Mazda 6e vs MG S5 EV

The Mazda 6e costs £7,500 more than the MG S5 EV. For that premium it adds 50 miles more WLTP range and 56 kW faster peak rapid charging. The MG S5 EV is not just cheaper - it also offers 117 litres more boot space and a 1.6s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Mazda 6e comes out ahead overall.

The MG S5 EV is £7,500 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £152 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG S5 EV comes out roughly £7,420 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 290 miles for the Mazda 6e and 208 miles for the MG S5 EV - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Mazda 6e goes roughly 83 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 24-28 minutes.

The MG S5 EV is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 41 mm narrower than the Mazda 6e. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 551 mm of total clearance for the MG S5 EV and about 510 mm of total clearance for the Mazda 6e. The MG S5 EV 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 90% battery health for the Mazda 6e and 84% for the MG S5 EV. That gives the Mazda 6e a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Mazda 6e's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the MG S5 EV's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.