MG4 EV vs Smart #3

The Smart #3 costs £3,965 more than the MG MG4 EV. For that premium it adds 60 kW more power and a 1.7s quicker 0-62mph time. The MG MG4 EV is not just cheaper - it also offers 78 miles more WLTP range. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG MG4 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG4 EV is £3,965 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £192 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG MG4 EV comes out roughly £3,965 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 181 miles for the MG MG4 EV and 189 miles for the Smart #3 - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 25-30 minutes.

The two are within 8 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 564 mm of total clearance for the MG MG4 EV and about 556 mm of total clearance for the Smart #3.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the MG MG4 EV and 84% for the Smart #3. That gives the MG MG4 EV a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG MG4 EV's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Smart #3's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.