MG IM5 vs Tesla Model Y

The Tesla Model Y costs £2,540 more than the MG IM5. For that premium it adds 397 litres more boot space and lower energy use, 138 versus 175 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Tesla Model Y comes out ahead overall.

The MG IM5 is £2,540 cheaper to buy. The Tesla Model Y is cheaper to charge, roughly £152 a year versus £192 for the MG IM5, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG IM5 comes out roughly £2,340 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 217 miles for the MG IM5 and 251 miles for the Tesla Model Y - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Tesla Model Y goes roughly 34 miles further between charging stops.

The two are within 21 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 440 mm of total clearance for the MG IM5 and about 419 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model Y. The MG IM5 also turns in a 2.1 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 MG IM5 and 90% for the Tesla Model Y. That is close enough that capacity loss should not decide between them. Both use LFP-type cells, which are happy charged to 100% every day. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.