2000 mile review

[bobtherock]

So had the MGS5 for two months and now 2000 miles. The below is pedantic in places but my summary is overall I do enjoy and like the car.

Short review;

• Great economy vs the MG4.
• Nice to drive
• some MG4 bugs/quirks remain in the software.

Longer review;

• Economy is at least 5% better per Kwh. 70mph on a full charge will see you 240-270 miles in the summer. Using a/c or heating is still the biggest killer to efficiency. Why they aren't putting a heat pump in the Trophy in the UK is a mystery. £800 price uplift is unlikely to put people off IMO.
• While the driving experience is nice and smooth, the throttle response is lacking in normal mode. The car feels like its bogging down when pulling out which is a bit ridiculous in an EV. IMO throttle response needs to be 10% more aggressive. The Sport mode shows this is easily possible.
• Driving modes and regen settings not saving remains my biggest issue with the car from an enjoyment point of view. Making this worse knowing the base software is lifted straight from the MG4 (if you do mode changes before the info screen loads if uses MG4 base settings including regen 3 by default) so it is a conscious decision in the S5 to have regen 1 as the default. Changing driving modes also resets the regen settings when you go through comfort mode, feels like a bug.
• It might be user error/ misjudgment but regen 3 sometimes feels inconsistent like it just doesn't engage properly and I need to press the brake..
• LKA is unfortunately using the same profile as the MG4 BEFORE the latest recall. This means frequent false positives for shiny road surfaces being mistaken for lane lines. Hopefully this will be resolved in a recall at the first service.
• Infotainment is quite good and an upgrade.
• Speed limiter now has its own dedicated button and switches between intel and manual very well.
• Traffic Jam Assist is still a bit of gimmick but seems to work ok.
• powered tailgate is a nice feature but implemented poorly. If the tailgate stops for an obstruction, it should move in reverse on the next press not continue in the same direction as before.
• intelligent speed recognition is a mixture of camera and navigation info. To get the correct 60/70 NSL you need to open the inbuilt navigation every so often.
• wireless apple carplay has been working smoothly for me.
• Slight annoyance with wing mirrors auto unfolding when unlocking, even when I manually folded them before locking the car. This means you can't park to close to a pillar.
• Caution for small objects in the boot can slip under the tool tray and then rattle around. The tool tray is not intended to be removable but you can buy the replacement clips if needed which are a standard car trim/panel part.

 

[salty]

So overall, pretty good.

 

[bobtherock]

So overall, pretty good.

Lol. Yeah. When my only real grumble is pressing one button twice when I get in the car, its pretty good.

 

[TimothyN]

You've missed that it doesn't stay on the radio station you left it on, which is as much of a pain as it not remembering other configurations.

 

[LionCiti]

• powered tailgate is a nice feature but implemented poorly. If the tailgate stops for an obstruction, it should move in reverse on the next press not continue in the same direction as before.

So if the tailgate is opening and hit a obstruction, it will stopped and not closed even I hit the close button?

Always worried that the tailgate hitting an obstruction on the way up or hit something on the top

 

[bobtherock]

So if the tailgate is opening and hit a obstruction, it will stopped and not closed even I hit the close button?

Always worried that the tailgate hitting an obstruction on the way up or hit something on the top

Yeah, had it with a bollard at a charging station. Rather than close so I could pull forward a little, it tried to open again. Luckily you can move the car with the tailgate open.

Also happens with closing. Rather than opening to allow you to move the obstruction, it just stays where it is so you you manually have to force open and then reset the tailgate opening height.

You've missed that it doesn't stay on the radio station you left it on, which is as much of a pain as it not remembering other configurations.

TBF I don’t listen to the radio very often. I use CarPlay most of the time for music.

 

[TimothyN]

I could use apps and CarPlay, but generally, in Kent, anyway, the radio signal is more reliable than the 4 or 5G.

 

[Alb]

My car goes to the same (previously set) radio station every time. Perhaps you've tuned into a station with a weak signal?

 

[TimothyN]

Radio 4 on DAB in Kent in sight of the Wrotham Mast? I don't think so!

I wonder what it is.

 

[the bunker]

You've missed that it doesn't stay on the radio station you left it on, which is as much of a pain as it not remembering other configurations.

Mine does

 

[Ruislip Resident]

How do you activate TJA. Traffic Jam Assist. On the ZSEV now gone back at end of PCP, (so just got the S5 last Friday [Halloween!]) it just came on when in the adaptive cruise control MG pilot setting with the LKA, at lower speeds eg 20 mph. Does it do the same on the S5 or do you have to specifically activate TJA.

 

[PeterHR2]

• While the driving experience is nice and smooth, the throttle response is lacking in normal mode. The car feels like its bogging down when pulling out which is a bit ridiculous in an EV.

I wonder if this is MG's response to the MG5 (FL) issue of wheelspin being reasonably common when pulling away from a stop/junction... even when not 'pressing the pedal to the metal' (can't comment on whether that was an issue with other MG models).

 

[the bunker]

Seems more likely to me that the behaviour of acceleration from starting normal mode is more efficient. There is no eco mode, so I think normal is eco

 

[mdiox]

Lol. Yeah. When my only real grumble is pressing one button twice when I get in the car, its pretty good.

Swipe > Press > Confirm!

 

[Ian Key]

I wonder if this is MG's response to the MG5 (FL) issue of wheelspin being reasonably common when pulling away from a stop/junction... even when not 'pressing the pedal to the metal' (can't comment on whether that was an issue with other MG models).

The MG5 is front wheel drive so it is more prone to spinning its wheels whereas the MG4 and MGS5 are rear wheel drive so although they don't spin the wheels as readily they can send the back end out sideways if accelerating hard on a greasy traffic island.

The MGS5 limits the power to the wheels when moving off to protect the transmission and increase tyre life although in Sport mode you do get the full beans from the off.

 

[Lovemyev]

It is true that the S5 does at first feel a little less responsive when first pulling away, compared to our previous two ZS EV’s.
But after driving the S5 for only about a week, I soon became comfortable with the difference in how the “Go Pedal” responds to what I wanted to achieve when driving.
Never does it feel compromised in its rate of acceleration at all.
It’s just different in the way that the power is delivered in relation to the travel of the pedal that’s all.
It feels completely normal .
I guess it depends on what you have been use to very recently.
If you jump straight out of your MG5 or ZS EV and into the S5 then yes, at first you will detect a slight difference, but if you leaving an ICE to try the S5 then I think you are unlikely to even notice it.
It’s just different than the other models, there is most certainly NO loss of power !.
Using sport mode will soon put any fears of that straight to bed .
I do agree, because it’s RWD in snowy conditions and using sports mode, the back end will want to catch up with the front end very easily, if that Go Pedal is pressed too hard.
I am happy with the way the car delivers the power in the default mode tbh.
If you want more for the traffic light Grand Prix, then just push the mode button and select sports, then be first off the line and first to the tyre shop, it’s up to you .