Extended Range and RWD

[Nev]

Hi, does anyone have any experience of the new extended range MG4, the one with the 77KW battery? What levels of efficiency i.e. miles perKwH are you getting? Any specific likes/dislikes? Also for those who have an MG4 of any type how do you find the rear wheel drive if you have moved from a front wheel drive car? Despite 40+years on the road I have only ever driven front wheel drive vehicles. I am passed caring very much about an “exciting" drive which is what reviewers tend to focus on but I am interested in control and grip in the wet and general driving ease of Rear wheel drive. Thanks in anticipation.

 

[GaryMG4]

In 50 years Ive only had 2 front wheel drive cars, and a few 4WD. In slippery conditions a heavy right foot is more likely to get you into trouble than out of it with rwd, but steering feel will give you more info about what's happening to grip than a fwd. Lift off oversteer can be exciting (in a bad way) but I'm not sure how regen braking would affect that, likewise these are quite heavy cars so again this winter will be interesting.

 

[tsedge]

The MG4 RWD is easy to drive, traction control works very well and there a no dramas although it will feel very different to FWD.

 

[GaryMG4]

The MG4 RWD is easy to drive, traction control works very well and there a no dramas although it will feel very different to FWD.

Yes I'd forgotten about the traction control, my formative days were spent sliding around on skinny crossply tyres.

 

[siteguru]

The MG4 was my first ever RWD car ... and I've been driving for 35 years. I adapted very quickly and much prefer the driving feel. Even last winter wasn't an issue. (Not that we had horrendous weather that I recall).

 

[Ian Key]

One of the big differences between FWD and RWD is in snowy conditions. With FWD you keep a bit of power on to straighten the car when it starts to slide, RWD you take your feet off everything to straighten it out.
Also with RWD you can do power turns into your drive when it's snowy...apparently

 

[mg4mc]

Another advantage of RWD is that in general you get a smaller turning circle. The MG4 is great for this - my S2000 not so!

 

[Nev]

Thank you to all who replied, that's very helpful on the RWD issue. I take it no one out there has an extended range for the efficiency Q?

 

[Kithmo]

I suppose things have moved on since the last RWD car I had back in the early 90s, an 88 Ford Granada, with different makes of tyres on each corner, that flipped the rear end out every time I left a roundabout. But having driven RWD for over 20 years before that I knew instinctively how to correct it.
No Dramas with the MG4 yet but then I haven't really pushed it and the weather's been decent.
Just remember with RWD ease off the power if the rear goes sideways and you should be ok.

 

[Artful]

Im another person who has normally had front wheel drive so going to have to be careful when I get my MG4 SE at the beginning of November. Last RWD car I drove was a 87 Ford Granada that didnt end well spun it and ended up with the bonnet over the top of a crash barrier - oops. So will have to take it steady for the first few months.

Rob

P.s How spooky as I was writing this Kithmo replied also mentioning a Ford Granny !

 

[Ian Key]

I drove a Granada with 2 bald tyres, different tyre pressures in each tyre, different makes on each axle and didn't get stopped by the police even when going sideways in slippery conditions. I was even encouraged to go faster by the police too.
Mind you it was one of their cars on their skid pan which was covered by a black soap produced by Deb Chemicals. Great fun power sliding around the figure of eight course.

 

[Anon70]

Thank you to all who replied, that's very helpful on the RWD issue. I take it no one out there has an extended range for the efficiency Q?

There is a link on this thread to an MG4 ER vs Tesla range test that might help with your range question

Just joined. 🙂

Hi, my name is Tony, and I'm seriously considering an MG 4 X Power for my first EV. I've done a lot of reading and watching about the car, and read the posts on here. I'm still a bit apprehensive about EV's. 🙄 I've test drove Two X Power's with a salesman and unaccompanied, was very impressed...

www.mgevs.com

 

[keithab]

Im another person who has normally had front wheel drive so going to have to be careful when I get my MG4 SE at the beginning of November. Last RWD car I drove was a 87 Ford Granada that didnt end well spun it and ended up with the bonnet over the top of a crash barrier - oops. So will have to take it steady for the first few months.

Rob

P.s How spooky as I was writing this Kithmo replied also mentioning a Ford Granny !

My Capri was tremendous fun in the wet and snow. The light back end was a challenge at times. I bet MG is nowhere near as temperamental

 

[Nev]

There is a link on this thread to an MG4 ER vs Tesla range test that might help with your range question

Just joined. 🙂

Hi, my name is Tony, and I'm seriously considering an MG 4 X Power for my first EV. I've done a lot of reading and watching about the car, and read the posts on here. I'm still a bit apprehensive about EV's. 🙄 I've test drove Two X Power's with a salesman and unaccompanied, was very impressed...

www.mgevs.com

Thank you, that was interesting and the sort of info on efficiency I was after. Highlights the mixed bag that is the charging network, and how costs can vary. However, they did get round to a calculation of 3.4 miles per KwH over mixed roads, though with quite a bit of motorway, in decent summer weather. Real world range of approx 251, just a little less than the Ev database real world calculation of 265. I do wish MG’s had a heat pump which would mitigate the winter range reduction but of course that would push the price up. Thanks once again.

 

[Rolfe]

There are mixed reports about how good a heat pump really is at doing that.

 

[Nev]

There are mixed reports about how good a heat pump really is at doing that.

My experience of a heat pump is very positive. My ZS didn't have one and there was the normal drop in efficiency when I had the heating on. My Citroen has a heat pump and it makes a huge difference, the heating seems to have no effect-obviously it must do but it's so little. You get less in the winter anyway because of the outside temperature but I am so pleased with the heat pump that I swore I would never buy another EV without one. However, I really like MG's and along comes one with a massive range which gives you a lot more wriggle room for any weather and heatings reductions. Hence my interest in the MG4 extended.

 

[Rolfe]

If you could get a RHD one abroad with a heat pump and bring it home...

 

[Ejaydee]

There are mixed reports about how good a heat pump really is at doing that.

My wife's 2021 Renault Zoe has a heat pump, and that works very well.

 

[tsedge]

I believe it depends a lot on how the heat pump is integrated and whether it is working at a good efficiency (right temperature zone).

Tesla go to lots of clever lengths to harvest waste heat, even running the motors inefficiently to generate more waste heat to be harvested, boosting the effectiveness of their heat pump installation.

A poorly done system can struggle to provide enough heat quickly enough on a cold morning. It will still be wonderfully efficient, but it can be hard to compete in heat output terms with a resistive heater at full chat. Heat pumps have a limited instantaneous output but can keep it up efficiently for hours.

Of course, if you always pre-heat the car, then a heat pump will have plenty of time to warm it up. But then, you could be pre-heating with a PTC heater or just jump in and whack the heat to max.

It also depends on your climate, your budget and whether the loss of range matters with your journey mix.

 

[Ejaydee]

A poorly done system can struggle to provide enough heat quickly enough on a cold morning.

Exactly! It is the same situation for poorly installed and/or programmed heat pumps in buildings...