Honda e Review

We recently added the Honda e Advance to the electric cars available for subscription. In this review, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Honda e. With no added fluff.

Honda e: What’s it like?

Honda has been rolling out hybrid vehicles across its range since 1999 but it was only last year that it produced its first fully electric car – the Honda e. And boy was this beautifully engineered premium EV worth the wait!

Named ‘German Car of the Year 2021’ and ‘City / Small Car of the Year’ in the News International Motor Awards 2020, the Honda e’s distinctive retro-style is both charming and impossibly cute.

Available in two versions – Standard and Advance – it is built for modern city living. Quick and nimble around town, the rear-wheel drive car can fit into any parking space (the Advance version even comes with ‘Park Pilot’ which will do the parking for you!).  It also has an exceptionally tight turning circle of just 4.3 metres making three-point turns virtually a thing of the past.

But is it good value?

Just from looking at the Honda e you can see that it is jam-packed with tech.  

The hidden handles that pop open by pressing the unlock button on the key fob and the slick side cameras that replace the traditional wing mirror are just the beginning…

Jump inside, and you’ll see five screens – two display a live feed of the view behind – and the other three run the width of the dashboard. The 8.8 inch TFT display presents vehicle info such as power output and charging status; and the dual 12.3 inch LCD touchscreens are the primary infotainment displays presenting a range of intelligent apps and services.

What’s the point though (other than looking cool)? Well, it’s about inviting both front seats into the driving experience: perhaps the driver needs to change the sat nav. The passenger at the ready can ‘swipe’ the screen towards them, input the directions, set the routing live, then ‘swipe’ the screen right into the driver’s eye-line. Neat! 

Besides the tech, there’s plenty of headroom in the front and the high dashboard makes it feel spacious. There’s lots of headroom in the back as well, but much less legroom. Though you can still fit four average sized adults in the car. One drawback is the size of the boot. At only 171 litres, it’s not ideal for your whole family’s holiday luggage. 

Additional features on offer in the Advance grade include a more powerful motor, heated windscreen and steering wheel, digital rear-view mirror, an updated stereo system, as well as Honda Park Pilot. 

How does it perform?

In terms of speed, the more Advance car will do 0-60 in 8.3 seconds, while the standard version will do it in 9 seconds. Like most EVs its advertised top speed is only 90mph, but let’s be honest, this is a city car, and how often do you go at 60mph in urban traffic anyway?

How far does it go?

Both versions of the car come with a 35.5kWh battery pack with a usable capacity of 28.5kWh. This gives a range of 137 miles on paper, but in the real world you are looking at more like 100 miles. So, for a modern EV, this is by no means the biggest battery on the market. 

If you do the UK average of 20 miles a day you will need to charge this car up more than weekly, so you’ll want to have easy access to charging, either at home or a public solution local to you at work or at home.

On the plus side, you can charge from 10-80% in just 31 minutes using a 50kW rapid charger. A 7kW home or public charger will take about 4 hours to do the same.

How does it compare?

As this is a premium car, the price reflects this, starting at £26.6k for the Standard, and rising to £29.1k for the higher-spec Advance model. 

To eclipse other similar electric cars on the market, Honda has held nothing back on its ‘conscious decision’ to invest in design and technology, installing several acres of screen, and including Tesla-esque features like Honda Park Pilot Assist.

All the closest competitors trump the Honda e on range but then this EV is unashamedly designed for town and city folk. 

Prices for the Standard are similar to that of the Renault Zoe ZE50, which has a starting price of about £26k but has a considerably better range (245 miles WLTP). 

The Peugeot e-208 is cheaper at £25.5k and will give you a range of 211 miles, while the Mini Electric has a similar range (145 miles WLTP) but costs from £26k. 

Clearly then, if you are looking to regularly rack up 200+ miles of range, there are better alternatives out there. 

So who’s it for? 

Honda has got a lot right with this car. It is fun, stylish, packed full of the latest tech and ideal for urban living.  

What’s good?

• Turns heads everywhere with its cool looks 
• Tight handling 
• Interior is tech-rich and user-friendly  

However…

• Range is not ideal for regular long journeys 
• Slightly higher price 
• Could do with more luggage space

Verdict

This is a superb electric car that scores high on personality. 

The tech is in a league of its own; it’s comfortable, easy to drive, and is built for the modern age. Its limited range means it won’t be suitable for everyone, but as a city runaround, it’s going to be hard to beat.

What do you think of the Honda e?