I plan on replacing my 2017 Ford C-Max PHEV with a fully electric vehicle. I am looking for a station wagon or small SUV with as high a range as possible. One of my requirements is that it is capable of carrying a canoe/kayak and has factory-installed roof rails. Although I purchased a name-brand roof rack system specifically for the C-Max, the bars often slide down the roof when travelling on the highway with a canoe on top. I want a more secure roof rack on my next vehicle. I also wish to be able to put my bicycle in the trunk.
With new models coming out all the time, I find it hard to keep up with what is available. Can you help? – Jane, Orillia, Ont.
The 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 right after a car wash on a cold winter dayMark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Miranda Lightstone: While Jane didn’t provide a budget, we don’t want to go too wild here. The first vehicle that comes to mind is a Kia EV9 to fit all her cargo and adventure needs.
Mark Richardson: No – she said she’s looking for a small SUV, and the EV9 is far too large. It’ll carry everything with space left over, but Jane doesn’t want space left over. She wants no bigger than she needs, which is smart. I wish more drivers followed her example.
Lightstone: So what do you suggest then?
Richardson: The Volkswagen ID.4. A friend of mine owns one and he has a factory roof rack that’s solid as a rock, and he also regularly carries two bicycles inside, with just their front wheels removed.
Lightstone: Solid suggestion. That was on my list, too. But one of Jane’s requirements was to have as high a driving range as possible. While it may not be the largest, with 1,723 litres of space with the seats down, the Cadillac Lyriq AWD offers more than 500 kilometres of range. That’s more than the ID.4.
Richardson: Sheesh – why not just send Jane straight to the Rolls-Royce showroom? She didn’t say she wants all-wheel drive, which saps range and adds cost, and even the least-expensive rear-wheel drive Lyriq has a list price of almost $74,000. The VW ID.4 Pro starts at $19,000 below that, with a claimed range of up to 468 kilometres. That’s plenty for most people.
Lightstone: I know you stand by the ID.4, but what about the Hyundai Kona EV? In Ultimate trim, it comes equipped with the base frames on either side for a roof rack to be installed easily afterward.
Richardson: You’ve gone the other way now – the Kona is too small. Jane wants to carry a bicycle in the trunk as well as on the roof. There just isn’t the space for that in anything smaller than a compact SUV. There is the space inside a Tesla Model Y, though, with its more-than-500 kilometres of range, and a factory roof-rack is less than $300. Maybe somebody can tell us in the comments if the rack is solid, because I’ve not tried it.
Lightstone: This is true, and the Model Y has just seen a significant price drop, as well. Not that it’s suddenly eco-priced, but definitely better than it was.
A Tesla Model Y and a Kia EV6 parked at a Tesla Supercharger station in Fresno, Calif.The Associated Press
Richardson: That’s why I recommend leasing a Tesla rather than buying one. The guaranteed price at the end of ownership is protection against further, unexpected price drops that devalue the Teslas already purchased. If Jane likes the idea of driving a Tesla – with all the pros and cons that we could devote a whole column to – the Model Y is the spacious model she should be looking at.
Lightstone: If she’s happy to stay with Ford, though, it’s unfortunate that the Ford Mach-E doesn’t come with a factory-installed roof rack. There are Thule systems that are meant specifically for it. Jane already knows Ford products and may feel more at home in the Mach-E.
Little has changed from the outside of this refreshed for 2025 Mach-E.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Richardson: You think there’s enough space in the back for a bicycle?
Lightstone: It’s not far off the ID.4, which claims 1,818 litres total. The Ford is only 128 litres less with the rear seats down, at 1,690 litres. Even with the back seats up, the cargo space difference is only 18 litres less for the Mach-E, with a total of 840 litres.
Richardson: But as you point out, there’s no factory roof-rack available. Thule is a respected name, but Jane wants to know that the bars aren’t going to slide. So how about the Chevrolet Blazer EV? It has factory rails on the RS version, and a factory rack is an extra $600 or so.
The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV comes with three trim levels options, three drivetrains and two battery sizes.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Lightstone: Now look who’s breaking the bank. The Chevy Blazer EV in RS trim has a starting price of more than $60,000 and that’s before she adds the extra costs for the factory rack install. While I do quite like the Blazer EV, especially in RS trim, if Jane is going to spend in that range, I’d take my money back to Volkswagen.
Richardson: I’ll agree with you there, though all the prices should come down if, and when, the government re-instates rebates, as it’s said it will do.
Lightstone: If General Motors isn’t to her liking, she can always look at the Honda Prologue, which is actually built on the same GM Ultium platform. It has all the Honda bits and pieces instead, as well as a much different drive feel, in my opinion.
The 2024 Honda Prologue will have an 85-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a range of 450 kilometres.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Richardson: The Prologue is even built alongside the Blazer in the same General Motors plant in Mexico, though Honda watches over the production line. It’s a nice car, but it’s not exceptional. The new Honda electric SUV that’s set to be released next year should be something to look out for, though.
Lightstone: We’ve given Jane plenty to think about here, and hopefully mentioned a few models she hadn’t considered. I really think she should look at the Mach-E first, because she is already familiar and comfortable with the Ford EV family.
Richardson: Maybe, but my first choice for her is definitely the Volkswagen ID.4. It’s everything she’s looking for.
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