Just taken the plunge and I already need more advice!

Jonperry64 said:

After much deliberating and having received helpful advice from members of this forum I've just bitten the proverbial bullet and ordered a new mg4 se. I've never bought a new car before and I have a few questions about the process etc.
First off, my order "paperwork" states that my car will be a 2022 125kw se (nav) 49kwh. I was surprised the car is a 2022 model. Does that mean it's old stock and does this matter?

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That is strange. Does it have a rear wiper?

Jonperry64 said:

Why is mine 49kwh when the reviews of read say it is 51kwh?

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The newer ones are 49 instead of 51. Not much difference.

Jonperry64 said:

Also, I didn't specify the nav version - not sure if having it is a pro or a con?

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Apparently you get the navigation on the SE models now, which was only available on the trophy models previously.

Jonperry64 said:

Secondly, the dealer has suggested I purchase various "protection" packages for upholstery, paint etc. These seem quite expensive. Are these worth getting in your view?

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Usually upselling items like these are a rip-off. The dealership might be on a commission to sell them and thus pushing them.

Jonperry64 said:

Despite the appearance I am excited about the prospect of being an mg4 owner - honest!

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Good questions, best to be informed.

Hope you got one of those amazing deals that is out there at the moment.

Thanks for your answers. I've not seen the car so I don't know re rear wiper. I assume the dealership orders them in after the purchase. But from what you've said, it sounds like it is a new spec despite being made in 2022. Strange! I think I'll decline the care package.

(Yes it certainly seems like a good deal. 18k.)

I think the 2022 is a mis-type or misunderstanding ... 2022 is when the MG4 was first released/type approved. If yours is genuinely SE Nav and 49 kWh (and will have a rear wiper) then it's a 2024 model version.

Jonperry64 said:

Thanks for your answers. I've not seen the car so I don't know re rear wiper. I assume the dealership orders them in after the purchase. But from what you've said, it sounds like it is a new spec despite being made in 2022. Strange! I think I'll decline the care package.

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Hopefully the 2022 was a typo? the rear wiper is factory fitted and should be the dead giveaway.

£18k sounds like a good price for a brand new SE

Everest said:

£18k sounds like a good price for a brand new SE

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Yeah, mad deals out there.

Presumably due to a mixture of new registration (the cars are presumably 74 pre-registers) and a large number of them. I guess dealers had tough targets which they did not meet and now they are bidding one another down on the excess stock.

There are quite a few going for significantly less than we paid for our ex-demo model (which had 7k on the clock).

Jonperry64 said:

After much deliberating and having received helpful advice from members of this forum I've just bitten the proverbial bullet and ordered a new mg4 se. I've never bought a new car before and I have a few questions about the process etc.
First off, my order "paperwork" states that my car will be a 2022 125kw se (nav) 49kwh. I was surprised the car is a 2022 model. Does that mean it's old stock and does this matter? Why is mine 49kwh when the reviews of read say it is 51kwh? Also, I didn't specify the nav version - not sure if having it is a pro or a con?
Secondly, the dealer has suggested I purchase various "protection" packages for upholstery, paint etc. These seem quite expensive. Are these worth getting in your view?
Despite the appearance I am excited about the prospect of being an mg4 owner - honest!

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Don't bother with the"protection" packages, you can have these applied by aftermarket suppliers for a fraction of the cost the main dealer expects. Alternatively, if you fancy expanding your skills you can do most of these yourself with a bit of homework first (YouTube will see you right). Options like Paint Protection Film (PPF), good quality car mats (if not provided), a boot liner & sill protectors are worthwhile investments if you like to keep your car looking its best & will make cleaning easier.

Depending on how you're purchasing the car you might want to look into Gap Insurance, again look to the aftermarket for quotes, these will be far more cost competitive than anything the dealer offers.

GJMG4 North said:

Depending on how you're purchasing the car you might want to look into Gap Insurance, again look to the aftermarket for quotes, these will be far more cost competitive than anything the dealer offers.

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Gap insurance makes sense only for people who absolutely have to have the latest car whenever they get a new one. (I assume, I've never looked into it because my wife who is an economist says its a scam).

That doesn't sound like the OP, who just wants a reasonably priced EV. Second hand EV prices are only going to drop as there are more of them on the market.

With regular insurance you get the money to replace like-with-like. If you want a newer car at that point you can pay for it, just as you would in any other situation.

Bam Bam said:

Gap insurance makes sense only for people who absolutely have to have the latest car whenever they get a new one. (I assume, I've never looked into it because my wife who is an economist says its a scam).

That doesn't sound like the OP, who just wants a reasonably priced EV. Second hand EV prices are only going to drop as there are more of them on the market.

With regular insurance you get the money to replace like-with-like. If you want a newer car at that point you can pay for it, just as you would in any other situation.

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GAP insurance is often included in the first yr of car insurance so I'd recommend that the OP check. Also there are a number of different types .Shop around and make sure you're buying the right type relative to how you've financed the car .
In addition I have always preferred supaguard to other paint protection but have never paid for it .I've used it as a bartering tool.

Bam Bam said:

Gap insurance makes sense only for people who absolutely have to have the latest car whenever they get a new one. (I assume, I've never looked into it because my wife who is an economist says its a scam).

That doesn't sound like the OP, who just wants a reasonably priced EV. Second hand EV prices are only going to drop as there are more of them on the market.

With regular insurance you get the money to replace like-with-like. If you want a newer car at that point you can pay for it, just as you would in any other situation.

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The OP states that he's ordering a brand new vehicle, in which case there's a strong chance it's financed, in the event of an accident down the line they may find that their insurer offers a settlement which comes to less than the outstanding finance value. That's why I phrased the response the way I did and you may find yourself out of pocket, just look at the comments from those who've found themselves in exactly that position when their vehicle is written off.

GJMG4 North said:

The OP states that he's ordering a brand new vehicle, in which case there's a strong chance it's financed, in the event of an accident down the line they may find that their insurer offers a settlement which comes to less than the outstanding finance value. That's why I phrased the response the way I did and you may find yourself out of pocket, just look at the comments from those who've found themselves in exactly that position when their vehicle is written off.

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Fair point, I didn't think of the finance issue.

I'd be worried that sales people are on commission for upselling gap insurance so as @NickHeynes says definitely shop around and check the T&Cs if getting a product like this.

Yes, I'll shop around both for insurance and paint/upholstery protection. Thanks for the advice. I doubt they will include floor/boot mats. Are there particular ones which people have found to be decent and reasonably priced?

Jonperry64 said:

Yes, I'll shop around both for insurance and paint/upholstery protection. Thanks for the advice. I doubt they will include floor/boot mats. Are there particular ones which people have found to be decent and reasonably priced?

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We negotiated to get both a granny charger as well as a type 2 when they were only going to give us one (I can't remember which).

We've got a tethered EVSE at home and rapid chargers are tethered, but have used the type 2 a few times and the granny charger once to test it (but it might be useful on a future holiday or something).

Jonperry64 said:

Yes, I'll shop around both for insurance and paint/upholstery protection. Thanks for the advice. I doubt they will include floor/boot mats. Are there particular ones which people have found to be decent and reasonably priced?

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I've ordered textile floor mats from a Yorkshire based business called Carsio through Ebay. They were very reasonably priced and, whilst not the greatest quality, they are suitable for their purpose. The fact they are UK manufactured drew my attention, I was expecting these to be sourced from China (Aliexpress), paid £13.50 for the full set (front & rear) which were delivered within the week. I'm tempted to order a set of rubber mats from them as they were only £5 more. We already had a generic boot liner from the last car which I plan to cut down to size to fit the MG.

Jonperry64 said:

Yes, I'll shop around both for insurance and paint/upholstery protection. Thanks for the advice. I doubt they will include floor/boot mats. Are there particular ones which people have found to be decent and reasonably priced?

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I think the paint protection increases your warranty on the paint (here in Aus anyway) but it is very expensive for what it is.

Floor mats are a must, I ordered mine soon as I got the car and had to wait a couple of weeks, by the time they arrived the standard carpet was already developing a low spot.

Oh and congratulations of course on the new car!

I think a lot of us have bought car mats from carmats.co.uk

Ian Key said:

I think a lot of us have bought car mats from carmats.co.uk

MG Motors UK MG4 EV 2022+ Car Mats

Perfectly tailored, hard wearing car mats for all models of the MG Motors UK MG4 EV 2022+. They come with the fixings in the front drivers and passenger mats to hold them in place. These fit all versions of the MG Motors UK MG4 EV 2022+ including SE 51kWh 1-speed Automatic SE Long Range 64kWh...

carmats.co.uk

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A second for these. I have ordered mine ready for when I pick up my Xpower later this month. Also have a set in my 5 LR

Bam Bam said:

Gap insurance makes sense only for people who absolutely have to have the latest car whenever they get a new one. (I assume, I've never looked into it because my wife who is an economist says its a scam).

That doesn't sound like the OP, who just wants a reasonably priced EV. Second hand EV prices are only going to drop as there are more of them on the market.

With regular insurance you get the money to replace like-with-like. If you want a newer car at that point you can pay for it, just as you would in any other situation.

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GAP insurance makes sense for everyone buying a new car, even for economists. The poster above may be confused with PCP finance?

GAP covers the difference in value between the car when it is stolen or written off, and a replacement. The first year most insurance policies cover the car 'new for old' so I agree GAP is less useful, often you can defer its start date. If your car is stolen after 11 months, and it's value had dropped from the £18k you paid to £12k, you would get a new car worth £18k.

But - if after 13 months it was stolen, you would get about £12k from your main insurer, the current value, as it drops enormously in the first year. If stolen at 34 months you'd probably get £9k.

After 34 months if you had GAP insurance, if stolen you'd getthe insurer's probable offer of about £9k plus the GAP insurance top-up of £9k to bring it up to the original £18k price.

Dealer GAP insurance is about £300 but you can get it online for far less.

A friend had a BMW 5 series, cost £45k, stolen after 24 months, no GAP insurance, and his insurer paid £25k. Had he bought GAP insurance they would have paid the £20k difference, so he would have got £45k. Even if it had been stolen after 35 months he would get £45k in total as GAP fills the gap between insurer payout and new car price.

it is insane not to have GAP insurance on a new car. For £200 ish for 3 years you can get over £10k back if the car is written off or stolen. So you can buy a new replacement.

MartinSEsr said:

A friend had a BMW 5 series, cost £45k, stolen after 24 months, no GAP insurance, and his insurer paid £25k. Had he bought GAP insurance they would have paid the £20k difference, so he would have got £45k.

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Mathematically, it's still just a £300 bet on whether your car gets written off and, if it does, you get a nice lump sum. The insurers will have priced the GAP insurance premium according to their risk of a write-off, whilst still earning themselves a healthy profit. It's just gambling with a veneer.

If your friend didn't have GAP insurance, his insurance would pay market value (e.g. £25K) and then he buys another similar vehicle for £25K. No loss, no gain. If he feels that £25K is undervalued he can negotiate with the insurer to get a 'fair' price.

If his complaint is that his nice new car lost £25K in 24 months, then that's a different issue and his expected loss from buying a new 5 series for £45K in the first place.