BYD Sealion 7 vs VW ID.5

The BYD Sealion 7 costs £7,995 more than the VW ID.5. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The VW ID.5 is not just cheaper - it also offers 52 miles more WLTP range. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the VW ID.5 comes out ahead overall.

The VW ID.5 is £7,995 cheaper to buy. The VW ID.5 is cheaper to charge, roughly £152 a year versus £216 for the BYD Sealion 7, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the VW ID.5 comes out roughly £8,315 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 204 miles for the BYD Sealion 7 and 293 miles for the VW ID.5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The VW ID.5 goes roughly 89 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 24-29 minutes.

The VW ID.5 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 73 mm narrower than the BYD Sealion 7. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 548 mm of total clearance for the VW ID.5 and about 475 mm of total clearance for the BYD Sealion 7. The VW ID.5 also turns in a 1.5 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 BYD Sealion 7 and 84% for the VW ID.5. That gives the BYD Sealion 7 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The BYD Sealion 7's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the VW ID.5's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.