BMW iX3 (2021-2025) vs Kia EV5

The BMW iX3 costs £19,505 more than the Kia EV5. For that premium it adds 50 kW more power and a 1.5s quicker 0-62mph time. The Kia EV5 is not just cheaper - it also offers 50 miles more WLTP range and lower energy use, 169 versus 195 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Kia EV5 comes out ahead overall.

The Kia EV5 is £19,505 cheaper to buy. The Kia EV5 is cheaper to charge, roughly £184 a year versus £216 for the BMW iX3, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Kia EV5 comes out roughly £19,665 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 196 miles for the BMW iX3 and 235 miles for the Kia EV5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Kia EV5 goes roughly 39 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 31-34 minutes.

The two are within 16 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 525 mm of total clearance for the Kia EV5 and about 509 mm of total clearance for the BMW iX3. The Kia EV5 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 iX3 and 89% for the Kia EV5. That gives the Kia EV5 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.