We are both 70-plus years old and we tend to keep our vehicles about 10 years. My partner drives a 2016 Mazda CX-3. I drive a 2024 Subaru Impreza.
We plan to buy a new car this fall, preferring it be electric. It will likely become our primary vehicle in five years’ time. This vehicle should have more storage space than the Mazda, but not be too big, possibly a compact SUV. We both have short legs, so short seat pans are a requirement, as is good lumbar support and seat heaters.
We occasionally have others in the vehicles and mount two or three bikes on a hitch rack. A sun roof would be lovely. As would a car that’s a pleasure to drive and quiet inside (especially now that Toronto road quality has taken a turn for the worse). We don’t tend to buy luxury vehicles, but could afford to if something was enticing. – Cindy
Miranda Lightstone: Cindy, you obviously know what you want and need. Because you’re already familiar with Subaru and want to go electric, my first suggestion is to consider the Subaru Uncharted.
Mark Richardson: One of the biggest criticisms of Cindy’s 10-year-old Mazda CX-3 has always been its cargo space, with just 351 litres behind the rear seats and 1,260 litres when those seats fold down. The Uncharted has almost double that space behind the rear seats, and 1,685 litres when the seats fold down – though they don’t fold completely flat.
Lightstone: The Uncharted also has close to 500 kilometres of range on a full charge for the front-wheel drive model, which means it will feel a lot like driving a gas car between “full-ups.” But if Cindy wants the all-wheel drive, which I would recommend, that range drops to about 450 kilometres.
One difference with the Toyota C-HR is the daytime running lights on the Subaru are a half-dozen LED lamps.Mark Richardson/JOBFlocks
Richardson: Subaru’s big selling point against the almost identical Toyota C-HR is that its front-wheel-drive model is $4,000 less – it’s not so fully equipped and its battery is smaller. Its all-wheel drive model is about $2,000 cheaper than the equivalent Toyota, again because it’s not quite so equipped with features, though its 77-kilowatt-hour battery is the same size. However, Cindy must buy the top-of-the-line GT if she wants a glass roof, and that’s about $53,000 before taxes, but before potential rebates.
Lightstone: Cindy will also have to keep in mind that the Uncharted (and Toyota’s equivalent) can only pull a maximum charge of 150 kilowatts which means, out in the real world, a 10- to 80-per-cent charge will take around 30 minutes at a DC Fast charger. Which is one reason why it’s so important for Cindy to have a home charger if she really wants to go fully electric.
Richardson: That 30 minutes is optimistic, too. It’ll take longer if the weather is cold or if the fast charger is actually only a 50-kilowatt unit. And the commercial rate for power is expensive.
Lightstone: It’s not impossible without a home charger, but it makes longer-distance drives and winter driving much more complicated if everything has to be planned around public chargers. If Cindy can’t or won’t install a home charger, then EV driving may not be for her.
Richardson: There’s no doubt electric cars are far less rewarding – and more expensive – if you can’t charge at home, so let’s assume Cindy knows this. In the meantime, should I mention the Tesla Model Y, or just leave that for some of our commenters to recommend more fully?
Lightstone: Let’s leave it to our dedicated fanbase who will, no doubt, bring that one up.
Richardson: Though their advocacy will be valid – the Model Y’s starting price of $52,636, before taxes but also before the federal government’s current rebate of $5,000, does make it a strong contender, especially if you’re happy to look like a starship trooper.
Lightstone: If we want to think outside the Mazda/Subaru box, I’d swing toward Hyundai with the Kona EV. It’s comfortable, spacious, drives well and has decent range under the right conditions. It starts at just under $47,000 before taxes and rebates.
The 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric has a range of 420 kilometres.Jason Tchir/JOBFlocks
Richardson: Hyundai’s been making the electric Kona for a few years now and it’s held up well, and it has even more space than the Subaru Uncharted, for several thousand dollars less. It’s not available with all-wheel drive, but Cindy didn’t ask for that. If she wants all-wheel drive, or something the next size up, she should consider the excellent – but more expensive – Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Lightstone: Cindy should also take a look at the Kia EV4 which is actually about $5,000 cheaper than the Kona. I know, the Kona is a compact SUV and the EV4 is a sedan, but the Kia has a greater range with more than 500 kilometres available in ideal conditions. That means, in the winter, she’ll feel less anxious about her range dropping by up to one-third.
2026 Kia EV4Courtesy of manufacturer
Richardson: The EV4 is one of the least expensive electric cars on the Canadian market right now, though it feels like a more costly vehicle when you drive it. Its most basic model sells for around $41,500 before taxes, though that’s also before the current government rebate of close to $5,000.
Lightstone: Kia is about to introduce the EV3, which is an all-electric sub-compact SUV that will be about $2,000 cheaper than the EV4. It’s probably too small for Cindy and neither of us have driven it, so we can’t recommend it, but it may be worth waiting for to save some money.
Richardson: Cindy’s not asking for the cheapest car, though – she wants a vehicle to last 10 years or so and something quiet and perhaps even luxurious. Perhaps a bit of a reward car for retirement.
Lightstone: It really helps when we have a budget to work with. Without it, we’re just spit-balling on cars in the same bracket as the Mazda CX-3 and Subaru Impreza.
Richardson: So let me suggest an expensive car I’ve driven recently, which really impressed me: the BMW iX3. It’s about $80,000 before taxes, but most everything about it is unprecedented, and it’s about as future-proof as an electric car can be this year.
Lighting replaces chrome around the new kidney grilles that have grown exponentially smaller.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
Lightstone: Suggesting with wild abandon for price sounds more like a Miranda bit of advice, and I like it. I’ve not yet driven the iX3, but I have experience with all-electric BMWs and not only do they drive extremely well, they’re comfortable and look good on the road. Maybe the iX3 will be just enticing enough for Cindy to cross over into the luxury realm.
Richardson: It has everything she’s asking for, as well as a potential range of more than 600 kilometres and super-fast charging. The seats are not too deep, and they can even be optioned to give an effective massage. It’s quiet and comfortable with a lovely sound system and soothing ambient lighting. The whole thing will cost around $90,000 after Ontario taxes with those options, but it’s definitely enticing.
Lightstone: You had me at massaging seats. I think we’ve given Cindy a broad spectrum here. She can start with what she knows and check out the Subaru, but I stand by my Hyundai Kona EV suggestion as being the clear and practical winner here.
Richardson: I suggest the Tesla Model Y is a strong option, but perhaps she should wait to find out more about the Kia EV3, if she wants to save money. If she can consider the price tag of a luxurious car like the BMW, though, she should take a test drive in the iX3, just to see what’s possible.
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