MG 5 review

All MG 5s get an electric motor with 154bhp, but there’s a choice of either a 52.5kWh battery pack that’s good for an official WLTP combined range of 214 miles, or our preferred 61.1kWh pack version that gets 250 miles under the same test.

That’s significantly more than the MG ZS EV or the entry-level Nissan Leaf, Mazda MX-30 and Peugeot e-208. If you need more range, take a look at the Hyundai Kona Electric, Renault Zoe or the VW ID.3.

We certainly wouldn’t recommend the MG 5 for driving thrills, although it handles better than its taller sibling, the MG ZS EV. It handles well enough as far as the wider class is concerned, thanks to precise steering, sensible grip levels and reasonable suspension control over bumpy roads. Compared with the more lithe ID.3 and the fun to drive MX-30, though, the 5 leans more in corners and is nowhere near as spry. 

You’ll notice the electric motor’s whine more than you will in most rivals, especially when you’re pottering around town, but at speed the 5 is pretty mute. There's much less wind noise than there is in the ZS EV and less background road rumble than the ID.3 generates. Only the Citroën e-C4 and e-208 are much better.

Its brakes, often an issue with electric cars, are far less grabby than the e-C4’s or e-208’s. The 5's regenerative braking system, which recharges the battery as you slow down, doesn't overtly corrupt the pedal feel, so you can come to a smooth stop easily.

You can increase and decrease the effectiveness of the regenerative braking, as you can in a lot of EVs, but it’s never strong enough to allow ‘one pedal’ driving like the Leaf, which lets you come to a complete stop just by lifting off the accelerator and without touching the brakes.