Lexus UX 300e vs VW ID.5

The Lexus UX 300e costs £10,500 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 72 miles more WLTP range, 115 kW faster peak rapid charging and 172 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the VW ID.5 comes out ahead overall.

The VW ID.5 is £10,500 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 VW ID.5 comes out roughly £10,620 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 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 60 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 80 minutes in the Lexus UX 300e and 29 in the VW ID.5, so the VW ID.5 loses less time at each stop. That makes the VW ID.5 the stronger long-distance car.

The two are within 12 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 548 mm of total clearance for the VW ID.5.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the Lexus UX 300e and 84% for the VW ID.5. 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.