- Joined
- Jun 13, 2022
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- Location
- Paignton, UK
- Driving
- MG4 Trophy LR
Hi,
I have posted some of this on another thread, but thought it worth saying separately.
We test-drove an orange Trophy this morning. We had already ordered a white Trophy. Really pleasantly surprised. We are coming from a Skoda Karoq, so this is a down-size and a move away from a 'value' German make.
This is the first time we've driven an EV and we found the drive was utterly awesome. Seamless smooth power, great performance and the rear-wheel drivetrain gives excellent handling. Surprisingly the ride was excellent too, even on some rough roads. It was a total contrast to our DSG automatic petrol Karoq, which now feels slow, hard-riding and agricultural. The braking was just as smooth and seamless. Shame that there isn't a one-pedal mode but it takes just a gentle push of the brakes to stop at the lights.
Seats were comfortable. They are very different to the Skoda seats, soft and squashy rather than hard and firm, but did not seem to lack support. There is no lumbar adjustment, which is a pain, but then there will be compromises at a low (for EVs) price point. Not clear if they will be comfortable on a long journey, we'll see. The gear/handbrake plinth does jut into left-leg space a bit, but I don't think it will be a problem with proper adjustment.
Interior space is nothing short of amazing given the size of the car. Much more spacious feel inside than our (much bigger) Skoda. Excellent headroom and legroom in the front. Rear headroom is excellent. Legroom less so, high floor and limited space under the seats if the seat is set low (which is how we like it). Definitely fine though for occasional adult passengers and children. The interior is very dark. We loved that as the Skoda has a cream roof and grey dash and reflects light all over the windscreen.
Visibility is excellent to the front and side, better we felt than the Karoq (which is taller). Rear visibility is a bit limited as the rear glass is not very tall but adequate. Parking was a doddle with the 360 camera and this is the main reason we went for the Trophy. Without a camera I think it could be a challenge to reverse park. I was worried about the small-ish side mirror size but they give a really good view and are positioned really well.
Boot space is going to be a lot smaller than we're used to but it is a good shape and we can put the seats down whenever we need to. No centre armrest in the rear but that's not an issue for us.
In terms of looks, it seems very modern. Yes, the wheels look a bit small but frankly I'd much rather have better range and ride than monster rims, maybe that says more about my age than the car!
The Trophy is lacking the little spoiler on the rear that the SE has, which is a shame, as there is no rear windscreen wiper. However, the jutting out rear light bar and steeply raked rear screen I think will avoid much dirt coming up the back. I used to have a Golf with a rear wiper and the vertical rear meant it got filthy instantly despite the wiper, which was a real pain.
Overall, very pleasantly surprised. I think you just have to realise that EVs have a big price premium (£8-10k?) and so it will not compare in some respects to your petrol/diesel £26-31k car that you have now. But with the right expectations, this seems an absolute gem and bargain.
Tom.
I have posted some of this on another thread, but thought it worth saying separately.
We test-drove an orange Trophy this morning. We had already ordered a white Trophy. Really pleasantly surprised. We are coming from a Skoda Karoq, so this is a down-size and a move away from a 'value' German make.
This is the first time we've driven an EV and we found the drive was utterly awesome. Seamless smooth power, great performance and the rear-wheel drivetrain gives excellent handling. Surprisingly the ride was excellent too, even on some rough roads. It was a total contrast to our DSG automatic petrol Karoq, which now feels slow, hard-riding and agricultural. The braking was just as smooth and seamless. Shame that there isn't a one-pedal mode but it takes just a gentle push of the brakes to stop at the lights.
Seats were comfortable. They are very different to the Skoda seats, soft and squashy rather than hard and firm, but did not seem to lack support. There is no lumbar adjustment, which is a pain, but then there will be compromises at a low (for EVs) price point. Not clear if they will be comfortable on a long journey, we'll see. The gear/handbrake plinth does jut into left-leg space a bit, but I don't think it will be a problem with proper adjustment.
Interior space is nothing short of amazing given the size of the car. Much more spacious feel inside than our (much bigger) Skoda. Excellent headroom and legroom in the front. Rear headroom is excellent. Legroom less so, high floor and limited space under the seats if the seat is set low (which is how we like it). Definitely fine though for occasional adult passengers and children. The interior is very dark. We loved that as the Skoda has a cream roof and grey dash and reflects light all over the windscreen.
Visibility is excellent to the front and side, better we felt than the Karoq (which is taller). Rear visibility is a bit limited as the rear glass is not very tall but adequate. Parking was a doddle with the 360 camera and this is the main reason we went for the Trophy. Without a camera I think it could be a challenge to reverse park. I was worried about the small-ish side mirror size but they give a really good view and are positioned really well.
Boot space is going to be a lot smaller than we're used to but it is a good shape and we can put the seats down whenever we need to. No centre armrest in the rear but that's not an issue for us.
In terms of looks, it seems very modern. Yes, the wheels look a bit small but frankly I'd much rather have better range and ride than monster rims, maybe that says more about my age than the car!
The Trophy is lacking the little spoiler on the rear that the SE has, which is a shame, as there is no rear windscreen wiper. However, the jutting out rear light bar and steeply raked rear screen I think will avoid much dirt coming up the back. I used to have a Golf with a rear wiper and the vertical rear meant it got filthy instantly despite the wiper, which was a real pain.
Overall, very pleasantly surprised. I think you just have to realise that EVs have a big price premium (£8-10k?) and so it will not compare in some respects to your petrol/diesel £26-31k car that you have now. But with the right expectations, this seems an absolute gem and bargain.
Tom.
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