Leaf to MG5, thoughts?

[Blackeunos]

So I've been considering the MG5 since just before it's launch, and still am.

The roof rails were an issue, but 35kg is better than nothing, so can use it for the kids bikes.

Range is just down on what would be ideal for our main car, but more than enough for all but 5-6 trips a year, and a LOT more than my current Leaf 24.

So what I'm after is finding out what people who have come from a Leaf think, now that they have an MG5? Is there anyone out there that has?

My only concerns now are 1) the lack of a heated steering wheel (it really does make a difference on the short morning commute between November and February, and still puts a smile on my face), 2) the lack of timed charging, and 3) the lack of an app to turn the heating on.

 

[SimonomiS]

I can't comment on 1. heated steering wheel but the Exclusive has heated seats... 3. Also heats up very quickly, totally different to an ICE car. 2. Although the car has no inbuilt timed charging, various wallboxes with associated apps do have this so you should be able to get this to work for you albeit remotely

 

[Richie]

So I've been considering the MG5 since just before it's launch, and still am.

The roof rails were an issue, but 35kg is better than nothing, so can use it for the kids bikes.

Range is just down on what would be ideal for our main car, but more than enough for all but 5-6 trips a year, and a LOT more than my current Leaf 24.

So what I'm after is finding out what people who have come from a Leaf think, now that they have an MG5? Is there anyone out there that has?

My only concerns now are 1) the lack of a heated steering wheel (it really does make a difference on the short morning commute between November and February, and still puts a smile on my face), 2) the lack of timed charging, and 3) the lack of an app to turn the heating on.

Hi
Are you saying the MG5 will NOT time charge?

 

[kiltox]

Hi
Are you saying the MG5 will NOT time charge?

Not unless you have a smart charger that can handle the timing itself. The car won’t do it for you.

 

[Blackeunos]

I can't comment on 1. heated steering wheel but the Exclusive has heated seats... 3. Also heats up very quickly, totally different to an ICE car. 2. Although the car has no inbuilt timed charging, various wallboxes with associated apps do have this so you should be able to get this to work for you albeit remotely

The Leaf Tekna I've got has heated seats and it's a definite bonus on an EV.

I've already got a Podpoint, which I've never really got hooked up to the app, so don't know if it has any timers built in, but it was just so easy to set your times in the car and then you just have to plug in and forget.

 

[SimonomiS]

Sadly the car won't let you do that so if you wanted to set timed charges, boosts etc it would have to be set via the app. That could, of course, be done inside in the warm (assuming you'd connected the charging cable)...

 

[Richie]

Not unless you have a smart charger that can handle the timing itself. The car won’t do it for you.

Hi
Extract from a thread on BMS mid 2020 Update from Freddy Dec 19 2020.
Is this a solution to get passed or override the charger apps?

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32995...er_id=5503a6e8f72244ab8de49350c5135783&is_c=N

I have asked the following:

I have an EO mini pro 2 that appears to be out of range of my router even adding extenders (which can create their own problems) so the EO app is useless. The EO has its own consumer unit fitted within the meter box and have asked the installer about fitting a suitable basic timer to the supply either attached to the feed to or inside the EO's own consumer unit . He's thinking about that one.

So just to confirm, with the above item you mentioned fitted to the supply feed to the EO consumer unit or within the unit its self it would this enable us to charge at a set time as long as the charging cable is connected? Say we cabled in at 9pm, set charge to 00.30 to 04.30, (effectively a timer) And if we needed to charge outside of those times we can override manually or via its app?

The app information is not actually needed just the timed charge facility, not sure why you need the other information on these apps.

 

[Petriix]

I drove a Leaf 40 extensively. The MG5 has nearly 50% more real world range and will comfortably achieve 200 miles in the summer. It is just about the cheapest EV in terms of £ per mile of range, especially considering the real price is around £20k for an Excite.

The MG5 lacks a heat pump so the heat is inefficient but effective. It's missing adaptive cruise control and other driver aids as well as the preheat and timed charging. It's way bigger and much more practical than the Leaf.

 

[Valiant5]

I switched from Leaf to MG 5, too. Ours was a Leaf 30 Acenta, excellent car, we made several trips from Derbyshire to Edinburgh in it and quite a few down to the south coast, with only one or two hitches, down to chargers and not the car, which was faultless in nearly four years of ownership.

Most of the year we'd manage up to 110/20 miles before topping up on longer journeys, but only by keeping the speed down and being frugal with the heating... no heated steering or seats on the Acenta, but what you've never had you never miss.

Don't think it was ever going to be a long term car, to be honest, so when I saw the 5 was coming out for those prices, there was nothing else to touch it.

It's all a matter of personal choice, of course. I loved the connectivity of the Leaf, but used the preheating from the app only maybe half a dozen times. Don't think I ever used timer charging, didn't know you could! Never needed to.

Gloves work well with cold steering wheels, but now we have the 5, an Excite, we keep the heating on constantly. Also go a bit faster on the motorway. A week ago drove the 152 miles to Heathrow and could have done it comfortably on one charge despite the temperature being around 2deg C or lower, but topped up earlier just to have something in reserve. With the Leaf, in that weather, we'd have stopped twice.

Not done much mileage otherwise, but the 5 seems well built, quiet, smooth and easy to drive. It's comfortable, with bags of space, pleased I made the switch

 

[Richie]

I switched from Leaf to MG 5, too. Ours was a Leaf 30 Acenta, excellent car, we made several trips from Derbyshire to Edinburgh in it and quite a few down to the south coast, with only one or two hitches, down to chargers and not the car, which was faultless in nearly four years of ownership.

Most of the year we'd manage up to 110/20 miles before topping up on longer journeys, but only by keeping the speed down and being frugal with the heating... no heated steering or seats on the Acenta, but what you've never had you never miss.

Don't think it was ever going to be a long term car, to be honest, so when I saw the 5 was coming out for those prices, there was nothing else to touch it.

It's all a matter of personal choice, of course. I loved the connectivity of the Leaf, but used the preheating from the app only maybe half a dozen times. Don't think I ever used timer charging, didn't know you could! Never needed to.

Gloves work well with cold steering wheels, but now we have the 5, an Excite, we keep the heating on constantly. Also go a bit faster on the motorway. A week ago drove the 152 miles to Heathrow and could have done it comfortably on one charge despite the temperature being around 2deg C or lower, but topped up earlier just to have something in reserve. With the Leaf, in that weather, we'd have stopped twice.

Not done much mileage otherwise, but the 5 seems well built, quiet, smooth and easy to drive. It's comfortable, with bags of space, pleased I made the switch

Sounds all good. Did you charge at Heathrow and the location? I use the airport a few times a year and I guess I'll have to charge before parking the car, Don't fancy sitting at a charger for an hour at 3am after a long flight.

 

[Valiant5]

Actually charged at Newport Pagnell services going down. Had used 56 per cent to do around 100 miles. The plan was to stop there again going back, but that didn't go to plan. Not the car's fault, but the charging infrastructure

 

[Richie]

Actually charged at Newport Pagnell services going down. Had used 56 per cent to do around 100 miles. The plan was to stop there again going back, but that didn't go to plan. Not the car's fault, but the charging infrastructure

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes the infrastructure all over is poor which I think puts some people off buying an Ev until it improves. I don't think I'll be going to Heathrow for a few months and maybe not this year.

 

[SimonomiS]

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes the infrastructure all over is poor which I think puts some people off buying an Ev until it improves. I don't think I'll be going to Heathrow for a few months and maybe not this year.

Totally agree. If you have to stop to charge you really don't want to be crossing your fingers every time that the units will be working! Seems from my very small experience so far that there needs to be not only a massive increase in the number of chargers but also to have a much better way of keeping them in service. I know of two near me that have been out of action for weeks now...

 

[Valiant5]

I did notice some fast, not rapid chargers in terminal 2 short stay car park, but not sure about any others. Zapmap, as ever, is the place to look

 

[Mg5man]

Not unless you have a smart charger that can handle the timing itself. The car won’t do it for you.

I've put a timed chargee in the feed to the pod point.

 

[Cocijo]

I've put a timed chargee in the feed to the pod point.

Do you have any details please?

 

[Norfolk Enchance]

As Cocijo, please post details and any photos? Cheers.

 

[Mg5man]

Already posted in another thread, I'll take a picture in the morning and re post.