# Any current suggestions for a new EV? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 11, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-current-suggestions-for-a-new-ev/1022953 "2025-09-11T16:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 6
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-current-suggestions-for-a-new-ev/1022953/6 "2025-09-11T18:22:40Z")
TLDR: You should test drive the [Kia Niro EV](https://www.kia.com/us/en/niro-ev) and see if you like it. (It comes in both PHEV and BEV) * * * If you missed it, we recently discussed a few similar options in [Car PICKING advice? (Trying to find a mid-size or larger AWD SUV, preferably a plug-in hybrid)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-picking-advice-trying-to-find-a-mid-size-or-larger-awd-suv-preferably-a-plug-in-hybrid/1021208/). That thread started off with PHEVs (plug-in hybrids) but ended up with BEVs (battery electric vehicles, aka regular EVs). For what it’s worth, I really like — but not quite love — the 2025 Subaru Solterra we got. With a lease offer from Subaru, it was the best value we found among AWD EV SUVs, and it has physical buttons & knobs for the AC and volume — hard to find!), great safety features, automatic parallel parking (it drives itself into the space), good-enough 360 cameras, and handles well. That said, it has a low range (222 mi) in good weather and a variety of quirks that takes some getting used. There’s better options available if you don’t need it to be a SUV or have AWD. For winter driving, snow tires help more than AWD anyway. We test drove some bigger Kias and Hyundais, but they were too futuristic and touch-screeny (and expensive) for us. But that week, while car hunting, I also happened to rent the smaller Kia Niro. That was a very pleasant surprise. That thing was FANTASTIC, a subcompact crossover that was zoomy and very functional (250 mi of range), had plenty of physical knobs at least in that year’s model, etc. I only rented it because it was $20/day at Enterprise, and I didn’t expect to like it so much. If I didn’t need AWD and just needed a daily urban commuter, that is probably the car I’d get. It was way more comfortable than the Leaf and Bolt and Volt and similar family sedans. It just felt like a fun small SUV. I was a bit sad to have to return the rental once we bought the new car. @bobsmom101 also likes that car. I didn’t like any of the Leaf models I’ve been in. They are small and cheap… maybe too much so. They were uncomfortable and just generally felt meh. I’d consider a Bolt or Volt, but only as a last resort… they also didn’t feel great, and I don’t trust GM to be reliable at all. If cost isn’t an issue, Rivian makes an EV with 410 mi of range (the [R1S Dual Max Battery](https://rivian.com/configurations/list?SORT=Featured&MODEL=R1S&INVENTORY_TYPE=NEW_VEHICLE_CONFIG&TRANSFER_FEE=ALL_MATCHES&BLD=BLD-DR1S&BAT=BAT-A01)), but it’s nearly $100k and has really bad reliability from what I’ve seen. Toyota (and by extension Subaru, who rebadges their EVs) are also coming out with a bunch of new EVs for the 2026 year, both smaller and bigger, but I dunno if they’ll be out in time for the tax credit. Some other lists: [https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-electric-cars/cheapest](https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-electric-cars/cheapest) [https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/articles/cheapest-electric-cars/](https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/articles/cheapest-electric-cars/) --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-current-suggestions-for-a-new-ev/1022953)._