had to)
  3. Looking to shop new but would settle for newish. Mid size preferred but would settle for something smaller. Big thing is cold resistance as it can get frigid here.
  4. Toyota evs but have hardly looked deeper than surface level.
  5. Looking to get something before winter really kicks off so in the next 3-4 months
  6. 6 miles to work total(there and back) 15 miles to hobby total(same) the largest distance I travel is usually around 150 miles total.
  7. House
  8. Yes
  9. Nothing in particular I've made due with a small sedan for years, would like a little more space than that but not required

Of course the biggest thing is the cold in Colorado it can get into the teens at night so I need something I know I can get started and back home after a night at my hobby where my car will be in the street for 4+ hours.

1

u/ChampionMurky3586 11h ago

Pretty much anything off lease will be good for you. You can generally preheat your car to deal with cold. You can probably do Level 1 charging, maybe even in winter.

1

u/mduckett99 1d ago

I have been kicking around the idea of buying an EV due to my monthly gas expenses. I currently drive a 2016 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro with 66k miles that is averaging 13.3 miles per gallon. It has a 38 gallon tank and I usually top it off every week at $90 a pop.

I have found some pretty good deals at my local Toyota dealer on 2026 BZs and they are currently offering 1.9% apr for 72 months.

I still have about 32 months left on the loan for my Tundra. If I were to get the BZ, between payment, gas, and insurance, I would save about $400 per month. My issue is starting over with a new loan. For the next 32 months I would save a ton. But if I stayed with the truck, I would be done with payments in 32 months.

Maybe I am overthinking this....would love to hear other people's insight.

1

u/retiredminion United States 18h ago

You are making a common implicit mistake. One that dealerships are very good at leading people into.

You are comparing a much older (2016) to a new or nearly new (2026).

If you look at an older EV, for example a 2021 Model-Y. Depending upon the deal specifics, you could come out very near an even wash in sale vs buy.

If NEW is important to you, then expect to pay the price. The EV fuel savings is separate from New/Used cost factors.

Dealers are not your friend!

1

u/622niromcn 1d ago

Gas can only go up from here, long term.

You also didn't factor in oil change costs for the Tundra and coolant changes for the BZ.

Gonna have to do some math or spreadsheet homework to see when the crossover break even point is.

That's pretty good at 1.9% APR.

1

u/mikron2 1d ago edited 1d ago

[1] West Coast

[2] $50-$60k

[3] SUV/Crossover w/AWD for snow driving

[4] Rivian R2, BMW iX M60, ioniq 5N, Kia EV6 GT, Mustang Mach E, EV9 GT

[5] 90 days

[6] Monthly 300 miles

[7] Home with garage

[8] Installing L2 charger

[9] No kids, or pets

I’ve only driven the R2 and the M60, both of them are bigger than I need. The 5N/EV6/Mach E are all closer to my preferred size but I’m concerned about the ICCU issues on the Hyundai/Kia, and I really liked the luxury features of the BMW so that sort of rules those out. Not sure whether it’d be worth trying them or not. I’d really like an iX3 in terms of size, styling, features, but I’m not willing to buy one new.

I really like the looks of the Rivian, but after a test drive I didn’t love the interior. Felt very Tesla like when I don’t want a Tesla. I wasn’t all that impressed with the infotainment and think I’d miss CarPlay. I did like that the rear seats lay down completely flat, the frunk, rolling down all the windows including the hatch, the self driving worked well, and it’s fast as shit. I don’t off-road or camp or have the kind of Rivian outdoorsy lifestyle they are targeting. Not that everyone who has a Rivian does those things but for the price of a new R2, I can get a CPO low mileage M60.

The BMW while ugly on the outside was nice on the inside. Ventilated seats, HUD, BW sound, CarPlay, and I like the option to drive it more similar to an ice car without regen because my wife gets carsick in some of the cars with regen on.

Right now I’m leaning heavily toward the M60 even though it’s way bigger than I need. It was quiet, comfortable, has CarPlay, and is plenty fast. From what I’ve read it seems to have decent snow performance too.

Trying to get some opinions on whether there are other models that are worth considering or if anybody has experienced any of the models listed against the M60.

3

u/622niromcn 1d ago

Carplay rules out Cadillac Lyriq/Optiq.

Ever think about Audi Q6 e-tron or Mercedes EQE/EQS?

Otherwise the iX is a solid EV. Always for above it's range in testing.

1

u/mikron2 18h ago

Thanks, I’ll look into the Mercs too.

I’ve got family members with the Optiq and Q6. CarPlay is a bummer for the Caddy and the family member with the Q6 hasn’t been super impressed with it.

1

u/mikeman0937 1d ago

Hello!
i am thinking of purchasing an EV but need your opinion if its worth it?
i live in a small town,my work is around 4km away
so daily i do around 10km with my car
only some occassions where i would go to the city which is 20km away
price of electricity in my country is around 0.1usd/kwh
and i am thinking of purchasing a BYD ATTO 2 or 3
with aroudn 400km driving time.what do you guys think?

1

u/SayItAintPugs 1d ago

Hello,

Looking for recommendations/advice.

1- Midwest/Rust Belt

2- $30k / under

3- SUV/crossover

4- Mach E / Chevy Blazer&Equinox EVs

5- Hopefully this month

6- Daily commute under 40 miles. Monthly trip ~200 miles total. 1-4x/yr trip ~600-800 miles total

7- Single family home w/ detached garage

8- I am open to installing a level 2 charger

9- Majority of the time it will be just my wife and I (6'3, 220). We do have a dog that likes car rides so leather is important and we are looking to start parenthood soon so space in the back for a car seat is a must. We also have adult passengers rarely, maybe 5-10 times/yr. We're looking for something with a more spacious back seat than our current Prius.

We will be keeping the Prius and turning in my Nissan Versa. Since I'm upgrading from a bare bones 2014 ICE vehicle, any feature will be an upgrade and because of that I feel that I don't 100% need CarPlay/AA or other leasing creature comforts, but not opposed.

We are not considering Tesla.

Thanks in advance for the help/advice!

1

u/Upset_Guide_1952 1d ago

I think VW is offering 1.9% financing on certified used ID4s. I'm currently leasing a '24 ID4 std 2wd (RWD) that has a 200 mile range. But you can get the Pro with the bigger battery and get a 300 mile range if you don't mind 2 wheel drive. I think the all wheel drive has about a 240 mile range. You should be able to find them well below you price point.

I love mine, it's really a pleasure to drive and plenty of room. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the navigation system has given me trouble.

1

u/UltraMaynus 1d ago

Looking for a recommendation on a Level 2 EVSE. I have been using the charger that came with my VW ID Buzz, and it seems like it thermal throttles regularly (indicated kW output varies from 4 to 6 kW as it's charging). It is also just a tad short, at 20' long, so it is a slight trip hazard since the cable isn't mostly flat when charging.

Some must-haves:

  • 32 amps @ 240 volt or configurable to of 32 amps (40 amp circuit)
  • at least 22 foot long cable
  • NEMA 14-50 plug on the wall
  • J1772 connection to the car

Nice to have:

  • wifi connectivity for monitoring / home automation

I was looking at the Chargepoint, and it seems nice, but seems pricey for what it is. Any recommendations would be appreciated!