| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ||
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1 | Rating (0 to 10) | Notes | Starting price | Configured price | Charger price | Tax credit | Seating | Rear legroom | Length | Width | Height | NHTSA Safety Rating | IIHS Safety Rating | EPA MPG combined | EPA MPGe combined | All electric | Plug-in hybrid | All electric range (miles) | Requires premium gas | Push button start | Seat memory | Mirror memory | Heads up display | Rear A/C and heat vents | Android Auto | ||
2 | 2003 Corolla LE | - | A previous car we owned, for comparison. | - | - | - | 5 | 35.4" | 178.3" | 66.9" | 57.7" | 4ish stars | Meh | 25/34 | - | no | no | - | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | ||
3 | Subaru Outback | 9 | The car we currently own, for comparison. | $33k | - | - | 5 | 38.1" | 189.6" | 72" | 66.1" | 5 stars | Top Safety Pick+ | 25/32 | - | no | no | - | no | ✓ | ✓ | don't think so | no | ✓ | 2018 and newer | ||
4 | Audi e-tron | 0 | Expensive. Not great MPGe. | $75k | - | 74 | ✓ | 204 | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | BMW 530e | 0 | Expensive. Not great MPGe. Low all-electric range. | 29 | 72 | ✓ | 30 | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | BMW 740e xDrive | 0 | Poor mileage. | 27 | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | BMW 745e xDrive | 0 | Poor mileage. | 22 | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | BMW i3 | 5 | A little pricey--more than the Tesla Model 3. Not great with rear-facing car seats. | $44k | $7,500 | 4 | 31.9" | 158.3" | 69.9" | 62.9" | - | 113 | ✓ | 153 | |||||||||||||
9 | BMW i3s | 5 | A little pricey--more than the Tesla Model 3. Not great with rear-facing car seats. | $48k | $7,500 | 4 | 31.9" | 158.1" | 70.5" | 62.8" | - | 113 | ✓ | 153 | |||||||||||||
10 | BMW i3 with Range Extender | 4 | A little pricey. Not great with rear-facing car seats. Don't really care about range extender, and it adds cost and complication. | $48k | 4 | 31.9" | 158.3" | 69.9" | 62.9" | 31 | 100 | ✓ | 126 | ||||||||||||||
11 | BMW i3s with Range Extender | 4 | A little pricey. Not great with rear-facing car seats.. Don't really care about range extender, and it adds cost and complication. | $52k | 4 | 31.9" | 158.1" | 70.5" | 62.8" | 31 | 100 | ✓ | 126 | ||||||||||||||
12 | BMW i8 | 0 | Poor mileage. | $148k | 27 | 69 | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||
13 | BYD e6 | 0 | Not great MPGe. Not widely available. Target audience is "fleets." Not a mainstream consumer car company. | - | 72 | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 6 | A little ugly. Alex on Autos said driver seat was uncomfortable for him. Worried that it might be too small for a family. Would probably want the "Premier" trim for the better speakers. | $37k | $33k (possibly as low as), according to TrueCar | $600 for a Level 2 charger (e.g. Charge Point Home, also see Juicebox, EVSE, Clipper Creek) + installation cost | $3,750 until end of September | 5 | 36.5" | 164" | 69.5" | 62.8" | 4/5 stars | Ok. Small, so a little less safe. IIHS said low beam headlights caused excessive glare (for oncoming vehicles, I think). | - | 119 | ✓ | no | 238 | no | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
15 | Chevrolet Volt | 7 | All electric range isn't great. Extra complication from gas engine. | $34k | $37k as configured | $3,750 until end of September | 5 | 34.7" | 180.4" | 71.2" | 56.4" | 42 | 106 | no | ✓ | 53 | ✓ | ||||||||||
16 | Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid | 2 | Very long and very wide... but seating for 7! | $40k | 7 | 39" / 36.5" | 203.8" | 79.6" | 69.9" | 30 | 82 | ✓ | 32 | ||||||||||||||
17 | Fiat 500e | 4 | 2 door. Quite small. Not great with rear-facing car seats. Lacks blind spot warnings, front collision warning/autobraking, rear backup autobraking, etc. | $33k | 4 | 142.4" | 64.1" | 60.1" | Not great. Small. Smooshed driver area. | - | 112 | ✓ | 84 | probably | |||||||||||||
18 | Ford Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrid | 4 | All electric range is short. | $35k | 5 | 38.3" | 191.8" | 72.9" | 58" | 42 | 103 | ✓ | 20 | ||||||||||||||
19 | Honda Clarity EV | 0 | Only available in California and Oregon. Only available as a lease. | - | 114 | ✓ | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid | 5 | All electric range is average. Extra complication from gas engine. Car seat compatibility is ok, but not as good as the other cars on the list. | $34k | 5 | 36.2" | 192.7" | 73.9" | 58.2" | 42 | 110 | ✓ | 47 | ||||||||||||||
21 | Hyundai Kona Electric | 3 | Real bad for rear-facing car seat--front passenger won't have enough room. Not available in NC. Available in Maryland. | $37k | 5 | 33.4" | 164.6" | 70.9" | 61.2" | - | 120 | ✓ | 258 | ||||||||||||||
22 | Hyundai Ioniq Electric | 6 | Not available in NC. Available in Maryland. | $30k | $38k according to TrueCar | $7,500 | 35.7" | 176.0" | 71.7" | 57.1" | ? | Top Safety Pick (for the plug-in hybrid version) | - | 136 | ✓ | 124 | ✓ | ||||||||||
23 | Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid | 4 | All electric range is just ok. Extra complication from gas engine. | $25k | $7,500 | 52 | 119 | ✓ | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||
24 | Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid | 3 | All electric range is short. Long, on the wider side, and on the pricier side. | $38k | $7,500 | 5 | 35.6" | 191.1" | 73.4" | 57.9" | 39 | 99 | ✓ | 27 | |||||||||||||
25 | Jaguar I-Pace | 0 | Not great MPGe and expensive. | $70k | $7,500 | - | 76 | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
26 | Kia Niro Electric | 6 | Not available in NC. Available in Maryland. | $39k | $7,500 | 36" | 172.2" | 71.1" | 61.4" | ? | Top Safety Pick+ (for the plug-in hybrid version) | - | 112 | ✓ | 239 | ✓ | |||||||||||
27 | Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid | 4 | All electric range is short. Bigger tax credit due to Kia having not sold many electric vehicles? | $29k | $7,500 | 37.4" | 171.5" | 71.1" | 60.8" | 46 | 105 | ✓ | 26 | ✓ | |||||||||||||
28 | Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid | 3 | All electric range is short. Long and on the wider side. Bigger tax credit due to Kia having not sold many electric vehicles? | $35k | $7,500 | 35.6" | 191.1" | 73.2" | 57.5" | 40 | 103 | ✓ | 29 | ||||||||||||||
29 | Kia Soul Electric | 5 | Small? Ugly. | $34k | $7,500 | 4? | 36" | 163.0" | 70.9" | 63.0" | ? | Top Safety Pick (for the non-hybrid non-electric version) | - | 114 | ✓ | 111 | ✓ | ||||||||||
30 | Mercedes-Benz GLC350e 4matic | 0 | Poor mileage. | >$50k | $7,500 | 25 | 56 | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
31 | MINI Cooper SE Countryman All4 | 0 | Poor mileage. | > $37k | $7,500 | 27 | 65 | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
32 | Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | 4 | All electric range is short. MPGe isn't great. | $36k | $7,500 | 5 | 184.8" | 70.9" | 67.3" | 25 | 74 | ✓ | 22 | ✓ | |||||||||||||
33 | Nissan Leaf S/SV/SL (40 kW-hr battery pack) | 8 | Want SV or SL because blind spot warning isn't available on the S. Probably SL because the SV with blind spot monitoring is almost the same price, and SL comes with a few extra niceties (better speakers). But maybe hard to find an SV that isn't a PLUS. Maybe tight for rear-facing car seat? Probably ok. Speakers in SV weren't great. SL has Bose speakers. Another difference: SV has cloth, SL has leather. The cloth seats in the SV seemed very average. Interior was fine, but standard affair. Driving position was average for me. Controls felt clunky. Too many options, poorly organized. Infotainment screen was laggy (half second delay after pressing a button). Around 2013, for the previous generation, Nissan seemed to recommend charging only up to 80% to reduce battery degredation over time. Not sure if that's still a recommendation. Note: If considering used, probably stick with 2017 and newer because the first gen had too-low-for-comfort range. Also Android Auto was only added in 2018. | $33k | $38k, but $35k according to TrueCar | Just installation cost? | $7,500 | 5 | 33.5" | 176.4" | 70.5" | 61.4" | 4 stars for older years | ?, but older model years had average ratings | - | 112 | ✓ | no | 150 | no | ✓ | ||||||
34 | Nissan Leaf S Plus (62 kW-hr battery pack) | 1 | If we got a leaf we'd want either the SV or SL because blind spot warning isn't available on the S. | $37k | $7,500 | 5 | 33.5" | 176.4" | 70.5" | 61.4" | - | 108 | ✓ | 226 | |||||||||||||
35 | Nissan Leaf SV/SL Plus (62 kW-hr battery pack) | 5 | Want SV or SL because blind spot warning isn't available on the S. Maybe tight for rear-facing car seat? Should test it. Don't care about longer range. | $39k | $7,500 | 5 | 33.5" | 176.4" | 70.5" | 61.4" | ? | ?, but probably same as above | - | 104 | ✓ | 226 | ✓ | ||||||||||
36 | Porsche Panamera 4 e-Hybrid | 0 | Poor mileage. | $102k? | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid | 0 | Poor mileage. | $186k? | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Smart EQ fortwo | 0 | Too small. | - | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
39 | Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid AWD | 4 | All electric range is short. MPGe is lower than typical. | $35k | 5 | 36.7" | 175.8" | 71" | 62.8" | 35 | 90 | ✓ | 17 | ||||||||||||||
40 | Tesla Model 3 Long Range | 5 | Great performance. Probably not worth paying $10k more for an extra 70 mile range. | $50k | $1,875 until end of December | 5 | 184.8" | 72.8" | - | 130 | ✓ | 310 | no | ||||||||||||||
41 | Tesla Model 3 Mid Range | 8 | Lack of physical buttons wasn't hugely annoying. Though lack of manual control of A/C vents probably would be. Would be a pain for guest drivers to adjust mirrors. Great performance. Great handling. Ride supposedly a bit harsh due to good handling. Glass roof could be sunny distracting hot? Didn't seem like a problem--it's very tinted. Lots of ambient road noise/wind noise and highway speed. Lack of Android Auto is lame. Hate the software-limited feature differentiation. Standard Range and Standard Range Plus don't show real time traffic on the map (but they do take it into account when navigating?)? Driving position was good for me. People suggest charging only to 80%, like the leaf, because LiIon batteries degrade faster when fully charged? Rear windows don't go down super far (a little more than half way). Also back seat not great for adults. | $39k | $36.2k | $500 + installation cost | $1,875 until end of December | 5 | 35.2"? | 184.8" | 72.8" | 57.0" | 5 stars | ?, but Model S has average ratings. Average for small overlap front collision, headlights aren't great. | - | 123 | ✓ | no | 240 | no | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | no | ✓ | no | |
42 | Tesla Model S | 0 | Expensive. | $76k | 5 | - | 103 for 75D, 102 for 100D, 98 for P100D | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
43 | Tesla Model X | 0 | Expensive. | $80k | 7 | - | 93 for 75D, 87 for 100D, 85 for P100D | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
44 | Toyota Prius | 7 | if getting used, get 2011 or newer due to piston ring problems on 2010. Fourth gen has stiffer frame, results in crisper driving feel. | $24k | $25k | - | 5? | 33.4" | 180" | 69.3" | 57.9" | 52 | - | no | no | no | |||||||||||
45 | Toyota Prius Prime | 5 | All electric range is short. Maybe tight for rear-facing car seat? Unavailable in 27513 according to Toyota's website. Controls are all touchscreen, like a Tesla :-( | $27k | $4,502 | 4 | 33.4" | 182.9" | 69.3" | 57.9" | Top Safety Pick | 54 | 133 | no | ✓ | 25 | no | ||||||||||
46 | Volkswagen e-Golf | 6 | Maybe tight for rear-facing car seat? Reduced trust from Volkswagen emissions cheating. Seemingly not sold in NC. Closest new models are in Maryland. On 2020-02-01 website said, "Sorry, the e-Golf will be available only at participating dealers in California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington." | $29k | $33k ($29k according to TrueCar) | $7,500 | 5 | 35.6" | 168.1" | 70.8" | 57.2" | 4/5 stars | Ok (for normal Golf) | - | 125 | ✓ | no | 125 | no | ✓ | |||||||
47 | Volvo S60 AWD PHEV | 0 | Not out as of 2019-04-21. New tech. Scary review. | $55k | 31 | 74 | ✓ | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||
48 | Volvo S90 AWD PHEV | 0 | Expensive. Not great MPGe. | $64k | 29 | 71 | ✓ | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||
49 | Volvo XC60 AWD PHEV | 0 | Poor mileage. | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Volvo XC90 AWD PHEV | 0 | Poor mileage. | > $66k | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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53 | Disclaimer | Ratings and notes are my personal opinion for my specific needs. A car that’s a bad choice for me might be a good choice for someone else. In other words, sorry if I railed your car! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
54 | I make no promises about any of this data. If you notice a mistake let me know and I’ll fix it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
55 | MPG numbers are from fueleconomy.gov (EPA and Department of Energy). I believe all numbers are for the 2019 model year. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
56 | Range numbers are usually from the automaker websites. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
57 | I believe other info is for the 2019, model year, too. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
58 | An empty field means I didn’t collect data. I didn’t bother for many minor features, especially for cars that we had already ruled out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | The “as configured” price is a rough approximation of how much it would cost for us, configured with the features we want. This usually includes things like blind spot indicators, lane departure warning, surround view cameras, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | The federal tax credit for EVs is viewable at https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxevb.shtml Also worth noting that a bill was introduced to increase the tax credits. See https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/04/10/tesla-shares-jump-as-lawmakers-begin-push-to-expand-ev-tax-credits.html and https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1094 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
61 | In NC, "The owner of an EV that is exclusively powered by electricity must pay a fee of $130 in addition to any other required registration fees at the time of initial registration and annual registration renewal." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
62 | See https://kingant.net/2019/11/choosing-another-new-car/ for more insight about my decision process. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||