Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Even if you love the looks of the Honda e, don’t give two hoots about practicality and can live with a small range between charges, there’s still something that might put you off: the price. It would be easier to forgive its flaws if it had a small price tag, but it’ll cost you a good chunk more than all the rivals, including the Fiat 500, Mini Electric, Peugeot e-208 and Renault Zoe. In fact, it’ll even cost you more than the entry-level Kia Niro EV and around the same as the Cupra Born in V1 trim.
Given that all of those rivals are larger cars with much longer ranges between charges, and the Mini Electric has a plusher interior and a more user-friendly infotainment system, it’s clear that the only reasons for choosing the Honda e are subjective ones. And that’s absolutely fine as long as you know that you're turning your nose up at other electric cars that offer more for less.
There's also an impressive amount of safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB). When Euro NCAP tested the model for safety in 2020, it was awarded four out of five stars. It provided good protection for adults in the front during the severe side pole impact, but was rated marginal for protection of the driver’s chest and poor for protection of the driver’s lower right leg. The VW ID.3 scored the full five stars when it was tested in the same year.
The Honda e's maximum charging speed is 35kW. The 35.5kWh battery should take 36 minutes to charge from 10-80% if you're plugged into a 50kW CCS public charger. A 7kW home wall box will give you a full charged (0-100%) in around five hours and 15 minutes.
Honda has a pretty good record when it comes to reliability, finishing 12th out of the 32 manufacturers in the 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey. That places it above rivals Renault (18th), Volkswagen (22nd), Peugeot (28th) and Fiat (30th) but way below Mini in third.
For added peace of mind, the e is covered by a three-year, 90,000-mile warranty, with the battery covered by a separate eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty with a guarantee that it will retain at least 70% of its original capacity during that time.
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