Personal Shopper: hybrid or electric?
Want a new car but don't know where to start? Just send us your criteria and we'll give our new and used car choices, and tell you how much we can save you...
Buying used
- Our recommended choice: 2018 Jaguar I-Pace
- Price: £48,995
- Mileage: 6000
Just occasionally, a manufacturer will come up with a car so suave and so innovative that it blows most of its rivals away. Jaguar is one of those marques that delivers the goods every few years, and with the I-Pace of 2018, it seemingly nailed the luxury electric car class in one beautifully crafted design.
What you get here is a classy electric vehicle with an official range of 292 miles – easily enough for your regular journeys and more than enough to make those occasional longer trips a breeze, too. There's a large boot at the back and an additional one at the front, so plenty of room for various gardening duties. It's great to drive as well, and it never feels like an unnecessarily large car. On top of that, the interior is a work of art: plush, beautifully finished and unashamedly modern. You'll have to extend your budget slightly to buy one, but running costs will be minimal.
Very quick and impressively refined, the plug-in hybrid T8 version of the Volvo XC90 offers a decent electric-only range and tremendous seating versatility. It also comes with all those things we love about the Volvo marque: it's beautifully made, lovely inside, safe as houses and practical beyond most people's needs. It would cost you more than £60,000 new, but you can buy a year-old example easily for your budget.
Read our used Volvo XC90 review
- Also consider: 2019 Range Rover Evoque D180 S
- Price: £36,995
- Mileage: 1000
The new Range Rover Evoque is an excellent all-rounder, with a high-quality interior, a comfortable ride, superb resale values and those stylish looks. Go for this diesel version and you'll enjoy an official fuel consumption of 41.5mpg, as well as a roomy, nicely equipped interior. There's plenty of boot space, too, and of course no range issues.
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