MG4 Electric | The Cheap EV That Attracts A Lot Of Attention

In this video, we take a look at a viewer vehicle and look to get a real world impression of the MG4. We talk to Bredan to get an understanding of why he bought it, what works well, and what he'd like to see change. So to find out what's going on, stick around as Dave Takes It On.
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This video may feature materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

[@t1mr0dg3r5]

The 'extra' rubber bung is there so that when you are charging via AC only, the dc connection remains shielded from water ingress ('coz remember, the charging port flap will be open.) Keep up the good work!👍

[@simonho8723]

Yup, the flap could be open for hours whilst you're charging overnight

[@davetakesiton]

Thanks for the info!

[@t1mr0dg3r5]

@@simonho8723yeah, dunno how I manage to sleep…

[@Sp_75-76]

My car does not have and did not come with a DC plug

[@oliver90owner]

⁠@@Sp_75-76 So only AC charging possible?

[@michaelketley1252]

I’ve had an MG4 Trophy for 20 months and enjoy driving it, despite its little idiosyncrasies (mitigated by using the right settings). Used locally, I charge to 70-80%. For my trip from Berkshire to Stockport this coming weekend, I’ll charge to 100% at home with Octopus. I could do the whole journey without charging, but happily, the Tesla chargers at Trentham and the limit of my bladder capacity coincide. The car was purchased with cash and, because I will keep it a long time, the depreciation doesn’t worry me. I’m 83.

[@mueslicamel]

I had a stone smash my MG4 windscreen, it was replaced by auto glass within a few days

[@solentbum]

A mistake many make with 'lane assist' is forgetting that if you try to change lanes without first indicating the car will indeed fight back. Nothing to do with having more space in China. The indicator briefly switches off lane assist as you make your planned manouver , its the same in the LEAF and I guess other cars. As a family we run three BEVs, Two LEAFs and an MG4.

[@moragkerr9577]

The only mistake anyone makes with that lane assist is not turning it off the minute they get in the car.

[@keithreynolds]

@@moragkerr9577some car brands seem to be more severe than others.

[@moragkerr9577]

@@keithreynolds I don't have anything to compare it with, but Which and This Is Money are on the warpath against MG specifically about this precise point. Personally I think if you NEED that feature to prevent you causing an accident you shouldn't be driving in the first place. I dislike the feel of the car trying to control the steering wheel, so I turn it off as part of my pre-flight check every time, unless I'm not going out of the 30 mph zone.

[@keithreynolds]

@@moragkerr9577 my wife hates it, it’s unsuitable for most of the driving we do on anything but motorways. It’s on our preflight checks too and is commented upon repeatedly in new car reviews.

[@moragkerr9577]

@@keithreynolds I don't even have it on on motorways, though I might turn it on if I realised I was driving tired, to get me to the next service station. (Except that doesn't happen in an EV.) I realise it has to be there, and to default to on, for NCAP Brownie points, and I scarcely care if they improve it because I am unlikely ever to leave it on. So I switch it off with good grace.

[@davidwalker9302]

I have MG ZS Trophy I purchased a car play dongle it works seamlessly, It connects when the car is turned on.

[@brendansheehan7714]

I have had the MG4 Trophy for nearly a year. Like the interviewee I use it mainly for weekend and long distance driving. It is great to drive particularly on windy mountain roads. I think if you can afford it it is worthwhile going for the Trophy for the 360 and reverse camera and the other extras. Voice activation works well with my neutral accent. The blue colour is standard. The LKA is not as aggressive in later models and in the most recent software update they make it easier to turn it off (and I think it stays off). That said I will keep lane assist on as it doesn't bother me 95 percent of the time and could save your life one day.

[@Jimages_uk]

7:52 on Autotrader right now, there is a brand new one listed for £19.995 or £23.700 for the bigger battery. You just can't go wrong at these prices. Regarding the wire, there are dongles you can buy that turn a wired Apple car play into Bluetooth.

[@briangreen9122]

The plug on the DC socket is because it's open to the elements when AC charging.

[@EverydayLife621]

Get a USB stick for wireless carplay, and leave it in towing mode - to switch off LKA by default (the slight downside is losing the rear parking sensors)

[@vinceb4175]

I have an Xpower and it puts a smile on my face every time I floor the pedal

[@oliver90owner]

The advantage of the LFP battery is no expensive rarer (not ‘rare’) metals required for this chemistry type. That makes them much cheaper. There is also another advantage - it doesn’t need the extra care which a NMC chemistry battery needs for fire prevention safety measures. The only downsides are lower power and energy density, which is not important for lower powered models. All EVs can be charged to 100% without damage - it is just advised not to leave them (particularly NMC chemistry) at that high charge for prolonged periods. Tesla advise their LFP batteries should be charged to 100% weekly, I believe.

[@davetakesiton]

spot on Oliver

[@cjmillsnun]

The CCS cover is to prevent against water ingress when charging on AC. On Tesla cars with CCS2, the flap pivots up to provide cover.

[@steverichmond7142]

I have an MG4 Trophy and used to have an old Model X. The MG is far better.

[@Mububban23]

How specifically? Very different cars.

[@steverichmond7142]

@@Mububban23 I live in the Scottish Borders and the Model X is a big car. Its suspension is made for motorways. The MG is 'tight' in handling and feels like a small sports car.

[@stephencollins5706]

There is a software fix available for LKA, but you have to take to dealer, some dealers will charge but ask .

[@Jaw0lf]

I purchased the RWD Model 3 with the LFP, for the reduced fire risk, even though very very low already. My previous EV had the standard EV battery with the 80% general limit but i did 100% before long trips. I did not worry about going below 20% again as it was not something I did very often. Also mainly charged from AC home charging and 200 miles was more than enough range for day to day use, then 260 from full. All battery types currently available seem to have the reduced charging speeds when they reach 80%, so still best on long trips when using rapid chargers to limit to 80%. It means you will be done quicker and it also keeps charging spots free more often. I think Brendan has a good mix of the two EV's, a cheaper runaround for day to day is great for when you live within a city and the MG for all the other trips. We currently only have the one car in the family so we are fully electric as well.

[@dazzwilko]

A Very good video for a prospective buyer of a standard range se. . I think it's made my mind up to buy exactly that

[@AndyKennedy]

I bought a wireless android auto adaptor from Amazon... Worth investing in as you can then super fast charge your phone with a faster charger too

[@damiendye6623]

Got the mg4 extended range, more than happy with it, just 2 issues i think thats the lane keeping as mentioned and the fact that they follow eu law and renable it and return the car to default drives setting on each start. I was able to disable lane keeping on my prior mg zs ev but again that also defaulted to the defult drive mode. Both MGs have been much better the. The pig e2008 the mrs drives as that has high blosters and poor regen even set to max.

[@peterengland6153]

MG4 SE: I purchased a Carlinkit A2A wireless android auto dongle, by the time I sit in my seat and put my seat belt on it has automatically paired and started ready to go, don't take my phone out of my pocket.

[@BlackburnPatriot]

I’m sure we drove past this MG4 yesterday on our trip to Heysham! Certainly local to us in Lancashire. I’m taking an interest as I hope to be driving one myself in the near future as part of a car salary sacrifice scheme.

[@damiendye6623]

Salary sacrifice scheme can be a ripoff pay special attention to the details as our tuska scheme was double me getting the car myself.

[@stulop]

Wireless android and carplay. Wireless android auto or carplay adaptor. Lots of choice there.

[@keithreynolds]

In our Citroen ice we have wireless Apple etc but we use cable in preference because of the reliability of the wireless connectivity.

[@ianrob4760]

I have the MG4 Trophy ER as a company car and it is just fantastic and just fun to drive. I never tested ay other EV (coming from a Niro Hybrid) but based it all on the reviews on YT etc and not one disappointing thing about it.

[@ianrob4760]

oh I can put my cables in that shelf where the emergency kit is and lies flat

[@cjmillsnun]

@@ianrob4760 I also have an MG4 Trophy ER and would echo all the above. Although the cover for the emergency kit is different on the SE and is always on the lower setting.

[@adyg236]

I chose the Trophy version as i needed electrically folding mirrors for going in to my garage, also the virtual bass music option makes my usb music sound a lot better, and a few nice to have features.The SE is a great model for the price though. I do short trips to work so only need to charge once every 1 or 2 weeks, when octopus agile prices are cheap. It was working out at less than 1p/mile. Only negatives are lack of OTA software updates (there's an option in the software to connect to your home wifi & check for them but they dont supply OTA yet). Also the door sill is quite wide so you have to step a little further when getting in and out.

[@damiendye6623]

It's much better than the pug e2008 as you have to climb over the sill has it come up a out 3 inches

[@pauld7827]

My friend has an MG4 on his PIP Motorbility scheme. Therefore he doesn't have the worry of extreme depreciation. I have the MG ZS and although it's great to drive and fine when charging at home, there are few major issues. The depreciation is horrific to the point that as a private buyer I'm not going to waste money like that again. I'm in North Wales on holiday and have spent around a day (over the week) trying to find a public charger that a) worked b) wasn't in use or was above 22kW. I haven't gone out with the grandchildren today, as I won't have enough electricity to get me to the nearest fast charger in order to get home. The cost of public charging is now ridiculous there chargers charging £1 a kW, that gets me around 3.8 miles. the same distance would be around 58p. No, at the end of this deal I'll be handing it back. Sadly, I don't have a guaranteed residual value, so for the first time in 40 years, I'll have to find a very large some of money when the deal ends. Nope, sadly I'll be going back to petrol in November.

[@damiendye6623]

Which mode ll of the zs do you have the original 44kwh version with the lfp for the refreshed 50kwh .? I did 87k miles in the 44kwh version over 3 years and public rapid charging was never 50kw. The MG4 extended range I have now is night and day in the difference

[@user-ps2zr7jp6p]

Have an MG Trophy Long Range. Love it!

[@terrymackenzie6784]

I've got the very same MG4 just a year older and love it, would like to know how he sets up the mode change on the buttons as this is one niggle I have with it

[@rowey7522]

Hi, you goto convenience on the menu and you can assign what you want to the 2 star buttons. i have driving modes on one and regen on the other. My partner doesn't like it as aggressive as me. If she learns the regen more and moves to no.3 with me i'll change it to the ac controls.

[@terrymackenzie6784]

@@rowey7522 I don't seem to have that option on the convenience menu but my car is a year older than yours I'll ask the dealer if the software can be updated it's nearly due for it second service, thanks

[@peterjones6640]

I purchased an MG4 Trophy in Oct 23. I think it is a great value car ( and I got the 0% interest deal). The one element not so great is the LKA ( which on a long journey I turn off). Before purchasing I looked at the reviews of the car - including those on KZbin, also had a test drive just to check the LKA, if they amend the LKA ( which I believe they are working on a software update) then I think for the money, at the moment , best value car of its size.

[@PJWey]

Love mine and wish it had a PJ number plate ☺️ just had another brilliant road trip and now over 13k stress free miles in 8 months

[@PJWey]

Also adding wireless CarPlay with a Carlinkit was an excellent addition as well as a Vlink OBD to use to ABRP.

[@dmomcilovic9185]

We had 3 Tesla’s for the business, now we ordered two MG4 , great value car

[@MrGMawson2438]

Cheers guys

[@Rufus2005f1]

The trophy does offer many many more features, even small things like an adjustable boot and built in hotspot

[@johncrispin2118]

Thanks Dave for setting up a dialogue with an ev owner. Valuable insights particularly for me as the owner of a 22 plate blue MG4. Now on 13k miles. Pleased with it so far. Tried reverting to ‘Normal ‘ mode always been in Eco before. Early day,s yet but I think efficiency will not suffer , and yes one pedal driving pretty much. My only concern is that I have little faith in the dealership. Frankly I doubt their interest the understanding of ev or why electrification ergo climate change etc figures in their approach. When bought the salesman was a nice chap but typical of his ilk and a self confessed petrolhead. Maybe changed now but I doubt it. Updates over the air yes please, I am loath to go down to the dealership again with the level over general indifference and a not inconsidarable,charge, but until available otherwise I will.have to . Thankyou again

[@davetakesiton]

Great to hear from you John and glad if I could be of any help. Yes dealers are operating a long way behind the times but they will get there. Maybe if the dealership really cared, they would give demonstrators to their salesmen and mechanics for a few days or a weekend so at least they will have driven one. Might suggest that next time. Dave

[@TerryHickey-xt4mf]

an ev will not give the dealership the ongoing servicing revenue of an ice, I am sure the boss has had a quiet word re more commission for you, if it is an ice sale.

[@mk1photography62]

My first 24kwh Leaf was only £145 per month which was less than my old diesel at £160 per month I now love my VW E golf its such a quality lovely drive

[@user-ec7dc7hh9o]

I don’t mind using the “one pedal drive” option when on a long journey, but it’s not my favourite option. I set up my custom drive set up and stick with that. If I am planning a longer trip I use the home charger to get it to 90% overnight then top it up to 100% so it is ready just before we leave. Lane assist is well behaved if you indicate every lane change, which you should do anyway. Has this guy been to China? The traffic is so close together in the cities it is scary. The freeways in rural areas are different however. The lane assist he is talking about must be a completely different firmware version to the one on my MG4.

[@steeveeleevee6484]

Many bluetooth adaptors are available, so you can get rid of that phone cable, won't charge though.

[@jasonrhl]

We put a wireless charger and a bluetooth adaptor so now we have wireless everything :). Problem is now who gets in the car first gets connected

[@Milokat22]

Hi Dave love your vids ... Just wanted to ask a question if you don't mind ... I'm currently subscribed to the elli charging app and wondering which is the best value for money ev public charging subscription service out there ? Do you have any info on this please?

[@linuxretrogamer]

Really interested in a Long Range Trophy to replace my current Leaf when its PCP is up.

[@leslie19611]

Not sure you are right about the regen being more efficient with a more powerful car. Regen gives the battery a proportion of the energy back that would otherwise be wasted when you are slowing down or going down hill. Ideally you would waste less energy by using less power in the first place, driving more smoothly and anticipating when you will need to slow down. The energy you don't use is then more than what you would get back from regen. A heavier car with more powerful motor will generate more energy from regen but not more than it wasted in the first place.

[@YorkshireHillbilly]

I like my blinding volcano orange Trophy edition, it's a real head turner. The range is excellent and the economy is fantastic. However, the first thing I do EVERY time I get in is... 1️⃣ Turn off the annoying flashing traffic sign recognition, its useless and distracting 2️⃣ Turn off the LKA, it's oversensitive and dangerous 3️⃣ Change the driving mode to Eco and the Re-gen to Adaptive. (On short trips i don't bother with this) The major gripe I have with it is that thr connectivity and accompanying mobile phone app is absolutely terrible. It never works 1st time and often fails completely so remote climate control is almost impossible to access, as is changing the charging limits etc. There's a whistling noise on mine and the digital key start has never worked. The dealership have been ok about it but, they don't understand the technology so im having to tell them how thr digital key wotks etc. It desperately needs OTA updates to enable the deployment of bug fixes etc. such as the über annoying Bluetooth fault where it asks to pair every time I get in it.

[@harderos3]

One more problem with the MG4: You can't change favorite radio stations from the steering wheel. Have to reach all the way to the screen and the favorites are on the far end from the driver, which makes it even worse. Other than that, great car!

[@Harrythehun]

The LFP batteries also are better off by charging as low as possible, and small cycles instead of large charging cycles.

[@jasonrhl]

This lane keep assist going crazy on on UK models? Im un AUS and we have one and it has never done it and we done 9000km

[@damiendye6623]

As a UK owner it's fine most of the time it's just on some crazy painted road or on roads with no lines but a joint in the tarmac it thinks is a line

[@moragkerr9577]

That's my car!

[@TheAlien1974]

You will damage any battery if you go down to zero all the time lfp or nmc

[@oliver90owner]

The battery still has some residual charge, even when it stops driving. It is a programmed safety factor to prevent battery damage. However the battery should not be left at a low state of charge for extended periods. The same at the full charge state - it is never at ‘theoretical’ maximum voltage - just a practical ‘maximum’ so the battery is not stressed. These batteries are not like cells in (older?) mobile phones which were charged and discharged to their absolute limits in order to provide the maximum possible ‘run-time’ as marketing hype to try to beat the competing phones on the market (while keeping the phone as small as possible).

[@evgenykyselgov9533]

this is nice car, i live mg4

[@MarkSmith-wc1ek]

I have a xpower and it's bloody brilliant. You don't need the performance but why not and it's a bargain on a lease

[@MrGMawson2438]

It does what it says on the tin

[@Rufus2005f1]

That chap must drive extremely slowly to get tame like that, I can't get that on my trophy with a considerably bigger battery

[@aliruane]

Love my MG4 x-power. But the software is garbage. The lane assist and front collision assist are downright dangerous in my opinion. The engineering and drive is awesome but it’s let down by the software.

[@mondotv4216]

Dave doesn't understand how regen is linked to efficiency. It is not about the power of the motor. The kW you put back in the battery is directly related to the amount of mass you are slowing down. The limiting factor is usually the battery not the motor but even so, Tesla tunes their regen so you get a comfortable one pedal driving experience, whether it's their smallest motor or largest motor. And the most efficient Tesla is not the Plaid, it's the Model 3 RWD. In fact the most efficient Tesla would be one that when you let your foot of the accelerator free wheeled if you didn't need to slow down. Summary big motors do not equal better, more efficient regen.

[@davetakesiton]

that seems against the laws of physics. If you are going down a really long steep hill in Regen and 0% SOC, a 100kW motor that turns at the same speed as a 200kW will give you more power, provided the battery is capable of taking it.

[@keithdenton8386]

Nice colour. Nice car. If I could not afford a Tesla I think I would have one of these. Only problem is that Octopus do not yet link to the car. So no Octopus Intelligent. Shame.

[@p6picasso]

Octopus does, however, link with Zappi 2 EVSE unit, so Intelligent Go is available for any EV owner with that equipment.

[@keithdenton8386]

@@p6picasso But its a grand to buy and install. With a Tesla all you need is a three pin plug, and you have cheap electric for the whole house for around 9 or 10 hours a day. I charge at 5 amp for the longest possible cheap electric time.

[@p6picasso]

@keithdenton8386 With grants (now not available) mine was £650 installed. Paired it with Octopus Intelligent Go, so I charge my Model Y and my wife's Ioniq 5 without issue. As you say, it's great to have cheaper whole-house rates while charging too.

[@steveknight878]

What is the disadvantage to having regen when on the motorway?

[@slayerrocks2]

Harsh deceleration. You can always use the brake pedal. Low KERS allows you to coast more.

[@ianrob4760]

@@slayerrocks2 I have never found that TBH when aligned to ACC

[@Alantj22]

​@@slayerrocks2 I don't understand this. The accelerator is not an on off switch, modulate it and you can have whatever amount of regen you want.

[@steveknight878]

@@slayerrocks2 Ah - I have never had a problem with harsh deceleration TBH. I drive my Leaf with Eco and B mode and one pedal, and so far have found it very controllable and smooth. Perhaps it varies by make and model? Low KERS? not sure what that is. On motorways and longer dual carriageways I put the cruise control on, and that seems to work quite well.

[@slayerrocks2]

@@steveknight878 KERS is the selectable regeneration on an MG.

[@dominikrak72]

Lost Dave's twin brother finally found.

[@davetakesiton]

never could tell us apart, two peas in a pod

[@MrGMawson2438]

Hello guys

[@freddydad1]

The guest talks a lot of sense, he should be reviewing cars for a living..

[@paulhorscroft1471]

What an insult to the mg badge

[@cjmillsnun]

It actually isn't Or are you the kind who thinks MG died when Abingdon closed?

[@mueslicamel]

You are right, it doesn’t break down, leak, fall apart or rust, what an insult to the MG’s of yesteryear!

[@gerbenkarman3372]

I've only known MG as a Chinese brand, and I learned about the British history of the brand after I had purchased my MG4 (Netherlands)

[@stevegeek]

@@mueslicamel Haha...true. I owned an MG Midget many years ago and every journey was an adventure, wondering what would break or fall off! The good old days!

[@brentmeistergeneral1054]

I owned an MGF for 10 years. It was good fun, but the windows didn't close perfectly whether I had the soft roof or the hard roof on. It also kept running down the 12v battery due to a wiring fault that I think never got fixed. My contrast my MG4 works a dream except for the need to switch off the lane keeping and AEB.