Should I buy an MG ZS EV?

Pauli363 said:
Sorry. I mean Hill decent. I was fiddling about, and then noticed it turned off. On reading the manual, it seems there has to be a specific set of procedures for it to work, as in actually being on a hill descent.
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From what i have been able to gather, hill descent assist is actually more or less just a switch that turns on regenerative braking if the car is on a steep descent.

So it enables you to turn on the hill descent to save a bit of brakes, but only works on downhill.

So basically the same as cars with regenerative braking / one pedal driving does all the time.

Have not had a chance to test it out, as my country is flat as a pancake :)
 
hmadsen said:
From what i have been able to gather, hill descent assist is actually more or less just a switch that turns on regenerative braking if the car is on a steep descent.

So it enables you to turn on the hill descent to save a bit of brakes, but only works on downhill.

So basically the same as cars with regenerative braking / one pedal driving does all the time.

Have not had a chance to test it out, as my country is flat as a pancake :)
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Yes. I cant see too many descents we will be doing that would need hill descent assist either tbh!
 
I tweaked my criteria and their importance and cleared some of the unknowns.

The overall message is the same: The MG ZS EV is by large the most rational choice for my needs, the Kia a close second, and the Teslas, although on paper better on most dimension is hampered by its price, warranty and increased insurance costs which add up over 10 years.


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The main issue with the ZS are:
  • delivery time are insane (and possibly impacted by the Covid lockdowns in china)
  • there is no stock
  • I did find a couple demo models, very low mileage, BUT from this forum I understand the demo batch is particularity impacted by the bricking problem on faulty fast chargers (i.e. the car will no longer drive). This risk which does not seem limited to some cars, but rather appears to be a design fault on some batch software is giving me cold feet. I will only use fast charging on holiday or weekend, and that is exactly the moment where I CANNOT afford to be stranded on some random car park.
I am waiting for hopefully good news from a dealer tomorrow, otherwise I will go see a demo model on Saturday. I'll need to be armed with specific techncal questions, and if I decide to buy it I will need to ask in writing a commitment to review all the software before handing me the car.

Which means that if my options are not realistic, the Kia may win the race. What about it?
  • £7k more expensive for a 4+ old gen demo model
  • £9k more expensive for a new gen 4. That's probably still £6k more expensive over 10 years. And what do one get for that extra money?
  • that sun roof is so small... I must be honest that it does hit my minimum requirement, but is is so sad compared to the ZS or TM3 roofs.
  • a heat pump
  • a hud (on the newer models)
  • the best looking dashboard of any non elite car. I have rarely cared about design, but that curved dashboard of the new gen is unbelievably pretty (it was almost alone a reason to buy an EV6)
Overall, I'd say it's not worth the money for those who can wait. I am not sure if I can wait a new ZS, the randomness and timelines are insane, and I'd need to probably buy a petrol car in the interim (and pay more petrol and tax) which is a rather annoying coming from a hybrid.
 
Pepsico said:
Hi everyone
For various reasons I have to change car. I have been a hybrid driver for 10+ years and was thinking of moving to EV in the next 2-5 years and then keep the car for 10 years. However a surge in catalytic theft has pushed my plans forward. When looking at my various criteria, price and stock availability in the market, my choices really come down to:
  1. an MG ZS EV (Trophy or Connect) for something like £33k
  2. a used Tesla M3 for £38k (standard) or £44k (long range)
  3. A £15k older but high specced car
The thing is about 3) is that the cost of ownership over 10 years is actually higher than an electric car. So 3) would realistically be for 2-5 years until I change to an EV, but I will hate having to spend again a fortune at the pump after 10+ years of hybrid driving.
I have test driven the ZS EV and overall find it a really enjoyable, practical car at a very decent price. It feels like the rational choice, while the Tesla feels more like an emotional choice.
For a £5k-£11k differential (which is a lot of money!!!) it feels I'd get more range, faster charging (both points only matters maybe 20 times a year), more luxury, more safety, more convenience and much more power (though this could lead to more dangerous situations).
On the other hand, the ZS feels like a car wanting to show off as luxury but not quite there. A cursory read of the forum this morning tells me of:
  • no auto-dim on the rear mirror
  • sensors that go bonkers
  • ACC not useable on country roads, and no way to use a regular cruise control (I often use it on roads that are sprinkled with villages and you have to go 30-40-60 constant)
  • I also read that some safety features (like the one about traffic jams) doesn't have the array of sensors that a Tesla has and so will miss out motorcycles/bicycles/pedestrians
  • A crappy satnav (not a real point as I'll use my phone I guess). When test driving it often showed me in a field nearby rather than on the road.
  • Lane assist generating a lot of complaints (but it also seems it is due to people not configuring properly?)
  • auto high beam being either erratic or bad on B roads
I really think my sensible choice is the ZS, but I am getting a creeping feeling that it is slightly misleading with some of its features, and that many people end up de-activating these features which were a selling point for me (I am not getting younger, and feel that more car assistance will improve my overall safety. Had friends raving about how their Tesla saved their life from a bad motorway decision due to tiredness). If I can't have ACC, proper collision detection, auto high beams, robust lane control, etc... a Tesla seems suddenly more attractive and justifiable.

So as owners or prospective owners of ZS, what was your decision process and what information would you think will help me make a decision?
(btw, I also need to spend quite a bit of money to build a driveway with charger)
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Buy the ZS EV Trophy or Trophy Connect. Get the LR version.

I have driven nearly 6,000 miles in mine and cannot fault it. Apart from the rear view mirror not auto-dipping, I have experienced none of the issues you raised.

I’ve just completed a 1,040 miles round trip and it has been the most brilliant ride. MG Pilot makes for such a stress free drive. Rapid charging at the advertised rates of over 90kW while driving comfortably at motorways speeds.

Charging is no longer the issue it used to be and I think Tesla has now lost that advantage IMHO.

A new ZS EV will have a 7 year warranty. A second-hand Tesla won’t have anything like that.

As an owner I clearly have a bias :)
 
To get rid of the auto dimming rear mirror issue, just get the rear tinted. This can be done for less than £500.00 and your problem is solved.
Peoples opinions are objective, and need to be balanced as to what you actually want, and can afford. It’s your car, not ours..
 
Maybe someone has already answered this elsewhere but i have not seen the answer then.

The MG5 has dimming mirror, do we know if the base of this is the same as the base of the ZS

I mean...Would it be possible to buy a MG5 mirror and attach it to the windscreen.

The electric part should be relatively simple, i fitted an original one to my last car.

It was 12V, gnd, reverse signal and interior lamp signal.

3 of those were found right at the lamp in the ceiling, the last i found at the reverse switch, but to be honest, if i was fitting this today, i would just omit it.

Reverse signal to not dim if car is in reverse and interior lamp signal to signal that the interior lamp was on, and not to dim, because of this light
 
My car now has rear tint and auto dimming rear mirror and wing mirror I do like it it I don't think just tint is enough with all the new led lights about
 
N2STY said:
My car now has rear tint and auto dimming rear mirror and wing mirror I do like it it I don't think just tint is enough with all the new led lights about
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Tints will be OK for some, but for me also it's not enough. I currently have tints + auto-dimming rear view and wing mirrors, which I find I need even more so with LEDs becoming prevalent.

It's a bit like reading glasses... could get away without them, or maybe not see the need for a pair - doesn't mean someone else can't benefit greatly. That'd be a limited way to view things. No pun intended 😁
 
I would say 15k of the 20k a year is night driving so maybe I see more of the benefits of auto dim
 
Auto dim is minor anyhow in my criteria, I only gave it a weight of 2. It does take away another thing to think about (it's only when I get blinded that I think of switching a manual mirror).

Auto lane keep however is a feature that I Iook forward to. I sometimes have to drive long distances at night with my son, and anything that increases my safety or reduces the mental load is welcome. Appreciate is not for everyone.
Also, I am generally favourable towards more automation: 1930s or 1950s manual controls are not the ideal I'd strive towards.

The good thing is that the ZS has plenty of features.
 
Paulie68 said:
Just have to counter your point 6. Elon Musk is a fine human being, the fact you've decided to dislike him, probably because you've bought into the "hate Elon" narrative should have no bearing on the OP's decision.
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So this stuff didn't happen?

  • Claiming in March 2020 that people worried about the coronavirus were “dumb”
  • Questioning the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, and baselessly asserting that there were “quite a few negative reactions” to getting a second shot
  • Likening Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to Hitler
  • Saying the U.S. government shouldn‘t provide subsidies to companies after receiving billions in subsidies from the U.S government
  • Using Twitter to engage in securities fraud
  • Tweeting misogynistic things at Senator Elizabeth Warren because she said he should pay more in taxes
  • Writing to Bernie Sanders, who also thinks the richest man in the world should pay more in taxes, “I keep forgetting that you’re still alive”
  • Tweeting dumb, sexist jokes
  • Tweeting a photo of Bill Gates and writing, “in case u need to lose a boner fast”
  • Tweeting in 2018 that Tesla factory workers could lose their stock options if they unionized
  • Baselessly accusing a British cave diver instrumental in rescuing a trapped football team of being a “pedo guy” because he, like others, said Musk’s idea to send in a submarine wouldn’t work
  • Reopening a Tesla factory in violation of public health orders, where 450 cases were subsequently recorded
  • Running a company (Tesla) that was ordered to pay nearly $137 million to a former Black employee who said the company ignored repeated complaints that he was called the N-word and that his colleagues “had drawn swastikas and scratched a racial epithet in a bathroom stall and left drawings of derogatory caricatures of Black children around the factory.” (In a message to Tesla employees, a human resources executive downplayed the man’s allegations, noting he was a contractor, not a full-time staffer, and that other witnesses had said that while they heard racial slurs, they were used in a “friendly” manner. The H.R. executive added that the company was “not perfect” at the time of the incidents, and “is still not perfect,” but has “come a long way.”)
  • Running a company (Tesla), where a female worker said sexual harassment was “rampant,” alleging “nightmarish conditions” and a factory that “more resembles a crude, archaic construction site or frat house than a cutting-edge company in the heart of the progressive San Francisco Bay area.” (The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Washington Post, which noted Tesla “does not typically respond to press inquiries.”)
  • Running a company (Tesla) that employees have called a “modern-day sweatshop” (In response, Telsa said it abided by California laws.)
  • Attempting to “destroy a Tesla whistleblower”
  • Reportedly exploding at “executives and lower-ranking workers” alike, and allegedly firing people who disagreed with him (Musk has denied allegations that he goes on firing sprees)
  • Announcing Tesla’s headquarters would move to Texas one month after the state effectively banned all abortions
  • Paying a private investigator $50,000 to dig up dirt on the cave diver he called “pedo guy”
Elon Musk is a complete ******* in a way that completely puts me off buying any Tesla products. It's not a "Hate Elon" narrative just basic verifiable facts, so for me its an easy swerve.
 
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