MG MG5 Review

How much does it cost?

The MG5 was priced from around £31,000 to £33,500 when it was on sale for five short years. It was very competitively priced and undercut far smaller and less practical electric hatchbacks.

Value for money has flowed through to the used car market, too, as the earliest 2020 cars are now looking very affordable. Prices start from just under £7,000 on leading platforms such as AA Cars for 2020-registered cars with around 90,000 miles on the clock. You should budget around £8,500 for a 2020/21 car with a more average 50,000 miles on the clock, while the first of the 2022 facelift cars come in at around £11,000. The newest MG5s, registered in late 2024 and early 2025, are priced in the region of £18,000 to £20,000, offering a substantial saving.

Engine and performance

Overview

When it arrived in 2020 the MG5 came with a 52.2kWh battery pack that gave a WLTP-claimed range of 214 miles. That was very decent at the time and was around 50 miles more than MG's other electric model of the time, the ZS EV.

The 2022 update brought refreshed styling and, importantly, a larger battery pack. Referred to as 'Long Range', this 61.1kWh battery replaced the earlier 52.2kWh battery. Depending on trim, MG claimed up to 250 miles from a full charge.

Early MG5s had a maximum DC charging rate of 50kW, giving a zero-to-80-per-cent charging time of around 50 minutes. The post-2022 cars support higher speeds of up to 87kW, meaning the same 0-80 per cent top-up will take around 35 minutes. Meanwhile, a charge from a 7kW home wallbox takes eight and a half hours.

Regardless of year, the MG5 only ever came with one 154bhp electric motor that powered the front wheels. The instant torque from the motor made the 0-62mph dash feel much faster than the 7.7 seconds MG claimed.

Out on the road

The MG5 is an easy and stress-free car to drive, and it's well suited to everyday life.

Around the city, it feels light and very responsive – it can dash from 0-30mph in just 3.2 seconds, meaning it's great for taking advantage of those all-too-few gaps in traffic. The steering is light, and the regenerative brakes are particularly good; unlike paddles in some cars, the MG5 gets a 'KERS' (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) button that cranks up or down the level of regen braking. It works well but doesn't offer one-pedal driving like in a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Kona Electric. Along with brake regeneration settings, there are also three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport.

On the motorway the MG5 feels pretty serene. Tyre and wind noise are kept to a minimum, and the MG5 is quieter than many more expensive electric hatchbacks.

Ride and handling

The MG5 feels at its best on faster roads like dual-carriageways and motorways, as the softly-tuned suspension feels more controlled. Around town and when driving over potholes and speed humps the ride can be a bit firm, but it’s not too bad. You can hear the suspension working, though.

While EV estates like the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer do feel more engaging to drive, the MG5 delivers the kind of handling you'd expect from a practical, electric estate car. It's soft, serene and easy to drive – although, having said that, switch to Sport mode and the MG5 has a surprising turn of speed.

Interior and features

Interiors

The MG5's good value becomes evident when you step inside. The interior fit and finish is solid and robust, but there's little luxury like you might find in rivals.

When the MG5 initially launched in the UK its interior was very traditional looking. Its dashboard had a rather plain and uninspiring look. The 2022 update brought in a whole new dashboard with a far more modern design. The quality improved slightly too, and the technology was overhauled – the most obvious change was a new 'floating' touchscreen that controlled most of the car's features. It's relatively simple to use, although some features are fiddly to find and the icons can be small. Most owners will connect their smartphone to bypass the system and use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though.

There's a good driving position, with plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment, and visibility is strong.

Boot space and practicality

There's not much to moan about when it comes to interior space. Taller passengers will have loads of space up front and in the back seats, and that estate car shape gives loads of rear headroom. A flat floor in the back makes carrying three passengers much easier, too.

The MG5's 464-litre boot was class-leading when the car launched (as it was in a class of one), but newer rivals like the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric – with its 516-litre capacity – have left the MG5 lagging behind. That said, it's still a very practical boot area – it's well-shaped, tall, and the back seats fold down (in a 60:40 configuration) to give 1,456 litres. The high boot lip will make loading heavier items slightly harder, but it's not much of a complaint.

All MG5s came as standard with roof rails allowing roof boxes and bike racks to be fitted.

Features

The MG5 was initially available in Excite and Exclusive trims, but these were renamed SE and Trophy with the 2022 facelift. All cars have a decent level of equipment, with features such as alloy wheels, automatic headlights, air conditioning, adaptive cruise control and parking sensors coming as standard.

When buying used, however, it's better to hunt out the top trim as there's negligible price difference between this and the entry-level trim.

Trim and colour options

In its two forms, the MG5 has only ever been offered in two trims – Excite and Exclusive on the pre-2022 cars, and SE and Trophy between 2022 and 2025.

Excite and SE cars are generously equipped, coming with keyless entry and start, air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric windows all-round, roof rails, adaptive cruise control, automatic lights and an automatic electric parking brake. Exclusive/Trophy adds artificial leather seats, heated front seats, 17-inch alloys, climate control, electrically folding mirrors, auto wipers and dimming rear-view mirror.

The standard paint colour was Arctic White, while blue, black and silver were a £550 extra. One glance at used car listings shows that many buyers tended to pay extra for the metallic colours, while some customers even splashed out nearly £700 for the tri-coat Dynamic Red paint.

Safety and reliability

Surprisingly, the MG5 was never tested by independent crash safety testers Euro NCAP, so we cannot give an accurate description of how safe it is. The MG ZS EV, which was a contemporary of the MG5, only managed a three-star rating, which possibly gives some food for thought. The MG5 did come with a suite of safety systems packaged under the umbrella term of 'MG Pilot', though. These included autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, traffic jam assist, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control.

The MG5 has a good reliability record according to industry surveys, ranking well among other electric cars for durability. It also has a seven-year warranty, so all used cars will still have cover. However, the MG brand, as a whole, doesn't have a very good reputation for reliability.

MPG, emissions and tax

Used EVs were previously exempt from paying VED (road tax), but this changed in April 2025 with owners now having to pay the same flat rate as non-EVs, so £195 a year.

The MG5's driving range is pretty good considering the size of its batteries, and the fact that it's an older EV. The car's original 52.2kWh gave a claimed range of 214 miles, but a real-world range of 150-160 miles is more realistic.

The 2022 update brought a larger battery at 61.1kWh, giving a range of up to 250 miles in the SE trim, while the top-spec Trophy managed a claimed 235 miles due to its larger alloy wheels. These later cars should be able to manage an everyday range of around 200 miles.

The early 52.2kWh MG5s had a maximum DC charging rate of 50kW, giving a zero-to-80-per-cent charging time of around 50 minutes. The later larger-batteried cars support higher speeds of up to 87kW, meaning the same 0-80 per cent top-up will take around 35 minutes.