MG4 or Megane E Tech

[KaloyanP]

Evolve fwd 87kwh.

Very very nice choice, when are you getting it. I have been wondering what the lead time is for Ariya?

 

[JimB]

They've now put 20/04/23 on as delivery to dealer (includes about 6 weeks at sea from Japan) but who knows which way that'll go.

 

[OldFartAtPlay]

I've driven both MG4 and Megane, and I'm going for the Megane. For me the difference in price of £6K is well worth it, because I liked the Megane, and I didn't really like the MG4. My main gripes with the MG4:

1) I didn't find it comfortable. My knee kept knocking into that horrible ledge thing that the drive mode knob is on, and the arm rest positioning just didn't work for me.
2) I hated the number of things you had to dive into the infotainment screen to adjust. Even the regen!
3) The boot was a bit tiny (more important than back seat space to me).
4) I couldn't get over the feeling of being surrounded by cheap plastic.
5) Oh, and a teething problem probably - the sales guy had to ask me to get out of the car several times while he fiddled on getting it 'ready to start'.

In other words, it was a very personal thing. You just can't tell until you drive them.

What I did like about the MG4 was the drive, very nice; and the price of course. Nice car.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I've driven both MG4 and Megane, and I'm going for the Megane. For me the difference in price of £6K is well worth it, because I liked the Megane, and I didn't really like the MG4. My main gripes with the MG4:

1) I didn't find it comfortable. My knee kept knocking into that horrible ledge thing that the drive mode knob is on, and the arm rest positioning just didn't work for me.
2) I hated the number of things you had to dive into the infotainment screen to adjust. Even the regen!
3) The boot was a bit tiny (more important than back seat space to me).
4) I couldn't get over the feeling of being surrounded by cheap plastic.
5) Oh, and a teething problem probably - the sales guy had to ask me to get out of the car several times while he fiddled on getting it 'ready to start'.

In other words, it was a very personal thing. You just can't tell until you drive them.

What I did like about the MG4 was the drive, very nice; and the price of course. Nice car.

Appreciate the comparison between the two, you mentioned the back seat space of the Mégane, how did you find it? A lot of reviews say it's pretty cramped. Haven't been able to see one for myself, no Renault dealers near me have one yet!

And last question what are they quoting you for delivery times?

 

[TheTallOne]

I haven't seen a Mégane in the flesh yet, but on camera it looks absolutely Fugly. What on earth possessed them with the front end design. Just...no.

Now if they'd made a full EV version of the old Mégane, which to my mind had really solid styling, well, then I might be interested. Not this Pretend-SUV FutureTank though. My MG4 order remains intact. Especially with the price difference.

 

[Lillemy]

The front of the MG 4 looks way better than megane. But the rear of Megane looks way better than MG 4. You loose some, you win some. Interior/infotainment is way better in the megane, good selling point there.

Depends which market you are in. Here in Norway the MG 4 Luxury (Trophy with heat pump) is 318 000 NOK, and the Megan with similar equipment level (techno) is 429 900 NOK, that is just too much difference.

 

[KaloyanP]

The front of the MG 4 looks way better than megane. But the rear of Megane looks way better than MG 4. You loose some, you win some. Interior/infotainment is way better in the megane, good selling point there.

Depends which market you are in. Here in Norway the MG 4 Luxury (Trophy with heat pump) is 318 000 NOK, and the Megan with similar equipment level (techno) is 429 900 NOK, that is just too much difference.

You are so lucky in Norway, I cannot believe how many EVs you have there, NIO, Xpeng, BYD, MG Marvel R and the list goes on. MG4 is really good car for its price I must admit but this just was not enough for me to keep my reservation, given the fact that I owned MG for an year and did 15000 miles.

 

[PCR]

I would like the Megane but ACC is a must - which would mean £39000 mid spec and as an ordinary older driver wanting comfort why would I want 20” wheels?

 

[KaloyanP]

I would like the Megane but ACC is a must - which would mean £39000 mid spec and as an ordinary older driver wanting comfort why would I want 20” wheels?

The bottom line is, for me at least, things a getting better we get to choose from many car makers, different variants and so on. Only 5 years ago we would choose between Leaf, Zoe and couple of more so happy days

 

[4ND]

Aren't Renaults notoriously known for dodgy electrics? Seems almost beyond satire, a fully electric Renault.

 

[Kamil]

Aren't Renaults notoriously known for dodgy electrics? Seems almost beyond satire, a fully electric Renault.

I don't think that relate to electric cars, Zoe was a massive success for Renault also I had Megane for 10 years and never a single problem obviously only wearables to change like tyres, wipers etc

 

[KaloyanP]

Aren't Renaults notoriously known for dodgy electrics? Seems almost beyond satire, a fully electric Renault.

Surprisingly enough ZOE's turn out to be very reliable cars

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Aren't Renaults notoriously known for dodgy electrics? Seems almost beyond satire, a fully electric Renault.

IIRC, the Zoe's electrics are German, from Siemens.

 

[AdeMcG]

I took the Megane V60 Techno for a test drive this afternoon, an opportunity which I couldn't pass up, they seem quite thin on the ground at the minute and I thought it is just nice to fully explore what is on the market right now.

Ok, so having recently also drove the SE LR MG4, I can say that the Megan is quite a slick design.
The vehicle sits much lower in the flesh than in any image / video I had seen, it is very deceptive and it makes the car look much larger than it actually is.

The vehicle I drove was a Storm grey, black contrast roof, Techno version, the list price is almost £39k all in, delivery date was confirmed as "before the end of the year"

A quick run down of the likes / dislikes made me think, just how much of a premium would people pay for a more recognised manufacturer and design flair ? Below are a list of some of the things that came into my mind, that the Megan fails to do as well as the MG4:

Driver Enjoyment:
The drive of the Megan is competent and shore footed, if a little uninspiring. It may leave the driver with a sense of lack of engagement, anything other than Sport mode is really quite dull and lacks urgency and that "instant torque" you grow to expect and love with an EV is quite moderated.
I think because it is front wheel drive, they have tuned the 208 bhp delivery curve down to limit torque steer or wheel spin, but in doing so leaves you feeling a little underwhelmed.

The brake pedal is super sensitive, (I am sure you would get used to it) but jumping in from the ID.3 it felt a whole lot more quick to slam the anchors on, need a light tough with the right foot for sure.
There is a feeling of being "cocooned" deliberate use of this word, as they seem to think putting sound deadening on the battery packs is revolutionary...lol....it is a very quiet cabin, on country roads or doing (cough) motorway legal limit speeds.

Infotainment:
In the UK we get stuck with a very much smaller infotainment screen than our continental European brothers. This is in itself I thought should be no big deal and you might also think along these lines, but it is quite quickly reveals itself to be just a little too small a screen and when the reversing camera is active, the screen just isn't large enough to see with any great clarity.

Also, although it is native Android Auto based, the font is so small, it is difficult to navigate and read.
The Larger European screen I think is a must have given all the information that is crammed onto the smaller UK ONLY screen, this is I feel a real shame, as otherwise the cabin is a very nice place to be.

Layout / Stalk Central:
As may have been mentioned, griping the wheel, it feels nice (similar shape to the MG4 btw) but how many stalks, knobs and buttons can you cluster on it and around it. Even the gear selector is on the right hand side, mixing it with the wiper stalk. It is just too much clutter and I found I should have taken more care with reach and rake adjustment to not cut off the top of the driver info screen.

Vehicle Ready mode:
Although keyless entry is standard (as with many Renault's) you have to place your foot on the brake, then press the start button, to initiate and power up the vehicle, similarly, you have to press the start button again to shut it down. Again, no big issues, but kind of spoils the keyless entry and ready to go kind of vibe you get used to in other EV's (Id.3 & MG4)

Rear Space & door opening:
The rear door is a little bit of an odd shape, I am just about six foot, but the roofline is so low that I had to really duck to get inside it without hitting my head. Something I wasn't expecting as when you look at the car from the outside, the lines con your eyes to think it is large and SUV sized, when really it isn't.

V2L:
From what I can see from searching the internet, the Renault does not do V2L but may at some time in the future be V2G ready.

Other than the above, it is a really nice car. Very refined and the the design is very slick when viewing it in the flesh. The rear light cluster is much more stylised than on the MG (my least favourite angle of the MG) and the wheels look super large, which help the proportions (the MG is perhaps a little under wheeled)

Is it worth the extra £7K over an MG4 Trophy ?
Only you can decide, I however, don't feel it is and unless Renault lower their UK prices or revert to the EU Larger infotainment screen then I think I will stick with my MG4 order (assuming we get resolution of the major issues quickly and the NCAP result is favourable).

 

[4ND]

^ Good review.

 

[OldFartAtPlay]

Appreciate the comparison between the two, you mentioned the back seat space of the Mégane, how did you find it? A lot of reviews say it's pretty cramped. Haven't been able to see one for myself, no Renault dealers near me have one yet!

And last question what are they quoting you for delivery times?

Hiya
Sorry for delay!
Back seat in Megane - width and height fine, only problem was getting feet under seat in front. Have since learned that the front seat can be raised which would deal with that issue. I think if you were used to an SUV it would seem too cramped, but if you are used to a hatchback or similar it is fine.

I am expecting delivery around Christmas, maybe early in the New Year.

I really liked the Megane.

Cheers

 

[OldFartAtPlay]

Aren't Renaults notoriously known for dodgy electrics? Seems almost beyond satire, a fully electric Renault.

Do you have any idea how many Zoes have been sold?

 

[4ND]

Do you have any idea how many Zoes have been sold?

Though it thoroughly pains me to admit it, I've ignorantly and carelessly meandered through life not knowing how many 'Zoes' have been sold.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Hiya
Sorry for delay!
Back seat in Megane - width and height fine, only problem was getting feet under seat in front. Have since learned that the front seat can be raised which would deal with that issue. I think if you were used to an SUV it would seem too cramped, but if you are used to a hatchback or similar it is fine.

I am expecting delivery around Christmas, maybe early in the New Year.

I really liked the Megane.

Cheers

Many thanks for the reply, I did wonder about the feet thing in some reviews I'd watched. I was thinking they could surely raise the height of the seats

 

[OldFartAtPlay]

Many thanks for the reply, I did wonder about the feet thing in some reviews I'd watched. I was thinking they could surely raise the height of the seats

Yep. EG from Top Gear mag: "Possibly the back seat space is tight for a leggy family, though it's better if the people in the front raise their seats a little so the ones in the back can get their feet under."