@@mikadavies660 I predict there will be a lot of sales before April then after a short break the cost of cars will be adjusted with the best sellers being £39,999! (I'd not be surprised to see the base spec EV3 Air with the bigger battery - or a GT Line S with the smaller pack!)
Who pays silly money for a watch, or a holiday in Timbuktu? Everyone is different. What might seem a complete waste of money to you, might be fine with someone else... Your choices aren't always going to be the same as the next person's.
I don't think they're surprised that it's less, more at _how much less_ range it is than advertised. E.g. with an ICE car, it's very easy to get _below_ the lowest advertised mpg in heavy traffic.
I was thinking the same! They are always taking EVs for a long journeys 🤣 And they are so surprised. Instead using them as everyone else, around town, commuting and school runs.
@@xmarcika I agree, a pointless test that proves nothing except to bang on about range over and over again when most people simply don’t need 200+ miles. I do at most 40 miles a day, so the mini works for me and I’m not paying for a large battery that I don’t need
@henryviiifake8244 My last ICE had a combined mpg of 62, supposedly 75 or something in ideal conditions. I never saw more than low 50s on a run and the long term average was low 40s.
When buying a new EV about 2.5 years ago now, I was definitely tempted by the Enyaq. However, what totally put me off was the sheer cost of paying for equipment in Skoda's option packs that came as standard on the EV6. Plus the EV6 had a much less dull design. Looks like the same applies here - for me, the EV3 would win every time. And that Mini is just a disaster.
TBH all the real world range figures compared to the official ranges are shocking. there needs to be a complete rethink of how ranges are quoted for cars
It's better then it was before with NEDC, but WLTP is what you get in summer as it specifies "20C ambient". The american EPA range is actually based in reality and representative.
@@databeestje EPA is actually worse, because it uses a mathematic formula that varies depending on the test cycle (3 vs 5 cycle tests) and is subject to manufacturer's discretion to a certain extent (as the producer can choose a lower number), so while the numbers are closer the real world range, you cannot use them to compare between cars.
As I actually own an EV3 GT Line S, so I can confirm the cold and fast motorway driving is a big factor. It is cold in the UK at the moment, but I don't drive on the motorway at the legal limit. My daily trip is around 80% motorway and 20% urban. Getting between 3.7 and 4.7mi/kwh, at around 60mph. (lower figure is a morning drive at around 6.00am). Current 100% charge level is around the 330 mile mark. But that will improve when the weather gets warmer. In the summer I predict between 380 to 400 miles. My old e-Niro got up to 360 miles of range in the summer. Way over the 282 WLTP.
I'd take either the Skoda or the Kia, both look good, with good range. The Mini no thanks, never liked the interiors, over priced. That circular screen is a waste of space.
How mad is it that all 3 of these incur the luxury car tax. They really need to move the 40k threshold up because you can’t get many good new cars for under 30k now
Brilliant long form review. The best yet as very fair and very very comprehensive in information. Keep it up!. Very relevant cars and a good use scenario, certainly not best case for EV's. The Kia's offer V2L etc. Will be very interesting what these and other manufacturers do with the £40k ECS barrier. The top spec models will be dead ducks. They HAVE to lower the RRPs or lobby the government to raise the ECS threshold. But as the UK is cash strapped I am not sure the government will consider lowering it, even though that would be a fair and sensible thing to do. 20 years ago, a £40k+ car could be considered a "luxury car" but what with inflation , I think the ECS threshold should be £50-£60k. I would consider a EV3 GT-lIne "S" to replace my Ioniq 5 next year but no way would I pay £2k extra in "tax" for a HUD and electronic tail gate!
Who on earth cares about V2L? Never once felt the need to plug in a hedge trimmer. It’s just a gimmick we’re supposedly missing out on, but in reality it’s just utter nonsense.
The badge does give you resale value. I’d reckon if you were the kind of person to change your car regularly that’ll count for something. I mean it’s kinda distinctive looking too in a ‘love it or hate it’ kinda way. The Elroq could be mistaken for a diesel hatchback by the way it looks.
rumour is that the shuttle train to France from U.K. will have dedicated cars (bogies) for EVs only . . . so that you can re-charge your EVs as you cross the English Channel . . .
I like this kind of real world test of BEV's. 👍 I would just have switched the Mini with the Renault Scenic, which has a bit the same kind of price/value like the Skoda and the Kia. Just a reminder: the legal speed limit in Belgium is 120 km/h, not 130. 😊 In France it's 130, but keep in mind the areas around big cities. Like around Dunkirk where you passed, it goes down to 90 and even 70. And the flashing machines standing permanently in the middle have a very limited margin of 5 km/h.
They are honest. People just don't get what WLTP means. It's a mix of driving (46.5km/h average), not highway, and at 23 degrees celsius. How much it differs will depends on how the car reacts to acceleration, wind, temperature, rain and so on. But these are standardized results, not based on subjective driving.
The comparative costs are a bit misleading- the Škoda has packages that you need to add on to bring it to the same level as the Kia. Some of these packages add £4-5k to the price. So the Škoda ends up more expensive. However, there is currently a £1,000 deposit contribution and zero percent interest on Škoda pcp deals making it more attractive than the Kia finance. But Škoda dealers don’t know if they can get get cars before the end of March. That means if you pay over £40k you end up paying the luxury car tax . So not an easy choice between the Škoda Elroq and the Kia EV3.
Great review. Mini have totally lost their way. In my mind it's a close call between the EV3 and the elroq. In my mind the EV3 pips it both on styling and the fact that they have 7 year warranty.
Fabelhafter, ausführlicher Vergleich mit unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Ein paar mehr Eindrücke von Brügge wären schön gewesen ;)... Danke für den Test.
Match the spec on the Elroq to the EV3 and you see the Elroq is insanely expensive. When do reporters learn to compare the spec of the tester cars. That GT-Line is a fully specced car and Elroq costs like 5.000 euros more equaly specced.
Your reviews are some of the best on youtube now. I would have either the skoda or the kia quite happily if i were in the market. May get a second hand Enyaq, seems like it will be very cheap to run and battery degradation is way less than some people would have you believe.
If you were being fair, the actual range of the Mini was ~69% of claimed, the EV3 67% and the Skoda 69%, so the Mini range was just no worse compared to claimed than the other two.
A lot of the Tesla's lower price in the US is due to government subsidies, also lower standards for safety that the UK and EU are pretty heavy on even compared globally.
Insightful video. We've got a latest gen Hyundai Kona EV on salary sacrifice and was looking at it's replacement in a few years. Love the fact that the range has increased. We like the design of both the EV3 and Elroq and think that both are viable replacements. RWD on the Elroq might sway it for me and the fact that you get a factory fit towbar as an option. That being said, a fully spec'd Korean car with all the bells and whistles makes for some ridiculously underrated creature comforts. I never knew that the surround view camera and adaptive cruise control could be so useful. Makes my mid-spec E70 X5 seem rather spartan by comparison. Definitely will be looking at the 300 mile + range on a larger battery to make it a worthwhile replacement and to be able to do eurotrips without breaking a sweat.
Interesting to see the EV3 and Elroq going head to head, the Mini being completely outclassed. I've never seen the point of Mini's tbh, a triumph of style over substance and for me even the style aspect is....ugly!...the original Issigonis Mini's were cute, the BMW ones are bloated and uncomfortable to be in.
The EV3 is designed to be smaller as Kia will be bringing out the EV5 next year and this is in between the EV9 and EV3. So they have designed these cars for the relevant consumer. Plus non of you guys mentioned the vehicle to load feature. Which is an excellent feature to have. Especially in a power cut or should you decide to go camping or hiking etc. I also believe Kia are also looking to implement vehicle to home/grid. The boot cover has a gap as I believe the EV3 GTLineS does have reclining rear seats as it does in the EV6 and EV9. Also please note that Kia/Hyundai do have a large buffer in the battery. Whether this is good to have or not is debatable. But good review all round.
i wish they'd stop using the word "claim". they never claim anything. they do a standard test and display the results of it. if the standard test does not match what you do (motorway) then of course it's gonna be lower. they don't choose the standard test so if a mix of driving end up with lower range it's not their doing. maybe they had input to how the test work i don't know but i doubt any one company dictated the standard test procedure. can anyone tell me if those standard tests have results split into different speeds or is it just one clumsy number they report?
Loved this video - this team is on a roll, especially Will. Just one technical issue: the audio levels on this video drop significantly when the guys are inside the cars discussing the interiors and are not level with the rest of the video.
It's so tedious to hear motoring journalists say Mini is British. There's nothing British about this Mini. The Aceman was developed and is produced by Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor, at a manufacturing plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China. It only trades on an old British car name. It's a Sino-German car whose LHD markets are far far more important to the people who make it than its RHD markets. Also when you say it's designed with "Europe" in mind I think you mean LHD markets, notably China. What is the UK if it's not a European market? The UK is a RHD European market.
Wife has a 2023 Countrymen JCW the interior with leather is outstanding, it has adaptive dampers and rides very well, it’s quick with 300bhp plus , secure with 4x4 the new Mini seems a real step back In quality..
Amazingly, the mini cubby box opens the other way in LHD cars! So it's a deliberate choice. And you can get Adaptive Cruise, you just have to 'subscribe'...
None of the car's tested are good value when u add in the extras and larger batteries. Maybe test all the base versions to give people a more realistic test.
It's worth noting that these will all be 'press vehicles' that the brands let content creators and reviews use for a few days before giving back so they likely won't have a huge say in what they get. Brands like giving the press the top of the range, super nice, all bells and whistles added version so they get the 'best' experience. That being said I think the big battery version are likely the best for all these cars in terms of value (roughly £3000 extra for 100 miles of range, on average, seems like a good deal). It's the added extra's e.g the Kia GT Line (which is basically a colour pattern and some black plastic) that are the ripoff
love these videos the comparisons are the best, you should lean in more on the day to day, family SUV makes me thing going on holiday to llandudno, you should do these tests with a full load as well so its realisitic for big families they can get a sense of knowing.
Hi, greetings from the Czech Republic, where Elroq is produced :-) There are two more things that only Elroq has: 1. Rear-wheel drive, which you will appreciate practically in all of Europe, where snow can be all January 2. You can have 3-zone air conditioning (not even the most expensive Tesla has it :-) )
When all 3 of you are doing tests like this testing family cars could you also do a test having all 3 of you in the back seats together seeing how comfortable it is. Having 3 kids who are constantly growing this is one of the biggest things I look out for which is hard to tell just looking at pics or videos without all 3 seats being occupied.
You could also not bother with the Level 2 pack as it adds only the sunroof and Harmon Kardon speakers, that would drop the price by £2000. Again you pick the wrong spec for a fair comparison.
Whilst your point is valid, I think it just comes down to whatever car was available to be loaned to them by the manufacturer during the date of filming. Had they been able to spec like-for-like during testing they probably would have.
@@idparkinson not at all..even with the level 2 pack the mini does not even have ACC. My 33K MG4 luxury has that for heavens sake. The other two cars has upgrade packs with even more equipment then the mini and they are still crushing the mini on range. the level 1 trim is not even close to what the skoda and kia has so to be fair it should have the lvl 3 pack.
@@mushroombeans123 that’s not what should determine if you spend £40k+. It should be if you actually like the car first. If you can charge from home every night, range actually matters less.
6:41 I'm surprised the Euro Tunnel doesn't have EV charging. Even 6-9 spots for 11Kw charging stations on the train could be very useful as your just sitting about for the ride :D I think there is a ferry from the UK to Ireland and that has 6 x 7KW chargers. Maybe there is very good reasons that they don't want to implement it for th Chunnel 🤔
Nice review and good to see you making use of the Eurotunnel chargers on the way back. Regarding the point on hotel chargers, of course you are not obliged to use AC chargers at the hotel, you could use chargers nearby. A quick look on Electroverse shows that there are plenty of car parks with EV chargers in Brugges, so this could have made destination charging possible. Also you could have done some of the pieces to camera eg interior evaluation whilst charging at the Tesla supercharger. It gets a little tiresome when experienced car reviewers insist on driving EV's in unrealistic ways, on a long journey like that you'd need to stop anyway so just charge when you're stopped, don't wait till you've got less than 10% of battery remaining and then stop to charge... It gives a much better representation on how EV's are used in real life.
Brilliant review guys, great work. Sad to see the downgrading of the Mini - it was always the build quality that stood out over the competition and for me was one of the rewarding parts of ownership. All the iconic features like the row of toggle switches have been ditched or cheapened to the point where they just look crap. The moulding around the centre tunnel console thing is truly awful. I certainly won't be buying any more Minis. One thing I am interested in is the impact of load on range. We all know that towing has a catastrophic impact on how far an EV can go, but what about carrying passengers and their gear ? These are family cars and it would be good to see a range check with 4 people on board and some luggage. (maybe don't do it in the Mini !).
The fancy net on the Elroq tonneau cover is a great idea in theory, but in reality as a dog owner, it’s removed 95% of the time anyway and a dog guard fitted. Good idea, but likely to be unused by a lot of families.
Mini is pretty poor value. Would be good to see something like a Renault scenic in here. Good range and lots of standard equipment like a heat pump. Techno trim also similar value to ev3 and elroq
I get it's the oldest one but this really needs the EX30 in the line up, as it makes sense to compare all the smallish semi-affordable non-stellantis crossover EVs instead of just leaving one out.
@@FFVoyager only really started deliveries in 2024 (well, maybe some in Dec 23) and is much more of a direct competitor to the EV3 & Elroq than the Mini, would have been good to see it in the comparison instead.
Smart #1 is also in there. Similar to EX30 but they could have saved an absolute bundle going for Pro+ trim and still get lots of equipment. EX30 is a bit bare bones at the lower trims levels and still works out more expensive.
Good test. I’m glad you’ve moved away from pointlessly whining about charging and purposely charging at the most expensive chargers cos you’re on whatcar’s dime. Might be worth exploring why the charging network is so poor in the Uk and explaining how it can be done better. Maybe a couple of direct comparisons could be useful. It’d have some journalistic value.
I am guessing the aim is to find out which is the least worst EV? Which one would I buy if I was forced to at gunpoint? Which has the best less range than advertised? Which is the least tens of thousands of pounds more than an equivalent ICE hatchback? Critical consumer questions
Re cold weather efficency and thus range did any of the cars have a heat pump? This actual range figures are pretty shocking so time re change how manufacturers are able to state range figures.
Very good, thanks a lot. How long will it be before Mini realises that it is hamstrung by all those absurd l;egacy styling features. First to go should be the central circular instrument panel. Then the lights. I would say the EV3 is the way to go for something a little different but the Skoda is the best logical choice.
Interesting video but I'm not sure that your test can be described as "worst case" conditions. While the speed limit in France is 130 kmh, that's only in the dry and the section between Calais and Belgium has signifcant sections of 110 and 90 limits and of course the motorway limit in Belgium is 120 kmh. As for the weather, it's 5 degrees today in Brugge and in Belgium it's not unusual to have days below 0 (although the -22 in 2009 was unusual). Looking forward and thinking of costs I'm curious to know what governments will do to get back the huge hydocarbon taxes on petrol and diesel if people transition to electric..... not to mention the discounts some countries currently give on road tax for electirc cars.
Dudes , you can choose a hotel that's near to a street charger though and park up and walk. Edit Indeed I'm looked up the street or car park charging destination type 2 chargers. There's bloody hundreds in bruge. Go to chosen hotel, check in , drop bags, park car in car park with charger. Collect in morning when leaving. hundreds.
Should use MILE/KWH metric to define "value". The extent of range is up to user and their needs. Shouldn't be dismissing 200 mi range (base mini) as "not very good" - when it is PERFECT for city/suburb at home chargers and with best mi/kwh performance. Performance: Mini: 4.9 m/kwh (entry model and loaded tester) EV3: 4.7 m/kwh (as tested 78) Elroq (VW): 4.2 m/kwh (as tested 85) So, IMHO, the mini has the best range "value". EV3 still best overall - the in-dash signal cameras are fantastic.
I’m not sure that including the mini in this test was fair, it’s comparing apples to oranges; the mini seems to be a B-segment car, so will spend most of its time running around town, doing shopping trips and doing school runs, whereas the other 2 are C-segment family cars. The Elroq is a big C-segment as well, only slightly smaller than the Enyaq.
Being a Skoda enthusiast and rather confident the Elroq was going to win. Just what would of made this the perfect comparison video is have the Explorer in the mix and obviously drop the mini. I'm still rather confident that the Elroq would win in this scenario but it would of been a better victory. Poor mini lol
When you consider running an EV between 20 and 80% as recommended by manufacturers, 60%of 170 miles (ie 102 miles) of usable range is a joke. The others at approx 150 miles are also a joke!
In the real world, if you are doing a long trip, you're going to start at 100% not 80%. That's 200 miles. And then you'd have to stop to empty your bladder at least. 😉
@@rugbygirlsdadg also in the real world most people don’t do that many long trips and the car will be topped up as and when at very low domestic tariff EV rates.
Just driven Brussels, london,most of UK motorways seem limited to 50 mph, Calais to Belgium is not 130 kph with large stresses 90 or 110 kph. Belgium motorways are limited to 120 kph.
The mini yet again just like the fossil version makes no sense. Looks weird, too small, range is atrocious in the real world and no ACC for over 40K? That is hilarious. We already have a Kia niro plug in hybrid from 2018 and are looking to switch to EV (i have an MG4 as a company car) And i must say the EV3 both looks and sounds very nice out of the pack here indeed.
Double bassist sitting here laughing at the efforts to get a christmas tree into the back of these cars.... Mind you, I suspect the Mini would be a no-go even going diagonally and pushing the passenger seat all the way forwards.
![แข่งเพิ่มน้ำหนักใน 24 ชั่วโมง!! [Ver 2025]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/20xn0g6k-ec/mqdefault.jpg)
With this group of cars NOT going over £40,000 rrp is very important.... Paying "luxury car tax" on a small family car, is taking the piss.
Although it's very very easy to blow past £40k with all of them.
@@mikadavies660 I predict there will be a lot of sales before April then after a short break the cost of cars will be adjusted with the best sellers being £39,999! (I'd not be surprised to see the base spec EV3 Air with the bigger battery - or a GT Line S with the smaller pack!)
It was set years ago by the govt, and never changed while car prices and shot upwards. Another joke, it should be around 55k now
@@edm2632typical government strategy to claw yet more money from people.
Total bollocks isn't it. Just because a car has a large battery, that doesn't make it a luxury car!
I really donot know who would spend North of £40,000 for a Mini of any spec.
Someone with more money than sense who values perceived style and trendiness over functionality.
Who pays silly money for a watch, or a holiday in Timbuktu? Everyone is different. What might seem a complete waste of money to you, might be fine with someone else... Your choices aren't always going to be the same as the next person's.
Christ that Mini is absolutely gopping. No-one will ever glance back at that with pride after they've parked it.
These guys still AMAZED that the range is less than advertised when driving at 70 on the motorway.
It's a mystery! 🤯
I don't think they're surprised that it's less, more at _how much less_ range it is than advertised.
E.g. with an ICE car, it's very easy to get _below_ the lowest advertised mpg in heavy traffic.
I was thinking the same! They are always taking EVs for a long journeys 🤣 And they are so surprised. Instead using them as everyone else, around town, commuting and school runs.
@@xmarcika I agree, a pointless test that proves nothing except to bang on about range over and over again when most people simply don’t need 200+ miles. I do at most 40 miles a day, so the mini works for me and I’m not paying for a large battery that I don’t need
@henryviiifake8244 My last ICE had a combined mpg of 62, supposedly 75 or something in ideal conditions. I never saw more than low 50s on a run and the long term average was low 40s.
When buying a new EV about 2.5 years ago now, I was definitely tempted by the Enyaq. However, what totally put me off was the sheer cost of paying for equipment in Skoda's option packs that came as standard on the EV6. Plus the EV6 had a much less dull design. Looks like the same applies here - for me, the EV3 would win every time. And that Mini is just a disaster.
TBH all the real world range figures compared to the official ranges are shocking. there needs to be a complete rethink of how ranges are quoted for cars
it's just much worse because as stated in the video of mostly highway driving and the colder weather
It’s not much different to the unachievable mpg figures quoted for ICE cars.
It's better then it was before with NEDC, but WLTP is what you get in summer as it specifies "20C ambient". The american EPA range is actually based in reality and representative.
@@databeestje EPA is actually worse, because it uses a mathematic formula that varies depending on the test cycle (3 vs 5 cycle tests) and is subject to manufacturer's discretion to a certain extent (as the producer can choose a lower number), so while the numbers are closer the real world range, you cannot use them to compare between cars.
As I actually own an EV3 GT Line S, so I can confirm the cold and fast motorway driving is a big factor. It is cold in the UK at the moment, but I don't drive on the motorway at the legal limit. My daily trip is around 80% motorway and 20% urban. Getting between 3.7 and 4.7mi/kwh, at around 60mph. (lower figure is a morning drive at around 6.00am). Current 100% charge level is around the 330 mile mark. But that will improve when the weather gets warmer. In the summer I predict between 380 to 400 miles. My old e-Niro got up to 360 miles of range in the summer. Way over the 282 WLTP.
I'd take either the Skoda or the Kia, both look good, with good range. The Mini no thanks, never liked the interiors, over priced. That circular screen is a waste of space.
How mad is it that all 3 of these incur the luxury car tax. They really need to move the 40k threshold up because you can’t get many good new cars for under 30k now
Inflation is a thing, and for cars and suppliers this appears to be very true.
The MEB platform matured with this Elroq. The EV3 has all the equipment you need in the lowest tier.
Definitely gonna get an EV3 for my next car (if the next gen Ceed doesn't have a hybrid option)
Brilliant long form review. The best yet as very fair and very very comprehensive in information. Keep it up!. Very relevant cars and a good use scenario, certainly not best case for EV's. The Kia's offer V2L etc. Will be very interesting what these and other manufacturers do with the £40k ECS barrier. The top spec models will be dead ducks. They HAVE to lower the RRPs or lobby the government to raise the ECS threshold. But as the UK is cash strapped I am not sure the government will consider lowering it, even though that would be a fair and sensible thing to do. 20 years ago, a £40k+ car could be considered a "luxury car" but what with inflation , I think the ECS threshold should be £50-£60k. I would consider a EV3 GT-lIne "S" to replace my Ioniq 5 next year but no way would I pay £2k extra in "tax" for a HUD and electronic tail gate!
Who on earth cares about V2L? Never once felt the need to plug in a hedge trimmer. It’s just a gimmick we’re supposedly missing out on, but in reality it’s just utter nonsense.
Why would you pay for 100 miles less range in the mini than the other 2 for around same price as others. Pay for a badge .
Because buying a car solely on range doesn’t make a lot of sense. People] might just prefer the other options.
@@ThrottleBodyindeed, but the Mini's range make it an unusable family car. Unless you only need it as a second car for the school run.
The badge does give you resale value. I’d reckon if you were the kind of person to change your car regularly that’ll count for something. I mean it’s kinda distinctive looking too in a ‘love it or hate it’ kinda way. The Elroq could be mistaken for a diesel hatchback by the way it looks.
@@ThrottleBody I mean it's missing a lot more than just range.
@ it may be, but it seems that everyone bases EVs solely on range and it’s dumb.
rumour is that the shuttle train to France from U.K. will have dedicated cars (bogies) for EVs only . . . so that you can re-charge your EVs as you cross the English Channel . . .
I'm sure any passenger will get charged a special rate.
I like this kind of real world test of BEV's. 👍
I would just have switched the Mini with the Renault Scenic, which has a bit the same kind of price/value like the Skoda and the Kia.
Just a reminder: the legal speed limit in Belgium is 120 km/h, not 130. 😊 In France it's 130, but keep in mind the areas around big cities. Like around Dunkirk where you passed, it goes down to 90 and even 70. And the flashing machines standing permanently in the middle have a very limited margin of 5 km/h.
Yep, Scenic in place of Mini would have been perfect three car test.
It's long past time for manufacturers to be honest about real world ranges for cars in general, but especially for EV's.
They can't, because of the variables involved. People's driving styles differ. It will also depend on the weather, road works, traffic volume etc....
They are honest. People just don't get what WLTP means. It's a mix of driving (46.5km/h average), not highway, and at 23 degrees celsius.
How much it differs will depends on how the car reacts to acceleration, wind, temperature, rain and so on. But these are standardized results, not based on subjective driving.
The comparative costs are a bit misleading- the Škoda has packages that you need to add on to bring it to the same level as the Kia. Some of these packages add £4-5k to the price. So the Škoda ends up more expensive. However, there is currently a £1,000 deposit contribution and zero percent interest on Škoda pcp deals making it more attractive than the Kia finance.
But Škoda dealers don’t know if they can get get cars before the end of March. That means if you pay over £40k you end up paying the luxury car tax . So not an easy choice between the Škoda Elroq and the Kia EV3.
These are the best comparative reviews on the net.
Glad you like them!
That umbrella hick up made my day 🤣
An indication of the 'quality' of the car's components...
Great review. Mini have totally lost their way. In my mind it's a close call between the EV3 and the elroq. In my mind the EV3 pips it both on styling and the fact that they have 7 year warranty.
Fabelhafter, ausführlicher Vergleich mit unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Ein paar mehr Eindrücke von Brügge wären schön gewesen ;)... Danke für den Test.
Skoda is the biggest and heaviest, but still the most efficient and closest to its claimed range. And cheapest...
Match the spec on the Elroq to the EV3 and you see the Elroq is insanely expensive. When do reporters learn to compare the spec of the tester cars. That GT-Line is a fully specced car and Elroq costs like 5.000 euros more equaly specced.
Your reviews are some of the best on youtube now. I would have either the skoda or the kia quite happily if i were in the market. May get a second hand Enyaq, seems like it will be very cheap to run and battery degradation is way less than some people would have you believe.
Loving your long-format like this reviews/trips!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.
This video was great! Love these comparison videos
If you were being fair, the actual range of the Mini was ~69% of claimed, the EV3 67% and the Skoda 69%, so the Mini range was just no worse compared to claimed than the other two.
Kia EV3 wins for me. I love everything about it.
Why is the Tesla Model Y so expensive in the UK ?, same model in Australia starts at ₤ 27,900
A lot of the Tesla's lower price in the US is due to government subsidies, also lower standards for safety that the UK and EU are pretty heavy on even compared globally.
Insightful video. We've got a latest gen Hyundai Kona EV on salary sacrifice and was looking at it's replacement in a few years. Love the fact that the range has increased. We like the design of both the EV3 and Elroq and think that both are viable replacements. RWD on the Elroq might sway it for me and the fact that you get a factory fit towbar as an option. That being said, a fully spec'd Korean car with all the bells and whistles makes for some ridiculously underrated creature comforts. I never knew that the surround view camera and adaptive cruise control could be so useful. Makes my mid-spec E70 X5 seem rather spartan by comparison. Definitely will be looking at the 300 mile + range on a larger battery to make it a worthwhile replacement and to be able to do eurotrips without breaking a sweat.
£41000 for a small mini, that’s taking the P. Totally slapped by the Renault 5.
This is an incomplete review without comparison of the warranties, the KIA having seven years, much longer than the others.
…and the scope of the warranty. Enquiring about a VW recently, the wiring harness is excluded!!!
Go ahead and buy the Kia. That 7 year warranty is a real hook.
…you will need it right from the start. Mark my words.
I find these reviews really useful as you look at all areas including costs and finance. Thanks guys. Skoda is the one for me.
The Mini is nowhere near "great value" or "good range".
Great work , guys...I hope you appreciated Brugge. Us Belgians don't have a lot to be proud about but that is something😂
No mention of warranty or V2L or V2G
Thanks for covering efficiency. I think its not covered enough and the focus on range as a metric misses a key factor of TCO on an EV.
Interesting to see the EV3 and Elroq going head to head, the Mini being completely outclassed. I've never seen the point of Mini's tbh, a triumph of style over substance and for me even the style aspect is....ugly!...the original Issigonis Mini's were cute, the BMW ones are bloated and uncomfortable to be in.
That Skodas turning circle is nearly as good as a Volvo 340
Very good,fun,entertaining and comprehensive comparative review as usual.I love your videos,they're really useful and fun!
You make no mention of the Kia's 7 year warranty, otherwise a very good review
Hahahaha, very good video as usual. I also love your sense of humor.
Greetings from Spain
Glad you enjoyed!
The big wheels on the Skoda are a disadvantage because of the maintance costs and also the guarantee
Tesla charging is so solid and dependable, great for international travel as well 😎
Since all SuCs are open for other Brands, it is no advantage anymore for Teslas, but any EV.
@ Pretty awesome of Tesla to willingly give up this ”moat” just to help all ev drivers
So less than 10 years ago 40k was your entry into luxury while nowadays is your entry into family economical car. 🤔
Good review, useful information. Hotels with overnight charging are clearly a total rip-off....
Other car companies must be sick and tired of Skoda they are so good.
They’re so boring though ! I had one and wouldn’t buy another , it was just transport , nice car but not interesting in any way !
The EV3 is designed to be smaller as Kia will be bringing out the EV5 next year and this is in between the EV9 and EV3. So they have designed these cars for the relevant consumer. Plus non of you guys mentioned the vehicle to load feature. Which is an excellent feature to have. Especially in a power cut or should you decide to go camping or hiking etc. I also believe Kia are also looking to implement vehicle to home/grid. The boot cover has a gap as I believe the EV3 GTLineS does have reclining rear seats as it does in the EV6 and EV9.
Also please note that Kia/Hyundai do have a large buffer in the battery. Whether this is good to have or not is debatable.
But good review all round.
There will also be a Kia EV2 at some point which will be smaller. The Kia Soul EV (second hand only now) is also smaller than the EV3.
i wish they'd stop using the word "claim". they never claim anything. they do a standard test and display the results of it. if the standard test does not match what you do (motorway) then of course it's gonna be lower. they don't choose the standard test so if a mix of driving end up with lower range it's not their doing. maybe they had input to how the test work i don't know but i doubt any one company dictated the standard test procedure. can anyone tell me if those standard tests have results split into different speeds or is it just one clumsy number they report?
Loved this video - this team is on a roll, especially Will. Just one technical issue: the audio levels on this video drop significantly when the guys are inside the cars discussing the interiors and are not level with the rest of the video.
It's so tedious to hear motoring journalists say Mini is British. There's nothing British about this Mini. The Aceman was developed and is produced by Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor, at a manufacturing plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China. It only trades on an old British car name. It's a Sino-German car whose LHD markets are far far more important to the people who make it than its RHD markets. Also when you say it's designed with "Europe" in mind I think you mean LHD markets, notably China. What is the UK if it's not a European market? The UK is a RHD European market.
Wife has a 2023 Countrymen JCW the interior with leather is outstanding, it has adaptive dampers and rides very well, it’s quick with 300bhp plus , secure with 4x4 the new Mini seems a real step back In quality..
Amazingly, the mini cubby box opens the other way in LHD cars! So it's a deliberate choice. And you can get Adaptive Cruise, you just have to 'subscribe'...
Kia ev3 win for me hands down
None of the car's tested are good value when u add in the extras and larger batteries. Maybe test all the base versions to give people a more realistic test.
Well the truth is nobody in their right mind buys a base version as the value drops like a rock the moment you leave the store.
It's worth noting that these will all be 'press vehicles' that the brands let content creators and reviews use for a few days before giving back so they likely won't have a huge say in what they get. Brands like giving the press the top of the range, super nice, all bells and whistles added version so they get the 'best' experience.
That being said I think the big battery version are likely the best for all these cars in terms of value (roughly £3000 extra for 100 miles of range, on average, seems like a good deal). It's the added extra's e.g the Kia GT Line (which is basically a colour pattern and some black plastic) that are the ripoff
Who wants a base model car, I know I don't....and especially an electric one.
love these videos the comparisons are the best, you should lean in more on the day to day, family SUV makes me thing going on holiday to llandudno, you should do these tests with a full load as well so its realisitic for big families they can get a sense of knowing.
Hi, greetings from the Czech Republic, where Elroq is produced :-) There are two more things that only Elroq has: 1. Rear-wheel drive, which you will appreciate practically in all of Europe, where snow can be all January 2. You can have 3-zone air conditioning (not even the most expensive Tesla has it :-) )
At least one of them are not looking absolutely awful.
When all 3 of you are doing tests like this testing family cars could you also do a test having all 3 of you in the back seats together seeing how comfortable it is. Having 3 kids who are constantly growing this is one of the biggest things I look out for which is hard to tell just looking at pics or videos without all 3 seats being occupied.
The front of the Skoda resembles a Hyundai inster.
You tested against the wrong Mini. You should have tested the Mini Countryman E with Level 1 trim at £42k and a range of 280 miles and more space.
You could also not bother with the Level 2 pack as it adds only the sunroof and Harmon Kardon speakers, that would drop the price by £2000. Again you pick the wrong spec for a fair comparison.
The Mini Aceman SE Classic with Level 1 trim and standard silver paint costs £36,300. Far cheaper than the others and a more similar spec to them.
Whilst your point is valid, I think it just comes down to whatever car was available to be loaned to them by the manufacturer during the date of filming. Had they been able to spec like-for-like during testing they probably would have.
@@idparkinson not at all..even with the level 2 pack the mini does not even have ACC. My 33K MG4 luxury has that for heavens sake. The other two cars has upgrade packs with even more equipment then the mini and they are still crushing the mini on range. the level 1 trim is not even close to what the skoda and kia has so to be fair it should have the lvl 3 pack.
@@idparkinson The EV3 with base battery (58kWh) is still larger and probaby quite a bit cheaper.
Yep, As I thought I didn't like any of them 😂
For Heavens Sake stop saying " let's do it" at the end of every segment.
🎉 great review EV3 & Elroq would be considered 🥂👍🏻
They literally belong to three different segments, A, B, and C... Why'd you call them competitors?
Hmmmm, nice comparison test as alternatives to the Model Y. Let me see, Mini Aceman vs Model Y - well I could fit it inside! 😂😂
Could you comment on the warranty?
Do people not realise that there is more to a car than range?
Sorry, range is key when you have very cheap home charging
@@mushroombeans123 that’s not what should determine if you spend £40k+. It should be if you actually like the car first. If you can charge from home every night, range actually matters less.
charging is at least as important
@@alexger85 if you can charge at home the charging speed doesn’t mean a lot because you’re restricted by the charger.
If you are going long distance get the big battery options.
Yet another test where they don’t bother to charge overnight ( in the way that any sane driver would).
6:41 I'm surprised the Euro Tunnel doesn't have EV charging. Even 6-9 spots for 11Kw charging stations on the train could be very useful as your just sitting about for the ride :D
I think there is a ferry from the UK to Ireland and that has 6 x 7KW chargers.
Maybe there is very good reasons that they don't want to implement it for th Chunnel 🤔
LeShuttle does have EV chargers - both regular and Tesla Superchargers. We used them on the return journey - there wasn't time on the outward leg!
Nice review and good to see you making use of the Eurotunnel chargers on the way back. Regarding the point on hotel chargers, of course you are not obliged to use AC chargers at the hotel, you could use chargers nearby. A quick look on Electroverse shows that there are plenty of car parks with EV chargers in Brugges, so this could have made destination charging possible. Also you could have done some of the pieces to camera eg interior evaluation whilst charging at the Tesla supercharger. It gets a little tiresome when experienced car reviewers insist on driving EV's in unrealistic ways, on a long journey like that you'd need to stop anyway so just charge when you're stopped, don't wait till you've got less than 10% of battery remaining and then stop to charge... It gives a much better representation on how EV's are used in real life.
Brilliant review guys, great work. Sad to see the downgrading of the Mini - it was always the build quality that stood out over the competition and for me was one of the rewarding parts of ownership. All the iconic features like the row of toggle switches have been ditched or cheapened to the point where they just look crap. The moulding around the centre tunnel console thing is truly awful. I certainly won't be buying any more Minis. One thing I am interested in is the impact of load on range. We all know that towing has a catastrophic impact on how far an EV can go, but what about carrying passengers and their gear ? These are family cars and it would be good to see a range check with 4 people on board and some luggage. (maybe don't do it in the Mini !).
The fancy net on the Elroq tonneau cover is a great idea in theory, but in reality as a dog owner, it’s removed 95% of the time anyway and a dog guard fitted. Good idea, but likely to be unused by a lot of families.
Mini is pretty poor value. Would be good to see something like a Renault scenic in here. Good range and lots of standard equipment like a heat pump. Techno trim also similar value to ev3 and elroq
One thing you didn't mention was warranty - Kia 7 years, way better than the Skoda
Really hoping it won't take Skoda too long to bring out a Elroq vRS....!!
I get it's the oldest one but this really needs the EX30 in the line up, as it makes sense to compare all the smallish semi-affordable non-stellantis crossover EVs instead of just leaving one out.
@@ashliehiggins it's not a new model. 🙄
@@FFVoyager only really started deliveries in 2024 (well, maybe some in Dec 23) and is much more of a direct competitor to the EV3 & Elroq than the Mini, would have been good to see it in the comparison instead.
Smart #1 is also in there. Similar to EX30 but they could have saved an absolute bundle going for Pro+ trim and still get lots of equipment. EX30 is a bit bare bones at the lower trims levels and still works out more expensive.
@@C0baltBlueJ Although surprisingly you get a lot on the core trim, powered boot, heat pump, and a bunch of driver aids.
@@JoshuaStringfellow1 Elroq/EV3 are a little bigger, Aceman is similarly sized, but EV3/Aceman are significantly slower than EX30.
12:56 lingangu
The Mini crapper should not have been included on this test. That's basically a city car only.
Good test. I’m glad you’ve moved away from pointlessly whining about charging and purposely charging at the most expensive chargers cos you’re on whatcar’s dime.
Might be worth exploring why the charging network is so poor in the Uk and explaining how it can be done better. Maybe a couple of direct comparisons could be useful. It’d have some journalistic value.
Have to feel very sorry for anyone who has purchased/leased an Aceman. It just doesn't live up to the brand that they have bought into.
I am guessing the aim is to find out which is the least worst EV? Which one would I buy if I was forced to at gunpoint? Which has the best less range than advertised? Which is the least tens of thousands of pounds more than an equivalent ICE hatchback? Critical consumer questions
That Mini is hideous.
Re cold weather efficency and thus range did any of the cars have a heat pump?
This actual range figures are pretty shocking so time re change how manufacturers are able to state range figures.
A bit misleading on Elroq - to get that you need to take it over 4 years not the 3 years suggested. Over 3 years it’s 576.
With a 3 year warranty too I expect - good luck in that 4th year everyone!
Very good, thanks a lot. How long will it be before Mini realises that it is hamstrung by all those absurd l;egacy styling features. First to go should be the central circular instrument panel. Then the lights. I would say the EV3 is the way to go for something a little different but the Skoda is the best logical choice.
Interesting video but I'm not sure that your test can be described as "worst case" conditions. While the speed limit in France is 130 kmh, that's only in the dry and the section between Calais and Belgium has signifcant sections of 110 and 90 limits and of course the motorway limit in Belgium is 120 kmh.
As for the weather, it's 5 degrees today in Brugge and in Belgium it's not unusual to have days below 0 (although the -22 in 2009 was unusual).
Looking forward and thinking of costs I'm curious to know what governments will do to get back the huge hydocarbon taxes on petrol and diesel if people transition to electric..... not to mention the discounts some countries currently give on road tax for electirc cars.
Dudes , you can choose a hotel that's near to a street charger though and park up and walk.
Edit
Indeed I'm looked up the street or car park charging destination type 2 chargers. There's bloody hundreds in bruge.
Go to chosen hotel, check in , drop bags, park car in car park with charger. Collect in morning when leaving. hundreds.
If you want the GoM to give you more accurate range left for a certain speed, you gotta use that ‘trip meter reset’ button 🤦🏻♂️
So a Chinese made Mini is the most expensive, smallest and least efficient car of the three???
It’s made in England from 2025 onwards. There is also more to a car than range.
It was the most efficient
Should use MILE/KWH metric to define "value". The extent of range is up to user and their needs. Shouldn't be dismissing 200 mi range (base mini) as "not very good" - when it is PERFECT for city/suburb at home chargers and with best mi/kwh performance.
Performance:
Mini: 4.9 m/kwh (entry model and loaded tester)
EV3: 4.7 m/kwh (as tested 78)
Elroq (VW): 4.2 m/kwh (as tested 85)
So, IMHO, the mini has the best range "value".
EV3 still best overall - the in-dash signal cameras are fantastic.
I’m not sure that including the mini in this test was fair, it’s comparing apples to oranges; the mini seems to be a B-segment car, so will spend most of its time running around town, doing shopping trips and doing school runs, whereas the other 2 are C-segment family cars. The Elroq is a big C-segment as well, only slightly smaller than the Enyaq.
What's the obsession with 0-60 speeds in cars like these. 🤦
Being a Skoda enthusiast and rather confident the Elroq was going to win.
Just what would of made this the perfect comparison video is have the Explorer in the mix and obviously drop the mini.
I'm still rather confident that the Elroq would win in this scenario but it would of been a better victory. Poor mini lol
When you consider running an EV between 20 and 80% as recommended by manufacturers, 60%of 170 miles (ie 102 miles) of usable range is a joke. The others at approx 150 miles are also a joke!
In the real world, if you are doing a long trip, you're going to start at 100% not 80%. That's 200 miles. And then you'd have to stop to empty your bladder at least. 😉
@@rugbygirlsdadg also in the real world most people don’t do that many long trips and the car will be topped up as and when at very low domestic tariff EV rates.
Just driven Brussels, london,most of UK motorways seem limited to 50 mph, Calais to Belgium is not 130 kph with large stresses 90 or 110 kph. Belgium motorways are limited to 120 kph.
The mini yet again just like the fossil version makes no sense. Looks weird, too small, range is atrocious in the real world and no ACC for over 40K? That is hilarious. We already have a Kia niro plug in hybrid from 2018 and are looking to switch to EV (i have an MG4 as a company car) And i must say the EV3 both looks and sounds very nice out of the pack here indeed.
11:50 OMG How many Chrome tabs this person needs lol lol lol
Zero information ot charging speeds wtf guys?!
Double bassist sitting here laughing at the efforts to get a christmas tree into the back of these cars.... Mind you, I suspect the Mini would be a no-go even going diagonally and pushing the passenger seat all the way forwards.