MG4: Still The Bargain Of The Century?

[@mikeymike1792]

I've started treating my MG4 like my dog. I love it, I think it's brilliant. But I do have to shout "NO" at it every time it misbehaves with that bloody lane assist.

[@mikeymike1792]

Oh, and one other thing I found that was odd. When I was cleaning it, one of the windscreen wipers couldn't be lifted without scratching the paint on the lip of the bonnet. Weird. EDIT - Thanks everyone. I now know what is going on. You don't need to keep telling me how to solve it!

[@ukslim]

@@mikeymike1792 There's something deep in the infotainment menus that parks the wipers so you can lift them.

[@mikeymike1792]

@@ukslim Huh. That's so weird. I'd have never known that.

[@timaustin2000]

@@mikeymike1792 Yeah, it's even more hidden on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 - I had to google it because I just could not find it in the manual (pull the stalk back for 5 seconds just after you've switched it off). Why don't car companies make it easy?

[@kristoffer3000]

@@timaustin2000 They do, it's a very similar operation in pretty much all of them.

[@trackdaylbs]

If only MG would release those software fixes more regularly ... and maybe a driver profile to get around the LKA issue. Otherwise - it's a great car.

[@Waldeinsamkeit森林之子]

Update software on car needs a lot of time and must be test for one month and registered in the authorities before allowed to the car…..

[@ProvencalG]

@@Waldeinsamkeit森林之子 the car has been out for 8 months now, I think they had time. They are just so far behind compared to OTA updates in other cars, it's a shame.

[@Clove_Parma]

@@ProvencalGota updates are very poor in most every brand except Tesla

[@benrgrogan]

​@@ProvencalGSoftware updates this big can take a long time to do correctly particularly if you're checking it's safe.

[@Waldeinsamkeit森林之子]

8MONTH IS QUITE SHORT FOR A LEGACY AUTO MAKER TO UPDATES....@@ProvencalG

[@originaltonywilk]

Had my MG4 over 6 months now, put about 900KWh thru it. By chance did a trip of exactly 100 miles, 2/3 on motorway - used 40% of battery. Can't complain at that.

[@ehombane]

how many miles per kwh? He is baffled by the fact that long term average is much lower. But what the car consumes on standby? And other things that driving? Because he made 4 close to 5 on long trip, and 3,5 on average routine driving. If he used heating or AC, then he should have not been baffled. But other consumption may not be so obvious.

[@csjrogerson2377]

Do that in my Mazda 1.5 D and use 13.6% of my fuel tank. Can't complain at that.

[@dnboro]

@@csjrogerson2377 Yeh but it is what you left in the air that matters. Try doing it again without the pollution and CO2.

[@SISU889]

​@@dnboroOh , please don't fall for all that guff ! I like battery cars , but a long way to go yet to normalise their usage ....

[@royeasto885]

I got in one of these as a taxi. It looks to be the perfect taxi car. Lowest price and simple but reliable and cheap and low polluting for lots of mileage. The driver loved it too.

[@موسى_7]

Reliable? Maybe the MG5, but not MG4.

[@toyotaprius79]

No wonder we've been hearing more yellow peril rhetoric and paranoia lately. And they ought to be worried because like the Japanese cars from the 70s onward, Chinese cars will be the next game changer with their leading EV experience and early R&D

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

Hope the taxi driver had bought an LFP batteried mg4 - just to greatly diminish degradation problems due to very frequent full and fast charging

[@ukslim]

@@GaryJohnWalker1 On average a London taxi driver does about 80 miles a day. Rest of UK, more like 150 miles a day (more airport dropoffs and out-of-town hotels I suppose). But either way, that doesn't need a mid-working-day charge, so you just need a 7kW charge overnight.

[@ukslim]

The flat floor all the way across the rear footwell probably works well in a taxi too.

[@TheBoothy666]

The lane keeping assistant is similar in the Cupra Born, which I've had since January. I'm not in the habit of wandering lanes, so it's never actually triggered for me in a valid situation. But it regularly goes off when it's not needed. What makes it worse is it tries to turn the wheel as well, potentially steering you into danger, and you have to physically fight the car to keep it going in the correct direction. This is an accident waiting to happen! Examples are the car sometimes tries to steer into oncoming traffic on right hand bends, as it tries to steer away from the left curb (which is typically 2m+ away) and over the central line. It's also tried to move across lanes in motorway roadworks, where lanes have been shifted over, and the old white lines have been painted over, but the car still thinks those are the active lines to follow, so tries to steer you into the cones, or the adjacent lane. Love the car otherwise, but this one issue is just plain dangerous to me!

[@KentAsplund]

I agree, it is a safety hazard. We had the same problem on the Skoda Citigo. I bought a program to be able to disable it.

[@griffog2001]

MG4 is exactly the same. Bloody scary when it happens!

[@chrisrichmond403]

Same with the VW ID.3 what is a cousin of the Cupra Born that lane keep assist is scary & not safe .

[@timoliver8940]

Same with many ICE cars too - my 2020 Land Rover Defender was terrible even after a software update to tone it down. It also continually tried to drive me into oncoming tractors if I went onto the verge on the local backroads, it was a major fight to overcome it. Now I have a 2023 Defender, even when it’s switched off it still runs in the background and will intervene, just less aggressively! Oddly in my Mini Cooper S E it’s not at all intrusive and rarely intervenes on the same roads as I drive in the Defender!

[@PaulvanDruten]

We love our MG4! Only to have the car greet me every time with: "Please turn of Lane Keep Assist!"

[@Seekerofknowledges]

Proud owner of one. The line assist is awful, but at that price I can live with it.

[@kylereese4822]

Disable the assist then install open pilot...

[@ahaveland]

@@kylereese4822 I think the point was that you can't disable it permanently. It always reenables itself on the next journey.

[@redjohn20001]

@@ahaveland That's correct, you can not permanently disable the assist but I find that if you set TJA it remembers that setting and as long as you don't enable it from the steering wheel left hand switched the affect on the car is minimal. I drive it like this with few problems.

[@MEver316]

You can't permanently disable the assist? I think mine is broken then because I disabled mine and it hasn't re-enabled itself. It did early on but it hasn't re-enabled itself recently. I don't know how but I'm not turning it back on ever again.

[@jcchilli]

Same in my Marvel R. Disabled it once when I got it - never been an issue since.@@MEver316

[@timv285]

There is a lovely steering wheel button on the ionic 5, press it for 3 secs and lane keep assist turns off. Now part of my start up check before I drive.

[@markbray3038]

Having to keep turn off Lane Keep Assist is the Only thing I Dislike with my car. Totally agree with your funding.

[@timothyrussell4445]

Just an update on the lane assist - we have the latest software, having just bought ours in the last few weeks, and the lane assist only comes on when you're on a major road with clearly defined lanes. For anyone nodding off on a motorway, it could well save your life.

[@ward3nb]

I have a 2019 MG ZS EV, lane keep assist almost made me return the car, it got a lot better with the “ comfort update “ hopefully the MG4 will also get a similar update.

[@peterengland6153]

Here in NZ I have just ordered a MG4 Excite 51, with on road costs, and govt subsidy it cost at current exchange rates 19,300 pounds. My electricity plan gives me an hour of free power, and with 7kw charge expect 40km per day of free driving.

[@superleggenda]

Rob’s review is incredible, as always. The MG looks good (not perfect, but pretty good) and apparently it has everything most of people need. As someone who has been living in an EV-only family for three years, I can confirm that even a short range car (like Rob’s Leaf) that you can charge at home is all you need on a daily basis. And a car with a motorway range of 200 miles (300 km) is all the rest of us needs. Very few people have iron bladders and bottoms. Humans need to stop every few hundred kilometers for trivial stuff like taking a walk, using the restrooms and having coffee. So we don’t need bigger batteries as much as we need faster charging ones and better charging infrastructure. Don’t trust me: check Bjorn Nyland’s 1000km challenges.

[@ukslim]

I agree and disagree. I think 200 miles - maybe 250 miles is a bit of a sweet spot, and although people say they want 400 miles or whatever, when it comes down to brass tacks, most people would rather spend the extra money on other things, for the few times a year they'd need a mid-journey rapid charge. However, it *is* nice not to be constrained in where you stop. On a 400 mile EV journey, you're thinking "We'll stop for lunch after 2 hours, but it'll have to be somewhere with a charger". There are places I'd like to go for lunch that don't have that charger, so it's reducing my options. I also still have mild anxiety that, at my planned stop, the charger will be blocked, or not working. All that will change, though, as the public charging network grows. I think in 5 years, we'll be surprised if the arbitrary roadside cafe we stop at doesn't have a charger. We'll stop scouring ZapMap for charger locations, as we get used to a country where there's always a charger in the sort of places you expect to find one. Just as today, you don't look for petrol stations on a map, you just know you'll pass one eventually if you stick to the right sort of road.

[@berndborte8214]

Absolutely. I'm taking a break about every 2 hourse anyway. If I can get 240-260 km of effective highway range and recharge that in 15-30 minutes, I don't even have to adapt my behavior much. And we're already there. Heck, if I could recharge in 5 minutes, I wouldn't mind a highway range of 180-200 km. (And we might get there with Aluminium-Graphene batteries. Small batteries are the future. People just need to begin realizing, that total range is overrated.

[@RPRosen-ki2fk]

Congratulations, just noticed you guys have crossed the ONE MILLION SUBSCRIBER level, well done. As far as the MG goes, I love this class of EV ... no frill, great value, comfort and economical transportation sector. Unfortunately we don't get many choices of this class in the states.

[@Leo99929]

What's worse is the I-Pace turns off lane keep assist if it's activated more than twice! Presumably to stop people from using it as autopilot, but surely it should bring the vehicle to a controlled stop assuming you're incapacitated rather than just turn it off? The feature combined with ACC prevents crashes from people passing out or having heart attacks whilst driving, until it turns itself off WHEN IT'S USED! Madness.

[@KalleKilponen]

I'm assuming it's a 2021 or a later model? The earlier models had an actual "cruise steering assist" function in addition to LKA and it should stay on as long as you like. Apparently they had to remove that feature due to the component shortage.

[@Markcain268]

I'm glad my car hasn't got anything like that, probably wouldn't work anymore if it had Lane assist as its nearly 23 years old lol

[@LM-kw9xu]

The id3 first edition had exactly the same issue with lane assist. It was dangerous. It's far better now after several software updates.

[@chaymation2]

If they cant or wont fix it in software then the best solution would be if they would let you map a physical button on the steering wheel to turn the lane assist on and off. Then you could just press that button every time you get in the car and not have to search through menus

[@sparkplug964]

For the money it is a fantastic car, and it great to see MG back in the market, I think allot of people out there want an EV that is in the £25K to £30K, cars like this will create a new market that the more established brands might find hard to catch if they do not stop asking stupid money for an EV, I say good luck to them.

[@stefanweilhartner4415]

chinese car with an MG badge to fool conservative brexiteers.

[@davelenderson]

The biggest thing will come in 2 years or so when people start trading them in after 3 years and they go onto the used market

[@armuk]

more like CCPMG

[@stefanweilhartner4415]

@@ytthrowaway4584 MG is not back. it is a chinese car with an MG badge to fool people.

[@deetee6621]

@@stefanweilhartner4415You gotta give em credit though. There are plenty of people that have been suckered in by SAIC because of a label. This is the first of a lot of Chinese EV hatches coming our way. If this car had “Tesco Value” plastered across it, I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s not a bad thing though. 👍

[@marksteps1712]

I've been with Robert since the beginning, not just of this amazing and informative channel but all the way through Red Dwarf and Scrapheap Challenge, thanks for being the best electric grand tour/drivetribe/top gear style channel out there and still presenting with and starkle x

[@Flipflop324]

I am about 8000 miles into my MG4 ownership, and it is a great car. If you discount driving aids, it is a far better car than my Model 3 it replaced. It has far better handling and steering feel. The space and hatchback make it a far more practical car too. Lane Keep Assist is a pain and I have no idea how it contributes to safety in its current form.

[@MartinzW]

For my next car I will go either for: 'affordable' good option (MG/BYD), Renault Megane E-tech or Volvo EX30. For now rocking my Model 3 but with every lease payment I am questioning, why pay so much for a car. Might just go for affordable good option next.

[@cubiq1]

How many miles did you put on the Model 3? The MG4 sounds like a great little car

[@RobertDodge]

@@MartinzW I liked the look of the EX 30 (Baby Polestar) but I then saw someone standing by the back of one its sits very low on the back end was quite a bit smaller than I initially thought. Build quality looks superb though and we know Geeley's mechanicals are sound. EX30 looks better than the weirdly named sister Smart #1

[@johnstewart5294]

The idea behind land assist is if you fall asleep while driving, it prevents you crossing lanes and having a head-on crash

[@MrChakra108]

Model 3 and MG4 are a completely different segment of a car. I went for a Model 3 instead. I tested the MG4 twice and didn't entirely like it. The steering is nice and the drive is nice. The software was unresponsive and clunky and the efficiency in colder weather was also quite poor. Model 3 - self-steering, and all automated support systems are better. Also, it has a frunk & massive boot compared to the MG4. I've done 6500 km driving around Europe and it was really comfortable, the Tesla Supercharger network plug and go was a big plus also.The only small challange with the Model 3 is that it is a bit too wide. It's indeed much easier to fit in narrow roads and turn as well with the narrower MG4. If anything I'd try BYD. That's a company that can compete with Tesla. SAIC (MG) not.

[@TFG28]

It's a brilliant car aside from the lane assist. I've had mine for 5 months now and it's perfect for my daily use around town. Averaging 4.3 miles to the kWh and really starting to notice plenty of people in town buying them.

[@chrispenn715]

It's not that the MG is a bargain - other cars are grossly overpriced. Going on about the 'bargain' price just tempts MG to hike them..... 😅 (I have one BTW and very happy with it)

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Great review Robert , im with you on range ( bladder restricted!) After 3/4 hours driving from Orkney to Perth ( Scotland) im done and ready to sleep 😴. 250 ish miles range is more than enough range , i dont need any more. MG4 great value 👏

[@DrMatthewhannah]

Done almost 15000 miles in mine now (SE LR) and I am really pleased with the choice. I don't have the LKA problem as I was able to "permanently" turn it off but I guess that's because I have a really early version of the software (got from the first delivery in Sept 2022). Its going in for its first service soon so my concern is that they will update the software and I will join the suffering.

[@michalows]

Same here.

[@greggpon7466]

😂

[@martinv.352]

I have got 11000 miles and I am still very pleased with this car. I never regret the choice. But I have written a 24 points bug list (most things are software bugs where I hope that they get fixed) to my dealer which has got a direct wire to the MG Germany chief. Hope this helps.

[@peterengland6153]

Just to update folks, here in NZ we have had an R11 update (different numbering to europe) does quite a few things, but to highlight 2, Pull down menu now has short cut to turn off LKA, and now with cruise control car does not slow down so much in corners. Also other tweeks.

[@JamesScholesUK]

We're leasing an entry-level MG5 (v1). While we were waiting for it, we were loaned the higher spec MG5 with lane assist and my wife hated it so much we almost cancelled the lease altogether! Both the lane assist and the ACC are horrendously sensitive. Thankfully the entry-level MG5 doesn't have a front sensor at all, so we've just got a nice simple cruise control button now.

[@Fomites]

What's "ACC"?

[@JamesScholesUK]

@@Fomites adaptive cruise control

[@JamesScholesUK]

adaptive cruise control

[@edsilvester]

The bottom of the range SE is the one to go for. It’s the interesting one. If you can afford more; there are other cars. And although I was very irritated by the lane assist for the first few months, I’m over it now. I have adjusted. Forgot all about it until you reminded me. Humans are good at compensating but a little slow sometimes. I love it.

[@hargeaux]

Does the Lane Keep Assist work at all times? Or only when cruise control is activated?

[@edsilvester]

@@hargeaux all the time. On by default. At first it’s a problem. But you adjust pretty fast and you stop noticing it after a while.

[@hargeaux]

@@edsilvester yuck. Thx

[@squarewheelsorguk]

Thank you for this, we appreciate your insight into this. We tested an MG4 today, and really are after an SE. Could you expand on "it's the interesting one"? Thx :)

[@edsilvester]

@@squarewheelsorguk well I think the cost of it makes it special. The Renault 5 is out now too, so some of that uniqueness has diminished maybe. Also the battery iron chemistry is very user-friendly. You can charge to 100% every night without concern.

[@helihobbit]

I keep the Lane assist setting to the mildest version and am perfectly happy with it. Turns out my lane discipline leaves something to be desired and therefore I am thankful for this feature. BTW the great thing is mine turns itself off on narrow country lanes. Oh and if you change lanes without indicating you get a reminder.

[@MauFeitioO]

how to you keep that after truning of the car? do you need to setup the LKA again?

[@helihobbit]

I'll have to check, we are on a long holiday atm

[@bobprince1472]

I agree. LKA is like hitting a mild rut in the road. If you don't fight it it's fine.

[@StephenLawrence01]

My LKA is on mild and the setting is just beeps, if I don't indicate when changing lanes, so it isn't a problem for me.

[@paulspratt362]

Happy to hear your comment that the MG4 is a comfortable car to drive. I am 71, lots of my joints are creaky and painful so I drive a Range Rover Evoke as it's easy to get into, but as I drive low mileage and it's overkill and diesel I think I will change my ways and give this a try.

[@davidmorgan3359]

Big thumbs up for this video, as i have this vehicle and lane keep assist is downright dangerous. Who thought that it was a good idea to simulate someone grabbing the steering and yanking it in the opposite direction? Please MG allow us to disable this permanently in one of the drive modes, say custom, you can still have it in other drive settings for the ncap. Also, ncap can't be much of a standard if they don't assess individual implementations of this drive feature. If they did, they would find it unsafe. Great car, good video, hopefully higher profile will alert MG to this issue.

[@martynmorris8160]

Changes in NCAP say you can't permanently turn it off now

[@ukslim]

@@martynmorris8160 Ideally, I want a "driver profile" button on the home screen. Turn car on, NCAP defaults. Touch my name, my preferences load. However, other than Tesla, I don't think we generally expect car makers to make such fundamental changes to the software.

[@squareeyz]

I have done just over 5500 miles in my MG4 SE LR. I really do drive it like a regular car, don't even bother cycling through the different performance modes. The only headache I still have is the variable cost and and hit and miss reliability of public charging infrastructure. However, with a Winter range of around 200 miles, I can usually avoid public charging, it's only a problem on really long journeys.

[@raymondvaughan6262]

Good job you can charge at home then not many chargers about image the price when,lots of people have ev chargers will rocket like petrol and diesel keep going up no one can see this the government and chargers in street not gonna change for a lot less really would you drive one if you couldn't charge at home as you said problem at long distances if will be many years for,lots of public chargers can you imagine how many cars fill up just in one petrol station a day thousands

[@jamesgilbart2672]

That lane keeping assist function can be terrifying when it seems to be trying to shove you right into the path of an oncoming lorry/truck or a bus.

[@PaulvanDruten]

We love our MG4! Only to have the car greet me every time with: "Please turn of Lane Keep Assist!"

[@Zanbatoss]

It's crazy NCAP requires something dangerous like this as "mandatory" for their 5 star rating

[@richardwhitehouse8762]

Nice to have you back on the road, Robert. Just an observation. I quickly scanned through the comments. Almost all of them are from people who drive evs. How times change. I started watching your channel in 2020 and it really seemed like four people were actually driving these vehicles then. I'm still going to wait for another 3 years before I buy one but the change in the renewables space generally is simply astonishing. Onwards and upwards.

[@steverichmond7142]

I am turning into a Fully Charged/Robert Llewellyn Fan Boy... and I am 6 years older than Robert. I have had a MGZS EV for over 3 years and much prefer it to my old Model X to the point where I have stopped driving the model X. I live in the Scottish Borders where the lanes look narrower than wherever Robert lives. My wife has just got an mg4 for longer journeys. I hate lane assist - it frightens me to death. Please MG start making them in the UK.... and then maybe a van......

[@russvhill2]

Various MG forums have people complaining about waiting weeks for a replacement windscreen, and then spending weeks afterwards trying to get the camera etc calibrated. The infotainment system supposedly crashes too, so hopefully the MK2 version or facelift will correct the glitches.

[@موسى_7]

SAIC is a very old and prestigious Chinese automaker which bought the British the owners of old and formerly prestigious MG by buying the Chinese owners of that British company, Nanjing Auto, so for SAIC to make such an unreliable car is a great, vreat shame.

[@nigelkempson8746]

Kia eniro is the same with the lane keep assist. On the Bristol ring road there is a slip road by passing one of the traffic islands which you can legally take at speed. The first I went down it the LKA nearly put me through the hedge . The Niro does not remember the preferred regen setting either. So if you make a short stop, the temptation is to leave the car switched on. Then the car squeals at you when you leave with the key in your pocket and frantically sends notifications to your phone until you return.

[@Paul99T]

Had my MG4 Trophy two months now. It's a dream to drive, best car I've ever had. Took it for It's first long trip recently.... 360 mile round trip in a day. Stopped at Exeter services to recharge. In the time it took us to walk from the car to the rest rooms, it had charged from 20 to 50%, and by the time we'd finished eating it was over 80%. Lane Keep Assist = Very Annoying Infotainment screen a bit buggy... sometimes radio refuses to work etc, fixable if MG consider it a priority. Originally planned to get a Model 3 but in my view it's just not worth the extra cost. Particularly as the MG4 has a HUD and the Model 3 does not. You get what you pay for, but is it worth paying extra for something now that will be standard in 2 years?

[@paulmurphy2234]

I have the same car 5 months old and it has lost £10k resale price. see how much you have lost with any MG dealer or Carwow.

[@thewoodies]

The ZS (facelift) has the same issue. Feels like someone is grabbing the wheel off you. Another bugbear is the fact the car doesn't regen when in adaptive cruise control. don't know if that's the same with the MG4 but these shou8ld be fixable with software. Maybe they have, but the dealership never want to update the software because it is faffy to do and takes ages.

[@AB-yt4hd]

On the MG4, the regen is working when using the adaptative cruise control.

[@barryhaeger4284]

My experience with MG Lane Keep Assist (admittedly with the ZS) is that LKA is crude but rather than turning it off just switch on the MG Pilot which then overrides the LKA and is smoother and just follows the lane. The MG system is also much more tolerant to the hand on the steering wheel than my Tesla Model 3 which wants you to prove you're there but as long as you don't point the car yourself because then it disengages autosteer. One you tuber summed it up once saying there are two types of driver assist, Cooperative and uncooperative and I'd put MG system in the "Cooperative" camp and Tesla in the "Uncooperative" camp

[@ds-bu7ni]

Impressed by people who can talk fluently at the same time as driving but loathe it when they take time out to look at the camera. Don't take risks just to look at me!

[@AlainODea]

Great video. Thanks! You drove a Kona Electric previously for a fair bit I think. How does the MG4 compare to that?

[@thomasjohnbirks132]

I love my MG4. I drive a lot on simple rural roads where the lane assistant never bothers me.

[@slowdad8933]

With the latest version of the software you can now disable the crazy line assist and it Will remember that next time you start.

[@aliruane]

Just test drove an xpower. It’s insane. Finally, the promise of electric cars at an amazing price. Porsche performance for a fraction of the price. Phenomenal. I am buying one as soon as I can.

[@RobertDodge]

Get an insurance quote for the MG4 X Power now but make sure your sat down when you read it seen quotes around £1000 Fully Comp

[@lauriedunkinwedd3411]

In the latest software update (Dec 2023 for me) the lane keep issue has been addressed. Now a polite nudge instead of veering off into the bushes. Much better.

[@returner323617]

I have a Fiart 500e, and the Lane-Kepp Assist does a similar thing on B and C roads. I don't like it either, but the good thing is that you can easily (temporarily) disable it with a double-tap in the left-hand stork, no menu navigation is required.

[@wrutherfordx3x]

I love Fiart. I often Fiart. 😂😂😂

[@bill_heywood]

Great vid Bob, I love my MG4 too Whilst it does have a good turning circle, the best thing about having RWD is that it makes it a lot of fun to drive, especially on country roads One advantage it has over the Model 3 is having a hatchback, I couldn’t put my Labrador in the boot of a Model 3 🐕

[@Fomites]

How does rear-wheel drive make it more fun on country roads? Genuine question. Do you mean by losing rear-wheel traction on bends?

[@bill_heywood]

@@Fomites there's no tail out driving for me, I'm too sensible. But the driving dynamics of a RWD car are quite different to a FWD car and I'm enjoying it

[@jamesguy7396]

Forgot to add a note about VTL. Really useful if you live in a rural area where power cuts happen occasionally. Ive had my MG4 SR since November and used it once to power my house essentials.

[@t4bs594]

Hi. Did you use the official MG adapter or a third party one?

[@jamesguy7396]

@@t4bs594 I used an approx £30 one from ebay

[@chriskeene]

Props to whoever edited this and zoomed in each time Robert fiddled with his notes

[@martynmorris8160]

Luckily my lane assist has remained off since the first day I got the car. Best I've done on a road trip test was 267 miles motorway, dual carriageway and fast A roads which impressed me very much, I think I had around 4% battery remaining.

[@Draigthedragon]

Yep, I say up mine the way done guy on the MG forum said to and it's never bothered me since. 😀

[@GreenDriveIndia]

Which version

[@martynmorris8160]

@@GreenDriveIndia Trophy (September 22)

[@davidemeny]

Likewise, I have a Trophy bought in Dec 22 and the Lane Keeping Assist stays permanently off. Hope that doesn’t change with a software update, because it is indeed the only annoying thing about the car.

[@Sto79Be]

@@Draigthedragoncan you elaborate on how you did it please, to help others

[@leesmart1971]

2019 Kona Lane-Keep only activates when cruise control is switched on. Means I just switch off cruise control with a single button press when I hit the twisty/narrow roads.

[@johnfrancis4401]

I have an MG4 too. It is great. For some reason my car doesn’t have lane assist. Have I switched it off? Permanently? Or am I just lucky?

[@lostcarpark]

Been driving the MG4 for about 2 months, and totally love it, but also totally agree on the lane assist. I suspect it just doesn't get on with Irish roads. There's one particular place where the lane markings are really clear, and I can be driving dead centre in the lane, and every time it beeps at me. I don't care if I have to hack a settings file in the car's computer, I will find a way to disable it!

[@peterjackson6228]

Excellnet video as always...more content please! It'd be interesting to hear if any other manufactorers Lane Assistants are plagued by the same issue? Or if it is just an MG thing?

[@beaverweaver]

I have the Megane etech and the lane assist is fantastic in that. A very gentle nudge. I’ve heard the Ora Cat has a terrible lane assist too. Perhaps it’s a Chinese manufacturer issue 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@peterensinger1770]

I currently have a Mercedes B class which has lane keeping assist that is very good it just gently vibrates the steering wheel when it detects you drifting too close to the edge of the lane i do alot of driving in country lanes and this assist never activates it mostly activates on the motorway if i change lanes without indicating ie when the motorway is quiet. I have had a bit of experience driving the MG4 as a friend has one they took delivery of in February this year and i have had plenty of time to drive it and i found the lane keeping assist a bit fierce it tries to steer you in to a hedge on the country lanes. but with that function switched off the drive is amazing. I have been looking to go electric on my next car and as a result of all the driving i have done in the MG4 i have decided to order one to replace the Mercedes. I am now eagerly awaiting the delivery of the MG4 i have ordered the trophy spec version in Active Red. I will be mostly charging this car at home so i have had an Ohme charger installed and will be using an EV tariff from my energy supplier who have quoted me a day rate of 28Kwh and for 6 hours overnight a rate of 7.5Kwh so i am looking forward to saving a pile of money in fuel as i am currently spending £60 per week on average for petrol. I believe i can do all the mileage i do in a week on one charge which if i need a full charge it will cost me less than a tenner.

[@robertreid7221]

Hi Robert, we call it our pre flight check. Get in the car, 1)whack it on to eco, 2) then over to driving mode and turn off lane keep assist. It was never nasty with us, it was just a little nudge, but with LKA off it just gives us a little beep, far less stress. ✌❤ Bob.

[@rtfazeberdee3519]

For lane keep assist, they should just vibrate the wheel

[@RichardBacon-h5x]

It's an option, I set mine to alert rather than vibrate

[@beaverweaver]

I have the Megane Etech, and the lane assist is fantastic. It’s a very gentle nudge. Very well done.

[@MartinzW]

@@beaverweaver Renault in Europe has been doing a really solid job with lane assist and adaptive cruise control. People love hating on Renault historically but it has one of the best lane assists out there today. And I am saying that as a Tesla Model 3 owner. My next car may be Renault.

[@markrichardson8299]

@@RichardBacon-h5x Does it remember the setting, or so you need to change it each time?

[@RichardBacon-h5x]

@markrichardson8299 No, I have to reset it every time I get out of the vehicle. For example, if I get out to make a door is shut properly, I have to reset it. Very annoying. I wrote to EuroNCAPS about it. They say they are aware of the issue, but they didn't expect manufactures to put such simplistic "tram line" solutions in place. But none of the updates have reversed this setting that I'm aware of.

[@captains_log23]

Loved the video Kryton...I actually leave the LKA on. I just adjusted the strength to "weak" and it's ok because it's trained me to stay in the middle and indicate...! Apart from the many, many software problems the feature of the cameras coming on when you indicate is something I hate...! I'm coming to a roundabout and when I need the satnav to show me where I'm going I just get a view of the side of my car...? I've been having lots of fun touring the MG4 around Europe and have been making my own videos about it 😎 Hopefully I can help encourage others to take the leap to Electric by sharing my experiences both good and bad....keep up the good work 👏🏻

[@Mikkleblackmouse]

Really want one of these! Hoping to lease one through work early next year.. did I miss him go back to the point about fast charging? “I’ll come back to that later…”

[@Frostywood123]

You mentioned changing the speed for the cruise control is easy and it is but I have no idea why they seem to do it opposite to every other car. It’s single press up or down to change 5 mph and then you have to hold it for a bit for it to change by 1 mph but it’s continuous so you have to try and catch it at the right number

[@stevenjones916]

1) MG4 SE 2) MG4 SE Long Range 3) MG4 Trophy Long Range 4) MG4 Trophy Extended Range 5) MG4 XPower

[@InBodWeTrust]

4 and 5 are the same price ... but other than that, this is the correct order of ascending pricing. 🙂

[@paillart527]

Hi, here also in France, we have country narrow roads with only center marking, sometimes not, sometimes érased, and this annoying and dangerous Lane Keeping Assistant is the worst of this car.I've to disbla each time I start driving. I agree in what you said this Lane Keeping Assistant is done for high way not small roads. Accidents coming as we have to fight the steering which push the car in a very bad situation an. Impossible to drive relax with this LKA, ti's a pain in the ass!. Another dangerous problem is the cruise control. Have you notice that the system slow down the car in the curves and sometimes a lot when it is not needed. Normally, when taking a curve, slow down at the entry then accelerate progressively to get out. This cruise control does the opposite, so I disable it (and it doesn't come back fortunately) and controle myself the driving. Thanks for all your videos.

[@sailingoctopus1]

I turned off Lane Keeping Assist when I picked up my MG4 SE SR in September and haven't had to turn it off again since, so I'm keen not to have a software update until LKA can be permanently disabled. Other than that, the car is nothing short of brilliant.

[@xikanhan3916]

How did you do that please?

[@stevenmoore8394]

The thing is my lane keep assist does stay off, and I know others who it does too. It’s weird because for many others it’s the same as yours. But mine stayed off since the journey home and never came back on

[@jcfallows]

Please borrow the X Power version, I would love your take on that one !

[@Mark_my_words_YT]

I regularly do the same one way trip of around 190 miles without stopping, you asked so there you are. Love the MG4 tho 😊

[@PaulvanDruten]

We love our MG4! Only to have the car greet me every time with: "Please turn of Lane Keep Assist!"

[@davidsworld5837]

you drive a Music format when you put MP4 instead of MG4 or was this to see if any one looked at your comment

[@olivercowan]

@@davidsworld5837 Actually normally a video file rather than audio 😁

[@PaulvanDruten]

@@davidsworld5837 LOL, I'm a KZbinr so forgive my error!

[@PaulvanDruten]

LOL, I'm a KZbinr so forgive my error!@@olivercowan

[@paulpopplestone7837]

Useful video but a couple of points: contrary to what you say, the id4 is also rear wheel drive with a very similar turning circle, plus you said you’d come back to your experience regarding the charging speed …. but unless I missed it, you didn’t.

[@FranciscoNogueira]

Robert, Despite what everyone usually says, city driving is way less efficient that constant speed driving (consider a speed of under 100km/h). Forget regen braking. Has efficient it may be it's ALWAYS a loss of energy. Hope it helps explain your efficiency drop.

[@موسى_7]

But EVs don't idle like pwtrol cars, and they are said to be more efficient when slow, so what gives?

[@ukslim]

Best efficiency figures we've had have been long distances on hilly rural 60mph roads. Few complete stops. Slower than motorway. Regen when slowing for corners. Regen when descending hills.

[@FranciscoNogueira]

@@ukslim make it 50mph on a flat highway from 100%to 0% and you'll have near the best efficiency possible.

[@FranciscoNogueira]

@@موسى_7 No-one is talking about ice cars. I surely don't. So...

[@edgreen5805]

Keep seeing these MG’s on the road and must admit, coming from an i4 owner who loves their EV, I do like the look of these cars. Great short review as usual - recognise a lot of the lanes around Ford in the Cotswolds and lay-by at top of Stanway Hill

[@trashmail8]

LOL! The same lane keeping thing is bugging me in the Seat Mii Electric. Luckily it's just a single physical button to disable it in that car, because it doesn't remember it either. :) :)

[@NikPawluk]

Mine arrived yesterday and i love it, but i'm glad this lane assist was shown, i have to drive along a bit of a rural road in order to get to the motorway and the lane assist is violent, i haven't had a chance to fully play with the features so thanks for showing us how to turn it off!

[@DJ-um8qw]

I'm a tesla MY owner and I have the same issue with emergency lane departure. Multiple software updates haven't resolved the issues. I hope MG will lead the way and get it sorted.

[@MartinzW]

Thank you for saying this. Since owning M3 I have been complaining about it and it feels like no other Tesla owner will admit it's bad. Now, to be fair, it only activates when over 65kph and you can get into habit of using turn signals to overtake and keeping yourself in lane in most cases but it's really noisy and annoying when it happens. Especially when you lend someone your car. What's worse, it doesn't work consistently, sometimes turn signal will stop it from happening, other times it might not. If MG is worse than this, it might be deal breaker for me when I will consider next car.

[@Pyracles57]

My Tesla M3 also does it badly. I turned off the automtic correction long ago, after it tried to "correct" while reversing out of a parking space, but left the audio warning on to observe when it triggers.There is one place with a pedestrian island on a rising curve where it always triggers at night. The last two updates have increased the frequency.

[@MrChakra108]

@@MartinzWDid you turn the Joe mode on? It reduces the dings and the dongs.

[@MartinzW]

@@MrChakra108 I did but still too many dings for my liking

[@JoshArchers]

Literally on the test drive when our new MG4 arrived off the truck the LKA activated due to a rut in the road and tried to go in the opposite lane. It’s actually more unsafe to have it active. The car is great apart from that though.

[@djalland1]

I'm so pleased to hear all of this. I'm having one delivered in 3 days (SE long range) and I'm really excited about it now.

[@maxym777]

what about now? any thoughts?

[@djalland1]

@maxym777 after a year I'm really pleased with it. It's a nice drive, good range, comfortable and I've had no real issues with it. I don't even have a problem with the lane assist some people hate. I'd definitely recommend.

[@maxym777]

@@djalland1 why did I ask you) because I already ordered this car, it should come to me in a week, if you are interested, what is the price in Ukraine for the 64 kWh version - the answer is £18,000. I know that in your homeland it is worth much more

[@djalland1]

@@maxym777 It is more expensive in the UK, but I think used ones have really dropped in price. I hope you enjoy the car, it's a great one. щасливого водіння

[@maxym777]

@@djalland1 I meant this is the price of a new car from the salon) thank you, I am very pleased, drive safe

[@redjohn20001]

I run mine in TJA, traffic jam assist. It remembers this setting and only gives the occasional light tug but if you turn it on from the steering wheel the lane keeping is very scary.

[@petequinn3511]

The LKA is not a deal breaker for me. I like my MG4. Only issue is on a full charge, i'm only getting 220 mile range. But it is December and a bit chilly, so i think that's to be expected. Please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong. As an edit: i'm doing about 80 miles a day to and from work.

[@jamesguy7396]

I use the Custom setting and lane assist is off without further action. I think the 0-62 times are opposite to your graphic. the LFP car is quicker than the LR and Trophy

[@victorseal9047]

As an ex Brit, I had to smile when Robert said, "on a really long drive of a 180/190 miles" 😅, because when living in the UK I too thought those distances to be a fair trek.😮 Here in Québec and throughout N America the distances are so vast they’re measured by the number of driving hours !?

[@helipeek2736]

What’s “an ex Brit”?

[@aussieideasman8498]

@@helipeek2736 In my case it's being born in Manchester and having my second birthday on the boat to Australia; getting citizenship in my twenties; and backing the Aussies to win the Ashes and other sporting events. I have nothing against the Poms, and am proud to have that lineage. Even being ex-Brit is fine. The biggest mistake my homeland did was send the convicts here - they should have made England the penal island and all the free people move here in droves 200 years ago. Canada would probably have been better, too. I would love to holiday there some day. I have holidayed in England once, and loved it - would do it again.

[@aussieideasman8498]

I have taken trips alone measured in days in Aus. In the 70s I rode motorbikes at 105 mph for hours on end to get from Townsville to Moe (and back) on army leave. Two nights in Motels, of course (kangaroos at night). Check it on Google maps.

[@lkrnpk]

that's the case, in my country further I will ever drive on monthly basis is something like 170 miles, if once a year I go on a bigger trip over 1000 km I can stay and charge for 15-20 minutes at some spots, it is not that difficult, but really various people have different needs

[@helenskelton9694]

I've had my lovely MG4 almost 2 years now and watched this review a year ago. Still really enjoying the MG4 - except for the scary toddler grabbing the steering wheel when I forget to turn lane assist off! I drove to Birmingham from Cambridge via a fenland village and back, a journey of 216 miles in the rain with the screen blower on one way, and still had 50miles on the guess-ometer 😊

[@simoncooper4623]

I have an MG 5 and I had a similar issue with the lane assist, it kept trying to wrench the steering from me. However, I switched it off and thankfully it has stayed off! I absolutely love my MG 5 and would thoroughly recommend.

[@shonunezekiel]

I have just rented an MG5 LR for a week, and was really impressed by the build quality handling, and range (which did not seem to drop off significantly at motorway speeds) - I did not like the infotainment/navigation, which I found unintuitive and positioned too low, and I had a lot of problems connecting android auto. But generally a surprisingly good car (I was surprised because it has not got that much coverage).

[@briancrawley8440]

Great video thanks. I have the MG5 facelift version and the lane keep assist is fine. It certainly doesn’t wrench the steering wheel. I really love the MG Pilot system and the MG5. I actually went initially to test the MG4 and ended up preferring the 5. Thanks for all you do.

[@petersimms4982]

Two friends returned their VW id3 , now they both have MG 4 , no wonder Audi has asked MG to build their next EV 😊

[@josefv-y8m]

And MG is owned by SAIC and Partner of VW in China...circle closed. MG4 has 204HP...ID3 has 204HP...😅

[@petersimms4982]

@@josefv-y8m SAIC is majority owned by the Chinese government 😊

[@RobertDodge]

@@josefv-y8m I would nearly guarantee MG & VW are using the identical Bosch motor

[@kevinrich5222]

@@petersimms4982 To be precise, the majority of the shares are owned by the Shanghai government, which is different from the Chinese government. The Chinese government only collects national taxes and does not share profits or losses. The profits and losses belong only to Shanghai.

[@DavidPurkis]

hi as a fellow mg4 driver i have the standard version in the driver menu you can turn lane assist off, (before and after the patch), it is good on on long trips! hope they patch it soon. for the rest of the roads i drive down. i commute to and from work 6 miles each way summer number over 1200miles 5.1 miles per kwh and winter were 4.5kwh over a simulate distances. the trip is stop-go motoring in 30-40 limits with some reasonable hills to climb.

[@peteradamsonful]

I drive my Mg4 from Rotherham to London and back. The large battery is useful as it means that going to London for 9.5p/kwh, and still having 1/3 the battery left. I destination charge at 44p/kwh then come back without needing the expensive rapid chargers. £25 for 360 miles. The LKA is actually useful on the motorway so long as there's no road works! (tiny narrow temp lanes) Overall I love mine. I also had a £10k discount thanks to the bank of mum and dad.

[@AnthonyRochester]

I got one of these just last week. I can't be bothered turning lane keep assist off every time, the few times it has engaged, it was just a gentle nudge to keep within the lane, no problem. Maybe they did update the software since this video.

[@andrewgiles6192]

Did I miss what he was going to say about the charging speed?

[@davidsworld5837]

he got old and did a Biden. he fell asleep instead of telling you about it

[@rinnin]

I was waiting for that too!

[@Muppetkeeper]

Looking forward to these getting into the second hand market

[@Zeem4]

If the lane-keeping assistance works by means of a camera, could it be defeated by putting tape over the lens? Or does the camera serve other purposes as well?

[@TheVedabuss]

I have a prev gen MG5, its the dog truck and we all love the way it waits until I'm doing 30mph before it tells me my boot is open ❤

[@patrickh7368]

My Ioniq has that lane software and that stays “off” after hitting the button… it is dangerous! I hadn’t had the car long and went to manoeuvre around a cyclist … the system started fighting me back towards the cyclist.!!!! Never had it on since.. Just a note the 4WD MG has a rear wiper 😳 they can do it if they try 🤣

[@Brian-om2hh]

So do all the others if you get one now.......

[@patrickh7368]

@@Brian-om2hh interesting, on one review I commented n got a snotty reply from a Chinese person saying why don’t you go n buy that top range model if I’m obsessed with a rear wiper LOL 😂

[@solarbear8888]

Most issues would be solved if you could save and select a profile when you start driving, like a Netflix profile.

[@amigang]

This is likly going to be my first EV/next car. its too much now but in two years time when the lease is up for many of them, the second hand market will be there and hopefully these will be more in my price range of £15,000 (just like older Leaf are now and if Tesla makes/annouces there Model2 by that point I expect a lot of people jumping over, so hopefully it will be about that ) I also feel 250mile range is the sweet spot for EVs, as this accounts for battery degradation, change in weather conditions, etc, but your likly always going to get at least 175+ miles out of it and at that range/point your going to need a break anyway, so it will certainly do me.

[@MorrisTart]

I have exactly the same issue with the Lane Control on my VW E-Up!, with the one exception: it has a single, simple physical button to turn it off that can be reached with a finger without taking a hand off the steering wheel. The fiddly touch screen on the MG4 would drive me bonkers; thank goodness the E-Up! has none of that nonsense.

[@JonathanGinn]

Also love my MG4. About to hit 3k miles and I love love love it. Looks amazing, drives extremely well, adore it. Two things I hate about it: Lane Keep - this video pretty much covers it. I've only had it trigger once when it was useful when I was on the motorway and accidentally moved to change lanes without indicating. The lane was empty but it was unhappy about it. Fair enough, that was fine. Every other time it's been awful on windy country lanes. Swapping between Cruise Control and Speed Limiter - you have to go into the UI (similar to turning off Lane Assist) and swap it over which is difficult to do while driving. And if you leave it on Speed Limiter when you get out of the car, next time you get in it will have turned it off (not even back to Cruise Control!) Why is this so hard to swap, can't it be swapped by holding the speed control button on the steering wheel? And can't it remember it was on Speed Limiter? If you leave it on Cruise Control it remembers that next time you get in. Argh! Oh and the other minor niggle is lack of options on the Favourite buttons on the steering wheel. 4 options on the left and 2 on the right. Why not all 6 options for both sides? Why not bonus options for holding the Favourite button to activate something else? The car is amazing but let down by silly software. Hopefully these can be fixed with a software update.

[@Phoenix1uk]

Our first few KIAs would try to push us off the road, thankfully the new is better. I best hold off until they improve it. Alot of my driving is countryside, sometimes single track. Seems a lovely car overall, I'll have to see how the cup holders are. Nothing worse than bad ones/lack of when you want a drink. (The new Niro ones are oddly placed).

[@RJordanT]

We have one on country lanes and it has no idea how to cope with the LKA.

[@cbcdesign001]

I dont want to switch off lane assist, I just want the blasted system to work properly. My Toyota Prius that I had in 2011 had this feature and it worked better than any car I have had since from Seat or Hyundai which is crazy. If they could make it work well in 2011 they should be able to make it work as well in 2023.

[@MegaSimsie]

I absolutely love my MG4. But you're absolutely right. That lane assist is a huge pain and honestly, at points when it kicks in, it feels unsafe. I've some friends who live up country roads and every time I visit them it feels like lane assist is trying to shove me into the nearest bush! I do love the car tho 😂

[@robsengahay5614]

Waiting for this to land in Australia soon. I have reserved a test drive but thinking its a done deal for us. I am reckoning that they will be very popular at the price so hoping that they bring enough of them here to satisfy demand. I suspect that the lane keep assist will be less of an issue on our suburban roads but still I think the default should be off and hopefully that will be addressed. If a safety feature doesn’t function properly and is actually potentially dangerous shouldn’t that lower the NCAP score?

[@alexsas8937]

Thanks for these reviews! About to place and order but can’t decide between the low or high spec, mainly because of the 2-tone paint. Any truth that the black roof makes the inside uncomfortable on a hot Australian day? I drove a black Mazda 3 for 1200km when daytime temps were above 38 degrees C, and the top of my (thinning) head was noticeably hot. Don’t have the same issue in my silver RAV4.

[@andrewknott9379]

Lane Assistant is also a bug-bear in the new Niro EV. Hopefully like the MG4, it's a software 'feature' that will be removed in a future update!!

[@ukslim]

It won't be removed, as it has to be there for the NCAP rating. It can't be permanently turned off as a preference either - NCAP requires it to be turned on whenever the car is restarted. It might get improved, but multiple manufacturers have found it difficult to get right. What I'd mostly like is a "driver profile" button that's really prominent on the home screen. So instead of all the "pre-launch checks" (set driving mode to Eco, disable LKA, ...) I can just choose "Driver 2" (or even "John") and get all my saved options. If you don't choose a profile, you get the NCAP-approved defaults.

[@stianthomassen6693]

In the MG zs ev you can permanently turn off lane assist which I have done since it has the same issues. I have turned it back on on motorways and it does work better there, but not on tiny small Norwegian roads.