Every “best electric SUV” list you have read this year is really a list of new cars you cannot afford. This one is different. If you want the best used electric SUV Australia has on the market right now, one that fits two child seats, a pram and the weekly shop, you are shopping a different world: three-year-old cars at half their launch price, with most of the battery worry already answered by the data. We picked five genuinely good used family EVs, told you what each one actually costs, and flagged the one thing to check before you hand over the money.
We are not here to sell you an EV. We are here to stop you buying a dud. So every price, range figure and safety score below links to where we got it, and where a model has a known problem, we say so in plain English.
How we picked (and who these are for)
A family SUV has to do boring things well: swallow gear, take ISOFIX child seats, carry five without anyone’s knees in their chin, and go far enough between charges that you are not planning your life around a plug. So we weighted real-world range over headline WLTP claims (WLTP is the lab-test number, and you will not see it in the real world), boot space, ANCAP safety, and running cost. We stuck to genuine SUV and crossover body styles families actually cross-shop, and skipped the low, sporty stuff.
One honest note up front. The saving that makes EVs worth it is fuel: charging at home is far cheaper per kilometre than petrol. But there is a catch nobody at the dealership mentions. According to CHOICE’s January 2026 insurance analysis, EV owners pay around $843 a year more to insure than petrol owners, and Tesla is the most expensive brand to cover at an average of $2,985 a year. Budget for it.
Prices are still moving fast, so sanity-check what these cars are actually selling for right now in our guide to used EV prices in Australia for 2026.
Tesla Model Y: the default, and still the smart pick
The Model Y is the used family EV everyone else is measured against, and there is a reason. Prices have fallen hard. A 2022 rear-wheel-drive Model Y now starts from around $39,990 on carsales dealer listings, which is remarkable for a car that launched here well north of $65,000.
Space is the headline. CarsGuide lists 854 litres behind the rear seats (including a deep under-floor area), stretching to a quoted 2,158 litres of total space, plus a 117-litre frunk under the bonnet for the charging cables. The rear seat is genuinely adult-friendly and takes child seats without drama. On safety, the Model Y holds a five-star ANCAP rating, with ANCAP scoring it 95 per cent for child occupant protection, which is about as good as this class gets.
The 2022 RWD is rated at 455km WLTP. In the real world, ReDriven’s used Model Y review and owner reports put day-to-day range closer to 350 to 430km depending on how you drive it. Add the Supercharger network, which is still the least painful way to charge on a road trip, and you have the easiest EV to live with.
The one thing to check: range at 100 per cent charge on the car’s own screen. A 2022 RWD that only shows around 380km may have been fast-charged hard its whole life. Get a battery health read before you buy.
Get this if: you want one car that just works, with the best charging network and the strongest resale. It is the default for a reason.
Hyundai Ioniq 5: the one your family will actually love
If the Model Y is the sensible choice, the Ioniq 5 is the one people get attached to. It looks like nothing else, the flat floor makes the back seat feel like a lounge, and it rides better than most things at the price. Used examples have come right down: a 2021 Ioniq 5 has appeared on carsales from around $36,900, which undercuts a lot of petrol mid-size SUVs.
Boot space is a healthy 527 litres (VDA) with the seats up, 1,587 litres folded, plus a 57-litre frunk on the rear-drive car (just 24 litres on the all-wheel-drive version, where the front motor eats the space). CarsGuide rates real range at up to 481km for the rear-drive long-range car and 430km for the all-wheel-drive version. It earned five stars from ANCAP, with CarExpert reporting 88 per cent adult and 87 per cent child occupant protection.
The one thing to check: the ICCU. The Integrated Charging Control Unit on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform cars has been the subject of recall action, and Zecar has covered the Hyundai Australia ICCU recalls for Ioniq 5 owners. Ask for proof the recall work has been done, and walk if the seller cannot show it.
We have gone deep on this one, so if the Ioniq 5 is your pick, read our full used Ioniq 5 buyer’s guide before you shortlist.
Get this if: you want space, comfort and a bit of character, and you are happy to chase the recall paperwork.
BYD Atto 3: the value play
The Atto 3 is the sensible-shoes option, and it makes a strong case on money. Used 2023 examples now sit around $29,000 to $35,000 on carsales, with some Extended-range cars listed under $30,000.
It is a small SUV, so the 440-litre boot (1,340 litres folded) that Chasing Cars measured is decent rather than huge, but it takes a pram and a big shop fine. The Extended-range car uses a bigger battery for a claimed 420km WLTP, versus 345km for the Standard, per CarExpert, so buy the Extended if you can. It carries a five-star ANCAP rating with an 84 per cent child occupant score, and the trump card is warranty: BYD’s cover runs six years or 150,000km on the car and eight years or 160,000km on the battery, and a used one is likely still inside it.
The Atto 3 is one of the strongest bargains in our roundup of the best used EVs under $40,000 in Australia.
The one thing to check: that the balance of the factory warranty transfers to you. It usually does, but confirm it in writing.
Get this if: you want the lowest-risk way in, with years of warranty left and a price that undercuts the Germans by a mile.
Kia EV6: the long-trip weapon (but read the caveat)
The EV6 is the one for families who actually drive distances. Its 800-volt electrical system means it charges faster than almost anything at its price when you find a proper fast charger, so the school run and the six-hour holiday drive are both easy. The trade-off: it is more low-slung crossover than tall boxy SUV, so if you want a high driving position and a van-like cabin, the Ioniq 5 suits better even though they share a platform.
Used values are still firm because people know it is good. A 2023 EV6 GT flagship was listed around $59,900 on carsales, with the more family-focused Air and GT-Line variants sitting below that. Range on the 77.4kWh cars is strong, with CarExpert quoting up to 528km WLTP for rear-drive grades, and boot space runs 480 to 490 litres. It scored five stars from ANCAP, including 90 per cent adult and 87 per cent child occupant protection, and Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty is the best in this group.
The one thing to check: same ICCU story as the Hyundai. The EV6 shares the E-GMP platform and the same recall exposure, so get proof the fix has been applied.
Get this if: you road-trip often and want the fastest charging and longest warranty, and the crossover shape does not bother you.
MG ZS EV: the cheapest way into an electric SUV
If the budget is tight and you just want to stop buying petrol, the ZS EV is the entry ticket. A 2021 car can be found from around $19,000 to $22,000 on carsales, with 2022 examples from the mid-$20,000s. Nothing else electric and SUV-shaped gets you in this cheap.
You pay for it in range and polish. The early 2021 cars are rated at just 263km, while the 2022 facelift lifted that to around 320km, as WhichCar reported, and the boot is a modest 359 litres (1,189 litres folded) per CarsGuide. Here is the safety catch: the pre-facelift ZS EV earned five ANCAP stars back in 2019, but CarExpert notes the updated model does not carry a current ANCAP rating. For a family car, that matters, and it is the main reason the ZS EV sits last here rather than higher.
At this price it is the cheapest entry in our list of the best used EVs under $40,000.
The one thing to check: which battery it has. The 263km early car is a city runabout, not a road-tripper. Confirm the range rating and the real charge figure on the dash.
Get this if: you drive mostly around town, the budget stops at $25,000, and a second family car doing short trips is the job.
The battery question, answered
The fear that kills most used-EV deals is “the battery is going to die and cost me a fortune.” The data says relax. Pickles has been running independent State of Health checks (State of Health, or SoH, is simply how much of the original battery capacity is left) on its used EVs, and CarExpert reports even four-year-old EVs are averaging at least 93 per cent battery health. These are three-year-old cars with most of their life ahead of them.
That does not mean buy blind. Get an independent battery health check before you sign, the same way you would get a pre-purchase inspection on a used petrol car. It is the single best $150 you will spend.
Our picks, by what you actually need
Best overall is the Tesla Model Y: the space, the Supercharger network and the resale make it the low-stress pick, and used prices from around $39,990 finally make it sensible. Best for space and comfort is the Hyundai Ioniq 5, as long as you chase the ICCU recall paperwork. Best value is the BYD Atto 3, cheap to buy with years of warranty still on it. Best for long trips is the Kia EV6 for its 800-volt charging and seven-year cover, if the crossover shape suits. And the MG ZS EV is the cheapest way in, for town-based second-car duty, with the ANCAP caveat noted.
If you want one answer: buy the Model Y, budget for the higher insurance, and get a battery health check first. That is the smart family pick, and everything else here is a good decision only once you have priced in its one catch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best used electric SUV for a family in Australia?
The Tesla Model Y is the strongest all-rounder for space, charging and resale, with used 2022 examples from around $39,990. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the better pick if you want comfort and character, and the BYD Atto 3 is the value choice with warranty still attached.
How many kilometres of range do you really get from a used electric SUV?
Less than the WLTP lab figure. A used Model Y or Ioniq 5 rated around 450 to 480km WLTP will typically return 350 to 430km in real family driving, and cold weather and highway speeds cut that further. Smaller SUVs like the early MG ZS EV are city-range cars at 263km.
Are used EV batteries reliable enough to buy secondhand?
Mostly yes. Independent testing reported by CarExpert found even four-year-old EVs averaging at least 93 per cent battery health. Always get an independent State of Health check before buying, and be cautious with older Nissan Leafs, which lack liquid battery cooling and degrade faster.
