• The Volvo EX30 made big promises when it was announced a couple of years ago.
• Edmunds bought one and now, a year later, the verdict is in.
• From an ultra-sensitive driver monitoring system to the key fob that works only half the time, the EX30 has been “a very frustrating car to live with.”

The Volvo EX30 was supposed to be the next great small, powerful, and affordable EV in America. With an estimated starting price of around $35,000, it had a lot going for it—at least on paper.

But that price never materialized, and the first units shipped to the U.S. ended up costing a lot more. Edmunds bought one of those cars, a 2025 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance, for $47,895. One year and 8,000 miles later, the publication is not mincing words: “It’s been rough,” the staff unanimously said about the Swedish small EV, pointing to glitchy software, insufficient driving range, lackluster charging speeds, and an infuriating key fob.

But first, let’s start with a few good things. The EX30 is a properly small car—21 inches shorter than the Tesla Model Y—and it has its advantages. It can be parked pretty much everywhere, and yet it still has enough interior space for four adults.

The seats are really comfortable, the cabin design is creative, and it’s properly quick, with Edmunds clocking the EV’s zero-to-60 miles per hour sprint at just 3.6 seconds—the same as a brand-new Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

However, the good stuff ends here. The biggest gripe with the car’s driving experience is linked to the overly sensitive driver monitoring system, which immediately beeps to alarm the driver when they take their eyes off the road. That may come in handy when there’s an immediate danger, but it’s also extremely annoying because Volvo forces the driver to take their eyes off the road to operate the centrally-mounted infotainment touchscreen that controls all of the settings.

The software experience has been lackluster, with Apple CarPlay sometimes failing to launch. What’s more, there are only two window switches, with an additional “Rear” button that needs to be pressed to operate the rear windows, but the capacitive button itself doesn’t work all the time.

Then, there’s the key, which isn’t actually a key. It doesn’t have any buttons and instead only locks and unlocks the car based on proximity. The problem here, as explained by Edmunds’ staff, is that it only works half of the time. Sometimes, it even locks the car when you try to open the door, which can be extremely frustrating. That said, there is a digital key that fixes all of these issues, but you have to use your smartphone.

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Source: Patrick George

The 2025 model year in Edmunds’ fleet doesn’t have true one-pedal driving, but later models come with the feature baked in.

It’s worth noting that we experienced some of these issues when driving a similar 2025 EX30 last year. Our former editor-in-chief even considered buying a new EX30, but ultimately went for a Hyundai Ioniq 5 because of the issues.

Range-wise, this particular car has 250 miles of EPA-rated range, while the Edmunds range test puts it at 256 miles. If highways are used predominantly, then the range drops to around 200 miles, which is not exactly good for road-tripping, seeing how charging speeds are also not the best, with a peak of around 150 kilowatts and a claimed 10-to-80% time of 26 minutes.

With all this in mind, Edmunds points out that the EX30 has been a very reliable car over the past 12 months. It never broke down, and it never left anyone stranded. Volvo also pushed several software updates that vastly improved the vehicle compared to when it was new. Initially, it was a mess of a car that felt unfinished—it should have been shipped last year with all the features that it has now.

The EX30 has been discontinued in the United States after just two years on sale, so all of these niggles won’t affect any new owners, but those looking for a used one should take all of this into consideration.

“Be a Hollywood stuntman” is such a perfect premise for a video game. What a great excuse to weave insanely disparate situations into one narrative; obliterate the line between realistic and whimsical. This new trailer for the upcoming Stuntman Hollywood game sells that spectacularly, but even if you’re not into gaming, the clip is deeply satisfying and fun to watch.

Check it out:

Stuntman: Hollywood – Announce Trailer | PS5 Games

I’m sure my fellow millennial, Gen-X, and older friends will recognize all the movie and TV references in this clip and appreciate it the most. If you’re not quite tracking, the real magic of this video is how smoothly it transitions between the musical beats associated with the shows and movies as the cars do a proverbial baton-pass through scenes.

The real heater is how The Fast And The Furious slips into Miami Vice. The way the classic Miami Vice cymbals clap in right before the iconic white Tesstarossa appears?! Absolute cinema.

If you’re too young to care about Miami Vice, you really just need to watch the intro to get the vibe. And you can skip the Colin Farrell remake completely. Here:

Miami Vice Theme HD

A new Stuntman Hollywood game is, of course, kind of double-layered nostalgia because the original games were fan-favorites in the PS2 era. I always thought it was odd the series hadn’t been rebooted, and I guess I wasn’t the only one. It’s back, baby.

As a millennial gamer myself, I find Saber Interactive‘s involvement in this new upcoming version encouraging. That’s the same outfit responsible for Snowrunner, which is a great showcase of vehicular physics.

There’s no official release date on this new Stuntman Hollywood joint, but it is being promised for XBox, PS5, and PC. And while a lot of that trailer is not actual gameplay, the studios have confirmed official movie tie-ins. “Take on iconic stunts inspired by fan favorite Universal Pictures films and NBCUniversal TV shows like Fast & Furious, Back to the Future, Knight Rider, Miami Vice, and Death Race,” according to the release.

OK, I’m going to hit “publish” now so I can watch this clip again. This is my favorite hype video in a while, and suddenly my second-favorite car game teaser ever (the 2010 Need for Speed Hot Pursuit E3 Reveal Trailer will never be topped).

What’s that? We should watch that again, too? OK, fine:

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit – E3 Reveal Trailer

Got a favorite car game trailer I might not know about? Hit me up at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.

MG last month officially launched one of Australia’s most affordable EVs, and one of the first few priced below $30,000 – before on roads – or a total of $31,990 drive-away. 

At first glance, the MG4 Urban looks to be an important car that will help Australia’s inner-city and suburban buyers get behind the wheel of their first EV.

After spending a week with the car, it confirms what I thought during the initial test drive over a month ago: this car packs everything MG has learned over the last few years after selling over 20,000 EVs in Australia, and it’s packaged into a hatchback that now comes with the benchmark 10-year warranty, too.

So let’s dive into the car and see why this model is such a big deal for the brand and what it’s really like on the roads around Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula.

Firstly, the pricing of the MG4 Urban is quite aggressive and is expected to be the brand’s most affordable EV in Australia. The entry-level Essence 43, the variant packing 316 km of range,  starts at $31,900 driveaway, meaning that it’s actually cheaper than many of its fossil-fuelled and hybrid rivals.

The larger-battery Essence 54 variant, with 405 km of range, has a driveaway price of $3,000 more, coming in at $34,990, and that’s the one I tested for the week.

Both models are priced below the previous RWD MG4, suggesting that MG is positioning this car as the brand’s entry-level EV. But what about other areas? 

From the outside, this model is more rounded than the original MG4, and I quite liked the side profile, especially the rear, which borrows elements from MG’s halo electric car, the Cyberster.

Inside, it feels quite a step up from the previous MG4, especially in terms of materials compared to previous MG vehicles, aside from the MGS5, from which it takes many design cues. 

The new steering wheel was quite comfortable, with various soft-touch materials found along the door trim. 

On top of that, MG has left quite a few functional buttons on the steering wheel and under the screen with physical dials for volume and temperature, too, which made it easier to adjust things on the go. 

In the centre, the floating, rotating dial gear selector has now been moved to the steering wheel, providing much more storage space and bringing the cupholder closer to the driver, which I thought was a big design improvement.

Even though the car’s smaller, some may think it might be a bit tight on the inside, but it is actually quite roomy. 

MG has put quite a bit of effort into the interior, and I found it roomier than some larger ICE SUVs from the brand.

Still inside, the infotainment screen has also been upgraded and is a reasonable size. On top of that, it has Android Auto/Apple CarPlay as standard. Wireless Android Auto worked easily and didn’t disconnect during the time I had the car.

Speaking of screens, there is also one behind the steering wheel that displays info such as speed, drive modes, battery status, regenerative braking settings, and safety/cruise control. 

The rear seating was quite comfy too, with good legroom for adults, along with rear air vents, which is a surprise given the price point of the car. There are also lots of storage spaces and pockets for storage.

Over the week of driving, the MG4’s ride was very smooth, with the suspension handling most bumps without much rebound, even over speed humps. We also didn’t find floaty suspension, as in many rival models on the market, geared more towards comfort and affordability. 

On faster, more swooping mountain roads around Dromana, it felt fairly composed and had plenty of acceleration from its 118 kW front-mounted motor when exiting hairpins. 

Heading down Arthur Seat mountain’s steeper sections, the regenerative braking, thanks to one-pedal drive, also helped with both efficiency and braking.

Consumption ranged around 15.9 kWh/100km over the week we tested the car, which included suburban roads and highway stints up and down the Peninsula.

Features like cruise control were easy to engage, and lane keep assist worked fairly well, though it required a bit more attention than Tesla’s more advanced system.

An area where we felt the car could improve is in its speed sign recognition, with audible alerts being intrusive even when the car picked up advisory signs, such as 20 km/h signs spotted before speed humps on roads around Melbourne. 

The alert can be turned off in the speed sign recognition system, but it resets on each trip. We hope a more permanent software fix can be implemented in the future, given how good a value the MG4 Urban EV offers.

All in all, the MG4 Urban EV is a big step up in the affordable EV space, packing more options for EV drivers, especially those who want a practical electric hatchback that’s almost perfect.

Combine that with the 10-year warranty and a solid national dealer network, and it’s one well-rounded package that should be on EV drivers’ shortlist.

MG4 EV Urban Essence 43

• Up to 316km of WLTP Combined Range
• 43kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) Battery
• 17” Starburst Alloy Wheels
• MG Pilot, including MG Pilot Custom Function
• Black and Grey Fabric Upholstery
• Full LED Headlights & DRL & Rear Lights
• Automatic Headlamps
• Roof Rails & Rear Spoiler
• 7” HD Driver Display
• 12.8” HD Infotainment Touchscreen
• Satellite Navigation
• Wireless Connection to Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto
• iSMART Connectivity

MG4 EV Urban Essence 54

• Up to 405km of WLTP Combined Range
• 54 kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) Battery

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.

There’s a common piece of wisdom among value-oriented car shoppers: Don’t buy new, buy a three-year-old car off a lease. That’s still a good idea, but according to new data from Edmunds, you may not have to wait that long. Even 2025 model year cars are getting cheap, especially if you’re looking at EVs. 

In new new blog post, Edmunds Director of Insights Ivan Drury notes that 2025-model used cars sold in the fourth quarter of last year went for $6,370 less than their average new car transaction price. That’s already substantial savings, but the numbers are even better for EV and PHEV shoppers. 

Models like the Dodge Charger Daytona and Jeep Wrangler 4XE have truly staggering discounts after less than a year on the road. The average used 2025 Charger Daytona went for $19,711 less than a new model in the same quarter, the study shows. (I have a guess as to why values are plummeting.) That means you’d pay 67% more for essentially the same car, with just a few miles on it. For the Wrangler, the discount is even steeper. Used shoppers saved $19,873 on average. 

Dodge Charger Daytonas have super-steep discounts on the used market. But based on our contributor’s nightmarish experience with his Charger, we’re not sure if it’s a good buy even with a steep discount.

Photo by: InsideEVs

By the top-line number, though, the biggest loser was the Genesis GV70 Electrified. Barely used examples offer a stunning $24,012 discount over new ones. There are more mass-market deals, too, including the last of the Toyota bZ4Xs, the Chevy Equinox EV, and the Honda Prologue.

I’m not going to crib the whole list, because you should take a look at Edmunds’ work there. But I will say that it’s a trend I’ve certainly seen for myself. As automakers have piled on incentives and special finance deals, used models have had to compete with fire sale new prices. Factor in that many of the 2025 model year cars were sold with $7,500 tax credits—which evaporated at the end of the third quarter—and you can see why the discounts are so big. 

The Equinox EV won our inaugural Breakthrough Award for its extremely affordable price. But they’re even cheaper on the used market, and I’d recommend comparing new vs. used options before pulling the trigger.

Photo by: Motor1.com

There is, of course, a catch. One underrated cost in car-buying is the interest rate on the loan, and it’s here where new cars usually significantly outperform their used counterparts. Automakers often offer discounted financing through their captive loan companies, helping to save you from rates that are higher than they were for most of the last decade.

According to Experian Data collected by U.S. News and World Report, the average super-prime customer—I.E. someone with a credit score above 781—is paying 4.88% right now. For equivalent used buyers, the figure is 7.43%.  

Assuming you put $10,000 down on a five-year loan for $40,000 car, that difference alone could account for $2,139 dollars. That’s definitely not enough to account for the level of savings here, but it’s a common reason buyers shop new rather than gently used.

But in today’s world, the EV deals are clearly on the used market. The tax credit is gone, driving up new EV prices, while buyer misgivings about battery reliability and charging keep values depressed on the used market. I don’t expect that to last long, though. Modern EV batteries just aren’t worth worrying about, and once you find a working charging solution, an used EV will be the best car you’ve ever bought.

Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com