Are the facelift cars better?

[Rolfe]

I thought they put rain sensors on the phase 2 cars? No?

 

[tsedge]

I thought they put rain sensors on the phase 2 cars? No?

I suppose it is possible but that is the first I ever heard about this.

 

[salty]

I have a mg 4 extended range and it's not fitted with a rain sensor you have to do it the old way

And better for it, in my opinion. ??

 

[Rolfe]

I suppose it is possible but that is the first I ever heard about this.

It's possible I'm simply mistaken. It happens!

 

[emmadragon]

I'm pretty certain our phase 2 Trophy has a rain sensor, the speed definitely varies depending on the amount of rain falling and not just the speed being driven. It's rained a lot here lately, and even with a constant speed of 40 on one particular road, I've had faster wipers at one end of it than the other (it seems to be a particular thing with this road, the weather at one end can be quite different from the other).

 

[Rolfe]

Do the wipers come on when the rain starts without being switched on manually, though?

 

[SamMg]

According to the German Website "ADAC" (like the RAC in the UK), the rain sensor is included in the all the models (from Standard / SE up). Is it possible that there's a difference in the different markets?

I'm going looking & test driving on the weekend, and will report back.

 

[mg4nick]

If you have already decided to buy an MG - then ignore my comment (it is a bit off topic anyway).
I advise you to rent one for 2 weeks (or maybe a month) and see if you can suffer through all it's shortcomings (I doubt the rear wiper/rain sensors will still be the deciding factor).
If this is the second car in your household and you don't want/need to use it for 300+km trips - I suspect your choice of second hand electric cars is much wider than you think.

 

[emmadragon]

Do the wipers come on when the rain starts without being switched on manually, though?

Well, no, but you can leave them permanently switched on and they won't wipe if there's no rain. I don't do that, because then they automatically wipe once when you switch the car on, and I'm not a fan of a faceful of rain. I guess it's a bit like the automatic lights - sometimes it thinks it's dark if a bird flies by or if you drive past a tree.

 

[SamMg]

If you have already decided to buy an MG - then ignore my comment (it is a bit off topic anyway).
I advise you to rent one for 2 weeks (or maybe a month) and see if you can suffer through all it's shortcomings (I doubt the rear wiper/rain sensors will still be the deciding factor).
If this is the second car in your household and you don't want/need to use it for 300+km trips - I suspect your choice of second hand electric cars is much wider than you think.

I haven't bought anything yet.. my research points to the MG4 being the best option, but I'm also keen to get the best car I can - I don't want to hate it in 3 months. What else in the similar size / class do you recommend?

 

[crl84]

MY22/"Phase 1"/Pre-facelift cars in top trim level (Exclusive/Trophy) have heated seats too, at least in UK/Ireland.
Maybe the EU ones didn't, but I'd be very surprised if they didn't.

MY22/pre-facelift come with 11KW, 3-phase AC charging, which can be handy depending on your circumstances. Might still be present on EU models, given that 3-phase is a lot more common in residential properties in Europe.

Pretty much the only "improvements" for MY23 were rear wiper, internal grab handles, 18in wheels (top trim only), colour coded roof/mirrors, and One Pedal driving (needs to be turned on each time car starts).

 

[JonnyG]

I'm looking at the Standard & Luxury models here in Germany. I've read about the differences like seat heating, rear wiper and one-pedal driving, but I'm wondering more about.....

I'm not sure what your timescale is but there is talk of a potential major interior upgrade later this year (2nd half 2024). The mid 2023 changes were pretty minor IMHO :-

MG 4 getting 'big update' in 2024

MG has confirmed its MG 4 electric hatch will receive a "big update" to its interior in 2024, though it hasn't said what changes it's making.

www.carexpert.com.au

 

[SamMg]

Thanks. Need something sooner, and won't buy new in any case.

edit: I realise the update will also impact prices of used cars, but I'm OK with that.

 

[Rolfe]

If you look at that poll at the side, about 80% of respondents are happy with their cars across the board. Someone also said that most of the "No" votes seemed to be from suspicious accounts with no evidence they'd ever owned an MG4.

For a second car that isn't going to be required to do road trips, I'd say you can't go wrong with the SE SR, phase 1 if you like. You can pay more for heated seats and so on, but I doubt if you'd miss them quite honestly.

 

[mg4nick]

I haven't bought anything yet.. my research points to the MG4 being the best option, but I'm also keen to get the best car I can - I don't want to hate it in 3 months. What else in the similar size / class do you recommend?

Well - I would have thought that the size should not matter that much for the school run/shopping trip.

I needed a compact car when I purchased the MG4 a year ago (we already had a Toyota RAV4 PHEV and the trusty old Honda Jazz had just given up the ghost). However - since the MG4 is a capable mid sized car I ended up taking it on 250+km journeys around the South of England. My wife and children constantly remind me that the MG4 is less comfortable (to which I immediately answer - yes, but it is running on sun juice).

There are very few compact electric cars around (that are worth considering). The one that stands out in the segment is the Dacia Spring (given how affordable it is in the markets where it is available). The Dacia Spring is still not available in the UK - but it might come later this year...

I had a choice of buying an MG4 OR a Fiat 500e/Vauxhall eCorsa/Renault ZoE/Peugeot e208/Nissan Leaf. None of them was much cheaper (new price) than the MG4 and they all have poorer specs. So - by paying a little extra you get a lot more car for your money (I was quite excited about the rapid charge capabilities - but in a year of ownership I only rapid charged twice).

IF you need the size and range of the MG4 in a second car - I think it is probably the best deal you can get.
IF you can compromise on the range - I suspect you will find a Nissan LEAF cheaper (and with the right bidirectional charger you can use it as a house battery too).
IF you can compromise on the size and range - all of models I've mentioned above may be cheaper second hand.

In my view the MG4 is a good and affordable family car (in a single car household) and shines more brightly in that role rather than the second - run around the town - car.

Keep in mind that when buying MG you are buying a Chinese car (with a nice brand slapped on). If you ever bought a Chinese designed (and most likely manufactured) smartphone/tablet and there were some bits you didn't like but was willing to put up with them because it was a third of the price of the Google/Apple alternative - I would say that sums up MY MG(SAIC) ownership experience (except the price wasn't a third of the alternative). Different people cope better with head unit resets/rear camera coming on after you are done reversing and many more little niggles (which is why I advised you to try it for a longer period - not just a test drive).

Best of luck with your car purchase.

 

[Rolfe]

The thing is though, these niggles seem more of a Trophy thing and the SE generally doesn't do any of that. More bells and whistles, more to go wrong, I think.

 

[Bam Bam]

Well - I would have thought that the size should not matter that much for the school run/shopping trip.

I needed a compact car when I purchased the MG4 a year ago (we already had a Toyota RAV4 PHEV and the trusty old Honda Jazz had just given up the ghost). However - since the MG4 is a capable mid sized car I ended up taking it on 250+km journeys around the South of England. My wife and children constantly remind me that the MG4 is less comfortable (to which I immediately answer - yes, but it is running on sun juice).

There are very few compact electric cars around (that are worth considering). The one that stands out in the segment is the Dacia Spring (given how affordable it is in the markets where it is available). The Dacia Spring is still not available in the UK - but it might come later this year...

I had a choice of buying an MG4 OR a Fiat 500e/Vauxhall eCorsa/Renault ZoE/Peugeot e208/Nissan Leaf. None of them was much cheaper (new price) than the MG4 and they all have poorer specs. So - by paying a little extra you get a lot more car for your money (I was quite excited about the rapid charge capabilities - but in a year of ownership I only rapid charged twice).

IF you need the size and range of the MG4 in a second car - I think it is probably the best deal you can get.
IF you can compromise on the range - I suspect you will find a Nissan LEAF cheaper (and with the right bidirectional charger you can use it as a house battery too).
IF you can compromise on the size and range - all of models I've mentioned above may be cheaper second hand.

In my view the MG4 is a good and affordable family car (in a single car household) and shines more brightly in that role rather than the second - run around the town - car.

Keep in mind that when buying MG you are buying a Chinese car (with a nice brand slapped on). If you ever bought a Chinese designed (and most likely manufactured) smartphone/tablet and there were some bits you didn't like but was willing to put up with them because it was a third of the price of the Google/Apple alternative - I would say that sums up MY MG(SAIC) ownership experience (except the price wasn't a third of the alternative). Different people cope better with head unit resets/rear camera coming on after you are done reversing and many more little niggles (which is why I advised you to try it for a longer period - not just a test drive).

Best of luck with your car purchase.

I think the BYD Dolphin will be the main competitor for the MG4, with the various Stellantis ones being the other option I considered.

Dolphin is still pretty new in Europe so not many second hand ones around as yet - will take a year or two.

In a few years I think there will be great choice for decent second hand EVs - the new R5 and mini are a cut above their predecessors and will be much better second hand propositions.

 

[emmadragon]

We tried the 500e before the MG4, and quite frankly, hated it! It had been my preferred option before test-driving - boy, am I glad we did. No space, no poke, and not enough legroom for either of us properly in the front, never mind the back. I felt genuinely unsafe on busy roads, too, with every other car being so much bigger.
We also tried the Corsa, which was very meh. Just a Corsa with an electric motor.
And the Peugeot 208, which we disliked because the steering wheel obscured the driver's display, and the salesman was very much keen to go home for his tea.
The MG was the only one where we both got in and thought, hey, this is the future! Which was a thing we were looking for.

 

[Rolfe]

I had an Peugeot e208 as a courtesy car and I simply couldn't get the seat/steering wheel in a position where I could see. The interior was less spartan than the MG4 and the stereo was better, but by the end of the day I was like, give me my MG4 back RIGHT NOW!

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

I think the BYD Dolphin will be the main competitor for the MG4, with the various Stellantis ones being the other option I considered.

Dolphin is still pretty new in Europe so not many second hand ones around as yet - will take a year or two.

In a few years I think there will be great choice for decent second hand EVs - the new R5 and mini are a cut above their predecessors and will be much better second hand propositions.

FYI - Yesterday, BYD announced their smaller Seagull EV will be gaining a European-specific variant late next year, and will also be available in RHD for us & Ireland.

New BYD Seagull will come to the UK in 2025 to rival the Dacia Spring | Auto Express

A new European-market BYD Seagull electric supermini is set to hit UK showrooms in the second half of next year

www.autoexpress.co.uk