1st Week Impressions

[Stageshoot]

@Les burrows That's why I'm recording my (home) charge figures vs mileage used, so I can calculate a more real-world efficiency. (My spreadsheet also takes into account charging losses)

My spreadsheet goes back to 2015 and details every single charge every single expense losses and gains Dow me to the penny. Can tell you it’s gobsmacking to see the savings over 8 years and 300k miles

 

[Retsiba]

Good to hear someone with generally positive reports. I guess it's the nature of things that only people with negative experiences are motivated to post. Be good to hear more positive experiences so I can feel a bit more confident - I've gone from really looking forward to picking the car up to dreading the seemingly inevitable problems.

This place is incredibly schizophrenic - half the people posting are complaining about a load of issues and talking about cancelling/returning their cars and the other half complaining they can't get one fast enough!

They're right though. The half that can't get one fast enough and the half that are complaining. As for me, I'm probably bi-polar as I belong to both groups.

Some people like Les and a few others, maybe you too, have been in EV cars for a while. Until September I had only driven a hybrid and as at today I've only driven full EVs a total of four times, all test drives.

It's normal to hear people be negative more than positive, that's the nature of news and life. Bad news travels fast and in a way is self propagating, after all no issue means nothing to report but issues means something to talk about.

There are niggles like Oberoi has talked about which we can live with and potentially more serious ones that we want to live with but shouldn't as just downright unsafe.

The fact we are even having this discussion about the car says a lot about the state of things and like Leni said here days ago the acquisition of a brand new car should be a period of enjoyment and satisfaction but most people are expecting a new car with a sense of hope as well as dread as they aren't sure what will happen.

Even those that seem to be all honky-dory have issues. Maybe nothing massive but issues nevertheless and have worked around it like switching things off, or applying velcro and double sided tape to areas with rattles and squeaks.

Are we discussing a car of £25k or a toy model of £25? In my house, it was nearly a civil war to get an MG4 order placed. I cancelled a Volvo C40 due for delivery in May 23 because yes I wanted to save some money with the current economic climate and all but also because the MG4 is a rather appealing car, and that's a big positive for the MG4 but the manufacturers are not doing us a favour. Even if it is one car that isn't functioning as its been marketed or should it is a problem.

 

[Retsiba]

Got me in one ... and that's why they're "papping" themselves because I'm taking early retirement next month.

Check you. Well done.

 

[Retsiba]

My spreadsheet goes back to 2015 and details every single charge every single expense losses and gains Dow me to the penny. Can tell you it’s gobsmacking to see the savings over 8 years and 300k miles

Insight to the savings please.

 

[Ian Key]

Got me in one ... and that's why they're "papping" themselves because I'm taking early retirement next month.

Well done on retiring early, I can personally recommend it

 

[Shengis]

I agree and that was my main motivation for posting. I felt the same way before pick-up so wanted others to know that not everyone has problems.

I'm still concerned about the car taking us hostage at some point though.

I’ll be doing a trial run of the escape out the boot routine when I get mine, just incase!!

 

[Stageshoot]

Insight to the savings please.

About £18k in losers buying and selling 8 EVs over that time

Cost per mile over that time 7p a mile or £200 a month

Saved about £36k in driving costs (Fuel, Servicing Etc)

So a saving of £18k after depreciation

Then if you add into that the depreciation we would have suffered if driving Diesel cars over those years and selling every year, an easy £35k saved

Add that the EV saving for well over £50k

There are loads of other saving not even taken into account like Congestion Charge and Central London Parking, which again adds to into well over £10k

The MG4 is easily more than free after previous savings.

 

[Ian Key]

I’ll be doing a trial run of the escape out the boot routine when I get mine, just in case!!

 

[Macadoodle]

View attachment 13517

It's just wrong to have to possibly plan for that on a brand new car

In more than 3 decades of driving I think I've only been stranded at the roadside a couple of times.

About the worst experience in motoring (other than crashing)

 

[Wakefield5]

I think people need to chill out a bit. One or two incidents do not indicate a widespread problem and we'll never know the full circumstances of what happened. No doubt scary for those involved. But it literally took me seconds to search Google and find somebody trapped in a Tesla that then set on fire and yet in other posts on here people are talking about jumping from their MG4 orders to used Teslas.

Video shows Tesla on fire as driver says he had to break window to escape

Jamil Jutha says his car shut down all of a sudden before catching fire

www.independent.co.uk

 

[the briggie]

I disagree...one incident is one too many...four or five on this forum alone is beyond chill out in my opinion. Try telling the people it's happened to to chill out...or the authorities who are on the case...dvsa, dvla and MG themselves

 

[ceeessbee]

Well it's been a week since I picked up my Trophy and likewise happy with the purchase. So here's my halfpenny worth to add after coming from a couple of Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs in the last 6-7 years.

No undertray bulge or oil leak on delivery, a possible bit of oil found seeping from the tray, nothing much so in to the dealer for a check.

LKA - agreed not good, really frightened my wife when she was out in it, and is switched off. It DOESN'T stay off in mine.

ACC and TJA - not used much so can't really comment.

Speed limiter - really good and speed accurate to GPS reading, but DOESN'T stay on.

Camden Grey - yes really like this, and it gets the neighbour thumbs up!

Access - As neither of us are tall then this seems fine but agree on big sills

Efficiency - I've had to do 3 x 145/155 mile trips over the M62 Pennines in the week, very unusual for me. I'm impressed by the economy in just over zero degrees C. GoM say 320, I've had 33%+ left after each trip which I think is good for these temps. Used Eco and Weak regen for motorway parts.

Driving - well I'm no Lewis Hamilton but it feels a well planted, direct steering car. Even Eco mode is good, it will do for me.

App - (disclaimer - retired after a life in computer systems design/implementation) awful! Almost always have to force close it to work again (Android Google Pixel 6), sometimes charges when plugged in even though schedule set (sometimes doesn't hey it's testing me), can't schedule interior heating, can't schedule any day of week (1 hit wonder). Do like the slider to set max charge level. It can only, and needs to, get better with time.

Niggles - takes ages to fire up the central screen in the cold, twiddling fingers before I can select drive (maybe 60 seconds). And then there's the pilot checklist to go through to switch things on or off, again I'm sure this will get better. There's an annoying audible vibration around the driver display screen at low speed on bumpier roads (aka UK roads), dealer to look at. Is there an oil leak, we'll see. If you need time to do things before you lock up, get the grandkids out of the back, stuff out of the boot, plug in etc, the whole car stays on lit up like a christmas tree on a dark evening. Have to go through the menu to power off first.

Would I get the car knowing all this - yes.

 

[Wakefield5]

Sounds like you've ordered the same spec as me so I'm pleased to read a positive review!

 

[MoDolph]

Well it's been a week since I picked up my Trophy and likewise happy with the purchase. So here's my halfpenny worth to add after coming from a couple of Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs in the last 6-7 years.

No undertray bulge or oil leak on delivery, a possible bit of oil found seeping from the tray, nothing much so in to the dealer for a check.

LKA - agreed not good, really frightened my wife when she was out in it, and is switched off. It DOESN'T stay off in mine.

ACC and TJA - not used much so can't really comment.

Speed limiter - really good and speed accurate to GPS reading, but DOESN'T stay on.

Camden Grey - yes really like this, and it gets the neighbour thumbs up!

Access - As neither of us are tall then this seems fine but agree on big sills

Efficiency - I've had to do 3 x 145/155 mile trips over the M62 Pennines in the week, very unusual for me. I'm impressed by the economy in just over zero degrees C. GoM say 320, I've had 33%+ left after each trip which I think is good for these temps. Used Eco and Weak regen for motorway parts.

Driving - well I'm no Lewis Hamilton but it feels a well planted, direct steering car. Even Eco mode is good, it will do for me.

App - (disclaimer - retired after a life in computer systems design/implementation) awful! Almost always have to force close it to work again (Android Google Pixel 6), sometimes charges when plugged in even though schedule set (sometimes doesn't hey it's testing me), can't schedule interior heating, can't schedule any day of week (1 hit wonder). Do like the slider to set max charge level. It can only, and needs to, get better with time.

Niggles - takes ages to fire up the central screen in the cold, twiddling fingers before I can select drive (maybe 60 seconds). And then there's the pilot checklist to go through to switch things on or off, again I'm sure this will get better. There's an annoying audible vibration around the driver display screen at low speed on bumpier roads (aka UK roads), dealer to look at. Is there an oil leak, we'll see. If you need time to do things before you lock up, get the grandkids out of the back, stuff out of the boot, plug in etc, the whole car stays on lit up like a christmas tree on a dark evening. Have to go through the menu to power off first.

Would I get the car knowing all this - yes.

Great review, thanks. That's similar to how we feel.

It is strange how there seems to be no consistency between the software, it should hopefully converge once there is a stable version for long enough that everyone gets it. I can just jump in and go apart from (usually) turning off the lights and pressing the left star button to put it into sport mode, it would drive me crazy if I had to do much else.

I agree about the boot up time but it seems inconsistent. Sometimes it's ready almost instantly and other times it takes ages. I'm sure we don't always have to wait for the MG logo etc. It's something I'll keep an eye out to see what affects it.

Personally the app/in car scheduling is missing a lot of functionality compared to the LEAF but it's not things that we used often. I'd like to see the ability to activate the heated rear window and mirrors remotely. Also, the battery temperature should be shown in the app so you know whether to use the battery heating or not.

 

[MoDolph]

Did you take the i8 to Scotland. Seems most people who had the chargemaster one wassed it up north for a road trip

Great car that though

Evo Triangle in Wales for us. It was ok if you like posing but it had too much performance, I actually enjoyed driving the LEAF more. If a car has too much power and grip you simply can't use it all without risking death.

My first time in the snow with a RWD car was fun today. The traction control of the MG4 will stop you getting the rear too far out but it's still a laugh. Hopefully the mrs will let me turn it off in the work car park soon.

 

[Macadoodle]

I agree about the boot up time but it seems inconsistent. Sometimes it's ready almost instantly and other times it takes ages.

Hopefully that's something that can be sorted in coming updates, the inconsistency is the most annoying aspect to be sure.
Looks like euro 7 compliant petrol cars will be worse though, I read that the exhaust cats will have to have a pre-start warming period of up to 20 secs to comply with new cold start emissions regs, will make the average EV look positively snappy in comparison.