BMW iX1 vs Geely EX5

The BMW iX1 costs £3,075 more than the Geely EX5. For that premium it adds 65 miles more WLTP range, 30 kW faster peak rapid charging and 80 litres more boot space. The Geely EX5 is not just cheaper - it also offers a 1.7s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BMW iX1 comes out ahead overall.

The Geely EX5 is £3,075 cheaper to buy. The BMW iX1 is cheaper to charge, roughly £136 a year versus £176 for the Geely EX5, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Geely EX5 comes out roughly £2,875 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 267 miles for the BMW iX1 and 198 miles for the Geely EX5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BMW iX1 goes roughly 69 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 29 minutes in the BMW iX1 and 20 in the Geely EX5, so the Geely EX5 loses less time at each stop. So the BMW iX1 stops less often while the Geely EX5 stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The BMW iX1 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 56 mm narrower than the Geely EX5. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 555 mm of total clearance for the BMW iX1 and about 499 mm of total clearance for the Geely EX5. The Geely EX5 also turns in a 1.1 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 iX1 and 90% for the Geely EX5. That gives the Geely EX5 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Geely EX5's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the BMW iX1's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.