Zoe, i3 or other?

Ah okay. I was following that one a bit. Thanks for getting a photo of the damage, a bit more than I was expecting for a "perfect condition, minor dent" car. Probably a decent deal for whoever ended up with it.

If you were actually frequenting enough EV forums elsewhere in Europe rather than being pre-occupied with hearing yourself condescend others here on boards.ie you would know about some of the failures which make older EVs un-economic to repair or people grin and bear e.g. failure of AC on Zöes and motor bearing failures on i3 along with struts being almost a service item.

Could just be another tyre kicker.

There is a good choice of Leafs around, 553 on done deal, but not so many i3’s, a much rarer breed in the wild, just 49 on done deal, and only 2 under 10k.

Unkel, you are a gas man. You are doubling down on your position that people should buy in to the earliest vehicles from a nascent technology. Stay on the reckless bleeding edge with your own money rather than doling out your "advice" to people who may find themselves walking because they can't afford an unexpected repair bill which writes off their vehicle. Will you be there to help them then?

I can only recommend early EVs to those who can afford to take a total write-off.

Yes, I recommend any newer EV over an older EV. The Zöe matured greatly over its model lifecycle…and you are still not backing down on the reckless advice that you are throwing around. Why don't you mosey over to the Relationships sub-forum and advise people on their relationships which are going through a rocky patch while you are at it.

If you aren't there to help people when their cars won't change out of neutral show some restraint with your advice.

For those of you who can afford the risk of a complete write-off I recommend an i3 as they do the job of feeling genuinely "special" which is hard to come by these days. For those of you who can't I advise to keep well clear and keep clear of early ZÖE and Leaf too.

You are the one making a personal attack by accussing me of scaremongering. It isn't scaremongering. Co-workers have been left with Zöes and i3 vehicles in workshop for months. It is just a fact that doesn't sit well with you. Newer equals less risk as the technology is maturing. Getting a car coming off lease or PCP is your best hope of avoiding expensive faults partly through regular maintenance and partly through EVs are becoming more reliable as the Manufacturers learn how to build them.

Our fleet management team for example send mails to all employees as their car approaches end of warranty to get issues addressed before warranty expires.

I think it’s clear from the original post and subsequent post below that the budget won’t stretch to buying an id3. The suggestion of a id3 did pose an alternative option that may have been helpful to the original poster but they don’t want a loan or finance so that ship has sailed. People are offering great advice that is in keeping with the original post and budget.

Back on topic, the i3 is the one to get, after having a leaf & zoe, still makes me smile and no noticeable drop in range despite the milage and being 8 years old.

“Budget is ideally 8k. Will stretch to 9 if needed and I won't be taking on any loans, finance etc”

Peace of mind.

Tyre depth gauge. I3 skinny wheels are odd and have a lot of work to do. I found the i3 always lost traction on onramps and offramps

service history

Obd scan before and after test drive. Inspect suspension and braking surfaces.

Aircon must work both hot and cold.

Look on German website going electric.de in the BMW i3 subforum and translate.

Do not buy a car with latent or patent suspension problems which may have been exacerbated by decisions taken by former owners.

What can we say? Just a great allrounder, most efficient EV ever made, Korean cars have the best build quality in the world. Comfy ride, very pleasant, decent spec, can fast charge quickly, very cheap to own. And that price from a dealer (so with warranty) isn't bad. Will do your round trip in the most atrocious weather with plenty to spare, even if you drive like a lunatic

Very different car from an i3 though!

Some nice shiny black wraps on grille and maybe roof will ease the pain a lot. But it would still be white 😁