We love a bargain at Electrifying, and the best EV bargains are definitely to be found on the used market. But, there are a lot of option out there, and it can all be a bit overwhelming as to which is best for your budget. So, we've gone through our used car classifieds and rounded up the best electric cars on the used market, right now. We’ve given ourselves a sensible budget of £20,000 (or less!), so you won't find more car for you cash than with these beauties. Here's our rundown of the best, affordable pre-loved EVs that you can buy in 2025:
MINI Electric
Our first car here can be bought for way under the £20,000 limit – the MINI Electric. In fact, you could buy two for that.
There are some compromises with Electric MINI ownership. If you’re looking for an EV that’ll do massive distances without recharging, then skip forward to the next cars in the list.
But if you’re after a runaround for the shops, school run or commuting — and you don’t mind plugging in after about 100 miles — then the MINI is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. It’s huge fun to drive, the interior feels more BMW than budget, and it’s efficient, too, so you’ll spend less on ‘leccy.
Watch for the different trim levels. The poshest, called 3, will be worth more than the basic 1 and mid-range 2 because it comes with leather seats, front parking sensors, a Harman Kardon hi-fi, adaptive lights and a sunroof. Many owners picked bigger alloy wheels because they look sportier, but be warned: bigger tyres will cost you a few miles of range and the ride can feel firmer — plus tyres will be pricier.
The good news is that the MINI Electric is proving reliable, with very few issues reported by owners. Aside from the odd creaky dashboard or phone connection dropout, its record is solid. The batteries hold up well too according to our approved dealers’ battery health checks.
The MINI Electric had a facelift in 2021, so the older models are rare as they were only on sale for a year, but they’ve got a different front end and older infotainment tech. You can spot them by the fog lights on the bumper, and they’re worth a bit less than facelifted cars.
Lastly, service history is stored in the car’s system. Just head to the My MINI menu on the screen to view it — clever, eh?
MG4
The MG4 is brilliant value when it's new, but they're even better as a used buy. Of course, the MG4 is great to drive, spacious and has all the latest safety kit, plus there’s loads of room, even if you’ve got lanky teens. A seven year, 80,000 mile vehicle warranty, and battery warranty of eight years and 100,000 miles, also means that your secondhand MG4 will still have a useful amount of manufacturer warranty still in place.
Prices start at around £13,000, so our £20,000 budget will get you a very lightly used version of a top-spec Trophy with the 61.8kWh Long Range battery that gets a claimed range of 281 miles, and is capable of around 180 - to 250 miles in the real world. The smaller battery, 50.8kWh Standard Range model gets a 217 mile official range (real world around 140- to 190), but these versions are quite rare as most new car buyers paid the extra to get the bigger battery.
All MG4s come with a decent level of kit as standard, but if you're like us and insist on heated seats and a steering wheel warmer in the winter, these only come on the Trophy and XPower models. The same goes for remote pre-conditioning, which means that you can set the car to warm up or cool down from your phone app, so it's all de-iced and warmed up ready for your morning drive. Toasty!
As for reliability problems, some MG4 drivers have reported AC charging errors, dodgy charge port lights and 12V battery issues. Look for flimsy interior trim and gear selector malfunctions too. Check you can connect your phone properly while you are there.
If you do get an X-Power - which is the super-powerful hot hatch version that's faster than a Porsche 911 - they all seem to have an annoying vibration at motorway speeds. This is normal and doesn’t mean anything is broken.
How about something a little more sensible? The Niro EV has got a roomy, comfortable cabin, drives nicely and has all the equipment you want, not to mention a useful real-world range and Kia’s seven year, 100,000 mile warranty. It’s been one of the best-selling EVs in the UK, which means there are lots of pre-loved cars to choose from.
There are examples that cost a lot less than our £20,000 limit, but it might be that they are the first generation model, or may have the smaller 39kWh battery or taxi-driver mileage. Which might be fine for you, but we'd suggest stretching to one of the newer models that were introduced in 2021. Besides looking a lot more modern, it also has more space in the back, better safety standard and more modern infotainment.
There’s only one, 65kWh battery option on these later cars, which gives an official WLTP range of 285 miles - or you'll see around 200- to 250 miles in real world use. That’s enough to last most drivers weeks of commuting, and our £20,000 budget will be enough to get one like this with a reasonable mileage and in a good spec.
Problems? Well the electric Kia Niro EV is a very reliable car, with only a few problems with the 12V battery reported. Most faults will be covered by Kia’s seven year warranty too, but you’ll need to make sure the service history is up to date or the company can refuse a claim.
Vauxhall Mokka Electric
If you like your cars to be a little more SUV shaped, but you don't want a big car, then maybe a Mokka will be to your taste? It has the higher seating position which we all like and gives a little more space inside, so it's just big enough for a small family but doesn’t take up any more space on the road than a compact hatchback.
Underneath it shares its hardware with other Stellantis-owned brands including Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Jeep, so it has decent, well-proven tech. In terms of the range, most of the Mokka’s you’ll see on the used market will have the older 50kWh battery, which has an official range of around 220 miles. Bear in mind this will be less - sometimes much less - in winter or if you hoof it on the motorway. You could real-world range drop to as little as 120 miles on a cold motorway run, although it'll creep up to more like 180 miles in summer. That's fine for most everyday journeys, and the 100kW rapid charging means you can top-up reasonable quickly when you need to.
The later cars got the option of a better 54kWh battery and more power, and are generally more efficient so will see a real-world range of over 200 miles in warmer months, but they're rare on the used market as there were some stonking deals on the older spec models.
That means they are great value for money when they are used. We found one year old examples with fewer than 6,000 miles for less than £16,000. Or about half the price when it was new!
Hyundai IONIQ 5
Let’s move up a size now, to one of our favourite electric cars of all - the Hyundai Ioniq 5. For starters, there are the retro-cool looks with a modern SUV vibe, which still look fresh and modern today despite the Ioniq 5 having been introduced back in 2021.
There are two battery versions to choose from. The most popular when new was the 73kWh which has a 214bhp electric motor, but there’s also a 58kWh with a less powerful 138bhp motor, each offering WLTP range of 303- and 239 miles of WLTP range respectively. You could get the bigger battery with all-wheel drive, which is a good option if you want all-weather peace of mind, but it did drop the official range to around 280 miles.
An 84kWh battery joined the range in 2025 with a substantially better range, but you won't see those drop towards our £20,000 milestone for a few years yet (sorry), so we'll just cover the older versions, here!
Those older models are still packed with tech and have an 800V electrical systems which allow seriously quick charging – up to 225kW if you can find a fast enough charger – which could give you 100 miles of range in under ten minutes. Be warned, though, you’ll need the battery pre-conditioning feature to be installed on your car to make the most of those potential charging speeds, and some earlier models built before 2023 don’t have it.
There are a few problems to look out for. Firstly - get an insurance quote before you buy. Although the Ioniq 5 is in a lower group than some rivals - like a Tesla Model 3 - premiums can still be high. The Ioniq 5 isn’t particularly efficient either. The smaller battery model is good for a real-world range of up to 150- to 200 miles between charges, with the larger pack good for around 200 - to 250ish miles.
There are also some issues with the 12V battery, which can flatten itself if the car is left with less than 15% charge in the big main battery. Hyundai says it’s developing a fix for that, and you do get over-the-air software updates on every Ioniq 5, so make sure you get the updates when they come. A five year, unlimited mileage warranty also means that you can get an Ioniq 5 with a useful amount of manufacturer warranty still left.
Tesla Model 3
No used EV video roundup would be complete without mentioning the Tesla Model 3, not least because it has been one of the best-selling electric cars in the world and in the UK, so there’s no shortage of them in our used car listings.
There is a good reason they're so popular: they're efficient, the mobile phone app works brilliantly, the Supercharger network is still the most reliable and most affordable, and you can have supercar performance with supermini running costs.
There are a few different versions to look out for. When it was introduced into the UK in 2019, the Model 3 had a range of between 254 and 348 miles, depending on whether you went for the Standard Range or Long Range. The bonkers Performance version was only a few miles less than the Long Range.
A facelift at the end of 2020 increased the range by a few miles on all the models. If you want all the figures in detail, you can read our used Model 3 review or watch the video, here. And if you can stretch to one of the new ‘Juniper’ Tesla Model 3s, you can get an official range of over 400 miles, but it'll bust that £20,000 budget so we'll have to wait a few years for that one.
Inside, the Model 3's minimalist dash takes some getting used to, but once you know how it works it makes other cars seem old fashioned. The lighter interior was a cost option when the car was new, and does make it brighter - but it’s not practical if you have kids, a dog, or like wearing jeans. No really - they stain the material blue and it’s IMPOSSIBLE to remove. You'll pay a premium for any exterior colour other than white, too, as that was a pricey option when new and a lot of people just went with standard white.
Polestar 2
Here’s a Swede deal – the Polestar 2... It’s a bit of a mash up between Scandinavian design and Chinese EV tech. as Polestar is part of a massive Chinese car maker and built in China, but it's designed in Sweden. And its look is a bit of a mash-up, too - sort of half-way between an SUV and a saloon.
But where the Tesla Model 3 makes do with a smaller saloon boot opening, the Polestar’s more practical hatch makes it a more obvious choice for anyone who needs to carry bigger stuff.
Like the Tesla there are single and twin motor variants, and our £20,000 budget will get you a three-year-old Polestar 2 with either the Long Range 78kWh battery or the Standard Range 64kWh pack, which had WLTP range of 292- or 233 miles. A facelift in 2023 brought some major efficiency improvements and made the single motor model rear-wheel drive rather than front-wheel drive, plus brought an official WLTP range of over 400 miles. Not long, now, before that'll be creeping below £20,000...
If it's the cheaper, pre-facelift Polestar 2 that you're after, look for a car with the Plus Pack. It was a £4,000 option when new but brings a heat pump for more efficient running in cold temperatures, a panoramic glass roof, sound system upgrade and “vegan leather” upholstery, so it'll make a big difference if you spend a lot of time in the car.
Cupra Born
The Born is one of the electric cars that we're always recommending, here at Electrifying. It's just a great all-rounder. Cupra has added a sporty edge to the Volkswagen ID.3 to make it look leaner and meaner with a more assertive look, so it's more interesting and more fun to drive than the ID.3, yet it's still efficient and refined with a decent ride quality.
It’s also practical enough for family motoring, with 385-litres of boot space which expands to 1,267 litres with the seats folded. The Born is offered with three battery options; 58kWh or 77kWh in the standard cars with power outputs of 201bhp and 228bhp, or 79kWh in the sporty Golf GTi-rivalling, 322bhp Cupra Born VZ.
There are plenty of examples now coming back onto the used market post lease-agreement, and prices are really reasonable. You'll find a well-equipped 58kWh Cupra Born, which has a WLTP range of 265 miles or will do around 150- to 230 miles in real world use, for as little as £17,000.
There aren’t many reported problems beyond the general fussiness of the infotainment, which afflicts all VW Group electric cars - although updates have helped to improve it, so we wouldn't let that stop you, these days. The non-metallic grey paint can be a little soft and therefore scratches and chips easily, so look for damage and repairs. Also check the tyres, especially on the higher spec V3 and VZ versions as they are around £250 each for the factory-approved Continentals. The Born is rear-wheel drive, so will wear its rear tyres quicker than its fronts.
VW ID.4
While the smaller ID.3 hatchback and big ID.Buzz tend to hog the limelight, the poor ID.4 tends to be overlooked. And that’s a shame as it’s a spacious, efficient family SUV, and is great value when used. It’s actually cheaper than a Skoda Enyaq with the same miles and age – which might be a surprise to anyone who thought VW was posher!
The ID.4 is a car which has been tweaked and updated over the years since it was launched in 2020. The trim levels and specs can be quite confusing, but it is available with two batteries and a variety of different models with either rear- or four-wheel drive. The lower models are the most common on the used market and look the best value. Look out for ex-taxis though - these will have high mileage and will usually be black with steel wheels rather than alloys.
The 52kWh battery models have a 148 or 168bhp electric motor that should have a range of around 150- to 200 miles. The posher Pro Performance models get a 77kWh battery and 201bhp, or there are twin motor versions with 282bhp and a claimed range of over 300 miles, although 230- to 280 is a more realistic estimate.
The early cars have VW’s infuriating software and switches. You do get used to it - eventually - and given that you can buy high spec models for under £15,000, the price will make it easier to forgive! It's a roomy, safe, comfy, reassuringly familiar car even if you're new to EVs, and it's great value as a used car. What more could you want?
Audi e-tron
If the price of a new Q8 e-tron makes you baulk, take a look at a used version. The cheapest are now dipping well below £20,000, making them a third of the price when they were new.
Why do you want one? Well there’s the style and build quality you’d expect from an Audi. They charge quickly, too. Audi initially offered just one battery - a whopping 95kWh pack - and then brought in a model which was much cheaper, but used a 71kWh battery and had a bit less power. Official WLTP range were 259- or 193 miles respectively, but real-world range will be quite a lot lower than that as the e-tron isn't terribly efficient. You'll struggle to get 200 miles out of a charge from the bigger battery, and the smaller 50 model will be nearer 130 miles in winter. That’s worse than a Corsa Electric.
The problem is made worse if your car has the bigger, blingier 22-inch alloys. The smaller tyres might not impress the neighbours but they can add 30 miles to the range. You’d feel silly if you were stuck 20 miles from home late at night because you went for the nicer looking wheels! They also make the car more comfortable over bumps. Believe me, it makes it much nicer to live with.
But the real joy of the e-tron is that it's very affordable, it's a lovely, luxurious way to ease through all those daily local journeys, and you can slap a private reg number on it and the neighbours will think you’ve won the lottery. Even though you’ve only spent £16,000. See? Now you're tempted, aren't you...
