BMW iX1 vs MG5 EV

The BMW iX1 costs £6,070 more than the MG MG5 EV. For that premium it adds 121 miles more WLTP range, 43 kW faster peak rapid charging and 35 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BMW iX1 comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG5 EV is £6,070 cheaper to buy. The BMW iX1 is cheaper to charge, roughly £136 a year versus £176 for the MG MG5 EV, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG MG5 EV comes out roughly £5,870 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 166 miles for the MG MG5 EV - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BMW iX1 goes roughly 101 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 29 minutes in the BMW iX1 and 40 in the MG MG5 EV, so the BMW iX1 loses less time at each stop. That makes the BMW iX1 the stronger long-distance car.

The two are within 27 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 582 mm of total clearance for the MG MG5 EV and about 555 mm of total clearance for the BMW iX1. The MG MG5 EV also turns in a 1.3 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 MG MG5 EV. That gives the MG MG5 EV a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG MG5 EV'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. The BMW iX1 has the longer battery warranty at 8 years, versus 7 for the MG MG5 EV.