MG5 EV vs Vauxhall Combo Life (2021-2024)

The Vauxhall Combo Life costs £3,115 more than the MG MG5 EV. For that premium it adds 296 litres more boot space. The MG MG5 EV is not just cheaper - it also offers 25 miles more WLTP range and a 3.4s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG MG5 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG5 EV is £3,115 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £176 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG MG5 EV comes out roughly £3,195 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 166 miles for the MG MG5 EV and 145 miles for the Vauxhall Combo Life - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The MG MG5 EV goes roughly 21 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 40 minutes in the MG MG5 EV and 30 in the Vauxhall Combo Life, so the Vauxhall Combo Life loses less time at each stop. So the MG MG5 EV stops less often while the Vauxhall Combo Life stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The MG MG5 EV is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 103 mm narrower than the Vauxhall Combo Life. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 582 mm of total clearance for the MG MG5 EV and about 479 mm of total clearance for the Vauxhall Combo Life.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the MG MG5 EV and 84% for the Vauxhall Combo Life. That gives the MG MG5 EV a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG MG5 EV's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Vauxhall Combo Life's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. The Vauxhall Combo Life has the longer battery warranty at 8 years, versus 7 for the MG MG5 EV.