[Spec555]

So last week I took an MG ZS EV for a test drive as I've been interested in the car since it came out and after receiving an email inviting it, I thought why not!

I loved it and so did the Mrs, kids seemed to like it too although you don't get too much out of a 2yr old and 5m old

Anyway, thinking it could replace the Zoe at some point maybe next year or year after, I'm picking one up next week!

Some good deals with MG at the moment and 0%. The man maths made it work and I can't wait.

In an ideal world I'd like to have the MG and the Zoe but it wouldn't work at the moment, might change our ICE car to an MG5 when it's a good used buy and the infrastructure has improved though. Best not test drive that too...

 

[Carty]

So last week I took an MG ZS EV for a test drive as I've been interested in the car since it came out and after receiving an email inviting it, I thought why not!

I loved it and so did the Mrs, kids seemed to like it too although you don't get too much out of a 2yr old and 5m old

Anyway, thinking it could replace the Zoe at some point maybe next year or year after, I'm picking one up next week!

Some good deals with MG at the moment and 0%. The man maths made it work and I can't wait.

In an ideal world I'd like to have the MG and the Zoe but it wouldn't work at the moment, might change our ICE car to an MG5 when it's a good used buy and the infrastructure has improved though. Best not test drive that too...

Bitten by the bug !.
Ideal family sized EV with a pretty decent range and good features.
Excite or Exclusive, what colour ?.
My brother picked up his blue one last week.
His very first EV after a mixture of petrol and oil burner’s over many many years.
He loves it !.
Get the interior protection pack, front and rear mud flap / nice tailored front and rear mats and a boot liner.
About £130.00 I think ?.

 

[Spec555]

Bitten by the bug !.
Ideal family sized EV with a pretty decent range and good features.
Excite or Exclusive, what colour ?.
My brother picked up his blue one last week.
His very first EV after a mixture of petrol and oil burner’s over many many years.
He loves it !.

Indeed, it feels such a step up from the Zoe too which is surprising given the cost similarities when new.

It's a white Excite, the same as I test drove. We were perfectly happy with the Excite spec and got a great deal. I do actually prefer the look of the ZS without the roof rails too so I'm very pleased.

It will be 'our' 5th EV and I'm hoping the car we keep the longest as it's so multitalented.

 

[Brian G]

Glad to hear you joined the club. It is a very practical car. The range is just above the tipping point to prevent tedious long journeys and compared to my top of the range Passat, the radio is better! My wife likes to drive it saying doesn’t it go well, blimey I’m doing 80!

 

[Carty]

I do actually prefer the look of the ZS without the roof rails too so I'm very pleased.

That's brilliant, a lot more space than the Zoe !.
Just remember you can't retro fit roof rails to the Excite, IF you did need them to fit a top box at a later date.
This can be important upgrade with a young family.
My son has a VW Tiguan and also has a top box for use when he takes his young the family away on holiday.
He said the top box is a real god send for family holidays !.

 

[Sandy]

So last week I took an MG ZS EV for a test drive as I've been interested in the car since it came out and after receiving an email inviting it, I thought why not!

I loved it and so did the Mrs, kids seemed to like it too although you don't get too much out of a 2yr old and 5m old

Anyway, thinking it could replace the Zoe at some point maybe next year or year after, I'm picking one up next week!

Some good deals with MG at the moment and 0%. The man maths made it work and I can't wait.

In an ideal world I'd like to have the MG and the Zoe but it wouldn't work at the moment, might change our ICE car to an MG5 when it's a good used buy and the infrastructure has improved though. Best not test drive that too...

Watch out for the ban hammer on RZOC.

I too switched it up from a Zoe to the MG (I splashed out and went exclusive, I had to have roof bars). So glad I upgraded, even if I've done less than 6k miles this year. Goes twice as far as my 22kWh model, which is exactly what I hoped for. Has a heater like a furnace, for the first time ever my daughter told me to turn down the heater, in the Zoe it was always could I turn it up because they were freezing in the back (even though they were probably warm enough just not as toasty as me and the missus).

I have to say I've not missed an app or the preheating. Probably because the heater is instant and belts out heat if you crank it up (even in eco mode).

 

[shikoku14]

It's only this past week I've experienced the delights of the heater, it's the most responsive I've ever had in a car, we went for a very wet walk last Saturday and were playing the de-mist game of not getting too hot and at the same time not letting the mist build up (next time all wet kit will be locked in the boot with the dehumidifier bags).

 

[Sandy]

It's only this past week I've experienced the delights of the heater, it's the most responsive I've ever had in a car, we went for a very wet walk last Saturday and were playing the de-mist game of not getting too hot and at the same time not letting the mist build up (next time all wet kit will be locked in the boot with the dehumidifier bags).

Turn the heat up to desired level, turn on AC and recirculate at the car should clear pretty good and get roasty toasty. Or keep recirculate off and the get in s bit more warmed but fresh air

 

[Carty]

I also find the heater to be very quick to respond and it provides a really good range of heat.
In my older years, I do feel the cold a lot more now !.
But the ZS EV heater has no problem heating what could be seen as fairly large cabin space.
Our car sits on the drive in ALL types of weather conditions and the inside of the cabin gets really cold first thing in the winter mornings.
Pop out and boot up the car and hit the heater and heated seats, about five minutes before we leave and the car is nicely defrosted and toasty inside.
Then drive down the street watching folks scrapping at the windscreen while the car is billowing out huge clouds of white smoke from their exhaust pipes !.
Selecting some where between two or three red bars ( depending on the outside temperature of course ) on the heater scale, then a similar setting on the blower motor, will satisfy the vast majority of riders.
It eat's into the range of course, but frankly who the hell cares ! .

 

[Spec555]

Watch out for the ban hammer on RZOC.

I too switched it up from a Zoe to the MG (I splashed out and went exclusive, I had to have roof bars). So glad I upgraded, even if I've done less than 6k miles this year. Goes twice as far as my 22kWh model, which is exactly what I hoped for. Has a heater like a furnace, for the first time ever my daughter told me to turn down the heater, in the Zoe it was always could I turn it up because they were freezing in the back (even though they were probably warm enough just not as toasty as me and the missus).

I have to say I've not missed an app or the preheating. Probably because the heater is instant and belts out heat if you crank it up (even in eco mode).

I was debating whether to remain part of the Zoe facebook group or not!

My Zoe was a 40kwh so expecting slightly less range but it was always more than I needed and even if I did need it lack of CCS bashes my confidence, rectified by the MG!

The heater is a big thing for me, I always feel the cold and the Zoe has rarely kept me warm so looking forward to that and yes I never used the app, whether it was working or not...

As an interesting twist in the tale: my pick up day is today and I've sat in my car, however I'm now at work with an MG5 EV sat outside.....

Basically the ventilation was not working so it's gone back into the workshop and despite being informed the update would be done, it was not so they're doing that too - these things happen and my salesman has been most helpful (Richmond MG - Portsmouth).

As for the MG5, it's nice and certainly a good car (kudos to MG for bringing out the first EV estate), however I prefer the ZS in pretty much every way.

 

[shikoku14]

Basically the ventilation was not working

This must be the 4/5th time I've heard this tale, do dealers not know to check the fuse is in from transit when they PDI the cars

 

[Spec555]

This must be the 4/5th time I've heard this tale, do dealers not know to check the fuse is in from transit when they PDI the cars

Yep, I suspected that after doing some research - just found out that was the issue!

 

[Carty]

This must be the 4/5th time I've heard this tale, do dealers not know to check the fuse is in from transit when they PDI the cars

In a lot of cases, the PDI gets skipped over FAIR to quickly !.
Both in ICE and EV cars as well.
To much of this "Wash it & ship it" attitude.
Ask the dealer to see the PDI sheet and I bet he tells you they do not keep a hard copy.
What they really mean is the check box on the sheet is "Ticked" but the item has clearly not checked for operation.
Another example of rushing the job and cutting corners.

 

[Spec555]

First morning drive in the MG ahhhh the heat

 

[CasperStorm]

I find once the car is warm just keeping it on 1 or 2 red blobs is enough to keep it that way.

Lack of app doesn't bother me (it's a car ffs) - would rather have a visible %age battery gauge!

 

[Sandy]

I was up in Aviemore last monday, it rained all day and the whole family was freezing when we got in the car for the drive home. But as Aviemore rapid doesn't work with many cars (MG included) we had to stop at Kingussie 10miles down the road. I ran the heat up quite warm and the front seats. We sat in car charging with the heater on and then we all decided to use the nearby facilities (pee stop). So we turned off car and let it carry on charging. We hurried back to car, cold out, to find that although it had been sitting "cooling" for 10mins that it was still pleasantly warm inside. No idea how MG have done it, but it retains heat well. In fact we were about 20-30miles down the road when I noted we were steaming up a bit and that the heater was off, i'd forgotten to turn it back on. So it was on and we were boiling all the way home. So much so our soaking shoes were all but dry.

Last car I had with a heater like this was my MK3 Escort which had a heater like a furnace. The old CVH used to run pretty hot but that translated to a lovely hot interior. MG is just as good. In fact when the family has all gone to bed I sometimes nip out in the car for a 10minute drive to warm up, cheaper than running the central heating lol

 

[Carty]

In fact we were about 20-30miles down the road when I noted we were steaming up a bit and that the heater was off, i'd forgotten to turn it back on.

Hi @Sandy.
I have noticed that if you turn off the heater by hitting the centre button on the heat control, it then default back to the recirculation mode.
Any wet clothing inside of the car and it will mist up the windows very quickly.
If I don’t need the heater on, but want to keep the windows clear from misting up, I find releasing the recirculation button will still allow a flow of air into the car as you drive along.
Just avoids having to run the heater blower motor.
It’s a great heater to be fair, if the car does mist up very quickly, then a quick hit of the Max defrost buttons and the glass clears extremely fast !.
Even if you are making really short trips to the school in the driving rain, the car will be producing heat within a couple of hundred yards !.
By the time I reach the school the inside of the car is already warm.
I can leave the heater running without causing any issues of kicking out massive amounts of toxic gases and steam for other people to put up with.
In a ICE car, you have two issues to consider.
Do you keep the engine running wasting money and causing pollution in a wasted attempt to warm up the car ( which takes far to long ) or just sit freezing in the car for 20 mins trying to do the right thing, by not running the engine.
In an EV the only thing that is coming to harm, is a bit of range lost from the range.
No contest in my opinion, the reduction in range is a small price to pay for feeling toasty and warm in freezing conditions.
Even my granddaughter who is only seven said to me last week :- “I like it when you pick me up from school Grandy, because your car is always nice and warm”.
Another early convert to EV’s.

 

[Sandy]

A bigger issue is its illegal to sit with an engine idling unnecessarily, sadly schools do not report offenders.

I walk my kids to school regardless of the weather, its only a few hundred yards. But I see neighbours on rainy or cold days sitting in their diesel mercs etc, engine rattling away constantly. Pisses me right off, 1. that they don't just man up and walk, and 2. that they are pumping vast amounts of shit out their exhaust right into the path of the kids walking home.

 

[Neilew]

No idea how MG have done it,

Unlike the Zoe, it actually has insulation in the body cavities. Make a whole lot of a difference.

 

[Sandy]

Unlike the Zoe, it actually has insulation in the body cavities. Make a whole lot of a difference.

This I did not know. Explains why it retains heat so well.