Head-to-head: MG4 EV vs VW Golf R-Line

When it comes to the monthly lease fee, there’s little to choose between the all-electric MG4 EV and the mid-range Volkswagen Golf R-Line.

Both hatchbacks weigh-in at around £270-280 per month to lease, when taken on a 48-month contract and with an annual mileage of around 5,000 miles.

They could both also be delivered in rapid fashion, with the Golf in stock now, and the MG4 EV capable of being transported to your door in March.

But the big difference here is that one of them uses a battery, the other uses a traditional petrol engine.

So, in a clash between the combustion internal engine and plug-in power, which one gets your vote? 

^{* Based on an annual mileage of 5,000 miles, a 4-year lease term, and a 12-month deposit.}

^{** Using official efficiency data for each car (49.6 mpg for the Golf and 3.6 miles per kWh for the MG), and current fuel/energy prices of £1.4974 a litre for petrol and 34p per kWh for home electricity.}

Kerb appeal

Both the Golf and the MG4 EV carry their looks well.

The MG4 EV (above) is the sharp-suited newcomer, boasting a razor-sharp, angular rear end and a front that’s dominated by those large side air vents and tapered bonnet.

The Golf R-Line (below) is, of course, no ordinary Golf. It sits a rung down from the performance GTI and GTD models, as well as the plug-in hybrid GTE, and is a cut above the ‘Life’ and ‘Style’ trim levels available below.

The Golf R-Line sure is a looker - but also has a certain understated, wolf-in-sheep’s clothing charm.

The drive

For around £272 per month, you can get behind the wheel of a Golf R-Line that’s packing the 1.5 litre TSI 150 petrol engine, which has power of, you’ve guessed it, 150 PS. A less powerful 130 PS petrol unit is also available.

That TSI 150 unit allows the Golf R-Line to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 8.5 seconds. That’s not bad at all, but falls just short of hot-hatch territory.

On the other hand, the most affordable MG4 EV you can get is the one with a standard range 51 kWh battery. A ‘Long Range’ battery that weighs in at 64 kWh is also available but commands a higher lease fee.

The standard range MG4 EV packs power of 170 PS and will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 7.7 seconds - which means it’s quicker off the mark than the VW.

Top speed for the MG4 EV is 100mph, the Golf R-Line tops out at 139 mph.

It’s also important to note that both cars should also handle extremely well. The R-Line features, among other things, sports suspension, sports seats in the front, driving profile selection and an electronic differential lock for improved traction and handling.

When Select Car Leasing recently road-tested the MG4 EV, our reviewer praised its ‘rear-drive layout’ which gives it ‘great balance’, and means it ‘doesn’t lean too much in corners’.

Our journo summed up the MG4 EV’s handling, saying: 

“It’s no sports car, but it’s more fun than it has any right to be.”

Creature comforts

The Golf R-Line is, by its very nature as one of the premium trim levels, loaded with kit as standard. You can expect goodies like 17 inch alloys, R-Line exterior styling including a body-coloured rear spoiler, sports seats, the VW ‘Digital Cockpit Pro’ system that sits behind the steering wheel, and a 12 inch touchscreen. You can also expect interior ambient lighting with 30 colour options.

The entry-level MG4 EV is also impressively-well specced, and comes with 17 inch alloys.

You also get a 10.5 inch touchscreen with full phone connectivity, rear parking sensors, tinted glass, and a leather steering wheel.

Driver assistance and safety

Both the Golf R-Line and the MG4 EV boast highly-desirable adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. In case you’re not au fait with the tech, it means the car will automatically speed up and slow down to keep pace with the traffic ahead, while also keeping you centred in your lane.

The Golf R-Line, meanwhile, also features driver fatigue detection, traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking with swerve support, and parking sensors front and rear.

The MG4 EV, on the other hand, should also be exceptionally safe.

As well as adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, the MG4 EV enjoys a lane departure warning system, rear parking sensors, driver attention warning tech, and active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection.

That’s not bad at all for an entry-level vehicle.

Running costs

It’s here where the competition gets really interesting.

The VW Golf R-Line will return up to 49.6 mpg, and has emissions of around 129 g/km. For business lease customers, it means the R-Line slots into a Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax bracket of 30%.

The MG4 EV, standard range version, will travel for up to 218 miles between charges and has an electric efficiency of up to 3.6 miles/kWh, which is just shy of cars like the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and Kia Niro EV.

The BIK rate for the MG4 EV is a lowly 2%, at least until 2025 when that is set to rise.

What does that all mean for your fuel bills?

Well, as luck would have it, here at Select we’ve got a comprehensive fuel cost calculator.

With the relatively fuel-efficient Golf, if you suppose an annual mileage of 5,000 miles, and with average petrol prices currently sitting just below £1.50p (149.74p as of Jan 10th 2023), it would cost a lease customer about £686 to fuel the car over the course of a year.

If you were charging the electric MG4 EV, at home, over 5,000 miles per year, at the Government’s ‘Energy Price Guarantee’ rate of 34p per kWh of electricity, it’d cost you roughly £472 annually.

That’s without factoring cheap, off-peak charging rates - which could bring your annual EV bill down to just £139 quid. And it’s also not taking into consideration Benefit in Kind (BIK) implications.

So, a decent chunk of change to be saved on running costs with the MG4 EV, for a very similar monthly lease fee as the Golf.

It’s food for thought, that’s for sure.

The Golf R-Line does, however, fall into a lower insurance bracket than the MG4 EV, which is worth bearing in mind.

Practicality

Both the MG4 EV and the Golf R-Line are actually pretty similar in size, with the MG4 EV being just ever-so-slightly longer and wider.

The Golf has a 381 litre boot, while the MG4 EV’s is considerably smaller at 289 litres.

If you plan to tow a trailer or caravan, the Golf is the best bet, having a maximum braked towing weight of 1,500 kg, compared with just 500 kg with the MG.

Both the Golf and the MG4 EV scored a maximum five stars from independent crash test specialists Euro NCAP.

Final verdict

You’d struggle, metaphorically-speaking, to get a cigarette paper between these two cars. Both are affordable options and attract similar monthly leasing fees, give or take a few quid.

They’re both also exceptionally easy on the eye and have won plenty of plaudits.

The MG4 EV won nine awards in 2022, including a gong for ‘Bargain of the Year’ at the 2022 Top Gear Awards.

Meanwhile the VW Golf was named ‘Best Used Compact Family Hatch' at the 2022 Auto Express Used Car Awards.

You might be swayed by the running costs, with the MG4 EV demonstrably cheaper to own over the course of a year for the vast majority of lease customers.

Or, you might just be nudged towards the Golf R-Line thanks to the way it looks, the plush interior, and the cachet of that premium German badge.

The choice, as they say, is yours!

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