Is The MG4 The Most Enjoyable Car To Drive That You Have Owned.

[Buster72]

As a result of my age, I have owned well over 30 cars ranging from an old Mini right up to the MG4.
And I can definitely say that the MG4 is by far and away the nicest and most enjoyable to drive. Despite not being a true one pedal, I hardly have to use the brakes.
It is so smooth and quiet. And I just love the acceleration.

 

[QLeo]

As a result of my age, I have owned well over 30 cars ranging from an old Mini right up to the MG4.
And I can definitely say that the MG4 is by far and away the nicest and most enjoyable to drive. Despite not being a true one pedal, I hardly have to use the brakes.
It is so smooth and quiet. And I just love the acceleration.

Well, we used to own a Range Rover (classic - the good ones!) and that was pretty fabulous. And at the time we could afford the 18.5mpg that it consumed. But yes, you are right. The MG4 is an utter joy. On our narrow twisty single-track roads it's utterly glued to the road. The only thing that concerns me a little is the standard tyres, which I think we may change before winter. I also drive hardly touching the brakes, enjoying the new skill of trying to judge slowing down just right.
(Full disclosure: I'm also reluctant to discuss my age. But my first car was also an old Mini, of which we eventually had 3)

 

[Bibber]

it's nice to drive, but feels a bit like a German car, it lacks some smoothness. My Ford Focus model 1 did definitely offer a better handling.

I do love the great visibility, the electric drive, and the calm interior with black roof. definitely love this car.

 

[Rolfe]

It's hard to say, because my Golf in particular was a lovely car, and the interior (barring the acre of scratchy plastic in front of the passenger seat) was plusher than the MG4's. But the responsiveness of the MG4 and its very smooth acceleration are great features.

I've also been thinking about the trip to Glyndebourne next month. My immediate thought was to make an adventure of it and take the new car. If I'd picked up the tweet about ticket availability when I still had the Golf I think I'd have been looking at air fares. The whole thing is doable by public transport as the friends I will be staying with live close to a railway station. I've driven Sussex to Scotland and back a squillion times, in the Fiesta, then the XR2, then the Peugeot. Why shouldn't I have done it in the Golf? I don't know.

But there's something about the way the EV handles that makes me want to hit the M6 and keep on going.

 

[DB00nowthen]

I had a new MGF in a former life. I don’t remember it being as good a drive as my new very orange Trophy. And I am “owning it”.

Well, we used to own a Range Rover (classic - the good ones!) and that was pretty fabulous. And at the time we could afford the 18.5mpg that it consumed. But yes, you are right. The MG4 is an utter joy. On our narrow twisty single-track roads it's utterly glued to the road. The only thing that concerns me a little is the standard tyres, which I think we may change before winter. I also drive hardly touching the brakes, enjoying the new skill of trying to judge slowing down just right.
(Full disclosure: I'm also reluctant to discuss my age. But my first car was also an old Mini, of which we eventually had 3)

With what tyres would you replace the standard ones? And I am thinking I probably don’t have to worry about that here in Devon. As I assume you are thinking snow and ice?

 

[PristDean]

Mercedes S Class - Comfortable like your living room, but don't expect it to move around nimbly
BMW 650 - Powerful but impractical. When petrol was affordable..ish... it cost a fortune
BMW 330i - Handled nicely, but expensive to own
All the way down to a MK1 Escort with a choke and drum brakes. White knuckle riding due to the build.

The MG4, once niggles are sorted, beats them all in all areas. Has the potential to be one of the best cars on the market right now.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Mercedes S Class - Comfortable like your living room, but don't expect it to move around nimbly
BMW 650 - Powerful but impractical. When petrol was affordable..ish... it cost a fortune
BMW 330i - Handled nicely, but expensive to own
All the way down to a MK1 Escort with a choke and drum brakes. White knuckle riding due to the build.

The MG4, once niggles are sorted, beats them all in all areas. Has the potential to be one of the best cars on the market right now.

Which makes MG UK's stance on customer service all the more strange to understand, they have the potential to change the game, why not make sure you have the support in place also, to back it.

Can just imagine a Cyberster owner, having spent £50-60k dealing with customer service about a fault and getting the same responses

 

[PristDean]

Which makes MG UK's stance on customer service all the more strange to understand, they have the potential to change the game, why not make sure you have the support in place also, to back it.

Can just imagine a Cyberster owner, having spent £50-60k dealing with customer service about a fault and getting the same responses

That is bang on.... their customer service responses with regards to sorting out niggles 'Party Poops' the fun for sure.

 

[tsedge]

My past car awards...

Most Dependable: Mk II Golf 1.4L, drove it well round the clock and never failed me despite a carburetor partially repaired with glue causing a flat spot in 2nd & 3rd and a tendency to run on the edge of the red zone water temperature. Awful handling, gutless, but I could rely on it.

Most Boring: Ford Mondeo 2.0L, did what it says on the tin.

Most Comfortable: Jaguar S-type V8, supremely comfortable, electric everything, almost silent but 6 sec 0-60, only car that made me want to wear a hat while driving. Oh but 22mpg and electrical gremlins!

Most Bonkers: Toyota Celica VVTi 1.8, 200bhp, 8200rpm red line and power band that started at 7000rpm. No torque and absurdly tiny boot.

Most Practical: Honda Jazz 1.4, bigger than Dr Who's Tardis on the inside, practically pocket sized on the outside. Weird CVT transmission.

Most Enjoyable Handling: Mk3.5 Mazda MX5, light, beautifully flowing handling just needed another 100bhp and better seats (back ache) and not to feel so cramped.

Most Tail-Happy & Impractical: Toyota MR2 (2003), lightweight, mid engined and a wet roundabout graveyard. What is a boot? Seats like a torture device.

Most Ridiculous FWD: Golf GTi Performance, DSG, 245bhp and wheelspin and torquesteer galore up to 50mph.

Most Enjoyable: MG4 Trophy, RWD seamless gearless & smooth drive train, good handling for the weight, 50:50 weight distribution. If only there were fewer bugs and better service!

So, yes, for me it is the MG4 but it isn't perfect by any means.

 

[QLeo]

I had a new MGF in a former life. I don’t remember it being as good a drive as my new very orange Trophy. And I am “owning it”.


With what tyres would you replace the standard ones? And I am thinking I probably don’t have to worry about that here in Devon. As I assume you are thinking snow and ice?

Perhaps less of an issue for you in Devon. I'm thinking about Michelin Cross Climates. A few folk here on the forum seem to have them and think highly of them. I'm open to other suggestions, but I'd feel happier with all-seasons on the car. Seems a waste of the factory tyres, but better safer than sorrier.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm totally with you on that one. My only dilemma is whether to switch to all-seasons, or to look for actual winter tyres and switch twice a year as I did with the Golf. It seemed totally worth it for the Golf, the bloody thing was like Bambi on an ice rink in its supplied summer tyres. That would mean the factory tyres got used in summer, but I'm locked into the twice-yearly tyre changing.

I don't really have to decide until November.

 

[Ian Key]

I'm totally with you on that one. My only dilemma is whether to switch to all-seasons, or to look for actual winter tyres and switch twice a year as I did with the Golf. It seemed totally worth it for the Golf, the bloody thing was like Bambi on an ice rink in its supplied summer tyres. That would mean the factory tyres got used in summer, but I'm locked into the twice-yearly tyre changing.

I don't really have to decide until November.

Go for the full winter tyres which will guarantee a mild winter this year

 

[Robf]

If I was still up in the North I would go for the cross climates, they are now just about as good as the winter tyres in the snow. Probably would be tempted to the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 for the slightly better wet and noise, but close to the Mitchelins.

All-Season Tyre Test: verdict and results by category | Auto Express

Tables show which all-season tyres performed well where, and how they compare

www.autoexpress.co.uk

 

[QLeo]

I'm totally with you on that one. My only dilemma is whether to switch to all-seasons, or to look for actual winter tyres and switch twice a year as I did with the Golf. It seemed totally worth it for the Golf, the bloody thing was like Bambi on an ice rink in its supplied summer tyres. That would mean the factory tyres got used in summer, but I'm locked into the twice-yearly tyre changing.

I don't really have to decide until November.

Our previous car, LeoOB, was a diesel Panda 4x4. That was factory-specced with winter tyres for year-round driving. I wondered about it at the time, and the conclusion was that our climate here is temperate enough for the winter tyres to stay on the car. So we always replaced with winter tyres. I'm not sure I'd do that with the MG4, but the comparative weight of a heavy little diesel on smaller tyres vs the weight if an EV on larger tyres, may suggest it's not the worst thing to stray into summer using winter tyres.

If I was still up in the North I would go for the cross climates, they are now just about as good as the winter tyres in the snow. Probably would be tempted to the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 for the slightly better wet and noise, but close to the Mitchelins.

All-Season Tyre Test: verdict and results by category | Auto Express

Tables show which all-season tyres performed well where, and how they compare

www.autoexpress.co.uk

Thanks for that link. The Hankooks do seem pretty good, and cheaper than the Michelins too.
Anyone here with experience of the Hankooks?

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Strangely, the most enjoyable one was a Bl 1.o mini Metro Y reg leaking rear suspension so the tyres did the suspension work whilst the car practically rode on the bump stops. Foot to floor all the time , stuck to the road like glue on the twisties , all usually within the speed limit. Daily commute to work over moorland roads included regular "races " with a BMW early 3 series . Some wins , some losses but over a 6 mile blast not much in it, great fun. I guess the term "enjoyable " can take on many guises.

 

[Annaka]

My Fleet of vehicles:-
1. MG4 Trophy ---- superb car, great fun and generates loads of smiles daily.
2. Renault Twizy with a power box....fun fun fun, but very noisy
3. Citroen Relay Campervan... lovely drive and great to get away in.

All very different but all great fun, no regrets with any of them

 

[Rolfe]

Go for the full winter tyres which will guarantee a mild winter this year

That didn't actually work when I got my first set of winter tyres in November 2010, you know. (About three days later I was the only one who made it into work, having missed the texts telling me not to waste time trying because the place looked like the planet Hoth.)

 

[Rolfe]

Our previous car, LeoOB, was a diesel Panda 4x4. That was factory-specced with winter tyres for year-round driving. I wondered about it at the time, and the conclusion was that our climate here is temperate enough for the winter tyres to stay on the car. So we always replaced with winter tyres. I'm not sure I'd do that with the MG4, but the comparative weight of a heavy little diesel on smaller tyres vs the weight if an EV on larger tyres, may suggest it's not the worst thing to stray into summer using winter tyres.

I have been of that opinion for many years. Winter tyres perform OK in summer. Summer tyres are bloody lethal in winter. If you're only doing the school run and the supermarket shop in a shopping trolley with an engine, I contend it's a no-brainer.

However, my Golf was a performance car, and I did notice slight handling deterioration and (in particular) tyre noise if I kept the winter tyres on when the weather improved. I don't know how much of it was psychological, but I felt freer and able to drive a bit faster on summer roads in summer tyres. So I changed them. I did keep the winter tyres on throughout the summer of 2020 though, when I was doing very little motoring, and they were OK. I remember thinking at the time how glad I was that the lockdown happened before I'd changed to the summer tyres, because keeping them on all winter would have been an entirely different story.

 

[djngolf]

I have a MG4 but have not done anything with the tyres yet.
We have a Nissan Leaf for which I bought a set of alloys with Michelin Cross climate tyres on for winter use. These tyres work really well in colder conditions. The rubber stays softer giving you the improved grip. I should know as we live near Aberdeen, Scotland! There is a Goodyear equivalent that I would consider also.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I have a MG4 but have not done anything with the tyres yet.
We have a Nissan Leaf for which I bought a set of alloys with Michelin Cross climate tyres on for winter use. These tyres work really well in colder conditions. The rubber stays softer giving you the improved grip. I should know as we live near Aberdeen, Scotland! There is a Goodyear equivalent that I would consider also.

Yeah I have Goodyear vectors on our other car and they are really decent in the winter