MG4 Extended Range 2024 Review: the best EV on the market for the money? | WhichEV

[@cloggsy1971]

As an MG4 Trophy LR owner. These cars are superb, except, if there is an issue. Unfortunately the dealer network, (barring a few) is awful customer service wise! You really need to do your homework on dealers before taking the plunge, especially if you are buying a service plan. The pricing varies wildly. Bearing in mind that there are relatively few items to service on an electric car. Great car, unless you run into issues!

[@WhichEV]

Thanks for this. It's unfortunately something that's hard to test during a week or so of test driving. We'd probably have to address it using a reader survey of some sort.

[@r33gts]

Me too, and agree with dealer issues. 👍

[@FrunkensteinVonZipperneck]

My friend - Murphy- ain’t happy….

[@mikadavies660]

Great honest comment. Thanks

[@mars6394]

Agree with dealer comments they are dreadful.had to reject my mg4 so many issues and dealer was beyond useless it went in 3 different garages/dealers.thing that let car down software glitches transmission oil leak,boot light filling with water,loss power,seats wore in 2 months,

[@hanaahmetspahic7159]

This looks like a viable alternative to an ID3 or a Tesla model 3. Well done MG.

[@julianguffogg]

No comparison to a Tesla Model3!

[@robertmartens7839]

sure, but make sure you test drive the Teslas

[@WhichEV]

The Tesla Model 3 is in a different league, but also a different price. They're not really competitors, as even the base Model 3 is £6,000 more expensive.

[@FéargalO]

The software is better in the Tesla, not driven the new T M3 so no idea if they improved the harsh ride quality and if build quality has improved now, too early to say as only just been launched.The MG4 has parking sensors, cluster panel and an indicator stalk! ..thanks to Tesla constantly removing safety features these are specs that now need highlighting.

[@mikebreen2890]

@@WhichEV That's why I bought an MG. The Tesla is better, it was not £20,000 better. (MG5 in 2021 had for £24,000, model 3 was £44,000).

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Liking your no nosense and (mildly) humorous style. Subbed.

[@WhichEV]

Thanks so much! We'll try to be more humorous next time.

[@Krydolph]

TY for doing this instead of the X-Power. Everyone gets hanged up on the X-power, because its flashy and makes good clickbait headlines - But for everyday sensible use this is a LOT more interesting imho.

[@WhichEV]

We agree. The XPOWER is a tour de force for the money, but as we say in this review, the Extended Range just makes much more sense. A real 240 miles on a motorway means you could just about drive to Devon from London on a single charge, for example, so long as your destination had charging.

[@adaadah7472]

I really do like the MG4 its the best looking MG EV by far.

[@annav.dailey2944]

That center display is very nice very crisp.

[@WhichEV]

It's much better than previous MG EVs, for sure!

[@kathrynw.hilliard3510]

This has to go on this to be considered list of most people in the market for a golf size EV.

[@WhichEV]

Definitely.

[@simonpritchard472]

Straightforward, no nonsense review. Thanks,

[@WhichEV]

Thanks very much!

[@antoniopalmero4063]

Much better review than carwow crooks .

[@WhichEV]

Thanks!

[@charris8891]

Yeah those guys are full of rubbish they are just glorified car salesman.

[@warnerswheelingabout4879]

Another excellently produced review

[@WhichEV]

Thanks! Hope you're keeping well.

[@TheZsenomsky]

Thanks for the review, I m also interested to buy one, still waiting for a 1000km test or a 10-80% charge speed test.

[@WhichEV]

Well, we wouldn't do 1,000km we'd do 620 miles! We did want to do something like this but that's many hours of driving and were not able to organise it in the time we had the car.

[@TheZsenomsky]

@@WhichEV Did it reached (kept) the 144kw speed with a supercharger?

[@WhichEV]

It was a bit lower (120kW) but we weren't charging from 10%, more like 40%. No EV keeps its headline rate for long, even Teslas. @@TheZsenomsky

[@donnalinda9313]

Really want to see the dual motor version reviewed can you make that happen?

[@WhichEV]

We are on the case - a request is in!

[@Mariobrownio1989]

Stunning vehicle

[@WhichEV]

Yes, we agree!

[@alastairkeith8553]

The refreshed Tesla Model 3 (Highland) is now £39,990 making the MG4 ER look expensive at only £3,500 less. It makes the ID3 look insanely expensive.

[@WhichEV]

Agreed about the ID.3, but not 100% sure about the MG4 Extended Range. The range and performance are almost the same, and of course the Tesla tech is much better plus you get Superchargers. But £3,500 is still £3,500, so it depends on your priorities as a car buyer.

[@FéargalO]

But tesla keep taking out safety specs..no cluster, no sensors, no indicator stalk, no physical gear shifter, no lights at the back when boot open, and they removed the fog lamps, they are running out of things to remove.. steering wheel will be next.

[@alastairkeith8553]

@@FéargalO The irony is that is exactly where Tesla is heading - no steering wheel as the car will be FSD. The next thing is that you won't actually own a car - you will summon one - imagine nobody owning a car = all that freed capital and freed up space? Only a 10th of the current manufacturing will be required - big changes are coming sooner than you think.

[@MarkSmith-lu7ly]

Things must have moved on a bit because whilst the M3 is still £40K to order, a brand new MG4 ER can be had for as little as £32K

[@WhichEV]

@@MarkSmith-lu7ly do you have a link for that? Are you sure it's not the Long Range? We've not seen it below £36k.

[@HooverLux]

Just got mine 2 weeks ago, but all grey, live it so far, MG Pilot is not as good as my Volvo V90, but I’m loving this car so far.

[@WhichEV]

Volvo's got pretty good cruise control. I presume that's the bit you mean?

[@FéargalO]

@HooverLux Can you confirm if the auto-hold function on new extended range model needs only enabled once or does it need activated for every trip?

[@HooverLux]

@@WhichEV I do yeah, sorry

[@HooverLux]

@@FéargalO Hi, only the once thankfully

[@WhichEV]

@@HooverLux we corroborate - we only had to turn it on once and it was on always then. You mean the single pedal mode. Basic auto hold requires a hard push of the brake pedal if you aren't in single pedal mode.

[@rayparsons2720]

Love the way james says massively.

[@antoniopalmero4063]

I had a 1973 VW camper in the same colour , I think it was called burnt orange .

[@WhichEV]

MG calls it volcano orange. We call it ASBO orange.

[@dmhboag5882]

MGB came in burnt orange

[@WhichEV]

@@dmhboag5882 one would hope not in an EV... 🙂

[@johnteeling4679]

My first mini was that colour (1972)

[@Roland_Bones]

Wasn't the Leyland version called Blaze Orange? It was a long time ago, though!

[@leem5894]

Tesla Model 3 Highland is now priced at £39,990 so it's definitely the car to buy! Even the rwd has wltp 344 miles range.

[@WhichEV]

No, the RWD has a 318-mile WLTP. There is the RWD Long Range, but that's only available through fleet deals and we're not sure if that is Highland yet. It will probably have a WLTP range of over 400 miles though.

[@chloeanna1262]

Lack of rear air vents is a bit of an annoyance but much bigger cars also seem to ignore the rear passangers.

[@FrunkensteinVonZipperneck]

When mother-in-law travels, I ignore rear passengers…

[@tonymaxwell303]

Sod them

[@JenniDMcFee]

Since when have gear sticks been replaced with stupid knobs?

[@ISuperTed]

Most EV’s don’t have gear sticks!

[@WhichEV]

I don't think it's fair to call the reviewer a stupid knob.

[@FéargalO]

Excellent review..subbed...Well done MG for listening to feedback about rear wiper. Still would have liked an option for spare wheel and better seats.. maybe next time. Have MG put grab handles in the front now? Missing on original MG4, i noticed them in the back in the review. Not sure which colour is best, the unassuming orange or Camden Grey..tough call.

[@WhichEV]

Thanks, and welcome to the channel!

[@toyotaprius79]

It would be nice to have "deextended" ranges. 30kWh is perfectly fine if there's decent efficiency. A smaller MG3 to MG1, or MGB, MGA or MG Midget would be beneficial

[@WhichEV]

There is a defecit of those right now, in the absence of the E-Up! / Mii / CitiGo. But there are cars in this range coming. The Dacia Spring might eventually come to the UK, for example.

[@ISuperTed]

They are coming but the economics of building a small EV profitably are still difficult. We need battery costs to come down a lot before we get proper cheap EV’s with good range (200 miles plus).

[@mikebreen2890]

I totally agree with you, we need a cheap circa 150 mile range EV.

[@kellya.osborne3397]

Do like they have more of a traditional dashboard arrangement over that god awful model 3 dashboard.

[@riogorgos]

Agree completely.

[@Roland_Bones]

The pre-recent-refresh TM3 isn't really as bad as it looks, you get used to it surprisingly quickly, but I have used the larger font size, as the standard is intended for people under 40 with perfect eyesight. The new version TM3 will not be on my renewal list due to the removal of both of the control stalks, which means the driver has to look at and prod the screen for every function, including selecting forward / reverse, and can't use the indicators if not driving in a straight line, unless their thumbs can rotate a full 360 deg.

[@ricco123tube]

The MG4 seems to be very inefficient. Is this correct?? I'm getting 5+ miles per kilowatt hour in the city with my 64kWh Kona and 3.9 on the motorway, 320 miles and 250 miles.

[@benellis7427]

I agree and want an MG4 but my Ioniq 38kwh rarely goes below 5.5 mi/kWh even on the motorway, I get 7 on my daily commute. It's the 51kWh version I was after but I think it may have worse range.

[@r33gts]

I get same with my MG4 trophy, but it all depends on your right foot 😊

[@benellis7427]

@@r33gts Cheers that's good to know.

[@ISuperTed]

Reviewers don’t drive like long-term owners! They only get the cars for a few hours normally so it’s just a snapshot. Long term owners gradually learn to drive better!

[@WhichEV]

We had this one for a week but the reviewer is not a slow driver. He tries to be a bit more normal when testing a car!

[@barrymurton8988]

Looks good like to see a sun roof!

[@vailydragon]

The good thing is that it is undercutting prices in general, as demand flattens out.

[@WhichEV]

Yes. MG is really helping to push the prices down.

[@aadiff5075]

Dous mg 4 ev have Ambient lights ????

[@Petelmrg]

We had a Trophy in Orange from launch, which was Wow! until you got inside, when its like being in a cellar with the lights off; it was so depressing, coupled with the clunky controls it had to go, which was disappointing as the drive itself was good.

[@WhichEV]

No idea why they don't do the sunroof in the UK. We wouldn't describe the controls as clunky, though. In what respect was that for you?

[@Petelmrg]

We changed from an id3 - notorious for its infotainment system - and expected better, but it wasn't. It was constantly glitchy and to cap it all the dealer was utterly and totally useless; a shame as theres a really good car underneath.@@WhichEV

[@r33gts]

@@Petelmrg Software updates(on the MG4) since launch have improved things a lot 👌

[@Petelmrg]

the huge horrible forward/reverse round thing in the middle and a screen that had a mind of its own - anyway my wife got her own way in the end and we now have a Tesla!@@WhichEV

[@WhichEV]

@@Petelmrg We had problems with the screen with the first car we drove at the launch last year but this car didn't have those problems at all. It wasn't massively responsive but much improved from before.

[@karenlisa5664]

Every other MG EV has been awful this looks like the first one Id consider.

[@honestjohn6222]

Great review, would you prefer it over your id3 VW , cheers

[@WhichEV]

Yes. The ID.3 feels a bit more polished and mature inside but you get more for less money with the MG4 Extended Range.

[@honestjohn6222]

@@WhichEV Thanks Mate

[@csjrogerson2377]

They will be even better when they can do 700 miles on a single charge, recharge in 5 mins, cost half as much to buy and keep the mass lower than 1350 Kg. Its called a Mazda 2 skyactiv D.

[@WhichEV]

Not a great car.

[@MarkSmith-lu7ly]

🤮

[@mariamary4348]

Couple of bags of monster munch is fine but what is you want to put some hula hoops or quavers in the glovebox?

[@WhichEV]

We couldn't test those because we were hungry and ate them beforehand.

[@iainatkins7683]

I have 64kw is it worth upgrading

[@WhichEV]

Unless you've had some issues with the range, probably not. It's faster and goes further, but you'll lose a lot of money switching cars.

[@shannonl.phillips2642]

Whats the warranty on the battery if it goes wrong?

[@sargfowler9603]

It's an 8 year warranty on the battery, 5 years on the car itself

[@ricco123tube]

​@@sargfowler96037 years 80,000miles in the UK

[@benellis7427]

I thought it was 7 years 80,000 miles on the whole car.

[@sargfowler9603]

@@benellis7427 You’re right. Bad Google on my part. 7 years it is!

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

​@@benellis7427it is but the amount of warranty drops as the years go by

[@miaella369]

No provision for the charging cable in the boot is a bit of an oversight.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

Not really the boot is prob empty 60-70% of the time

[@r33gts]

It wii fit in my trophy model, perhaps he didn't try 🤔

[@MrMannakin]

The boot floor has two levels and the cable WILL fit under the floor in the higher position. I have the extended range in the same orange colour

[@wintersun398]

@@MrMannakin is there space under the bonnet for the cable?

[@MrMannakin]

There is no space for anything under the bonnet at the front

[@mikadavies660]

What Car Confirmed that the MG4 Trophy Extended Range is costing £36,495... Not the MG4 Trophy Long Range at the chesper price. Thus the extended range vs Tesla Model 3 is just £3,500 more.

[@WhichEV]

Yes, the Extended Range, not the Long Range!

[@mikadavies660]

@WhichEV Dam confusing...!! Very easy to choose Long Range and mean Extended Range!! So despite my initial error with the name. I was correct. Very little difference in price between Tesla Model 3 and MG4 Trophy Extended Range and in testing the MG suffered from poor efficiency, cheaper fit & finish, less comfortable seats and the patchy charging network that is far more expensive per KW than Tesla's easy to use chargers.

[@WhichEV]

@@mikadavies660 apart from getting the name wrong, you were correct, yes. 😁 Highland wasn't available in the UK when we published the review though. MG might drop its prices now - you never know.

[@WhichEV]

@@mikadavies660 All valid points. We'll have to see if MG responds with any price cuts. The MG4 is a hatchback, which could sway some buyers. Also easier to park and drive around a town. Probably a lot cheaper to insure too. Tesla's are getting expensive and the new casting technique will make repairs pricey so premiums will likely go up even further.

[@mikadavies660]

@WhichEV Indeed.. Clearly the Model Y is the most practical shame but Tesla is being nailed with daft insurance quotes

[@schneekoppe32]

The Tesla M3 Standard Range costs only GBP 3,000 more than the MG4 and it is the better car. I am saying this as an MG4 owner. If in my country the M3 had been only GBP 3,000 more than the MG4, I would have bought the M3. I still like the MG4 though. I think it is a great car.

[@WhichEV]

It is now. It wasn't when we made this video - it was £6,000 more then.

[@schneekoppe32]

Ok, I see. I was not aware of this. As the price difference is now only GBP 3,000, I know which car I would buy. (kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJqYh2WOjcelpqM).

[@WhichEV]

@@schneekoppe32 Yes, although insurance will be a lot more with the Model 3. They are group 48.

[@schneekoppe32]

You are absolutely right. Before you make a decision which car is best for you, you have to look at these additional costs as well. I am not from the UK so I don't know how your insurance system works. I live in Thailand. And the reason why I bought an MG4 (51kWh = the only available battery) and not a Tesla is exactly that. The Tesla (at the time of my purchase) was EUR 48 K. For the MG4 I paid EUR 25 K. The insurance for the Tesla here in Thailand is double the price of the insurance for the MG4. I like the MG4 a lot. I think it is a great car (except for the driving assistance systems). But I still think that over all the Tesla is the better car. At the end I am happy for whatever EV comes on the road to replace an ICE car. We have horrible traffic here in Bangkok and the air quality is poor. But there is good news: I just saw a statistic that EV sales (in Thailand) from Jan to Sep 2023 (vs 2022) increased 5 fold.

[@Roland_Bones]

@@WhichEV Exactly so. A Tesla is a brilliant choice as a company car, but I wouldn't buy one as a private purchase myself, for this reason. If you ever had any points on your licence, insurance would be thousands...

[@antin4680]

Is there available any information about the chemistry of 77 kWh battery?

[@WhichEV]

NMC

[@susanmary579]

I dont see what you did there James and now I'm scared that I should have.

[@jingle1161]

Beautiful front, but then they come up with that hideous back. Why?

[@WhichEV]

You mean the car, right? Not the presenter?

[@mikadavies660]

Now Tesla have just dropped the price of the Model 3 by a further £3,000... taking it very close to the MG4 Long Range

[@WhichEV]

Huh? The MG4 Long Range SE is £10,500 cheaper than the basic Model 3. That's not tremendously close in price.

[@mikadavies660]

@WhichEV As I know the MG4 LR is £37,500.... The Model 3 was 42k but is now £39,950.... Or is that incorrect??? Taking the prices from What Car.

[@mikadavies660]

@WhichEV I will check out the What Car video again... as Google puts the Trophy Long Range at £32,500...

[@WhichEV]

@@mikadavies660 Yes, that's incorrect. The Extended Range is £36,495, but the Long Range SE is £29,495.

[@WhichEV]

@@mikadavies660 Google is correct - £32,495 for the Trophy Long Range. So that's still £7,500 cheaper than the Model 3.

[@Paul-li9hq]

It is actually quite a pretty car... no doubt about that. But 'extended range'? Only about 350 miles, realistically 🙄 If I could have that car with my little 1.5 diesel engine in it, I would be getting 500 miles of range - easily 😂😂😂 And with the MG's price tag 'from just' £34,000 😮 ...JUST... 34 grand! That's WELL OVER ten thousand pounds more than my diesel (which is fitted with every conceivable gadget and toy). TEN GRAND😮 10 grand buys me well over 3,500 gallons of diesel at current UK prices. 3500 gal at my 55mpg average is 77,000 miles! Do you realise that means I can purchase AND drive my diesel car THREE TIMES AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE PLANET in one year and STILL be better off than buying this MG and just leaving it sitting on the driveway for the same year 🤣🤣🤣

[@honesty_-no9he]

The lack of 3 Phase 22kW AC is a major fail.

[@r33gts]

It has 3 phase 11kW tho. 👍

[@peterjones6640]

Certainly 22kw would be good, I have three phase power and 22kw charger at home , ( I have a Renault Zoe) but 11 Kw is adequate . I pick up my MG4 in a week.

[@WhichEV]

No, only 7kW, at least according the spec sheet we were given. Most UK houses can only do 7kW due to only having single-phase power.

[@r33gts]

@@WhichEV most definitely does have 11kW 3phase on the Trophy model (even states in handbook) 👌but obviously you need a fully wired type 2 cable. 👍

[@festerleech4952]

Where do you live? Really tough to get that in the UK would love to know how you did it.

[@avagrace4401]

Its more of a four seater isnt it.

[@WhichEV]

Yes

[@alliealma4442]

That is a really discrete orange looks very Toyota rather than MG.

[@FallenAngel53]

It’s not discreet in real life mate neither is the blue Very colourful and be advised NOT METALLIC only the black white and I think red are metallic paint.

[@r33gts]

@@FallenAngel53 Tri-coat for orange and red,(£650ish extra) black, grey both metallic,(£550ish extra) blue and white just base coat(no cost option) 👍

[@FlorenceJCruz]

The performance out of a simple hatch back is scary.

[@WhichEV]

Yep. This is a normal car, not a hot hatch. But it's QUICK.

[@mikadavies660]

Look at the 600mile test of MG4 Long Range vs Basic Tesla Model 3.... The massive let down is MG's basic infotainment system and poor efficiency. Even running at 60 mph on ECO mode, the MG couldn't get the range of the Tesla.

[@WhichEV]

But the basic Tesla Model 3 is £6,000 more expensive.

[@mikadavies660]

@WhichEV Exactly correct. It's a UK test London to Lands End & Return. Question is put.... Is the Model 3 worth £6,000 more. I think its a What Car test. You would think the MG4 LR would easily win....but the video shows the MG's weaknesses. Which are actually (1) interesting (2) deal breakers

[@WhichEV]

@@mikadavies660 we'll have a look for it. What Car has a much bigger budget than us!

[@mikadavies660]

@WhichEV Personally, I'm not a fan of What Car as their reports are so obviously paid for and biased. However, this latest video has some merit. Especially with the MG4 being driven on ECO at slower speeds, just because it was consuming the battery too quickly (more than its own computer estimations). Where as the Tesla was T 70mph. For me the outcome is disappointing because I am not a fan of the winning brand.

[@Roland_Bones]

@@mikadavies660 I have found many inconsistencies with the way WhatCar? test EVs, there's always something unbalanced about their reviews which invalidates the results. I simply don't trust any of them these days.

[@lucijahorvatinovic4077]

Really dont like that steering wheel. Yuck.

[@r33gts]

Steering wheel is just right for seeing thro to instrument binnacle, and works 100 times better than a"yoke", or should that be joke 😊

[@tedted5767]

shocking colour.

[@WhichEV]

That was probably the idea...

[@johnnyhalliday6082]

Thats a very sexual review.

[@WhichEV]

Erm... thanks?

[@Roland_Bones]

Reference to the review, or reviewer??? We need to know...

[@WhichEV]

@@Roland_Bones So do we...

[@robertmartens7839]

Why do I feel like he is actively hawking this car?

[@FrunkensteinVonZipperneck]

‘cause that’s his job.

[@ISuperTed]

All reviewers are in some way beholden to the car makers. It’s a symbiotic thing - if they trash the car in a review they won’t be invited back. Think this review is quite fair and doesn’t gush took much about the car.

[@WhichEV]

Thanks! We genuinely think this car is great. Not perfect. But very good indeed.

[@WhichEV]

Because we independently like the car and think people should buy it?

[@WhichEV]

That's kind of libel mate. We're independent journalists.

[@antonellavujosevic1054]

320 miles isnt enough range I need to be able to do 640 miles.

[@ricco123tube]

200 miles is all my bladder will do, 250 at a push. Tbh after 4 hours of driving I'm ready for a bite to eat etc. Time enough to charge up.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

Ave UK journey is 29 miles but of course you do 640 every time you go anywhere

[@ISuperTed]

Get 2 of them then 😂

[@WhichEV]

Not many small ICE cars can do that. They usually have small petrol tanks, so the range isn't that much more than this EV.

[@festerleech4952]

640 miles is nothing what about 650 miles?

[@AmandaRogers781]

Those steering wheel buttons look really cheap.

[@r33gts]

Not at all, they work perfectly fine. 👌

[@WhichEV]

Pretty decent actually.

[@jimpackard8059]

Don’t park it in Luton airport and I certainly would not park one inside the garage with a bedroom above

[@FrunkensteinVonZipperneck]

worried the petrol tank will blow?😂

[@jimpackard8059]

No….worried that should it catch fire, the thermal runaway will be catastrophic

[@ISuperTed]

Oh dear the Daily Mail gaslight idiots are out already today.

[@WhichEV]

That was caused by a diesel car, now confirmed by the fire brigade. Your comment is misinformation.

[@jamesjessenden7838]

To be fair you could have just ended the sentence after "Don't park it in Luton" and it would have been really good advice.

[@John-xn2kw]

MG is made by SAIC, a Chinese State owned company. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT THE CCP!!

[@jameskinsey4182]

A load of crap another thermal runaway

[@WhichEV]

Like that fire in Luton that turned out to be a diesel vehicle instead? Sure...

[@MsDmcclymont]

Daily mail or what sensational 'media outlet ' then ???

[@MarkSmith-lu7ly]

Suggest you read better quality news, the likes of the Daily Mail seems interested only in getting clicks regardless of facts or not