BMW iX3 vs Mercedes-Benz EQB

The BMW iX3 costs £1,105 more than the Mercedes-Benz EQB. For that premium it adds 137 miles more WLTP range, 200 kW faster peak rapid charging and 67 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BMW iX3 comes out ahead overall.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB is £1,105 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £160 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Mercedes-Benz EQB comes out roughly £985 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 293 miles for the BMW iX3 and 214 miles for the Mercedes-Benz EQB - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BMW iX3 goes roughly 78 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 21 minutes in the BMW iX3 and 32 in the Mercedes-Benz EQB, so the BMW iX3 loses less time at each stop. That makes the BMW iX3 the stronger long-distance car.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 61 mm narrower than the BMW iX3. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 566 mm of total clearance for the Mercedes-Benz EQB and about 505 mm of total clearance for the BMW iX3. The Mercedes-Benz EQB also turns in a 0.4 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.