Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro 2nd Gen vs 5 Pro - Is the "Upgrade" Really Worth It?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 Pro is the better overall choice for most riders, mainly because of its suspension, slightly bigger battery, and better weather protection - it simply feels more like a "real vehicle" than a gadget. If your commute includes rough bike paths, dodgy tarmac, or regular rain, the 5 Pro's comfort and stability are hard to ignore, even if it is annoyingly heavy.

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen makes more sense if you want to save some money and care about every extra kilo when lifting the scooter, or if your routes are mostly smooth cycle lanes where suspension would be overkill. Think of the 4 Pro as a solid, no-frills workhorse, and the 5 Pro as the same scooter after a small comfort and safety upgrade - with a gym bulk-up you will definitely feel when carrying it.

If you are even half-serious about daily commuting and don't have to drag the scooter up endless stairs, keep reading with the 5 Pro in mind - but the full comparison below will help you pick the one that annoys you the least in everyday life.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters live in the same upper mid-range commuter space: not cheap toys, not wild dual-motor monsters, but the "I sold my bus pass for this" category. They share the same brand DNA, the same 48 V architecture, the same rear-wheel drive setup and broadly similar real-world range. On paper they look close enough that Xiaomi almost seems to be competing with itself.

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen targets riders who want a sturdier, more powerful step up from rental-level scooters, but still value some degree of portability and simplicity. The 5 Pro aims at the same rider profile, then adds suspension, a slightly beefier chassis and better weather protection - and in exchange demands that you accept hauling something closer to a small moped than a "last-mile" toy.

In other words: these two are natural rivals because they're essentially two answers to the same question - "How serious do I want my commuter scooter to be?" - with the 5 Pro leaning further towards comfort and safety, and the 4 Pro leaning slightly towards lighter weight and lower price.

Design & Build Quality

In your hands, both scooters feel unmistakably Xiaomi: minimalist, matte, and built with the kind of over-familiar silhouette that now screams "rental fleet veteran". Both use chunky carbon-steel frames, and neither feels flimsy; these are on the "brick" side of the spectrum rather than "featherweight tech".

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen feels like a cleaned-up evolution of the classic Xiaomi formula: a stiff frame, wide deck, tidy internal cabling and very little that looks experimental. It's the kind of scooter where nothing stands out visually - and that's half the point. Stem flex is minimal, fold latch play is basically non-existent, and overall it gives solid appliance vibes: functional, but not exactly thrilling.

The 5 Pro takes that template and thickens everything a notch. The stance is a bit broader, the whole scooter looks like it has been in the gym doing squats, and the suspension hardware adds visible mechanical heft around the fork and rear end. The result is visually less "clean" than the 4 Pro, but it also feels more substantial under your hands. You notice the extra mass lifting the front, and you notice the slightly more planted feel when you drop it back down.

On finishing touches they trade blows. Both have integrated displays that look sleek when lit, both have neatly buried cables, and both suffer from the same slightly-too-soft display cover that scratches if you so much as look at it with a gritty microfibre cloth. Overall build quality is high on both, but the 5 Pro feels slightly more overbuilt - impressive if you're riding, less fun if you're carrying.

Ride Comfort & Handling

This is where the two scooters stop being twins and start being cousins.

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen goes for the "big tyres as suspension" philosophy. Those fat, tubeless tyres with generous air volume soak up chatter from tarmac and light cobblestones impressively well for a rigid scooter. On decent city asphalt it actually rides sweeter than you'd expect from a non-suspended frame, with a direct, planted feel. The downside shows up when the infrastructure gets nasty: extended sections of broken pavement or brick paths will have your knees and wrists working overtime by the end of a longer ride.

The 5 Pro, by contrast, finally concedes that maybe springs weren't such a bad idea after all. With a sprung front and rear, plus the same wide tubeless tyres, it simply glides over the sort of cracks and potholes that make the 4 Pro thump and protest. On battered bike lanes, you can ride at normal commuting speed without that constant micro-flinch every time you see a bad patch ahead. The suspension is not motorcycle-grade magic, but it meaningfully cuts down fatigue.

Handling-wise, both benefit from wide handlebars and a longish wheelbase. The 4 Pro feels a hair more "connected" and responsive in quick lane changes, partly because you aren't riding on springs. The 5 Pro feels calmer and more forgiving - it leans into that "small vehicle" feeling rather than "oversized toy". If you like a very direct, go-kart-ish response, the 4 Pro slightly edges it. If you prefer relaxing and letting the chassis filter out the world, the 5 Pro is clearly ahead.

Performance

On paper the motors are basically identical, and out on the road they behave like siblings: same 48 V push, similar rated and peak output, and the same legal top-speed ceiling. Both are rear-wheel drive, which does wonders for traction when you pin the throttle from a standstill or accelerate off wet paint.

In practice, acceleration feels very close. The 4 Pro 2nd Gen has a snappy, eager launch that will happily yank you up to its speed limiter fast enough to keep up with city cycling traffic. The 5 Pro delivers almost the same shove, but the extra weight blunts the initial "whoa" just a bit - you still get plenty of torque, it just feels more measured.

Hill performance is a strong point on both. Short, punchy climbs that would make budget scooters wheeze are handled with almost boring competence. Heavier riders will appreciate that neither of these machines collapses to walking pace on steeper ramps. If you've only ridden early 36 V Xiaomi models, the difference on hills feels like someone secretly upgraded your legs.

Braking on both scooters uses the same formula: drum up front, regenerative braking on the rear. The feel is consistent and predictable rather than sharp and aggressive. The 4 Pro, being lighter, feels a touch more obedient when you really haul on the lever; the 5 Pro's extra mass means you instinctively start braking a fraction earlier. Neither setup is exhilarating, but both are reassuring and low-maintenance, which is more important for commuters than flashy callipers.

Top speed is capped in the same way, so there is no "faster" scooter here - the difference is how relaxed you feel riding at that limit. Thanks to its suspension and slightly more planted stance, the 5 Pro feels more stable at full tilt, especially when the surface is less than perfect.

Battery & Range

Both scooters live in that realistic "there and back with a margin" zone for typical urban commuting. Manufacturer claims are, as usual, optimistic Sunday-afternoon fantasies, but in real life both machines deliver broadly similar usable range, especially if you're not trying to set personal records at every traffic light.

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen has a slightly smaller battery on paper, but in the real world you're still looking at a comfortable medium-distance commute with some buffer - think healthy daily return trips for most people, as long as you're not combining strong hills, cold weather and maximum rider weight all at once. Ride it hard in the sportiest mode and you'll naturally eat into that margin faster.

The 5 Pro adds a touch more capacity, but also carries more mass and a suspension system to move, so it doesn't turn into a range monster. Instead, it subtly shifts the needle: you get a bit more breathing room on longer routes or for heavier riders, but we're not talking a different class of endurance here. Both are squarely "charge every couple of days for typical city use" machines.

Charging time is essentially the same - an overnight affair on either scooter. Neither supports genuinely quick top-ups, so you plan around plugging them in after work or before bed, not around opportunistic café charges. If fast charging is your obsession, Xiaomi clearly expects you to look elsewhere.

Portability & Practicality

Let's be blunt: neither of these scooters is "light". They've both eaten well.

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen sits in that annoying middle ground where you can carry it up a flight of stairs, but you will not enjoy doing it repeatedly. The folding mechanism is classic Xiaomi - simple, quick, with a positive, reassuring lock - and once folded the package is manageable for car boots and train aisles. It's just about acceptable for people who combine riding with occasional lifting, as long as "occasional" really means occasional.

The 5 Pro crosses a line. The first time you pick it up you instantly feel the jump. A short lift into a car trunk is fine; a few stairs are okay if you're motivated. But if your routine involves multiple floors without a lift, this is the part where future-you will curse present-you. The footprint is also a bit larger, so in cramped hallways or offices it demands a bit more floor real estate.

In day-to-day practicality while actually rolling, the 5 Pro claws back points: the suspension, higher water protection rating and more planted feel make it more of an "all weather, all surfaces" commuter. The 4 Pro is a touch more convenient to manoeuvre by hand and to stash under a desk, but you give up some comfort and capability to get there. Neither is a joy to shoulder carry through a busy metro station, but if you must, the 4 Pro is the lesser evil.

Safety

On the safety front, Xiaomi has clearly decided that commuting in 2020s traffic needs more than just a beeping bell. Both scooters come loaded with the modern essentials: bright automatic headlights, integrated turn signals on the bar ends, regenerative braking, and wide tyres that give plenty of grip.

The 4 Pro 2nd Gen is already a big step up from older generations. Rear-wheel drive plus traction control means fewer sketchy front-wheel slips out of wet junctions, and those chunkier tyres give a much larger safety net when you hit patches of gravel or tram tracks at an awkward angle. The hybrid braking system is very controllable; you don't get the "panic grab, instant lock" feeling that cheap disc setups sometimes produce.

The 5 Pro takes that base and builds on it. You get similar braking hardware but with an even more planted chassis, better water resistance, and that suspension keeping the tyres in contact with the ground when the surface turns ugly. On a bumpy corner at full legal speed, the 5 Pro simply feels more composed. The Traction Control System earns its keep on wet days: you feel less of that "rear wants to step out" sensation when you accelerate over slick surfaces.

Lighting and visibility are strong on both, with the same auto-on logic and attention-grabbing tail-light behaviour under braking. In traffic after dark, the 5 Pro's extra stability and weather tolerance give it a subtle but meaningful edge - this is the one I'd rather be on in pouring rain or over greasy autumn leaves.

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Price & Value

Price-wise, they live in the same neighbourhood, with the 5 Pro asking for that familiar "small but noticeable" step up that manufacturers love to justify with a handful of extra features. The 4 Pro 2nd Gen gives you the essentials: decent power, solid build, wide tyres, good safety kit and Xiaomi's service ecosystem. You are not being robbed, but you're not getting an outrageous bargain either - it's fairly priced for what it is.

The 5 Pro charges more and, to its credit, does deliver more. The suspension, slightly larger battery, higher water protection and extra composure at speed are not cosmetic upgrades; they change how the scooter feels on a rough or wet commute. If you ride daily over questionable surfaces, that price bump starts to look quite reasonable spread over a year or two of use.

On pure value, the 4 Pro makes sense if your riding environment is relatively kind and you're watching your budget. But in the context of "this is my main transport", the 5 Pro's extra comfort and safety are exactly the kind of things that quietly earn back their cost every miserable winter morning.

Service & Parts Availability

On this front, it's a draw. Both are modern Xiaomi scooters built on widely adopted platforms, which means you get the same advantages: plenty of authorised service partners, loads of third-party shops who already know the design inside out, and an aftermarket overflowing with tyres, fenders, screens, and questionable sticker kits.

Firmware quirks and speed-limit grumbles are evenly shared across the family. Replacement parts - from tyres to brake hardware - are easy to source for both. If you like the reassurance that you can find a tutorial for virtually any repair on YouTube, either scooter will suit you just fine.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If your commute is built mostly from decent bike lanes, smooth-ish tarmac and modest hills, the Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro 2nd Gen will do the job. It's sturdy, reasonably refined, and thanks to those wide tyres it doesn't punish you on every seam in the concrete. You save some money and a few kilos versus the 5 Pro, which you'll appreciate if you regularly have to lift or drag the scooter around.

However, once the roads get rough or the weather unpredictable, the 4 Pro starts to feel like yesterday's idea of "premium". The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 Pro simply copes better with the real world: potholes, cracked paving, wet tram tracks and surprise downpours. The suspension, slightly larger battery, better water protection and more planted ride turn it into a more relaxed, confidence-inspiring companion - especially for longer commutes or heavier riders.

So: if you live on the third floor with no lift, or your scooter spends half its life being carried rather than rolled, the 4 Pro is the defensible choice. For everyone else who actually rides more than they carry, the 5 Pro is the more complete, less fatiguing, and frankly more future-proof scooter - even if its added weight will occasionally remind you that comfort always comes at a price.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics answer very specific "numbers-only" questions. Price per Wh and per km/h show which scooter gives more battery and speed for each euro. Weight-related metrics tell you how much mass you're lugging around for the performance and range you get. Wh per km is a rough efficiency indicator: how much energy the scooter uses for each kilometre. Power-to-speed and weight-to-power show how strong the drivetrain is relative to its job, while average charging speed says how quickly the charger replenishes the battery capacity. They are useful for comparison, but they do not capture comfort, safety or overall riding feel.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the XIAOMI Electric Scooter 4 Pro 2nd Gen scores 9 points against the XIAOMI Electric Scooter 5 Pro's 2. In the Author's Category Battle, the XIAOMI Electric Scooter 4 Pro 2nd Gen gets 29 ✅ versus 22 ✅ for XIAOMI Electric Scooter 5 Pro (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: XIAOMI Electric Scooter 4 Pro 2nd Gen scores 38, XIAOMI Electric Scooter 5 Pro scores 24.

Based on the scoring, the XIAOMI Electric Scooter 4 Pro 2nd Gen is our overall winner. Between these two, the Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 Pro is the one that feels more grown up on the road - calmer, more forgiving, and better suited to the battered, unpredictable reality of modern city riding. The 4 Pro 2nd Gen fights back with a leaner body and a friendlier price tag, but once you have lived with proper suspension on the 5 Pro, it's hard to go back. If you carry your scooter as much as you ride it, the 4 Pro is the pragmatic pick; if you mostly roll from door to door and value arriving less shaken and more relaxed, the 5 Pro is the scooter you'll quietly be happier with day after day.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.