MG4 VS MGZS EV

[donmaico]

Hello I am a newbie to this forum sand will also be a newbie to the world of EV some time in the near future I have a number of cars in mind but two that jump up at me are the MG4 and MGZS.I will be aiming for the used market because of the depreciation factor, so I am looking for cars that are about 3-4 years old. The two from the MG stable come at very agreeable prices and as I dont do much mileage ( 60 a week) I am looking at the standard range examples of each model. One pf the reasons for that is the lFP battery chemistry they each have meaning safer driving , capable of 100% charging without much degradation and therefore longer lifespan. Of the two my preference is for the MG4 as it just looks nicer and is probably a tad more efficient, however a potential deal breaker is the infamous lane assist issue I have read about .In short I would need to be convinced that its nothing to worry about but the idea that it may force the car to veer towards a cyclist or other motorist is alarming to say the least so I am wondering if an owner of such car here can allay my concerns or if an MG dealer such as Richmond Motors can assure me that any models they may be selling have any such issues fixed via software updates .If I remain in any way concerned I would simply opt for the MGZS which in its own rights looks a good car . I also wondered whether I should ask for battery health report . Most dealers don't seem to mention them in their ev details, while Car360 does
I would grateful for any advice on the matter . Thanks

 

[Diggsy]

If the lane keep assist is your only worry I can perhaps offer some reassurance. In the 3yrs I’ve had mine I think I’ve had one, perhaps two incidents where it harshly braked. It did this when there was a group of cars coming from a small exit to my right, along with ones turning across me, so the car likely had a panic.

That said, this was prior to the 77 (I think) update, which quietened it down drastically, and I have never had a single problem with it since. Worst it does is beep or give a gentle nudge when you get too close to a white line.

 

[ReintjeWA]

The lane assist issues should mostly be a thing of the past if your car has had the SC077 update @Diggsy is referring to above. I have an Aussie spec that didn’t get the SC077 update as far as I know, but it seems our lane assist software was always a little tamer than the UK versions anyway. If you don’t make a habit of taking both your hands of the wheel, you should be just fine.

In terms of the LFP battery having less degradation, anecdotal evidence shows very little degradation in the NMC batteries as well, so don’t let that myth keep you from getting a bigger battery pack if you think it would be advantageous to you.

The NMC batteries can balance their cells at any charge level that is set, whereas the LFP will only balance their cells at 100%.

 

[donmaico]

If the lane keep assist is your only worry I can perhaps offer some reassurance. In the 3yrs I’ve had mine I think I’ve had one, perhaps two incidents where it harshly braked. It did this when there was a group of cars coming from a small exit to my right, along with ones turning across me, so the car likely had a panic.

That said, this was prior to the 77 (I think) update, which quietened it down drastically, and I have never had a single problem with it since. Worst it does is beep or give a gentle nudge when you get too close to a white line.

to be fair it's the only worry I am aware of but having just checked AI there about 30% of owners have reported problems with electronics, software glitches and charging malfunctions bit I dont know how reliable AI is because I have found it sometimes contradicts itself.
There have also been reports about flimsy interior trim and poor paintwork

 

[tonybridge]

I have a 2 1/2 year old Trophy, never had a software update, and in those years, the LKA has never worried me. Yes, it will sometimes beep and give a little nudge, but it's not going to kill you or any cyclists (it is a SAFETY feature). To get used to it, find an empty bit of road and deliberately drive over the white lines to get a feel for it. Yesterday, one of my relatives helped with the driving on a long journey - she's never driven an EV before, and was very impressed with the car and the drive. Yes, she noticed the LKA a couple of times, but was perfectly in charge the whole time.

My 2-year service back in September showed that the battery was at 98% health. I try not to let the car's range get much below 20%, and only charge to 100% when I'm off on a long journey.

You'll find that there is an awful lot of myths about EVs, mostly peddled by people who have never driven one. When I told my brother I was buying an EV, he said, 'OMG, it'll catch fire, are you sure you'll be OK?'

You will really enjoy your EV, whichever one you choose. EVs are a whole different experience from ICE cars.

 

[donmaico]

The lane assist issues should mostly be a thing of the past if your car has had the SC077 update @Diggsy is referring to above. I have an Aussie spec that didn’t get the SC077 update as far as I know, but it seems our lane assist software was always a little tamer than the UK versions anyway. If you don’t make a habit of taking both your hands of the wheel, you should be just fine.

In terms of the LFP battery having less degradation, anecdotal evidence shows very little degradation in the NMC batteries as well, so don’t let that myth keep you from getting a bigger battery pack if you think it would be advantageous to you.

The NMC batteries can balance their cells at any charge level that is set, whereas the LFP will only balance their cells at 100%.

most of the charging would be done at home so very few fast charging cycles. I would as many have recommended, charge between 20 and 80% just to prolong battery life and reduce the chances of a fire which I could get quite paranoid about

 

[JohnV6]

Yes they are. Full torque at 0 mph for starters

 

[donmaico]

I have a 2 1/2 year old Trophy, never had a software update, and in those years, the LKA has never worried me. Yes, it will sometimes beep and give a little nudge, but it's not going to kill you or any cyclists (it is a SAFETY feature). To get used to it, find an empty bit of road and deliberately drive over the white lines to get a feel for it. Yesterday, one of my relatives helped with the driving on a long journey - she's never driven an EV before, and was very impressed with the car and the drive. Yes, she noticed the LKA a couple of times, but was perfectly in charge the whole time.

My 2-year service back in September showed that the battery was at 98% health. I try not to let the car's range get much below 20%, and only charge to 100% when I'm off on a long journey.

You'll find that there is an awful lot of myths about EVs, mostly peddled by people who have never driven one. When I told my brother I was buying an EV, he said, 'OMG, it'll catch fire, are you sure you'll be OK?'

You will really enjoy your EV, whichever one you choose. EVs are a whole different experience from ICE cars.

thank you I think I will. Never driven one before and your suggestion re lKA seems very sound

 

[jamakr4]

When going for the MG4 I would suggest going for a late 2023 onwards. They did sort of a mini facelift with some improvements (you just need to look for the rear wiper and 3rd head rest). The Standart Version in comparison to the "pre-facelift" has heated seats + steering wheel, the rear wiper, One Pedal Drive and other smaller improvements (very worth it in my opinion).

The biggest advantage of the MG4 compared to the ZS is the platform: The ZS is build on an ICE platform while the MG4 MSP platform is specifically designed for EVs.

 

[ReintjeWA]

most of the charging would be done at home so very few fast charging cycles. I would as many have recommended, charge between 20 and 80% just to prolong battery life and reduce the chances of a fire which I could get quite paranoid about

The risk of fires is lower in EVs than ICE cars, due to the lack of explosive liquids. If you go for the LFP battery you’ll be charging to a 100% all the time, as 1) you can’t tell the car to stop charging at 80%, and 2) LFP is happier to sit at full charge than an NMC battery is.

Fast charging doesn’t seem to really impact battery health either, as long as you do the recalibration charge every 6 to 12 months. This is where you let the battery go down below 10%, let it sit there for an hour or so so the BMS takes a reading of the low state, then AC charge to 100% and let it balance their cells cells there in one continuous charge, and again let the car sit for an hour so the BMS takes another reading of the full charge. This shows the BMS how much capacity is really in the battery pack.

The only thing that holds true for EVs when it comes to all the fire talk is that IF the car catches fire, it will be harder to put out the battery pack. But so far I can only recall two reports of fire on this forum and neither were caused by the battery. If I recall correctly or of them was caused by the heater or something.

The dumbest one I heard was a lady telling me “the fire brigade will leave your kids in the car if they see it’s an EV”. As if you’re just going to leave your kids in the car for the fire fighters to deal with. If your kids are still in the car by the time they show up they’ll be out of luck regardless of what your car runs on…

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/mythbusting-evs/mythbusting-world-evs-are-electric-cars-susceptible-catching-fire