MG ZS EV, 3000 mile review.

[@alanhoward6553]

Great to see a proper review with people who actually own and use the MG makes a change from the time wasters constantly reviewing the same demonstrators and obviously have neither the intention or wherewithal to purchase one .Congratulations on a great honest review!

[@richardhaywoodh]

Florence the new co presenter is doing a great job 👍

[@Kiltoonie]

I agree, its really good to see her grow in confidence and assertiveness at such a tender age ;-) Mind you , the Panda isn't bad either... once she got out of her suit!

[@bournvilleman]

I ordered mine on the 17th October and picked it up on the 25th November so i didnt have long to wait, I think there had been some cancelled orders which is probably why I got mine quick. Most of the bongs can be turned off by going into the settings. In relation to the outside temperature, when I have mine connected through Android auto it shows the temperature on the main display screen. I will be sharing some of my experiences with the MG ZS EV such as some faults the car has suffered and other interesting and important facts about the range soon.

[@Poonams586]

Hey so hows your experience now?

[@brianstevenson9967]

@@Poonams586 How do you get the outside temp without an outside temp sensor?

[@jrnodl17]

I’ve just tested my UK MG ZS range by travelling a local motorway for 5 miles in both directions at different fixed speeds. So 10 miles at each of 50 mph, 60 mph and 70 mph. The consumption at each of those speeds was 3.6 miles/kWh, 3.3 miles/kWh and 3.1 miles/kWh respectively. So the range on a full 44 kWh charge would be 158, 145 and 136 miles at those three constant speeds. That cheered me up a bit because I didn’t think I would ever get near the advertised 163 miles. 158 is pretty close

[@jrnodl17]

I’ve just returned from a short drive in sub-zero temperatures and the miles/kWh was down to 3.0 at 55 mph.

[@patrickhay8079]

At fixed speeds on motorways you would presumably get no regeneration. In normal driving at varying speeds on ordinary roads you could expect a contribution from the regen system which should result in better range

[@jrnodl17]

Patrick Hay yes, course, but what I mean is that the braking under ACC does not recoup energy, which is a shame, as if you’re in a queue there’s quite a lot of speed changing.

[@leighonigar]

@@patrickhay8079 I can't see how speeding up and slowing down could possibly be more efficient than driving at a constant speed.

[@robertosordillo6047]

@@leighonigar you're correct, it isn't. The regen is no where near as efficient as driving at a constant speed.

[@mrnixie]

Florence's first EV review - "Wow!"

[@gerrycrisostomo6571]

And she did it excellently. Her dad even agreed to her.

[@sleekitwan]

Great Review. You do point out a couple of negatives, and I will try to empathise with you not having an app for your new EV, as I pay the £150 road tax on our 20-year old Clio ICE, and give the government of the UK nearly $4 US for every gallon I put in the tank. I spent nearly a week outdoors changing the cambelt in all weathers and this too, will make me think about EVs. In some respects, the EV is the best tax dodge to land in the lap of a few, in a very long time. At 8% energy tax on home electricity, assuming a tenner worth of lecky ‘fills the tank’ on a 200-mile EV, that means a tax take of 80 pence for 200 miles in an EV. Our twenty-year old Clio will take 5 gallons at 40mpg to get 200 miles. We will pay therefore, around 5 x $4 = $20 US in travelling 200 miles, and an EV driver/owner will pay about $1 US. A 20x disparity in taxation, the only way to counter which is to pay the entry fee to the world of EVs, and must include a home charging setup or the public chargers basically gouge the same as fossil fuels do. Discussion invited.

[@kurriedone741]

Love this James and Kate. Like everyone else the surprise for me was hearing Florence. Can I congratulate you on promoting EVs. Since Nissan LEAF days we have come to trust your judgement.

[@harshalshinde9114]

I just per-booked a MG ZS EV here in India, and was a little concerned since there weren’t any long-term (well, relatively) reviews online. So, thank you for a much needed & excellent review. Florence is a wonderful co-passenger 😊 and has an lovely voice. I suggest including her in all your reviews.

[@toth1982]

It is so great to just see a simple family do an EV review. So lovely.

[@brianiswrong]

Florence adds more to the vlog than 70% of other car review channels presenters 💖

[@frankdavis2316]

I have a Zappi 2 Charger and an Economy 7 Power Supply which comes to me in Two sessions, the Second Period in Summer is 03.30 to 08.30, my Charger starts at 03.30 and before the 08.30 deadline it has fully charged my car from 20% and switched off. Very simple to use. I could set for the whole 7 hours, automatically stopping and restarting over the 2 hour break but it’s not necessary. Nice Video.

[@stevenlawrie7819]

Brilliant as always and can't believe Florence is talking already - fantastic!

[@markrooker8849]

Many thanks for stopping and saying hello today I must admit us buying the mg was partially due to your video's and us moving to Evesham from brum is down to the running costs of the car so many thanks Mark

[@Jamesandkate]

You welcome, it was a pleasure to meet you. Maybe see you at the EV festival in Gaydon at the weekend?

[@markholttum]

Very happy with ours, we're only 600 miles in, but it's been great. Only an Exite so no sunroof (I don't like sunroofs) but even cheaper. Great value for money, really doesn't feel like a budget car.

[@SunriseSessions]

Does the excite model have roof rails as well?

[@M-TRON]

This was THE most pleasant car review of them all, by the loveliest couple! You guys are so awesome! Great editing and shooting angles 👍 Best regards from Sofia, BG

[@Jamesandkate]

Thank you 🙏🏻😘

[@renedelapaans647]

Thanks Guys , we are the proud owners of a MG ZS EV ! The both of you saved US al lot of money as we were intend to buy a Tesla model 3. The MG is a much better option ! Your review changed our mind . Best regards from the Netherlands

[@Poonams586]

Rene delaPaans have you been on long drive?

[@renedelapaans647]

Poonams586 , Yes , it is just A matter of planning . The range of A tesla is indeed better but that doesn’t justify the price differance . We Don’t need A longer range in our daily life. Like I Saïd , we wanted a tesla , money isn’t A issue .... but wasting money is stupid

[@roni2977]

I've been obsessing over this car over the last few days, and I read a comment that mentioned James and Kate and started looking!! Lol great real life review!!

[@MichaelAdams-xu5nb]

G'day from Tasmania, Love the way you relate with your daughter.!!!

[@stratac30]

As yet I haven’t sat in the EV so not sure about it’s information configurations, but regarding an outside temperature reading on your EV, can I suggest you press the button on the end of your indicator stalk a number of times and I expect the outside temperature will appear on the display, this is of course it has them same stalk configuration as fitted to the current MG3 and petrol ZS. I was recently speaking to a new MG3 owner who bemoaned the fact it didn’t have an outside temperature reading, so I politely showed him how to display it!

[@graygoescampin]

Watch evms last video about his charger. That automatically charges at the cheapest taffrif you pay. Great video and I am so glad you are loving the car.

[@robmog88]

On the charge timer issue, surprised you don’t have a zappi or other smart charger where you could set a charge period on the charger.

[@jtchivers]

"Turn your bongs off!" 😁 Good and fair video. Similar negative points to mine apart from outside temperature gauge. My equivalent to that is vehicles which only have a 12 and not a 24 hour clock, like my petrol motorbike. Florence is becoming a definite emerging third star on your videos! 😊👍

[@Kiltoonie]

I can live without the temp gauge, though I agree its a stupid omission. I like to keep an eye on the temp in hot or cold weather, its useful to know if ice is a possibility.

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

I ordered mine a couple of months ago so I am now in the long wait. I am glad that you are getting on so well with yours and that you are getting the range. For me it was price and range first. the fact that it is a well equipped, good looking car, was second. Happy motoring.

[@swedenevguru8483]

Hope it comes to Sweden soon with Good Price for that offer in UK was a No brainer for first customers

[@tiger8853]

I don't think Kate is quite convinced. Maybe the MG isn't as "stand-out" on the school run as your Tesla? Nice to view your real world review!

[@latchie8893]

@Richard Fox half? It's a tenth

[@thesmallrougeone]

Been waiting for this review after seeing some less favourable tones in other KZbin videos. Still looking forward to getting ours in March 2020 🤞 I'll be asking how to wire up the light! 👍

[@worldwidewigg]

Talking of the charge port light, how did you fix this plus which bulb did you use to replace OE with?

[@worldwidewigg]

The headlights sorry

[@Mrtweet81]

So you wait till you see a favourable review and then you choose to make that the one thats relevant for you?

[@jackjones6748]

Not sure if others have mentioned it in other comments but there is a software update for the car- you loose so many bongs! You get a temp gauge and you even get to see the battery percentage / range on the screen without clicking the button.

[@iportere172]

James and Kate, we took the giant leap from ICE to EV last week and ordered our ZS-EV Exclusive and now the fun begins. Charge points,Apps, accounts and home charger point, which ones to choose. We started with Zap Map and we're working our way through it all, but it's a bit of an adventure and looking forward to the new car. Some points you raised in your reviews are very apt such as external temp and some other basics on most cars but at the price point it's hard to grumble! Looking forward to some ongoing updates on your own EV.

[@derekdee9592]

So nice to see a proper owner drivers review ! Lovely family well done team.

[@nigelcb1300]

If you leave your car on the drive "running" and it gets stolen, good luck getting paid out by your insurance company. Enjoyed this, good review

[@ram64man]

Over the next few days guys the wether is expected to get a lot colder and slippery, can you tell us in a few weeks how it handled the cold stuff, so if we get snow how long it took to preheat and defrost, how the tires handle, as the ionic when I tested last year had traction issues all the time even with winter tires so I would be interested to how the mg handles it

[@mrquordlepleen]

They are the Dacia of the EV world and that is a VERY good thing. Nice.

[@AndersAschauer]

And now is Dacia coming with an EV.

[@paulwlynch]

Do you still have the MG? If so what's your thoughts on it after a year. My Uncle just bought one exactly like yours and also in white and likes it very much although he has had a couple of issues with his which I believe have been resolved..

[@NickJones-sf3zj]

Glad your both enjoying the MG and happy with your decision

[@keithoneill6273]

I've got one on order, so was well chuffed to view this video!

[@jrnodl17]

Has anyone noticed that the KERS is deactivated when using the ACC. This is a shame as when you’re on the motorway and traffic speed is variable, the car is not recouping energy when the motor brakes. So it’s more economic to switch off ACC on the motorway which is barmy.

[@jamesharrison6023]

Regarding when to start charging, you can get socket timers that you can time on and time off (or not), or get a smart socket to attach to an Alexa.

[@JasonSmith-oy8yb]

Hi James and Kate, I love your series of reviews on the MG ZS EV. I am about to take delivery of my new ZS EV and have asked MG U.K. about the I-Smart App which is installed on the Thailand and Indian models which you referred to in this review, and wanted to know if this was coming to the U.K. MG cars customer service are not giving me a definitive answer. Do you know if there is an intention to bring I-Smart or another similar App to the U.K. and if so will the early cars need a hardware upgrade? I hope you can help with my question. Regards, Jason.

[@B0r0]

I would say the difference would the addition of a special obdii unit, maybe you can buy one from India/Thailand?

[@johnhall4917]

I wonder what Kate was laughing at when you spoke about "rebunging the charger" at 20:08? 🤔😂

[@Danielevans2]

So nice to hear a living with review from a real family

[@hdah.e.h4872]

Such a great nice review, quite objective, also what a decent couple you are and with the lovely kid. Thank you so much and a lot of happiness to you.

[@MrAndrew941]

Wife and I are still loving the 30kw Nissan Leaf so much we are buying it outright, it’s more her car the mine because I need the jeep renegade to drive back and forward from Colchester to Edinburgh. Used to use the leaf for that Journey tho.

[@fabioseblin9183]

Hey guys, try using a programmable digital plug-in timer socket that will turn automatically on the socket where the car is plugged at the time frame you would preset 😉

[@fmohiy]

Florence should do the next review and tell us how fantastic the roof is. What a sweet child.

[@nathanwolf5547]

It was interesting to hear your negative points. I know that both the bongs and the temperature gauge have been sorted.

[@MacBaerFFM]

Thank you very much for this owner's review. Listening to the opinion of people who indeed own the car really makes a difference. Big or small SUV are not my cup of tea but...for reason I cannot explain this car got my attention. Also the mixture of pros and cons with the price being a pro - especially with the heavy funding by the government for EV here in Germany - the decent luxury features like ACC, lane keep assist, blind spot warning, the gorgeous panoramic roof etc. that my current EV, a Renault Zoe R90ZE40 misses. On the downside is the "small" battery and the single-phase AC charger and - according to quite some tests performed by other KZbinrs - the somewhat unpredictable DC charger performance. I understand that consumption and hence range is much better in the UK vs. Germany due to lower speed averages (limit on UK motorways is 112km/h?). They seem to have fixed some issues like the temperature gauge, still misses a decent battery SoC percentage display and the satnav is below average (according to testers). There are leasing offers here in the market at very, very attractive rates and leasing the car probably would give a bit of peace of mind versus buying it. I don't know how long MG is in the UK market and what their share is, they just started recently in Germany and Austria and who knows if they will succeed or pull out in the near future. So yes, it seems to be more than a daily driver or grocery getter. Now...these 1 3/4 years later...would you mind giving another review, if you still own the car?

[@sirasbjorn860]

Nice review. Recommended you slow down in puddles. The energy in the water will eventually start to rip off pannels, damage break hoses and general damage in wheal houses. All the best...

[@nc5559]

Hi James & Kate - Thanks for the update. Ordered mine in July, still waiting.

[@chrisp7214]

You and me both....

[@MarkGib]

Good and honest as always, reminded me a little of the Ioniq review. As good as it is it’s never going to compare to a Tesla but it shows what can be done for relatively little money and it’s clearly a sign of things to come. I’ve had the ioniq for 3 years / 30,000 miles and I can’t really fault it and although it doesn’t have an app it’s easy to program the pre heating and it’s great to leave for work in a car that’s warm while everyone else is scraping their windows so I would definitely miss that. In my car this is imbedded in the charge timer so I’m guessing that when that update arrives you will be able to do the same. Seriously considering the MG as a replacement for the Hyundai in 12 months time. Keep up the good work & more bike reviews please James 👍 HD Live wire?

[@davidashley4386]

I shall keep my eyes peeled when in Hinckley to see if I spot your car. Love the episode Florence sounds adorable🙂

[@paulmoy9736]

Thanks for a very informative video.....I can't wait to get mine next January.....I think the OHME charger gets round the timer as it searches for the cheapest electricity to charge it up.

[@mrjockt]

Young children seem to love panoramic glass roofs on cars, when my daughter was younger we owned a Hyundai iX-35 with a panoramic roof and she loved sitting in the back just staring out the roof, especially on a clear night.

[@rampchamp9283]

Thanks guys... I have looked at your channel and came to see this originally as the price of the MG is really more in my budget but you have expelled any worries I had considering buy an MG. I used to think this Skoda but I love them now, but unfortunately the new EV coming out in the future is outside my budget and to late to wait around for VW group as I'm going to do the amazing Scottish Government Grant which will be soon run out by the end of this year and not getting renewed after this year by the Scottish Government. I was between the e208 and MG with a family of four that is looking to add one more hopefully. So thanks very much... Love the channel and will subscribe but please don't sell me anymore cars 🤣👍

[@sbomorse]

I watched another video which said the software update has cut down the bongs massively and the noise has changed. Also, the external temperature is now shown on the infotainment screen.

[@michaelrmonk]

Yep.. "Wow!" Sums it all up nicely..!

[@thatguyuk1]

Thank you for an honest owners review. Certainly helping me decide which EV to choose. Keep up the great work.

[@todanderson7036]

Love the little Florence the reindeer adding commentary. My girlfriend would love the bum warming seats even though we live in the Sonoran desert in Arizona. Keep up the practical user reviews

[@tuc-dh4df]

I was worried that there had been no updates for while on your MG, but I am glad to see you love the car. I have one on order.

[@V10PDTDI]

I think you should slow down in deep water it would prevent water to go places were it shouldn’t. About the bong noises I wonder if the MG dealer could not reprogram the car a different way I know that on Volkswagen with a scan tool you can change lots of different parameters i know because I’m a European technician but we don’t get any MG’s here in Canada.

[@Danmark4all]

Good update. But please keep your eyes on the road, if really feelt 'sick' around 19.10 into the video - you look back for several seconds. Bad driving

[@ianbailey2582]

Really enjoyed your MG reviews, I will be a first time electric car driver and I think I might choose one of these. Given the low interest rates I’m surprised there is no offer of 0% PCP deals. (I would buy one straight away)

[@tonychallinor6721]

Great update - thanks for posting. Waiting for delivery of ours - not even any idea which month - just "before the summer and a shrug"! As you said it's a minor thing, but it doesn't have an external temp gauge? That's a surprise. Last car I had without one was an Austin Allegro I think!

[@RWBHere]

Thanks, James, Kate and Florence; this report is encouraging, and as you say, the price is right. One question: How do you turn off the irritating sound effects? Another reviewer pointed out that turning off the bongs involves jumping through some software hoops. Maybe a short video about the menus would be helpful?

[@dooodooox]

Love to hear the lovely daughter talking keep it up sweet heart we love you 😍

[@mrnixie]

Ah! That first "muddy puddle" was two weeks ago, just outside Bosworth battlefield, if I'm not mistaken? I took one look at it (in my Nissan Leaf) and thought better of it!

[@darrenjones5708]

Very good review. It is worthwhile noting that the recent software update should address the bongs and the outside temperature is now displayed. An app is still awaited though.

[@PilotEJ401]

Gave Florence a 9.5! Great review, real owner insights help so much

[@richardsedorski1206]

Just love the critic in the back enjoyable good vid.

[@NaughtyGoatFarm]

It seems mg fixed a few of your negatives like the bongs and the temperature display. Unfortunately they have not fixed the charge scheduling so you need to use some sort of external timer. Yes I agree that the charge port door is ridiculous.

[@paulbrowne5049]

Apparently they are printed to rusting in the underside. I can imagine if MG doesn't get that sorted they'll best a retreat out of the UK market.

[@MrHairyTeabag]

Charge port bungs are a pain in the arse - I wish the charge door had a flange (oo er) that covered the ports.

[@martincollins7547]

Would it be a problem to permanently remove the bungs, can the area get wet?

[@MrHairyTeabag]

@@martincollins7547 yes, a small amount of water can get past the sides of the charge door - no seal and right at the front of the car.

[@markreed9853]

@@MrHairyTeabag So I assume if it's not raining you could leave out then?

[@briankavanagh7191]

James show us a video on fitting the rear lamp.

[@thespector8587]

It drives on average 50 miles per day. That's mental! Glad you're enjoying the car!

[@marcelloscarnecchia8163]

Very nice video, quite informative yet fun. What a gorgeous couple. And Florence is a cute presence. Nice family. I enjoyed it.

[@nigelweir3852]

Still interested in this vehicle , range my only concern

[@MrHairyTeabag]

120 miles at motorway speeds (65mph avg) in crappy winter conditions. Expecting 160 miles doing the same in summer.

[@bbbf09]

@@MrHairyTeabag 65mph is not really motorway speed. Anyway that sounds worse than I envisaged.

[@MrHairyTeabag]

Unusual to be able to keep up 100+ miles at over 70mph, bbf09 - unless you're driving in middle of night almost always spells when the speed drops - even on a fast run with peaks of ~75-80 mph you'll usually find the average on the trip is more like 60-65mph. The car easily cruises at 80-85mph. I know it's supposed to be limited to 87mph but that's bollocks - mine has seen 96mph (on private roads of course...)

[@michaeldawson6309]

Needs at least a competitive 250 - 300 mile real world range option. Maybe we have to wait until batteries come cheaper.

[@MrHairyTeabag]

@@michaeldawson6309 33 grand gets eNiro/Soul. Not everyone's cup o'tea and supply is shite atm!

[@louisewhapham5820]

Great review. Some of the minor issues since this review are being updated which is good and I’m going to order mine today 😄

[@rehman1822]

They do have a mobile app here in asia called the ismart which does all the stuff you mentioned.

[@andreullersmo7385]

Thx for good information about the car. Picking up mine in just a few days :-) Really looking forward to it :-)

[@michalklucz6907]

Kate, James, thank you for this review. I am wondering, do you have memory settings for the driver seat? I was unable to find it on the website, and not a single reviewer mention that. For me, the electric seat without memory seat is the worst solution ever. I prefer the manual setting so I can switch the distance within the second, rather than adjust every angle over and over again.

[@paulnorton5670]

thank you -all of you

[@dzonikg]

Price is great..i am just reading that golf 8 diesel will start from 30000 euros in my country

[@collywobbly]

HI THERRE I SAW THE NEWMG 5 ONM HERE AND THE OPENING TO THE CHARGE PORT LOOKED MUCH NICER AND EASIER TO OPEN MAYB E THWEY WILL BRING THAT O THE MG ZS AS WELL

[@leoclarke6462]

How has it been in the very hot weather with the sun roof? Does the air con keep it cool enough? Is it like getting into an oven at times ? Will you do an 6-8 month review?

[@nigelweir3852]

New you where going to say charge port , light installation great . Zoe 22.4 owner with free 22kw ac charging for sometime and ac charging rate one of my few concerns. Dilemma

[@michaeldawson6309]

Great video. I will need at least 250 real miles for my commute so its a shame its only 150 or so real world miles, but hey things will get better as battery tech improves and as competition ramps up. A great option though for most who don't need to travel 90 miles each way.

[@SirHackaL0t.]

Ooh, I’ve wondered where you were with the MG. 3K miles is great.

[@loftskin4157]

well done guys loved this video one of the best road runs. yes i am thinking of buying the mg and you have done a great road test . thanks

[@RedBatteryHead]

It's such a good reviewed EV. And an affordable one. Not the least, shortly available too. Your review is a real practical one. Hope you get the app for the charging soon. Its out there in other countries. Or get a Zappi charger. That can do the timed charging itself.

[@robertbarr6388]

Great review, I teach engineering and I also believe it to be good, test drive on saturday.

[@iainansell5930]

the delay in auto hold may help while your in slow traffic... if the car isn't stopped long enough, it won't hold, which i like....my rav4 always auto holds, which is slightly annoying

[@jur4x]

If people did install remote temperature control in baseline first gen Leaf, surely there is after market solution for MG as well. Though you might end up supplying your own SIM for the car.

[@bellshooter]

Nice one J,K&F. I will be consulting with you when mine arrive re BONG removal 🎅

[@dcvariousvids8082]

More Florence I think; and good to know she’s got her wellies on for floods.

[@MrHsv123]

There is a software update that shows the temperature and other stuff.Seen this from another youtube.

[@SunriseSessions]

Hi Guys, thnx for the great video! I was wondering if you (or any one else) found a way to get rid of the bongs? And one more question; does the car have OTA or do you have to go back to the dealer for software updates?

[@CookeCraft]

Lovely video guys, thanks.

[@patrickh7368]

Hi sounds a good car, just a bit confused when you say you put Zenon bulbs in place of halogen, halogen are usually fixed in aim, by law Zenon have to be fully automatic in dynamic alignment whilst on the move, so much so my last car would have to go through all extremities of auto movements before it allowed the bulb to ignite 🤔

[@attilab.2818]

Exactly. Sensors need to be fitted for the self levelling and also a lamp wash needed. Otherwise it’s illegal and dangerous.

[@B0r0]

Was thinking of trading in my IOniq28, but the range of the MG has put me off, we get between 200-230km (125-145ml) the 200/125 is in winter. But for a 44kwh battery I was expecting more range, 160ml would have made my mind up. You could always use a powerpoint timer for charging, I do it on my Ioniq at home when Im charging on solar and only want to charge to 70%

[@jzpwhyyouwantmysurname3638]

I did test drive one the other day and I noticed that when on Adaptive Cruise Control there is always a 'clacking' noise when it stops itself behind any other cars, almost as if ABS engages each time (but not exactly, difficult to describe). This was not present when I was driving it manually. Have you noticed anything like this? Is it how it behaves or were we unlucky with a demo one? Other than that we really liked the car.

[@immanuelkantholz9033]

Came for the car review, stayed for the back seat commentator.