Tesla Model 3 to X-power or Extended range

[jamherber]

So, new to this forum - seems like a great friendly place with loads of useful info.

Just coming to the end of a 4 year lease on a Tesla model 3 SR+ (our first EV) and 70k miles so know it quite well but now fancy a change. Lots of positives about the car (quite a few quirky annoyances as well!).

After considering lots of potential EVs, we soon settled on the MG4 (now need a hatchback and smaller vehicle at a lower price point). Now have that head vs heart decision to make on model. Head says we need more range so the Extended Range fits the bill perfectly but heart says sod the range and get the X-Power. We have had a very limited test drive of the X-Power (about 8 miles in torrential rain and reasonably heavy traffic so very much less than ideal) but there is no denying it packs a hammer blow. Dealers seem reluctant to allow a decent test drive this model and no-one locally has an extended range demo for us to compare. We have been offered a 12 hour extended test drive in a LR Trophy car so will take this up just to see what it's like in terms of kit etc.

So help convince me that the X-Power is the model to go for. We need a usable daily range of ~180 miles summer range minimum (which is what we currently have on the Tesla) - I won't lie - this is pain as locally (rural-ish South West), the public charging network is still dire so the X-Power would be a compromise (due to range) compared to the ER and this is car we would be keeping for at least 4 years.

 

[JonnyG]

Wow that's a hard one to answer given your daily mileage !!

To get 180 miles in the Xpower over Winter requires considerable restraint on the accelerator, top speed and use of HVAC, heated seats etc. ?

Depreciation on a purchased new X-Power is also very very high at the moment. I dont want to put you off (as I love my Xpower) but if I was getting a new car now I would be looking at a personal lease deal or a nearly new second hand EV bargain. There are 84 ? nearly new X-Powers on Autotrader at the moment starting at around £27,000, Some have been for sale a while and reduced in price by £4000 in three months just sat on the dealers forecourt.

I'd see how you get on with the Trophy 12 hr test drive as that is very similar to the X-Power in terms of spec and battery. Obviously power is in a different league though ?

 

[siteguru]

Obviously your choice, but ... the kit in both cars is pretty much the same (the X-Power has slightly different screens as it has a Track mode display etc.) so the ergonomics and feature-set will feel the same. (The X-Power suspension tweaks may make the ride a little harsher vs the ER). So it really comes down to the one thing that the X-Power has - that shove; is it a sticking point?

Bear in mind that the ER also has a more powerful motor than the LR (as well as the bigger battery) so it still has a decent 6s or less 0-60 time.

 

[jamherber]

Thanks for info. Should have mentioned that we run a small-ish business so would be purchasing the car new (we have to do this for tax purposes). Having said that, I've found a brand new unregistered one available for £31.5k locally!

/edit now for £31k brand new

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[jamherber]

Obviously your choice, but ... the kit in both cars is pretty much the same (the X-Power has slightly different screens as it has a Track mode display etc.) so the ergonomics and feature-set will feel the same. (The X-Power suspension tweaks may make the ride a little harsher vs the ER). So it really comes down to the one thing that the X-Power has - that shove; is it a sticking point?

Bear in mind that the ER also has a more powerful motor than the LR (as well as the bigger battery) so it still has a decent 6s or less 0-60 time.

The Tesla is the older SR+ so has a ~5s to 60mph and lots of shove at motorway speeds so might miss that. We have an ICE car as well (Fiesta Mk8 ST) which has similar performance to the ER. It's frustrating that we can't find a ER demo to try.

In the area we live in, having a decent overtaking ability is definitely helpful!

 

[siteguru]

I'm sure the ER would feel similar performance-wise to the SR+

 

[jamherber]

I'm sure the ER would feel similar performance-wise to the SR+

I'm not so sure based on the X-Power test drive - surprisingly that felt as though it had less 'shove' above 60mph than the Tesla (obviously much quicker up until that point).

 

[siteguru]

What speed is the Tesla limited to? (That might affect the performance curve at higher speeds).

It's all moot really though - for the majority of people even the SE SR shove is far more than they've previously been used to with their ICE cars.

 

[jamherber]

True - allegedly the Tesla would do 140mph and despite what people think of them, they have got the drivetrain and efficiency very well sorted.

It's absolutely true that the ER makes the most sense on paper but I think that I will I always have that niggling feeling of whether or not to have gone 'full-fat'. I think it's not helped that the ER is priced the same as the XP (in terms of value for money it makes the ER look poor when you consider the extra hardware it offers). Also, in the real world the XP is much cheaper to buy new as the discounts are much higher - new XP as low as £31k - lowest new ER £34k.

 

[Tuareg]

X Power should handle 180 mile round trip quite easily, which if driving that distance everyday, you won't be flooring the throttle for most if any of it anyway.

 

[jamherber]

X Power should handle 180 mile round trip quite easily, which if driving that distance everyday, you won't be flooring the throttle for most if any of it anyway.

That's useful info thanks. My wife is a foot health practitioner and so after dropping me at work, she then takes the car to do multiple house visits for the rest of the day (distance between clients can vary from a mile to 25 miles). I have free charging available at work (but only 7kw) so maximise the use of this when we can & use public DC charging (which is also expensed) to minimise electricity costs at home (which I then have to pay for personally).

Whilst it isn't often we do 180 miles each day, any real world range less than this makes planning charging a full time job, much I just don't have time for. We get by with this range (what we currently have in the tesla after 14% battery degradation) but no doubting a longer range would be beneficial so it's very much weighing up 'fun vs form'.

Guess what I'm really trying to do is talk myself into the X-power!

 

[salty]

Decisions, Decisions. Nice problem to have though. Me personally it would be the X Power. But the extra range you need, the Trophy ER could be better for you, and is hardly a Snail. £31,000 for a Brand New X Power is excellent. Good luck with your choice. ??
Oh and.

 

[Ekips]

The daily range is going to be close.
Currently in winter my GOM is giving 150miles for 80% and 194miles for 100%

Once you factor in battery degradation especialy if you have to charge to 100% every day, next years winter could prove a challenge

 

[siteguru]

But if it is mostly town driving/lower speeds than motorway then the X-Power range may well be OK.

MG MG4 EV XPOWER

All details and specs of the MG MG4 EV XPOWER (2023). Compare price, lease, real-world range and consumption of every electric vehicle.

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MG MG4 EV Extended Range

All details and specs of the MG MG4 EV Extended Range (2023). Compare price, lease, real-world range and consumption of every electric vehicle.

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[lsb777]

I've got a leased Xpower and love it, but then I don't have the range dilemma that you do. I get the occasional opportunity to floor it, but not every day, so for me the best things are the heated seats, heated steering wheel, seat comfort and ease of driving (knowing I can beat most other cars is in my back pocket, especially as I've got a black sleeper!)

For you, I would say the ER is the one to go for, it's virtually the same as the LR Trophy apart from the ER is heavier (equivalent of a 12 stone person/76kgs) but 1.4secs quicker than the LR to 60mph plus you'll get at least 40 miles more range than the LR (based on EV-database figures of 265 real range, compared to 225 on the LR and 200 on the Xpower).

The spec info above is from the official MG4 brochure

 

[jamherber]

Thanks for all the replies. It's great to get some real world feedback. I think I need to look further afield for a dealer with ER demo so we can try it and then order an x-power and spend the next 4+ years moaning about range

We do also do a few longer (300+ mile) journeys per year. At 70mph, what sort of range would the x-power comfortably do?

 

[lsb777]

Thanks for all the replies. It's great to get some real world feedback. I think I need to look further afield for a dealer with ER demo so we can try it and then order an x-power and spend the next 4+ years moaning about range

We do also do a few longer (300+ mile) journeys per year. At 70mph, what sort of range would the x-power comfortably do?

I did a 600 mile round trip in UK last month and got 3.0mls/kWh average for mainly motorways. In theory that's 185 miles (61.8 kWh usable) but I wouldn't recommend going under 5% as it gets cranky and limits speed drastically.

 

[KMC]

So, new to this forum - seems like a great friendly place with loads of useful info.

Just coming to the end of a 4 year lease on a Tesla model 3 SR+ (our first EV) and 70k miles so know it quite well but now fancy a change. Lots of positives about the car (quite a few quirky annoyances as well!).

After considering lots of potential EVs, we soon settled on the MG4 (now need a hatchback and smaller vehicle at a lower price point). Now have that head vs heart decision to make on model. Head says we need more range so the Extended Range fits the bill perfectly but heart says sod the range and get the X-Power. We have had a very limited test drive of the X-Power (about 8 miles in torrential rain and reasonably heavy traffic so very much less than ideal) but there is no denying it packs a hammer blow. Dealers seem reluctant to allow a decent test drive this model and no-one locally has an extended range demo for us to compare. We have been offered a 12 hour extended test drive in a LR Trophy car so will take this up just to see what it's like in terms of kit etc.

So help convince me that the X-Power is the model to go for. We need a usable daily range of ~180 miles minimum (which is what we currently have on the Tesla) - I won't lie - this is pain as locally (rural-ish South West), the public charging network is still dire so the X-Power would be a compromise (due to range) compared to the ER and this is car we would be keeping for at least 4 years.

Very similar circumstances! I had the same dilemma. My wife bought the trophy long range & at the time I had a Skoda Enyaq. It quickly became apparent that my Wifes car was far superior to drive & had every option you could want so I was then in your shoes. The Trophy extended range is the same price as an x power but heres the thing, every EV returns on average 29% less range than claimed indeed in winter its even worse. Most range tests on youtube lead me to believe when considering buying an EV you should deduct 100 miles of the claimed range for a realistic figure. I chose the x power mostly due to 1: AWD for winter. 2: it looked “better” than my Wifes due to gloss black trim. I collected mine on Dec 2nd & have spent most of my time on Ali express trying to fix its chinese corner cutting “ like rear passenger lights, decent mobile holder, mudgaurds etc. it’s currently done 849 miles and has never been “launched” or driven like a stolen car. It’s lovely to drive & I like it. Being honest “IF” I could afford a Hyundai 5N I wouldn’t be here, its simply the best I could afford at the time. Whatever you decide I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

[Anon70]

Went through a similar purchasing decision. I would definitely find a dealer who can give you a back to back test of the ER vs the XPower.

For me the the XPower suspension was better (less rolling around)
You will only notice the extra oomph of the XPower if you use Sport mode (otherwise 4 wheel drive not always engaged)

In terms of range I got my XPower at the beginning of December and 180 miles from a 100% charge will be pushing it. My worst efficiency has been 2.5 to 2.7 miles per kWh that is sub 5 degrees C on a motorway. On the flip side at plus 10 degrees C with the climate control off (just using heated seats and steering) it was easy to get between 4 and 4.5 miles /kWh on an urban run

Expect some fun software quirks from MG no matter which model you go for.

I expect you would not be disappointed by either car but if you need that range the ER will win

 

[WoodPecker]

Good evening, having an XPower I can't even imagine doing 180 miles every day on it. With your specifications, I'd definitely go for a Long Range (ER) !