Used Honda e cars

The Honda e is a sporty electric supermini car designed for city driving. A little larger than a city car yet smaller than a hatchback, it gives you adequate space for passengers but with the easy driving of a spirited electric run-around. You can travel up to 137 miles before needing to plug in, and both motor options hit 0 to 62mph in under ten seconds. It rivals the likes of the MINI Electric, Peugeot e-208 and the Renault Zoe.

Honda e updates and facelifts

The Honda e was released in 2020 and named Urban Car of the Year at the 2021 World Car Awards. The first thing you’ll notice about the Honda e is its distinctive looks. It’s based on Honda’s Urban EV Concept, which captured attention at the 2017 International Motor Show in Germany.

Taking styling cues from the first-generation Civic released in 1976, it has a retro look with circular headlights, a rounded body shape and glossy black touches. Inside is just as futuristic, with five screens spanning the dashboard, alongside more vintage-inspired styling.

The Honda e was released as the marque’s first all-electric vehicle, building on the success of its hybrid range. A new version was released in 2023, which brought many of the Advance trim features into the standard version.

Practicality and style of the car

With four seats, the Honda e is set up for taking passengers away with you. It suits those who need a car just for themselves or for a couple to share. The rear seats are most comfortable for children but can accommodate adults too. There are cupholders for the driver and rear passengers.

With an additional 80mm of height compared to the MINI Electric, the Honda e gives all occupants decent headroom and there’s space for two adults in the back. The electric motor sits beneath the boot, yet there are still 171 litres on offer, which is adequate for a few bags of shopping, gym kit or a couple of holdalls. Fold the seats flat and you’ll have 571 litres, should you need to take more luggage away with you. The seats fold down in one piece, plus they fold flat to make loading easier.

Running costs

As an all-electric vehicle, the Honda e has no road tax, no matter which version you buy. It falls into insurance groups 25-29, depending on the trim. This places the Honda e trims in a similar insurance grouping as the Peugeot e-208, which spans groups 26 to 28.

How a used Honda e drives

A 35.5kWh battery powers the Honda e, with two outputs available: 137bhp and 152bhp. Both put out 315Nm of torque for fast acceleration. The 134bhp motor reaches 0 to 62mph in 9.0 seconds, while the 152bhp option cuts that time to 8.3 seconds. The Honda e has a rear-wheel drive setup up and there are paddles on the steering wheel to switch between different driving modes, like Sport and Normal.

The Honda e is designed to be easy to drive. The single-speed automatic transmission means you only have pedals for go and stop. It has a tight turning circle, helped by the rear position of the electric motor to give the front wheels more room to move. That means it’s capable of turning 180 degrees on an 8.6m wide road, which will make light work of getting around city streets and parking in narrow spaces.

At a fast-charging point, you can recharge the battery to 80% in 31 minutes. Its range is 137 miles, which is suitable for day-to-day drives across town or between cities before a top-up at home overnight.

Features you can expect in a Honda e

Interior

As soon as you open the door to the Honda e, you’re greeted with a bright spacious cabin. The steering wheel and slim dashboard feel retro, helped by the wood-look grain on the dashboard, brown seatbelts and grey cloth on the seats and door trims. Cubbies in the doors and the central console let you store a few essentials and keep the interior looking neat and tidy.

Commanding attention are the five screens which span the entire width of the dashboard. It has Side Camera Mirror System, which replaces the wing mirrors. The others hold all the infotainment and driving information, with two 12.3-inch screens joining up with the 8.8-inch driver’s display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, so you can catch up on your podcasts while you drive. Other controls are within easy reach, either on the steering wheel or on the centre console.

Technology

Ideal for a city car, the Honda e comes with a range of features that act as another pair of eyes to detect hazards on busy roads. Blind-spot monitoring will help you when pulling out of parallel spaces and on the motorway. Lane departure warning and lane keep assist both detect the road boundary and work together to keep you on track, with one alerting you when you veer close to the lines and the other physically steering you back into place if you begin to drift. The front headlights automatically shift from high-beam to low-beam when the system detects an oncoming vehicle or one in front of you, so you don’t have to rush to make the switch yourself.

If you find parking troublesome, all trims feature parking sensors, with the higher-level trim adding a multi-view camera and auto-park tech. All trims come with adaptive cruise control and heated front seats so you can relax on longer journeys. Opt for the higher-level trim, and you get a heated steering wheel.

Safety

The Honda e achieved four stars from Euro NCAP, with a chid occupant rating of 82% and an adult occupant rating of 76%. This compares favourably to the Peugeot e-208’s four-star rating.

Eight airbags through the cabin help to protect all passengers. In the event of a collision with a pedestrian, the bonnet lifts to prevent them from hitting the hard structures beneath. The rear seat also features two ISOFIX points to attach child seats.

The Honda e comes with emergency autonomous braking to warn you of collisions and apply the brakes if you don’t. An intelligent speed limiter system also helps you stick to the maximum speeds on signposts. The higher-level trim also comes with blind spot monitoring, for safer overtaking, plus a cross traffic monitor, which helps detect approaching vehicles when reversing – including bicycles and pedestrians.

Trims available on the Honda e

Honda e Standard trim

The entry-level Honda e packs technology and convenience features. It comes with the five screens that span door to door and plenty of USB ports for people to connect their music. A lot of safety tech is standard too, like lane departure warning and emergency autonomous braking. Faux wood across the dashboard and the stylish light grey upholstery complete the smart look. 16-inch alloy wheels are standard too, as are heated front seats.

Honda e Advance

Opt for the upgraded Advance trim, and, you’ll get a number of other luxuries like a heated steering wheel, auto LED lights and a stereo with a subwoofer to boost the bass. A centre camera mirror system is also included, as is a blind spot monitoring system. All these features are standard on Honda e models released after 2023. Most of the Advance Honda es come with 16-inch alloy wheels, but you may see some specified by the original owner with 17-inch wheels.

Search our stock of used Honda e cars for sale.