MG4 XPower. How did you get there?

[Bricktop X PWR]

Best post I've read in a long time. Enjoyable read and love the enthusiasm!

Your very kind. Thankyou.?

 

[dsimpkins]

As soon as EVs started coming out I was hoping for a hatchback that behaved like a car on Playstation. From what I read it was finally possible. I already drive a Golf GTI so waited patiently for VW to make a hot electric version. After 4-5 years of waiting they gave the world the ID.3. And more recently announced what looks like a warm e-hatch to be launched in 2028. Well, with brand imagination like that who needs loyalty? When reports of the Mulan began coming out of China two or so years ago I had a feeling this might be it. One brief test drive in August told me it was.

I might add that as a consumer I find good value more interesting than quality at any price. In that sense MG have done exactly what I wanted.

I came from a Golf GT TDI and why would I buy a VW EV when I could have an MG4 for much less, and an X Power for around the same price!

The real point though, is that just because we may be getting on a bit now, who says us older folk still can't have a little bit of fun now and again eh?

It's a great review, and although I have an MG4 SE, it puts a grin on my face on a daily basis. Has rekindled my love of cars, and annoyed my wife, kids, friends, family, and colleagues at work by how much I go on about it!

 

[Rolfe]

I came from a Golf GT TDI and why would I buy a VW EV when I could have an MG4 for much less, and an X Power for around the same price!

My thoughts entirely. Although the X-Power wasn't available when I bought my car. (Who knows what might have happened if it had been.)

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

It's a great review, and although I have an MG4 SE, it puts a grin on my face on a daily basis. Has rekindled my love of cars, and annoyed my wife, kids, friends, family, and colleagues at work by how much I go on about it!

Thankyou.?

Nothing wrong with the SE M8!
You see the thing is, I walked in not intending to buy anything, let alone an XPower!
The fact that the basic car was so good, yes, missing a few toys etc. And the fact that my wife insists on a heated seat regardless ?,
means I would have specced it up anyway.
The actual performance of the car was very good and I would have been more than happy with it, for day to day, real life driving.
Absolutely no lack of "get up and go" as far as I was concerned.
But I am a sucker for a heated steering wheel, and once you've had one, you'll always want one. Luxury! ?

Please imagine saying " Luxury" in the Monty Python style!!!???

P.S.This is the pre Monty Python version?

 

[dsimpkins]

I thought I would miss the heated seats that the Golf had, but the preheat function serves just as well. Saves me clearing the windscreen too. Had frost on the windows for first time this year yesterday. Heated steering wheel, such luxury!

 

[Rolfe]

I thought I would miss the heated seats that the Golf had, but the preheat function serves just as well. Saves me clearing the windscreen too. Had frost on the windows for first time this year yesterday. Heated steering wheel, such luxury!

You took the words out of my mouth. In fact after I retired and I didn't drive much one winter due to covid restrictions, I realised I'd forgotten that the Golf had heated seats! When I was working it was second nature to turn the heating to max and the heated seat on, but still shiver for the first ten miles. (My work was less than 12 miles away.) I'm not sure I even know why anyone would want a heated steering wheel!

My reasoning was that the pre-heat on the MG4 would be a decent substitute for the heated seats, and so it is. I prefer the whole cabin warm, to sitting there freezing apart from having my backside toasted.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

You took the words out of my mouth. In fact after I retired and I didn't drive much one winter due to covid restrictions, I realised I'd forgotten that the Golf had heated seats! When I was working it was second nature to turn the heating to max and the heated seat on, but still shiver for the first ten miles. (My work was less than 12 miles away.) I'm not sure I even know why anyone would want a heated steering wheel!

My reasoning was that the pre-heat on the MG4 would be a decent substitute for the heated seats, and so it is. I prefer the whole cabin warm, to sitting there freezing apart from having my backside toasted.

Yes Rolfe, but I can have it all!!
Pre heat, toasty bum, toasty fingers ?
Ever had a heated wheel?
If No, don't knock it til you try it! ?

 

[Rolfe]

No, never had a heated steering wheel. Talk about first world problems?

I preheated before going to pick up a neighbour to go to choir practice on Sunday evening. I started yelling at her to get in the damn car quicker so as not to lose the heat!

 

[dsimpkins]

It is a very different world now. My first Land Rover, the heater was an optional extra. So were rear reflectors! (now mandatory) I glad the original owner decided it needed both of those items! The dealer was in Devon, and their telephone number was only 3 digits (dealer sticker still on the back)

 

[Rolfe]

I was thrilled to bits that my first car had a radio! (MW/LW, and at midnight the call sign of Radio Albania drowned out Radio 3 - I can still hum it.) I remember driving my dad's car with a transistor radio on the passenger seat.

I had to change that radio for an FM one when they switched off the MW signal. My second car had a tape deck as well as a radio! My third car had a CD player, absolute luxury. My fourth car also had a CD player, but would also play an iPod, and had a USB music player too. Onwards and upwards.

The MG4 has a radio that doesn't work as well as the Golf's radio did, a USB player that needs an advanced degree in filenaming and hours of effort to get it to work at all, and no CD (or tape!) player.

You can't win them all.

 

[Seaton91]

I’ve just placed an order for an Xpower through Tusker, but my current Peugeot 2008 lease doesn’t end until April next year.

Like you I’ve ordered now because the lead time shows as 30 weeks. Will be interesting to see what happens. As far as I understand it, if the car arrives early it just sits there until my current lease ends?

I emailed Tusker and requested a later delivery to dovetail with current lease. They had no issues and gave me peace of mind that I wasn't going to be paying for two cars at the same time

 

[dsimpkins]

I soon changed the radio in my first car for a radio cassette, added a graphics equaliser, amp, and added four speakers to replace the mono speaker mounted in centre of dash.

Then I got my first Land Rover and never had a radio as too noisy to be heard. I didn't mind at all.

 

[Rolfe]

See, that's the great thing about the MG4. The stereo is crap in comparison with almost any other modern car, but the motor is so quiet that you can hear the detail properly, so you get the impression that it's better.

Was the amp stereo? Because who would put a single speaker on a stereo amp? On the other hand, there's bugger-all point to putting more than one speaker on a mono amp.

 

[dsimpkins]

We're getting very off topic here, but I replaced the original radio/mono speaker with radio cassette amp, and stereo speakers

 

[Rolfe]

Ah, clever.

Now I can't get that damn Radio Albania call sign out of my head.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

I was thrilled to bits that my first car had a radio! (MW/LW, and at midnight the call sign of Radio Albania drowned out Radio 3 - I can still hum it.) I remember driving my dad's car with a transistor radio on the passenger seat.

I had to change that radio for an FM one when they switched off the MW signal. My second car had a tape deck as well as a radio! My third car had a CD player, absolute luxury. My fourth car also had a CD player, but would also play an iPod, and had a USB music player too. Onwards and upwards.

The MG4 has a radio that doesn't work as well as the Golf's radio did, a USB player that needs an advanced degree in filenaming and hours of effort to get it to work at all, and no CD (or tape!) player.

You can't win them all.

First Car?
Radio?
Luxury!!!!!!?

I've got to agree with a lot of the posts regarding the poor radio reproduction in the car and assuming the speakers aren't very good.
I have taken to doing what others have suggested, namely plugging in my phone and using bbc sounds app, or Spotify etc.
Surprisingly a much better quality audio.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I'd not tried it myself. ?

 

[Rolfe]

First Car?
Radio?
Luxury!!!!!!?

That's what I thought. Though mind you I had already left 30 in the rear-view mirror by then. Could only afford a 125cc motorbike in my 20s!

I've got to agree with a lot of the posts regarding the poor radio reproduction in the car and assuming the speakers aren't very good.
I have taken to doing what others have suggested, namely plugging in my phone and using bbc sounds app, or Spotify etc.
Surprisingly a much better quality audio.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I'd not tried it myself. ?

There's a whole thread somewhere on replacing the speakers and maybe even the amp.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

There's a whole thread somewhere on replacing the speakers and maybe even the amp.

Honestly no need.
The speakers are fine when given a decent signal to reproduce.
The sound coming out of them, between the cars radio receiver or from Android auto is night and day. (IMHO)
Sound being subjective to each individual etc etc

 

[Rolfe]

I haven't used Android Auto for anything but satnav and phone connection yet. I can't be bothered messing around with all this internet streaming of sound to be honest. I want the radio on, or I want my own selection of music on the USB player (which doesn't work properly on the SE but that's a whole other gripe-fest).

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

I haven't used Android Auto for anything but satnav and phone connection yet. I can't be bothered messing around with all this internet streaming of sound to be honest. I want the radio on, or I want my own selection of music on the USB player (which doesn't work properly on the SE but that's a whole other gripe-fest).

You see, you say messing around but.......

If, (BIG IF) you have Spotify or BBC Sounds (which I use mainly for Radio 2) for example, you just long press the voice button and tell it to play whatever you desire.
Couldn't be easier, and you don't have to take your eyes off the road.