Improvements / Downgrades of MG vs my BMW 520D Sport (2012)

[kitkev]

Sadly I am un-reformed ?

you must be in the same club as me

 

[Kithmo]

View attachment 7528
That was in the item description…

I thought you meant there was an adjuster on the actual seatbelt.

 

[adiel]

Haha.. optional for BMW drivers!

Actually since you mention that, the BMW had a light 4 blink indication if you lightly moved the stick, so I wonder if that is on the MG too. Will check and add to the Cons list if not

ZS does have this feature

 

[AK OK]

After almost 3 weeks with the new MG ZS EV Trophy Connect LR, I think I have a full list of things I love and miss vs the BMW which is in the process of being sold off...

Pros

• Airplay (as long as the screen does not glitch)
• Height - So much nicer to step out of a higher positioned seat as opposed to the lower placed BMW)
• 360 degree view (I LOVE this feature, especially in central London where you have to park in residents' or pay and display bays) I now always know how close I am to the curb or the parking lines)
• Lane assist and blind spot sensors on the mirrors - such great features, especially for town driving with some Deliveroo maniacs riding their bikes the way they do
• Sunroof (I really missed the glass sunroof of my old Renault which I had before the BMW)
• Car size - Not as long body, so easier to find parking places
• Juice - Much more economical to "fill up", and of course no congestion charge fees, no parking residents permit etc etc
• Zippy - It is just fast off the mark
• Noise - so quiet that it took me two weeks to get used to not having the loud noise of running / engine starting.
• Free juice at the supermarket (Costco, Tesco, Sainsbury's, all have free to use charging points which we use)

Cons

• Fat-phobic - *** the seat belt just about clicks in, and the seat height adjustment could have done with a bit of lower setting. I guess it is a good incentive to drop some pounds...
• When long-pressing the lock button on the fob it closes all windows and sunroof. This feature is not available on the MG. You must remember to do it all before shutting the engine and exiting the car.
• The storage sections in the middle - I guess similar to the BMW, but the ID4 does not have them so easier to fit my "catcher's mitt" hand size to fasten the seat belt.
• Rear view mirror - the BMW had an auto dimming mirror. Very cool when bozos drove with their high beams.
• Rain sensors - the BMW had a button where the wipers turned on when it rained. I cannot find the same setting on the connect.
• The drinks holders position (better placed on the BMW) as my arm always catches the drinks bottle / coffee mug where they are placed right in the middle
• The Screen position - It was eye level with the BMW, whereas a bit lower on the MG. I think the ID4 position of the elevated screen is better for following the screen without taking your eyes off the road.
• Boot space.. The BMW was great. The ID4 also great.
• The seat / mirror position memory. Considering all the options on the Trophy Connect this would have been easy to add, no? I am 6'4" the wife 5'2" so you can imagine the use the mirror / seat adjustment will get considering we share the car.
• Leather vs Pleather - Even after 12 years (although low mileage of around 55K) the interior of the BMW is immaculate be it trim/seats...
• Price - I got the BMW for £28K as a preregisters car with 18 mile son the clock, £30.5K for the MG

I am super happy with the purchase and would not make the switch back to a combustion engine car, just need to feel comfy with long distance driving ,especially with the oldest kid going to uni next year.

I wouldn't wish my mk1's "auto" wipers functionality on anyone it's sh+t

 

[Kayged]

After almost 3 weeks with the new MG ZS EV Trophy Connect LR, I think I have a full list of things I love and miss vs the BMW which is in the process of being sold off...

Pros

• Airplay (as long as the screen does not glitch)
• Height - So much nicer to step out of a higher positioned seat as opposed to the lower placed BMW)
• 360 degree view (I LOVE this feature, especially in central London where you have to park in residents' or pay and display bays) I now always know how close I am to the curb or the parking lines)
• Lane assist and blind spot sensors on the mirrors - such great features, especially for town driving with some Deliveroo maniacs riding their bikes the way they do
• Sunroof (I really missed the glass sunroof of my old Renault which I had before the BMW)
• Car size - Not as long body, so easier to find parking places
• Juice - Much more economical to "fill up", and of course no congestion charge fees, no parking residents permit etc etc
• Zippy - It is just fast off the mark
• Noise - so quiet that it took me two weeks to get used to not having the loud noise of running / engine starting.
• Free juice at the supermarket (Costco, Tesco, Sainsbury's, all have free to use charging points which we use)

Cons

• Fat-phobic - *** the seat belt just about clicks in, and the seat height adjustment could have done with a bit of lower setting. I guess it is a good incentive to drop some pounds...
• When long-pressing the lock button on the fob it closes all windows and sunroof. This feature is not available on the MG. You must remember to do it all before shutting the engine and exiting the car.
• The storage sections in the middle - I guess similar to the BMW, but the ID4 does not have them so easier to fit my "catcher's mitt" hand size to fasten the seat belt.
• Rear view mirror - the BMW had an auto dimming mirror. Very cool when bozos drove with their high beams.
• Rain sensors - the BMW had a button where the wipers turned on when it rained. I cannot find the same setting on the connect.
• The drinks holders position (better placed on the BMW) as my arm always catches the drinks bottle / coffee mug where they are placed right in the middle
• The Screen position - It was eye level with the BMW, whereas a bit lower on the MG. I think the ID4 position of the elevated screen is better for following the screen without taking your eyes off the road.
• Boot space.. The BMW was great. The ID4 also great.
• The seat / mirror position memory. Considering all the options on the Trophy Connect this would have been easy to add, no? I am 6'4" the wife 5'2" so you can imagine the use the mirror / seat adjustment will get considering we share the car.
• Leather vs Pleather - Even after 12 years (although low mileage of around 55K) the interior of the BMW is immaculate be it trim/seats...
• Price - I got the BMW for £28K as a preregisters car with 18 mile son the clock, £30.5K for the MG

I am super happy with the purchase and would not make the switch back to a combustion engine car, just need to feel comfy with long distance driving ,especially with the oldest kid going to uni next year.

I have not picked up my Trophy yet but I have the MG ZS EV Exclusive and that has the auto wiper, it is one of the positions on the wiper stalk. I too miss the long press facility to open and close the windows and I also agree that the cup holders are not in the best place. With regard to the boot space, I just thought I would check that you know that it is dual height and can be moved to the lower position thus giving a lot more room in the boot. I must also agree with comments made by others that £28k at a discount 12 years ago would be quite a lot more than the £30k today.

 

[megamac]

I must also agree with comments made by others that £28k at a discount 12 years ago would be quite a lot more than the £30k today.

Sure, but you are equating a BMW 520D to an MG ZS. BMW’s are much more expensive by default so you cannot compare their prices directly, hence using the discount from RRP as a measure.

 

[megamac]

ZS does have this feature

Yes it does, hence did not retroactively add it to the list ?

 

[jeffgolding]

Just adding one more to the list above...

When pressing the lock button it closes all windows and sunroof. With the MG you must remember to do all that BEFORE you get out of the car :-(

Been caught out a few times already, soon I will be proficient in closing everything before exiting the vehicle.

Apparently if you hold the lock button down on the remote for 6 second everything will close.

 

[jeffgolding]

Just adding one more to the list above...

When pressing the lock button it closes all windows and sunroof. With the MG you must remember to do all that BEFORE you get out of the car :-(

Been caught out a few times already, soon I will be proficient in closing everything before exiting the vehicle.

Apparently if you hold the lock button down on the remote for 6 second everything will close.

 

[Kayged]

Apparently if you hold the lock button down on the remote for 6 second everything will close.

That may be so on the HS but I don't think that works on any of the ZS EV's, will check tomorrow.

 

[megamac]

Definitely not on the EV. Tried, nothing happens after 6 sec…

 

[AK OK]

Must have saved them a penny a car! ?

 

[megamac]

Must have saved them a penny a car! ?

I think it may have to do with the fact that you can only shut down windows and sunroof with the "engine on".

I have had to re-learn how to shut everything down. First couple of weeks I had to re-start the car to close windows and sunroof.

I wonder how it saves on energy, if it is not just a poor design decision.

 

[AK OK]

I think it may have to do with the fact that you can only shut down windows and sunroof with the "engine on".

I have had to re-learn how to shut everything down. First couple of weeks I had to re-start the car to close windows and sunroof.

I wonder how it saves on energy, if it is not just a poor design decision.

Not sure I'm with you... My old VAG shut everything with a long press on the fob as you walked away (with engine off). Or on a hot day you could open the lot before you got in it.

I'm calling it poor /cheapo design (like the auto wipers), it's hardly rare ? even on 10+year old "bangers"

 

[hmadsen]

View attachment 7528
That was in the item description…

I wonder if these do not kind of defeat the seatbelt pretensioners in case of an accident ?

With regards to the auto-wipers, we have only got 2 trims, the LR without the sunroof, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot assist (And a few things more). and then a LR with sunroof and so on. The auto rain sensor is only on the "expensive" option with the sunroof and so on.

 

[hmadsen]

ZS does have this feature

Comfort flasher, i think this became more or less standard on any car about 15 years ago (Maybe minus french cars, they always seem to lack basic standard features).