Mat’s car of the day: a used Volkswagen ID3 could save you over £4,000 compared to its petrol equivalent
Car changing is a big deal
A used electric car can provide some of the cheapest motoring around, as long as you have somewhere to charge it at home. Mat Watson explains why a second-hand Volkswagen ID3 could be a smarter buy than the petrol-powered Golf.
On paper, electric cars are the way forward if you’re looking for the lowest running costs. Charging one at home on an EV tariff will cost you peanuts, but buying one brand new comes with a caveat.
That would be depreciation, because a lot of electric cars lose value much quicker than petrol-powered ones. We recently compared the total cost of ownership between petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric models, and the depreciation made EVs look a lot less tempting.
But what if you buy a second-hand electric car? That way the original owner has already taken the biggest hit for you, and you can just enjoy the cheap running costs. A perfect example is the Volkswagen ID3, which is a comfy and well-equipped electric alternative to the VW Golf. Here’s why I think you should consider buying a used ID3.
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
Total cost of ownership: used electric cars make a lot of sense
This Volkswagen ID3 is a 2022 example with just under 26,000 miles on the clock, and when it was new it cost £35,000.
Now though, it can be yours for just over £15,000. The previous owner has lost £20,000 on it so that you don’t have to.
Let’s say you keep it for three years and cover 30,000 miles. When I tested the ID3 it averaged 3.8 miles per kWh, and at that rate it’ll cost you less than £400 in charging over your ownership period with a home charger and a cheap EV energy tariff.
By comparison, you could buy a 2022 Volkswagen Golf with the 1.5-litre petrol engine for similar money. When I tested that car it averaged 43mpg, which over 30,000 miles will cost you around £4,800 in fuel.
According to Cap HPI, an industry body specialising in car valuations, both of these cars will lose between £8,000 and £8,500 in depreciation if you were to keep them for three years, so there’s really not much in it. The ID3 makes a lot of sense, but only if you can charge at home on a cheap tariff.
Is the Volkswagen ID3 a good car?
I quite like the Volkswagen ID3. It’s not perfect, but it’s a comfortable, spacious and well-equipped electric car with decent range.
This Family Pro Performance version has a 58kWh battery with a claimed range of 262 miles. In reality this is likely to be closer to 220 miles, which is still plenty for most people’s daily commutes.
It also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated seats, a reversing camera and a digital driver’s display. That’s a good amount of kit for the money, and you also get roomy rear seats and a big boot.
It’s a shame that there’s no front boot though, and the button-free interior can be pretty annoying at times. The touch-sensitive controls on the screen and the steering wheel are fiddly, so much so that VW has totally overhauled the interior for the new ID3 Neo to feature proper knobs and buttons.
Negatives aside though, a used Volkswagen ID3 is a great way to get into electric motoring on the cheap, without having to worry about losing a fortune in depreciation.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
Want to see the latest car content first? Add Carwow as a preferred source here. Click here to follow us on Reddit, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos. You can also subscribe to our WhatsApp channel to get the latest news sent straight to your phone.