Are Cheap Electric Cars Safe To Buy Used?

We’ve all heard horror stories of people buying used gas-powered vehicles and finding oil leaks, overheating and high running costs. So what if you wanted to go for a cleaner option, like an electric car? There are hundreds of electric cars for sale in the classifieds, ranging from tiny Microlino bubbles to huge BMW i7 limousines, but how many electric cars under $10k are there?

We’ve scoured popular car-buying sites for the best deals on electric cars as we try to answer whether they’re even worth it. Right now, there’s an up-to-$4k credit for a used Battery Electric Vehicle (or BEV, subject to the U.S. government’s current legislation), so you could apply to get your new car even cheaper, subject to conditions. You’ll notice many of these cars have less than 100 miles of range, but do you really need more on a daily basis?

We have selected the most popular cars for sale on the used car market, based on number of posts at the time of writing. We rank them from most to least expensive and base our buying advice on data available regarding reliability and common problems, per specific model. Estimated maintenance costs may vary depending on model and usage. All prices listed, used and MSRP, are before incentives and rebates.

10

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier

Used Price: $9,499

We’re starting off our list with a recognizable small EV that comes in at just under $10k. The Chevy Bolt was highly praised when it came out, becoming one of Time Magazine’s 25 best inventions of 2016 and Motor Trend’s car of the year. Now, prices have fallen just below our budget and there’s a lot of car for the money. The Premier trim, like the one we found, has all the bells and whistles of a modern car, like heated seats and reversing cameras, with a range of 238 miles. Just watch that infotainment system though, as it was slow when it came out and no doubt it’ll be worse now.

Kelley Blue Book also cautions against Bolt EVs of this model year with high mileage, while RepairPal warns that the only major concern on this specific model relates to a serious battery recall. Smaller concerns pertain to power door locks failing. If recall work has been done and the car has a clear maintenance history, this could be a smart buy.

9

2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SE

Used Price: $9,490

When there’s a VW Golf in the comparison test, it usually comes out on top. But not this time; with a high price of $9.5k and a range of 83 miles, some will quickly turn away from this German hatchback. Although the argument for this car is asking yourself: how many miles do you really do a day? For most people, a range of 83 miles will easily be enough for a trip to work and back. With the other cars on our electric cars under 10k list though, there’s too much competition to seriously considering the e-Golf. This is in line with what RepairPal reports, stating that the most commonly reported problem is a rapid range loss despite a full charge. This is one we’d likely skip.

8

2015 BMW i3

Price: $8,499

If you’re looking for an EV under $10,000, you’ll definitely see a few of these about on sales websites. The BMW i3 might’ve looked a bit controversial when it came out, but now it’s aged well and some of the tech is still pretty cool, such as a passenger cell made out of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. Maintenance can be expensive because of its tight packaging, but you’ll save quite a bit in fuel costs and battery replacements don’t look common. One problem reported here pertains to the range extender not starting, but its unclear if this is due to neglecting maintenance or an anomaly, as it seems to be only one complaint. Annual maintenance costs are estimated at around $1,200. We’d say yes to this one.

7

2013 Tesla Model S 85

Price: $7,995

Is there a more controversial EV under $10k than a Tesla? This larger-battery-version Model S 85 had an original range of 265 miles, which is the highest on this list. We wanted to include this one as a high-mileage hero at just under 200k miles. When you’re looking at cars like this, it’s important to make sure they have a good history report, and you know where most of these miles came from. Were they easy highway miles or tricky urban taxi routes? You should expect lots of wear on the interior, but that’s where the lower price will come from here.

RepairPal suggests low annual repair costs of under $1,000, but it is worth noting that there are 11 known recalls for this model year Tesla Model S – ensure all work has been carried out, and that there is a good maintenance schedule – if those boxes are ticked, this could be a good buy.

6

2016 Smart ForTwo

Price: $6,300

We went from a high-mileage family motor to a tiny and tidy commuter car – the Smart ForTwo. You know what you’re getting with a Smart – not much space for your things or ecstatic performance, but all-round usability on city streets. If you’re in New York and need to get to the office in the morning, this might be the car for you. A range of 68 miles when new isn’t high, but a low mileage and a modern electric car will have less battery capacity drainage than cars like the previous Tesla.

Annual maintenance costs are even lower here – estimated at just over $800 per year – and with the only problems reported by owners pertaining to a key removal issue and an involuntary shift to neutral, it could be a good buy if you find one with low mileage and don’t intend on using it outside of city limits.

5

2015 Chevrolet Spark EV

Price: $5,998

Chevrolet built another small EV before the Bolt called the Spark, and it helped people realize small EVs might have a future. The internet is awash with praise for these little cars as simple shopping carts and for their fun driving characteristics. One thing to note, though, is that there are barely any luxuries in these Sparks; they’re based on what was Chevy’s cheapest car at the time, so you’ll have to deal with slightly creaky and hard plastics. Some also mention the tires and tire sizes being unsuitable for these motors, as they simply can’t handle the torque of an electric motor. Still, it’s a strong and more affordable contender in our used electric cars under 10,000 dollars list.

Like the little ForTwo above, maintenance costs on this small EV are low, and there aren’t any major issues reported by owners. However, there are three recalls for this model year, pertaining to software defects that affect airbag deployment, a hood opening while driving, and failing seatbelts/airbags in collisions. If you can’t find a model with all the recall work carried out, we’d skip this model entirely.

4

2014 Ford Focus Electric

Price: $5,995

If a car could be bread and butter, it’d be the Ford Focus, and if you didn’t see the slightly ungainly (but more aerodynamic) front end, you wouldn’t even know this one was electric. It was Ford’s answer to the Leaf, but while the Nissan was designed from the outset as an electric car, this one had to be converted, meaning much of its features and packaging were hampered. Still, as an electric car under 10k dollars, it has enough space for the family when shopping or running errands in town.

As far as yearly maintenance costs go, RepairPal suggests you’d spend under $600 per year on this car – there are no recalls for this model year, and (byouyed by the rarirty of this car) we’d definitely have this on our shortlist.

3

2013 Fiat 500e

Price: $5,995

Designed to be tiny enough to fit down Italian country roads, the Fiat 500e is an iconic car. With only a few recalls and 16 complaints on the NHTSA, this is also quite a reliable commuter when compared to other electric vehicles under $10k of this age. This one we found is a tidy 74k mile car with features such as rear parking sensors, heated seats and even Bluetooth, though all these will hurt the already small 87-mile range. You’ll have to put up with this decision a lot in cars like this: do you want to go further or be more comfortable using the technology in the cabin? Give this one a miss if you’re looking for a practical commuter, though – like the ForTwo, it’s not for family use.

2

2015 Nissan Leaf

Price: $5,991

When we talk about iconic EVs, we have to include the Nissan Leaf. While its 84-mile range is tiny nowadays, it paved the way for all the other electric cars on this list as one of the first successful mass-market electric vehicles. If you’re looking for electric vehicles under 10k, this might be the one you go for as there’s a real abundance of them online. It’s a good idea to buy a more popular car like this; you’ll gain access to a much bigger owner’s community and parts are getting pretty cheap as they’ve been around for a while.

Supplementing our reasons why we’d buy one is a low annual maintenance cost estimate of around $766, although you’d need to check on repair work for the four recalls issued for this model year.

1

2016 Mistubishi i-MiEV

Price: $4,165

It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but the Mistubishi i-MiEV is the cheapest usable electric vehicle under 10k we could find. It offers a surprising amount of space inside, and with features like heated seats, it might actually be a nice commuter vehicle. There’s no hiding the 62-mile range with this one, but it might cost pretty much nothing to run after you factor in fuel prices, which are almost a thing of the past if you charge at home and at work. Even though it’s the cheapest, that certainly doesn’t mean it’s the weakest choice here. Use it for short runs to and from the store, but if you’re going to need more, look elsewhere.

FAQs

Which is the lowest-price EV car?

On our list, it’s the Mistubishi i-MiEV. If you’re looking for the cheapest new electric car in the U.S., that title belongs to the Nissan Leaf.

Which is the best EV car under 10k?

We like the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, and Chevy Bolt as options for EVs under 10k.

What’s the cheapest small electric car?

The cheapest small EV is the Nissan Leaf, although the Mini Cooper Electric and Niro EV are options.

Sources: EPA, Cars.com, Ebay, Autotempest