I would say the E-Niro, I had a Mach-E for a few weeks while mine was undergoing surgery from a rampant VW Golf. I hated the Mach-E and was glad to get back into my E-Niro, it's only redeeming feature was it was bright yellow and easy to find in the car park. A friend had a ZS, whilst a reasonable car I think the E-Niro beats it.

 

So you need an SUV? Would an MG4 be sufficient for the dog? Lower sill so easier for the dog. You can get a 77kwh extended range at a year old in budget. Or how about a brand new MG5 trophy estate which is within budget.
If you want an MG ZS can you hold on? It's replacement MG ES5 is to start RHD production after the Chinese new year with stock arriving in the UK in April, so there might be a dip in prices on the current MG ZS once it's replacement arrives.

But the Kia e-Niro or the Hyundai Kona are both solid options too.

 

E niro all day . Mach- e has its issues.

 

E niro all day .

I'm not sure @Snaxmuppet would agree. 😬

 

I like my ZS and they're pretty good value but I've not tried the others. I had a shot of the 4 and had the kids fit I'd have gone with it

 

Out of those 3 options, I'd add another, the Ioniq 5.
I am biased, but it's got pretty much everything anyone would need, and it's not an SUV.

 

I really enjoyed the Mach e for the time I had it, it was the awd version. It’s a big car though, it’s very good as gran tourer but I discounted it as I spend too much time in the city. Had a bunch of character though. The kias are good cars but not fun cars.

I would second the ioniq 5 suggestion and chuck the cupra in the ring too because everyone recommends their own car in this place 😂

 

Wow, thanks all for all the replies!

To answer some questions - I drive small country roads and tracks regularly, I find the slightly higher ground clearance of an SUV is better for this.

I also am very very short, my legs between the hip and knee are too short for a lot of cars, I did try out an MG5 but it didn't fit. The more sit up and beg style of a SUV tends to fit better. My favourite car of the past was a nissan Navara pickup. It's either a big 4x4 type or a small car for me, normal saloons or estates and European makes tend to be incredibly uncomfortable for me to drive.

Said pickup went to the great scrapheap in the sky after 20 years and 275000 miles recently - it was my backup for tougher jobs and longer drives than my Zoe can manage. It was so old and still useful so although we didn't want to use it as an everyday car, we decided to keep it until it died. Because of this I do need to replace the Zoe fairly quickly unfortunately otherwise I'd totally wait for the dip in MG ZS prices, it is on my radar.

Thanks for all of your thoughts - I think that's the mach-e out! I'm leaning towards the ZS but mainly because you can get a newer car for less and I've read about the niro knocking sound which has totally put me off!

Any more real life experience of either would be greatly welcomed

 

Wow, thanks all for all the replies!

To answer some questions - I drive small country roads and tracks regularly, I find the slightly higher ground clearance of an SUV is better for this.

I also am very very short, my legs between the hip and knee are too short for a lot of cars, I did try out an MG5 but it didn't fit. The more sit up and beg style of a SUV tends to fit better. My favourite car of the past was a nissan Navara pickup. It's either a big 4x4 type or a small car for me, normal saloons or estates and European makes tend to be incredibly uncomfortable for me to drive.

Said pickup went to the great scrapheap in the sky after 20 years and 275000 miles recently - it was my backup for tougher jobs and longer drives than my Zoe can manage. It was so old and still useful so although we didn't want to use it as an everyday car, we decided to keep it until it died. Because of this I do need to replace the Zoe fairly quickly unfortunately otherwise I'd totally wait for the dip in MG ZS prices, it is on my radar.

Thanks for all of your thoughts - I think that's the mach-e out! I'm leaning towards the ZS but mainly because you can get a newer car for less and I've read about the niro knocking sound which has totally put me off!

Any more real life experience of either would be greatly welcomed

Wow, that goes to show how much variation there is in height. I like the MG5, it’s ridiculously easy to drive, with lovely soft suspension, but I don’t fit well. It’s too small for me, thought I’m no taller than average at 5’10”.

There’s no substitute for testing cars you’re interested in. The ZS is cheap but cheerful, like most MGs. Surprising good for the price, if not particularly high tech or refined, but easy to live with. The Niro feels a step up in quality, and the “wheel of fortune” sound is a concern.

 

From what I've read the wheel of fortune sound is usually fixed under the 7 year warranty if it occurs

 

Doesn't the wheel of fortune thing affect the previous gen eNiro rather than the newer Niro EV?

With a budget of £22k, the OP could just about get a Niro EV now. Cheapest one on AT currently is £22.4k

I have a Niro EV in 4 trim and have really liked it. But it may be going soon if I switch to leasing a new car on salary sacrifice. It's in perfect condition, hasn't troubled me once, has 33k miles, and when I sell it, it's likely to be a private sale and would probably be a touch under that budget limit.

 

I am on my second ZS and love it. The first gen was a pretty good car, ride quality wasn't superb but good enough. The new version is a big improvement. The charging socket isn't behind a silly rising door, the headlights are superb and the infotainment system improved. Oh and the air con system is proper climate control. I drive round single track roads in rural Hampshire and the visibility is good as is the 360 degree camera system. Mine is the standard range with the LFP battery and a range of 195 miles. The other great thing about the MG is that the controls are buttons and switches and not via touch screen. That is much safer over the touch screen cars in my opinion. The Volvo EX30 is down right dangerous with its central screen showing the speedo and touch screen for controls. No industrial psychologist would have let that out the factory door. And the MGs seem to be reliable, the MG forums are pretty silent these days. There was a lot of chatter over the original ZS and BongGate but MG listened to the complaints and sorted it out and the 2nd generation benefits from more even more feedback. I don't know what offers there are now but I paid about £22.5k for mine in September with a part exchange price close to £11k on my old one. At four and half years old I was happy enough with that because the overall cost of running the car was about £230 a month not counting insurance. And folks around Hampshire are pretty happy with Richmond the main dealer down here. They have sold thousands of MGs, I remember the salesman saying that one of the posh hotels in the New Forest ordered 6 ZS EVs for use as courtesy cars! I bet they had a bottle of champagne that night!

 

Just for reference for the OP. The Ioniq 5 is similar in dimensions to the ZS, actually it's longer, wider but 3cm lower on the roof line.
The I-5 has much more space inside though, as it's an EV platform, compared to the multi power platform of the ZS.
Build quality of the Ioniq is miles ahead of the MG too, but that is reflected in the purchase cost, and residual value of the vehicle.

 

Yes, the "wheel of fortune" gearbox-bearing failure problem affects the first generation Ioniq (28/38), Kona (39/64), Niro, but by no means all of them! very few, I suspect. This is certainly fixed on the new gen of Kona & Niro, so I'd go for one of those. Kona boot is small, Niro is a bit larger.

 

The new gen Kona is much bigger than the old one and bears close comparison with the Niro. Only about 10L difference in boot size. However they are not yet in the OPs budget as they are only a year old. Cheapest ones are around 25k for an Advance spec.

 

Would also second a Niro EV (new shape). I’d try and get a 3 over the 2 - there are a few close to the top end of your budget but prices may soften a little with the EV3 launching.

i have a Niro EV 4 (first EV) and it is an easy car to live with (big enough without being huge - the Ioniq 5, Enyaq etc feel significantly bigger). Bit more refined than the ZS plus better adjustment on the seats, steering wheel than ZS (eg no height adjustment on passenger seat which was a must for us).

 

My tuppence of advice is to avoid the original e-Niro due to potential issues with the motor and gearbox. It was a flawed design that they resolved with an entirely new approach in the Niro EV.
The Mach-E doesn't seem to meet your general asks in relation to driving position or types of narrow roads.
Out of your list of 3, the MG ZS is the best of the bunch.

But I would also say look seriously at the Niro EV. I had one and it is an almost perfect-sized car - not too big or wide, but plenty of room inside, and sits at the upper end of your budget.

 

Kia & Hyundai do decent warranties - but the details vary a bit. From memory, something like H are 5 years unlimited miles, Kia 7 years but limited miles, for the usual bady/mechanicals stuff.

AFAIK the traction battery in ?all? EVs is around 7-8 years 100k miles, or thereabouts. Whether or not the other expensive "special" bits like Inverter, Charge-control unit, ... (that ICE cars don't have) are also included in this 8-year wty is a bit of a murky area I think. Would be nice to see a table of just what is/isn't covered, for these special EV items.

GM's Vauxhall Ampera had all these "special" bit covered, charge-ports, inverter, traction battery, maybe also the electric motors (but not sure) covered. I don't think all EV mfrs are up to that standard though.

 

The other thing to watch with Kia’s is that the servicing schedule has been matched to keep the warranty. For Niro EV, its first one is due at 2 years or 20k miles (whichever comes first).

 

Isn't that the same with any manufacturer? Although Kia are pretty strict about it.

 

BYD Atto is just within budget, if you haggle. Really spacious.