BMW i3s vs VW ID.3

The BMW i3s costs £6,810 more than the VW ID.3. For that premium it adds a 1.3s quicker 0-62mph time. The VW ID.3 is not just cheaper - it also offers 64 miles more WLTP range, 95 kW faster peak rapid charging and 125 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the VW ID.3 comes out ahead overall.

The VW ID.3 is £6,810 cheaper to buy. The VW ID.3 is cheaper to charge, roughly £144 a year versus £184 for the BMW i3s, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the VW ID.3 comes out roughly £7,010 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 201 miles for the VW ID.3 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The VW ID.3 goes roughly 83 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 42 minutes in the BMW i3s and 25 in the VW ID.3, so the VW ID.3 loses less time at each stop. That makes the VW ID.3 the stronger long-distance car.

The two are within 18 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 609 mm of total clearance for the BMW i3s and about 591 mm of total clearance for the VW ID.3.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the BMW i3s and 87% for the VW ID.3. That gives the VW ID.3 a modest edge in retained real-world range. 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.