BMW iX vs Hyundai IONIQ 5 N

The BMW iX costs £12,605 more than the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N. For that premium it adds 148 miles more WLTP range. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is not just cheaper - it also offers 45 kW faster peak rapid charging, 78 kW more power and a 1.2s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BMW iX comes out ahead overall.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is £12,605 cheaper to buy. The BMW iX is cheaper to charge, roughly £152 a year versus £208 for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N comes out roughly £12,325 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 355 miles for the BMW iX and 232 miles for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BMW iX goes roughly 124 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 35 minutes in the BMW iX and 27 in the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, so the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N loses less time at each stop. So the BMW iX stops less often while the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 30 mm narrower than the BMW iX. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 460 mm of total clearance for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N and about 430 mm of total clearance for the BMW iX. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N also turns in a 0.8 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 iX and 89% for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N. That gives the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N 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.