MG 5 long-term test: report 3

The MG 5 is one of the cheapest electric cars on sale, and the only electric estate, but is it any good? We're living with one to find out...

MG 5 driving

The car MG 5 EV Exclusive Long Range Run by Kiall Garrett, senior videographer

Why it’s here To see whether an electric estate car can support the practicality needs of What Car?’s videographer while getting him around the country with relative ease

Needs to be Spacious, have enough range to travel to far-flung film shoots, and be comfortable to drive


Mileage 7083 List price £31,995 Target Price £31,679 Price as tested £30,495 Options fitted None Test range 167 miles Official range 250 miles


29 June 2022 – Cheap and cheerful?

One of my favourite things about my MG 5 is how well equipped it is. I’m talking heated seats, electric seat adjustment, lumbar adjustment, electric mirrors, roof rails, faux-leather upholstery, keyless entry – all included on my chosen trim.

MG 5 heated seat

There’s two simple trim choices: Excite and Exclusive. Excite costs £29,695, which is fairly cheap for a large electric car – even without the now-withdrawn government grant. 

But while it gets adaptive cruise control as standard, it misses out on those extras I mentioned. So, for an additional £2000, I’d have no hesitation in recommending a potential buyer to splash out on this top-end Exclusive version that I’m been running.

Sure, there are no crazy features like massaging seats, and it won’t steer for you on the motorway, but you’d have to spend a significant amount of extra cash to find another electric car that is much better equipped than the MG 5 – especially if you plan on using it as a mobile office, as often as I have.

Working in MG 5

Unfortunately, the MG 5 doesn’t come with a three-pin plug cable, or the option to buy one. So you’d have to look somewhere else if you needed one to charge the MG 5 at home without a wallbox.

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