BMW i3s vs Renault Megane (2022-2024)

The BMW i3s costs £1,675 more than the Renault Megane. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Renault Megane is not just cheaper - it also offers 103 miles more WLTP range, 80 kW faster peak rapid charging and 180 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Renault Megane comes out ahead overall.

The Renault Megane is £1,675 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £176 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Renault Megane comes out roughly £1,715 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 118 miles for the BMW i3s and 193 miles for the Renault Megane - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Renault Megane goes roughly 75 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 42 minutes in the BMW i3s and 32 in the Renault Megane, so the Renault Megane loses less time at each stop. That makes the Renault Megane the stronger long-distance car.

The two are within 23 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 632 mm of total clearance for the Renault Megane and about 609 mm of total clearance for the BMW i3s. The BMW i3s also turns in a 0.5 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 BMW i3s and 84% for the Renault Megane. That is close enough that capacity loss should not decide between them. Both use NMC-type cells, so for daily use keep the charge limit near 80% to slow degradation. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.