In partnership with Auto Trader
Used Car of the Year Awards 2021: Electric cars
With demand for used cars on the rise, you’ll want to know which are the best buys. That’s where our annual Used Car Awards come in. These are our favourite electric cars...
Nissan Leaf (2018-present)
Although the choice of electric cars on sale is growing all the time, many of them still aren’t what you’d call cheap. However, our top used electric car combines all the practicality of a family hatchback with a smooth, near-silent driving experience, and all for a price that’s within reach of the many, not the few.
You can pick up a year-old example of the second-generation Leaf, with a standard 40kWh battery and in our recommended N-Connecta trim, for around £22,000. We reckon it represents much better value for money than the excellent but pricey Jaguar I-Pace, and its bigger battery gives it greater usability than the rival Volkswagen e-Golf. It’s more reliable than the Renault Zoe, too, and is more polished than the budget-priced MG ZS EV.
The first-generation Leaf deserves a mention – it’s a great way to switch to electric motoring on a modest budget – but its successor is better to drive and has a considerably longer range, even beating some much more expensive models. With such all-round talent, it deserves to be our overall category winner.
Read our full used Nissan Leaf review >>
Find used Nissan Leaf for sale >>
Also consider...
Nissan Leaf (2011-2018)
Best buy less than £13,000
The original Leaf is the car that kick-started the modern electric car era, and it’s now more affordable than most. Seek out a 30kWh model from 2017 and you’ll have more than 100 miles of range (unlike with the Kia Soul and Volkswagen e-Up), plus it’ll be more reliable than a Renault Zoe of the same age.
Read our full used Nissan Leaf 2011-2018 review >>
Find used Nissan Leaf for sale >>
Jaguar I-Pace (2018-present)
Best buy less than £55,000
The I-Pace is once again the clear winner at the top end of the market; it has a much longer range than the Audi E-tron and it’s more reliable than the Tesla Model S. It’s more rewarding to drive than those rivals, too. For less than £55,000 you can pick up an I-Pace S that’s less than a year old.
Read our full used Jaguar I-Pace review >>
Find used Jaguar I-Pace for sale >>
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
