Used EV buying guide: The $30,000 edition

Although Hyundai’s ICCU reliability has commenters running from Korean EVs, the automaker recently extended the ICCU warranty to 15 years/180,000 miles, so we still feel comfortable recommending its E-GMP-based EVs, like the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. There are more than 1,000 Ioniq 5s to pick from, the newest being MY25 cars. Kia’s EV6 shares the same platform, but you’ll only find half as many on used lots. Some prefer the styling of the Kia to the angular Ioniq 5. Given Tesla’s enormous market share for EVs, it’s no surprise that you’ll find thousands of them for sale, used, in our price range. There are about the same number of used Nissan Ariyas as Volkswagen ID.4s—roughly 400 of each for sale used. The Nissan is an underappreciated option in my opinion, with a better interior than the VW. There are also a couple hundred Honda Prologues, which are essentially the Chevy Blazer EV but with Apple CarPlay. The closely related Toyota bZ4x and Subaru Solterra also show up in roughly the same volumes; these will be the older models with CCS1 charge ports and the less-efficient first-generation powertrains. And if you want something a little smaller, there are low-mileage Kia Niro EVs on offer too. Sedan lovers should consider the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Polestar 2. The former is wonderfully efficient and looks a lot better in person than two-dimensionally on a screen. The latter is now from an OEM that has exited the US market, which may well put some people off, but the cars can be serviced at Volvo dealers, so don’t be scared. At this price, we found a mix of older single-motor FWD cars, single-motor RWD cars (Polestar switched for MY24), plus twin-motor AWD versions. Or stick with Volvo itself. There are about three times as many C40 coupes available as the XC40 Recharge, but quite a lot of people prefer the looks of the fastback, so this is no bad thing. Audi’s Q4 e-tron crossover is basically a more premium VW ID.4 and does little to stand out from the alternatives here. The same can’t be said for the BMW i4, which now starts appearing in my searches as we passed the $25,000 floor. For this money, we’re looking at the i4 eDrive35, which is the less-powerful RWD version. But it’s also the most efficient, and in my opinion, the single-motor i4s are much sweeter to drive than the AWD ones (although I’ve only driven the eDrive40, not the eDrive35). You’ll also find some very nearly new Nissan Leafs and some Chevy Bolt EUVs; the Leafs include the current model that starts at under $30,000 (if you ignore the destination charge), and Chevy will sell you a new Bolt with an LFP battery pack from less than $30,000 new, so if that’s the model you’re looking for, you might be able to find either one brand new. For a small city car, the Mini Cooper SE is a hoot to drive, but limited in range. And then there are the real rarities. I was surprised to find only three Genesis GV60s in this price range; it’s smaller than the related EV6 or Ioniq 5, but with a higher spec and better interior, and its smaller size means it works great in the city. A Ford F-150 Lightning Pro might be a possibility at under $30,000 if you’re patient and if you need a pickup and don’t mind a work spec. And similar patience may turn up a Kia EV9 if you need something voluminous for the school run. I have to say, I’d be very tempted by the BrightDrop delivery vans, several of which are now within our price range—start here if you want to build yourself an electric camper wagon. For the really brave, you might even slip into one of the really fancy EV sedans. We found eight Mercedes-Benz EQSs, making it almost common compared to the single Lucid Air Grand Touring that showed up. Either of those is a lot of car for $30,000, but that goes double for the lone Audi e-Tron GT and the only Porsche Taycan (a 4S) that also appeared. They drive quite differently from each other despite sharing a platform; the Audi has a more usable interior with fewer touchscreens, and the Porsche has the better badge and keener handling. I mean, yes, plenty could go wrong with a $30,000 electric Porsche that has servicing bills belonging to a car that cost four times as much new. But I imagine it could be rather fun finding out.