The Car Expert

Fiat 500e

Stuart Masson

-

18 March 2021

Summary

The Fiat 500e, also known as the 500 Electric, is all-new model that is unrelated to the petrol-powered Fiat 500 which has been around since 2007 (albeit with several updates over the years).

The new model is a bit bigger and, as the name suggests, will only be available with electric power. Like previous generations, it is available as both a regular hatchback and as a cabriolet. It landed in the UK in Spring 2021 and the old petrol model is continuing to soldier on for the time being, although its demise appears imminent.

Based on dozens of reviews we have gathered to date, the Fiat 500e has been praised for its driving dynamics and interior quality, both of which are significant improvements over the old model.

The main criticism is that the car remains cramped for four people and luggage, but then that goes for any car in this class. It’s also worth noting that most reviews have been based on high-spec models with much higher pricing that the basic version, with higher performance, more equipment and better battery range.

As of September 2025, the Fiat 500e holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72%. It scores top marks for its low running costs and zero tailpipe emissions, although its media review scores have diminished since it was launched and its safety and warranty scores are only average.

500e highlights

Desirable pint-sized looks
Competitive battery range
Low running costs
Stylish interior
Agile city driving

500e lowlights

Rivals are more practical
Entry-level models are rather basic
Expensive step up from normal 500
Cramped in the back

Key specifications

Body style: Small three-door hatch and cabriolet
Motor: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £24,995 on-road

Launched: Spring 2021
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“While cars such as the Volkswagen e-up! and Honda e have disappeared from their respective price lists, the Fiat 500e soldiers on against an influx of new rivals, including the similarly priced Renault 5 and Citroen e-C3. It has retro-inspired style on its side, and as a city car it certainly cuts it with the best, although its limitations are easy to see once you head out on the open road for longer trips.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 7 / 10

Read full review

Auto Express

Alex Ingram, Ellis Hyde

“The Fiat 500e is a lovable small EV that’s great to nip around the city in, but there are more spacious alternatives available for less cash.”

Model reviewed: Hatchback range

Score: 7 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

More reviews

Auto Express

Model reviewed: 42 kWh Convertible Icon
Score: 8 / 10
“The Fiat 500 maintains the old car’s fashion accessory image, but it’s also a small EV with usable range, the latest charging tech and crucially it’s offered at a very tempting price. The less expensive and likely more popular hatchback version could score an extra half star when we try it.”
Read review

Auto Trader

Score: 10 / 10
“New all-electric Fiat 500 delivers the classic Italian style in an affordable package brimming with the charisma to take on the Mini Electric and Honda E.”
Read review

Business Car

Model reviewed: 500e Hatchback La Prima
Score: 7 / 10
“The Fiat 500e is light years ahead in terms of powertrain refinement than its forebears, but overall it is still not the most cultured device.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: 500 Convertible 42 kWh Passion
Score: 8 / 10
“Redlining a petrol Fiat 500 through every gear and hearing the chirrup of its tyres on roundabouts as you dodged through city traffic used to be one of the purest and most underrated driving experiences going. Somehow Fiat has translated that eagerness into an electric model.”
Author: Adam Binnie
Read review

Car Keys

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Fiat 500 seemed like a perfect fit for electric power and, now that a version is finally here, it’s clear to see those initial ideas were on the money.”
Read review

Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Fiat 500 has been reborn with electric power. It’s an even better city car but the price has increased considerably” (Ben Custard)
Read review

Carwow

Model reviewed: Convertible range
Score: 6 / 10
“The reborn Fiat 500 Electric is now available as a dashing convertible. Electric performance is strong, but cabin space is tight and the boot is tiny.”
Read review

Company Car Today

Model reviewed: Icon 42kWh
Score: 8 / 10
“A small car with a very decent range, neat styling, competitive pricing and the tax, NI and fueling advantages of EV. Sal-sac in particular will be enticing.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 500 Convertible 42 kWh Passion
“The Fiat 500 Electric is a very likeable and good-to-drive little car. It’s not cheap for the version with the more usable range, but the cut-price urban-range model is a handy extra offering.”
Read review

Daily Mail

Model reviewed: 500 Convertible Icon
“Bellissimo! In these dark and difficult times it’s great to drive a car that instantly puts a big smile on your face. But the new all-electric Fiat 500 brought me an automotive ray of welcome – if socially-distanced – Mediterranean sunshine and warmth.”
Read review

Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: Action
“Would I buy this budget Fiat 500 Action model and could I live with its range? In a word, no. I’d pay more and go for the 500 that can manage almost 200 miles. You never know when you might have to make a long journey and a range of under 100miles would be a real pain.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 42 kWh La Prima
Score: 6 / 10
“Owners of the current Fiat 500 who want to go electric but still want a stylish car with plenty of character are not going to be disappointed by this new arrival. In fact, it’s an improvement. What seemed like an eccentric move by Fiat turns out to have been a wise one.”
Read review

Discover EV

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“If you’re after an electric city car with iconic good looks then the New Fiat 500 with a relatively long official range for its segment and the ability to charge up more quickly than many of its electric supermini competitors, is a good bet for EV buyers in the city car class. Just don’t plan on putting anyone in the back or carrying lots of luggage.”
Read review

Driving Electric

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The iconic Fiat 500 city car has gone electric-only in its latest incarnation – and it’s better than its petrol predecessor in every way.”
Read review

Electrifying.com

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“A fantastic evolution of the 500 that keeps the charm but finally brings the comfort, efficiency and tech you want.”
Read review

Eurekar

“As little electric cars go the 500 makes a fine job of its pollution free role and it comes with three drive modes to enable the driver to get the best out of its performance.”
Read review

Fleetworld

Model reviewed: Electric
“There’s substance behind the electric 500’s stylish update, with a useful range and improved driving experience compared to the old car. But that substance comes at a price.”
Read review

Green Car Guide

Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The Fiat 500 Electric is a welcome choice for EV buyers in the city car class, offering a fun driving experience and a decent 199 mile official driving range.”
Read review

Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Fiat 500 Electric is a modern urban electric car with a retro twist. It combines quirky looks with a fashionable interior but crucially it’s cheaper than the competition.”
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
Fiat’s electric 500 is a stylish urban runaround – just don’t expect a great deal of refinement once you’ve left the parameters of the city centre.
Read review

Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.4 / 10
“The previous Fiat 500 always felt a bit like a case of style over substance. With this impressively well-resolved and modern new 500, Fiat’s given us a generous dose of both sides.”
Read review

The Telegraph

Model reviewed: La Prima
Score: 8 / 10
“Cute, charming and surprisingly upmarket, this zero-emissions Fiat 500 city car is the EV that style-conscious urbanites have been waiting for.”
Read review

Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“Fiat’s re-cast 500 is a solid, refined little electric car.”
Read review

Which EV?

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.5 / 10
“Just as previous Fiat 500s dating back to the 1950s have been great city cars, the Fiat 500 Electric excels around town. The Action trim sets a new level for EV affordability, although the meagre battery range means you could not buy it intending to go more than short distances from your home. Other versions are more flexible, even if none of them are fast. The Fiat 500 Electric is a great little EV for a keen price, ideal for young urban trendies or as a second family vehicle. Highly recommended.” (James Morris)
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 4 stars
Date tested: December 2021
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 76%
Child protection: 80%
Vulnerable road users: 67%
Safety assist: 67%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested:

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: July 2021
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 10 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 10 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 10 / 10

Five stars

The Fiat 500e was awarded a five-star eco rating from Green NCAP in July 2021.

Green NCAP said: “With no pollutant emissions at the tailpipe, this full-electric car gets an unbeatable ten out of ten for the Clean Air Index. Energy efficiency of battery electric cars is very high compared with other types of vehicles and the Fiat gets full points here, too.

“However, the standard charger supplied with the vehicle was slow and inefficient so, in the long term, the customer will pay more for grid electricity than would be the case with a better unit. In Green NCAP’s current assessment, which looks only at tailpipe emissions and takes no account of upstream CO₂, the 500 completes its hat-trick with maximum points in the Greenhouse Gas pillar.”

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	178 miles	C

Electrical efficiency	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	4.7 m/KWh	A

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	18	A

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£111	A
Year 2	£299	A
Year 3	£502	A
Year 4	£650	A
Year 5	£888	A
Overall	£2,450	A

The Fiat 500e offers very low-cost running, even by electric car standards. Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is excellent, while insurance and servicing should also be relatively cheap by new car standards.

The only disappointment is that battery range isn’t great. Across the 500e family, the average range is 170 miles, although the entry-level model drops down to as low as 115 miles while the biggest-battery models are rated for 199 miles. On top of that, you’ll need to bear in mind that these are official EU/UK lab figures, which are optimistic compared to real-world driving.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of September 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Fiat 500e to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the 500e, we’ll publish the score here.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Fiat 500e

Overall ratingC58%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileage100,000 miles
Battery warranty duration8 years
Battery warranty mileage100,000 miles

Fiat’s new car warranty is pretty much the bare minimum offered in the UK, with a duration of three years and a limit of 60,000 miles. Other rivals in the price bracket do better (and in some cases, much better).

In addition to the standard new car warranty, the 500e has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.

Buying a used Fiat 500e

If you are purchasing an ‘Approved Used’ Fiat 500e from an official Fiat dealership, you will get a minimum six-month warranty included.
If you are buying a used Fiat 500e from an independent dealership, any warranty offered will vary and will probably be managed by a third-party warranty company.
If you are buying a used Fiat 500e from a private seller, there are no warranty protections beyond any remaining portion of the original new car warranty.

If you’re looking to buy a used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Fiat 500e has received

2023

EcoCar Electrified Top 50 – Best Electric City Car

2022

UK Car of the Year Awards – Best City Car
Carbuyer Awards – Best Small Electric Car
Company Car Today CCT100 Awards – Best Small EV
EV Fleet World Awards – Best EV City Car
GQ eCar Awards – Best City Car
Parkers New Car Awards – Best Small Electric Car
Southern Group of Motoring Writers Awards – ‘Dark Horse’ of the Year

2021

Auto Express Awards – Best City Car + Best Small Electic Car for the City
Electrifying.com Awards – Car of the Year + Best Small Car
Fleet World Awards – Best EV City Car
Marie Claire Sustainability Awards – Best Electric Car
News UK Motoring Awards – Best City Car
Parkers New Car Awards – Best Small Electric Car

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Fiat 500e, you might also be interested in these alternatives

More news, reviews and information about the Fiat 500e at The Car Expert

Electric car grant – all the EVs with discounts

Everything you need to know about Fiat

The 10 worst new cars on sale in 2024

Collectors’ edition Fiat 500 available to order

The best new electric cars for every budget 2023

The ten biggest automotive developments of Queen Elizabeth’s reign

The cheapest new cars on sale in 2022

Government ends electric car subsidy

Five-star safety for seven new cars – but none for Renault

The best new convertibles for every budget

Fiat confirms pricing and specification for electric 500

All-new electric Fiat 500 available to order

Buy a Fiat 500e

If you’re looking to buy a new or used Fiat 500e, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car

Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more

Lease a Fiat 500e

If you’re looking to lease a new Fiat 500e, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Carwow. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a Fiat 500e

Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Car subscriptions from SelfDrive.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

Kia EV6 marks design direction change

New model

Andrew Charman

-

16 March 2021

0

Kia has unveiled dramatic new styling on the EV6, the brand’s first production car designed purely as a battery-electric vehicle.

The SUV, set to be officially unveiled later in March, will be the first of a new range of electric vehicles from Kia, all badged EV followed by a number – some six different models are expected by 2027.

According to Kia’s designers the new ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy is based on five pillars – ‘Bold for Nature’, ‘Joy for Reason’, ‘Power to Progress’, ‘Technology for Life’ and ‘Tension for Serenity.’

Evolving a design first seen on the Imagine concept of 2019, what this translates to is a far bolder look than previous models, principally to ensure the best aerodynamic performance so vital to EV battery range – the EV6 for example has a distinctly lower profile than a typical SUV, while the front boasts a new interpretation of the brand’s signature ‘tiger nose’ grille.

The car is being built on the same new E-GMP platform as sister brand Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. Combining this with a new minimalist interior design will make the EV6 feel more spacious compared to current models. A notable feature is the seamless curved high-definition audio-visual and navigation screen funning across more than half of the front fascia.

Kia is yet to confirm full technical details for the EV6. However it is expected to be a performance-focused model, industry sources predicting 0-62mph times of around five seconds and a 120mph top speed.

The car’s battery pack is expected to produce a range of around 310 miles with the ability for 800-volt rapid charging to 80% in less than 20 minutes.

More Kia news, ratings, reviews and features

BMW i3 (2013 to 2022)

Stuart Masson

-

16 March 2021

0

Summary

The BMW i3 was a small urban electric car, and was BMW’s first fully electric vehicle when it was launched back in 2013. It received a substantial mid-life update in 2017.

The i3 was one of the pioneers of the electric car movement, and there is still nothing really directly comparable to it on the market. It boasted clever construction methods and lightweight body panels, developed to offset the significant weight of its batteries. Even eight years after it was launched, it was still a more innovative and futuristic vehicle than most other cars on the market – at any price.

However, those eight years saw EV technology evolve rapidly, and newer rivals were able to combine more space and better battery range in more conventionally designed vehicles at lower prices. As an indication of how rapid this evolution has been, the i3 received much praise and many awards in its early years but by the time it ended production in 2022 its review scores had fallen to very low levels.

As a used car, however, and when compared with other cars of a similar age and/or price, the i3 is still highly regarded and has proved to be very reliable. Its very low running costs are also attractive.

No longer on sale, BMW is not expected to replace the i3 with a direct successor and is likely to shift towards electric versions of its regular model range.

As of September 2025, the BMW i3 holds a Used Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 70%. It scores top marks for its low running costs, while its reliability record is good and media review scores are still solid when viewed over the model’s whole life. However, its safety score is low due to its age, meaning it doesn’t offer many of the latest accident avoidance systems now fitted as standard to new cars.

More BMW Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Key specifications

Body style: Small five-door hatch
Motor: electric, battery-powered
Price when new: From £33,805 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2013
Last updated: Autumn 2018
Discontinued: Summer 2022

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“The BMW i3 is innovative, stylish and good to drive – delivering a premium small electric car with plenty of road presence.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Auto Express

“The BMW i3 is a small electric car with a funky interior and a decent range between charges. Sadly, it’s expensive and other small electric cars are more comfortable.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

More reviews

Auto Express

Model reviewed: 120Ah
Score: 8 / 10
“More range can only be a good thing when it comes to EVs, and the BMW i3 is still relatively affordable for a premium electric car. New owners will benefit from more flexibility, but they’ll also be dogged by the same flaws – namely the poor ride and the lack of standard safety and connectivity tech.”
Read review

Model reviewed: i3s range extender
Score: 7 / 10
“It’s impressive for BMW to give the i3 more performance without cutting the range at the same time, and to sharpen the way it drives. However, the standard car is hardly a slouch and is pretty good to drive, so we struggle to see how the BMW i3s is worth the considerable extra money.”
Read review

Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“An early electric pioneer, the BMW i3 remains a distinctive and stylish offering despite new rivals appearing in the EV market. An improved battery pack and increased range meaning the earlier range-extender version is now redundant, and the i3 is now a pure electric vehicle.”
Read review

Business Car

Model reviewed: 94Ah
Score: 9 / 10
“Putting the engineering brilliance of Tesla to one side, the BMW i3 is arguably the best electric car currently on the market, and these latest updates find solutions to almost all the obstacles stopping fleets from investing in the technology.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It is still a £25k city car with only four seats and a tiny boot, but the BMW i3 range is far more appealing than any EV we’ve driven.”
Read review

Model reviewed: i3 S range extender
Score: 8 / 10
“If you want the fastest, most fun BMW i3, this is it – but its greatest strengths (an attractive, innovative interior, show-stopping exterior styling and enough space for everyday most driving scenarios around town with the capacity for longer trips possible) are shared with the regular i3.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 94Ah
Score: 8 / 10
“The appeal of the BMW i3 is only strengthened with its new battery pack fitted. It retains the eye-catching design, spacious interior and engaging driving experience we’ve praised previously, but now you can enjoy it for longer between charges.”
Read review

Car Keys

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“While there are certain areas where the i3 might be showing its age, that can’t detract from the brilliance of this BMW. Given it was years ahead of the competition in many respects, it continues to build a strong case for itself in the electric hatchback market.”
Read review

Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.8 / 10
“The BMW i3 is great fun and nippy around town but it’s expensive and those striking looks won’t appeal to everyone.”
Read review

Company Car Today

Model reviewed: i3s range extender
“The new BMW i3s is the sportiest of mainstream plug-in vehicles and goes and handles very nicely, though it’s far from cheap. The looks are still divisive and the ride quality suffers due to that sportiness.”
Read review

Model reviewed: i3s (pure electric version)
“The BMW i3s’s zippy performance and fine handling impress, but it’s a shame the range doesn’t let you enjoy it for longer.”
Read review

Daily Mail

Model reviewed: i3S
“Priced at £37,000, the BMW i3S is unquestionably a premium product considering its modest size, though it’s hard to argue that it is one of the best low-emissions models on the market to date.”
Read review

Discover EV

Model reviewed: i3S
Score: 6 / 10
“At the time of launch, the BMW i3 proved that electric cars could be funky and fast, and played a major role in bringing them to the forefront of people’s attention. The problem it has now though is that it’s barely changed in the last eight years but the industry is moving fairly rapidly.”
Read review

Driving Electric

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The BMW i3 was one of the first electric cars to make everyday drivers sit up and take notice, with its cool style, good handling and practical range.”
Read review

Electrifying.com

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.5 / 10
“BMW’s first electric car, the quirky i3, has been around since 2013. But even now it feels like a car from the future.”
Read review

Eurekar

Model reviewed: i3 range extender
“The BMW i3 handles well with beautifully responsive steering. Wind and road noise are largely absent. The only drawback is the harsh suspension. The car literally clatters over lesser road surfaces, making it uncomfortable at times.”
Read review

Evo

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The BMW i3 is a genuinely impressive take on the electric city car.”
Read review

Green Car Guide

Model reviewed: i3 S
Score: 10 / 10
“If you’re looking for an EV in this class that will also offer a rewarding driving experience for the duration of ownership, then the BMW i3s doesn’t really have any competition at this time – and that’s why BMW believes it can charge a premium for the i3s.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 94Ah range extender
Score: 10 / 10
“The BMW i3 looks great, it’s rewarding to drive, and it’s an electric car with a solution to range anxiety.”
Read review

Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“If any car could convince you that EVs are a good idea, the BMW i3 is it. It has sufficient charm and appeal to make you want one regardless of the engine under the bonnet, yet delivers all the big EV plus points too.”
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“What the BMW i3 manages to achieve is impressive, ticking all the boxes you expect from an electric car – acceptable range, zero emissions and an environmental mindset thanks to its recycled material content.”
Read review

Motoring Research

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The BMW i3 remains one of the most stylish and image-friendly EVs, with driving dynamics that are almost unheard of in the sector.”
Read review

Motors

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The BMW i3 can’t be called cheap. It costs considerably more than many of its rivals including the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Volkswagen e-Golf. Opt for a second hand one, however, and the i3 makes for a used car bargain.”
Read review

Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.6 / 10
“Small electric car is aging gracefully, remaining modern in many ways”
Read review

The Sun

Model reviewed: i3S
“The key words here are responsible, renewable or recycled resources. Add rather expensive to that list and that’s the BMW i3. It’s a statement car — a very cool, feel-good statement car — but it starts at £30k.”
Read review

The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“A high watermark for premium electric motoring.”
Read review

The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 94Ah
Score: 8 / 10
“The BMW i3 is one of the most advanced battery vehicles on sale, designed with elan and with all BMW’s handling prowess, if not its ride quality. Still needs more range (and bigger rear seats) and this battery-swap business is plain confusing, but this is as good at it gets if you drive with a battery.”
Read review

Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The BMW i3 remains the best premium small EV out there. Just be prepared to pay proper money.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

The BMW i3 was awarded a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating back in 2013, however this rating expired in 2020 and is no longer valid. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.

However, if you are comparing a used i3 to vehicles of similar age, whose ratings will have probably also expired, its safety rating score is still useful.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: i3 4×2

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: March 2019
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 10 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 8.5 / 10

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	182 miles	C

Electrical efficiency	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	5.7 m/KWh	A

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	25	B

The BMW i3 is a very affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of fuel consumption for a petrol or diesel car) is very good, which helps to provide a decent range for an urban car despite a small battery. Insurance premiums should also be competitive.

We don’t have servicing or maintenance cost information due to the model’s age – by now, servicing costs will vary significantly from car to car depending on age, condition and mileage.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

Total claims: 90
Average repair cost: £663.79
Last updated: April 2025

Reliability score

All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims

As of January 2025, the BMW i3 has a middling reliability score of 70%, according to exclusive extended warranty data provided by our partners at MotorEasy.

The most commonly reported problems with the i3 relate to the car’s electrical and suspension systems – the electrical issues are more expensive, with an average repair cost of more than £800. Powertrain problems (electric motor and the range-extending petrol engine on some versions) are more expensive, with an average bill of about £1,400.

If you’re looking at a used BMW i3, make sure any extended warranty cover you purchase covers all of the potential problem areas above.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the BMW i3

Overall ratingA82%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileageUnlimited miles
Battery warranty duration8 years
Battery warranty mileage100,000 miles

BMW’s standard new car warranty offering is worse than average, and worse than rival brands in a similar price bracket as the i3.

The duration is three years, with no limit on mileage. Due to the age of the model, that means that almost all i3s will now be out of their factory warranty. However, it’s worth noting that the battery components have an additional eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, so most cars will still be covered by that as of September 2025.

Warranty on a used BMW i3

If you are buying an ‘Approved Used’ BMW i3 from an official BMW dealership, you will get a minimum 12-month/unlimited mileage warranty included.
If you are buying a used BMW i3 from an independent dealership, any warranty offered will vary and will probably be managed by a third-party warranty company.
If you are buying a used BMW i3 from a private seller, there are no warranty protections beyond any remaining portion of the original new car warranty.

If you’re looking to buy a used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the BMW i3

Date: June 2024
Recall number: R/2022/355
Model types: All
Build dates: 11/2022 to 05/2023
Number of vehicles affected: 26
Defect: Certain vehicles may have been equipped with an open roof anti-pinch system which does not operate according to specification.
Remedy: If required the two motors will be replaced.

2022

2021

2020

2015

Date: November 2022
Recall number: R/2022/322
Model types: All
Build dates: 11/2018 to 07/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 18
Defect: During supplier’s production process of the battery cells, a manufacturing defect occurred with the winding of cell-internal films for the high-voltage battery.
Remedy: The defective cell module will be replaced.

Date: March 2022
Recall number: R/2022/089
Model types: All
Build dates: 01/2022 to 02/2022
Number of vehicles affected: 2,018
Defect: The micro gas generator within the front seatbelt’s retractor may have been damaged and may not act according to the specification in the event of an accident.
Remedy: The front seatbelts will be checked and replaced if they are found to have been damaged.

Date: December 2021
Recall number: R/2021/442
Model types: All
Build dates: 10/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 38
Defect: The material quality of seat and seatbelt screws may not be according to specification.
Remedy: The screws will be replaced in specific locations on the seat belts or rear seats.

Date: April 2021
Recall number: R/2021/158
Model types: All
Build dates: 02/2021 to 03/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 82
Defect: The control ring of the recliner of the backrest in the second seat row may break due to insufficient material performance.
Remedy: The seat frames of the second seat row will be replaced.

Date: June 2020
Recall number: R/2020/162
Model types: All
Build dates: 03/2020
Number of vehicles affected: 189
Defect: The airbag control unit may have been equipped with a defective sensor for the rollover detection.
Remedy: The airbag control unit (ACSM4i) will be replaced on the affected vehicles.

Date: April 2020
Recall number: R/2019/289
Model types: All
Build dates: 01/2019 to 03/2019
Number of vehicles affected: 120
Defect: The electric motor electronics (EME) printed circuit board was not manufactured according to specifications.
Remedy: The electric motor electronics (EME) of vehicles affected will be replaced.

Date: December 2015
Recall number: R/2015/244
Model types: All
Build dates: 10/2015 to 11/2015
Number of vehicles affected: 41
Defect: The engine current sensors have not been calibrated correctly, which could lead to an increased recuperation torque during vehicle deceleration. An increased recuperation torque during deceleration could lead to a vehicle oversteer condition. This could lead to skidding on slippery roads.
Remedy: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and calibrate sensors for measuring the engine current.

As of September 2024 (our most recent data point), there have been seven DVSA vehicle safety recalls on the BMW i3 to address different issues.

Not all vehicles are affected by recalls. You can check to see if your car is included in any of the above recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local BMW dealer.

If your car is affected by a recall, the vehicle must be repaired and you should not be charged for any work required. If you are buying a used i3, you should insist that any outstanding recall work is completed before you take delivery of the vehicle.

Everything you need to know about UK vehicle recalls

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the BMW i3 has received

2022

Carbuyer Awards – Best Used Small Electric Car
Top Gear Electric Awards – Lifetome Achievement Award

2021

Carbuyer Awards – Best Used Small Electric Car

2017

World Car Awards – World Urban Car
Auto Express Awards – Best Electric Car

2014

UK Car of the Year
World Car Awards – Best Green Car + Best Car Design

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the BMW i3, you might also be interested in these alternatives

The rapidly expanding electric car market is changing almost monthly. Of the cars listed above, few are genuinely similar to the BMW i3 in terms of size and specification, but all are trying to fill a similar role for urban driving.

More BMW Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

More news, reviews and information about the BMW i3 at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about BMW

The complete guide to choosing your next BMW

Electric car market flat due to long waiting times

Sports model tops new BMW i3 electric range

BMW’s i3 stretches electric range

Buy a BMW i3

If you’re looking to buy a used BMW i3, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car

Search less, live more. We make finding the right car simple. Find out more

Search for your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Discover great deals available on both new and used cars. Find out more

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech test drive

The Car Expert staff

-

9 March 2021

0

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech test drive

The Renault Megane is a car that’s still known for the controversial styling of the second-generation model, despite more than a decade passing since that well-known version was around.

And while still proving popular, two generations later the Megane isn’t quite the huge hit it once was, even with its cool styling. So with more fierce competition in the family hatchback class – not least from crossovers like Renault’s own Captur and Kadjar – Renault’s set about giving the Megane a makeover to make sure it doesn’t fall by the wayside, but does it exceed?

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech review

What’s new about the Renault Megane Sport Tourer?

The styling is arguably the best thing about the Renault Megane, so it’s no surprise this has remained pretty much the same. Instead it’s the cabin that’s really the main difference, with Renault waving the same magic wand that’s benefited the new Clio and Captur recently – meaning an uplift in quality and more tech.

There’s also been a trim level rejig, and importantly the introduction of a new E-Tech plug-in hybrid on the Sport Tourer estate model – the car we’re testing here – which is part of a rollout of electrification on Renault’s core models.

How does it look?

Despite this current fourth-generation Renault Megane range being around for five years, it still looks as fresh as the day it was unveiled – and is dominated by huge lights at the front and rear.

As part of last year’s update, those lights are replaced by LEDs as standard, with the ones at the rear featuring scrolling indicators. Look close and you’ll spot a new grille as well.

If you like sporty looks, you’ll also love the new R.S. Line trim, which replaces the previous GT Line. Renault stretches its marketing enough to say the design takes inspiration from F1, but whether you fall into that trap or not, this is a fine-looking estate car – helped by revised bumpers, large alloy wheels and chrome exterior trim.

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech plug-in hybrid - front

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech plug-in hybrid review - rear

What’s the spec like?

Likely to be the most popular choice with fleet buyers, the no-frills entry-level Iconic trim level comes well-equipped as standard, including 16-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights, keyless entry and front and rear parking sensors.

It really comes with all the kit you could ask for, but if you want style then it’s worth splashing out on the R.S. Line. This gets you all the racier looks, along with additional safety kit and a larger touchscreen and digital dials system.

As with all plug-in hybrids, prices aren’t cheap, with the standard Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech costing from £30,685, which is very similar to the Kia Ceed SW PHEV. Splash out an extra £2,000 if you want the R.S. Line trim.

What’s the Renault Megane Sport Tourer like inside?

On looks alone, the updated Megane’s cabin doesn’t appear too different to its predecessor, but it’s on closer inspection when you notice the well-needed changes. Like before, the media system is integrated into the design, but has a new interface which is much sharper to use, while the quality throughout has definitely improved.

All E-Tech versions also benefit from a digital system, too, while in R.S. Line trim, you can have full Alcantara seats, which truly help to offer a sportier experience – they’re almost like bucket seats in terms of design, but still very comfortable.

In the switch from pure petrol power to electrified petrol power, the Megane’s boot has taken a practicality hit – reducing from 521 litres to 447 litres. However, it’s only really the underfloor storage that’s reduced, and the rest of the cabin is generally roomy, though those fancy seats and the sunroof on our test car did impact rear space somewhat. In that respect, the Kia Ceed SW is a more useful choice.

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech plug-in hybrid review - interior and dashboard

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech plug-in hybrid review - boot space

What’s under the bonnet?

It’s a new powertrain underneath the Megane’s bonnet – and it’s exactly the same as what you’d find in the new Captur. It sees a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine mated to a pair of electric motors and a 9.8kWh battery – producing 160hp and 349Nm when combined. It also uses a clever clutchless automatic transmission, which is largely smooth and much nicer to use than the CVTs often found in hybrids.

But it’s not a car that’s all about performance – 0-60mph comes along in a leisurely 9.6 seconds and maxed out it would hit a claimed 111mph. Instead, it’s efficiency where the Megane scores well. With a 30-mile electric range, Renault claims it’ll return 217.3mpg, with CO₂ emissions of 30g/km – the latter figure making it a superb company car thanks to a 10% benefit-in-kind rate.

What’s the Renault Megane Sport Tourer like to drive?

While our test car might have been dressed up in its R.S. Line gear, underneath its frock this is a sensible hybrid estate car, and that’s really how the Megane behaves on the road.

It’s a smooth and unobtrusive powertrain that cleverly makes the most of its different resources – leave it in the ‘MySense’ driving mode and it will do it for you, but Sport offers more responsiveness, while Pure lets you potter around just using electricity. While a touch firm in this sporty-looking grade, it remains comfortable and handles well for an estate car – making it more enjoyable behind the wheel than the Kia Ceed SW PHEV, its key rival.

The only real gripe is with the steering itself, which has a bizarre artificial heaviness to it – as if Renault has tweaked it to offer a ‘sporty’ feel, albeit not effectively.

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech plug-in hybrid road test - front view

Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech plug-in hybrid road test - rear view

Verdict

Despite the Renault Megane Sport Tourer not being one of the best-selling estate cars, with the introduction of this E-Tech plug-in hybrid, it deserves to be more popular. As before this is a seriously striking-looking estate car, and Renault’s focus on improving quality and technology as part of this update has certainly been noticed.

For company drivers and those that do short journeys and can charge regularly, it’s a very appealing hybrid estate car, but just make sure your lifestyle suits that 30-mile electric range before signing on the dotted line.

Key specifications

Model tested: Renault Megane Sport Tourer E-Tech R.S. Line
Price (on-road): £32,995
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 160 hp
Torque: 349 Nm
Top speed: 111 mph
0-60 mph: 9.6 seconds

Fuel economy (combined): 217 mpg
CO2 emissions: 30 g/km
Euro NCAP safety rating: Five stars (2015)
TCE Expert Rating: 70% (as of March 2021)

Polestar 2

Stuart Masson

-

7 March 2021

0

Summary

The Polestar 2 is a mid-sized electric car and the first volume production vehicle from Volvo’s EV spin-off brand. Unlike the limited-production halo model Polestar 1, the 2 is a regular production model aimed at the hotly contested executive saloon market.

Inevitably, the Polestar 2 has been drawn into comparisons with the Tesla Model 3, which is broadly similar in price and size – and, of course, also powered by an electric motor supplied by batteries. General media consensus has been that the two cars are very evenly matched, but that the Tesla currently has a significant advantage in its comprehensive nationwide Supercharger charging network.

In terms of design, this Polestar is an unconventional blend of saloon, liftback and SUV, making it even more of a crossover than a regular crossover. It sits slightly higher than a conventional car, but doesn’t have the heavy plastic cladding of most SUVs to bulk up its styling.

The Polestar 2 has received many positive reviews from the UK motoring media, as well as from lifestyle and technology titles that we don’t include in our Expert Rating index.

The 2 has been particularly praised for its design, both internal and external, as well as for its performance and outstanding Euro NCAP safety scores. Like most electric cars, it is more expensive to purchase than a conventional petrol or diesel rival, although running costs will inevitably be cheaper.

There has also been criticism (and plenty of complaints on social media) of the company’s apparently deliberate decision not to offer Apple CarPlay in its cars, a consequence of its tie-up with rival Google to provide the operating system for the Polestar 2’s infotainment system.

A mid-life update to the Polestar 2 arrived in the UK in the summer of 2023. This was a substantial evolution of the current model, rather than an all-new car.

As of July 2025, it holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 73%. This covers both the original and post-2023 facelifted version of the car. It scores top marks for its zero tailpipe emissions and excellent safety rating, while its media review scores and running costs are also good.

More Polestar ratings, reviews, news and features

Polestar 2 highlights

Blends saloon and crossover design themes
Class-leading interior environment
Plenty of range from battery pack
Build quality visibly better than Tesla Model 3

Polestar 2 lowlights

Initial purchase price is high
Lacks Tesla’s Supercharger network
Inexplicable lack of Apple CarPlay
You’ll have to keep explaining what Polestar is

Key specifications

Body style: Mid-sized liftback
Powertrain: electric motor and batteries
Price: From £44,950 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2020
Last updated: Spring 2023
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“The Polestar 2 appears an initially expensive buy but once you factor in its quality, equipment levels and the extras such as the over-air updates that keep the car fresh, it becomes a much more attractive proposition.”

Model reviewed: Long Range Single Motor RWD, facelift model

Score: 8.2 / 10

Read full review

Andrew Charman

“The Polestar 2 is a stylish electric hatchback with a posh interior and good range, though it’s not all that comfortable to drive.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

Mario Christou

More reviews

The Car Expert

“The Polestar 2 is a fully-fledged, brilliantly executed vehicle that feels just as good to drive as it is to look at. Cleverly packaged and featuring some innovative tech, it’s very much the real deal.”
Read review

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The stylish, all-electric Polestar 2 oozes quality and is a decent alternative to a Tesla, but it’s held back by an overly firm ride.”
Author: Ellis Hyde, Richard Ingram
Read review

Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“Big range and efficiency improvements in the Long Range are offset by the same choppy ride in the latest revised Polestar 2.” (Richard Ingram)
Read review

Model reviewed: BST Edition 270
Score: 8 / 10
“Polestar’s BST Edition 270 is delivers when it comes to performance, and the brand’s focus on chassis tuning is a breath of fresh air compared with rival makers obsessed with headline power outputs. The car is still a little short of personality, which is a challenge the performance-EV world as a whole has to overcome.”
Read review

Auto Trader

Model reviewed: 2023 facelift range
Score: 9 / 10
“As if the multi-award-winning Polestar 2 wasn’t good enough, already this improved version offers more range and performance.”
Author: Erin Baker
Read review

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.6 / 10
“The Polestar 2 is a stylish, all-electric sporting crossover built by Volvo’s new luxury sub-brand and delivering a stylish spin on zero-emissions motoring.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Polestar 2 deserves your attention because instead of reinventing the wheel, it’s nailed the basics, the less glamorous things that actually make a difference to you day-to-day.”
Read review

Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.6 / 10
“The Polestar 2 is available with plenty of range and performance, has one of the best infotainment systems in the business and feels solidly built, making it one of the Tesla Model 3’s strongest rivals.” (Miles Goodson)
Read review

Company Car Today

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.2 / 10
“As the only real rival to the trailblazing Tesla Model 3, the Polestar 2 is a high-quality first effort from the fledgling carmaker and well worth considering.”
Read review

Daily Mail

“Step inside the clean, chic, cabin and a pressure-sensitive monitor in the driver’s seat fires up the electric motors automatically. Now brace yourself, because the near-silent Polestar 2 has Concorde-like acceleration but without the noisy roar.”
Read review

Daily Mirror

Score: 10 / 10
“Polestar is a new brand and an unfamiliar one. Not for long, I suspect, because the Polestar 2 is the most desirable EV that we’ve tested so far. Competition in the EV world is hotting up and that’s great news for the customer and enthusiast.”
Read review

Discover EV

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Minimalist Scandinavian design, superb build quality, well-conceived and on the whole great to drive, the Polestar 2 is one of the most complete electric vehicles you can buy. For all of those people who bought the Polestar 2 without even having a test drive they will not be disappointed.”
Read review

Driving Electric

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“With the addition of two single-motor variants, Polestar’s Tesla Model 3 rival is more affordable, but still strikes a great balance between practicality and desirability.”
Read review

Eurekar

“The Polestar 2 is a very impressive newcomer on the EV scene.”
Read review

Evo

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“Another sign electric cars are maturing to become competent and clever. But while the Polestar 2 makes a great everyday car, it’s still no performance hero.”
Read review

Fleetworld

Score: 8 / 10
“Stylish with impressive range, the Polestar 2 has the ‘want’ factor.”
Read review

Green Car Guide

Model reviewed: Long Range Single Motor
Score: 8 / 10
“The Polestar 2 offers zero-emission motoring in a good-looking, practical package, with the options of standard range or long range, and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Long Range Single Motor model tested is cheaper than the AWD model, and the official 335-mile range (or 270-mile range in the real world) is good.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Performance Pack
Score: 9 / 10
“The all-electric Polestar 2 offers an official 292-mile electric range, good performance, excellent traction, and it feels like a premium product.”
Read review

Honest John

Score: 8 / 10
“Not only does the Polestar 2 look great, it’s sensational to drive and offers build quality that’s superior to its rival – even if it can’t quite match the TeslaModel 3’s pace.”
Read review

Parkers

Score: 8.8 / 10
“The Polestar 2 is the best reason yet not to buy a Tesla Model3.”
Read review

The Independent

Score: 8 / 10
“You’ll struggle to notice, but the Polestar 2’s recent revamps have transformed the way it drives. There’s still the Scandi cool, high-tech cabin and plenty of range, but now it features a more compliant ride and better handling, too.”
Author: Steve Fowler
Read review

The Scotsman

Model reviewed: Single Motor Long Range
Score: 9 / 10
“The Polestar 2 is great to drive, fantastic to look at and even better to just sit in. While the dual motor, long-range version offers impressive performance headlines, the long-range single motor car feels more than quick enough and has the best range figure of the bunch, albeit at a £4,000 premium over the standard range car.”
Author: Steven Chisholm
Read review

The Sun

“Talking car Polestar 2 is a Swedish Tesla – only better.”
Read review

The Sunday Times

Score: 9 / 10
“From the design and technology to the fit and finish, safety and usability, performance and handling, the Polestar 2 really feels like a quality package.”
Read review

The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Long Range Single Motor (2023 facelift)
Score: 10 / 10
“The Polestar 2 is a car that is still stonkingly good – better than ever, in fact – and it remains one of the best EVs on sale. You’ll have to live with the fact it isn’t all that roomy, though there’s enough space for a family of four to be getting along with. And you might not be entirely enamoured with the low-speed ride, though even this you’ll probably get used to. Otherwise, though, the 2 is a class act; there’s very little to dislike here.”
Author: Alex Robbins
Read review

Model reviewed: Long Range Single Motor
Score: 8 / 10
“The single-motor version is now the Polestar 2 to choose. Flaws aside, the 2 is still as much of a delight as ever – even more so now it’s lost a motor. You get everything here that’s good about the dual-motor 2, but with a usefully greater range, more agile handling, and better energy consumption.”
Read review

Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“It’s hard to escape the word ‘lovely’ when describing the Polestar 2. It’s endowed with one of the loveliest interiors of any current electric car and a lovely sense of sophisticated maturity that makes Tesla’s farting indicators seem rather gauche. This is not the best electric car out there, and neither is it the best value, but it’s still satisfying and truly desirable.”
Read review

Score: 8 / 10
“Polestar may be seen as coming second to Tesla – but that’s often a good place to be. The market is small but growing fast and this likeable car could catch the wave thanks to a more familiar layout for those who have struggled with Tesla’s unashamed disruptive design (and so-so reliability).”
Read review

Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“One of the most complete electric cars money can buy. Superb build quality, and decent to drive.”
Read review

“The Polestar 2 is a lovely piece of design inside and out, and well-engineered. Smooth, quiet, and almost over-endowed with acceleration and grip.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: March 2021
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 92%
Child protection: 89%
Vulnerable road users: 80%
Safety assist: 86%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of July 2025, the Polestar 2 has not been assessed by Green NCAP.

The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Polestar 2 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing whenever it ever takes place. Check back again soon.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of July 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Polestar 2 to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Polestar 2, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	367 miles	A	276 – 409 miles	A – B

Electrical efficiency	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	4.6 m/KWh	A	3.6 – 4.9 m/KWh	A – D

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	43	D	34 – 50	C – F

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£368	C
Year 2	£711	C
Year 3	£1,081	C
Year 4	£1,313	C
Year 5	£1,743	C
Overall	£5,216	C

The Polestar 2 is a mixed bag when it comes to running costs, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

While the saloon’s official battery range of 360 miles is impressive and its electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is top notch, the car’s insurance premiums are in the highest bracket.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Polestar 2 has received

2022

Auto Trader New Car Awards – New Car of the Year + Best Premium Electric Car + Most Loved Car

2021

Auto Trader New Car Awards – Best Premium Electric Car
Fleet World Awards – Best EV Compact Executive Car
edie Sustainability Leaders Awards – Product Innovation of the Year
Top Gear Electric Awards – Best All-Rounder
DieselCar and EcoCar Top 50 – Best Electric Compact Executive Car
Fleet News Awards – Best Zero-Emission Car
Business Car Awards – Best Electric Car Over £35K

2020

Sunday Times Driving Awards – Motoring Innovation of the Year

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Polestar 2, you might also be interested in these alternatives

The Polestar 2 is a bit difficult to pigeonhole compared to most cars. It rides a bit higher than a regular saloon/liftback like the BMW 3 Series, but not quite as high as an SUV/crossover vehicle like the BMW iX3. As such, it has plenty of indirect rivals but none that are directly comparable. That includes its own in-house rivals from Volvo – the Polestar 2 shares its electric drivetrain with the XC40 Recharge.

More Polestar ratings, reviews, news and features

Buy a Polestar 2

If you’re looking to buy a new or used Polestar 2, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car

Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more

Lease a Polestar 2

If you’re looking to lease a new Polesar 2, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Carwow. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a Polestar 2

Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Car subscriptions from SelfDrive.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

Britain’s best-selling cars, February 2021

Car industry news

Stuart Masson

-

6 March 2021

0

Britain’s best-selling cars, February 2021

The Ford Fiesta turned the table on its long-time rival, the Vauxhall Corsa, in February as the new car market endured another month under lockdown with sales down 35% on the same month last year.

With showroom set to stay shut during March, the UK looks set for a dismal first quarter of new car registrations. The siver lining to that cloud has been the rapid growth in online car buying, allowing dealers and manufacturers to avoid another complete shutdown like we saw last April and May.

Despite the challenging trading conditions, some cars still sold well. Or at least relatively well – February is usually the smallest month of the year for new car sales anyway, so a 35% drop in registrations will hurt a lot less than it will in March when new number plates go on sale.

The UK’s best-selling cars, February 2021

1. Ford Fiesta

Ford Fiesta – Britain's best-selling car 2020

After the Vauxhall Corsa drew first blood in January, the Ford Fiesta turned the tables on its rival in February to outsell the Corsa by more than 200 units.

The Vauxhall is still narrowly ahead in year-to-date registrations due to its bigger margin in January, but hopefully this will be a sales battle that rages all year long.

The Fiesta currently holds an Expert Rating of 81% in The Car Expert’s unique Expert Rating index, which aggregates reviews from 25 of the UK’s top motoring websites. That’s some 9% better than the Corsa, so the motoring media still clearly prefers the Ford.

2. Vauxhall Corsa

Despite slipping to second place in February, the Vauxhall Corsa keeps its nose ahead in year-to-date sales. However, even in the current pandemic and lockdown, March registrations are likely to dwarf those of January and February so we eagerly await next month’s results to see whether Ford or Vauxhall has taken the upper hand.

The petrol and diesel versions of the new Corsa currently hold an Expert Rating of 72% on our unique aggregator scale, based on 26 reviews we have gathered so far. That puts it in the bottom half of the supermini class, although the all-electric Corsa-e does score slightly better with an Expert Rating of 74%.

3. Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai (2014 onwards) Expert Rating

It looks like Nissan is determined to send the current Qashqai out with a bang, as it holds onto third place for the second month in a row.

The ageing Qashqai currently holds an Expert Rating of 74% in our New Car Ratings database, which is midfield for the compact crossover segment and in the bottom half of scores for a top ten-selling car. A replacement has been unveiled and arrive on UK streets this summer, but the new car will have a tough job in living up to the sales success of the current model over its seven-year run.

4. Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatch – Britain's best-selling cars of 2020

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class improves from sixth place last month to fourth this month, although it remains in sixth for year-to-date figures. It was a close battle with the Qashqai, with the Mercedes falling short of third place in February by only 24 cars.

The A-Class has an Expert Rating of 77% in The Car Expert’s unique aggregated Expert Rating index, based on 45 UK reviews. It ranks highly for safety, winning awards from Euro NCAP and Thatcham for its protective qualities.

5. Volvo XC40

Volvo XC40 (2018 onwards) – Expert Rating

The Volvo XC40 has made itself comfortably in the middle of the top ten, holding onto fifth place for the second month in a row, and unsurpringly sitting in the same place in year-to-date registrations.

The XC40 is the class leader among small SUV/crossover models, with an Expert Rating of 83%, although that score has fallen a couple of points from a previous high of 85% in recent months. A new plug-in hybrid model joined the range last year, while a fully-electric version is now in production and set to arrive in UK showrooms in coming months.

6. Kia Niro

The Kia Niro is another model that’s becoming a familiar face in the top ten. Ninth in January and now seventh in February shows that the Niro is becoming more and more popular with age. It’s also the only Kia in the top ten this month after last month’s second-placed Kia Sportage disappeared altogether in February.

The Niro currently holds an Expert Rating of 70% in our aggregated Expert Ratings index, while the e-Niro is far more highly rated with a score of 88% – a whopping 18% better than the hybrid versions.

7. Volkswagen T-Roc

Volkswagen T-Roc (2017 onwards) Expert Rating

Two Volkswagens in the top ten this month, which is certainly not unusual. What is definitely different is that neither of them is a Golf or a Polo. The T-Roc small SUV pipped its similarly-sized sibling, the T-Cross, to seventh place in February.

The T-Roc currently holds an Expert Rating of 78% in our unique and clever Expert Ratings index, which has slipped from more than 80% over the last 18 months, but it’s very much still at the sharp end of a highly competitive sector.

8. Volkswagen T-Cross

Volkswagen T-Cross (2019) - Expert Rating

Only 20 units separated the Volkswagen T-Cross from the T-Roc above it in February as VW’s small SUVs both enjoyed a much better month than its usual big hitters. Maybe Volkswagen is holding back its Golf supply until March?

The T-Cross has an Expert Rating of 79% in our Expert Rating index, which is 1% better than its sibling above, although like the T-Roc, that score has slipped slightly over the last year or so.

If you’re looking at the photos above and wondering what exactly the difference is between the two models, it’s easy – the T-Roc is blue and the T-Cross is silver. Other than that, the T-Roc is supposedly the ‘sporty’ one, while the T-Cross is the ‘sensible’ one.

9. Ford Kuga

Making its return to the top ten for the first time since last August is the Ford Kuga, edging out the Focus for ninth place by only 15 units. It’s also the sixth SUV/crossover in the top ten, which is the highest we’ve had in a while.

Based on reviews we’ve analysed to date – which are mostly of the plug-in hybrid version, the Kuga has received generally good scores and currently holds an Expert Rating of 79%. However, you can probably expect that to shift by a few points as we get more reviews of the whole range whenever we finally get out of lockdown and back to road testing.

10. Ford Focus

Bringing up the rear for this month’s top ten, as it was last month, is the Ford Focus. It also holds the same place in year-to-date sales.

Like its little brother, the Fiesta, the Focus picked up some mild hybrid engines in the second half of last year, but it still lacks a fully-electric or plug-in hybrid option. It’s likely that we’ll see the PHEV setup from the Kuga mid-sized SUV drop into the Focus sometime soon, and Ford dealers will be looking forward to having a strong performer in the electrified family car marketplace.

In terms of critical appraisal, the Ford Focus currently holds an Expert Rating of 80% in our Expert Ratings database, which is now level with the slowly-slipping Golf and three points better than than the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

New car sales still struggling in February under lockdown

Car industry news

Stuart Masson

-

4 March 2021

0

New car sales still struggling in February under lockdown

The slow start to 2021 for new car sales continued in February (and let’s face it, will almost certainly carry on through March and probably April), with consumer new car registrations down by 37% compared to the same month last year.

According to data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), overall registrations were down 35% year-on-year, with fleet registrations performing better than private sales. The silver lining to this cloud is that the industry still managed to managed to shift two-thirds of last February’s volume despite every new car shoroom in the UK being closed.

Despite the car industry’s best efforts to talk down its results, the work that has gone into developing nationwide online sales has basically saved a large number of manufacturers and dealers. Let’s not forget that when dealerships were closed last Spring, sales were down by 99%…

Electrification trend continues to accelerate

As has been the case for nearly every month over the last couple of years, predominantly-electrified cars (full electric and plug-in hybrid) all saw strong growth while diesel’s market share plumbed new depths and petrol fell significantly as well.

Sales of regular hybrids did fall, but nowhere near to the extent of the overall market so it was still a net growth in market share.

February can throw up some odd results, so we shall see how things look in March.

Good month, bad month

In a market down by 35%, there inevitably wasn’t a lot of celebrating. But some car brands certainly did better than others.

It was good news for Audi, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, MG, Mini, Nissan, Subaru and Volvo, who all outperformed the overall market by at least 10%.

On the other hand, it was not so rosy for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Dacia, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Renault, SsangYong or Suzuki, who all underperformed the overall market by at least 10%.

All of the manufacturers will have their fingers crossed for better results when the new registration plates arrive in March.

Fiesta strikes back in battle with Corsa

After the Vauxhall Corsa drew first blood in January, the Ford Fiesta struck back to take top spot on the sales charts in February.

It’s hopefully a battle that will carry on all year. The Corsa still holds top spot in year-to-date sales on account of its stronger performance in January, but March registrations will likely dwarf the first two months’ results anyway.

It wasn’t surprising to see two Volkswagens in the top ten, but what was definitely unusual was that neither of them was the Golf or the Polo. Instead it was the T-Roc and T-Cross small SUV models that occupied seventh and eighth places on the best-sellers list.

Check out our full analysis of February’s top ten here.

More car industry news and analysis at The Car Expert

Lexus UX Electric

Stuart Masson

-

4 March 2021

0

Summary

The Lexus UX Electric (UX 300e) is a battery-powered electric version of the estabished Lexus UX 250h Hybrid. It is the first fully-electric model from Lexus, launching in 2020 and arriving in the UK in early 2021.

The Lexus UX Electric is a point behind the regular UX Hybrid in our Expert Rating Index, obtaining a New Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 65% as of January 2025.

Reviewers have praised its urban driving dynamics, which is where its electric powertrain is best suited, but have criticised its poor infotainment system and cramped interior dimensions. Its driving range is also less than several significantly cheaper alternatives.

Lexus UX Electric highlights

Leisurely driving experience
Great build quality
Powerful performance
Comfortable interior trim

Lexus UX Electric lowlights

Cramped rear seats and boot
Shorter battery range than rivals
Confusing infotainment
Top trims get expensive
Slow battery charging

Key specifications

Body style: Compact SUV/crossover
Power unit: single electric motor with battery
Price: From £47,495 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2020
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: UX 300e
Score: 7 / 10
“Don’t be fooled by the rating here; it’s the same as the regular UX hybrid’s, but in truth, we think that cheaper versions of the Lexus UX 300e will probably be worth an extra half-star. This EV is nicely finished, just about practical enough for most buyers’ needs, and particularly refined.”
Read review

Auto Trader+

Score: 7.6 / 10
“The UX 300e builds on the wide experience Lexus has in building hybrid models. Rather than an all-new model, Lexus has instead electrified the existing UX SUV, which you can still buy as a petrol-electric hybrid if you prefer. The UX 300e impresses with its build quality and style, but the relatively short range and middling performance put it on a back foot compared with many rivals.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Score: 8.4 / 10
“The Lexus UX 300e is a refined electric SUV with respectable range”
Read review

Carwow+

“Combining the traditional Lexus benefits of build-quality and reliability with electric power should make the Lexus UX 300e a popular choice.”
Read review

Company Car Today+

“Lexus has positioned itself well with a small SUV that offers reasonable range, a high-quality interior and a decent driving experience.”
Read review

Daily Mail+

“Though technically it is a compact urban SUV, the Lexus UX 300e feels roomy and high-riding. It’s sprightly enough and smooth, refined and well-balanced to drive. It whizzes along dual-carriageways and A-roads, and has a bit of poke thanks to its friction-free early electric acceleration.”
Read review

Daily Mirror+

Score: 6 / 10
“Everybody inside the UX 300e will appreciate the silence but this Lexus is not strikingly good value and there is a lot of competition with more on the way.”
Read review

Discover EV+

Model reviewed: Premium Plus
Score: 7 / 10
“Given similarly priced EVs are quicker, have more range and space, we think the majority of buyers will be die-hard Lexus enthusiasts. Yes, build quality is fantastic, it looks great and it’s comfortable as a small two-plus-two but we’re not sure why you’d opt for the Lexus UX 300e.”
Read review

Driving Electric+

Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“The Lexus UX 300e electric car suits its drivetrain well and is one of the most refined small SUVs around.”
Read review

Fleetworld+

Model reviewed: UX 300e Premium Plus
Score: 7 / 10
“The Lexus UX is a good electric car with a strong business case made without re-writing the rule book, unlike its competition.”
Read review

Honest John+

“Notably, the Lexus UX 300e is currently the only premium SUV which meets the eligibility criteria for the £3,000 plug-in vehicle grant from OLEV, the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Score: 6 / 10
“The Lexus UX 300e is well priced and nicely specced. It’s not a bad drive, though the traction isn’t the greatest, and Lexus models tend to be reliable and have good residual values. But the range isn’t wonderful and will fall considerably in cold weather, at high speeds or on hills, and there are more interesting models out there.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Score: 7 / 10
“The Lexus UX 300e is quiet, efficient enough, makes good use of the advantages of the drivetrain and is a relaxing car to drive.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: May 2019
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 96%
Child protection: 85%
Vulnerable road users: 82%
Safety assist: 77%

The Lexus UX Electric shares its Euro NCAP safety rating with the UX Hybrid range, which was rated five stars in 2019.

A shared rating is not automatic for electric versions of conventional vehicles because the electric motor and battery layout can lead to very different crash test results. In this case, Euro NCAP confirmed in early 2021 that the UX 300e shares the UX Hybrid’s 2019 rating rather than conducting separate crash tests based on newer protocols.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: Electric 4×2 Automatic

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2021
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 10 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 9.7 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 10 / 10

The Lexus UX Electric was reviewed by emissions testers Green NCAP in their last batch of 2021 tests, achieving a full five-star rating.

Green NCAP concluded, “A higher driving range would improve the vehicle’s functionality and user experience, but for those wishing to minimize their environmental impact, the Lexus 300e offers an excellent choice.”

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Lexus UX family to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the UX Electric, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	276 miles	B	190 – 280 miles	B – B

Electrical efficiency	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	3.7 m/KWh	D	3.5 – 3.8 m/KWh	C – D

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	38	C	38 – 38	C – C

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£208	B
Year 2	£489	A
Year 3	£799	A
Year 4	£965	A
Year 5	£1,257	A
Overall	£3,718	A

The Lexus EX Electric will be a relatively affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) isn’t great, but official battery range is still reasonable. Insurance is likely to be more expensive than for the hybrid Lexus UX, but servicing and maintenance are likely to be significantly cheaper.

Security rating

Independent vehicle theft and security ratings from Thatcham Research

Rating: Superior | Good | Basic | Poor | Unacceptable
Relay Attack: Fail

Date: 2019

Although the Lexus UX Electric hasn’t specifically been tested by Thatcham, the regular Lexus UX Hybrid received a Poor rating because it failed a relay attack test, which measures the security of a car’s keyless entry and/or keyless start system. This means the car is susceptible to thieves intercepting its keyless signal and using it to steal the car.

As the UX Electic uses the same key technology as its hybrid sister, it will have the same weakness.

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Lexus UX Electric, you might also be interested in these alternatives

More news, reviews and information about the Lexus UX at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about Lexus

Five of the safest new small SUVs on sale

Lexus UX gets infotainment and battery upgrades

More top ratings awarded, but green tests to get tougher

UK demand drives Lexus to 250,000 hybrid SUV sales in Europe

Lexus UX gets new kit and finance offer

Lexus UX 300e EV revealed

Audi e-tron electric car among five-star safety winners

Lexus UX Hybrid

Lexus UX test drive

New cars to look forward to in 2019

New Lexus UX to take on compact SUV rivals

Buy a Lexus UX Electric

If you’re looking to buy a new or used Lexus UX Electric, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.

Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more

Lease a Lexus UX Electric

If you’re looking to lease a new Lexus UX Electric, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a Lexus UX Electric

Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

Can I take out car finance for someone else?

Car finance advice

Stuart Masson

-

1 March 2021

204

Can I take out car finance for someone else?

Ever heard of an accommodation deal? In this case, it’s nothing to do with booking your next holiday but rather a finance arrangement that people try to use to get someone else to take out car finance on their behalf.

For example, here’s a question from a reader named Bradley that is similar to many we have received over the years. “Is it possible to have more than one car finance agreement in my name? I have a PCP for my car and I want to start another one for my girlfriend’s car as she can’t get finance approved. But the dealer said I can’t do that. If I can afford it, why not?”

Taking out finance for another person – the Accommodation Deal

We spend a lot of time looking at every aspect of car finance here at The Car Expert. But there is one assumption in any car finance application – that the person applying for car finance is the owner, keeper and main driver of the vehicle.

If you have a poor credit score or credit history and you can’t get car finance approval, it may seem simple enough to ask someone else (usually a spouse or partner or parent or close friend) to take the finance in their name, while you promise to pay them for the monthly payments so they’re not out of pocket.

The problem is that you generally can’t do it. Taking out car finance for someone else is known as an Accommodation Deal, and the finance companies simply won’t touch it – despite the concept not actually being illegal. So what exactly is the problem?

Lending to someone else on your behalf

If you are unable to get finance, it is because the finance company has decided that you are too high a risk for them to loan money to. For whatever reason, be it failing to pay previous bills or not enough evidence of suitable income, the finance company has decided it does not believe that you can or will repay its loan.

So if the finance company won’t lend to you, it’s not going to lend money to someone else who is applying on your behalf, and who is expecting you to pay them for the loan. You are trying to circumvent your inability to get car finance by having someone else get it for you, and the finance companies are not stupid.

Accommodation deal empty wallet — This is how the finance company assumes an accommodation deal will turn out

An accommodation deal is considered too risky

The logic is simple: the finance company does not expect you to be able to repay the loan, so it doesn’t expect you to be able to repay the same amount of money to another person.

The person responsible for repaying the loan does not have possession of the vehicle (because you have it), which leaves the finance company at greater risk of not getting its money back and not getting the car back.

If you are declined car finance then the finance company will probably not approve a similar application from anyone at the same address. They will also not approve anyone else they suspect trying to be applying for finance on your behalf as an accommodation deal.

Your credit score will be marked accordingly, which means other finance companies will almost certainly reject your finance application as well.

Don’t rely on what a car dealer tells you

Car dealers often don’t help matters by tacitly accepting and assisting with accommodation deal applications, rather than simply rejecting them outright. This also puts them in a dangerous position with the finance companies providing the loans.

The terms and conditions of the finance contract will be very clear regarding an accommodation deal, so even if a car salesman tells you that it’s fine, he will be able to deny it all later while you’re the one left in a big financial mess.

If you complain to the finance company, the salesman will swear blind that you lied to him and there’s no way he would have submitted your loan application if he knew the truth. And there will be nothing written down, so you can’t prove anything.

Car salesman in a showroom — Don’t take this guy’s word for it.

Don’t commit fraud so someone else can drive a new car

Whilst the concept of an accommodation deal is not illegal, the concept of fraud most certainly is. Finance companies have become very sensitive to accommodation deal agreements in recent years, and they are on the lookout for these arrangements.

Usually, as part of the terms and conditions of your finance contract, you are declaring that you will be the registered owner and keeper of the vehicle, and that you will be the main driver.

If you are applying for finance on behalf of someone else, and you do not intend to be the primary user of the vehicle, you will be lying to the finance company and that is considered fraud. In such circumstances, both persons involved (the one unable to get finance and the one applying for it on their behalf) would be committing fraud by attempting to deceive the finance company.

If someone asks you to apply for car finance on their behalf, the correct answer is NO. In addition to the legal issues surrounding an accommodation deal as outlined above, money issues tend to destroy friendships and relationships.

Disclaimer

Most car finance agreements in the UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and anyone involved in the selling of car finance must be accredited by the FCA.

You should always consider the terms and conditions of any agreement carefully before taking out any form of car finance, as you are making a substantial ongoing commitment. There may be significant costs if you change your mind or are unable to meet your commitments at a later date.

The original version of this article was written in January 2014 and has been regularly updated and improved. Last updated March 2021.

Adaptive cruise control – what is it and how does it work?

Car technology

Russell Hayes

-

12 February 2021

0

Adaptive cruise control – what is it and how does it work?

More and more cars now come with adaptive cruise control as standard or as an option. But what does it do and is it for you?

Traditional cruise control allows you to set your car to drive at a speed you choose (usually above 30mph) which it will then maintain, including up and down hills, while you take your foot off the accelerator. It can be paused and resumed by the driver, and touching the brake pedal will also de-activate it. You still need to keep your hands on the wheel.

First seen in the 1990s, adaptive cruise control (ACC) works on the same principle, but your car watches the road ahead and can reduce and then regain your set speed on its own. It’s the first of four official classes of autonomous driving, or types of self-driving vehicle.

Once the system is switched on (usually available from about 20mph), you set your desired speed then choose the gap you want to leave to the car in front. This is usually done via controls on the steering wheel or a stalk on the steering column. If you want to pause the ACC you press the brake pedal or button.

Adaptive cruise control buttons on the steering wheel of a Mazda

If you catch up to a car ahead of you, or if another vehicle cuts in front of you, ACC intervenes to automatically slow the car down. When a safe distance opens ahead, or when you pull out to a clear lane, it will bring the car back up to the chosen speed. If very sudden braking happens in front of you, most systems will apply the brakes more severely, or disengage and you must complete braking. You can temporarily override your chosen speed, say for overtaking, by accelerating.

Radar/camera-based ACC systems are the dominant technology, although laser (which builds a 3D picture of the world around the car) will feature on future self-driving cars. Radar can scan the road for objects up to 200 metres ahead and the sensors can be hidden behind the lower part of the front bumper or behind the badge. It can be combined with one or two cameras which use software to analyse the distance ahead and are mounted in the windscreen behind the rear-view mirror.

Pros:

If you often use motorways, then both types of cruise control can make driving easier and help you stick to the speed limit, but ACC is better suited to the heavier traffic of the UK.

It comes into its own paired with automatic transmission because many ACC systems (sometimes called Stop and Go) allow the car to come to a complete halt and after a few seconds move off when there is a clear space. ACC is often allied to Autonomous Emergency Braking, which will stop the car at city speeds.

Cons:

Adaptive Cruise Control is not for everyone. It can take some getting used to the sensation, and to learn how to use the controls. ACC has its limits. Radar cruise control can’t always recognise the shape of the vehicle in front, and can be affected by heavy rain, snow and fog and sharp bends. However, in those situations it’s safer not to use any kind of cruise control at all.

Both cameras and radar sensors (some radars are heated) need to be kept clean to work properly. If any cruise control system malfunctions while driving, it should disengage and you should see your dealer as soon as possible.

Adaptive cruise control radar unit on the front of a Volkswagen Golf

How do I get adaptive cruise control?

Carmakers give adaptive cruise control different names. It can also be called active cruise control, intelligent cruise control or distance control. Mercedes-Benz calls it Distronic.

If you’re buying new, regular cruise control is a common standard fit from the supermini class (eg – Ford Fiesta) upwards, but ACC can be found on the options list. Moving up in size, ACC is standard fit on some medium-sized family cars such as the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla and Renault Captur.

Some prestige car makers – such as Land Rover and BMW – prefer to provide cruise control as standard but give buyers a choice on ACC as a factory-fit option. Then it can often be allied with other technologies such as camera software which reads traffic signs and road markings so will keep the car from drifting out of its lane – usually called Lane Keeping Assist – and it can also combine with the navigation system and front and rear cameras to slow the car down for junctions and curves.

Adaptive cruise control can’t be fitted as an accessory. If you’re buying a used car, ACC becomes harder to find unless the first owner specified it as an option when new. However, you can go as far back as a 2012 Volkswagen Golf Mk 7 and find radar ACC on most models, as Volkswagen was then alone in fitting it to that class of car as standard.

To sum up, adaptive cruise control can make long journeys easier, but you need to be prepared to do some homework to get the best out of it. It’s not an invite for a snooze: at any kind of speed, you still need to keep alert, steer and be ready to brake.

More car technology news, information and advice at The Car Expert

Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 test drive

Jack Evans

-

10 February 2021

0

This is the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53, and it’s a car that is designed to offer somewhat of a compromise. Punchier and more dynamically-minded than a ‘standard’ Mercedes-Benz GLE, yet tamer and not as over-the-top as the V8-powered GLE 63, it’s meant to provide the best of both worlds.

So can it do just that? Can it let you have your cake and eat it? We’ve been behind the wheel to find out.

Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 review 2021

What’s new about the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53?

Fundamentally this is the same GLE that we’ve seen before but, because it’s an AMG, it’s got a whole host of additions in the quest for a more sporty nature. The bulk of those changes centre around the engine of course, but elsewhere there’s standard air suspension with changeable modes and a smooth-shifting nine-speed gearbox.

For those in need of a more practical SUV then the GLE could be the right fit too, as it comes with seven seats as standard. Over and above, it’s got all of the technological features you could want, while the exterior of the car looks markedly different to the regular GLE thanks to a wider, more aggressive bodykit and a more imposing grille.

How does it look?

The standard GLE is a handsome car as standard – in our eyes, at least. However, with the addition of a chunky bodykit and Merc’s eye-catching Panamericana grille, the 53 variant is genuinely pleasing to view. Our test car also came in a ‘brilliant’ blue shade, which really helped the GLE to stand out against the vast number of greys and blues on the road today.

AMG cars also ride on 22-inch wheels which, though massive in size, do look the part on the GLE. In all, it appears to us like a well-rounded design.

What’s the spec like?

As one of the highest-specification GLE models on sale, the 53 benefits from an impressive amount of standard equipment. Priced from a snick over £80,000, it receives the full windscreen infotainment system which links up to the drivers’ display to create one, ultra-stretched screen.

In it there’s satellite navigation, media function and Apple CarPlay too. Heated seats are thrown in as well, while all of the rows of seats can be electronically lowered or raised via switches on the doors and in the boot.

That configurable driver screen is excellent too. You can tailor the displays to showcase a variety of functions or, as we found, place it in a stripped-back, darkened mode which really helps when driving at night.

In terms of safety, the entire GLE range was awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP in 2019 with an outstanding set of scores. So if things do go bad, you should be well protected.

What’s it like inside?

Merc’s latest cabin architecture is easily one of the most tech-laden about, and that’s certainly noticeable when it comes to the GLE’s screen-heavy interior. Despite being dominated by displays, the GLE has a solid feel to it and the satin-silver finish applied to many dials and switches help to lighten an otherwise quite dark place to be.

Those sitting in middle seats are well catered for in terms of head- and legroom, while controls for the heating and ventilation located in front of the middle road allow those in the back to get the temperature just as they’d like.

The third and final row is best reserved for children; adults could fit there, but it’s not going to be an awfully comfortable journey. Fold down the middle and rear row of seats and there’s a massive 2,055 litres of boot space too, while with the second row in place it remains a decent 630 litres.

What’s under the bonnet?

Though ‘53’ might lead you to believe that there’s some 5.3-litre leviathan under the bonnet, the GLE makes do with a far more conventional powertrain. It sees a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit sending 435hp and 520Nm of torque to all four wheels via, as we mentioned, a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Its performance figures are more than respectable; zero to 60mph takes five seconds, while all-in it’ll do 155mph.

The engine is also fitted with Mercedes’ EQ Boost mild-hybrid tech, which integrates a 48-volt electrical system into the car’s design to fill in the gaps in torque, therefore boosting performance and reducing the sense of ‘lag’. Mercedes claims 30.4mpg and 212g/km CO₂ though during our time with the car, we were struggling to break beyond the high 20s.

What’s it like to drive?

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 makes its performance roots known from the off. Start the engine up and there’s a rasping, metallic growl from the exhaust which, at times, feels somewhat stylised. Move off and the gears shift smoothly and in comfort – with the dampers at their softest – it even rides pleasantly too. The steering is one of the stand-out aspects of the whole affair, as it’s well-weighted and direct.

But it’s that engine which comes out head and shoulders above the rest. It’s beautifully smooth and keen to rev, yet because maximum torque is available from 1,800rpm, you can lean on it to pull you up to speed in impressive fashion. You can, of course, take control of the gears too via the steering wheel-mounted paddles, but the nine-speed gearbox is responsive and quick-witted when left to its own devices.

Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 road test 2021 - front

Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 road test 2021 - rear

Verdict

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 feels like a near-ideal balance between performance and everyday useability. It’s good to drive, good to look at and practical too, while the engine’s smooth and free-revving nature is likely to appeal to anyone who gets behind the wheel.

Though it might not have the raucous character of the full-fat GLE 63, that’s not what this car is about. Plus, when you add in the wealth of standard equipment – not to mention the increase in performance – that this AMG version brings over the regular GLE, then it starts to make a good deal of sense.

Similar cars

Key specifications

Model: Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Premium Plus
Price as tested: £81,170
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 435 hp
Torque: 520 Nm
Top speed: 155 mph
0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds

Fuel economy (combined): 30.4 mpg
CO₂ emissions: 212 g/km
Euro NCAP safety rating: Five stars (2019)
TCE Expert Rating: Not yet rated (as of February 2021)

Find your perfect Mercedes GLE with Carsnip

Top tips to cut your driving bills

Tom Johnston

-

9 February 2021

0

Driving less than you did? Most people are, mainly because Covid restrictions are keeping them at home more than before. And if you’re one of those, you have probably noticed a change in your monthly motoring expenses, as your fuel bill reduces with every untaken journey.

But prices at the pumps have actually risen recently, which makes it all the more important to think about fuel economy when you do have to hit the road for your key worker commute or to make an essential journey to the supermarket.

Petrol prices have crept back up to their highest levels since they first dropped following last March’s lockdown, according to car insurer Ageas Insurance. Their figures reveal that by the end of January, petrol prices had risen to 118.1p per litre – up nearly 3p compared with the price at the beginning of the month – while diesel rose to 122.7p per litre.

If your car takes £60 to fill (that’s the average), and you do this once a week, you’ll be spending a whopping £3,000 a year. With many road journeys now on ice (and not because of the cold weather), motorists will certainly be seeing the financial benefits of staying indoors and working from home. However, the way you drive when you do venture out, and the condition of your car play a huge role on the amount of fuel you use, and any unnecessary costs can add up over time.

All the more reason to consider your driving habits and see if there’s anything you can do to help your car run more efficiently, to save you fuel and money. Driving carefully and considerately also helps to reduce strain on the car and its components, avoiding possible unnecessary repair bills.

These 10 top tips, compiled with the help of Ageas, could assist you in upping your petrol or diesel economy and going further on each tank of fuel:

1. Lose some weight

The heavier your car, the harder it has to work to speed up or slow down. So take out any weighty items that you don’t really need.

2. Don’t be a drag

Your car will have to work harder against unnecessary wind resistance. So remove roof boxes or bike racks if you’re not using them.

3. Windows up

Driving with windows open also increases aerodynamic drag, so you have to put your foot down further to compensate. No worries, you have air conditioning? Unfortunately this also uses fuel to operate.

4. Up the maintenance

Take the time to keep your car well maintained. Crucially for fuel-efficient driving, this includes keeping your tyre pressures correct to reduce resistance.

5. Switch up a gear

Change to a higher gear as soon as it’s possible and safe to do. It’s also a quieter and more relaxing drive like this.

6. Read the road ahead

Look ahead and anticipate obstacles, slowing vehicles or changes in gradient. That way, you can ease off the throttle gently rather than slamming your foot on the brakes.

7. Back off

Your fuel costs will increase the faster you drive, so keep speed reasonable, get into a high gear as soon as you can and drive smoothly.

8. Accelerate gently

There’s no need to race anyone away from the lights, or to blast through the gearbox like you’re on a rally. The harder you accelerate the more fuel you will burn through.

9. Steady as you go

Keeping a comfortable, steady speed could mean using cruise control. But this feature only aids fuel economy when driving on a constant flat surface. And keep a wary look out ahead – you’re ultimately in control of the vehicle.

10. Don’t go neutral

For most modern cars putting it in neutral when coasting downhill or up to a red light can actually waste fuel. While coasting, your engine is idling and still putting fuel into the motor. Approach obstacles steadily and use lower gears for engine braking to help save your brake pads as well as your fuel.

More driving tips and advice at The Car Expert

Is your car safe and sound – or a potential MOT failure?

Tom Johnston

-

8 February 2021

0

Is your car safe and sound – or a potential MOT failure?

Do you drive a car that’s car legal and roadworthy? Or are you regularly jumping behind the wheel of an MOT failure without even knowing it?

The majority of motorists in the UK consider themselves law-abiding and respectful drivers. And if you’re one of them, it’s probably not your intention to break the law or wilfully take to the roads in a vehicle that’s dangerous.

But did you know that driving a car that doesn’t have screenwash can earn you a £1,000 fine and three penalty points?

If you answered ‘no’ to that, you’re not alone. A new survey has revealed that millions of British drivers lack the basic knowledge of vehicle maintenance and can’t – or don’t want to – know how to check straightforward features such as their car’s tyre pressures, the condition of their number plate or that screenwash level.

Protect yoursef, your car and your wallet from MOT failure

The findings, from motoring products and repairs company Halfords, reveal that the majority of motorists didn’t know that as well as being dangerous to drive an unroadworthy vehicle, it could also prove expensive. Almost two thirds of those surveyed were unaware that you can be fined £2,500 and handed three penalty points for driving a vehicle that’s in a dangerous condition.

And as Britain’s drivers are using their cars less and less – due to Covid lockdowns and increased working at home – there are fears that millions could be putting off having their car serviced or repaired, which could lead to a throng of unsafe vehicles taking to the roads once the pandemic has eased.

The survey revealed that:

Only a quarter (27%) of drivers know that an underinflated tyre could result in an MOT failure
More than a third (36%) don’t even know the legal minimum tyre tread depth, which is 1.6mm
Almost two thirds (61%) of motorists don’t know the penalty for driving with a dirty number plate and one in 10 (10%) think there isn’t a fine at all. The penalty for failing to wipe down a number plate to ensure it’s readable is £1,000
Four in five (80%) drivers are also hazy on the laws surrounding screenwash
More than two-fifths (43%) of those quizzed think driving without screenwash isn’t an offence when, in fact, it could lead to a £1,000 fine and three penalty points

Not using your car as regularly because of lockdown restrictions may mean that drivers don’t realise its condition has deteriorated to the point where it becomes an MOT failure.

“It is highly concerning, the lack of knowledge around basic vehicle maintenance, which is required to keep everyone safe on the roads, especially as we are limiting our daily car use so we may not notice any changes in our vehicles,” said a Halfords spokesman.

“Sometimes people break motoring laws without even realising so it’s best to brush up your knowledge before hitting the roads especially as many of us will be driving less during this period of lockdown and future tier restrictions.”

Your health is as important as your car’s

The Car Expert recently revealed how the DVLA licensing bureau requires motorists to inform them if there is a medical condition that might affect their ability to drive. But many of the ailments weren’t always obvious, including diabetes, vertigo and labyrinthitis. Failure to declare these, and many other ailments, could land you with a £1,000 fine.

More car maintenance news, information and advice at The Car Expert

Toyota GR Yaris

Stuart Masson

-

6 February 2021

0

Summary

The Toyota GR Yaris is a small, high-performance hatchback that is only very loosely based on the regular Toyota Yaris model. It started development as a rally homologation model, but a change in the sport’s regulations means it will never compete. Instead, it’s only role is as a high-performance hot hatch for the road.

The GR Yaris was launched in late 2020 and immediately started racking up award wins, including pretty much every ‘Hot Hatch of the Year’ award on offer. It’s probably more accurate to think of it as an entirely different car to the regular Yaris – it shares only four exterior body parts with its namesake, and is lower and wider. It also sports the world’s most powerful three-cylinder engine, a one-litre unit pushing out 260hp via all four wheels.

The UK motoring media has been in raptures about the way the GR Yaris drives, with universal praise for its performance and handling. Criticisms have been generally minor, with Car pointing out that it has “road noise like a death-metal gig”.

The GR Yaris is keenly priced, but actually buying one has proven difficult as Toyota sells every car it manages to get hold of. As of January 2025, the Toyota GR Yaris holds a New Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 66%.

More Toyota ratings, reviews, news and features

GR Yaris highlights

Incredibly fun driving experience
Attractive exterior styling
Very responsive four-wheel drive handling
Serious pace in a straight line
Toyota offer competitive finance deals

GR Yaris lowlights

Expensive compared to regular Yaris
Rather rigid ride comfort
Limited space in the rear
Poor rear visibility
Driving position a little too high

Key specifications

Body style: Small three-door hatch
Engines: petrol
Price: From £29,995 on-road

Launched: Winter 2020/21
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: None expected

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Score: 9 / 10
“Developed as a ‘World Rally Car for the road’, the Toyota GR Yaris is no ordinary supermini.”
Read review

Score: 9 / 10
“Look beyond the price because the Toyota GR Yaris is no ordinary Yaris. Instead, it’s a car that will be written about and cherished by enthusiasts for many years to come. It’s one of the most exciting cars you can drive this side of £35,000, and as fast as a supercar on the right road.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: Circuit Pack
Score: 8 / 10
“A car that really shouldn’t exist – but boy are we glad it does. As a concept on the drawing board, most manufacturers would have laughed it out of the room, but the decision to go through with it is one that makes the hot-hatch market a far richer place.”
Read review

Car Keys+

Model reviewed: Circuit Pack
Score: 10 / 10
“This is one of the best hot hatches we’ve sampled in a long time. Its interior quality and compromised practicality might disappoint, but they’re worthy compromises for a driving experience that makes the GR Yaris one of the best cars Toyota has ever made.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed:
Score: 8.2 / 10
“The Toyota GR Yaris is a once-in-a-generation rally special, serving up a seriously impressive driving experience.”
Read review

Carwow+

Score: 9 / 10
“The Toyota GR Yaris is basically a rally car for the road – it’s fast and extremely good fun to drive. There are more practical hot hatches if that matters, though.”
Read review

Daily Mail+

Model reviewed: Circuit Pack
“As red devils go, Toyota’s rally-inspired and derived GR Yaris can certainly burn tarmac with fiery intensity. This compact, fire-breathing road-going sports car was developed specifically by Toyota from a vehicle designed to win it more championships.”
Read review

Eurekar+

“The GR Yaris is a purist’s delight.”
Read review

Evo+

Model reviewed:
Score: 10 / 10
“Toyota’s new road-going rally special is a great drivers’ car of the type we worried we’d never see again. It’s a little gem.”
Read review

Parkers+

Score: 8 / 10
“Fast, exciting and very different to a standard Yaris”
Read review

The Sun+

“The Toyota GR Yaris is a blistering hot hatch built for racing and adapted for the road.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Score: 10 / 10
“Simply stunning; fast, grippy and great fun, it provides all the sensations of a rally car in a road-going package. Every drive in the GR Yaris is going to feel special and it all comes with Toyota’s legendary reliability. We are seriously going to miss cars like this when they are legislated out of existence.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Score: 10 / 10
“The GR Yaris is superb – the best Toyota we’ve ever driven.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

As of January 2025, the Toyota GR Yaris hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP.

We don’t think it’s ever likely to happen because of the car’s tiny production volumes. The GR Yaris doesn’t automatically carry the regular Yaris model’s safety rating as it’s had so many structural modifications that it’s essentially a completely different car. If it does ever get put through a Euro NCAP test programme, we will update this section accordingly.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of January 2025, the Toyota GR Yaris has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

The GR Yaris is a high-performance homologation model, so it hasn’t been designed for maximum environmental performance, so it’s fairly safe to assume that it wouldn’t score too highly if it was ever tested.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Toyota GR Yaris to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the GR Yaris, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	34 mpg	D	34 – 34 mpg	D – D

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	186 g/km	C	186 – 186 g/km	C – C

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	36	C	36 – 36	C – C

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£182	A
Year 2	£503	A
Year 3	£949	B
Year 4	£1,203	B
Year 5	£1,551	B
Overall	£4,388	B

Unsurprisingly, the high-performance GR Yaris is a tad more expensive to own than your regular garden-variety Yaris. That’s according to whole-life cost information provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Servicing and maintenance costs are still very good compared to anything else with this level of performance, while insurance costs are reasonable. Fuel consumption isn’t great, though, especially if you drive the GR Yaris the way you’ll inevitably want to…

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Toyota GR Yaris has received

2021

UK Car of the Year Awards – Car of the Year + Best Performance
carwow Awards – Car of the Year + Best Hot Hatch
Auto Express Awards – Best Performance Car
Parkers New Car Awards – Best Car for Thrill-seekers
News UK Motoring Awards – Jeremy Clarkson’s Car of the Year + Best Hot Hatch

2020

Top Gear Awards – Best Hot Hatch
Evo Awards – Best Hot Hatch
Car Magazine Awards – Best Hot Hatch

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Toyota GR Yaris, you might also be interested in these alternatives

More Toyota ratings, reviews, news and features

More news, reviews and information about the Toyota GR Yaris at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about Toyota

Toyota GR Yaris stock to return with large price hike

Last days of the dinosaurs: the best petrol cars under £50K

Toyota Yaris hot hatch on the way

Buy a Toyota GR Yaris

If you’re looking to buy a new or used Toyota GR Yaris, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.

Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more

Lease a Toyota GR Yaris

If you’re looking to lease a new Toyota GR Yaris, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a Toyota GR Yaris

If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

Slow start for new car sales under lockdown

Car industry news

Stuart Masson

-

5 February 2021

0

Slow start for new car sales under lockdown

Another nationwide lockdown in January has meant that 2021 new car sales have got off to a predictably poor start, although there are certainly some positive stories among the overall gloom.

Private new car sales were down almost 39% compared to the same month a year ago – which wasn’t exactly a good month itself – as showrooms remained closed for the whole month. Fleet registrations were also down by just under 40%.

The silver lining to that cloud is that the industry still managed to deliver 60% of last January’s volume despite a national lockdown. That’s actually quite good when you consider that showroom closures last Spring resulted in new car sales pretty much grinding to a halt for about ten weeks.

This time around, car manufacturers and dealerships were much better prepared with their home delivery and click-and-collect offerings, allowing a large number of buyers to still take delivery of new cars despite the government restrictions.

Electrified cars still on a charge

The steady growth of electrified new cars (full EVs, plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids) continued in January. Combined, they accounted for more than 21% of the new car market, compared to just over 19% for diesel-powered cars (which include mild-hybrid diesels). Petrol cars (including mild hybrids) made up just under 60% of all new cars registered for the month.

Among the three types of electrified cars, full EVs continue to outsell plug-in hybrids. Regular hybrids improved their market share, although their growth was significantly less.

This growth came at the expense of both petrol and diesel cars, which both saw declines of roughly 5% in market share. This is likely to be a repeating pattern every month for the forseale future as we move towards the banning of all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

Good month, bad month

With an overall new car market down about 40%, there were very few brands that could say they had a good month. However, as always, some brands did better than others as the year got underway.

It was an above-average performance from Hyundai, Kia, MG, Mini, Porsche, Smart and Volvo, who all recorded sales that were at least 10% better than the overall market fall of 40%

Meanwhile, things were particularly gloomy for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Bentley, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Honda, Jaguar, Jeep, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, SEAT, SsangYong and Suzuki, whose results were at least 10% worse than the overall market result.

Corsa starts the year on top

After leading the market for the last half of last year, the Vauxhall Corsa has started 2021 on top. It’s alost foolishly early to make predictions, but could this be the year that the Ford Fiesta is finally dethroned from its sales throne?

It was a great month for the ageing Kia Sportage, which is normally found in and out of the bottom half of the top ten, while the even more elderly Nissan Qashqai appears to be in full run-out mode ahead of the launch of an all-new model in coming weeks.

The Kia Niro also popped up into ninth place on the best-sellers list, while the rest of the top ten consisted of most of the usual suspects, albeit shuffled about a bit on what we’ve come to expect. We’ll have our usual analysis of the top ten in coming days.

More industry news and analysis at The Car Expert

Where’s my spare wheel?

Stuart Masson

-

5 February 2021

71

Where has the good old-fashioned spare wheel gone? That’s the lament of many a motorist. One of the least-popular trends in modern car design is the almost total disappearance of the traditional full-size spare tyre and spare wheel.

Many drivers, even of today’s modern cars, take one look under the boot carpet of their new vehicle and sigh with disappointment at the sight of a compact space-saver, a canister of green sealant and a compressor to re-inflate a punctured tyre or – on some cars such as BMW or Mini, a run-flat tyre, which is designed to be able to be driven with no air pressure for a short while.

Why have spare tyres / spare wheels disappeared?

There are several reasons why modern cars no longer come with a full-size spare wheel. The main one is fairly simple: they are rarely used. Most spares spend their entire life hidden in the boot, so there are considerable savings to be made by not fitting them.

The main three savings are cost, space and weight. A typical 17″ alloy wheel and tyre would cost the manufacturer about £100 and weigh about 20kg. A full-size wheel is also bulky, so designers have to factor in enough space for the wheel to fit in or under the boot – and that adds more bulk and weight to the vehicle.

By replacing the full-size wheel with a space-saver spare wheel, costs go down and weight is saved. If you have a ‘breakdown kit’ of goo and compressor, the weight, space and cost savings are even greater.

The saved weight makes a small difference to fuel economy and emissions, which can help lower a car’s CO₂ rating (and potentially reduce road tax). Smaller cars like hatchbacks and sports cars gain the most from the saved space, but the cost savings are universal.

So what are the pros and cons of each tyre emergency alternative?

Full-size spare wheel

The default spare wheel offering until the 1990s and now virtually non-existent. Until recent years, it was considered standard practice for all cars to come with five identical wheels and tyres – four on the road and one in the boot.

This option means that any tyre can be immediately replaced with the spare on the spot, and there are no limitations to speed and distance when the spare wheel is in place.

These factors are still crucial in more remote parts of the world, where it’s easy to be a long way from your local tyre shop. There is also the caveat that the spare is only useful if it is in good working order and not flat! This sounds obvious, but the number of people who never check their spare tyre – or who use it to replace a flat tyre and never get the damaged one fixed – is staggering. So it’s useless when you actually need it.

Also, most drivers don’t bother replacigg the spare tyre when replacing the other four tyres, so it is often a different tyre to the other four anyway, which is not ideal from a safety perspective.

Pros: convenient, as long as all four wheels are the same size; no speed or distance limitations when running spare wheel
Cons: expensive, heavy and bulky for something which is rarely used; few people ever check the tyre pressure on the spare, so it could be be flat when you actually need it.

Space-saver spare wheel

Compact space-saver spare wheels emerged in the 1980s as manufacturers looked to start saving money and weight in their cars.

It was also becoming more common for cars to come with different-sized front and rear tyres and/or directional tyres, meaning that it was possible that a car could have four different tyres on four wheels! This meant that one full-size spare wheel had a 75% chance of being the wrong wheel for the job.

One common problem with a space-saver spare wheel is that if you ever need to use it, the original full-size wheel and flat tyre won’t fit in the spare wheel well, so you have to carry it in the boot – which, of course, is no good if you already have a bootful of luggage or a very small boot.

Space-saver spare tyres are also usually limited to a maximum speed of 50mph (80 km/h) and a maximum distance of about 50 miles, so it limits your options for getting to a suitable tyre shop. Your steering and braking performance will also be affected, so it’s very much a temporary solution.

Pros: cheaper, lighter and smaller than a full-size spare tyre; can be used for almost any tyre problem
Cons: your damaged full-size tyre won’t fit in the space-saver wheel well; limited speed and distance; vehicle handling and safety impaired

Breakdown kits

Tyre sealant breakdown kit — (c) Continental Corporation

Breakdown kits, also known as tyre inflation kits, consist of a bottle of sealant liquid and an air compressor. They’ve become a lot more popular in recent years, and are now becoming the default solution for most new cars. However, they are far from perfect. The theory is that you squirt the green goo into the tyre valve and then use the compressor to reinflate the flat tyre.

Again, this is a temporary fix and usually limited to about 50 miles at no more than 50mph. Whilst it does mean that you don’t have to worry about changing the tyre and emptying your boot, it is only really useful for relatively minor punctures and no good whatsoever if the tyre has suffered significant damage.

Pros: re-inflating tyre means no need to change a wheel on the roadside; maximum cost/space/weight savings (no spare wheel, wheel well, jack, tyre lever, etc.)
Cons: only suitable for minor tyre damage; limited speed and distance; using sealant usually makes tyre irreparable

Run-flat tyres

Run-flat tyres have long been championed by BMW, and are slowly being adopted by some other brands as they improve in terms of cost and ride comfort.

These tyres feature a reinforced sidewall that allows you to continue driving on a punctured tyre even if it has lost all of its air (again, you’re limited in speed and distance).

The downsides to run-flat tyres are that they are again limited to minor punctures rather than serious cuts, and the reinforced sidewalls are much more rigid than those of a normal tyre, which usually makes your ride a lot bumpier than on a regular tyre.

Pros: maximum convenience, with no need to stop to change or repair the tyre; maximum cost/space/weight savings
Cons: only suitable for minor tyre damage; limited speed and damage; tyres are expensive; significantly reduced ride comfort.

So has the full-size spare wheel been replaced forever?

Many people still bemoan the removal of full-size spare wheels from new cars, but the simple reality is that for the vast majority of people, it’s not a big deal. In fact, many people with go their whole driving lives without ever having a flat tyre or blowout.

Certainly within Britain and most of Europe, breakdown assistance services are able to attend to your tyre emergency promptly, so your likelihood of being severely inconvenienced is slim. And a flat tyre is certainly not the most common reason drivers call for breakdown assistance – that’s a flat battery, and no-one carries a spare one of those in their car.

Most new cars now come with breakdown kits instead of a full-size or space-saver spare wheel. It may not be a perfect solution for every situation, but covers most people’s needs most of the time.

More expert advice from The Car Expert:

Additional reporting by Tom Johnston. This article was originally published in April 2014, and was most recently updated in February 2021.

Ten things not to do in your car

Car ownership advice

Tom Johnston

-

29 January 2021

0

You’ve bought a car. It’s yours to use and enjoy, and where you go is entirely up to you. But think about what you do in it.

Cars are very personal things – more than just a means of getting from A to B. They become part of us, part of the family, and a big part of life.

Get inside, shut the doors and you’re in your own private domain. Warm, dry and ready to go. That’s why cars are, for most people, the second most expensive purchase they’ll ever make after their house, and certainly something they would never want to be without.

That makes it important to look after your car, as we have said many times here at The Car Expert. A car is for driving. So drive it, enjoy it and use it for the purpose that it was designed, and not for a whole host of other reasons.

Here’s a list of ten top things not to do in your car, and why. Are you guilty of any of them? Chances are at least one of these is on your list – and now’s the time to put a stop to it:

1. Eating while driving

While it’s not illegal to eat while in control of a car, if you get distracted as ketchup falls from your quarter pounder onto your lap or you burn your hand on a hot cup of coffee, the police might take a dim view of your carelessness.

Popping a sweet or small snack into your mouth while on the move is probably ok, but avoid the three-course meal.

2. Eating while stationary

It’s a similar story to eating and driving, except for a different reason. Certainly it’s safer but, tuck into a large takeaway while in the driving seat and you will almost certainly drop some of it on the floor.

At the very least, you’ll brush your trousers or skirt down when you’ve finished and spread hundreds of crumbs onto the carpets. Research from insurance company Ageas revealed that the bacteria bacillus cereus, one of the most common causes of food poisoning, lives in cars.

3. Using it as a cupboard

Because the tailgate locks with the rest of the car, many drivers confuse the boot as a spare cupboard. But they really shouldn’t. Every extra item stored inside the car adds weight and with that comes poorer fuel economy and extra wear on the car’s suspension and tyres.

If there’s too much stored in a hatchback or estate car’s rear space, it can also block visibility and becomes a moving hazard in an accident or emergency stop. Anything on view is also an invitation to thieves.

4. Playing loud music

We’ve all pulled up at traffic lights to be treated to someone else’s musical tastes whether we want it or not. Not everyone appreciates ear-splitting heavy rock or booming reggae, and some police forces agree – many have considered treating loud music in a car as anti-social behaviour.

From a safety point of view, scientists have found that it can be distracting to drive with your speakers on fire, and it could also be dangerous if you can’t hear, for example, an ambulance approaching behind you.

5. Picking your nose (or anything else)

The research from Ageas showed that cars’ interiors, including their steering wheels, can become home to more than 3,826 units of bacteria per square inch, which is 19 times more than a toilet seat.

The most common bacteria lurking in our motors was pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause a skin rash, ear and eye infections, and even respiratory problems.

6. Smoking

As with eating while driving, it’s not specifically illegal to smoke while behind the wheel. But similarly, if you have an accident, and lighting or smoking the cigarette was found to be the cause of distraction, you could end up with a charge of careless driving.

You certainly should not smoke in a car carrying anyone under the age of 18 – that’s against the law. Meanwhile, it’s hardly going to increase your car’s value or enjoyment of travelling in it, if the upholstery and carpets smell like an ashtray.

7. Shaving or applying make-up

Safety group RoSPA describes a distraction as ‘paying attention to a second activity while driving’. That second activity can mean the driver is less likely to see or anticipate hazards and therefore increases the risk of an accident.

Using an electric shaver or putting on makeup while driving would certainly qualify as a distraction and you shouldn’t do either on the move. Both also leave behind human particles which can collect and multiply as bacteria.

8. Driving with a loose pet

It’s not only a cause of great distraction if you have the pet dog loose in your car, but it would also be highly dangerous if you were in an accident with an unrestrained animal sat behind you. And if the dog was loose on the front seat when the airbag went off, there’s no telling where Rover would end up.

Best to buckle up the pooch on the back seat with a genuine pet harness. That way everyone has a safe and comfortable ride.

9. Using your phone while driving

It’s not only illegal to use a phone (or satnav) while driving, it’s against the law to even hold one. There have been several high profile cases reported where cell phone users have caused road accidents, and the police can stop you if they think you’re not in control because of the phone.

Don’t forget that you can’t even use your mobile when you’re stopped at traffic lights, waiting in a traffic queue or supervising a learner driver. Make sure you’re hand-free at all times.

10. Drinking and driving

There’s not much to add to this one and you shouldn’t be driving if you need reminding. It’s simple – if you are going to drink, don’t drive, and if you are planning to drive, don’t drink.

More car ownership news, information and advice at The Car Expert

Car finance: Top 10 PCP myths busted

Car finance advice

Stuart Masson

-

28 January 2021

8

The personal contract purchase (PCP) is by far the most popular way for consumers to buy new cars, and is rapidly becoming the most popular way to finance used cars as well.

But the PCP is really not well understood. Repeated research, like this study from 2015 and this one from 2017, has shown that most car buyers don’t understand how PCPs work and are often basing their assumptions on various myths and misconceptions.

Based on the thousands of questions about PCP finance from readers we have received here over the last few years, we have come up with our Top 10 PCP myths – and then busted them. Remember kids, never trust the smiling sales executive or your best friend’s neighbour’s uncle. Trust The Car Expert.

New car showroom - SEAT in Derby - offering PCP car finance

PCP Myth #1: You’re not really buying the car

There is still a misconception that PCP car finance is a lease or rental, rather than a purchase. This is simply not true, even if most buyers tend to treat it like a lease. It’s also a really important point .

A PCP is a form of hire purchase (HP), so you are buying the car over time. It doesn’t officially become your property until the last penny is paid off, just like a classic hire purchase or the mortgage on your house, but you are making payments towards eventual ownership unless you choose not to make the final payment.

It is estimated that fewer than 20% of PCP customers will ever make that final payment, with the vast majority choosing to hand the car back or part-exchange it instead. But the default option in your contract is always to make the final payment, so you are forced to take action to stop that from happening.

For more information, check this out:

Personal Contract Purchase: the PCP explained

PCP Myth #2: You’ll have equity at the end of the agreement

PCP finance is usually sold on the vague verbal promise of equity at the end of the agreement. The idea is that your car will be worth more than the final balloon/guaranteed future value (GFV) amount, and the leftover is what you use as all or part of the deposit towards your next car.

For many car buyers, that certainly used to be the case. However, these days you will be lucky if your car is worth the balloon amount at the end of your agreement, meaning that you won’t have any equity and therefore you will have to come up your next deposit from your own savings.

For some reason, buyers tend to forget that they handed over a couple of thousand pounds for their deposit three years ago, and are now being asked to find another couple of thousand pounds to hand over for their next PCP.

For more information, check this out:

Collapsing car sales – is the industry in crisis?

Next page ->

Here at The Car Expert, we are building commercial partnerships with companies who can offer you competitive PCP deals on either a new or used car (as well as other types of finance if you prefer). Check these out before signing any finance agreement with a car dealer:

We Finance Any Car can arrange PCP or HP finance at competitive rates
Motorly can find you a great car finance deal, even if you have a poor credit rating
FairSquare can find and finance either a new or used car, and deliver it to your door

Volkswagen ID.3 test drive

Jack Evans

-

25 January 2021

0

This car – the new Volkswagen ID.3 – is quite a crucial one for its maker. As its first ground-up electric model, it represents a voyage into a completely EV future, and when the German firm starts throwing names like ‘Beetle’ and ‘Golf’ into a car’s comparisons, you know things are getting serious.

Which is why the ID.3 really needs to be good. It’s the first car in what will become a long line of ID-badged electric vehicles for Volkswagen and as such, it’s a car which needs to succeed. We’ve been behind the wheel to see if it can do it.

Volkswagen ID.3 review

What’s new about the Volkswagen ID.3?

Well, essentially everything is new here. The ID.3 sits on its very own architecture designed from the ground-up as an electric vehicle. So whereas Volkswagen’s previous EVs like the e-Golf and e-Up! were electric versions of existing models, the ID.3 stands proud on its own.

There’s a bespoke powertrain – which we’ll get to in more detail shortly – and while the interior of the car uses many elements from the current eighth-generation Golf, they’ve been packaged in a way which feels completely new and fresh.

How does it look?

Put the ID.3 against any other regular car currently on sale and you’ll see a marked difference. With a full light bar carrying across the width of the ID.3’s front, it has a really distinct ‘face’ and it’s one which is particularly noticeable at night.

It’s the same story around the back, too. A large section of gloss black contrasts with whichever exterior colour you’ve chosen to give a genuinely distinctive appearance and it’s one which works extremely well.

However, don’t fear that this is a car that has been designed so that people won’t fail to take notice; get it in more subdued colours and, for the most part, it blends in rather well. It’s handy if you’re after an EV which doesn’t shout about its eco-credentials.

What’s the spec like?

The I.D 3 has been initially launched in 1st Edition trim, which brings a whole host of standard equipment. Much like the new Golf, there’s a distinct lack of physical buttons with touchscreens doing the bulk of the work instead. It’s centred around a ten-inch display in the middle of the dashboard and it’s here where you’ll have access to the vast majority of functions.For satellite navigation, media and phone call access it works well. We found that during our time with the car getting through to the controls for the heating and ventilation took a little longer than it needed to be, however.

There’s also a five-inch display ahead of the driver and it’s here where you’ll find the car’s speed, as well as key information such as range and battery levels.

What’s the Volkswagen ID.3 like inside?

It’s in the cabin where things take a real step up. There’s an immediate sense of space, with a large lounge-like setup creating an instantly relaxing place to be. As we’ve already mentioned, some aspects are akin to those you’ll find in the current Golf, but whereas the Golf has to deal with mundane things like transmission tunnels and central gearsticks, the ID.3 does without – so there’s genuinely tonnes of space to play with.

There are only a few quibbles to be had. The controls for the lights are placed awkwardly in between the screen and the wheel, and the gear selector itself feels as if drive and reverse are placed the opposite way around to how you’d expect. We’re sure that you’d get used to it over time, however.

Those in the back will find themselves well-kept in terms of headroom and legroom and even the boot has a comfortably usable capacity of 385 litres.

Volkswagen ID.3 review - interior and dashboard

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the ID.3 is a 150kW motor linked to a 58kWh battery. In this setup, Volkswagen claims that you should see up to 260 miles from a single charge, while thanks to rapid charging capability, a 0-80% charge can take as little as 30 minutes via a 100kW unit. However, if you’re planning to charge your ID.3 at home – and most people will – then fully replenishing the batteries from empty will take nine and a half hours with a 7.2kW wallbox.

When it comes to performance the ID.3 does well. A zero to 60mph time of seven seconds isn’t far off what you’d get from a Golf GTI, and flat-out it’ll do 99mph.

What’s the Volkswagen ID.3 like to drive?

Volkswagen has worked to make driving the ID.3 as hassle-free as possible. As such, even the starting process is almost deliriously simple. Keep the key in your pocket or bag, approach the car and it’ll allow you in. Sit in place, use the side-mounted gear selector – which is almost identical to the one in the BMW i3 – to select drive, and away you go. There is a starter button, but you don’t need it; once you’re in the car, it’s alive and ready to go.

And being rear-driven, you’re made quite aware of how keen the ID.3 is to get going. Make no mistake, it’s not a tail-happy drift wagon, but ease out of a corner and the way the car pushes away has that distinct rear-wheel-drive assuredness. The performance on tap leaves most ordinary traffic for dead when going from a dead stop too, but even at higher speeds, the ID.3 has more than enough pep for motorway overtakes or dual carriageway merges.

Our only real complaint is directed at the forward pillars; though a section of glass does alleviate some of the issue, they’re rather thick and obscure your forward vision quite a lot.

Volkswagen ID.3 (2020 onwards) road test – front

Volkswagen ID.3 (2020 onwards) road test – rear

Verdict

As we said at the start of this review, the Volkswagen ID.3 really needed to be good. Thankfully, this is one incredibly well-rounded EV, with a decent range and excellent on-road manners combining with a well made but high-end interior to result in a car which really does feel like the genuine article.

Over the next few months, Volkswagen will introduce new variants of the ID.3, both with smaller and greater battery sizes, and resulting decreases and increases in range, which open the car up to an even larger audience. However, for now, even this initial ID.3 is a confident step by Volkswagen into the fully electric future.

Key specifications

Model as tested: Volkswagen ID.3 1st Edition
Price (on-road): £35,215*
Motor unit: Single electric motor
Gearbox: Single-speed automatic
Power: 204 hp
Torque: 310 Nm
*includes £3,000 plug-in car grant

Top speed: 99 mph
0-60 mph: 7.0 seconds
Battery size: 58 kWh
Battery range: 260 miles
Euro NCAP safety rating: Five stars (2020)
TCE Expert Rating: 83% (as of January 2021)

Bentley Flying Spur

Stuart Masson

-

24 January 2021

0

Summary

The Bentley Flying Spur is a large luxury saloon, and the flagship of the Bentley range. This is the third generation of the Flying Spur and, like its predecessors, it is based on the Bentley Continental GT coupé.

The Bentley Mulsanne ceased production in 2020, with the Flying Spur moving up on previous generations in price and luxury to take on the role of Bentley’s flagship saloon. It’s significantly longer than the previous model to provide more rear cabin space. Initially launched only with the top-spec 6.0-litre W12 engine, the range grew with the addition of the familiar 4.0-litre petrol V8 engine about a year later, followed by a plug-in hybrid model in 2021.

The Bentley Flying Spur has received many positive reviews from the UK motoring media, with glowing reports of its luxury and driving dynamics.

Several titles have also criticised the stinginess of the Flying Spur’s level of standard safety equipment, with key equipment like autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control only available as (expensive) options, despite being standard on other Volkswagen Group models – like a VW Golf for about a tenth of the price.

The Flying Spur received a major update in the middle of 2024. Bentley pitched this as almost an all-new car, whereas the reality is that it’s more of a major update to the existing vehicle. The average person in the street (or even a Bentley customer) probably wouldn’t be able to spot any major differences, but there are major overhauls to engine, electrics and interior luxuries.

As of January 2025, the Bentley Flying Spur has a New Car Expert Rating of C with a score of 61%. It scores top marks for its very positive media reviews, but the overall rating has been dragged down by unsurprisingly high running costs.

The Car Expert Best of British horizontal banner

Key specifications

Body style: Large saloon
Engines: petrol, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £156,130 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2019
Last updated: Autumn 2024
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Hybrid (2023)
Score: 8 / 10
“The V6 plug-in hybrid brings attractive tax savings to Bentley’s luxury saloon, but it doesn’t quite match the smooth driving experience of its petrol-powered V8 counterpart.”
Read review

Score: 9 / 10
“Hand-built Bentley Flying Spur luxury saloon combines breathtaking performance with majestic luxury and refinement.”
Read review

Model reviewed: V8
Score: 10 / 10
“That this new V8 edition of the Bentley Flying Spur isn’t as expensive as the W12 and offers a more engaging drive without making a compromise in any single area means it’s the pick of the line-up. Not only is this a supremely well-engineered car, with a huge breadth of ability, it’s also one that drips with desirability.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre W12 petrol automatic
Score: 10 / 10
“The new Bentley Flying Spur is a world-class flagship, balancing performance, luxury and style in equal measure. The way it drives and handles is quite astonishing for such a large car, while the opulence of the cabin and attention to detail show Bentley at its best.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Hand-built Bentley Flying Spur luxury saloon combines breathtaking performance with majestic luxury and refinement.”
Read review

Auto Trader+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Bentley Flying Spur is a luxury saloon, and essentially a four-door version of the immensely popular Continental GT. Built to be driven or be driven in, the Flying Spur is packed with leather, wood and acres of well-appointed space.”
Read review

Business Car+

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre W12 petrol automatic
Score: 8 / 10
“It won’t be within reach of most fleets or drivers, but the Flying Spur heralds a new era of electrification for Bentley.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 8 / 10
“The new Bentley Flying Spur isn’t so much an evolutionary improvement on the old model, as a giant leap forward.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed:
Score: 7.8 / 10
“The Bentley Flying Spur is a luxury saloon that’s both great to drive and be driven in”
Read review

Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Bentley Flying Spur is one of the most luxurious, and high-tech, saloon cars on sale. Its boot could be bigger, though, and automatic cruise control should be standard.”
Read review

Daily Mail+

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre petrol automatic
“For such a large car it handles beautifully even in the narrowest and twistiest lanes of Monaco, so should be a doddle in London, Glasgow, New York and Beijing.”
Read review

Eurekar+

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre W12 petrol automatic
“Performance is toe-curling, but not the riotous drive you would expect from an out and out sports saloon. Okay, floor the accelerator and its like jet taking off, but occupants otherwise suffer no discomfort and feel as safe as you can be with such performance.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre W12 petrol automatic First Edition
“Comfort is supreme wherever you choose to sit, with everything from massaging seats to picnic tables and Champagne bottle coolers, mood lighting throughout and a rotating central display in the dash, plus touch screen remote control in the rear.”
Read review

Evo+

Model reviewed: V8
Score: 9 / 10
“New ‘entry-level’ Bentley Flying Spur is the pick of the limos.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“All-new Bentley Flying Spur is one of the few, if not the only, luxury car that is as good to drive as it is to be driven in.”
Read review

Motoring Research+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“The Bentley Flying Spur is a glorious way to travel, with acres of legroom, electric window blinds, even massaging armchair-style seats.”
Read review

Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.8 / 10
“Four-door Bentley is a fast, elegant and comfortable alternative to a private jet.”
Read review

The Sun+

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre W12 petrol automatic
“The Bentley Flying Spur is a fusion of cutting-edge tech and artisan craftsmanship.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: 6.0-litre W12 petrol automatic
Score: 8 / 10
“The Bentley Flying Spur is a fine car spoiled by a shabby ride.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Perhaps the most compelling four-door Bentley’s built since the Arnage”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

The Bentley Flying Spur has not been tested by Euro NCAP. Previous generations of Continental have never been tested by Euro NCAP, so we don’t expect that this one will be, either.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of January 2025, the Bentley Flying Spur has not yet been tested by Green NCAP.

The Flying Spur weighs about three tonnes with passengers on board and is powered by either a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine or a 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine, so it’s safe to assume it won’t be winning any environmental awards.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Bentley Flying Spur to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively from extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Flying Spur, we’ll publish the score here.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Bentley Flying Spur

2023

2022

2021

2020

Date: May 2023
Recall number: R/2023/131
Model types: All
Build dates: 11/2020 to 10/2022
Number of vehicles affected: 353
Defect: On affected vehicles the retention bracket holding the rear entertainment screens located in the rear of the front seats may have been installed in the incorrect orientation.
Remedy: Check the orientation of the retention bracket in both front seats. Any seats found to be fitted with the incorrect bracket orientation will be reworked to replace the retention bracket assembly.

Date: March 2022
Recall number: R/2022/078
Model types: All
Build dates: 06/2018 to 08/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 32
Defect: Incorrect front passenger seat belt assemblies without an automatic locking retractor (ALR) function may have been installed.
Remedy: Inspect the affected front seat belt assemblies and replace if necessary.

Date: June 2021
Recall number: R/2021/221
Model types: All
Build dates: 06/2018 to 05/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 2,462
Defect: Inconsistent fitment of the fuse box and the electrical harness may prevent the accelerator pedal from returning to its resting position.
Remedy: Check and if necessary rework the A-post lower trim ensuring correct clearance of the trim to the accelerator pedal.

Date: April 2021
Recall number: R/2021/113
Model types: All
Build dates: 07/2019 to 03/2021
Number of vehicles affected: 221
Defect: The knee roll airbag wiring may be incorrect at the Airbag Control Module connector.
Remedy: Correct the wiring at the Airbag Control Module Connector.

Date: June 2020
Recall number: R/2020/145
Model types: All
Build dates: 01/2020
Number of vehicles affected: 2
Defect: A small number of vehicles may have an adhesive bond between the sunroof and the vehicle body which does not meet the specification.
Remedy: The sunroof glass or sunroof assembly will be replaced.

As of October 2024, there have been five DVSA vehicle safety recalls on the current-generation Bentley Flying Spur to address various different issues.

Not all vehicles are affected by recalls. You can check to see if your car is included in any of the above recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Bentley dealer.

If your car is affected by a recall, the vehicle must be repaired and you should not be charged for any work required. If you are buying a used Flying Spur, you should insist that any outstanding recall work is completed before you take delivery of the vehicle.

Everything you need to know about UK vehicle recalls

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	21 mpg	E	19 – 22 mpg	E – E

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	299 g/km	D	288 – 340 g/km	D – D
Plug-in hybrid models	75 g/km	A	75 – 75 g/km	A – A

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Plug-in hybrid models	26 miles	E	26 – 26 miles	E – E

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	50	F	50 – 50	F – F

The Bentley Flying Spur is a very expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

The petrol car’s fuel economy of 21 mpg is one of the poorest fuel consumption stats in our Expert Rating Index (the plug-in hybrid is presumably better, but we don’t have confirmed numbers for that engine), while insurance premiums are in the most expensive bracket too.

Bentley doesn’t provide servicing cost data, but it’s probably safe to assume that it will be expensive.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Bentley Flying Spur has received

2021

Auto Express Awards – Best Luxury Car

2019

Carwow Awards – Best Luxury Car

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Bentley Flying Spur, you might also be interested in these alternatives

More news, reviews and information about the Bentley Flying Spur at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about Bentley

New Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur models unveiled

Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner gets Blackline trim

Bentley Flying Spur hybrid plugs into electrified market

Bentley Flying Spur launches with limited edition model

Bentley lifts the lid on luxurious new Flying Spur

Teaser images point to next Bentley Flying Spur

Buy a Bentley Flying Spur

If you’re looking to buy a new or used Bentley Flying Spur, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.

Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more

SEAT Leon

Stuart Masson

-

23 January 2021

0

Summary

The SEAT Leon is a mid-sized family car that’s based on the current Mk 8 Volkswagen Golf and other cars in the Volkswagen family, like the new Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia.

The current Leon was launched in summer 2020, replacing the previous model that had been on sale since 2012. As before, it is available as either a five-door hatchback or an estate. A plug-in hybrid powertrain joined the usual petrol and diesel options shortly after launch.

The new SEAT Leon is considered more refined although somewhat less sporty than the previous model. It’s also no longer considered quite the value-for-money choice that the previous model was. The plug-in hybrid version has received particular praise, but you need to be able to charge it daily to get value for the additional asking price.

As of January 2025, the SEAT Leon has a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%. It scores top marks for its low average CO2 emissions (helped by the plug-in hybrid models), while its safety rating and running costs are also good. The only downside is that reliability has been sub-par.

Key specifications

Body style: Five-door hatch and estate
Engines: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £23,335 on-road

Launched: Summer 2020
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR
“There’s no two ways about it – the new SEAT Leon is a brilliant car. It looks great, it’s practical, it’s quiet and comfortable to drive, and comes packed full of kit. The down side? The Volkswagen Golf does all of those things, and the extra cash won’t be too offensive when divided across the monthly payments of a finance deal.”
Read review

Auto Express+

Score: 8 / 10
“The SEAT Leon offers the tech and driving experience of the VW Golf, but for a lower price.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol (mild hybrid) automatic estate
Score: 8 / 10
“Like the hatchback, the new SEAT Leon Estate is an evolutionary update of its predecessor. The estate easily passes muster on practicality and is even fun to drive in some cases, but it’s neither as refined nor as premium-feeling as its Skoda Octavia Estate sibling.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 1.4-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid FR hatchback
Score: 8 / 10
“With price on its side, the SEAT Leon instantly becomes one of our favourite plug-in hybrid family cars. Also available as an ST estate, this new Leon e-Hybrid could well be the consummate all-rounder.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR hatchback
Score: 8 / 10
“Existing Leon owners will find plenty to like on the new-generation car. But dynamically not a lot has changed here, and that means much of the car’s appeal will come down to how much cheaper it is than a Golf. With that in mind, sporty FR trim has never been our sweet spot in any SEAT range, and there’s not really anything on the new Leon that’s going to change our mind on that.”
Read review

Auto Trader+

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 8 / 10
“Always wanted a Volkswagen Golf or Audi A3 but thought they were a bit pricey for your budget? Here’s the answer – say ‘Hola!’ to the SEAT Leon, possibly the best all-rounder in the family hatchback market.”
Read review

Business Car+

Model reviewed: E-Hybrid FR
Score: 8 / 10
“The SEAT Leon E-Hybrid has much to recommend it, particularly for those seeking to minimise their tax liability while having a great-looking hatch on their driveway.
Read review

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR
Score: 6 / 10
“Overall it’s a polished effort from SEAT, which manages to feel distinctive and good value.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: 1.4-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid hatchback
Score: 6 / 10
“In terms of driver enjoyment the relatively heavy and automatic SEAT Leon leaves a bit to be desired in comparison with other warm hatches, but as a family-hauler capable of 40 miles of pure electric driving, it offers a brilliant turn of pace that will leave a few people surprised and delighted.”
Read review

Car Keys+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The new Seat Leon is a seriously accomplished all-rounder. It’s quiet, comfortable and spacious, while good levels of standard equipment mean that you’re not feeling short-changed regardless of the specification you opt for.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.2 / 10
“New technology narrows the gap between the SEAT Leon and the latest VW Golf.” (Andy Goodwin)
Read review

Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The SEAT Leon gets many of the good bits from the latest Volkswagen Golf, yet it’s cheaper to buy. But from a brand that’s supposed to be sporty, the Leon is not as fun to drive as you might hope.”
Read review

Company Car Today+

Model reviewed: PHEV
“The lower trim levels of the Seat Leon PHEV make the most sense for corporate drivers, thanks to the big BiK advantage of the extra mile or two of range as well as the lower price tag for a decent level of equipment. It’s also an attractive car, to look at and from behind the wheel.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Estate
The Seat Leon estate is sensible and good-looking and offers practicality and well-controlled running costs.”
Read review

Daily Mirror+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR hatchback
Score: 10 / 10
“The SEAT’s quality is very close to the VW’s but, even if you ignore the cost saving, the new Leon’s styling wins it for me and the fact it is a great car to drive.”
Read review

Discover EV+

Model reviewed: plug-in hybrid hatchback E-Hybrid FR
Score: 7 / 10
“Introduction of hybrid technology adds extra appeal to the new Leon as it mixes SEAT’s two core values: dynamics and efficiency.”
Read review

Evo+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR
Score: 7 / 10
“An impressive spread of abilities was always on the call sheet, but the balanced chassis and impressive calibration take the package further.”
Read review

Heycar+

Model reviewed: Hatchback range
Score: 8 / 10
“The SEAT Leon is a stylish family hatch that will appeal to buyers looking for something a little sportier than a Volkswagen Golf. It’s great to drive, comes with a wide range of efficient engines and the interior is leagues ahead of the old model.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 7 / 10
“The SEAT Leon Estate manages to be both sporty and practical, with a touch of premium-ness chucked in for good measure. It’s not going to break the bank, either, with competitive list prices and a range of efficient petrol and hybrid engines.”
Read review

Honest John+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“SEAT is looking to build on the sales success of the Leon with a new generation of its popular family hatchback.”
Read review

Motoring Research+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Spanish Volkswagen Golf is now prettier than the German one. It’s certainly sportier-looking, with a more focused interior. Otherwise, beneath the surface, it’s identical. Pretty compelling, given how you’re paying thousands less for the privilege. The SEAT Leon is the perfect family hatch for those who think the latest Volkswagen Golf just a bit… awkward-looking.”
Read review

Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.2 / 10
“Sporty SEAT packed with the latest tech”
Read review

The Sun+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR
“The new SEAT Leon is a cheaper, more youthful version of the Golf. Just don’t have it in Magnetic Grey because it’s D-U-L-L.”
Read review

The Sunday Times+

Score: 8 / 10
“The SEAT Leon is cheaper and more practical than an SUV.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual FR hatchback
Score: 8 / 10
“A fine blend of ride and handling, combined with a pleasingly understated interior. The bodywork isn’t the most distinctive, but it’s handsome enough. What mars this car, like so many of its contemporaries in the VW Group stable, is its confusing and distracting touchscreen.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Spain’s strongest attempt to out-Golf the Golf yet. A stylish, well-equipped and cheaper version of its German cousin.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2020
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 92%
Child protection: 88%
Vulnerable road users: 71%
Safety assist: 80%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: 2.0-litre diesel automatic estate

Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: February 2021
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 6.7 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 6.5 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 3.6 / 10

The SEAT Leon 2.0-litre diesel automatic estate received a three-star rating from Green NCAP in February 2021. Green NCAP said: “The Leon greatly impresses in this fourth-generation 2.0-litre diesel form. Equipped with the latest emissions abatement technology – three-way catalyst, selective catalytic reduction and a diesel particulate filter – the car scores well in all three areas of Green NCAP’s assessment.

“Pollutant emissions are very well controlled and energy efficiency is high, helped, no doubt, by the well-matched seven speed automatic gearbox with which the test car was equipped. Emissions of N₂O reduce performance for greenhouse gas emissions to a relatively low index of 3.6/10 but the Leon emerges from Green NCAP’s tests with a solid and very creditable three-star rating.”

This rating only applies to the 2.0-litre diesel (TDI) automatic estate version of the SEAT Leon, and does not imply similar ratings for other engine and gearbox combinations in the range (although there will be no significant difference between saloon and hatchback body styles).

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

Total claims: 209
Average repair cost: £798.16
Last updated: January 2024

Reliability score

All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims

As of January 2024, the SEAT Leon has a reliability rating of 56%, which is below average according to workshop and warranty data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our commercial partner, Motorway. The Leon’s rating applies to both the current model and earlier (pre-2020) models.

To date, the average repair cost for a Leon is about £800, which is fairly high for this class of car. It’s also considerably more than the cost of a used car warranty, so that’s worth considering.

Engine repairs are the most common and most expensive faults, clocking in at an average of more than £1,300 to date. Gearbox repairs are also about £1,200 on average.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the SEAT Leon has received

2021

Parkers New Car Awards – Best Medium Family Car (Leon Estate)

2020

DrivingElectric Awards – Best Small Plug-In Hybrid
Tow Car Awards – Best tow car, 1,100 – 1,200kg

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the SEAT Leon, you might also be interested in these alternatives

More news, reviews and information about the SEAT Leon at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about SEAT

Engine and interior improvements for SEAT Leon

The ten best-selling plug-in hybrid cars of 2021

New SEAT Leon plug-in hybrid goes on sale

SEAT Leon test drive

SEAT Leon pricing and specification announced

Britain’s best-selling cars, April 2020

New SEAT Leon revealed

SEAT Leon (2012 to 2019)

SEAT Leon five-door review

New SEAT Leon Cupra most potent yet

New engines and tech top SEAT Leon revamp

Buy a SEAT Leon

If you’re looking to buy a new or used SEAT Leon, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.

Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more

Lease a SEAT Leon

If you’re looking to lease a new SEAT Leon, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a SEAT Leon

If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

Honda Jazz test drive

Darren Cassey

-

22 January 2021

0

In the lucrative small car market, there’s one car that’s been largely underrated. While the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa dominate the sales charts, the Honda Jazz has quietly pootled on, offering reliability, low running costs and impressive practicality – but not troubling the top dogs in terms of sales.

Now, however, there’s a new model in town that Honda will be hoping changes that somewhat. It’s got a funky new look and a hybrid powertrain to keep running costs low. It’s time to find out if it retains everything buyers loved while enticing new customers across from the big sellers.

More Honda reviews, ratings, news and features

Honda Jazz review

What’s new?

The main talking points are the looks and the powertrain, two things we’ll delve into more later in this review. However, the quick overview is that the Jazz retains similar proportions and silhouette to its predecessor, now with a more quirky front end, while under the bonnet the hybrid should be inexpensive to run.

Other updates of note include the new design with a much narrower A-pillar to improve visibility, while the infotainment touchscreen has been updated and gets new connectivity functions.

How does it look?

While the previous generation Jazz might best be described as nondescript, the new model goes some way to add a little character. From most angles it’s just as uninspiring as before, blending into the background, but that understated design will be appealing to some.

However, where it’s better is around the front, where the oddball chunky headlights and narrow grille give it a funky, retro Japanese kei car look. It could prove divisive, but in a segment where character is often key it could help pull mainstream customers across.

What’s the spec like?

The Honda Jazz starts at £18,985 in SE trim, with standard equipment including adaptive cruise control, climate control, ‘Magic Seats’, and auto headlights. Upgrade to SR, starting from £20,585 and there’s fabric and leather upholstery, Wireless AppleCarPlay (which only works intermittently in our test car, frustratingly), front and rear parking sensors and the nine-inch Honda Connect infotainment system.

Step up to the top-spec EX trim seen on our test car, with prices starting at £22,185, and there’s an impressive equipment list that includes smart entry and start, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated steering wheel and front seats, rear-view camera, and Garmin navigation integration for the infotainment system.

The EX feels like the best value, because jumping up just a few thousand pounds gains you an impressive amount of kit. The entry level SE feels like good value with decent equipment, but it does only have a five-inch infotainment system and lacks Apple CarPlay.

In terms of safety, the Honda Jazz scores highly. It was awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, conducted using the tough new 2020 testing protocols. If things go wrong, it’s a good place to be.

What’s it like inside?

The previous Jazz’s trump card was the cavernous interior, and the new model continues this trend. When you drop behind the driving seat, there’s a massive glasshouse around you that makes the cabin feel extra spacious as well as offering fantastic views of the road ahead.

The dashboard design echoes the minimalism of the exterior, with a great compromise between relegating physical buttons to the touchscreen but keeping popular functions, such as the climate controls, on the dash. The single spoke steering wheel is a fun design, but the small instrument screen does already feel a little dated.

What’s under the bonnet?

For Honda, the powertrain is the key talking point, because the Jazz is the first of the company’s cars to wear the new e:HEV badging that will adorn future electrified models.

It uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, with the car trying to drive on electric where possible and the engine largely being used as a generator to feed the battery. It means that when you’re driving around town in particular, it’s a lot like driving a fully electric vehicle.

When the engine does kick in, it’s smooth to do so, but does have a rather coarse sound that’s particularly noticeable under acceleration. Like an EV it’s responsive to inputs as well, but the CVT-like gearbox isn’t massively appealing.

What’s it like to drive?

It’s immediately clear that the Jazz continues its ethos of being safe and dependable from behind the wheel. That powertrain might be responsive but it’s not quick, and encourages a more sedate driving style that’s easy to settle into.

Thanks to that massive windscreen, visibility is fantastic, so as an inner-city commuter there are a few rivals that are easier to thread through traffic. It rides pleasantly too, whether in town or cruising on the motorway, though it’s definitely more comfortable at lower speeds.

Verdict

It’s immediately clear when driving the Honda Jazz that this new version will do nothing to change the model’s perception of being relatively dull but dependable. It’s a shame the Japanese firm couldn’t inject a little fun into this supermini, which works so well for its rivals.

However, it’s carved its own niche in being the ultra practical option in this segment that will massively appeal to those who aren’t passionate about their mode of transport. It’s the ultimate head-over-heart supermini.

More Honda reviews, ratings, news and features

Key specifications

Model as tested: Honda Jazz EX
Price (on-road): £22,185
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid
Gearbox: CVT automatic

Power: 97 hp
Torque: 131 Nm
Top speed: 108 mph
0-62mph: 9.4 seconds

Fuel economy (combined): 62.8 mpg
CO₂ emissions: 102 g/km
Euro NCAP safety rating: Five stars (2020)
TCE Expert Rating: Not yet rated (January 2021)

Renault Zoe (2019 to 2023)

Stuart Masson

-

21 January 2021

0

Summary

The Renault Zoe was a small supermini-class five-door hatchback. Unlike most cars of similar size, the Zoe was only ever available as an electric vehicle. This model was launched in late 2019, and was a major update on the pioneering original Zoe rather than an all-new model.

Although similar in design to the original model, the second-generation Zoe represented a sizeable evolution in abilities and went a long way to addressing some of the critical shortcomings of electric vehicles – the most important of which was battery range.

Like the first-generation Zoe, this model received considerable praise from the UK motoring media for matching the convenience of a petrol car for city driving, while also providing the smooth and powerful drive of an electric car. However, the latest Zoe also had to face some serious rivals that were not around when the original was launched – namely the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric, as well as alternative choices like the Kia Soul or BYD Dolphin.

In December 2021, independent safety test body Euro NCAP issued the Renault Zoe with a worst-possible score of zero stars. It summarised the result by saying that the Zoe “… offers poor protection in crashes overall, poor vulnerable road user protection and lacks meaningful crash avoidance technology, disqualifying it for any stars.”

Euro NCAP reported that Renault had actually removed important safety equipment from the second-generation Zoe that had been standard on the original model, mainly head airbags that protect the passengers in a side impact.

The Zoe’s production life ended in late 2023, and will be replaced during 2024 by the all-new, retro-styled Renault 5 electric hatch.

No longer on sale, the Renault Zoe has a Used Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 61%. Although it gets top marks for its low running costs and zero tailpipe emissions, its abysmal safety rating means that we can’t in any way recommend buying a Zoe.

Key specifications

Body style: Small five-door hatchback
Power: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £29,995 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2019
Last updated: N/A
Discontinued: Winter 2023/24

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert+

Model reviewed: R135 ZE 50
“The Zoe didn’t need to change much to get a positive review, but Renault has been clever to overhaul it where it needed it and lightly fettle where it didn’t. The result is a smart-looking EV with a delightfully punchy motor that makes it more fun to drive than any conventionally powered alternative.”
Read review

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Renault Zoe is a capable small electric car, but is ultimately let down by its poor safety rating.”
Read review

Model reviewed: R135 ZE 50 GT Line
Score: 8 / 10
“The Renault Zoe continues to lead the way in the small, affordable electric car segment. It’s cheaper than the Nissan Leaf, more practical than the Vauxhall Corsa-e, and delivers more range than either of them.”
Read review

Auto Trader+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Renault Zoe is one of the best EVs you can buy, and not just because it’s one of the cheapest. It’s impressively practical for its size and nicely finished inside, while on the road it combines comfort, quietness and fun in a well-rounded dynamic package. All that, and zero tailpipe emissions.”
Read review

Business Car+

Model reviewed: R135
Score: 9 / 10
“Grown-up and a big step on from its earlier self, we are impressed at how the Renault Zoe manages to consolidate its place in an increasingly competitive market. The new Zoe could realistically become an even bigger name in fleet, and now can even work as a feasible small family car too.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: R135
Score: 8 / 10
“With every update and facelift that passes, the Renault Zoe becomes more and more desirable for mainstream car buyers. The trouble for Renault is that all of its rivals have more than zero Euro NCAP stars. And no matter how low the risk of an accident, that rating is surely always going to be at the back of your mind.” (Adam Binnie)
Read review

Car Keys+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Renault Zoe is a hugely accomplished EV that can rival cars three times as expensive when it comes to its seriously impressive 245-mile range. The appealing driving experience and vastly improved interior are all bonuses to what is a seriously well-rounded electric car.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.2 / 10
“The Renault Zoe is a stylish electric supermini that’s affordable and has a decent range, making it very convincing.” (Andy Goodwin)
Read review

Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Renault Zoe is a small electric car with punchy performance and an impressive range. It’s far from the roomiest EV on sale, however, and feels cheap in places.”
Read review

Company Car Today+

Model reviewed: R135 ZE50 GT-Line
“Improved range is welcome and Renault has combined that with a series of minor upgrades that help keep the Zoe in the mix against a raft of new small electric hatchback rivals.”
Read review

Daily Mail+

Model reviewed: GT Line R135
“The Renault Zoe is a testament to how far electric cars have come in a relatively short time. Buy a new Zoe today – with its 238-mile range – and unless you regularly do 100 mile-plus journeys then you’d probably notice very little practical difference to running a conventional petrol or diesel car.”
Read review

Daily Mirror+

Model reviewed: R135 ZE 50 GT Line
Score: 6 / 10
“With a wall box at home, the latest Renault Zoe would be very easy to live with. The improvement in quality has made a difference and the range now removes all hint of battery anxiety. It’s a practical and useful urban runabout that’s more than fast enough if you select the more powerful motor.”
Read review

Discover EV+

Model reviewed: GT Line R135 ZE 50
Score: 8 / 10
“Renault hasn’t changed the formula too much since the Zoe was launched in 2012. It set out as an affordable small, electric family car for the masses and it just about still is (bearing in mind electric cars still don’t cost the same as their petrol equivalents).”
Read review

Driving Electric+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The current Renault Zoe has a better interior and longer range than the original – but a low safety score comes as a surprise.”
Read review

Electrifying.com+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“It might be one of the least expensive electric cars, but the Renault Zoe is a solid little hatchback with a long driving range and some decent tech. We worry about the crash safety rating though.”
Read review

Eurekar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“The Zoe is smart and modern, and to help make the switch to electric driving, Renault will fit a home charger free at any buyer’s property. With the electric revolution now a certainty in the motoring world, battery electric cars will become more and more popular, especially among everyday models.”
Read review

Green Car Guide+

Model reviewed: R135 Z.E. 50 GT Line
Score: 8 / 10
“We liked the Renault Zoe when it first appeared, and we still like it today. It’s always offered electric motoring at a relatively affordable price, it has decent interior space in relation to its footprint, it looks good, and it’s essentially good to drive.”
Read review

Heycar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Renault Zoe is conclusive proof that the modern electric car is fit for purpose. It is a pleasure to drive and later models have the range to be viable in single-car households.”
Read review

Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“A good electric car, now tainted by a zero-rated safety score.”
Read review

The Sun+

Model reviewed: Van Business+
“Renault’s Zoe works well as cute, trendy, good range electric car but not as a practical van”
Read review

The Sunday Times+

Model reviewed: R135 ZE 50 GT Line
Score: 7 / 10
“Despite a few niggles, the Renault Zoe is a pretty brilliant compact family car that’s most at home on school runs, shopping trips and commutes, though is capable of stretching its legs when needed, especially if the DC rapid charging option has been fitted.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: R135
Score: 8 / 10
“While this big round of changes has, by and large, brought the Renault Zoe up to date, they can’t entirely hide its age. Rear seat space is now decidedly below par and, try as it might, the Zoe simply doesn’t have the same dynamism as its younger, fresher rivals.”
Read review

Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“Renault mends the bits that needed mending and leaves the bits that didn’t. A big step forwards.”
Read review

Model reviewed: GT Line
“The Renault Zoe could serve as your only car. But only if you are careful to spec the optional CCS (ie DC) charger port. That’s the first time it’s been available on a Zoe. Grrr: it costs extra. On the other hand, you get a free 7kW home wallbox.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 0 stars
Date tested: December 2021
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 43%
Child protection: 52%
Vulnerable road users: 41%
Safety assist: 14%

Notes on safety rating

In December 2021, Euro NCAP assessed the Renault Zoe and awarded it the lowest-possible score of zero stars – only the third car in Euro NCAP’s history to ever receive such a poor score.

The safety organisation slammed the Zoe, stating: “The Renault Zoe offers poor protection in crashes overall, poor vulnerable road user protection and lacks meaningful crash avoidance technology, disqualifying it for any stars.”

Matthew Avery, the chief research strategy office at UK’s Thatcham Research, said: “It is a serious concern to see results like this in 2021, especially from a carmaker who has previously performed well in Euro NCAP testing. The adult occupant score of 43% for the Renault Zoe is the lowest we have seen in 11 years.

“Drivers should not have to trade off safety for zero emissions. Motorists can still save the planet and enjoy a car that could play a vital role in saving their family in the event of a crash. There are many other options of a similar price and size that have achieved solid ratings and feature a host of active safety systems as standard too.”

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: R110 ZE50

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2020
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 10 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 10 / 10

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

No longer on sale, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Renault Zoe to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Zoe, we’ll publish the results here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	230 miles	B	223 – 245 miles	B – B

Electrical efficiency	Average	Score	Variation	Score
EV models	4.5 m/KWh	A	4.3 – 4.9 m/KWh	A – B

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	21	A	18 – 31	A – C

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£104	A
Year 2	£243	A
Year 3	£415	A
Year 4	£543	A
Year 5	£779	A
Overall	£2,084	A

The Renault Zoe is a very cheap car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Its electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for petrol and diesel cars) is excellent, which means that the Zoe still gets a decent driving range despite a fairly small battery.

Insurance and servicing costs are also very cheap compared to almost any other car on sale, while road tax for electric cars is currently free, so you won’t have that to worry about, either.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Renault Zoe has received

2023

Auto Trader Awards – Best Car for New Drivers

2021

Auto Express Awards – Best Affordable Electric Car
Auto Trader New Car Awards – Best Car for New Drivers
Carbuyer Awards – Best Small Electric Car

2020

Carbuyer Awards – Best Small Electric Car
Fleet World Awards – Best Green Fleet Car
Top Gear Awards – Best City Car
Top Gear Electric Awards – Best Supermini

2019

DrivingElectric Awards – Car of the Year + Best Small Electric Car
Top Gear Awards – Best City Car

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Renault Zoe, you might also be interested in these alternatives

More news, reviews and information about the Renault Zoe at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about Renault

Government ends electric car subsidy

The ten best-selling electric cars of 2021

Renault needs to lift its game on safety

Renault Zoe slated for poor safety score

Five-star safety for seven new cars – but none for Renault

Renault Zoe test drive

Electric car market flat due to long waiting times

Renault Zoe (2013 to 2019)

Renault offers £5k to scrap cars

Updated Renault Zoe with updated finance offers

Buy a Renault Zoe

If you’re looking to buy a used Renault Zoe, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car

Search less, live more. We make finding the right car simple. Find out more

Search for your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Discover great deals available on both new and used cars. Find out more

Lease a Renault Zoe

If you’re looking to lease a new Renault Zoe, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal

Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Personal contract hire deals from Rivervale Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a Renault Zoe

Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Car subscriptions from Mycardirect.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
Find out more

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

New car colours – it’s a bit of a grey area

Tom Johnston

-

19 January 2021

0

New car colours – it’s a bit of a grey area

The colour choice for Britain’s new cars is not as black and white as you might think. In fact, it’s actually a mixture of both: grey is once again the UK’s most popular new car colour.

It’s the third year in a row that the dull hue has taken top spot, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and it shows that Britain’s motorists are in a monochrome mood. With grey sitting firmly at the top the top of the colour chart in 2020, black was second choice with white taking third spot.

This trend by UK motorists to choose grey, black and white for their new car, proves that they have turned their backs on the more exciting reds and blues of the past for their new wheels, and have chosen instead to go for a more monochrome look. That might be a consequence of the continuing Covid lockdown restrictions, or maybe it’s rubbing off from motor dealers who have had a tough 12 months in terms of new car registrations. New car registrations for last year fell more than 29% to 1.6 million, compared with 2.3 million in 2019.

The UK’s most popular new car colours, 1999 – 2020. Source: SMMT

In total, almost a quarter (24%) of all new cars were painted grey and, with black and white so high among the choices, more than six in ten (62%) of all new cars entering British roads in 2020 were painted in these three monochrome colours.

Yellow increased its market share by 50% but equivalent to only 6,816 sales. Red saw its registrations drop below 200,000 for the first time in a decade to 147,222, recording its worst tally since 1997.

While the top colour for both petrol and diesel cars was grey – 248,182 and 84,489 registered respectively – white was the most in-demand tint for zero emission battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with 25,689 painted in it. Black was the most popular shade for plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with 17,989 registered.

Unlike 2019, which saw Scotland and the Channel Islands bucking the national trend, in 2020 grey was the unanimous colour of choice across the UK. Indeed, the only counties to not opt for grey cars as their number one choice were the Isle of Wight and Borders, where blue was the most popular tint, and Strathclyde which saw white take the top spot.

Leicestershire, meanwhile, was the most popular location for pink cars, with 24% of the UK’s total registered in the region, while buyers in the West Midlands snapped up the most orange cars. While white was the most popular shade for the mini segment, luxury saloons and executive cars were most likely to be black.

Overall, there were 106 different distinct colours registered throughout the year. And the least popular colour? Maroon.

Why is grey so popular?

The last 20 years of new car registrations have all been pretty monochrome: grey, white, black and silver. You have to go back all the way to 1999 to find a time when an actual colour – blue – was more popular than greyscale options.

One of the key reasons that monochrome tones are so popular is their neutrality. Most people don’t actively dislike grey, so it can be a compromise option. This also helps when it comes to selling your car down the track: you might love your car in neon green, but a majority of buyers won’t. That makes it harder to sell and potentially reduces its value.

The popularity of particular colours can also create a loop that becomes self-perpetuating. If a dealer has a car on the showroom floor in a certain colour, more customers will tend to order a similar model in the same colour. This is often because they can see the car for themselves in that colour, rather than relying on a brochure or a small square of paint sample to try and guess what the car will look like in real life.
Stuart Masson, Editor

More car buying news, information and advice at The Car Expert

Dealer vs. Online: Where to buy GAP insurance

GAP insurance

Cat Dow

-

19 January 2021

0

Dealer vs. Online: Where to buy GAP insurance

GAP insurance is arguably one of the most misunderstood types of insurance. A lot of that is down to the infrequency in which we come across it; usually, at the dealership, while we’re trying to negotiate a great price on a new car.

What most people don’t realise, or take the time to investigate, is that GAP insurance is available from a number of insurance companies. So taking GAP from the dealership is one option, rather than your only option, if you decide that GAP is something you’d like to have.

It’s also worth noting that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced new laws back in 2015 to prevent dealers from selling you GAP insurance on the same day that you buy their car. There is now a mandatory two-day waiting period so that car buyers can look into the options available for GAP insurance, although many consumers don’t take advantage of this.

What’s GAP insurance again?

GAP insurance stands for Guaranteed Asset Protection and covers the initial years of new car ownership, in the event theft or a serious collision occurs, leaving your new vehicle a ‘total loss’.

If your car becomes a write-off in the first couple of years of ownership, depreciation plays an important part in how significant your losses could be. Your regular insurance policy might cover the value of the car in today’s market. GAP insurance, however, can help mitigate the difference between that and what you paid – particularly if the car was bought on finance. Who wants a whopping great debt and no car to show for it?

Since dealers capitalise on the fact most buyers haven’t got a clue what it would cost elsewhere, they tend to offer the most expensively priced GAP insurance policies. Therefore, it’s worth doing your homework before going to purchase your next motor.

Online providers, like many other insurance products, offer a range of prices based on the type of policy you take out. As we’ve mentioned previously, there are different types of GAP insurance. The two most popular for consumers are:

Return to Invoice: The difference (or the ‘gap’) between what your car insurance has paid you and the original Invoice Price* of the car
Finance GAP: The difference between what your car insurance has paid you and what you owe the finance company to settle your finance agreement

* Invoice Price is the price of the car, not including registration, road tax or any other extras

Buying GAP insurance from a car dealer

GAP insurance is one of the most common extras that dealers try to sell car buyers on either a new or a used car, and you’ll usually get a long-winded description of how it works under the pretence that this information is essential or required by law (it’s not).

Often, it’s bundled in with other finance or insurance extras like scratch & dent insurance, or tyre insurance, or an impressive-sounding ‘comprehensive paint protection system’ (ie – a car cleaning kit) so you don’t really see how much you’re actually paying for GAP itself.

Most car salespeople will have targets for the number of GAP policies they’re expected to sell each month, which explains why they’re always really keen to explain it all to you and get your agreement. Plus, they get a nice commission on every policy they sell.

The main advantage of buying GAP from a dealership is convenience. All you have to do is say ‘yes’, and the dealer will arrange a standard GAP policy based on the value of the car you’re buying. The dealer doesn’t actually provide the GAP cover itself and is acting as a broker for the insurance company – you’ll generally only find out who this is once you’re collecting your car.

The other thing a dealer can do is bundle up your GAP payments (and any other extras) into the overall purchase price of the car, so it effectively becomes part of your monthly payment. There is usually a level of financial shuffling going on in the background to achieve this, but that tends to be invisible to the customer.

The main disadvantage of buying GAP from a dealer is that you pay a high price for that convenience – often it’s more than twice as expensive as buying a specialist GAP policy online.

Pros

Convenience
GAP payments can be bundled into overall monthly payment

Cons

Much more expensive
Less clarity on how much you are actually paying for GAP
Limited flexibility in type of cover offered

Buying GAP insurance online

If you’re prepared to do a small amount of your own research (and it’s literally only a few minutes), you’ll discover that there are a number of specialist insurance providers that offer equivalent GAP policies to dealerships. And, usually, the price will be much lower – in many cases, hundreds of pounds lower.

Here at The Car Expert, we are partnered with ALA Insurance who have a special offer of 10% off any GAP policy for our readers. However, there are also other providers available so it’s always in your best interest to find the best deal for you and your car.

With an online policy, you can specify exactly what you’d like your policy to cover rather than taking the dealership’s standard offer. This may mean an increased or decreased level of coverage depending on the value of your car, or maybe a longer or shorter term, or maybe a certain level of Finance GAP coverage to make sure you definitely won’t be left owing the finance compay money in the event of a total loss. However, even comparing like-for-like with the dealer’s offer, you’ll probably find an online policy is a lot cheaper.

There is inevitably more work required to sort this out yourself rather than letting the dealer do it for you, but it’s a small price to pay to potentially save hundreds of pounds.

Pros

Substantial cost saving
Clear information about how much you are paying for GAP
Greater choice of providers and type of cover available

Cons

You have to arrange it yourself
Separate payment (although can usually be spread monthly)

More GAP insurance information

The UK’s best GAP insurance providers

Are you paying too much for GAP insurance?

Car finance jargon confuses UK drivers

Can you buy GAP insurance in 2024?

What is GAP insurance and should you have it?

Special offer: Save 10% on GAP insurance from ALA Insurance
Read more: GAP insurance information, advice and offers at The Car Expert

Expert Recommended

Expert News and Reviews

More

Summary

Key specifications

Image gallery

Media reviews

Featured reviews

Auto Express

Carwow

More reviews

Auto Express

Auto Trader

Business Car

Car

Car Keys

Carbuyer

Carwow

Company Car Today

Daily Mail

Daily Mirror

Discover EV

Driving Electric

Electrifying.com

Eurekar

Fleetworld

Green Car Guide

Heycar

Honest John

Parkers

The Telegraph

Top Gear

Which EV?

Safety rating

Eco rating

Running cost rating

Reliability rating

Warranty rating

Awards

Similar cars

More information

Buy a Fiat 500e

Lease a Fiat 500e

Subscribe to a Fiat 500e

Summary

Key specifications

Image gallery

Media reviews

Featured reviews

Auto Express

Carwow

More reviews

Auto Express

Auto Trader

Business Car

Car

Car Keys

Carbuyer

Company Car Today

Daily Mail

Discover EV

Driving Electric

Electrifying.com

Eurekar

Evo

Green Car Guide

Heycar

Honest John

Motoring Research

Motors

Parkers

The Sun

The Sunday Times

The Telegraph

Top Gear

Safety rating

Eco rating

Running cost rating

Reliability rating

Warranty rating