If you had your time over again?

[Kithmo]

My ZS EV is great and after 10 months of ownership 12k km I’m still satisfied with this purchase, so that I’ll wait for the ZS EV with bigger battery pack, hope 64 kWh.

Even better if it's 73kWh

 

[Electrifried]

My ZS EV is great and after 10 months of ownership 12k km I’m still satisfied with this purchase, so that I’ll wait for the ZS EV with bigger battery pack, hope 64 kWh.

This is the problem with MG UK they say there is a ZS coming with more range but don’t elaborate on that statement. I would have been happy to buy another one with a suitably higher range but I suspect the one coming will be the same as the Indian variant which is just over 200mls, that I’m afraid would not be enough to make me buy another one. It may not be the case but if MG don’t tell people, then like me they won’t hang back on a future purchase on a maybe.

 

[JohnB]

I browsed this and a few other forums when looking for my first EV. Although, as has already been said, there is always going to be air of negativity with a forum it serves a great purpose. For instance I already knew about the ZS having BMS issues, both ZS and 5 with squeaky brakes in reverse, some odd wind noise, and the occasional rattle from steering or pillar fitment. I've never owned a car that didn't have something not quite for my needs, so it's easy to be picky if you want to.

None of the issues mentioned on the forum hinted at anything serious (possibly expensive), and a common fix was reported as "turn-it-off-and-on-again".
I can honestly say that the MG5 has been nothing short of a revelation. Beautiful to drive, quiet, smooth, loads of space. Range anxiety has only been observed in passengers.

It's absolutely the best car I've ever had.

 

[AdeB]

I would definitely choose the MG again. I've had mine 10 months and I'd make the same decision tomorrow, even with the growing number of EV models from which to choose.

I don't have a problem with the range and that's not because I don't do trips exceeding 163 miles (I do, both business and personal), but because (a) once you've driven 163 miles I don't care what anyone says, you need a break so stopping to recharge isn't noticeable, (b) that is a small price to pay for the otherwise EXCELLENT value that this car represents, and (c) people need to stop dissing electric cars and realise that - whether or not they're the sole long-term solution, or will be superseded or complemented by another form of propulsion - we need to stop using ICE cars. As soon as possible. Cars like the MG ZS make the prospect more realistic, because it's one of the most practical and affordable EVs on the market today.

I know, it may be more convenient to fill up with petrol in less than five minutes, but it's also 'more convenient' not to have to sort recyclables - yet most of us accept that we need to do it. It's more convenient to pour oil and fat down the kitchen sink, or flush wet wipes, or toss batteries in the trash. But we don't do those any more either. One day soon, in the not too distant future, driving an ICE car will begin to become socially unacceptable, much like smoking has become.

Back to the ZS - I know there are forum users who've had a 'lemon' or a Friday afternoon car. I sympathise with you, I really do. In the long list of cars I've owned or leased, I've had Renaults (three cars, two different models) that would cut out and die if they came within sniffing distance of a puddle; and three Nissans (all the same model, over eight years) that all suffered from the same engine management and four-wheel drive faults. One of those had so many additional faults that I eventually managed to reject it, despite being on lease.

As others have pointed out, it's human nature to moan incessantly when something doesn't work, but few of us take the trouble to praise companies or individuals when things go according to plan, working as they were designed. No feedback is often good feedback; it means people are happy.

But considering what MG has achieved with the ZS EV, I think you have to give them credit. It's a well-designed, well-built car that - judging by several accounts on here - has provided such a convincing case for EV adoption that for many, like me, it would be unthinkable to return to an ICE.

 

[Dodger]

It's more convenient to pour oil and fat down the kitchen sink, or flush wet wipes, or toss batteries in the trash. But we don't do those any more either.

My neighbours do this all the time resulting in blocked sewers and they don't give a toss.

 

[AdeB]

My neighbours do this all the time resulting in blocked sewers and they don't give a toss.

Yep. There will always be those who don't care. Just as there are people who won't get jabbed. And people who still smoke around kids. And litter louts. And people who wilfully, blatantly ignore a 30 limit.

But all those things are, slowly but surely, beginning to be socially unacceptable. The same will happen with ICE cars.

And before too long, you'll be saying, "My neighbours drive up and down the road in their old car, belching out petrol fumes and choking everyone on the street, but don't give a toss." But, like your fat-pouring neighbours now, they will - mercifully - be in an ever-diminishing minority.

 

[Phil752]

Mine is 8 months old and it's spent nearly 2 of those months off the road. Terrible dealer and as for the car you get what you pay for.
I'm rejecting it and I get my new Kona Electric at the end of the year.

shame had mine 18-month heater rheostat went, dealer change it and valeted the car, spot-on, do they have such a thing as a Friday afternoon car in China oh and had a free replacement car

 

[Brianlescargot]

The MG ZS EV was my second electric vehicle bought after our purchase of BMW I3. It certainly has its virtues, like cheap to buy (by EV standards), cheap to run, decent size inside and the adaptive cruise control is brilliant, but and its a big BUT for me there are too many foibles and issues with it. I knew of a few beforehand but the list has just grown after ownership, some I could live with, others I couldn’t especially the faults. Not everyone is going to have the same issues or even notice some of them but here are the many points that I had noted through my ownership.

Dealers - Lots of bad ones so it seems from my own experience and those of other on the MG Facebook groups. I ended up travelling over 200 miles to buy mine from Chorley MG, a dealership that I would certainly thoroughly recommend. Local garages Arnold Clark, Glasgow and Fraser’s of Falkirk did not phone me back. The latter also threatened to charge £90 per hour if they deemed the water leak I had wasn’t a warranty issue. Needless to say I never used them and went back to Chorley instead.

Water Ingress - rear doors leak into floor well when the car is parked nose up on the driveway during rain and high winds. Solution is to park face down, no leak, but then I couldnt charge the car. Seals were replaced but it still leaked so appears to be a design fault.

Creaking and excessive steering wheel play - so annoying and a known issue that either needs to be addressed by tightening adjustable bolts on steering column or complete replacement of column.

Door handles sticking in open position - particularly in freezing weather. Again another known and common issue.

Charge Flap not opening or locking in freezing conditions - need to use a hair dryer around the flap or park the car face into the sun to warm it up otherwise you can’t charge.

Air vent reflections in both mirrors - silver trim in middle of air vents shines onto the glass and is constantly seen when looking at either near side or offside mirrors.

Condensation build up on windscreen - Another very common issue with the windscreen running with condensation as and when there is a sudden temperature drop. Probably made worse with panoramic sunroof and definitely with carpet mats if fitted.

Poor headlights - Replaced bulbs with Osram Nightbreakers, they are a bit better but still not great.

Lack of interior lighting - At night time the inside of the car, particularly the rear passenger space is a very dark place. No ambient lighting img whatsoever.

Sport Mode - don’t use it unless you want your passengers to feel sick. The car just can’t put down the sudden torque from the tyres onto the road. It judders and wheel spins and just gets annoying. Stick to normal or Eco mode instead.

Suspension and Handling - not the worst but it’s a bit sloppy in the corners. Don’t try driving it fast on a country road, it’s not that type of car.

Poor positioning of charge socket - it’s not ideally suited given that you’ve got to crouch down to see the covers and insert the cable into the charge port.

Speed sign recognition - regularly misreads road signs or isn’t intelligent enough to realise you’ve left a speed restricted area. I’ve had it showing that I’m in a 60 in a built up area and likewise showing I’m in a 20 when I’m on a National speed limit road.

Speed warning indicator - keeps coming on by itself despite me switching it off. Flashing indicator is annoying. Seems to default back to on position after charging.

Lane Keep Assist - other than on a motorway it’s more annoying than anything. If you need this to stay in lane your driving skills aren’t very good or you are so tired you should be stopping!

No lighting in charge port - would be nice in the dark when you are crouching down to see what you are doing. I’m sure most other EV’s have a light in there, i3 certainly does and it’s colour coded too. They went to the bother of created a glowing MG badge so pity they couldn’t have added a light to the rear of the flap when they were at it.

Poor infotainment system - extremely sluggish and on occasion non responsive. I’ve had to restart mine many times to get it to work although sometimes it just randomly goes blank and restarts by itself. It seems to be worse when a phone is connected and using CarPlay. The ZS finished in last last place in a What Car review of infotainment systems.

Sat Nav system - mapping detail very basic. No live traffic information. Use Waze instead.

Faux leather seats - they are vinyl, not even remotely like leather, not absorbent nor perforated.

12 volt battery drain - using consumables like heater and so on drain the 12 volt battery, even for a short while is enough for the car not to start.

Front seat belts are fixed and have no adjustment.

Steering wheel reflection - Shiny metal insert on steering wheel reflects sunlight into your eyes when the sun is at certain positions in the sky.

Big drop in load floor so useless for dog cage with opening front door.

Rear floor isn’t flat with seats folded down. In fact the seat bases don’t move so backs lie on top when folded.

Not provided with a type 2 cable - you have to pay for one, haggle or take out MG finance to get one from the dealer.

No window tints - so you have to pay for after market fit. Most folks get it done. It’s much better with it and makes the car look much smarter too.

No battery percentage indicator - It’s there when it’s charging so why can’t we have the display available as and when required when actually driving instead of having to guess what the little led light on the speedo indicate.

Regenerative braking - it’s not that strong even in Kers 3 and despite MG suggesting that you will be able to one pedal drive you most certainly will not. It’s more like stronger deceleration and the car just will not come to a halt on its own, it’s just keeps rolling forward unless it’s going uphill.

Sound system - it’s decidedly average, if that, even with it optimised in the Exclusive model.

No climate control - just air conditioning

No light in glove box - again a little light in there would be handy. Some cars also have them in the storage tidy in the centre console.

No baggage hooks in boot - I bought mine from AliExpress and hung them onto the rear headrests so that a couple of shopping bags can at least be held secure without falling over.

No phone app - Another common feature but missing here so no ability to control any of the vehicles functions remotely or check on the state of charge.

No scheduled charging - Not in the vehicle itself so reliance is on the home charger having that facility.

Sharp edged trim - I’ve cut my wrist on the plastic of the rear wiper washer hole whilst washing the car. There are also a few sharp edges along the bottom of the doors and below the bonnet to be wary of.

Expensive and limited official MG accessories. “Cheap” car but expensive add ons like the mats, cables, roof bars and so on. Mostly all found at a fraction of the price aftermarket or on the aforementioned AliExpress which has loads.

 

[jamesie]

The MG ZS EV was my second electric vehicle bought after our purchase of BMW I3. It certainly has its virtues, like cheap to buy (by EV standards), cheap to run, decent size inside and the adaptive cruise control is brilliant, but and its a big BUT for me there are too many foibles and issues with it. I knew of a few beforehand but the list has just grown after ownership, some I could live with, others I couldn’t especially the faults. Not everyone is going to have the same issues or even notice some of them but here are the many points that I had noted through my ownership.

Dealers - Lots of bad ones so it seems from my own experience and those of other on the MG Facebook groups. I ended up travelling over 200 miles to buy mine from Chorley MG, a dealership that I would certainly thoroughly recommend. Local garages Arnold Clark, Glasgow and Fraser’s of Falkirk did not phone me back. The latter also threatened to charge £90 per hour if they deemed the water leak I had wasn’t a warranty issue. Needless to say I never used them and went back to Chorley instead.

Water Ingress - rear doors leak into floor well when the car is parked nose up on the driveway during rain and high winds. Solution is to park face down, no leak, but then I couldnt charge the car. Seals were replaced but it still leaked so appears to be a design fault.

Creaking and excessive steering wheel play - so annoying and a known issue that either needs to be addressed by tightening adjustable bolts on steering column or complete replacement of column.

Door handles sticking in open position - particularly in freezing weather. Again another known and common issue.

Charge Flap not opening or locking in freezing conditions - need to use a hair dryer around the flap or park the car face into the sun to warm it up otherwise you can’t charge.

Air vent reflections in both mirrors - silver trim in middle of air vents shines onto the glass and is constantly seen when looking at either near side or offside mirrors.

Condensation build up on windscreen - Another very common issue with the windscreen running with condensation as and when there is a sudden temperature drop. Probably made worse with panoramic sunroof and definitely with carpet mats if fitted.

Poor headlights - Replaced bulbs with Osram Nightbreakers, they are a bit better but still not great.

Lack of interior lighting - At night time the inside of the car, particularly the rear passenger space is a very dark place. No ambient lighting img whatsoever.

Sport Mode - don’t use it unless you want your passengers to feel sick. The car just can’t put down the sudden torque from the tyres onto the road. It judders and wheel spins and just gets annoying. Stick to normal or Eco mode instead.

Suspension and Handling - not the worst but it’s a bit sloppy in the corners. Don’t try driving it fast on a country road, it’s not that type of car.

Poor positioning of charge socket - it’s not ideally suited given that you’ve got to crouch down to see the covers and insert the cable into the charge port.

Speed sign recognition - regularly misreads road signs or isn’t intelligent enough to realise you’ve left a speed restricted area. I’ve had it showing that I’m in a 60 in a built up area and likewise showing I’m in a 20 when I’m on a National speed limit road.

Speed warning indicator - keeps coming on by itself despite me switching it off. Flashing indicator is annoying. Seems to default back to on position after charging.

Lane Keep Assist - other than on a motorway it’s more annoying than anything. If you need this to stay in lane your driving skills aren’t very good or you are so tired you should be stopping!

No lighting in charge port - would be nice in the dark when you are crouching down to see what you are doing. I’m sure most other EV’s have a light in there, i3 certainly does and it’s colour coded too. They went to the bother of created a glowing MG badge so pity they couldn’t have added a light to the rear of the flap when they were at it.

Poor infotainment system - extremely sluggish and on occasion non responsive. I’ve had to restart mine many times to get it to work although sometimes it just randomly goes blank and restarts by itself. It seems to be worse when a phone is connected and using CarPlay. The ZS finished in last last place in a What Car review of infotainment systems.

Sat Nav system - mapping detail very basic. No live traffic information. Use Waze instead.

Faux leather seats - they are vinyl, not even remotely like leather, not absorbent nor perforated.

12 volt battery drain - using consumables like heater and so on drain the 12 volt battery, even for a short while is enough for the car not to start.

Front seat belts are fixed and have no adjustment.

Steering wheel reflection - Shiny metal insert on steering wheel reflects sunlight into your eyes when the sun is at certain positions in the sky.

Big drop in load floor so useless for dog cage with opening front door.

Rear floor isn’t flat with seats folded down. In fact the seat bases don’t move so backs lie on top when folded.

Not provided with a type 2 cable - you have to pay for one, haggle or take out MG finance to get one from the dealer.

No window tints - so you have to pay for after market fit. Most folks get it done. It’s much better with it and makes the car look much smarter too.

No battery percentage indicator - It’s there when it’s charging so why can’t we have the display available as and when required when actually driving instead of having to guess what the little led light on the speedo indicate.

Regenerative braking - it’s not that strong even in Kers 3 and despite MG suggesting that you will be able to one pedal drive you most certainly will not. It’s more like stronger deceleration and the car just will not come to a halt on its own, it’s just keeps rolling forward unless it’s going uphill.

Sound system - it’s decidedly average, if that, even with it optimised in the Exclusive model.

No climate control - just air conditioning

No light in glove box - again a little light in there would be handy. Some cars also have them in the storage tidy in the centre console.

No baggage hooks in boot - I bought mine from AliExpress and hung them onto the rear headrests so that a couple of shopping bags can at least be held secure without falling over.

No phone app - Another common feature but missing here so no ability to control any of the vehicles functions remotely or check on the state of charge.

No scheduled charging - Not in the vehicle itself so reliance is on the home charger having that facility.

Sharp edged trim - I’ve cut my wrist on the plastic of the rear wiper washer hole whilst washing the car. There are also a few sharp edges along the bottom of the doors and below the bonnet to be wary of.

Expensive and limited official MG accessories. “Cheap” car but expensive add ons like the mats, cables, roof bars and so on. Mostly all found at a fraction of the price aftermarket or on the aforementioned AliExpress which has loads.

Apart from that do you like the car?

 

[Adee]

I love this car.
It's what I would call an "it does what it says on the tin" kind of car. It's cheap transport that ought to save the environment and save the planet in the process. If you want a fancy car with lots of knobs and whistles, expect to pay double. The MG5 is not top quality.
I drive several other cars. My works car is a Subaru XV (SUV), supposedly Japanese quality but it's pretty hateful in may respects (especially the CVT transmission). As long as I don't get too many showstoppers with it, the MG5 will be my car of choice for some time to come.
I would never buy anything if I spent as long reading product reviews as my wife does!!

 

[Bogrole]

Well mine is the 2nd one I have owned (first one getting written off in an accident) I then went back to an ICE car, but something drew me back, current car purchased last Dec has been great apart from one charging module failure that left us without a car for 24 hours. I do just wish that the range was a little more realistic, as with heater or aircon on motorways 110 -120 miles is about your lot! Really annoying when my sister lives 125 miles away. Hey ho. It's a great little car for around town and local commuting. My wife loves it (but she doesn't pay for the electric)

 

[rbpasapera]

The MG ZS EV was my second electric vehicle bought after our purchase of BMW I3. It certainly has its virtues, like cheap to buy (by EV standards), cheap to run, decent size inside and the adaptive cruise control is brilliant, but and its a big BUT for me there are too many foibles and issues with it. I knew of a few beforehand but the list has just grown after ownership, some I could live with, others I couldn’t especially the faults. Not everyone is going to have the same issues or even notice some of them but here are the many points that I had noted through my ownership.

Dealers - Lots of bad ones so it seems from my own experience and those of other on the MG Facebook groups. I ended up travelling over 200 miles to buy mine from Chorley MG, a dealership that I would certainly thoroughly recommend. Local garages Arnold Clark, Glasgow and Fraser’s of Falkirk did not phone me back. The latter also threatened to charge £90 per hour if they deemed the water leak I had wasn’t a warranty issue. Needless to say I never used them and went back to Chorley instead.

Water Ingress - rear doors leak into floor well when the car is parked nose up on the driveway during rain and high winds. Solution is to park face down, no leak, but then I couldnt charge the car. Seals were replaced but it still leaked so appears to be a design fault.

Creaking and excessive steering wheel play - so annoying and a known issue that either needs to be addressed by tightening adjustable bolts on steering column or complete replacement of column.

Door handles sticking in open position - particularly in freezing weather. Again another known and common issue.

Charge Flap not opening or locking in freezing conditions - need to use a hair dryer around the flap or park the car face into the sun to warm it up otherwise you can’t charge.

Air vent reflections in both mirrors - silver trim in middle of air vents shines onto the glass and is constantly seen when looking at either near side or offside mirrors.

Condensation build up on windscreen - Another very common issue with the windscreen running with condensation as and when there is a sudden temperature drop. Probably made worse with panoramic sunroof and definitely with carpet mats if fitted.

Poor headlights - Replaced bulbs with Osram Nightbreakers, they are a bit better but still not great.

Lack of interior lighting - At night time the inside of the car, particularly the rear passenger space is a very dark place. No ambient lighting img whatsoever.

Sport Mode - don’t use it unless you want your passengers to feel sick. The car just can’t put down the sudden torque from the tyres onto the road. It judders and wheel spins and just gets annoying. Stick to normal or Eco mode instead.

Suspension and Handling - not the worst but it’s a bit sloppy in the corners. Don’t try driving it fast on a country road, it’s not that type of car.

Poor positioning of charge socket - it’s not ideally suited given that you’ve got to crouch down to see the covers and insert the cable into the charge port.

Speed sign recognition - regularly misreads road signs or isn’t intelligent enough to realise you’ve left a speed restricted area. I’ve had it showing that I’m in a 60 in a built up area and likewise showing I’m in a 20 when I’m on a National speed limit road.

Speed warning indicator - keeps coming on by itself despite me switching it off. Flashing indicator is annoying. Seems to default back to on position after charging.

Lane Keep Assist - other than on a motorway it’s more annoying than anything. If you need this to stay in lane your driving skills aren’t very good or you are so tired you should be stopping!

No lighting in charge port - would be nice in the dark when you are crouching down to see what you are doing. I’m sure most other EV’s have a light in there, i3 certainly does and it’s colour coded too. They went to the bother of created a glowing MG badge so pity they couldn’t have added a light to the rear of the flap when they were at it.

Poor infotainment system - extremely sluggish and on occasion non responsive. I’ve had to restart mine many times to get it to work although sometimes it just randomly goes blank and restarts by itself. It seems to be worse when a phone is connected and using CarPlay. The ZS finished in last last place in a What Car review of infotainment systems.

Sat Nav system - mapping detail very basic. No live traffic information. Use Waze instead.

Faux leather seats - they are vinyl, not even remotely like leather, not absorbent nor perforated.

12 volt battery drain - using consumables like heater and so on drain the 12 volt battery, even for a short while is enough for the car not to start.

Front seat belts are fixed and have no adjustment.

Steering wheel reflection - Shiny metal insert on steering wheel reflects sunlight into your eyes when the sun is at certain positions in the sky.

Big drop in load floor so useless for dog cage with opening front door.

Rear floor isn’t flat with seats folded down. In fact the seat bases don’t move so backs lie on top when folded.

Not provided with a type 2 cable - you have to pay for one, haggle or take out MG finance to get one from the dealer.

No window tints - so you have to pay for after market fit. Most folks get it done. It’s much better with it and makes the car look much smarter too.

No battery percentage indicator - It’s there when it’s charging so why can’t we have the display available as and when required when actually driving instead of having to guess what the little led light on the speedo indicate.

Regenerative braking - it’s not that strong even in Kers 3 and despite MG suggesting that you will be able to one pedal drive you most certainly will not. It’s more like stronger deceleration and the car just will not come to a halt on its own, it’s just keeps rolling forward unless it’s going uphill.

Sound system - it’s decidedly average, if that, even with it optimised in the Exclusive model.

No climate control - just air conditioning

No light in glove box - again a little light in there would be handy. Some cars also have them in the storage tidy in the centre console.

No baggage hooks in boot - I bought mine from AliExpress and hung them onto the rear headrests so that a couple of shopping bags can at least be held secure without falling over.

No phone app - Another common feature but missing here so no ability to control any of the vehicles functions remotely or check on the state of charge.

No scheduled charging - Not in the vehicle itself so reliance is on the home charger having that facility.

Sharp edged trim - I’ve cut my wrist on the plastic of the rear wiper washer hole whilst washing the car. There are also a few sharp edges along the bottom of the doors and below the bonnet to be wary of.

Expensive and limited official MG accessories. “Cheap” car but expensive add ons like the mats, cables, roof bars and so on. Mostly all found at a fraction of the price aftermarket or on the aforementioned AliExpress which has loads.

For me it’s still a great car and great value for money, I can live with those “issues”.

 

[Beasty64]

I keep up with the information on the forum - I regularly check on topics which help me with understanding the car a little better. If you were new to the purchasing of a EV thing, reading this forum could put you off. Great detail, great information, but as a general overview, lots of negativity. From my perspective, after owning a lot of cars over a lot of time, the MG ZS EV is a great car, totally different and fun to drive. I find myself creating reasons to drive somewhere, just for the fun of it.

If I had my time over again, knowing what I know now - I would most certainly, without hesitation buy the MG all over again.

Well I have had my MG ZS EV now for 18 months and it’s now done 26500 miles and the only issue I’ve had with it was at a rapid charger when it went haywire and there was some issue with the battery and had to have it recovered and my local dealer resolved the issue. That was about 20000 miles ago and it’s not missed a beat since. I use it daily for work purposes and am self employed and for the money there’s nothing else on the market that can touch it. I really enjoy driving it and it’s literally as cheap as chips to run. I have a home charger and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had to use a rapid charger. I’ve got ZapMap downloaded on my phone and range anxiety isn’t an issue. I’ll be looking at changing my car in about 12-18 months time and the MGZS EV will be at the top of my list, I honestly don’t think any other EV can touch it for value for money, personally I think it’s a brilliant electric vehicle

 

[Bazzer44]

Well mine is the 2nd one I have owned (first one getting written off in an accident) I then went back to an ICE car, but something drew me back, current car purchased last Dec has been great apart from one charging module failure that left us without a car for 24 hours. I do just wish that the range was a little more realistic, as with heater or aircon on motorways 110 -120 miles is about your lot! Really annoying when my sister lives 125 miles away. Hey ho. It's a great little car for around town and local commuting. My wife loves it (but she doesn't pay for the electric)

Did she pay for the fuel in the ICE? Lol

 

[PleasureMachine]

The MG ZS EV was my second electric vehicle bought after our purchase of BMW I3. It certainly has its virtues, like cheap to buy (by EV standards), cheap to run, decent size inside and the adaptive cruise control is brilliant, but and its a big BUT for me there are too many foibles and issues with it. I knew of a few beforehand but the list has just grown after ownership, some I could live with, others I couldn’t especially the faults. Not everyone is going to have the same issues or even notice some of them but here are the many points that I had noted through my ownership.

Dealers - Lots of bad ones so it seems from my own experience and those of other on the MG Facebook groups. I ended up travelling over 200 miles to buy mine from Chorley MG, a dealership that I would certainly thoroughly recommend. Local garages Arnold Clark, Glasgow and Fraser’s of Falkirk did not phone me back. The latter also threatened to charge £90 per hour if they deemed the water leak I had wasn’t a warranty issue. Needless to say I never used them and went back to Chorley instead.

Water Ingress - rear doors leak into floor well when the car is parked nose up on the driveway during rain and high winds. Solution is to park face down, no leak, but then I couldnt charge the car. Seals were replaced but it still leaked so appears to be a design fault.

Creaking and excessive steering wheel play - so annoying and a known issue that either needs to be addressed by tightening adjustable bolts on steering column or complete replacement of column.

Door handles sticking in open position - particularly in freezing weather. Again another known and common issue.

Charge Flap not opening or locking in freezing conditions - need to use a hair dryer around the flap or park the car face into the sun to warm it up otherwise you can’t charge.

Air vent reflections in both mirrors - silver trim in middle of air vents shines onto the glass and is constantly seen when looking at either near side or offside mirrors.

Condensation build up on windscreen - Another very common issue with the windscreen running with condensation as and when there is a sudden temperature drop. Probably made worse with panoramic sunroof and definitely with carpet mats if fitted.

Poor headlights - Replaced bulbs with Osram Nightbreakers, they are a bit better but still not great.

Lack of interior lighting - At night time the inside of the car, particularly the rear passenger space is a very dark place. No ambient lighting img whatsoever.

Sport Mode - don’t use it unless you want your passengers to feel sick. The car just can’t put down the sudden torque from the tyres onto the road. It judders and wheel spins and just gets annoying. Stick to normal or Eco mode instead.

Suspension and Handling - not the worst but it’s a bit sloppy in the corners. Don’t try driving it fast on a country road, it’s not that type of car.

Poor positioning of charge socket - it’s not ideally suited given that you’ve got to crouch down to see the covers and insert the cable into the charge port.

Speed sign recognition - regularly misreads road signs or isn’t intelligent enough to realise you’ve left a speed restricted area. I’ve had it showing that I’m in a 60 in a built up area and likewise showing I’m in a 20 when I’m on a National speed limit road.

Speed warning indicator - keeps coming on by itself despite me switching it off. Flashing indicator is annoying. Seems to default back to on position after charging.

Lane Keep Assist - other than on a motorway it’s more annoying than anything. If you need this to stay in lane your driving skills aren’t very good or you are so tired you should be stopping!

No lighting in charge port - would be nice in the dark when you are crouching down to see what you are doing. I’m sure most other EV’s have a light in there, i3 certainly does and it’s colour coded too. They went to the bother of created a glowing MG badge so pity they couldn’t have added a light to the rear of the flap when they were at it.

Poor infotainment system - extremely sluggish and on occasion non responsive. I’ve had to restart mine many times to get it to work although sometimes it just randomly goes blank and restarts by itself. It seems to be worse when a phone is connected and using CarPlay. The ZS finished in last last place in a What Car review of infotainment systems.

Sat Nav system - mapping detail very basic. No live traffic information. Use Waze instead.

Faux leather seats - they are vinyl, not even remotely like leather, not absorbent nor perforated.

12 volt battery drain - using consumables like heater and so on drain the 12 volt battery, even for a short while is enough for the car not to start.

Front seat belts are fixed and have no adjustment.

Steering wheel reflection - Shiny metal insert on steering wheel reflects sunlight into your eyes when the sun is at certain positions in the sky.

Big drop in load floor so useless for dog cage with opening front door.

Rear floor isn’t flat with seats folded down. In fact the seat bases don’t move so backs lie on top when folded.

Not provided with a type 2 cable - you have to pay for one, haggle or take out MG finance to get one from the dealer.

No window tints - so you have to pay for after market fit. Most folks get it done. It’s much better with it and makes the car look much smarter too.

No battery percentage indicator - It’s there when it’s charging so why can’t we have the display available as and when required when actually driving instead of having to guess what the little led light on the speedo indicate.

Regenerative braking - it’s not that strong even in Kers 3 and despite MG suggesting that you will be able to one pedal drive you most certainly will not. It’s more like stronger deceleration and the car just will not come to a halt on its own, it’s just keeps rolling forward unless it’s going uphill.

Sound system - it’s decidedly average, if that, even with it optimised in the Exclusive model.

No climate control - just air conditioning

No light in glove box - again a little light in there would be handy. Some cars also have them in the storage tidy in the centre console.

No baggage hooks in boot - I bought mine from AliExpress and hung them onto the rear headrests so that a couple of shopping bags can at least be held secure without falling over.

No phone app - Another common feature but missing here so no ability to control any of the vehicles functions remotely or check on the state of charge.

No scheduled charging - Not in the vehicle itself so reliance is on the home charger having that facility.

Sharp edged trim - I’ve cut my wrist on the plastic of the rear wiper washer hole whilst washing the car. There are also a few sharp edges along the bottom of the doors and below the bonnet to be wary of.

Expensive and limited official MG accessories. “Cheap” car but expensive add ons like the mats, cables, roof bars and so on. Mostly all found at a fraction of the price aftermarket or on the aforementioned AliExpress which has loads.

I agree with a lot of these points.

In Australia, we have very few choices and the MG satisfied our desire to get into the EV market. Our ICE is a VW 2015 GOLF TSI and this is what my comparisons are to. EV benefits aside and just compared to build the Golf is very intuitive and bit more refined on it's finishes. I do miss driving it, but the EV benefits are too important.

For the value and inclusions like panoramic sunroof, faux-leather seats, SUV style it can't be beat in Australia. But it's definitely a stop-gap vehicle (2-3years) until market here improves.

The only major issue we have is sometimes we have a battery error light up on start up. I think it's mainly when partner doesn't "double press" start to get into ready mode and puts it into drive. It really shouldn't allow this "catastrophic" error to occur even if it's just user error. Why have R-N-D mode enabled unless in "ready Mode" (beside getting into N for rolling car if required). THat's the main error that gives us the most fear when it happens. I know, bit of patience, it's only happened to me once or twice but still unsettling when a HV battery shut off notice comes up.

The biggest minor flaws for me and my preferences are.......
1. ACC toggling - feels very agriculture (no offense) using the lever rather than buttons on the steering wheel. Minor adjustments are hard to do for +/- 1km as you have to hold lever up but single press up/down does +/-5km adjustments. IMHO should be other way around. And also haven't figured out how to switch off while driving without tapping brake pedal. In golf it was just a cancel button so could coast for a little while. Also on ACC if there is a car ahead travelling in same direction in a different lane OR it moves into turning lane, the ACC can't distinguish this and it'll slow down (even collision alert) at times which is unexpected which I don't like.

2. Car start up screen.....goes through heaps of displays before finally getting to speedo. Either have to push ok many times or just wait until it shows speed. D

3. Infotainment/software - few issues. It is temperamental when connecting my pixel 5 to it and using Android Auto. Not seamless. It's slow at times and never sure if touch registers. GPS maps search is clunky (use google maps when it works).

4. Internal cabin lights noted by @Brianlescargot including one on vanity light for my partner.

5. Battery toggle should show variety of battery level info (% remaining, range) seems a waste for a dedicated button for one piece of info.

6. Charging port location and lighting as noted by @Brianlescargot. Speaking of charging, the space for phone in front of drive selector is tight for a phone with cable connected. My phone typically sits on top of toggle switches. Will aim to get a new right angle connector as suggested on another thread.

7. Fogging of windows / lack of climate control - never had car do it so much. While we now garage it at night and crank the AC to demist in morning, it's just another distraction and slightly uncomfortable with windows down. We often up early morning for dog walks and it just takes time to do. Might improve in summer here. Do wish the range didn't drop so much when AC is turned on. Would a heat pump option be better for future models?

 

[Lovemyev]

2. Car start up screen.....goes through heaps of displays before finally getting to speedo. Either have to push ok many times or just wait until it shows speed. D

Hi - I don’t think this is typical in U.K. cars.
When booking up my car, the centre dash board panel displays the digital speedo straight away ?.
It remembers what screen you had displayed when you powered down the car from the last trip and brings it back up again.
I always have mine set to digital speedo display.
I only use the analog speedo gauge, if I want to review any of the other screens / windows while driving, then I return to the digital speedo.
There is no “heaps of displays” to OK and press on start up ?.

 

[JCFlippen]

A newcomer coming here could easily get the wrong impression about the ZS EV from many of the posts. I bought mine after following various YouTube sites such as Bjiorn Nyland and James and Kate. Real world honest reports rather than 2 hour quickie reviews. Reservations about some Dealers and MG UK remain but I am sure that if I have a real problem UK consumer rights will protect me.

I am delighted with my car and can put up with the odd foible here and there. It’s not a high priced premium vehicle and even those when you look at other forums have problems. I know of someone who chucked in their Hyundai Kona and said never again after sampling the company’s customer service regime.

Having experienced the HV battery disconnect situation on my 3rd day of ownership and had to call MG Assist (keep the contact card in the vehicle!) who were great and got me back on the road. I am now after looking back more methodical in carrying out the start up sequence - especially after a rapid charge.
Keeping to the terms of the 7 warranty ( I’ve read the small print) gives me the confidence to enjoy my car.

 

[Lovemyev]

A newcomer coming here could easily get the wrong impression about the ZS EV from many of the posts. I bought mine after following various YouTube sites such as Bjiorn Nyland and James and Kate. Real world honest reports rather than 2 hour quickie reviews.

Both of these are in my “Fav’s” list for reviewers.
Both are brilliant, but the James & Kate reviews are fantastic in my opinion.
James has followed the MG ZS EV from its launch in late 2019.
He was one of the first customers in the U.K. to get a white exclusive, as I am sure you probably know.

 

[Cliff Mitchell]

My original post was a little self serving and a cheap shot at my darling wife. We were both in a position where we needed new cars. My 17 year old hilux had a heartattack and sadly passed away. Her Hyundai had worked hard and was due for replacement. I chose the MG ZS EV and received it two days after ordering it at a local dealer. She decided on a 2021 Kia Sorento GT line - that was eight months ago, she still hasn't received it. I keep telling her how great the MG is to drive, how much fun it is, how cheap it is to run and how I am helping to save the planet. She really doesn't have a sense of humour that girl!

 

[Bazzer44]

My original post was a little self serving and a cheap shot at my darling wife. We were both in a position where we needed new cars. My 17 year old hilux had a heartattack and sadly passed away. Her Hyundai had worked hard and was due for replacement. I chose the MG ZS EV and received it two days after ordering it at a local dealer. She decided on a 2021 Kia Sorento GT line - that was eight months ago, she still hasn't received it. I keep telling her how great the MG is to drive, how much fun it is, how cheap it is to run and how I am helping to save the planet. She really doesn't have a sense of humour that girl!

Oh so that's a trait in New Zealand as well then ?