I'm about to take the plunge...

Tucky

Tucky

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HS PHEV
Hi everyone, first post here. After watching countless you tube reviews, reading posts on this very informative forum and joining a couple of facebook groups, I'm now on the cusp on buying a brand new trophy PHEV from my local dealer.

I sat in one today and it is a magnificent car. ( I also sat in a Dacia Bigster and the difference in quality was night and day)The quality seems exceptional given the cost. I've arranged a test drive for Saturday and assuming I like the way it drives, I'm going to order one in Hampstead Grey.

My one concern is that having read, viewed and digested so much information, am I going to simply be able to plug it it in, charge it and then enjoy driving it without having being overwhelmed by all the technology?

I'm fast approaching 60 years old, pretty tech savvy but I'm still a bit intimidated by all that I've taken on board so far.

Thanks in advance.
 
20230430_164900.webp

To the forum. And congrats on your new motor. If your pretty tech savvy, you'll be ok. The secret is, imo anyway, is don't over think and over complicated things.
And you'll be fine. Just drive and enjoy, your new motor. 🙂👍
 
First of all, I too narrowed down my choice to the Dacia Bigster or the MG HS PHEV. For almost a year I waited for the Bigster to be released, convinced it would be the car for me. However, when it was eventually launched, the model that I was interested in (four-wheel drive) had a lousy colour scheme, the 'wrong' trim level and poor MPG. I was underwhelmed. But from the moment I sat inside the MG HS, I was incredibly impressed. Driving it took it to another level though - when the engine is on pure EV mode it is absolutely stunning. I cannot imagine you will be anything other than delighted after your test drive.

I also chose Hampstead Grey. I see other colours on the motorway frequently, but I have never had any regrets. It's still my favourite!

OK, so let's try to answer your exact question "am I going to simply be able to plug it it in, charge it and then enjoy driving it without having being overwhelmed by all the technology?".
  • First of all, there is nothing stopping you from treating it as a normal petrol car (never 'plugging it in"). Instead, just fill with petrol, and you will have about 450 miles or range, and you'll average 40-45 mpg.
    • In other words, you could (if you wanted to) completely ignore the fact that it has an EV plug to charge it up. Naturally, though, this is a waste of the car's potential (you might as well have just purchased the Hybrid+ "self-charging" version instead)
    • However, assuming you have a driveway (so you can plug your car into your house's electricity) then you might as well save yourself lots of £ per trip by charging it (ideally overnight using an EV tariff) with electricity at home. The charging process is easy as pie - absolutely nothing to worry about.
  • On the 'enjoy driving it' part of your question, so long as the 'bings and bongs' (telling you if you have exceeded the speed limit etc) don't annoy you (which is no problem for more 'relaxed' drivers like me) then there's nothing you really need to do in the 'infotainment' menu. Just leave as the defaults, and enjoy your drive.
    • But if you prefer to drive 'purposefully' (my euphemism for "I know what I'm doing, be quiet machine!") then you'll have to disable a couple of settings before your trip. If this is something you think applies to you, then I recommend you use tomorrow's test drive to listen for the bings and bongs and see if it's the car for you.

You say you've already had a look at the forum, but (for the record) here is a thread that might give you a good summary of your first steps:
M

Thread 'About to take the plunge and get the HS 2025 PHEV'

Hi

We have test driven the HS PHEV a couple of times now, and really liked it. So we are going to get one.

Any do's and dont's, tips etc that you can recommend?

Its also my first time having an EV, so also need to get a charger etc. Any recommendations on compatible chargers and tariffs?

Cheers

Mark

A few months after I bought my MG we bought a fully-EV car (Cupra Born) for my wife. Because of this, we've now got a 'proper' EV charger installed in our house, but unless you have a second 'full EV' car then you can probably get away with just a 'granny charger'.

As Salty said, no need to 'overthink' it. The car is great, and (to me) it does everything logically and exactly as I hoped/wished/wanted.
 
Tucky said:
Hi everyone, first post here. After watching countless you tube reviews, reading posts on this very informative forum and joining a couple of facebook groups, I'm now on the cusp on buying a brand new trophy PHEV from my local dealer.

I sat in one today and it is a magnificent car. ( I also sat in a Dacia Bigster and the difference in quality was night and day)The quality seems exceptional given the cost. I've arranged a test drive for Saturday and assuming I like the way it drives, I'm going to order one in Hampstead Grey.

My one concern is that having read, viewed and digested so much information, am I going to simply be able to plug it it in, charge it and then enjoy driving it without having being overwhelmed by all the technology?

I'm fast approaching 60 years old, pretty tech savvy but I'm still a bit intimidated by all that I've taken on board so far.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I would recommend that you check out the BYD Seal U DM-i, because that is the closest competitor to MG HS PHEV Trophy in terms of price, EV range and size. This video also has a good comparison. BYD's build quality and feel is a bit better, I went with MG just because of availability because MG was in stock whereas BYD hsd a 4 month wait, but that was in October and lead times before Christmas are crazy, could be better now, worth a check.

 
Unfortunately, after six months, my impressions of the HS PHEV are no longer so positive. At the time, I was a little blinded by its appearance and electric range.
MG's service is simply poor; it has now been in the workshop for the third time in five days. This time because of a constantly discharged 12V battery. After three days of standing, it is empty.
The app connectivity is simply abysmal. The car is constantly unavailable.
Sometimes the electric tailgate doesn't work properly, and the adaptive lane assist is only bearable when switched off, as it constantly swings between the left and right lane boundaries.
The seat heating is barely lukewarm.
When the combustion engine runs at 2300 to 2500 rpm, it sometimes jerks. Below that, it's fine.
Software updates can only be carried out at the workshop, which is inconvenient; OTA is just an advertising slogan. The workshop has to get approval for updates from MG, which can take several days, partly because many workshops are simply overwhelmed and poorly trained by MG.
The entire infotainment system is rather poorly designed, with little information and sometimes difficult to use.
Unfortunately, these are all things you don't notice after an hour's test drive.
I can therefore only advise you to take a really extensive test drive and compare it with other vehicles, even if they may be a little more expensive.
 
Just shows, how one person thinks it's, great. And another thinks, it's crap. It really is all about opinions, and s'pose to certain extent, the luck of the draw.
Reviews and Forums can help, or confuse
you even more. 🤷‍♂️
At the end of the day, it's up to, you.
Good luck. 🙂👍
 
You're absolutely right, and I'm just sharing my experiences. But I've read so often about others who simply downplay the faults of the HS and put up with them.
That's why I recommend testing the HS thoroughly before buying it. The HS is a bit like a pretty woman, but looks aren't everything 😉

And I completely forgot: since the last update of the MG ismart app (3.0.3), it is no longer even possible to connect to a VPN. Okay, it never worked properly before, but I think that's just cheeky of MG. Are they afraid of not collecting enough data?
 
Last edited:
Blimey.... 🤔😂

Totti1001 said:
You're absolutely right, and I'm just sharing my experiences. But I've read so often about others who simply downplay the faults of the HS and put up with them.
That's why I recommend testing the HS thoroughly before buying it. The HS is a bit like a pretty woman, but looks aren't everything 😉

And I completely forgot: since the last update of the MG ismart app (3.0.3), it is no longer even possible to connect to a VPN. Okay, it never worked properly before, but I think that's just cheeky of MG. Are they afraid of not collecting enough data?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for taking the time to respond with your posts. I'll probably still buy the car but I'm not dismissing any of your concerns, I've just kind of accepted that any very modern car, indeed any modern piece of technology is overly complicated and riddled with irritants. It is these kind of issues that have delayed me ordering so far but ultimately I have to buy a new car at some point and take some kind of chance. I am spectacularly over cautious and indecisive by nature and am driving myself nuts with competing thoughts!

With regards specifically to the app,is it something I have to engage with every day or every time I charge or drive the car?
 
HStrophyPHEV2025rc said:
First of all, I too narrowed down my choice to the Dacia Bigster or the MG HS PHEV. For almost a year I waited for the Bigster to be released, convinced it would be the car for me. However, when it was eventually launched, the model that I was interested in (four-wheel drive) had a lousy colour scheme, the 'wrong' trim level and poor MPG. I was underwhelmed. But from the moment I sat inside the MG HS, I was incredibly impressed. Driving it took it to another level though - when the engine is on pure EV mode it is absolutely stunning. I cannot imagine you will be anything other than delighted after your test drive.

I also chose Hampstead Grey. I see other colours on the motorway frequently, but I have never had any regrets. It's still my favourite!

OK, so let's try to answer your exact question "am I going to simply be able to plug it it in, charge it and then enjoy driving it without having being overwhelmed by all the technology?".
  • First of all, there is nothing stopping you from treating it as a normal petrol car (never 'plugging it in"). Instead, just fill with petrol, and you will have about 450 miles or range, and you'll average 40-45 mpg.
    • In other words, you could (if you wanted to) completely ignore the fact that it has an EV plug to charge it up. Naturally, though, this is a waste of the car's potential (you might as well have just purchased the Hybrid+ "self-charging" version instead)
    • However, assuming you have a driveway (so you can plug your car into your house's electricity) then you might as well save yourself lots of £ per trip by charging it (ideally overnight using an EV tariff) with electricity at home. The charging process is easy as pie - absolutely nothing to worry about.
  • On the 'enjoy driving it' part of your question, so long as the 'bings and bongs' (telling you if you have exceeded the speed limit etc) don't annoy you (which is no problem for more 'relaxed' drivers like me) then there's nothing you really need to do in the 'infotainment' menu. Just leave as the defaults, and enjoy your drive.
    • But if you prefer to drive 'purposefully' (my euphemism for "I know what I'm doing, be quiet machine!") then you'll have to disable a couple of settings before your trip. If this is something you think applies to you, then I recommend you use tomorrow's test drive to listen for the bings and bongs and see if it's the car for you.

You say you've already had a look at the forum, but (for the record) here is a thread that might give you a good summary of your first steps:
M

Thread 'About to take the plunge and get the HS 2025 PHEV'

Hi

We have test driven the HS PHEV a couple of times now, and really liked it. So we are going to get one.

Any do's and dont's, tips etc that you can recommend?

Its also my first time having an EV, so also need to get a charger etc. Any recommendations on compatible chargers and tariffs?

Cheers

Mark

A few months after I bought my MG we bought a fully-EV car (Cupra Born) for my wife. Because of this, we've now got a 'proper' EV charger installed in our house, but unless you have a second 'full EV' car then you can probably get away with just a 'granny charger'.

As Salty said, no need to 'overthink' it. The car is great, and (to me) it does everything logically and exactly as I hoped/wished/wanted.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much . Your last paragraph was something I needed to read!
 
Tucky said:
With regards specifically to the app,is it something I have to engage with every day or every time I charge or drive the car?
Click to expand...

Never used the app, albeit in my X Power,
think it's a bit of a gimmick and you really don't need it. Unless you particularly want to.. Up to the individual. 🙂👍
 
So you don't like getting into an ice-free, warm car in winter? Or a cool car in the hot summer? Or do you want to charge your car at certain times?
That's right, if you don't need all that, it's just a gimmick. I need it.
Then you don't need lane departure warning, parking sensors (which only work at the front if you've put the car in reverse first), or voice commands that don't work properly.
It's all just a gimmick, but I paid for it. But I realise once again that there are customers who are very popular with MG because all the faults don't bother them. And the more people behave like this, the less MG has to worry about faults.
 
@Tucky - Glad that you have found some of what I said useful :) . I feel sorry for the people who have got faulty cars (there are a few people who have posted on this forum about their 12V battery going dead - because the infotainment display does not switch off overnight, so there clearly was a 'batch' of faulty parts) but my car seems to have no faults. I can't lie and tell you that I find my car frustrating - because I simply do not! Instead, I think of it as 'quirky' and I'm more than happy to go along with its quirks.

Anyhow, to answer your question, I use the app:
1. Every frosty morning to defrost my windscreen (and put the heating on) 10 minutes before I leave in the morning
2. Semi-regularly to check how many miles are left in the electric battery, so I can decide which of our cars (wife's or mine) to charge overnight.
Obviously I could do both of the above tasks by going into the car and checking the screen manually, but that's more hassle!

Other than that, I rarely use other app functionality.
 
Totti1001 said:
So you don't like getting into an ice-free, warm car in winter? Or a cool car in the hot summer? Or do you want to charge your car at certain times?
That's right, if you don't need all that, it's just a gimmick. I need it.
Then you don't need lane departure warning, parking sensors (which only work at the front if you've put the car in reverse first), or voice commands that don't work properly.
It's all just a gimmick, but I paid for it. But I realise once again that there are customers who are very popular with MG because all the faults don't bother them. And the more people behave like this, the less MG has to worry about faults.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about faults. Never mentioned faults. I'm talking about the MG app. You use it and you say you need it. Fair enough, no problem.
I don't use it, and imo don't need it. Never have. And not using it, doesn't distract whatsoever in my enjoyment of the car.
As for faults, my X Power has been great,
so why would I complain about faults.
I'm well aware there are fault with MGs
and no doubt, wouldn't be very happy at all, if my MG, was a problem. 🙂👍
 
Well done Tucky, mine's in for it's first service on Monday and I've had no issues.
Anybody can pay double the money for a Mercedes GLC hybrid to obtain the same quality, space and battery range to have similar infotainment frustrations and poor dealer service.
I know, our son did exactly that.
My wife is very happy to tell me her mind, and find fault with anything she disagrees with, and she is constantly telling people how she loves this car.
 
Every car I have owned -VW, Ford, Toyota, Citroën, Renault and MG have all had 'faults'. The problems these days are with software, not the mechanics of the car. The problem is today everyone expects perfection and accepts nothing less. My wife used to work at a major car dealership for many years. The more expensive the car, the more faults/issues they had - so nothing has changed there!
 
Agree, to a certain extent. No car is perfect, not even cars far more expensive
than MGs. And some do expect a perfect car, which we all know, doesn't exist.
It's how the faults are dealt with. Which unfortunately MG, seem to fall very short in that respect. 🙄
 

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