Audi S6 Sportback e-tron vs MG IM5

The Audi S6 Sportback e-tron costs £53,675 more than the MG IM5. For that premium it adds 106 miles more WLTP range, 117 kW faster peak rapid charging and 187 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron comes out ahead overall.

The MG IM5 is £53,675 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG IM5 comes out roughly £53,555 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 342 miles for the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron and 217 miles for the MG IM5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Audi S6 Sportback e-tron goes roughly 125 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 21 minutes in the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron and 65 in the MG IM5, so the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron loses less time at each stop. That makes the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron the stronger long-distance car.

The Audi S6 Sportback e-tron is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 37 mm narrower than the MG IM5. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 477 mm of total clearance for the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron and about 440 mm of total clearance for the MG IM5. The MG IM5 also turns in a 2.3 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron and 90% for the MG IM5. That gives the MG IM5 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG IM5's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.