Renault 5 long-term review month 1

February 11, 2026 Matt Allan

The Renault 5 undoubtedly has plenty of charm, but how does it deal with the rigours of everyday life? We’re running one on long-term review to find out.

The Renault 5 has been a sensation for Renault. It’s won just about every automotive award under the sun, blowing away journalists left, right and centre.

Its combination of sharp design, smart packaging and well-judged powertrain combined with remarkable value have won it plaudits including the European Car of the Year, Scottish Car of the Year, UK Small Car of the Year and Which? Best Buy, as well as rapidly drawing in buyers looking for a small, stylish and affordable EV.

But what’s it like to actually live with? Can it maintain its initial charm in day-to-day life or will cracks start to show in its cheeky charm?

There’s only one way to find out…

Renault offers the R5 with two motor/battery pairing and in four trims ranging from the entry-level £21,495 Evolution with a 118bhp motor and 42kWh battery to the £26,945 Roland Garros+ with the 148bhp motor and larger 52kWh.

I had hoped to test the Techo+ trim with the more potent powertrain but schedules and availability mean I’ve had to settle for the higher-spec Iconic Five+. Oh dear, what a pity…

Being an Iconic 5+ spec means ‘my’ R5 misses out on the funky Green or Yellow Pop paintwork of the Techno trim, which draws even more attention to this already attention-grabbing car. Instead, mine comes in a more mature white with a black contrast roof. It’s not as exciting as the vibrant Techo+ hues but still really suits the car’s sharp angles, which blend modern sensibilities with clear callbacks to the original supermini.

Also, while it’s not as eye-catching as the Techno models, the Iconic 5 spec does mean I get heated seats and steering wheel, which are far more welcome in these chilly months.

On that subject, the car arrived slap-bang in the middle of a cold snap and the first few weeks haven’t been much kinder. Temperatures have never got beyond single figures and at their worst have plummeted to -7 degrees. As we all know, cold weather isn’t kind to EVs and the little R5 is finding the Scottish winter hard going.

According to WLTP testing, this car has an efficiency of 4m/kWh and a range of 251 miles. At the moment, I’m seeing an average of 2.4m/kWh and closer to 140 miles predicted on a full charge.

Admittedly, I haven’t been preconditioning the car and it has been subject to a lot of short runs on very cold mornings, but it does mean the R5 currently feels very much a ‘second car’. It’s coping fine with the local tasks and runs to the airport but needs to be charged a lot more frequently than my recently departed Scenic, and isn’t the default car of choice for every journey.