Looking at a ZS EV

[Redstar1]

Thought I'd ask those in the know...

Wife is looking at a Trophy Connect what the local dealer is looking to shift for £18,500. Has been sat on the forecourt for who knows how long though, pre-reg'd in december. I have my concerns but price seems good.

Would you do it again?

 

[JohnV6]

I bought a ZS EV Trophy LR in Jan. So fa so good. The radio is clunky and it handles like a Renault Espace or 4. It is costing me under 2p per mile.

You need to check when it was built as the Connect is an older model. Is the software updated etc.

 

[MG Clive]

Hello @Redstar1, welcome to MGEVs, what concerns do you have with it?

 

[Redstar1]

I bought a ZS EV Trophy LR in Jan. So fa so good. The radio is clunky and it handles like a Renault Espace or 4. It is costing me under 2p per mile.

You need to check when it was built as the Connect is an older model. Is the software updated etc.

Says 2024. Software etc will all be things we'd double check.

 

[Redstar1]

Hello @Redstar1, welcome to MGEVs, what concerns do you have with it?

No concerns with the car/model per se. Plenty of space inside, boot looks smaller than published size but if 450+ litres is accurate its a fair jump up from what we have and probably sufficient. Got all the toys etc, it's more how will it age etc.

Pre-reg'd in December, has been sat in a lot since then, unsure how long it had been sat somewhere else before that.

Depends on how the battery was before that but I would think that's always going to be a concern with such a long time of inactivity.

Also it's been discontinued so will it get any necessary updates along the way - will spare parts be an issue when it comes to replacing wear and tear components? Anecdotally I hear MG EV parts were never that easy to come by in the first place.

I'm not really a car person, and we tend to keep cars long term (10+ years). Maybe overthinking it as well. See a few posts across a few places about issues with charging etc, usual niggles.

 

[MG Clive]

I wouldn't worry about parts, just because it's a discontinued model, parts will still be available, and the battery will have a 7 year warranty, so I wouldn't worry about that either.

If you like the car, just go in and offer them a silly price, you never know.

 

[Redstar1]

I wouldn't worry about parts, just because it's a discontinued model, parts will still be available, and the battery will have a 7 year warranty, so I wouldn't worry about that either.

If you like the car, just go in and offer them a silly price, you never know.

Battery warranty down to 6 odd years now because its been registered. Annoying.

 

[MG Clive]

Battery warranty down to 6 odd years now because its been registered. Annoying.

Definitely worth a cheeky offer then.

 

[Redstar1]

Definitely worth a cheeky offer then.

May be. How is the real world range on them? They say 198, though they admitted in reality 170 or so? We have a regular (non winter) weekend routine of around 150 miles and if we could do that comfortably with a bit to spare then sweet. It's a standard range we're looking at.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I would look at what state of charge it has been sitting with. 50% is best for long term inactivity. If it was at 100% for that length of time then the battery health will be compromised.

 

[Redstar1]

I would look at what state of charge it has been sitting with. 50% is best for long term inactivity. If it was at 100% for that length of time then the battery health will be compromised.

I've asked her to get them to check, and presumably they are off doing that or working out a way to fudge it

The salesman said it had been 100% but I don't think many of the salespeople know much about EVs. The pictures they have show battery level at 29%, no idea when they were taken though.

Shall see what they say but think shes ready to pull the trigger.

 

[fred12345]

Battery warranty down to 6 odd years now because its been registered. Annoying.

I think warranty starts from the date of sale not registration! Any mileage on the clock? Might have been demo car and if so, get extra £1,000 off ? Check prices nationwide for the same car (spend a day calling everywhere) and "blackmail" your local dealer with it.
I bought mine second hand, standard range, I would buy one again, no problems so far. Don't stress too much about battery life etc... sit and drive and enjoy!

 

[Redstar1]

I think warranty starts from the date of sale not registration! Any mileage on the clock? Might have been demo car and if so, get extra £1,000 off ? Check prices nationwide for the same car (spend a day calling everywhere) and "blackmail" your local dealer with it.
I bought mine second hand, standard range, I would buy one again, no problems so far. Don't stress too much about battery life etc... sit and drive and enjoy!

It's from registration. Just delivery miles on it. Happy enough with the price. Only thing we're waiting on is a battery check, and a call back in general.

 

[Chris H]

Brand new unused, makes me wonder why they just sat on it for over 8 months. I bought a 5 month old Jan 2024 Trophy Connect SR ex-demo in June 24 ex-demo for £19.5k, so I've had the same thing as you're looking at for a year now. Many annoyances with the utterly useless entertainment interface and I had to take it back to get the steering column changed due to a knocking. Check when turning at low speed; if you can hear or feel a clunk then make sure you get it done under warranty. Other than that, no major issues. If you've ever been in a Tesla don't expect this to be in the same league, they are as comparable as a Skoda Fabia and a BMW 530.
Would I buy it again? Probably, it's functional and quiet. It's an OK car.
Regarding the range:
Currently in the super-warm temperatures I'm getting around 160-175 real-world, driving like a granny. In the Winter it was often less than 120. If it's important to do your 150 miles without a recharge then buy a long range, the SR will make you sweat. That said, I've never had a problem doing long journeys, we went to Cornwall a couple of weeks ago and on a 4 hour journey we would have stopped anyway so recharge and a coffee for half an hour was no inconvenience. You just have to plan where you're going to stop to make sure they have multi-bay fast chargers.

 

[JohnV6]

I bought the LR version and also don't have a range issue but I do plan long journeys.
The reality is most of the UK is well served with charge points & we never have had an issue.

 

[Rob24]

I have the long range version so can't vouch for the range but I would definitely buy it again.
The boot is the biggest for that style of car and bigger than the bigger HS version.

I would be cheeky and play them on the price.
As for battery health ask them to give you a state of health statement.

Rob

 

[Rob24]

Ps

I treat mine like a petulant teenager, she throws a little tantrum once in a while but I have found the car to be very reliable, efficient, easy to drive and very cost-effective.

Rob