Autobayng News Team
The newest electric SUVs are excellent options for most buyers, but they can be far too pricey for many buyers. Don’t be discouraged, though, because the used market is full of deals. EVs suffer more depreciation than typical vehicles, which can make used EVs a relative bargain. And with battery degradation happening more slowly than manufacturers and customers initially feared, they can be with the risk.
Like in the combustion world, the term “SUV” can cover a lot of ground, from off-road beast to slightly lifted wagon classified as an SUV for marketing purposes. We gathered the best options for every buyer, focusing on cars that offer great range, plenty of technology, reliable drivetrains and, most importantly, good value on the used market. Scroll down for the best of the best.
How We Test
InsideEVs editors have dozens of years of combined experience testing cars. We also spend every day reporting on the ever-changing electric car landscape, ensuring you have the latest information to make an informed decision. Throughout the year, we test dozens of EVs, at first-drive events, during week-long reviews and during our annual Breakthrough Awards testing. From the streets of Shanghai to our own driveways, we drive everything so we can give you the best possible information.
All vehicles are evaluated on the basis of two key questions: How good are they as cars, and how good are they as EVs. For the former category, editors focus on how comfortable, easy-to-use and enjoyable they are in day-to-day life. We dive into the infotainment systems, pore over options lists and cover the latest breakthroughs in technology. Then, we evaluate their range, performance, software and efficiency to determine how good each vehicle is as an electric car. The best EVs make ownership hassle-free and fun, with excellent automatic route planning and efficient drivetrains.
For this article, we primarily focused on the best used electric SUVs for the money in the North American car market. To see our list of best EVs in every category, click here.
The Best Used Electric SUV: Hyundai Ioniq 5
EPA Range: 220-303 miles
Drive Type: RWD/AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 10-80% in 18 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2022): $25,000 to $30,000
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the best all-around EV for most buyers. I say that not just as a journalist but as the proud owner of a 2024 SEL AWD model. The Ioniq 5 delivers some of the most advanced EV tech on the market, with an 800V electric architecture and 350 kW fast charging capability on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform. But it goes beyond just being a great EV; the Ioniq 5 is a great car. Plus, since Hyundai sold a bunch of them, they are plentiful and cheap on the used market.
First impressions matter. As Editor-in-Chief Patrick George noted while reviewing the refreshed Ioniq 5, it is “one of the most visually compelling EVs on sale.” Car journalists loved the Ioniq 5’s fresh, retro-futuristic, distinctive, and defiantly electric exterior. But Hyundai’s genius was delivering that originality without making it too weird or overwrought to work as someone’s car in real life.
Once you stop staring and get behind the wheel, the Ioniq 5 is phenomenal to drive. George notes that he was “shocked at how normal it feels.” And after a year of everyday driving, I can’t help but concur. Ioniq 5 handling is sharp and quick without being overly stiff. And its gradated regenerative braking system meets the driver where they are at, whether it’s a complete EV novice or one-pedaling, passenger-annoying lunatic.
The EPA rates the pre-refresh Ioniq 5 for 260 miles of range in AWD spec. But I have found that, even in Michigan, it meets or exceeds that listed range most of the year. And silently dusting aging muscle cars with 446 lb-ft of instant torque off the line is just fun.
The 2025 Ioniq 5 refresh introduced some key improvements, such as a rear windshield wiper and a dedicated phone storage space, which may not be available in used models. However, none of that should detract from what is an excellent overall ownership experience.
Best Used Luxury Electric SUV: BMW iX
EPA Range: 315 miles
Drive Type: AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 10-80% in under 40 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2022): $45,000 to $50,000
BMW’s first EV effort, the i3, was a high-design conversation starter. The iX feels like the polished, fully baked EV that normie BMW buyers have been waiting for. It is, in function if not in form, an electric version of BMW’s X5 crossover. Its exterior appearance raises some hackles, but when you’re behind the wheel of an iX, the stylish interior, outstanding performance and driving dynamics, and 300-plus-mile range more than make up for it.
Tim Stevens has detailed his iX ownership experience for us in a series of review pieces. I’ll spoil them a bit by giving away the throughline: he hasn’t found much wrong with his iX beyond some hiccups with the charging software. Stevens heaped particular praise on the iX’s “spot on” range prediction, which makes planned road-tripping a relaxing and confident experience. Deputy Editor Mack Hogan recommends finding a BMW iX with the $1,000 air suspension, as the ride quality isn’t as good without it.
Used BMW iX models do depreciate. You can find low-mileage 2022 models in the $40,000-range, around half their initial price. That’s not a bad deal for a vehicle that packs more than 500 horsepower and 300 miles of range in (then) base form and up to 77.9 cubic feet of total cargo space.
Best Used 3-Row Electric SUV: Rivian R1S
EPA Range: 316 miles
Drive Type: AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 10-80% in under 40-45 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2022): $63,000 to $70,000
It’s hard to find a more impressive-sounding vehicle on paper than the Rivian R1S when it debuted. Not many cars can pack more than 800 hp, rip 911-like 0-60 mph times, hike up taller than a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to clear obstacles and travel more than 300 miles without using a drop of gas. That’s before you factor in its ability to haul five children in car seats (and their beleaguered parents) in style and comfort or accommodate more than 100 cubic feet worth of stuff.
The revamped 2025 R1S made some significant tweaks. But as Mack Hogan mentioned in his first drive review, most of these changes won’t be noticeable from the driver’s seat. One exception is the ride quality. Earlier R1S models have earned complaints about body control and ride quality, and don’t have what Contributing Editor Tom Moloughney called the “night and day changes” Rivian gave the refreshed model.
The Rivian R1S will likely be SUV overkill for most buyers (though it can do a great job of not feeling like it). And it hasn’t quite hit the meat of its depreciation curve yet. But there isn’t a mature market of used three-row electric SUVs to pick from yet. This recommendation could look different in a couple of years when used Kia EV9s and Ioniq 9s begin returning from their lease adventures, but for now the R1S is the best of the bunch.
Best Used Electric SUV Under $30,000: Kia EV6
EPA Range: 232-310 miles
Drive Type: RWD/AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 10-80% in 18 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2022): $25,000 to $30,000
The Kia EV6 is a close relative of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, sharing most of its components.. Kia gave it a sporty, muscular style rather than the Ioniq 5’s retro-futurist design. At the California launch event, a group of young men stopped at the same pull-off where I was taking pictures to chat me up about it (while urinating); they had no idea the EV6 was a Kia or electric. They just thought it was cool.
Like the Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 offers an impressive all-around package. Patrick George, an EV6 owner, notes that the EV6 is “the most high-tech car” he has owned and “offers a superb combination of range, charging speed, performance, style and practicality.” Though he wishes the EV6 had stronger software to match up with some of its EV competitors.
One can make the case for either AWD or RWD versions of the EV6. The AWD version packs 320 hp, 446 lb-ft of torque and, according to Tom Moloughney, “crisp and precise handling” on mountain roads. However, the RWD version is competent enough and offers more range.
Early Kia EV6s are readily available for less than $30,000 and represent great values. The only real argument against them is that Kia’s lease deals on new EV6s have been so cheap you might as well get that instead.
Best Used Electric SUV Under $20,000: Volkswagen ID.4
EPA Range: 240-260 miles
Drive Type: RWD/AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 5 to 80 percent in 38 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2021): $15,000 to $25,000
Volkswagen primed us for excitement with the new MEB platform, with nostalgic concepts like the ID. Buggy. VW then launched MEB in North America with the opposite of that, the ID. 4 — an electric equivalent of the Tiguan crossover, albeit with fewer buttons. The normcore ID. 4 is not the sexiest EV on sale, but it’s solid and offers a similar ease and practicality to the Tiguan, a car that buyers love.
Patrick George drove an updated ID.4, He praised the vehicle’s approachability and “normal” driving dynamics. “It’s quick enough in everyday driving, but not absurdly fast,” and it stays “predictable and neutral” while cornering. It offers typical crossover-like cargo space with 30.3 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 64.2 cubic feet with the seats folded.
It has its issues—the software on the pre-2024 version was rough, and all ID.4s use capacitive buttons and weird window switches that some people hate. So the ID. 4 isn’t the first EV we’d buy. However, it’s serviceable, practical, and an absolute steal with many early 2021 models listed under $20,000.
Best Used Tesla Electric SUV: Tesla Model Y
EPA Range: 244-330 miles
Drive Type: RWD/AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 200 miles of range in 15 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2022): $20,000 to $30,000
Tesla executed a simple mission with the Model Y: build a Model 3 crossover. The Model Y delivered. It offers style, affordability and practical EV range in a body style people want. It has proven to be an unbridled success. With more than 400,000 vehicles sold in 2024, the Model Y was America’s best-selling EV and fourth-best-selling overall vehicle.
Andrei Nedelea drove the recently updated Model Y for us in Europe. He described the conundrum with the Model Y well: it’s “excellent. It just has an Elon problem.” If you’re inclined to push past that, the Model Y may offer the perfect formula to get a heck of a deal on a used EV.
There are a vast number of Model Ys available. Owners and dealers are motivated to sell them for reasons unrelated to the car’s capabilities. Tesla’s frequent efforts to lower the price of the new Model Y further deflate the value of the used model. The value is there, if you can stomach the Elonness. You’ll be rewarded by the best software experience in the game and a charging network that makes range anxiety a thing of the past.
Electric SUV Depreciation King: Jaguar I-Pace
A 2024 Jaguar I-Pace EV400 R-Dynamic
EPA Range: 234 miles
Drive Type: AWD
DC Fast Charging Speed: 80% charge in about 40 minutes
Estimated Price Range (2020): $25,000 to $30,000
The I-Pace was a dichotomy for Jaguar. It was one of the first credible Tesla competitors. It was a massive critical success, netting three World Car Awards in 2019. But it was also an expensive sales disaster. No one bought it. According to iSeeCars, the I-Pace now suffers from the industry’s highest depreciation, at 72.2% over five years. But that depreciation is the first owner’s problem.
Peter Nelson reviewed the I-Pace in 2024 and noted how it still had a lot to offer. The I-Pace is a “proper luxury car” offering “excellent overall ride quality.” Its sleek Ian Callum design still feels modern. Like many a Jaaaaaag, the I-Pace brings the performance with 394 hp and 512 lb-ft of torque. It offers a bit more pizzazz than buying a used Chevy Bolt for around the same price.
Do note that the I-Pace is yesterday’s state-of-the-art EV. It’s limited to 100 kW fast charging, and pre-2021 I-Paces only had a 7 kW AC charger, compared to the 11 kW found in most modern EVs. Try to get a model with the base 20-inch wheels, as they significantly improve the range.
Conclusion
EVs are getting better, quickly. Today’s cars are significantly better than the ones that were sold even two or three years ago, making it hard to keep up. But even if improved options have hit showrooms, used EVs may still be the best option for a lot of people. They turn the biggest problem with EV ownership—eye-watering depreciation—into an advantage.
As a result, the market is absolutely flooded with options under $30,000 that offer the range, space and features you’d want in a daily driver. That’s why getting something like an EV6 is such a great option. But if you’re not 100% convinced you need an SUV, check out our list of the best used EVs overall. You may find something great. More Guides
