MG4 - any issues with Approved Used from MG dealer?

[Outthere88]

Hi all,

I'm seriously considering buying an MG4 in the next few months. We've gone round in circles trying to decide on the best car to buy and keep coming back to the MG4 as a green replacement for our current petrol Ford Fiesta (we've got solar panels and can charge on the drive, so an EV for daily use seems the right thing to do). We've got 2 growing kids (tween & teen) plus a medium-sized dog and we're hoping the MG4 will suit our weekly driving habits that aren't long-haul, so range isn't much of an issue.

We're trying to decide between an SE standard range and a Trophy (necessarily long range). The reason for the Trophy is foremost the electric seats, as my partner and I will be swapping as drivers all the time (and have very different driving positions) plus the parking camera as we often have to negotiate the school run with lots of little ones running out behind cars!

Happy to buy an SESR new from the dealer. I find the Trophy a bit much for the extra specs it gives (I'm not actually keen on the spoiler, and the range isn't very important). However, I've seen deals for Trophy LR cars at £23 - 24k, less than a year old, around 5000 miles, approved used listed on the MG website.

So the big question... should I be wondering why there are such new cars being resold? Are there any issues I should look out for when buying a nearly-new car from the dealer? Or better off just getting a new SESR, or lump it and get a new Trophy LR?

Any insight and experience much appreciated.

 

[Rolfe]

I don't think there's any particular reason to be suspicious. Lots of reasons for new-ish cars coming on the market, such as ex demo, and people who have had a taste of EV, liked it, and want to trade up. Also, some people decide they don't like EV driving and go back to ICE, or so we keep being told by the anti-EV crowd, though I question how often it happens. You could try making enquiries about previous ownership.

If you have a decent length of warranty that MG will honour, and you can reject the car in the first month and walk away if you find any serious issues AFAIK, then if there's a risk I think it's worth taking.

Of course I love the SE SR, but I recognise that there are reasons people would rather have a Trophy, and if that's what you want and you can get a decent one at that price, why wouldn't you?

I agree, I think the MG4, either spec, would be ideal for you.

 

[salty]

The electric seats are not memory seats, so you'd still have to alter them every time, but s'pose it would be easier.

 

[Outthere88]

Thanks both

Yes I know memory seats are a bit too much to hope for! Electric does make a huge difference though - we've got one manual and one electric at the moment and I find myself never driving the manual one purely for the faff of it haha. Perhaps I'm just lazy!

 

[Rolfe]

Friends of mine got a 2020 Leaf as the wife's car. The husband kept his petrol Audi, but within a fairly short time they were using the Leaf for everything and the Audi was sitting on the drive with a flat battery. Then the wife injured her back and her husband had to drive her everywhere - in the Leaf, of course.

They just got rid of the Audi and have only the Leaf between them. But the wife has recovered from her injury and I can see the "whose car is this anyway?" arguments looming.

 

[Ian Key]

If you do get a used MG make sure the car isn't still bound to the previous user/owner's account.

To help you decide between the SE and Trophy check out the specifications. It's not just the spoiler and electric driver's seat but 360 parking cameras, rear cross traffic alert, electric folding door mirrors, additional speakers in the rear doors. etc.

 

[Outthere88]

That's a really good point! How do you check if it's still bound to the previous owner?

 

[SWK74]

We’ve bought a second-hand Trophy (May 2023 low mileage) recently and the car itself drives really well (even though it doesn’t yet have the latest infotainment version).

The 360 camera is pure magic - you never need to check if you’re in a parking space because it’s that accurate. And the heated seats and steering wheel are a huge hit with everyone in the cold weather. The blind spot detection and rear traffic cross work well too as nice safety features.

This is our “second” car, the other one being an ICE, but we use the MG EV as first choice if we can that we’re now glad we went for the longer range. It just means you have to charge it less often - and you can take longer drives in it if you wish. The fact that you can charge at home overnight /daytime (we only have on a granny charger ATM) means it’s so much more convenient that you could imagine once you’ve got you setup sorted.

 

[Outthere88]

Wow sounds like the cars gone down well with you. We are pretty convinced now to go for the second hand Trophy!

 

[MartinSEsr]

Wow sounds like the cars gone down well with you. We are pretty convinced now to go for the second hand Trophy!

Make sure at the dealers you ensure as part of your agreement to purchase:

• it has the 'granny' charger which should be included
• it has mats - it needs them and doesn't cost the dealer much
• it has all of the latest software upgrades - they will never update it after you buy it, so insist on it before purchase
• and get them to confirm it is not bound to the previous owner

 

[Outthere88]

Those are very helpful tips, thanks!

 

[JCFlippen]

If you do get a used MG make sure the car isn't still bound to the previous user/owner's account.

To help you decide between the SE and Trophy check out the specifications. It's not just the spoiler and electric driver's seat but 360 parking cameras, rear cross traffic alert, electric folding door mirrors, additional speakers in the rear doors. etc.

Good point about phone binding. From previous posts it’s worth not taking delivery of car till it is sorted as many have have been given the run around.

 

[SWK74]

Wow sounds like the cars gone down well with you. We are pretty convinced now to go for the second hand Trophy!

The four tips given are great ones! The dealer has been the weak link - they've been pretty poor so I'm going to be careful when it comes to services (not sure how yet).

PS I posted a thread at the start when I had the phone binding issue. The dealer had no clue what I was talking about. Just go straight to MG if it's an issue - they sorted it within hours of sending them proof of ownership.

 

[emmadragon]

We’re picking up our Trophy on Saturday - 4 months old, around 1500 miles, and £25000. I’ve been badgering them no end (as I’m sure my posts will attest), and it’s now got the latest software version and is unbound (unbinded?). It looks to be in immaculate condition, and we’re very happy that for that price we’re essentially getting a new car. It has definitely been worth being a nuisance to the dealer, I think they were trying it on a bit. That seems to have stopped now.

 

[Rolfe]

So exciting! Sounds like you got a real bargain.

 

[emmadragon]

That's a really good point! How do you check if it's still bound to the previous owner?

Hi, Outthere, I bullied my salesman into binding and unbinding it to himself to make sure that it wasn't bound to the previous owner. He had initially refused (on the somewhat spurious grounds of not having the app), so I insisted, pointing out that they are the dealership and therefore can surely both tell, and make sure it isn't, before I pick it up. It's worth being a nuisance to your salesman, I'd say, he sent me some pictures proving that he'd done it.

 

[JonnyG]

...............It's worth being a nuisance to your salesman, I'd say, he sent me some pictures proving that he'd done it.

It's also worth getting the salesman to bind it before you pay for the car on collection. You can download and register on the app beforehand.

Also you could get yourself a checklist ready from research on here for all the other thing to check

 

[Rolfe]

Mine did it all for me while we sat in the car on collection day.

 

[emmadragon]

Also you could get yourself a checklist ready from research on here for all the other thing to check

Got my checklist all pre-loaded onto my phone ready to tick off - I think the poor boy is going to hate me, if he doesn't already!

 

[salty]

Mine did it all for me while we sat in the car on collection day.

And that's how it should be. But you may have to ask.