EVs That Require Extra Consideration Before a 2026 Purchase

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, but not every model is a perfect fit for every buyer. Factors like charging infrastructure, range, maintenance, software reliability, and resale value can significantly impact ownership satisfaction. Here’s a list of EVs that deserve extra attention and careful research before committing to a 2026 purchase.

Tesla Model 3

man, where do I even start. everyone either loves this car or acts like it personally ruined their childhood. it’s good, sure, fast, clean, feels like driving a smartphone. but also kinda soulless? and those door handles, bro, I swear you need a tutorial every time. around $40k-ish, looks sleek in photos but up close cheap plastic, odd rattles, faint smell of electronics warming up. actually reminds me of an Apple store that grew wheels.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

ok I tried to love this one. really did. the name’s cool, the badge’s cooler, but ugh. it feels confused. like it wants to be rebellious but still gets nervous parallel parking. around $45k if I remember right. solid car but doesn’t feel Mustang-y at all. no rumble, no nonsense, just a soft motor whir. nice seats though, smell new. too new.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

the design is cool in that “retro-future video game car” kind of way. but something about the proportions always looks squished. saw one charging once at a Starbucks owner looked exhausted, like he’d been waiting days. $47k and still not enough range to relax on a road trip. interior’s clean though, like Ikea minimalism if they stopped trying too hard.

Rivian R1T

I like this thing. I really do. feels adventurous, like it wants to take you camping on Mars. but… try finding a charger in the middle of nowhere. good luck. $73k I think, depending on setup. cool lights, great personality, but it’s heavy feels like driving future anxiety on four wheels. makes you wonder if we’re inventing too much too fast.

Volkswagen ID.4

hmm the ID.4 exists. that’s… something. nice interior, sure, but the infotainment system lags like it’s buffering real life. you swipe and it thinks about it for five seconds. my friend had one and said it “smelled like carpet glue and hope.” they’re about $41k now. makes sense for city life, but god forbid you need to go somewhere quickly.

Chevrolet Blazer EV

so Chevy tried to go bold fire it up (or whatever you call it now) and it flashes lights like a UFO ready to leave. looks cool, yeah, but I heard about all the software recalls, and that’s rough when the entire car is software. $56k? feels steep for something that might freeze mid-drive (like literally freeze, not in a fun winter way).

Nissan Ariya

the Ariya is like Nissan’s “I promise we’re still relevant” attempt. it’s fine. comfortable, quiet, kinda elegant. $43k-ish last I checked. but there’s nothing memorable about it except the weird dashboard wood trim that feels like plastic pretending to be wood. interior smells oddly expensive though, I’ll give that.

Mercedes EQE SUV

I sat in one of these at an auto show and I swear the ambient lighting hypnotized me. sixty shades of blue for no reason. screen overload, too many buttons pretending to be touch. like driving a sci-fi set. $80k+ and it still can’t make you feel something organic. everything’s perfect to the point of emptiness which, honestly, sums up luxury EVs right now.

Lucid Air

ah, Lucid. looks like a concept car that accidentally made it into production. smooth, long, absolutely beautiful but way too serious. $75k starting, and yeah, it’s lightning quick. but you sit there like “where’s the personality?” also the car smells faintly like burnt static and rich people perfume. maybe that’s just newness. feels like a prototype that forgot to relax and live a little.