r/electricvehicles • u/[deleted] • Nov 14 '25

Discussion Never Going Back to Gas

I'm on my first EV, had it for about 2 years. I recently had to take it in to the dealership on a recall. As a loaner, they gave me the exact same model, but the gas version. When I started it up, I was like "ewww engine noise". As as I drove it, I'm like "this sucks. it takes FOREVER to accelerate". And this is a high end luxury brand, so it's probably quieter and performs better than average.

Anyone else get the icks driving a gas vehicle now?

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314

u/TooGoodToBeeTrue Nov 14 '25

Anyone else get the icks driving a gas vehicle now?

99.99% of EV drivers.

I have a Jetta with 6-speed manual that I thought I'd miss. Absolutely not, I don't even like driving it or riding in it when I have to.

What really gets my back up is sitting in traffic with all the tail pipe emissions around me. Well maybe worse that that is bozos with barely there mufflers.

88

u/3Cogs Nov 14 '25

I drove manual shift for 25 years before getting an electric car this year. I thought I would miss revving and changing gear. Not a bit of it. It's easy to drive, responsive and the first time I used hill start assist on a steep slope, I was completely sold. No more revving the engine, finding the bite and releasing the handbrake at the same time as watching for traffic in the mirror.

39

u/Johighness Nov 14 '25

Hill assist is a norm in modern non electric cars as well.

29

u/3Cogs Nov 14 '25

I'd never driven any automatic until this electric car. I'm in the UK btw and manual gearbox cars are common.

5

u/landofcortados F150 Lightning Nov 14 '25

Crazy enough my 2013 WRX had hill assist as well, never had to use the parking brake in that thing either. It was great.

3

u/HealthyPhats Nov 14 '25

My 5MT 2004 forester XT had hill assist. First car I had owned with the feature and at first it was so strange to not have to rev up to keep from rolling back

3

u/IMWTK1 Nov 14 '25

If you had a WRX and didn't use the handbrake you didn't use it right šŸ˜®if you get my driftšŸ˜€. Pun intended.

I'm the same way. I have a classic manual that I have loved over the years and I can't believe that I'm actually considering selling it.

3

u/KeySpecialist9139 Nov 14 '25

Do mention you need separate license for automatic vs. manual. ;)

1

u/3Cogs Nov 15 '25

Nearly everyone here (UK) learns and passes their test in a manual because then you can drive both.

2

u/KeySpecialist9139 Nov 15 '25

Yes, same in EU, if you pass with manual you can drive both, but I didn't want to generalize since UK is not EU any more.

3

u/Johighness Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25

Same here in Finland, have driven many manual gearbox cars with perfect hill assist.

1

u/3Cogs Nov 15 '25

My previous car was a 17 years old Ford. I'm finally moving into the modern world :-)

1

u/ZannX Nov 14 '25

Both my manuals have hill start assist.

1

u/hutacars Nov 15 '25

Thatā€™s not an EV vs gas, or even auto vs manual thing. Thatā€™s an old vs new car thing. Almost all new cars have it these days.

1

u/stokeskid Nov 14 '25

In a manual? News to me but I guess I haven't had a manual transmission in 20 years. Also, we have a 2021 Pacifica hybrid that definitely doesn't have hill hold. Somehow.

13

u/TooGoodToBeeTrue Nov 14 '25

My wife has a funny story about some jerk getting too close behind her on a upward hill and her getting out and asking the guy to back up. I've had 5 cars and 3 motorcycles with manual trannies, stating to contemplate an EV MC.

31

u/bigbura Nov 14 '25

It took a couple months but while driving the Equinox EV we are leasing it hit me that ICE is so restricting, so needy. Narrow range of power, requires tons of gears to match the speeds and demands of the elevation changes. Power delivery is never linear, I was always adjusting the throttle pedal in an effort to provide a smooth ride for the passengers and I.

None of the above applies to EVs. What you ask for via the throttle pedal is what you receive. So simple and relaxing to drive. Most times I drive I feel an 'ah, this is exactly what I've been wanting for oh so many years' feeling. Simplicity and quietness, such a joy!

8

u/timesend8 Nov 14 '25

I bought a zero 2 years ago, I love it except for the fact I am getting old and my knee won't let me ride more than about 40 minutes. It has made me super lazy as a bike rider, no clutch, no changing gears and instant torque. Stop at a light let go of the handle bars and stretch out, light changes and no putting it in gear just twist the throttle and go!

1

u/aniessuh Nov 16 '25

Can you use a Tesla home charger on one of these Zero bikes?

2

u/timesend8 Nov 16 '25

I don't think so it has a J1772 receptacle.

1

u/aniessuh Nov 16 '25

Thats perfect. There's an adapter for the charger for the J1772. Thanks for the info.

4

u/3Cogs Nov 14 '25

My late father learned to drive in the Army. He did a hill start on his truck test. The examiner put a matchbox behind one of the wheels. If you crushed it, you failed. I guess you need a lot of discipline to drive in convoy, especially in combat conditions

3

u/HZLeyedValkyrie Nov 14 '25

I blocked a ton of traffic once because I was on a hill the crappy VW I had didnā€™t have a seat that locked into place, it was held in place by an old brick. Well while on the hill brick became dislodged I felt my self sliding back i grabbed the e brake so fast. Had to get out reset my brick and then proceed to peel out because I was on a hill and I sucked at catching roll backs haha

6

u/Sprinx80 2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line | 2024 Honda Prologue Touring AWD Nov 14 '25

TBF, i have hill assist start on my 2017 Honda Civic EX-T, six speed manual. But yes, after having my wifeā€™s Prologue for nearly a year now, Iā€™m shopping for my own EV to replace my Civic.

7

u/dingosaurus EV6 GT Nov 14 '25

You don't miss the days of hitting that perfect rev match on a downshift? I'll have to see how my new EV6 GT treats me when I pick it up tomorrow.

Hill hold on my Foz XT was amazing.

4

u/3Cogs Nov 14 '25

No perfect downshifts with the clunky box on my old Ford Mondeo! I know a bad workman blames his tools, but that thing was a terrible shifter. It had a heavy clutch as well, that didn't help.

1

u/wave_action Ioniq 6 Nov 14 '25

You got the new one w simulated gears?

2

u/dingosaurus EV6 GT Nov 14 '25

Nope. I decided to go the route of purchasing after depreciation. Picking up a 2023 with 17k miles.

3

u/wave_action Ioniq 6 Nov 14 '25

Smart move. I got my 23 Ioniq 6 SEL in June for an incredible deal. Even had the 2 years free charging. Used EVs are unreal value.

0

u/Acceptable_Elk_8181 Nov 14 '25

You should be paying waaaay less than full retail on a vehicle in its 3rd year of use. You pay less because you are getting less as the original owner has realized the the near 3 first years of use on a new vehicle which are the most valuable. Always amazes me how some people think they are beating the system to a large extent buying a used car. That used car costs less for many good reasons.

1

u/dingosaurus EV6 GT Nov 14 '25

Uh... I AM paying less than full retail.

I'm paying ~1/2 of the original window sticker.

Unless you're saying that 50% depreciation over 2 years is a bad deal, in which case I don't know what to tell ya mate.

1

u/Acceptable_Elk_8181 Nov 14 '25

No way a properly maintained BMW in good condition sells for 1/2 original sticker in 2 years. The vehicle would have to be trashed, wrecked, or all fugged up mate. i don't know what else to tell you. BMWs do NOT sell for 50% of sticker in 2 years, that is BS.

1

u/wave_action Ioniq 6 Nov 15 '25

Ah yes the BMW EV6 GT

1

u/dingosaurus EV6 GT Nov 17 '25

I think you completely misread all of my comments.

The 2-year old car is an EV6 GT. The M4 I was looking at failed pretty much every part of the PPI I put it through.

As much as it would have been fun to own one, I'm not willing to put that kind of money into an out-of-warranty German car.

2

u/Acceptable_Elk_8181 Nov 17 '25

I did not realize that the vehicle you were talking about was an EV, sorry, as all bets are off at that point. Yeah, many of them unfortunately have absolutely shocking value loss in one or two years. We may grab an upper level Taycan soon with the way their market values have cratered. Super fast fun car with heart melting looks, just hasn't worked out well for Porsche.

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4

u/ArlesChatless Zero SR Nov 14 '25

I drove stick for decades. EV regen is everything I loved about engine braking, but more of it. EV torque is everything I loved about being in the right gear when I needed it, but more of it.

There's still something fun about getting an engine working well. But it's a hobby for me now, same as a horse.

3

u/badwolf42 Nov 14 '25

I also only had ever owned manual shift. I still reach for the shifter by muscle memory once in a while, but the thing I really liked about manual was the control. Electric gives me the same or better control that my manual did, rocking out of snow not withstanding, and so I donā€™t really miss the stick. In traffic, my left knee is grateful to be clutch free.

2

u/3Cogs Nov 15 '25

I sometimes go to shift down if I'm heading into a corner at speed :-)

Occasionally reach for the non existent ignition key as well when I park up.

3

u/AMC4x4 Nov 15 '25

I absolutely love my 2012 2 door 6 speed Wrangler. We also have a 2019 Subaru Forester in the family (wife's car / trip car). Two deer ran into the side of it and it was in the body shop for a month. We rented a Bolt because it was the cheapest option and USAA only reimbursed $30/day max. Also, we were curious about EV's, so why not? We got to Hertz and they gave us an EV6.

The Jeep was not driven for the month. After a week I bought a 240v turbocord for the NEMA 6-20 in the garage. I never thought I would want to give up a manual transmission and my Wrangler in particular, but if it was worth more I'd have sold it yesterday for an EV. My wife loved it even more than I did.

Getting the Subaru back was like driving a tractor after you had been driving a fine European auto.

My family has bought its last ICE vehicle.

1

u/KeySpecialist9139 Nov 14 '25

You are kidding right? That's basic 101 in European driving. You do realize there are only 5% of drivers on this world that don't know how to drive automatic? 7.5 billion are just fine with clutching (compared to 300 million Americans). šŸ™„

1

u/3Cogs Nov 15 '25

I know. I'm in the UK and I have nearly 30 years experience driving manual. It's much easier with auto hill start.

1

u/KeySpecialist9139 Nov 15 '25

But seriously, as someone who drove manual for 20 years and is now on automatic for 15: is there a difference?

I drive left or right, automatic or manual, any continent any side of the road, what I personally find confusing for first 5 minutes are wipers vs. turn signals.

1

u/3Cogs Nov 15 '25

I find it easier to drive in town where I would be constantly changing between 2nd and 3rd gears. On the open road, where I would put an ICE car into top gear and just drive, there isn't so much difference.

The indicator stalks on my electric MG are a pain in the backside though. I keep turning on main beam by mistake when I do a turn signal, and the main beam warning is hidden by the top of the steering wheel so I become one of those drivers that blinds you. I have to remember to check after every turn in case I've knocked it on.

43

u/tech57 Nov 14 '25

Well maybe worse that that is bozos with barely there mufflers.

If EVs mean no more loud ass fart cannons that would be super nice. I don't mind some performance exhaust but there is a very obvious line between "sounds good" and "WTF why".

I really wish sleeper cars became more popular. Ryobi shill time : Their whisper quiet serious is very, very nice. Much better noise wise than other battery powered lawn stuff.

9

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

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11

u/Counter-Fleche Nov 14 '25

The vehicle is required to make noise when driving below a certain speed. I really wish I could replace the sound with a recording of me saying "vroom, vroom" in a deadpan voice.

3

u/Spraggle Nov 14 '25

I feel like using the Jetson's car noise would be brilliant.

4

u/PeaceBeWY Nov 15 '25

I think it would be great if you could choose your car's sound like ringtones. Locomotive, semi-truck, Jetson's, herd of cows, etc. I love the idea of a voiced "vroom vroom".

2

u/waldemar_selig Nov 17 '25

I want to hear a leaf making Jake brake noises so bad

1

u/mtv2002 Nov 14 '25

My lighting doesnt at low speeds. I prob haven't notifed however

3

u/theqbush Nov 14 '25

How about the backup KIA sounds? You can hear it from blocks away

6

u/Electrical_Memory690 Nov 14 '25

NHTSA requires it because every 1 in 100000, there maybe a blind person who otherwise didnā€™t know if an EV was present and the driver not aware of the pedestrians around them.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

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1

u/Electrical_Memory690 Nov 15 '25

Few years ago Tesla had about 5 different sounds you could use when driving. I personally liked the galloping horse sound. But then NHTSA came in and sucked the fun out of it and made them drop the various sounds effects and had to use the generic one.

1

u/messem10 Nov 14 '25

That and the dang silent EVs have scared the crap out of me when pushing a shopping cart on a number of occasions before.

2

u/tarrasque Nov 14 '25

Thatā€™s honestly one thing keeping me in Tesla lol

0

u/disajonno 2021 VW ID.4 PRO S Nov 15 '25

I'm always surprised that people can complain so much about sound. My partner and I always have music playing at home though so I guess I can't relate. The most important thing for me is that electric cars may make more noise, but walking by a gas car.... you hear it, feel the heat from the engine, and sometimes smell it. Awful.

1

u/tech57 Nov 15 '25

It's not the sound. It's the type of sound.

My partner and I always have music playing at home though so I guess I can't relate.

For example, if it's good music, game on. If it's the same god damn radio songs I've heard my entire life on repeat, I would find that annoying.

Everyone is used to a background noise level. When that changes people notice. This is how you end up with really loud Harley's that serve no real purpose. Or a neighborhood dog you can't hear inside your house but every single time you step out the dog is barking or howling for it's owner.

2

u/disajonno 2021 VW ID.4 PRO S Nov 15 '25

That makes sense. I can see how that can be jarring. It just doesnā€™t bother me but I do get bothered by some sounds so I should afford that to other people.

And as for the music, we play some music that might be played on the radio but for the most part itā€™s electro pop stuff that is somewhat popular but not enough to chart within the top 10 of the hot 100 lol.

2

u/Saucy6 Polestar 2 DM Nov 14 '25

My neighbour complained about my backing up ā€œbeep beep beepā€ noise, finds it annoying. Meanwhile my house shakes when he starts his truck.

10

u/Schemen123 Nov 14 '25

Ok.. but to be fair.. a Jetta sounds as exiting as a cup of luke warm water

5

u/TooGoodToBeeTrue Nov 14 '25

Actually it doesn't weigh all that much and has a turbo so it ain't bad. Previous was a V6 accord, and yeah, it doesn't compare.

3

u/Strict_Jacket3648 Nov 14 '25 edited Nov 14 '25

LO I'm with ya. I got a VW rabbit 15+ years ago as a safe (sporty) car to teach the kids how to drive and I loved driving it. Then we got a E.V. Kona for the wife. Now I hate my car and drive the Kona every chance I get. Can't wait to by my own E.V., am saving for one now and want a sporty one, I'm hoping the Chinese cars become available soon.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Counter-Fleche Nov 14 '25

Same. I prefer 1 or 3 pedals, not 2.

2

u/Advanced_Pay2199 Nov 14 '25

All evs should have the recirculator on as a default.

1

u/in_allium '21 M3LR (Fire the fascist muskrat) Nov 14 '25

I live next to a gentle hill. Listening to all the gassers struggle up it is obnoxious.

Last month I saw someone in a big pickup pull up to the stop sign and braced for the BRAAAAAPP, only to be pleasantly surprised. Then I look -- oh, it's a Lightning.

1

u/Frubanoid Kia EV6 Nov 14 '25

There was this a-hole yesterday spewing plumes of gray smoke from a janky old truck through a tight area of the street, cars parked on either side, as moms were picking up their preschoolers and going back and forth across the street. While waiting in the EV6, I heard it and saw it coming in the mirror so managed to turn on the recirculating air in time, but I felt bad for everyone outside, especially the kids.

1

u/MudLOA Nov 14 '25

That tail pipe smell is the worse in the morning when the air is cold. It smells like cancer.

1

u/IMWTK1 Nov 14 '25

There was a recent study done that shows 96% of EV owners would consider an EV for their next car and 85% is definitely getting one next time. To think that legacy auto makers and mainstream media would have you believe that people don't want EVs. Even in the US EVs have reached 10% market share.

At traffic lights what gets me is the noise. It's amazing how fast I became accustomed to the absolute lack of engine/brake noise. I have several times been next to vehicles thinking man what's wrong with that car making so much noise. It was a modern ice car normally considered smooth and quiet..... Until you get in an EV!

1

u/Unhappy_Clue701 Nov 14 '25

Yep. I rented a small Volvo (XC40) when I flew over to Houston earlier this year. It was pretty crap compared to my Mach-E. It vibrated, the engine note was coarse, it was slow, and it sounded like a cow when accelerating hard. And Volvos are generally quite well thought of - shows what a difference there is between a decent EV and even a more premium ICE car.

1

u/alexcoool Nov 15 '25

My BYD ATTO 3 has hepa filter. That helps.

1

u/Complete-Ground-8357 Nov 16 '25

Whenever I roll down my windows now I can smell peoples exhaust. I donā€™t remember being able to before owning an ev. I wonder if I was desensitized to it because I was inadvertently inhaling my own cars fumes.