It's interesting how the opinions of owners, or in some cases a single owner, on forums can influence purchases way more than opinions of dealers. I've seen it over on AVForums a fair amount and it’s because forum users are considered to be independent and unbiased.
Some things to consider.
It’s certainly true that potential owners will (hopefully) have done some research prior to their purchase, so they have that experience to share.
And owners can talk about their purchasing experiences, their specific dealers and ownership. And probably about installation of a home charger.
But bear in mind that people are often silent about buyer’s remorse because they don’t like to admit to having spent money on something that ultimately doesn’t fit their needs. Or they simply don’t like.
And people feel positive reinforcement of their purchase decision when other people also purchase, so they may be inclined to encourage others to follow suit.
So I think there is usually some element of bias in a person’s opinion.
Some people speak up vociferously if they are unhappy. Unhappy customers generally post more on social media than happy ones. And louder.
Mix in with that the fact that forums like this are seen as a valuable support resource for people with questions and problems, and if you focus on the threads discussing problems, it’s possible to form an impression that people are generally unhappy with MG cars.
However, asking directly whether they are happy will likely produce a very positive response. Feel free to post a poll.
This forum would be a pretty repetitive and boring if it only contained positive comments. It also wouldn’t sustain credibility as an independent source of information without the negative comments.
I think the feedback here about the ZS may well have cumulatively influenced MG’s decisions when planning the refreshed ZS and that is obviously a very good thing.
I do think that it’s mistaken to draw a final conclusion about MG cars without actually test driving them. You should, at the very least, directly ask people for their overall feedback.
I’ve had a few issues with my Hyundai Ioniq (noise from the seatbelt tensioner area, spongy brakes and a faulty reducer replaced under warranty) but overall, I highly rate the car and would not change my purchase decision.
@Dave S had a (now fixed) nightmare with limited range following the BMS issue on his ZS, yet he remains an advocate to the extent that he is a regular on our podcast.
Lastly I think it’s unwise to throw out terms like ‘junk’ in a forum of owners as it’s obviously inflammatory.
