Renault Megane vs Vauxhall Astra

The Renault Megane costs £2,000 more than the Vauxhall Astra. For that premium it adds 25 miles more WLTP range, 65 kW faster peak rapid charging and 88 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Renault Megane comes out ahead overall.

The Vauxhall Astra is £2,000 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 Vauxhall Astra comes out roughly £1,920 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 255 miles for the Renault Megane and 191 miles for the Vauxhall Astra - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Renault Megane goes roughly 63 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 24-26 minutes.

The Renault Megane is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 92 mm narrower than the Vauxhall Astra. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 632 mm of total clearance for the Renault Megane and about 540 mm of total clearance for the Vauxhall Astra.

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