[MikeProcter]

Here are a few thoughts after 3000 miles in my first 2 months of ownership.

I also did my dash cam install today.

 

[Carty]

Here are a few thoughts after 3000 miles in my first 2 months of ownership.

I also did my dash cam install today.

Another great video Mike !.
Keep them coming.
I have had a new "Next Base" dash cam in it's box for almost 10 months now, I must get it fitted into the ZS EV !.

 

[MikeProcter]

Another great video Mike !.
Keep them coming.
I have had a new "Next Base" dash cam in it's box for almost 10 months now, I must get it fitted into the ZS EV !.

It really is easy with their hardwire kit

 

[Carty]

Hi @MikeProcter .
Did I read somewhere here that your car was requested by MG for a software update this week ?.
You had no info on what this included prior to the appointment, if I remember correctly.

 

[Freddy]

Another good informative vid, keep it up Mike.

 

[Gerbro]

You mentioned a lumbar pillow/cushion for long journeys.

Could you tell us where you found yours, and whether it fits the MG particularly well?

 

[CasperStorm]

Would be interested to hear the @Carty opinion compared to the Golf GTE.

 

[Carty]

Would be interested to hear the @Carty opinion compared to the Golf GTE.

Hi @CasperStorm
I will certainly post my opinions regarding the two cars with no problem.
Will give a detailed post this evening.
Thanks !.

 

[Allen78]

Here are a few thoughts after 3000 miles in my first 2 months of ownership.

I also did my dash cam install today.

Hello Mike

Thank you for the video.
I've fitted dash cams before using the hard wire method but was a bit more weary about doing this to an EV.
After watching your video, it gave me the confidence to fit my dash cam. So all fitted in around 15mins .

Cheers

Allen

 

[Carty]

Would be interested to hear the @Carty opinion compared to the Golf GTE.

Well @CasperStorm .
This is in response to your request for my opinion of switching from VW GTE to MG ZS EV.
Well, I was thinking about this question while driving home today.
The more I though about it, the harder it became to make this difficult call !.
Which is a good thing, right ???.
We are trying to make a reasonable judgement between both cars when after owning the GTE for 4 years and about 25,000 miles Vs the ZS EV after about 1 month and roughly 800 miles, or is it ???.
I loved the 4 years with the GTE - I always seen it as the perfect "Bridge Car" into the world of a full BEV.
The GTE was always going to be a very hard act to follow I.M.H.O.
But it IS a very different package to the ZS EV remember.
I am trying to prevent anybody falling to sleep while reading this, because it could be a really really long post without some type of restrain.
I would be better place to give a REAL answer to this question in 4 years is the BEST answer I guess ?.
Brief history lesson before we get going - My last 6 cars have ALL been VW's, so yes a bit of a "Fan Boy"at heart.
They do make a pretty good car to be fair, they have had plenty of practice though.
BUT by taking a quick "Snap Shot" in time right now, and this is VERY general overview, here we go.
I really though the MG ZS EV would fall massively short of the mark when considered it as our next car.
My son kept saying :- "You will NOT buy an MG before another VW Dad".
So, why did I ???.
Simple, VW did not have anything that fitted my needs at this moment in time and in the near future.
It's as simple as that really.
Had VW electrified the T.Roc, well that may have been a different story.
I was NOT going back to a fossil......No No No !.
Plugin hybrid, brilliant - but no, time for the next step.
Had the test drive of the ZS EV not gone according to plan, I would have kept my GTE.
I did attend the test drive in the firm belief that I would not rate the ZS EV at all.
Of course, this was a LONG way from what I expected.
After having a "Not so Perfect" outcome from a total knee replacement over 12 months ago, I now realise I needed a car that was a lot more comfortable to get both in and out from.
This therefore did rule out the e.Golf for more than a few reasons.
Did I rule it out before test driving it ?.
Not at all, we had the loan of an e.Golf for 48 hours.
The I.D.3 was also discounted for the same reason's ( plus the cost ! ).
Do I think the build quality of the ZS EV is as good as the Golf .................
You notice the long pause here, True 100% honest answer - No.
The VW just feels better put together somehow.
Is the ZS EV a badly put together car then - No, but there is a difference.
I can hear some slight creaking and groaning for the interior trim already on the MG that I never had in four years on the VW's.
Okay, I understand its an EV and that all other noises appear louder because the drive train is so silent, but I think the build of an EV has to be of a higher quality than a fossil car, otherwise you are going to hear every single squeak & rattle.
But when we are comparing the ZS EV to the hybrid GTE - it has the ability to drive using the pure electric drive, up to around 80 Mph.
So in affect a BEV for a very short time until the small battery is depleted.
I find the ZS EV produces a lot more wind noise at the front of the car at speeds above 50 Mph compared to the VW.
But again, it's a different animal altogether.
A higher ground clearance, larger door mirrors and roof rails that appear to attract a lot of whistling noise.
The GTE is a low ground clearance sport's hatchback that can corner like it's on rails, and its shape allows it to slip through the air much better !.
The ZS EV is completely the opposite in every field in this regard.
I could go on and on here sorry, I also feel the GTE reaches out to a much wider age group than the ZS EV.
A young couple with a toddler and a very small baby should never choose the Golf over the type of car like the ZS EV.
A altogether more practical car for a growing family.
Bottom line here is this, am I happy with the ZS EV after the GTE ?.
YES !.
It needs some serious refining and polishing around the rough edges that's all.
The software has some massive "Bug's" that need eradicating quickly, together with all of them totally unnecessary and distractive stupid "Bongs".
Of course, most can be disabled, but what is the point of having these safety features included if owners are just turning them off for a more peaceful life !.
Come on MG - Stop "Coping Out" by providing a feature that is clearly and currently, not fit for purpose.
I wonder if the ZS EV would have gained it's highly coveted 5 star Ncap rating if all of the safety features of the car had been turned off at the time of test !.
Bet your sorry you even asked now @CasperStorm .

 

[CasperStorm]

Bet your sorry you even asked now @CasperStorm .

Ha - not at all.

The answer is much as I expected.

We also have a 225xe which is significantly better built than the ZS and is a faster and better handling package, and were I to buy it at the end of my lease would cost roughly the same.

...but I enjoy the ability to do the vast majority of my driving, and a substantial amount of family journeys, purely electrically in a car that offers plenty of room and a very nice boot.

A bit "white goods" but to be honest as I get older more cars fall into that category!

 

[Boatgeek]

I have just moved away from VW after having VAG cars for over 10 years. I found VW service to be over-priced and pretty poor if I am honest. I understand that there will be variations between dealerships but the attitude I encountered over the past few years was dire. The constant up-selling and their complete inability to identify a clutch fault (instead they sold me new rear discs and pads) that went on to cost me £1k when it failed, was annoying. The final straw came when I was trying to get some part worn tyres fitted to take me through until my MG was ready. My local VW dealership had removed the wheel replacement kit at some point and not put it back in! No locking wheel nut key! I went absolutely bananas at them. Luckily, my MG dealer rang and said if I was happy with a blue car, instead of black, I could have it the next day.

In terms of creaky interiors, sure the MG makes s few noises but so what? It is the best value EV on the market today. I drive an F-Pace for work a fair bit and that makes some terrible noises so cost and quality are not necessarily related. Spec wise, the MG comes with so many things as standard that VW would charge through the nose for. My uncle's ancient Citroen C5 is better specced than my Passat R-Line was as standard.

I may be in the minority but I do not mind the bongs at all. The conditional speed limit one is actually quite useful when joining a smart motorway, or when a 20 is in force during school hours. On Sunday night, at around 10pm, I drifted off a little and lane departure bong was, quite literally, a lifesaver.

For 26k the MG is well specced, well built and the glitches are not the end of the world. Remember, software development works on an iterative basis. Other manufacturers have been iterating theirs for years and they are still a bit rough around the edges, you only have to look at Vauxhall to see that. SOTA should be standard but even larger manufacturers are struggling to get it going. It isn't as easy as banging network access into the car and cracking on, the back end is extremely complex and requires ECUs to run two sets of software in parallel to enable them to validate the software update and ensure it works perfectly before letting it go live. Imagine having a SOTA update halfway through a journey and the car won't start again?

Anyway, rant over. VW vs MG? not really a like for like comparison but, for my money, I was ready for change.

 

[Curley]

Well said Sir, correct about the software, p.s. I use Windows and they have been updating there software all this century and before, and still falls short