BMW i4 vs MG IM5

The BMW i4 costs £13,955 more than the MG IM5. For that premium it adds 62 miles more WLTP range, 47 kW faster peak rapid charging and 33 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BMW i4 comes out ahead overall.

The MG IM5 is £13,955 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 MG IM5 comes out roughly £13,875 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 261 miles for the BMW i4 and 217 miles for the MG IM5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BMW i4 goes roughly 43 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 31 minutes in the BMW i4 and 65 in the MG IM5, so the BMW i4 loses less time at each stop. That makes the BMW i4 the stronger long-distance car.

The BMW i4 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 108 mm narrower than the MG IM5. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 548 mm of total clearance for the BMW i4 and about 440 mm of total clearance for the MG IM5. The MG IM5 also turns in a 2.5 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 i4 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 BMW i4's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.