First Impressions from Test Drive

[tsedge]

I test drove today and the MG4 is a seriously good car, it drives nicely and just flows how you want it. They've put a lot of work into the regen settings. It's just as good if not slightly better than an ID.3 in most ways and as a bonus it doesn't have the wipers on the wrong way round or offset peddles like the ID.3 does I found the seats on the SE very good, certainly an improvement on the latest KIA Niro

Coming from a Mk1 leaf I'd say the MG4 is a little lower seating position wise, spacious in the front but not as much in the back. MG4 rides and handles just as most other modern cars

Bad points:

• Touch screen not very sensitive.
• Would have been nice to have the climate control menu to open off the button rather than it functioning as an on/off
• Trim on the seats doesn't look the neatest where it joins towards the back.

I forgot to test the washers, anyone tested it and can tell me if they go up the screen properly (Nissans are so low it's a joke)?

Still 50/50 on whether to cancel my order, as I love the car but I just need slightly more room in the rear.

There's always a compromise with any choice. Can you live with the space? It is seriously good car for the money.

 

[meangreen]

There's always a compromise with any choice. Can you live with the space? It is seriously good car for the money.

It would be difficult to live with the space, not impossible. Might wait for the BYD Atto 3 or maybe there will be a new ZS EV late next year on the new platform.

 

[FiferMG4]

Just think though, cars have now all got so ridiculously good that one decides for or against buying one based on brushing trousers against a piece of styling trim whilst getting in or out! First world problems indeed.

When I was young, it was how long will it last until the head gasket blew on this model? Or is it prone to gearbox whining, or sill related again, will it last 3 years before the sills have rust bursting out all over?!

That reminds me of a car my Father bought from a neighbour of his in the early seventies. I think it lasted three days before he decided to cut his losses and took it to the scrappy.

 

[Yorkiebarkid]

I test drove today and the MG4 is a seriously good car, it drives nicely and just flows how you want it. They've put a lot of work into the regen settings. It's just as good if not slightly better than an ID.3 in most ways and as a bonus it doesn't have the wipers on the wrong way round or offset peddles like the ID.3 does I found the seats on the SE very good, certainly an improvement on the latest KIA Niro

Coming from a Mk1 leaf I'd say the MG4 is a little lower seating position wise, spacious in the front but not as much in the back. MG4 rides and handles just as most other modern cars

Bad points:

• Touch screen not very sensitive.
• Would have been nice to have the climate control menu to open off the button rather than it functioning as an on/off
• Trim on the seats doesn't look the neatest where it joins towards the back.

I forgot to test the washers, anyone tested it and can tell me if they go up the screen properly (Nissans are so low it's a joke)?

Still 50/50 on whether to cancel my order, as I love the car but I just need slightly more room in the rear.

Hi meangreen,

I am also a Mk1 Leaf owner (30kw; 2017) looking to move to an EV with greater range.

Having test driven an MG4 Trophy Long Range, I agree with many of your observations.

Positives:

• The digital displays are bright, and have sharp, crisp graphics. The screens were a little laggy (not quite up to the latest smart phones), but I thought they were responsive enough. I was worried that you might not be able to see them in bright sunshine but I think they will be fine.
• The drive was excellent and I think it’s the car’s main strong point. You feel really connected to the car in a way I’m not in the Leaf. Braking was very responsive. I thought the drive mode (which was set to standard) was spritely, and the break regeneration (set to strong) also felt good and well balanced.
• The 360 degree cameras were fantastic. They are high resolution, and automatically came on when driving at slow speeds.
• The boot space, while nowhere close to the colossal space available in the leaf, was reasonable, and is a good shape. It goes quite a long way back although there isn't much height at the rear.
• It’s subjective, but I think the MG4 is an attractive car, with ‘racer’ looks, which befits the driving experience. The light bar on the rear with coloured lines/patternation on top looks great and the sort of feature you would expect to see on a more expensive vehicle.

Negatives:

• The space in the back of the car was much tighter than I expected. I was surprised by this given the hype about this being a purpose-built EV with a long wheelbase and the extra internal space this creates. I’m 6ft 2”, and with my driver’s seat in a comfortable position, I found I only just had enough room in back when sat directly behind. There are some strange skirts on the bottom of the rear of the front seats which go down close to the floor, and this means the top of your shoes rub against them when sat in the back. I am not sure if these can be removed or heightened, but there was considerably less room than in the back of my Leaf, which I wouldn’t regard as a particularly large car.
• The front seats were very comfortable (pleather in the Trophy), although you sit down quite low. I feel old saying it, but it feels like a young person's car. However, the base of the rear seats seemed oddly tilted back. This meant my knee was raised up off the seat, which won’t affect me too much (as I’ll be driving most of the time), but it might be uncomfortable for a tall person who is sat in the back for a long period of time.
• As other people have mentioned, the back of the car is very gloomy. The all black interior combined with tint on the rear windows made it feel very dark. I’m not used to tinted windows, so perhaps this is normal, but it isn’t the bright airy space that the Leaf provides.
• Visibility out the back was limited. It is less of an issue with the excellent 360 degree cameras, but for me, I think this does make the Trophy more attractive that the (cheaper) SE Long Range.

No car is perfect, and you tend to be more critical when you’re about to pony up £31k+, but my test drive made me appreciate how good my Leaf is! However, I think the MG4 represents the next best logical step in terms of technology and range. I think its closest competitors are really the other MG offerings, and if you don’t want to drive an SUV (ZS) or an estate (MG5), I think it’s a good option.

 

[ippy1]

Had a first test drive at my dealer today (Trophy)
Very impressed overall, rush hour traffic didn’t help though, and with the manager sat in the back seat, felt like I was on my driving test.
Couldn’t tell me when my order would likely arrive, seems odd as some customers get a delivery date. Months, weeks, days?? Come on MG pull your finger out!

 

[Paulie68]

Good point. Pity they only build cars to last ten years though. We live in a disposable society.

That's demonstrably false, pretty much any modern car can easily last for decades if properly maintained. The reason cars get scrapped today is almost entirely financial as people won't spend a high percentage of a vehicles value on repair or maintenance once it's depreciated to a low level.

 

[adiel]

I test drove today and the MG4 is a seriously good car, it drives nicely and just flows how you want it. They've put a lot of work into the regen settings. It's just as good if not slightly better than an ID.3 in most ways and as a bonus it doesn't have the wipers on the wrong way round or offset peddles like the ID.3 does I found the seats on the SE very good, certainly an improvement on the latest KIA Niro

Coming from a Mk1 leaf I'd say the MG4 is a little lower seating position wise, spacious in the front but not as much in the back. MG4 rides and handles just as most other modern cars

Bad points:

• Touch screen not very sensitive.
• Would have been nice to have the climate control menu to open off the button rather than it functioning as an on/off
• Trim on the seats doesn't look the neatest where it joins towards the back.

I forgot to test the washers, anyone tested it and can tell me if they go up the screen properly (Nissans are so low it's a joke)?

Still 50/50 on whether to cancel my order, as I love the car but I just need slightly more room in the rear.

The washers and wipers worked well. Didn't seem to have an 'auto' setting but I was happy with them as it rained a lot during my test drive today. I had some issues with the 'driver alertness' monitor, as I did in the Toyota BZ4X a couple of months back. In the MG4 it seemed to switch itself back on after being disabled, so in the end I switched the audio alert off and left it on. Apparently, there is already a software update to resolve the issue. In the Toyota, I was advised to disable it before the test drive.

I echo the positive comments of other forum members following my quite extensive test drive today, covering town, country, dual carriageway, and motorway driving. I think the steering wheel controls will take some getting used to as they manage so many functions, but they work in a similar and logical fashion to my recently departed Hyundai Ioniq Electric (e.g. ACC settings on the steering wheel not a steering column stalk). There is a huge level of driving customisation possible, including pedal and steering feel (see photo). Overall, I was happy with the car and have confirmed my reservation. The only negatives I could find were:

• Alertness monitor issue mentioned above - should be fixed by a software update
• Touchscreen can be a little unresponsive at times - needs a good prod sometimes - might be addressed by software updates
• Laggy 360 camera activation e.g. occasionally when reversing it doesn't display the camera footage (my new ZS Trophy suffers the same issue)
• No granny charger provided as standard
• Mediocre efficiency - I achieved over 5 Miles per kWh in our MG5 when travelling to the dealership but only managed to achieve 4 miles per kWh in the MG4 despite driving normally.

BTW, the ACC definitely uses regen braking to slow the car down.

 

[adiel]

Possibly. As much as I would like an MG4 - I’m not convinced at this point that the ‘family’ aspect works. The rear was very dark and oppressive with the doors closed, and the storage in the rear is tight. For a short journey it would be fine but longer trips I’m not convinced it would be enjoyable for the kids.

The drive was good and as other commented it’s firm but comfortable. Interestingly the rear passengers feel more of the bumps and road - maybe due to the seats or closeness to the rear motor setup.

Some points I noted - accelerator pedal seemed stiff (maybe my foot was misaligned?) the brake pedal had a long travel and was slightly lacking in feel - I had to push rather hard to stop at one point. The steering wheel seems to have an extra turn or two to full lock.

I did have a little play with the infotainment and it’s fairly responsive.

The boot can hold two medium suitcases 65x43x25 side by side laid down although it’s roughly 15cm shallower, closer to the lip than the ZS.

I did notice there was a configuration option for pedal force, which could be set to light, normal or heavy (see photo).

 

[FiferMG4]

The washers and wipers worked well. Didn't seem to have an 'auto' setting but I was happy with them as it rained a lot during my test drive today. I had some issues with the 'driver alertness' monitor, as I did in the Toyota BZ4X a couple of months back. In the MG4 it seemed to switch itself back on after being disabled, so in the end I switched the audio alert off and left it on. Apparently, there is already a software update to resolve the issue. In the Toyota, I was advised to disable it before the test drive.

I echo the positive comments of other forum members following my quite extensive test drive today, covering town, country, dual carriageway, and motorway driving. I think the steering wheel controls will take some getting used to as they manage so many functions, but they work in a similar and logical fashion to my recently departed Hyundai Ioniq Electric (e.g. ACC settings on the steering wheel not a steering column stalk). There is a huge level of driving customisation possible, including pedal and steering feel (see photo). Overall, I was happy with the car and have confirmed my reservation. The only negatives I could find were:

• Alertness monitor issue mentioned above - should be fixed by a software update
• Touchscreen can be a little unresponsive at times - needs a good prod sometimes - might be addressed by software updates
• Laggy 360 camera activation e.g. occasionally when reversing it doesn't display the camera footage (my new ZS Trophy suffers the same issue)
• No granny charger provided as standard
• Mediocre efficiency - I achieved over 5 Miles per kWh in our MG5 when travelling to the dealership but only managed to achieve 4 miles per kWh in the MG4 despite driving normally.

BTW, the ACC definitely uses regen braking to slow the car down.

I see in your custom settings you have energy recovery in adaptive mode. Could you tell me how adaptive mode works, please?

 

[Les burrows]

Hi you lucky test drivers, I’m still waiting on a phone call for my chance to try it but, can anyone comment on the lack of a rear wiper is it a problem or not.
Also I see a comment that there is no auto wiper setting but is there an adjustable intermittent wiper setting at lease on the car what I mean buy that is a control so that the wipers sweep every 2 or 4 seconds even up to every 15 seconds.
Les

 

[AndyM]

Hi you lucky test drivers, I’m still waiting on a phone call for my chance to try it but, can anyone comment on the lack of a rear wiper is it a problem or not.
Also I see a comment that there is no auto wiper setting but is there an adjustable intermittent wiper setting at lease on the car what I mean buy that is a control so that the wipers sweep every 2 or 4 seconds even up to every 15 seconds.
Les

It was raining quite heavy on our 30 minute test drive. I didn't have any issues. It definitely gets rain on it but nothing that really affects the driving imo. A bit of rainX occasionally will probably make it a total non issue.

 

[SnovaK]

Hi you lucky test drivers, I’m still waiting on a phone call for my chance to try it but, can anyone comment on the lack of a rear wiper is it a problem or not.
Also I see a comment that there is no auto wiper setting but is there an adjustable intermittent wiper setting at lease on the car what I mean buy that is a control so that the wipers sweep every 2 or 4 seconds even up to every 15 seconds.
Les

I can confirm from test drive of SE, that it had no auto wipers, but yes you can adjust the intermittent settings.

 

[AndyM]

oh and yes it has adjustable wiper speed with a rocker type switch. You can just make it out in this pic.

 

[Gomev]

Just think though, cars have now all got so ridiculously good that one decides for or against buying one based on brushing trousers against a piece of styling trim whilst getting in or out! First world problems indeed.

..

But if you have a medical condition that affects your legs and then having to scrape them down the sill to get out is not pleasant. It was not about brushing trousers on the trim. Thank you for your thoughts though.

 

[SnovaK]

Sharing my notes below from my test driving the SE long range.

positives:

• Car looks amazing and really fun to drive. More than adequate acceleration for everyday use
• Really spacious both front and back for it's size. The rear seats are proper width (and not shallow as some manufacturers make to liberate more leg room). Good leg room in the back and lots of space for kids. Have almost 0 rear hump makes it even more practical.
• I found the boot space to be decent size for everyday use
• Both screens are legible, good definition and crisp
• Coming from an ICE car I appreciate the options of regen / eco mode.
• I found the seats to be comfortable and supportive

Negatives:

• It was really dark in the back seat, black headliner, rear tints, no footwell / reading lights whatsoever. How much it would have costed to offer a light for rear passengers?
• No grab handles - I do use them often in my current car
• Seat fabric felt cheap
• Quality was a mixed bag, some good materials but some really cheap. e.g. the boot opener in SE felt made from really cheap plastic, the switches under the center screen felt quite cheap too. However the door cards top part felt nice / bottom part felt cheap.
• Sound from 4 speaker setup in SE felt awful

We are buying this as our 2nd car for city runabouts / school and grocery runs. And for that use case, the car felt like good value - besides it's available to be picked up this week! Hence, keeping our booking and going ahead with the purchase.

 

[scoobeesnac]

I did notice there was a configuration option for pedal force, which could be set to light, normal or heavy (see photo).

Interesting. We didn’t have chance to spend much time in the car since we were on a 30min accompanied drive sadly.

Back in the good ol’days I always liked the VW group of cars since their accelerator, clutch and brake pedals had similar ‘biting’ points which made the experience consistent. I didn’t get that feeling from the MG4 although as I mentioned we didn’t get too much time to look further…maybe something for someone to comment on.

 

[Paulie68]

But if you have a medical condition that affects your legs and then having to scrape them down the sill to get out is not pleasant. It was not about brushing trousers on the trim. Thank you for your thoughts though.

I was referring to the comment made by another poster who did comment about getting jeans dirty brushing against it. I can imagine it would be awkward if you have limited mobility as it has a sharpish corner to it.

I do understand the issue actually, my own wife has developed a back disk issue and can't get in or out of my Model S at all at present. It does have very wide sills too. Come to think of it, our plan is to get an MG4 for her and she's not been it or out of it yet, so we might have an issue...

 

[Whiskey Foxtrot]

Just back from a whizz out in my very own SE. Never driven an EV before so I can't compare the drive. But.... I liked it a lot. Not gonna go on but here's a few observations.

KERs is not selectable or programmable on steering wheel.

Audio is a two speaker (front only)system not bad, not great. Can select loudness and equaliser settings. Good enough for me.

SE does not have walkaway locking. Push button on door to lock/unlock or keyfob.

Didn't see wing mirror heating unless activated by rear screen demist?

Drivers screen font quite small. (Have been to Specsavers)

Lower driver's seat to the floor and you're practically sat on the battery.

Steering wheel has my perfect girth.

Didn't rattle, squeak nor creek anywhere.

 

[Les burrows]

Hi Whiskey Foxtrot which dealer did you visit please
Les

 

[Whiskey Foxtrot]

Hi Whiskey Foxtrot which dealer did you visit please
Les

Chorley group Burnley, they've been really accomodating. Can't thank them enough