Top 10 best electric cars to own 2023

Many of us are having to rethink how we buy and run a car. The switch to electric vehicles is the biggest step-change the automotive industry has seen in decades, with compelling new brands from Europe and China vying for space alongside legacy car makers who’ve been building cars for over a century.

Many are fast and fun to drive, and plenty are very practical. But which are the most satisfying to own? Our annual Driver Power survey has the answers…

1. Hyundai Kona Electric

The Hyundai Kona earned an impressive fourth place in our overall Driver Power new-car satisfaction survey. Clearly owners of the fully electric variant are particularly happy, voting it as the top EV in our list.

Kona Electric owners reckon they’ve got the most reliable car in the survey, with overall quality getting a big thumbs-up. The Kona gets fantastic marks in several other areas, as well. Infotainment is a strong point – the balance between physical and touchscreen controls is particularly lauded – and owners also praise this Hyundai’s low running costs.

Owners praised their cars with comments like: “No squeaks or rattles. Everything feels nice to touch. No issues in the time I’ve owned it, so I can’t fault the reliability.”

Read our full review of the Hyundai Kona Electric...

2. Kia Soul EV

Kia gets a strong showing in all areas of our Driver Power survey, with its boxy, all-electric Soul rated as the second best electric car – behind only Hyundai Kona Electric with which is shares a good proportion of its parts. As you’d expect at this end of the chart, there are many areas of ownership with top-five rankings, including acceleration, overall quality and the touchscreen system. There is also praise for the Kia’s low running costs, infotainment and rear-seat legroom.

In addition, owners think the Soul is good to drive, with a sixth place overall in this category. But it seems many owners aren’t all that keen on the styling, because it’s rated a poor 23rd in the survey. The lowest score is for luggage space, however, in 25th place overall.

Owners said: “Doing school runs and shopping trips, the battery will last for two weeks without me needing to recharge it.”

Read our full review of the Kia Soul EV...

3. Kia EV6

One of the newest EVs in our survey, the futuristic-looking EV6 is packed with tech, and owners really rate it as a stylish family car. It comes top in the survey for its rear space, and fourth for the versatility of the seating areas, so practicality is clearly strong. Owners also told us there is plenty of storage space and child-friendly features. 

There are some flies in the EV6’s ointment, however. The most worrying is a 22nd overall ranking for reliability, but owners are also relatively unimpressed by the ventilation system and smartphone connectivity. Visibility is rated poorly, too, with another 22nd placing, and the overall ride and handling is below average as well.

Owners commented: “Having a totally flat floor gives amazing space for rear-seat passengers. No need to have your legs at awkward angles.”

Read our full review of the Kia EV6...

4. Kia e-Niro

Kia’s popular, previous-generation e-Niro sold in huge numbers, and for much of last year was jostling with the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y for sales supremacy. Its survey scores show why it is a common choice for EV drivers. The compact crossover gains top-five placings for its acceleration, transmission smoothness, brakes and overall driving pleasure. Owners say it’s cheap to own, too, with a 10th position for running costs.

Yet the e-Niro just misses out on a top-10 place in the overall survey due to some way-below-average scores. The quality and styling of the exterior is less satisfying, and that’s also true of the cabin finish and materials inside.

Content owners told us: “An excellent family car that just happens to be electric. No inconvenience from charging or anything else.”

Read our full review of the new Kia Niro EV...

5. Peugeot e-208

Owners say there is plenty to like about the all-electric version of the Peugeot 208 hatchback. The supermini took the top spots for its powertrain, exterior styling and running costs. There were other top-10 rankings for the interior, driving dynamics and safety features, too.

Drivers also said they appreciated the front-seat comfort, but some below-average scores dragged the e-208 away from the upper-reaches of our survey. The tight space for luggage and rear passengers is a frustration, say owners, while the controls are not the easiest to use. Value is considered to be below average, too.

One real owner said: “Even with a disappointing range, the electricity costs a lot less than petrol/diesel would for a similar model.”

Read our full review of the Peugeot e-208...

6. Jaguar I-Pace

The Jaguar I-Pace’s main highlights are a third place for the ‘engine’ noise and ninth for the interior styling and quality. The looks of the exterior are considered only good enough for a 20th-place ranking, though, and the model was rated 24th for its child-friendly features, and an even more worrying 25th for reliability. 

A 20th place for ride and handling will be a surprise, too, given that the smoothness was considered good enough for a fourth place. But the score is dragged down by below-average ratings for the steering and road holding, while it was also given the worst score in the survey for its brakes.

Mixed opinions didn’t show the I-Pace in the greatest light. One owner told us: “As much as I love the looks and performance, the serious reliability issues would prevent me purchasing another.”

Read our full review of the Jaguar I-Pace...

7. Tesla Model 3

Tesla has some evangelical fans who seem to think the Model 3 is the perfect car. But owners who responded to Driver Power don’t share their universal enthusiasm. On the positive side, it took first place for acceleration, and the tech is also praised. However, a 20th place for the touchscreen controls would suggest owners aren’t yet convinced that Tesla’s minimalist approach to switches is the way forward.

A 20th ranking for driving pleasure, 26th for exterior quality and 19th for overall running costs will also give bosses plenty to think about. High insurance premiums in particular were highlighted as an issue by several respondents.

On that topic, one owner said: “Insurance is reasonable, although I do have to pay a large excess if I’m ever unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident.”

Read our full review of the Tesla Model 3...

8. MG5 EV

This affordable electric estate from MG is great value to buy and run, say owners, who placed it second in the survey overall for value, and third for the overall running and servicing costs. The powertrain was also praised, with a fourth place in this category.

However, the car is let down by its looks – something that has, admittedly, been at least partly rectified with a recent facelift. Quality, inside and out, was criticised as well. MG will also be disappointed to see lowly scores for the car’s safety kit, infotainment system and reliability.

One MG5 owner said: “The navigation is almost entirely pointless. Slow, laggy and generally unresponsive to inputs.”

Read our full review of the MG5 EV...

9. Volkswagen ID.3

There is plenty about the ID.3 that is impressing owners, according to our survey responses. They particularly love driving the all-electric hatch, with it scoring highly enough to take second place overall for its powertrain, and an admirable ninth for ride and handling. The practicality seems to impress, too, particularly rear legroom. 

But the VW is let down by interior quality and tech. Owners are particularly unimpressed with the infotainment, with rankings in the bottom five for user-friendliness, connectivity, ventilation and audio. The worst placing is 27th for the balance between physical and touchscreen controls.

As we’ve criticised in our own reviews, one ID.3 driver said: “The controls are touch sensitive and not illuminated in the dark. This makes it difficult and dangerous to adjust.”

Read our full review of the Volkswagen ID.3...

10. BMW i3

BMW’s first all-electric car was truly groundbreaking when it was launched in 2013, and it still looks fresh nearly a decade later, as the final examples reach customers. It has become something of a cult car, too, with evangelical owners. 

However, this love for the i3 isn’t reflected in the feedback we received from drivers of the high-riding hatch. Respondents gave lowly ratings for practicality, value and reliability. A 21st place for the quality of the exterior finish and materials will be a surprise to BMW, too. Its best ratings are 12th place for user-friendliness of controls and a 10th for the navigation system.

One owner said: “On broken roads, which are common in my neck of the woods, the suspension is quite harsh and unforgiving.”

Read our full review of the BMW i3...