Facelift or not?

[tomarter]

Has anyone here owned both an original mg5 and a facelift model? I am currently deciding whether to spend the extra on the newer model but looking for objective advice on the benefits and if it's worth the ~£40pm pcp difference.

 

[Jomarkh]

@Les burrows Had a PFL 5 and now a FL 5 plus a 4.
You might find a thread about it using the search bar.

 

[Les burrows]

Has anyone here owned both an original mg5 and a facelift model? I am currently deciding whether to spend the extra on the newer model but looking for objective advice on the benefits and if it's worth the ~£40pm pcp difference.

Hi tomatar, having had both here my overview for what it’s worth.

My first PFL MG5 exclusive was the 52kWh standard range had for around 20 months did around 18000 miles without any real issues other than brake squealing when reversing. More an annoyance than a problem, so why did I change it for the facelifted version? To be honest the price I got for it at the back end of 2022 ( Covid ) when prices went daft and where I made around £3000 profit on it.

Now the FL version had only been out for about a month when the dealer rang me to ask if I might interested in this car he was selling on behalf of a family where the owner had been taken Ill. Heart problem I think and had been told because of his condition he could no longer drive a car it was a FL5 Trophy model with just under 400 miles on it, and he was selling it at about £3000 below list price so I purchased it.
So where are the differences?
Good points are:
Lighting inside is far better and the Headlights in particular are far far better being LEDs, the trim inside is nicer as well and the reversing camera is also good but not quite as good in the rain, it’s also a little bit higher to get into because of the bigger wheels. And the V2L is really a great thing to have for many applications. One of the reasons I wanted it for outdoor power tools

ISmart app on a cold and frosty morning like today does a great job when it manages to connect with the car but sometimes it can fail to connect I would say maybe 10% of the time at the first attempt but you can normally get it going a few minutes later.

The down side is, the range is no better despite the bigger battery 61 kWh. This is probably due to the bigger wheels and extra weight, it’s not quite as a smooth on the road sometimes but might get better with age, but I doubt that. Also, no improvement has been made to a few things that is common on both cars: the rear seat belts being the main grump and the rear seat not going fully flat without removing the swab from the car altogether which is easy enough to get out if need be.

So all in all it’s up to you hope and I hope this might help but remember the car is now discontinued so there are bargains to be had which won’t last for ever.
I think it a great car to have and does most things very well being an estate.
Les.

 

[smokie]

I too had a pre FL Exclusive but couldn't resist the ridiculously cheap prices last autumn (£22k for a Trophy) so now have a FL. I haven't got much to add to what Les said though. I've not had the problems with iSmart (I find locking the car forces it to connect) and am also a tad disappointed that the range is less - but it does me fine. The screen is a bit bigger and better and Android connects wirelessly IIRC but I trhink I'm, still using the dongle from the old car. The wheels might be bigger but they are much more pretty, as is the car itself.

Depends on your situation as to whether it's all worth £40 a month. Put like that, it probably isn't, but I can't resist a bargain - and it lengthened my warranty period by three years. I've no regrets that I traded up.

 

[kevin ellard]

I too had a pre FL Exclusive but couldn't resist the ridiculously cheap prices last autumn (£22k for a Trophy) so now have a FL. I haven't got much to add to what Les said though. I've not had the problems with iSmart (I find locking the car forces it to connect) and am also a tad disappointed that the range is less - but it does me fine. The screen is a bit bigger and better and Android connects wirelessly IIRC but I trhink I'm, still using the dongle from the old car. The wheels might be bigger but they are much more pretty, as is the car itself.

Depends on your situation as to whether it's all worth £40 a month. Put like that, it probably isn't, but I can't resist a bargain - and it lengthened my warranty period by three years. I've no regrets that I traded up.

It doesn't have wireless android but like you I've got a dongle that works so much better than the cable.

 

[Green Salop Man]

To me the main plus point of the older model is that the heating and ventilation controls are separate so you don’t have to prod the touch screen to make any changes. The ride is more comfortable with it being on 16” wheels and this also means that the range is a little more than the facelift version.

 

[tomarter]

Thanks for the detailed responses. I went and test drove both a PFL and FL today. I know it's only a guessing game but the range on the FL was 190 and the PFL 220. Both were charged around 95%. As the FL is a demo car, I expect it has been driven a little more aggressively/been sat stationary with the heating etc running. They drove quite similar, I do prefer the physical buttons on the PFL but the thing looks very dated compared to the FL

The PFL seems to be mis-advertised as a 53kwh as it has the blue pilot buttons on the indicator stalks. Am I correct in thinking blue buttons = LR model?

PFL is lowish miles at around 17k and the FL has about 4k demo miles. With a small deposit, I can get the PFL for around £220pm and FL £300 on PCP so a bigger difference than I initially thought.

I think the range may be a bigger factor than I initially thought as with the larger battery, I expected them to easily outperform the 38kwh ioniq I have been driving recently which seems to achieve 160-190 miles all year round on a full charge.

I have always preferred substance over style so the PFL should really be a no brainer but I am very much torn between the two!

 

[MickeySw]

I know it's only a guessing game but the range on the FL was 190 and the PFL 220. Both were charged around 95%.

The PFL seems to be mis-advertised as a 53kwh as it has the blue pilot buttons on the indicator stalks. Am I correct in thinking blue buttons = LR model?

Don’t know about the blue pilot buttons but range suggests that the PFL is also a LR model

I think the range may be a bigger factor…

I have always preferred substance over style…

… then go for the PFL unless (basic) app connectivity is a must..

 

[Archev]

Don’t know about the blue pilot buttons but range suggests that the PFL is also a LR model

… then go for the PFL unless (basic) app connectivity is a must..

Pfl long range has roof rails. Great car.

 

[Les burrows]

Pfl long range has roof rails. Great car.

The standard range also had roof rails it’s the model not the range where the difference is so the standard range EXCLUSIVE has roof rails
Standard range EXCITE does not have them also had cloth upholstery on the seats exclusive has Faux leather plus a few other differences.

The main improvements for me are the V2L and ISmart app a bonus on a cold morning the heater controls being in the screen is strange at first but once set it’s set so no big deal breaker.

On a few other comments.

Yes the facelifted car looks more modern and its wheels are far easier to clean I find
Les

 

[crispyjay]

My FL5 is my first EV and not having to go outside to defrost it (iSMART) is a game changer. Range is 15miles less with the bigger and more attractive wheels.

Controlling heating through screen becomes muscle memory.