Lexus UX 300e vs MG S5 EV

The Lexus UX 300e costs £16,000 more than the MG S5 EV. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The MG S5 EV is not just cheaper - it also offers 89 kW faster peak rapid charging, 86 litres more boot space and a 1.2s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG S5 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG S5 EV is £16,000 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 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 £16,040 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 233 miles for the Lexus UX 300e 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 Lexus UX 300e goes roughly 25 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 80 minutes in the Lexus UX 300e and 28 in the MG S5 EV, so the MG S5 EV loses less time at each stop. So the Lexus UX 300e stops less often while the MG S5 EV stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The two are within 9 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 560 mm of total clearance for the Lexus UX 300e and about 551 mm of total clearance for the MG S5 EV.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the Lexus UX 300e and 84% for the MG S5 EV. That is close enough that capacity loss should not decide between them. Both use NMC-type cells, so for daily use keep the charge limit near 80% to slow degradation. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.