Why Wait For A $35 000 Tesla Model 3 Get A Cheap Used EV Right Now CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home Features Why Wait For A $35 000 Tesla Model 3 Get A Cheap Used EV Right Now
Why Wait For A $35 000 Tesla Model 3 Get A Cheap Used EV Right Now
Nov. 18, 2018 6:40 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Smart Buy / 5 Comments Thanks to increasing battery range, used EVs are now hilariously cheap. Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone, the one you have instantly loses a ton of value. Electric vehicles work much the same way. Automakers are striving to improve (even double) their EV range with each new generation, making the previous generation appear antiquated by comparison. As range continues to improve and battery production gets cheaper, the original EVs will continue to plummet in price. Tesla has been promising its "base" Model 3 for years now, with an affordable starting price of $35,000 and a range of 220 miles. Unfortunately, the base car has yet to enter production. If you don't feel like waiting for the Tesla or are one of the many people asking when $35,000 became "affordable," we have found eight used EVs that may be perfect for you. While none match the Tesla on driving range or available technology, these used EVs can be purchased starting at just one-seventh of the Tesla's price. So if you have a short commute and need a cheap means of transportation, these cars may be perfect for you. Tesla Tesla Tesla 2011-2012 Nissan Leaf Under $5 000
The Nissan Leaf was one of the first mainstream EVs to get people interested in electric cars at an affordable price. However, with a range of just 84 miles, the first generation Leaf cannot match the current crop of electric cars. Couple this with some funky looks and the Leaf is now a used bargain. We found several used examples for less than $5,000 with relatively low mileage (50,000 to 100,000). If your commute is less than 84 miles round trip, a used Leaf may be one of the most affordable means of transportation available right now. Nissan Nissan 2012-2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Under $6 000
If you'd like to be unique, take a look at the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The i-MiEV, which stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle, was also sold in Europe as the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero. Only around 1,800 of them were sold in the US, likely because of its odd design and lackluster range of just 62 miles. The i-MiEV was pretty affordable when it was new, less than $23,000. Now, used examples can be found for less than $6,000 with less than 30,000 miles on the odometer. Mitsubishi 2013-2015 Fiat 500e Under $7 000
Many automakers were "forced" to build EVs in order to pass California's Zero Emission Mandate. The Fiat 500e was one of these cars, sold only in California (and Oregon) at a significant loss for parent company, FCA. Even though it was only made to keep California happy, the 500e is one of our favorite options on this list. An electric Fiat just makes so much sense. The car is small and nimble and the 111-horsepower electric motor gives it a 30-50 mph time of just 3.5 seconds. Even though it was initially sold in California and Oregon, used models are now finding their way to other parts of the US at hilariously low prices. We found used examples with less than 40,000 miles for less than $7,000. The 500e only has a range of 84 miles, which isn't the worst on this list. Fiat Fiat FCA Fiat 2012-2014 Ford Focus Electric Under $8 000
Many consumers shy away from EVs because of their strange design. If you want an EV that looks like a normal car, the Ford Focus Electric may be perfect. Aside from the wheels, grille, and a few badges, the Focus Electric looks pretty much like a normal Focus, even on the interior. The Focus Electric packs 143 hp and a 76-mile driving range. The cheapest used example we found was less than $8,000 and most examples are less than $10,000. Ford Ford Ford 2015-2016 Volkswagen e-Golf Under $11 000
While we are on the subject of EVs that look normal, the Volkswagen e-Golf also fits the bill. From a distance, it would be difficult to tell this is anything but a normal Golf. Even though the e-Golf only has 115 hp, it has almost as much torque as a GTI. Amazingly, the e-Golf is actually quicker than the GTI from 0-30 mph, which is much more useful than 0-60 mph in the real world. The e-Golf has an electric driving range of 83 miles and we found used examples starting below $11,000. Volkswagen Volkswagen 2015-2017 Kia Soul EV Under $12 000
If you aren't a fan of the Kia Soul's exterior design you probably won't enjoy the Soul EV. Just remember, a box is the best shape for storing lots of stuff, so the Soul's boxy shape allows it to be one of the roomiest cars in its class. The Soul EV only has 109 hp, but it does have over 200 lb-ft of torque. The driving range is a decent 90 miles, and with nearly 50 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded flat, the Soul EV is one of the most practical cars on this list. We found used examples with low mileage for less than $12,000. Kia Kia 2014-2015 BMW i3 Under $14 000
BMW's first electric car, the i3, is a bit of an odd duck. It doesn't really look like other models in the BMW range, which may be one of the reasons why it didn't sell in massive numbers. So long as you can get over the i3's funky looks, a used model is now an incredible bargain. We found used 2014 and 2015 model year i3s for less than $14,000. These aren't even high mileage examples either - some had less than 30,000 on the odometer. The i3's range isn't great, just 72 miles of electric driving. However, we also found a few range extender models for around the same price, which house a tiny motorcycle engine in the back. The i3 range extender has a much more useable range of around 150 miles. Like most BMWs, the i3 is actually fairly quick with a sub-seven second 0-60 time and a rear-wheel-drive layout. BMW 2014-2015 Mercedes B-Class Under$17 000
Let's be honest, you probably forgot about the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive - we certainly did. Mercedes stopped selling this electric hatchback model after the 2017 model year. With used prices starting at under $17,000, the B-Class is the most expensive car on our list. It does, however, have the longest electric driving range of around 100 miles. It may not be as sleek as other Mercedes cars, but the B-Class does offer more luxury and prestige than the other cars on this list if the $35,000 Tesla Model 3 is outside of your budget. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Join The Discussion
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Tesla Model 3 BMW i3 Nissan Leaf Mitsubishi i-MiEV Fiat 500 Ford Focus Electric Kia Soul EV Mercedes-Benz B-Class Volkswagen e-Golf Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top