RENAULT 5

We compare our beloved R5 with Alpine's closely related A290

- Ellis Hyde

IN case you hadn't heard the news, the Renault 5 took home the now fiercely contested title of Auto Express Affordable Electric Car of the Year in our New Car Awards. And it’s not simply because prices for this obscenely charming EV start from under £23,000; another big reason is that it’s great to drive, no matter what situation you throw it into. I assumed that, being such a chic small electric car, the French fancy would have a crisis when driven outside town or above about 30mph. Yet it’s quiet and feels stable cruising on the motorway, while on a twisty country road it's very composed and up for being chucked into corners.

Other than the fact that I've been averaging a very respectable 3.9 miles per kWh, the Renault 5’s impressive road manners have been the biggest surprise after living with the car these past few months. Which made me think: if the regular model is so well rounded and great to drive, then why might someone pay extra for its evil-looking twin, the Alpine A290? To find out which of the pair I'd rather have if I were walking into a dealership today, I decided to get them both together for some back-to-back testing.