Here Are the 5 Best EVs I’ve Driven

Who can electrify the best?

September 11, 2023

3–5 minutes

Controversial article time! Look, I know not all of my readers like the idea of an EV (electric cars), but bear with me: these are good, I promise. I’ve driven about half the EV market at this point, and while there are definitely some duds (ahem, Toyota), you’d be surprised at how many of these are good not only by electric standards but by global standards.

Note: While I have covered the Hyundai Ioniq 6, nobody at Hyundai wants to let me drive it, so it will be omitted. Are we ready? Okay, let’s do this.

5. Ford Mustang Mach-E GT w/ Performance Package

I feel like most readers already know my stance on the Mustang Mach-E. Not only do I really like this car, but I agree that it’s a Mustang. I can hear the keyboard warrior now. The Mach-E that I drove, the GT with the Performance Package, had that ponycar pep that only a Mustang could have. Its 3.3 second 0-60 was a great party trick, and for a car on the performance side, it rode pretty well. My only complaint is that at almost $80,000, it is a lot of money for a non-Lincoln Ford product. But, if you drive it like you stole it, it might be worth it.

4. Chevy Bolt EUV

Look! Another car that got me into hot water. I firmly believe I was ahead of the curve when it came to praising the Bolt EUV, especially since everyone now loves it after GM announced that they would kill it. Anyway, the car: I called the Bolt EUV the best deal of 2022, and I still stand by it. for $31,000, you get (or got) 250 miles of range, heated and ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, Supercruise, and more. And with over 220 hp, you do get some fun acceleration, even if the front wheels scream the entire time. If we’re now doing complaints, I would like more range, If it hit 275 miles, it would be the steal of the century.

3. Polestar 2

Since driving the Polestar 2 back in October of 2022, the car has gone through some serious updates. A new grille, a rear wheel drive option, and crucially, much better range. This puts me in a weird spot, because I didn’t drive this version, and therefore I can’t give my thoughts on it. However, I did drive the OG long-range dual-motor variant, and I loved it. I felt that, as a product, it felt better than a Tesla Model 3, and drove better, too. I know that was a controversial opinion, but if you’re not pissing people off, you’re not doing your job correctly. I just wished they kept the original grille with the squares on it for the 2024 model year.

2. Mercedes EQS SUV

Despite the crap that Mercedes’ EQ line of cars get, I quite like them. And the best of the bunch? The EQS SUV, specifically the 450 model because you can get it without the Hyperscreen. This car is opulence on four wheels. It is a dual middle finger to subtleness and raises the bar on EV luxury. This “car” irons out bumps, too. It has, to date, the smoothest ride of any car I’ve ever driven. So, while it won’t win “the best of the EVs,” it will win the “smoothest ride.” Like the Bolt EUV, however, I did wish it had about 25 more miles of range to play with.

Honorable mention: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

I know what you’re thinking: “What? How did this not make the top 5?” Well, I’m kind of thinking that too. The Taycan Coss Turismo looks great, drives superbly for a heavy car, has a very nice interior, and it’s a wagon. But, and this is the thing that killed me: for $120,000, you get 235 miles of range. The friggin Bolt gets more than that. I just can’t justify range that low, even if this car is an A- in every other category. It’s a shame, really.

1. BMW iX

Let me say one thing and say it clear: I still think the iX is ugly. I have 0 defense for it and therefore I won’t be mentioning it again. But, if you do put looks aside, the iX is phenomenal. It has a swanky interior with great materials, has a great UX (even if iDrive 7 is better), is comfortable by BMW standards, accelerates like a bat out of hell in non-M trims, and gets over 330 miles on a single charge. Oh, and it’s almost $20,000 less than the aforementioned EQS SUV. This is about as good as EV SUVs get, and also about as good as normal, practical EVs get in general. Plus, it doesn’t have falcon doors that will go wrong.