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I’ve been bouncing around between various cars based on spec, comfort and AP for months. I have, however, struggled to make a data based decision, mainly because I’ve not analysed pure data yet. Well, I’ve now put together a spreadsheet that does just that.
The criteria has been quite simple, spec, range, storage, comfort, accessibility Design (whether I like how it looks) and charging speed. Seems quite simple. For spec, I’ve listed what I feel is essential and ordered it so that if an essential item at the top of the list is missing, the score reduces by more than if an item at the bottom isn’t there.
My Spec essentials are:
Heated Front Seats – Both adults have spine issues now, heating the back really does help.
Ventilated front seats – In the summer there’s nothing worse that the burning of sitting on dark seats that have been in the sun for hours.
Heated steering wheel – My hands can suffer in the cold, I find my grip weakens, this will help
Electric Tailgate – With 2x bad backs not having to reach and pull down what can be a heavy tailgate is a massive boost
Electric driver’s seat – if it automatically gives me more space to get in/out or simply makes adjusting the seat easier, I’ll take it
Electric Passenger’s seat – again, if it helps the Mrs then happy wife and all that.
HUD – I’m a fan of keeping eyes on the road, this just helps out massively
Apple CarPlay – I do tend to become annoyed at commercial radio stations, even more so at what Radio 2 has become so I listen to my own playlists now. This has 3 options, Wired, Wireless and none.
That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Scores are worked out to be out of 10, with Heated front seats worth 1.243 and HUD at 1.027. Wireless CarPlay is 1, wired 0.5 none =0. totals range from 10 down to 3.41.
I then score Comfort, Accessibility (front and rear separately) all out of 10 and average them to get a practicality score.
I then have range and charging time, which I’ll rank and score just as soon as I can work out how.
I have storage, combined boot space and any front storage (Frunk) this is simple measurement in litres from the manufacturer’s figures.
Finally there’s the experience scores out of 10, one for me, one for the Mrs.
Once I’ve completed the calculations, test driven the top 3 and added preference numbers I will have a total score. That score then gets divided into the AP, so if I have 2 scoring the same, one being £2,500 the other £7,000 then the score per £ number will be very different.
This should give me a clear winner.
My list of cars (all electric) are@
Ariya in 2 forms, Advance 87kWh and Evolve 63kWh
Mach E (now off scheme)
EV6 GT line and GT Line AWD
Q4 Sport
Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Ioniq 5 Ultimate (Tech)
Enyaq 85 Edition and 85x Sportline Plus
Currently the Ioniqs and Enyaqs are the top 4.
Interestingly, whilst this will change when I finish my formulae properly, the price per point varies from the Enyaq at £220.49 all the way up to the EV6 AWD at a rather concerning £1,086.58 per point.
Once I’ve finished working out the maths and formulae I need, I’d like to upload a version, so that others can borrow it and do their own comparisons, however, some help would be gratefully received on just how I’d do that, maybe a mod could help? @joss @WMCforum
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
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So the combined best equipped, most practical, best storage, best range and recharging speed of my list is the Ioniq 6, then the 5, then the Enyaq (both Edition and Sportline Plus models). Once price has been taken into account the Enyaq 85 Edition wins at £214.18 per point, then the Sportline Plus, then the Ioniq 6 and finally (of the 4) the Ioniq 5. However the Ioniqs both get extra points for comfort for the relaxation seats, so dropping the 5 to not having the tech pack would reduce it’s comfort score and still would have it in 4th.
This is by far the easiest way for me to get my head around what’s important, what’s better at each element and what works out best as a combined score. If space, for example, became more important for us I could easily change the formula to increase it’s impact on the overall score but currently all elements of specification, range and recharging, practicality and storage space are treated equally alongside the scores from myself and the Mrs. There is scope to add in a score for delivery speed, prioritising the cars available soonest but I think it’ll have to be very close between 2 cars for that to have a significant impact, afterall, the ideal car is worth the wait.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Great stuff.
Good to see it’s not just me who does things like this
And after all of that I ended up with a Yaq
Blimey @MFillingham. I think this would help a lot of others make a decision. Especially as you can input your individual wants and needs and weight them based on importance.
And after all of that I ended up with a Yaq
Haha better to have it and not need it…..what were your requirements and what yaq did you settle on? Did you add options to make it work for you??
Blimey @MFillingham. I think this would help a lot of others make a decision. Especially as you can input your individual wants and needs and weight them based on importance.
That is my hope. I’ve worked as both accountant and data analyst, so I can navigate a spreadsheet. I need to have a think about ensuring it works for non technical people to play with.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
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And after all of that I ended up with a Yaq
Haha better to have it and not need it…..what were your requirements and what yaq did you settle on? Did you add options to make it work for you??
My only must haves were automatic, reversing camera, adaptive cc but I had quite a few nice to haves and the Enyaq had most if not all of them – no options added. Loved it when I drove it and that sealed the deal.
Ordered an 80 SL+ in early October which didn’t fall victim to the recent cull. Still showing as an 80 on MB but dealer has said it would be built as an 85 (build week was last week). Now that its back on the scheme I’m more confident I’ll end up with the 85 even if I have to pay an extra £400 (wouldn’t be happy about that but given some of the things I’ve read recently I’ll accept it).
MFillingham, you’re most definitely not a nerd, you’re the kind of detailed and organised person that I would love to be. Thank you for your extremely helpful post.
My only must haves were automatic, reversing camera, adaptive cc but I had quite a few nice to haves and the Enyaq had most if not all of them – no options added. Loved it when I drove it and that sealed the deal. Ordered an 80 SL+ in early October which didn’t fall victim to the recent cull. Still showing as an 80 on MB but dealer has said it would be built as an 85 (build week was last week). Now that its back on the scheme I’m more confident I’ll end up with the 85 even if I have to pay an extra £400 (wouldn’t be happy about that but given some of the things I’ve read recently I’ll accept it).
Im in the same boat as you in regards to ordering an 80 SL and now expecting the 85x sportline. I saw on FB one guy saying his MB contract has swapped over to 85x with the original AP but we know better than to believe what we cannot feel. My dealer has also told me that my increase will be honoured and that Skoda is picking up the bill for the change as it was their choice to upgrade. (although the 85X is the same price and the 80 we ordered so technically its not cost them anything) again im taking that with a pinch of salt until its all signed and delivered.
Hopefully you will have yours this side of Christmas and worst case it will cost you an extra £400 but at least for that you are getting a little bit more.
MFillingham, you’re most definitely not a nerd, you’re the kind of detailed and organised person that I would love to be. Thank you for your extremely helpful post.
Thanks you @POPS
Oh but I am, and proud of it. When it comes to having to compare, calculate or deal with some information, I’ll be powering up the laptop before you can say data scientist. It’s the only part of the chaos that is my life that is organised and controlled, there’s much more that should be but doesn’t quite manage to get there. 😀
Unfortunately I’m not a complete computer whizz, so getting the spreadsheet hosted somewhere that it can be shared would need some guidance from those who know.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Mark, its common sense to create your list, not nerdy at all.
Used to do that with pen and paper to see where you stand…lol. Now its a spreadsheet.
Once you got an idea where you gonna go with your scores, then you go where your heart tells you.
Fortunately, its only a 3 year lease.
Who knows where we will be in a years time as age and health takes chunks out of us.
I would always go with the military thinking of decisions. There are no GOOD or BAD decisions… Its only A DECISION based on that moment in space and time.
No point in looking at hindsight with regrets.
I hope you get a car that works for you. Its only a temporary material object.
Ioniq, wise words. Whilst I’m a bit of a car follower (not quite petrol head) and I do like to have something different as I get older and as I work less well, I tend to care less about those material things and more about ensuring those around me are properly looked after.
The list really does create a little clarity, especially when comparing some very well equipped cars where it’s rather too easy to get carried away, like the Ariya with it’s electric centre tray that pops out and the centre console that operates at the press of a button. They really are gimmicks but it’s amazing how quickly you get carried away and think I’d not want to miss out. It’s not until I stopped to list what we actually NEED and the list was rather short.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Choosing a car with this need list is simple and down to common sense imo
If such high end spec/list as mentioned is needed that in itself makes things easy to boil down in fact just by needing Ventilated front seats must boil it down to a few cars
You say
( Spec essentials are:
Heated Front Seats – Both adults have spine issues now, heating the back really does help.
Ventilated front seats – In the summer there’s nothing worse that the burning of sitting on dark seats that have been in the sun for hours.
Heated steering wheel – My hands can suffer in the cold, I find my grip weakens, this will help
Electric Tailgate – With 2x bad backs not having to reach and pull down what can be a heavy tailgate is a massive boost
Electric driver’s seat – if it automatically gives me more space to get in/out or simply makes adjusting the seat easier, I’ll take it
Electric Passenger’s seat – again, if it helps the Mrs then happy wife and all that.
HUD – I’m a fan of keeping eyes on the road, this just helps out massively
Apple CarPlay – I do tend to become annoyed at commercial radio stations, even more so at what Radio 2 has become so I listen to my own playlists now. This has 3 options, Wired, Wireless and none.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
As far as choosing your own car it seems a simple task thats being made out to be complicated although I appreciate you like a spreadsheet
As the required mentioned spec can only apply to a few available scheme cars thus reducing the choice to just a few motorbility cars and not as complex as its being made out to be and a few test drives later job done
Takes a little longer imo if your needs are few as you then have more available cars to try and choose from
Cant beat a good youtube review imo followed by a few showroom visits.
Just my take on it and each to their own
@Burgerman333 you’re not wrong but I have been flip flopping through a few different cars and have a track record of getting carried away. As you say the needs are few, although pretty specific and limit the options with scheme EVs, which isn’t a bad thing. However, before I made the list of needs the things I was looking at getting from the next car was getting out of hand. For example the Ariya Evolve hit the top of the list because the steering wheel and seats could be set electronically, which could have meant a profile for each driver and the seat would set accordingly. Sounds great until you realise there’s only one driver right now and even if the Mrs does finally pass her test, she’ll only drive if I can’t. So that’s a great feature entirely wasted on us that became almost a criteria to exclude other cars.
So I got all nerdy, hit the spreadsheets and took control. I then thought that there may be others who are less capable in Excel who could appreciate the work done and make use of it for their own list of needs. Yes there are simpler ways and to some people deciding on their next car is an absolute doddle, for others it’s a task of research, creating lists and short lists to do some more research and starting all over again as something else comes on scheme or prices change. These are the people this could help.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
It will help me in a big way tbh. I’m really struggling with some of the brands websites. It’s as if they’ve made them more complicated or maybe my brain has just give up another few cells.
The Skoda one has me bamboozled tbh. Suite, eco suite, lounge which I think are just all interior colours. 80s now the 85? But we still have 60s, is that just the smaller battery version. Loft, edition, sportline I get, but I just want a simple tool to compare those trims side by side (Skoda website has this but its not working). I’ve read a lot on here that the coupe doesn’t have a rear wiper, Skoda brochure says it does? Also the motabillity site for the Enyaqs is a bit messed up.
Basically Mark will be doing a lot of the work I should be doing but sometimes my brain just says ‘no’
Buying a car based on a spreadsheet = recipe for disaster.
A car is about passion and involvement. It’s something you have to live with everyday, an affair of the heart and senses. How do you measure pleasure or how something looks and feels? A car should make you sing, make you look back over your shoulder.
Don’t choose a car because the computer says ‘YES’, rather choose one because it makes you feel good and the journey will be a better one. I love my little ID3 and put up with what is missing, it is far from perfect but it don’t half make me smile.
Skoda Enyaq Race Blue
We’re straying into the episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets to build his ‘ideal’ car.
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a car that ticks all the boxes so there’s always give and take. Unless, of course, all cars come fully loaded and you just pay a subscription for the options you want/need which seems to meet with near universal disapproval.
I’m a big fan of spreadsheets for bills, where it shows specific data for that year and exports at year end into another sheet that tracks the use/spend over the last 5 years. However, I don’t believe doing one to shortlist cars especially when you have to cross reference the manufacturers spec sheet of what is/not included. Personally I much prefe to print out the spec’s and make notes at the bottom of the page if needed.
For example:
Most cars have heated seats but, ventillated seats are more a rarity as standard. The cars on the list with ventillated seats are the, Ariya Evolve. Hyundai Ultimate 5 and 6, so these 3 cars would be on my shortlist (The Enyak gets them only on the L&K).
If you wanted a Heatpump as standard, the Ioniq 6 becomes the number one choice.
From there you can look at option packs, to see if they would give you these and compare the cost agains’t the base AP of a car that has them as standard.
Another extended test drives of those in your final shortlist, to come up with a conclusion.
Bobs your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt ?
The tech pack on the Ionoq 5 gets you, amongs’t other things, the bind spot monitor when you indicate on the instrument cluster. Brilliant idea!
des
{It will help me in a big way tbh. I’m really struggling with some of the brands websites. It’s as if they’ve made them more complicated or maybe my brain has just give up another few cells.]
I agree
They can be a bit like an Indiana Jones script and I avoid if possible and seek detail in plain English where possible
Im all for each to their own and appreciate that if this works for some then alls good
Im more computer nerdy and thank god everyones not the same as me
Well thats what the Mrs tells me….Often
I’ve found this thread interesting. It’s made me think about what features I now need.
For example I’ve realised that one key element of my previous “must haves” no longer applies and that’s power …. bhp …. oomph!
I sat in my car the other day and looked at my saved stats. To my surprise I’ve averaged just 27 mph over the last 2000 miles. This confirms that my vehicle usage has totally changed since moving to my current house.
0 to 62 mph no longer matters to me. It’s comfort, driving assistance, safety aids, quality build and fittings, and general ‘in car ambience’ that I’m looking for now.
@POPS I’d hate to say it but you’re getting old??
Seriously though, realising your needs may change is an important phase many people skip when changing car. It’s not until you get in the proposed new one and realise you can’t get out or, worse, buy a huge powerful monster just for it to pootle about on half power for 3 years that you find you’re risking spending too much on entirely the wrong thing.
I’ve gone from driving up motorways at Mach 1? to barely bothering to get to the speed limit, not to maximise range but purely because it’s a comfortable ride over the mad rush. I used to be so stressed trying to get there 5 minutes quicker, just to find I was no quicker than those cruising up the inside lane. Plus, these days, if you’re driving around town, you’re likely to be restricted to 20 or 30 if you’re lucky which means that slow cruiser that’s full of comfortable features makes loads more sense than to 750 bhp monster that barely gets out of second.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
@POPS @MFillingham ya olf farts ?
I always look at torque figurers and 0-60 times, for getting out of junctions, dangers or even overtaking…. Even though I may not make use of them on a daily basis, doesn’t mean I won’t. I.E getting past farm traffic on a country lane safely etc.
@POPS @MFillingham ya olf farts ? I always look at torque figurers and 0-60 times, for getting out of junctions, dangers or even overtaking…. Even though I may not make use of them on a daily basis, doesn’t mean I won’t. I.E getting past farm traffic on a country lane safely etc.
Yeah, electric has that sorted, as long as it gets the power to the floor properly.
Living in Cornwall we know all about getting around tractors, the rapid pull is incredibly useful but doesn’t come with the fuel use of a big engine.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
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