Xpower - 12 months on

Nimz

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Bristol
Driving
MG4 XPOWER
Update ..Well… I’ve had lots of issues - but to be fair, I knew I was leasing a ridiculously over powered 35k car. I’m a gen x that hasn’t grown up. Anyway… where do I start…
1) The apple play Bluetooth connection seems to have to be reset and re-paired every other time I get in the car
2) The range of 240 is not even close unless you drive only around town at under 30.
3) The winter months, wow, don’t get me started about when it’s cold, the car range goes down 10 /15 miles range as soon as you put the heater on.
4) My Xpower seems to always steam up so you have to continually flip the heating on and off . (I spend half my life pressing the home button so I don’t have to look at the heating menu.
5) As a getaway car, don’t bother. Sometimes i get in and put it into drive and nothing happens. So I sit there pressing brake and tapping the big park button and the car does nothing. Turns out you have to wait for the car to ‘boot up’ sometimes before you can drive .
6) Also , when when you do eventually get it to drive , the bloody front camera is active and won’t turn off until you go over a certain speed!!! So you can’t adjust the radio or sat nav unless you stop, put it in park and change the settings …
7) It does make a droning humming noise at about 70mph - this doesn’t bother me but I have noticed it.
8) The iSMART app is unreliable at best .
9) I currently have 300+ warnings on my iSMART app about my tyre pressures! Turns out that whenever it’s really cold outside , my Xpower thinks my tyre pressures are low and keeps texting and speaking asking me to visit a service centre
10) why doesn’t this car allow me to set my drive settings and remember them. As in, I turn off lane assist and all the other safety features, but I stop at my local shops for 1 minute and they all reset !!!!
11) This one REALLY annoys me, maybe all electric car are like this? But I have the car set to full regenerative braking to charge the battery , as in I literally never use the brakes unless I come to a complete stop - well that means my brakes never get used and squeal so loud when i do actually brake , and wow, when I’m reversing off my drive , it’s embarrassing. It’s seriously loud ! Someone said “well just drive every now and then with your foot on the brake to clean the discs , turns out the car won’t do that. Left foot braking isn’t an option with my MG .
12) having to indicate every time you move lanes is annoying (so the lane assist doesn’t get involved) - but just flicking the 3 second indicator doesn’t always stop the car from trying to lane assist you )
13) I’m gonna stop here because I feel like I’m dissing the Xpower.
14) after 10% battery my car will literally go into limp mode and just power down until 45mph. Like it’s dead. Not cool.

Plus point ….. car is crazy bat sh** fast crazy. I’ve never lost to anything up to 100mph

Summary… if you wanna do 3.6 secs 0-60 then it’s fun. I recommend any speedsters have a go , but don’t buy one.
I have 12 months lease left and I’m going to part ways like I did with an ex missis, she was crazy and lots of fun but I’d never go back. Too much hard work :)
 
well that means my brakes never get used and squeal so loud when i do actually brake , and wow, when I’m reversing off my drive , it’s embarrassing. It’s seriously loud !
My ZS Mark 1 has that issue. Someone said just reverse down the driveway in neutral. Crazy idea, right? Yet it reduces the noise 90-100% each time! I have to reverse in (up the driveway) with my MG4, so I don't know if this trick works with the MG4. Worth a try?
 
My ZS Mark 1 has that issue. Someone said just reverse down the driveway in neutral. Crazy idea, right? Yet it reduces the noise 90-100% each time! I have to reverse in (up the driveway) with my MG4, so I don't know if this trick works with the MG4. Worth a try?
Thanks for the reply. I’m not sure I have a neutral? But there must be so many cars out there that use brake assist and they don’t squeal like my MG. It’s literally ear piercing. And I do try and reverse into any driveway if I’m staying overnight or late , just so I don’t have to wake up the whole street as I leave.
 
It’s 1am, I just checked . You are correct. I will try neutral then but I can’t see that stopping the squealing - now the neighbours must be saying “look at squeaky brakes in his car at 1am taking photos” -

And I have to add - that wireless charger is pointless - even the softest corner throws my mobile phone across to the passengers side floor.

And if anyone is reading this thread - I’ve got some of those front vents for the mg4 - I got them off Ali express i think - I’ve decided I’m not gonna bother..

Hopefully I haven’t broken forum “edit” I’m sorry
 

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I’ve had a few drinks - my bad . Felt like an idiot when I walked out there just now and took that photo. This is my first electric car. I feel like I’ve sold my soul, so in my defence it doesn’t excite me driving electric so i don’t pay much attention. In fact , i didn’t even know you could just press the brake to engage the handbrake when you pull up at traffic lights or whenever you wanna stop. That was a lightbulb moment for me.

why is there a neutral anyway? I can’t think of any reason apart from if it’s broken down and you need to push it? Just saying …
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hopefully I haven’t broken forum rules .
You have. The rules are available from the "Terms and rules" link at the bottom of each page.

Please make an entry in the MG4 Free Classifieds subforum. You'll probably get better visibility there too. I can't move your post as you have to agree to the terms and conditions.
 
why is there a neutral anyway?
I believe it's for towing. Electric motors even unpowered can generate high voltages and currents that can damage the motor controller and even the HV battery. Plus, the uncontrolled regeneration can be a danger to the towing vehicle.
 
I did see a video recently that recomended using neutral down hill every so often, just to give the brakes some use. I tried it the other day, and it does work.
 
You have. The rules are available from the "Terms and rules" link at the bottom of each page.

Please make an entry in the MG4 Free Classifieds subforum. You'll probably get better visibility there too. I can't move your post as you have to agree to the terms and conditions.
I will remove myself
I did see a video recently that recomended using neutral down hill every so often, just to give the brakes some use. I tried it the other day, and it does work.
now that makes sense. I will try that.

And if anyone is reading this thread - I’ve got some of those front vents for the mg4 - I got them off Ali express i think - I’ve decided I’m not gonna bother putting them on my lease car. But … if anyone wants them , I’ll send them out . No charge . Just chuck me a pint for the postage
All good - sorry

I have to say something though, goddamn the Xpower is a beast .. but you find yourself on the max speed just as it’s getting interesting . I’m not lying here but my mate has a Ferrari and pulled up on him at 20mph and he was ragging it , his car sounded amazing , the back kicked out as he changed to 2nd gear .. I was loving it as we were neck and neck to 90/100. Then he absolutely smoked me - I’m thinking Hyundai N class next , those electric cars do 150mpg don’t they!
 
Heh, flying phone isn't an issue for me. My phone doesn't have wireless charging so I have no reason to use that strange little tray.

The software is poor though, that can't be denied. It feels like a dozen different people were involved in developing discrete parts of the package and none of them bothered to communicate with any of the others or follow any overall plan. Then they just asked a schoolkid to create a UI for them to cobble it all together.

I've just had to order a set of wiper blades, the OEM ones are rubbish. I've never had to do that before on a car I've only had a few days. I think 'built down to a price' has taken on a new meaning here.

I'll keep it because it is much more fun to drive than the Tesla (once all the NCAP crap is disabled) and it doesn't look bad, but when it comes to functionality and things just working the way you'd expect, the Tesla is light years ahead.
 
The software is poor though, that can't be denied. It feels like a dozen different people were involved in developing discrete parts of the package and none of them bothered to communicate with any of the others or follow any overall plan. Then they just asked a schoolkid to create a UI for them to cobble it all together.
Sounds like every software project I've ever worked on. :ROFLMAO: :cry:
 
Update ..Well… I’ve had lots of issues - but to be fair, I knew I was leasing a ridiculously over powered 35k car. I’m a gen x that hasn’t grown up. Anyway… where do I start…
1) The apple play Bluetooth connection seems to have to be reset and re-paired every other time I get in the car
2) The range of 240 is not even close unless you drive only around town at under 30.
3) The winter months, wow, don’t get me started about when it’s cold, the car range goes down 10 /15 miles range as soon as you put the heater on.
4) My Xpower seems to always steam up so you have to continually flip the heating on and off . (I spend half my life pressing the home button so I don’t have to look at the heating menu.
5) As a getaway car, don’t bother. Sometimes i get in and put it into drive and nothing happens. So I sit there pressing brake and tapping the big park button and the car does nothing. Turns out you have to wait for the car to ‘boot up’ sometimes before you can drive .
6) Also , when when you do eventually get it to drive , the bloody front camera is active and won’t turn off until you go over a certain speed!!! So you can’t adjust the radio or sat nav unless you stop, put it in park and change the settings …
7) It does make a droning humming noise at about 70mph - this doesn’t bother me but I have noticed it.
8) The iSMART app is unreliable at best .
9) I currently have 300+ warnings on my iSMART app about my tyre pressures! Turns out that whenever it’s really cold outside , my Xpower thinks my tyre pressures are low and keeps texting and speaking asking me to visit a service centre
10) why doesn’t this car allow me to set my drive settings and remember them. As in, I turn off lane assist and all the other safety features, but I stop at my local shops for 1 minute and they all reset !!!!
11) This one REALLY annoys me, maybe all electric car are like this? But I have the car set to full regenerative braking to charge the battery , as in I literally never use the brakes unless I come to a complete stop - well that means my brakes never get used and squeal so loud when i do actually brake , and wow, when I’m reversing off my drive , it’s embarrassing. It’s seriously loud ! Someone said “well just drive every now and then with your foot on the brake to clean the discs , turns out the car won’t do that. Left foot braking isn’t an option with my MG .
12) having to indicate every time you move lanes is annoying (so the lane assist doesn’t get involved) - but just flicking the 3 second indicator doesn’t always stop the car from trying to lane assist you )
13) I’m gonna stop here because I feel like I’m dissing the Xpower.
14) after 10% battery my car will literally go into limp mode and just power down until 45mph. Like it’s dead. Not cool.

Plus point ….. car is crazy bat sh** fast crazy. I’ve never lost to anything up to 100mph

Summary… if you wanna do 3.6 secs 0-60 then it’s fun. I recommend any speedsters have a go , but don’t buy one.
I have 12 months lease left and I’m going to part ways like I did with an ex missis, she was crazy and lots of fun but I’d never go back. Too much hard work :)

But apart from all that. You enjoying it?
😉🙂👍
 
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You seem to have several problems there @Nimz, but I have a good fix for this one. 👆
I bought one of these Anti Slip Pads.
It actually holds the phone firm as hell.
I'm only in the MG4 LR so not pulling daft 0-60 times but I go around roundabouts like an idiot and my phone doesn't move.
Just remove the existing "rubber/plastic" pad and cut this one to size (i cut the top edge).
Amazon Link to Anti Slip Pad
 
It sounds like you have not had the best ownership experience but I guess it depends what your previous cars have been like. Just to address some of the points...

1 - Flakey software, not unique to MG, but agree it's a PITA

2 & 3 - Every electric car review will tell you the WLTP range = Would Like To Pretend range and they are all impacted by ambient temperature

6 - Potentially a software setting as my cameras only comes on when in reverse or under 10mph and indicating

7 - Yup 70mph vibes are a "design feature" of the car which MG Australia have now found a potential fix for

8 - Yup flakey software but not unique to MG

9 - Known issue, easily cured by keeping the tyres inflated a small amount more that recommended pressures (which also reduces the vibes in 7). Plenty of forum advice on this

10 - Not unique to MG and you would need to complain to NCAP as it's their spec for the systems to reset every time

11 - Know issue for ALL electric cars, can be reduced by regular reversing with heavy braking or setting the regen to lowest level and heavy braking for a trip once a month (again, there is advice on this in the forum)

12 - LKA issues are well documented on the forum as are ways to mitigate as well as software updates from MG. Again not unique to MG


It is a shame you have so many negative take outs from the ownership experience but I guess you will know what to look out for in any future purchases
 
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