NEW BYD Dolphin vs MG4 vs Citroen e-C3 review - what's the best CHEAP electric car? | What Car?

[@redjohn20001]

Two years ago I bought the MG4 having tested many different evs in the years up to this, my purchase was based on price and the drivability which was the best I had previously experienced. You mentioned poor reliability and I had read you report in the magazine which seemed to based on the number of faults a car had listed against it. My car in two years has a faulty door unlock switch, to be dealt with under warranty, but that is hardly comparable to another make of car that has developed an engine or gearbox fault. That is where I felt your reliability survey fell down in my eyes. Carwow to a survey based on repair cost although it is based on older cars. Thanks for the video, it hasn't changed my thoughts on the MG4, I still love driving it and find it preferable to the other two cars on test.

[@hojnikb]

it has a very long overall warranty at 7 years (some markets even 10!) so if you buy new, it isnt really that important.

[@moragkerr9577]

I agree with you. I've had mine for 20 months and it's as reliable as the sunrise. It's had the undertray repair that everyone has now had under warranty I think, and when the charging port lights (almost a cosmetic feature!) failed, they were also replaced under warranty. In contrast, my Golf GTI's engine blew up at 33 months and 30,000 miles, and a wheel fell off some time later. Admittedly the MG4 isn't 33 months yet, but also, it doesn't HAVE an engine to blow up.

[@Draigthedragon]

@@hojnikb but the devil is in the detail here. Only a small proportion of things are covered with that warranty - and you know it's the things most unlikely to go wrong. I agree with redjohn, my 4 has only had service-centre induced issues.

[@hojnikb]

@@Draigthedragon What other than interior bits isn't covered under the 7 year warranty?

[@Draigthedragon]

@@hojnikb That's a very complicated answer. Almost everything on the car is covered for a different period of time. Which is pretty standard in the car business. You'd need to look at the official MG document for a more helpful answer to your question.

[@gileshalliwell3591]

Please give the “hard plastic” moan a rest..! If these were premium products then you’d have a point but these are cheaper vehicles!

[@t4bs594]

I actually like hard plastic in a car. Less to worry about.

[@denism66]

That hard plastic is going to handle wear and tear a lot better than soft leather type material.

[@moragkerr9577]

It's certainly nothing I worry about, and there's actually less of it in my MG4 than there was in my previous car, a VW Golf GTi.

[@johnmull59]

Nobody complains about carbon fibre....which is also hard touch!🤷🏻

[@t4bs594]

@@johnmull59 After watching this sh*t video, I can only conclude that reviewers are complete dumb asses, talking cr@p about things you assumed they knew something about. Hard plastic? Who actually cares? A boot that you can get all you want in to - but has a slightly narrower aperture than another car. Really?

[@jamesalias595]

Unfortunately none of these cars are available in the USA, because we don't like competition as it might cut into CEO salaries.

[@BSPBuilder]

Freedom is not free, you need to pay more $ to support American freedom.

[@LoganX00]

Keep in mind that the prices they are quoting, converted to US dollars is around $34.5k. THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF ELON, but... a new long range model 3 after the federal rebate comes to $35k. The M3 gets 360 miles on a charge and charges at 250Kw peak. I don't know why anyone would want the cars mentioned in the US, when you look at the comparison. Personally I would get an ioniq5 which yes, is more money, but i love the styling and the 800v system is awesome.

[@tnickknight]

Save money, take your military out of Europe. We don't need themmor your dear leader

[@ianrob4760]

​@@LoganX00 our prices here have always been more expensive plus the exchange rate is historically low over the long term so real difficult to compare, see the cost of a model 3 in the UK to see that

[@silvy7394]

Well we also dont like cheap affordable cars. For those who dont know, there's massive tariffs on every one of these cars. Thats why companies never bring them to the US, other than US dealers only want to sell big SUV and truck for profit.

[@Gdank72]

We had the MG4 SE for 2 years. Great little car. Range is 150-200 winter/summer in motorways. I drove it all over the country. The range wasn't a problem, just a little slow on a rapid, but that's expected with a small LFP. Would definitely have again if we needed a second car.

[@Draigthedragon]

Agree with all of your comment. One detail that most reviews miss is the charging curve. The 4 has never achieved the headline figure it was initially sold as having, but the charging time isn't all that bad. I almost always find the car is ready before I am.

[@EverydayLife621]

We're the same, 30000 miles later, no issues what so ever (just follow the forums and dont get it updated with the new dodgy LKA - which defaults to on at startup, our MG dealer is more than happy not to update - so our LKA defaults to off), on the 51Kwh SE LFP version it does run out at exactly 0 miles (no buffer), and runs as is till around 2%

[@PJWey]

@@Draigthedragonthat’s true but the curve you get is actually faster than the promised one with a higher peak. 80kw down to about 60kw at 65% is my experience, which surprisingly perhaps has never been too slow. Stopping to use facilities etc and majority home charging means a lack of a huge peak is not really a problem.

[@PJWey]

Only go to 80% if you’re looking to waste time, MG4 SE charge rate drops steeply after 65%.

[@PJWey]

MG4 SE is best in ECO mode

[@AdrianoCasemiro]

Neither the Vauxhall, nor the MG are available in Brazil. But I'm thrilled to report that the BYD made it's way to my garage and I couldn't be happier with it. Very efficient, good enough range for a long road trip, solidly built and well priced. It's 360 cameras are the best in the business, heat pump is standard across the range, cabin space is Tardis like. The boot is somewhat small, but I often travel with the wife, no kids so I just fold the rear seats and load as much stuff as I want. Great around town and cheap to insure. Love that car.

[@ciybersal3499]

BYD can Seagull in Europe but probably they think it will dilute the brand maybe

[@AdrianoCasemiro]

@@ciybersal3499 those are sweet, but I got the Dolphin.

[@Xyronium]

There was no Vauxhall in the test. Do you mean Citroën?

[@AdrianoCasemiro]

@Xyronium yeah neither models are available in my country and I mixed them up. But you got the idea. Chinese cars are not the sorry excuse they used to be.

[@littlechanges13]

So I’ve been driving an MG4 for around 18 months as my first EV. I really worry based on my experience that framing the testing like this makes it seem charging speed is really important, I’m not convinced it is so important. I regularly do the 3.5 hour drive to Cornwall from Bristol as a good example. I finish at say 5/5:30 from work jump in the car and I basically stop at either Lifton, Exeter or Cornwall services based purely on when I’m hungry. They all have always had chargers available and it always charges more than I need while eating. That would still be true even if it charged slower. The framing of this makes charging look like a drama that really isn’t my experience

[@michaelhole4894]

There's definitely something wrong with your car, I drive from Cornwall to Yorkshire in 6 1/2 hours. (5 hours on my bike)

[@littlechanges13]

@ my mums place is unfortunately about as far into Cornwall as you can get and through some small villages that are painfully slow to get through

[@Draigthedragon]

Agreed. Does it charge in the time it takes you to do what you need to do? If so, then great. I've actually had more stress from the 4 charging too quickly, and having to get back and move it; rather than that waiting around for it.

[@moragkerr9577]

I know what you mean. There are times I could wish my MG4 SE SR charged a bit faster - as all the other MG4 models do - but this is unusual. When I stop I usually want to stop more than 40 minutes to have a meal. In fact I often let the car run up to 85-90% as I'm finishing coffee and going to the loo. I suppose if the chargers aren't busy it wouldn't matter, but having to run out to move the car after 20 minutes or so isn't my idea of a relaxing break.

[@littlechanges13]

@ 100% this plus I’m always aware I’m paying 20x more on the motorway than on my overnight tariff so try to avoid charging more than necessary

[@RobWVideo]

My 79-year-old Australian mother just bought a BYD Dolphin. She uses it weekly to drive 150km+ each way from the city to the coast. She *loves* it and is able to keep it topped up from her 10kw of rooftop solar panels every day, essentially spending nothing on fuel. The technology is miles ahead of her previous ride (A 10-year-old Peugeot 308) and she's a steadfast evangelist for the car to everyone she meets. I'm seriously looking at getting a BYD as my next car in a year or two unless something seriously impressive comes out from one of the other EV manufacturers.

[@Athrunwong]

10kw solar??? Wow...your grandma is wealthy.

[@enriqueali]

​@Athrunwong what does his grandma have to do with this?

[@angelo9999-9]

@RobWVideo: I understand vou. But were the solar panels free?

[@RobWVideo]

@@angelo9999-9 As I said, they cost $AUD7500 for panels + inverter + installation.

[@JSM-bb80u]

​@@AthrunwongSolar is cheap in Australia.

[@mitch075fr]

I have a Dolphin. There is a setting where you can tell it to give you an 'intelligent' estimate for the autonomy instead of the official number. As long as you don't drive past 80-90 km/h, you can reach the official number, though. Yes, the LingLong tires suck. They get slightly better with a bit of wear, but nothing to write home about.

[@dzonikg]

I have LIngLOng on my BMW ,reason is they were 2 times cheaper then most cheapest off other brands .BUt even that cheap was not cheap its just that other brands at least for my car are horribly expensive ,like good year or Pirelli cost 450 euro per 1 tire so 1800 for all 4 ,for sure want give that money for car that is my weekend car that i mostly drive around town

[@CampGareth]

I swapped the LingLongs for Michelin CrossClimate 2s and it improved the feel of the car significantly. No wheel spin in eco on dry tarmac!

[@X-H-Wu]

See which cars are banned or heavily tariff by the US, and you will know what is the best cars.

In this test, it would be all of them. None of the three cars in this test are available in the US. Two of them (MG and BYD) are made in China, so the probability of us seeing them in the near future is nil. The Citroen is built in Slovakia.

[@justdoit7292]

but i have a question,because all china cars are banned by the us,so which car should i choose?

[@chrisgrou]

​@@justdoit7292you should probably pick the company that treats workers like slaves the most and cares about the environment the least, right X-H-Wu?

[@Brian-om2hh]

That won't matter to people who live outside the US...

[@sr20trx]

Geez you get screwed on pricing in the UK, the MG4 was £15000 driveaway last month and now £16000 driveaway here in Australia, then theres the £1500 cash back incentive.

[@sargfowler9603]

It is a UK based video!

[@ISuperTed]

High taxes in the UK and a tariff on importing MG’s! Reality is you can get big discounts on them here, so about £21,000 real world price, but still a lot more than other countries.

[@sr20trx]

@sargfowler9603 no shit, hence my comment....

[@sr20trx]

@ISuperTed the MG4 was the number 1 selling EV in Australia in October and at the price we get them for I can see why, especially as most people here have garages, a lot have solar and alot 2 cars, and contrary to popular belief we do not travel huge distances. Would not be buying one in the UK at that price, and I wouldn't buy an EV full stop if I could not charge at home.

[@sargfowler9603]

@ They’re £20k in the uk if you search on autotrader

[@harryharris1738]

Re; aircon. In the BYD you do NOT need to use the screen. You simply say "Hey BYD, set temperature 20" and it will do it for you!

[@moragkerr9577]

He should have said that! And in the MG4 you programme the right steering wheel button and just flip the joystick up/down for temperature or side-to-side for fan speed.

[@gavjlewis]

Also you can use the 3 finger swipe anywhere on the screen to change the temperature or fan speed on the Dolphin.

[@ouethojlkjn]

All of these cars were damned with faint praise. It was a wonder they didn't keep moaning on that none of them were as good as a BMW M3

[@ThePrimateKing]

You can also use three fingers on the screen to scroll up or down through the temp range.

[@oliverstemp9132]

20:23 the eC3 using its drivers display to show charging time is so handy, surprised it hasnt been mentioned anywhere. I like the Citroen.

[@CampGareth]

That's a common feature on EVs, my Dolphin does it too. It's pretty accurate from what I remember.

[@lachd2261]

I've test driven drove both the BYD Dolphin and MG4. Both very impressive machines, but in the end we bought the MG4 due to the superior driving performance in Australian road conditions (balanced, rear wheel drive, good suspension, excellent handing and acceleration). The MG4 is seriously nice to drive, I think if anything this video under-rates how nice it is - and at the moment you can get the base model for about $AU32,000 (GBP16000/US20500). No wonder it outsold Tesla last month!

[@MatthewStanford51]

With the dolphin you can change to dynamic range prediction which is much more accurate

[@WelshVilliageDad]

Calling something cheap thats over £20K makes my brain melt.

[@ISuperTed]

Yes, but a base Golf petrol hatch is now £27,000. Car prices are silly now.

[@jondonnelly3]

Bangernomics is way to go. Get out the Hayes manuals and mend and make do.

[@Trifusion1]

@@jondonnelly3 EV bangernomics is the way forward. Cheap old EVs are much more reliable than old ICE and super cheap because no one trusts the batteries. You can get old Nissan leafs for silly cheap prices and they’re great little runners.

[@hishamg]

A new petrol Corsa starts from £18,5000. A new petrol Hyundai I20 starts from £21,000. £20,000 is about average for a new small car these days.

[@agaafear]

@@jondonnelly3 God, no!

[@dougonutube]

Very interesting review - thanks to all involved. My wife has had her MG4 trophy now for nearly two years (she had one of the first in the country) and she absolutely LOVEs it. One major factor you missed in the survey is that the MG4 is REAR WHEEL DRIVE, whereas the others are front wheel. You touched on the issue when mentioning wheelspin on the BYD, which is the issue with FWD electric cars. Because the torque and power delivery are generally so much better than ICE cars, and the weight distribution is generally much more even (not front-heavy) you generally can't put all the power on the road with a FWD electric. We had the same issue with my first electric car (Kia e-Niro) and my wife's first electric (MG ZS EV). moving to RWD completely fixed the issue and she loves the very nimble off-the-line performance of the MG4, which is able to put all the torque straight on to the road. This, for me, is a deal-breaker with FWD electrics - I'll always go for RWD or AWD in the future (I now drive a dual-motor Tesla, and will never go back!! :-) )

[@MrDos22]

Get the MG4 Xpower. Get a decent range with better interior and heated seats and steering wheel. Love mine

[@tonychallinor6721]

Im approaching 2 years with a MG4 Trophy. Still love it and intend to buy at the end of its lease. I dont think the steering wheel is offset! Is that on newer models?

[@moragkerr9577]

I've had my MG4 SE SR for 20 months and I haven't noticed anything like that. Done over 16,000 miles in it. I wonder if it was just that car?

[@Airbag888]

They were just trying to find something to complain about.. their MG4 was on old software too it seems while the new one has a nicer layout. Also saying that the shortcut is not good enough is ridiculous.. it's amazing to have to press1 button and use the joystick to adjust climate

[@moragkerr9577]

@@Airbag888 I didn't notice about the software, but I did wonder about the comment about small icons, because the new software mostly sorted that. The ease of use of the climate control is terrific. And I drove the car this morning and didn't notice any offset of the driving position. I've a 350-mile trip planned for tomorrow, looking forward to it.

[@BN-cf8gk]

Same here. I intend to buy my trophy at end of year 3. The MG4 is the best by far on test here. They’re nit picking things only important to reviewers on all issues but reliability. I am a mod on a MG page and I believe looking through posts that the reliability tanked because of a now resolved oil leak and subsequent overfill issue with the rear transfer box, and early infotainment software / module firmware e.g. LKA and BMS. To be fair, MG has been working to fix complaints with numerous updates. I don’t think the reliability issues will be a factor if the car has had relevant work and updates performed, I have had zero issues in 18 months/k. Haven driven the BYD atto3 and dolphin they are not tuned for UK/European roads. Was also in a fair few in use as taxis in Thailand and the interiors don’t hold up well, particularly the cream soft touch materials they like so much look disgustingly grubby in no time. MG brand reliability also dragged down by their older cars which are pretty terrible. We had a 2022 ZS petrol courtesy car with several annoying faults apparent. Whereas recently I got a brand new 2024 MG3 hybrid courtesy during service, and it was a great cheap car, miles ahead of the old one. Hopefully moving in the right direction.

[@moragkerr9577]

@@BN-cf8gk Do I know you? (I'm also a mod on an MG page.) My car was bought April 2023 and never had the oil leak. I think they have been slow to fix the software glitches but most of them are done now so a car with the newest software should be fine. And make sure the undertray fix has been applied too. (Lots of people didn't notice that issue, but the ones where the undertray broke found out soon enough.) I also think the Trophy's software has tended to be flakier than the SE's, probably just because it has more bells and whistles. I know from the forum that people have had issues, including the ACC unit failure that didn't affect the SE SR, but they seem to be a fairly small minority, and even on a forum which tends to attract the disaffected and people looking for help with problems, satisfation is about 80% with only about 7% actively not happy - and one of the mods who checked said most of the 7% seemed to be people who didn't actually have an MG4 (though I suppose maybe they had got rid of it.) I don't know the chances of getting a lemon, but I certainly didn't, and if you don't get a lemon you should be a happy bunny.

[@apollodeancampbell4272]

Who charges at 0.24p at home? Most of us have intelligent go and never pay more than 0.07p even at peak hours. I pay 3.90 to top up my ioniq 5

[@stephen25uk]

Same here.

[@brentmeistergeneral1054]

Even less than that with solar panels

[@ouethojlkjn]

I know, they don't want too many people waking up and smelling the diesel. I mean coffee.

[@highmoorash7638]

I put 117 miles of range and 9kWh into my home battery during 6 hours of overnight tariff, costing a total of £3.20. As said, who charges during peak times, unless desperate.

[@danadams9241]

Yes, a bizarrely misleading approach to take, isn't it! It's fair to say that if you can't charge at home it removes one of the big advantages of EVs: the great convenience and low running costs of home charging. But if you can, you'll install a 7kW supply and the overwhelming majority of the charging you do will be at home, off peak while you're asleep, for the lowest cost, most convenience (and lowest CO2).

[@sirgaymeerkat1994]

MG are planning to release their cars with solid state batteries (at no extra cost) sometime in 2025, that's a game changer.

[@ISuperTed]

Maybe in the Cyberster by end of 2025, but it will be a few years before they all get them. It’s coming, but 2025 is too optimistic.

[@sirgaymeerkat1994]

@ISuperTed I'm only going on their press release! I couldn't say what model, you're probably right tho!

[@tug1345]

They may even sort out the wonky driving position

[@miskatonic6210]

​​​@@tug1345Maybe the UK should change their wonky driving position on the wrong side of the car? Be glad car companies even build an individual version for you and that few other quirky countries.

[@tug1345]

@miskatonic6210 the UK have right hand drive cars because it's right, Japan agree with us, India agree with us, Ireland agree with us, it's just everyone else that's a bit weird

[@miguelbarrosorainha5951]

I would choose the Citroën eC3, really like the quirky design and must be very comfortable ❤

[@Mi82475]

From what I saw here I would go for the eC3 over the others. But very interested in and Inster or a R5 so an update with those would be nice.

[@moragkerr9577]

It's great that there's a choice now. When I bought my MG4 SE SR in April last year it was a very easy decision indeed because there was nothing else to touch it at that price point. I'd still go for the MG, but different people have different needs. I've been trying to persuade a friend to look at the eC3, because I think it would suit her very well.

[@2011ppower]

Lease is the way to go you can currently get a 60kWh Dolphin in comfort spec for less than £240 pcm

[@kevinchernets]

A real world test of the cars most people will buy. A refreshing change. Thank you for an informative and relevant review.

[@IMBlakeley]

As well as PCP just leasing is worth a consideration, a 3 year lease on a MG4 Trophy will cost about £12k over 3 years that's got to be less than the depreciation in buying it or the PCP costs.

[@miskatonic6210]

But not compared to buying a young used car.

[@gatehanger1385]

I drive an 18 year old Corolla that cost me 1500 quid 6 years ago, and about 300 a year in maintenance since I bought it. It does about 65mpg on diesel. It's been utterly reliable. I can't think why I'd want to spend 25k on a new car

[@trevorberridge6079]

The average car price in the UK is £35k. So £25k is actually genuinely cheap. But you can get a new EV for less than £16k if you wish. And the prices are dropping all the time as the tech gets cheaper and cheaper. Plus you save WAY more money in running costs than the difference in price. In my case the savings exceeded the entire cost of my EV.

[@gatehanger1385]

@trevorberridge6079 you must be doing savage miles to recoup the price of the car in fuel savings! Here in Ireland a gallon of diesel costs roughly 7.5 euros a gallon. So doing 10k miles a year costs me about 1100 euros. I have no depreciation on the car at this stage. I'm not suggesting everyone would want to drive an old car like mine of course but I'm pretty sure that say a Dacia Spring would lose at least 4k in depreciation in the first year. So even assuming I could charge the batteries for nothing, I'd need to do 40, 000 miles a year to justify a car costing 16K. And that's not counting the return I could get by taking the 16 k and investing it. I'd agree though that if I was to buy a new car I'd 100 percent opt for the electric car over the ICE car, , since I can easily charge it overnight where I live. Also, maintenance costs are likely to be considerably lower for an electric motor than a combustion engine.

[@ReyGosten]

⁠@@gatehanger1385 you have a point there. I do have a ev i bought for £3k from auction 2019 Zoe cat n for dent on the back door. I wouldn’t buy a new EV .

[@SanjaaNMNGBWSN]

There are two types of people: The rich and middle class, who buy new cars. The poor and no income groups, who buy second-hand cars. (Like you) Otherwise, second-hand cars wouldn't even exist, right?

[@trevorberridge6079]

@SanjaaNMNGBWSN I'm working class and I got my EV new. You don't have to be rich and EVs are getting cheaper all the time. It's only dealer markups that are keeping them expensive. They are already cheaper to make than ICE equivalents.

[@waifu_enjoyer]

Just got a BYD Dolphin last week and loving it so far.

[@nigb1189]

Unfair test with the Dolphin, the Comfort/Design models at same price point on PCP to MG4 due to better residuals can do 0-60 in well under 7 seconds. Not to mention blade battery which can give unlimited fast charges without battery degradation. The Dolphin in higher trim is vastly better than MG4

[@pmac6584]

Nobody that charges at home will pay the price cap. More like 8.5p or even 7p on intelligent octopus go charging overnight.

[@C0baltBlueJ]

They always do this. They always sound like: "If you charge on a generator powered by burning Fabergé Eggs, it turns out EVs are actually more expensive than petrol."

[@siraff4461]

@@C0baltBlueJ They also always miss that the extra initial cost will attract more interest (or the capital you put into it could have been earning it - either way), the ability to get that finance may make it harder for some people to buy one in the first place and on top of that all the stopping to charge is seen as simply standing about. Do you go to work for free? If not why on earth would you not put a cost on your time when your car is forcing a stop you otherwise didn't need? The pointy finger game can go either way but all in there's actually little difference between the two when you bother to take everything into account.

[@rantingyoof6960]

​@@C0baltBlueJI've yet to see a review of EVs from the big mainstream motoring publications that dares to conclude that running an average runabout EV using predominantly home charging is orders of magnitude cheaper than running an ICE. I could run my EV at 200 miles a day, five days a week (~50k per year) without relying on public chargers at all, *and* save £2000 on fuel cost alone. But no, of course every single person who buys an EV immediately embarks upon a 250 mile one way road trip.

[@nicholassale4046]

Great content again from the What Car team. Although a road trip made for an interesting video, as mentioned at the start these aren't the cars for anyone with miles to cover (low range and charge speeds). We have 2 EVs at home and 99% they are charged overnight at 7p/kWh, so we hardly ever go near a public charger. It may make a less interesting video, but for anyone with a driveway (56% apparently) its a more realistic use case.

[@moragkerr9577]

However, if you only do long trips for leisure and you're not particularly time-constrained, they're perfectly capable of doing road trips - at least the MG is. I've taken mine 450 miles to the south coast of England several times, and my charges coincide with meal breaks. The day after tomorrow I'm doing a 350-mile round trip to collect an e-bike from Lancashire, and I'll do two charges that are basically lunch and dinner. The issue is that you can't go into hurry-mode if something else crops up. One time on my way to Sussex I lost hours on the M6 due to roadworks and breakdowns, but I couldn't claw any of this back at the charging stops as I could have done with a faster-charging car. So I was a bit late to my destination. If this is an issue for you, get a faster-charging car. (The MG4 SE LR for example, extra 50-60 miles of range and almost double the charging speed.) But if you mainly want a daily driver with the capability to go on a holiday road trip now and again, the SR is fine.

[@ladalout245]

I think this was a good test because this is what the majority of people considering the switch to electric will want to see, the point is they're comparing ICE convenience with the necessity to charge up on a journey. Otherwise I totally agree. We know what you're saying is true, but the majority doesn't and tests like this will hopefully educate folk.

[@madmcadder4536]

Great video guys. I particularly like the fade between cars on the road. It's clear to me the manufacturers have shot themselves through the head with the fake mileage range and is contributing to the anti EV brigades argument.

[@siraff4461]

Well they wouldn't sell as many if they said "honestly its going to do about 150 miles so long as you've only got one person in it in reasonable weather and on dry roads".

[@vitorhmtts]

27:13 all BYDs have a "static" (which basically shows what the WLTP range indicates) and a "dynamic" setting, this one uses the driving and battery data to estimate the range.

[@urbanstrencan]

Here for me BYD is the winner, great video keep it up 🤟❤

[@James-BB70]

Yup, I was shocked when they settled on the MG4!

[@inglesconalan5360]

Nice video. I love "The Italian Job" car colours. Every time I saw the three of them driving together, I was humming "the self preservation society" to myself along with doing my "you're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" Michael Caine impression - showing my age here.

[@samuxan]

Bad timing for this list when the Hyundai Inster and Fiat Panda recently launched but are not considered, arguably better and in the same price bracket with similar range. A bit baffling that the dacia spring is not considered when it's not only the cheapest EV but also the cheapest car available period.

[@dogsbodyish8403]

The Spring isn't really in the same class, in terms of size and range (battery size). As a short-range runabout it has its own niche.

[@Dan-r9y8v]

Inster !

[@Draigthedragon]

Two great cars, but aren't they very much b segment cars whereas these three are that bit bigger?

[@TsLeng]

Are you kidding? Dacia is shite... The Hyundai and Fiat, well when they are out...They will be tested

[@drfisheye]

The Panda is the same car as the e-C3 and the Opel/Vauxhall Frontera.

[@moragkerr9577]

Hey, lay off the criticism of the MG4's HVAC controls. As you mentioned fleetingly in passing, you can programme a star button on the steering wheel to do this. I flat guarantee 100% of MG4 drivers do this within 24 hours of collecting their car. Once done, you can change temperature and fan speed WITHOUT TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD. Try that in either of the other two cars. As for reliability, MG are not doing themselves any favours by their intransigent customer service, but that seems to be mainly down to which dealer you get. Some are extremely helpful and others are anything but. I've had fights with my dealer over the updating of the infotainment software, and that shouldn't have been necessary, but it is sorted now and nearly all of the annoying bugs it came with are a thing of the past. My car has never let me down, and the only repairs needed (other than software updates) have been the replacement of the charging port lights and the ubiquitous undertray fix, both done under warranty. Neither problem interfered with my driving of the car. So I guess you might be unlucky with your dealer (so change!) or get a lemon of a car, but from my point of view the MG4 driving experience has been a complete joy.

[@ouethojlkjn]

I have to say I have never had a good experience with any dealer, ever, in 30 years. Citroen were appalling. Rover - terrible. Jaguar was ok but still a pain. Vauxhall was dreadful. On the other hand, Tesla have been great - helpful, will come out to the house, even arranged to fix something I didn't know was wrong. All under warranty.

[@moragkerr9577]

@@ouethojlkjn I've had a mixed bag, and never used the VW dealer at all other than the time my Golf's engine blew up after only 30,000 miles (they tried to play hardball because I hadn't used them, but VW gave me a new engine in the end). But I've never encountered such poor service as at Macklin Motors Edinburgh West.

[@agaafear]

Of that trio, I’d still buy the E-C3.

[@davidcolin6519]

It is absolutely ridiculous. ALL these videos go on a "long drive" intended to see how far you can go on a single charge. Yet 70% of EV owners charge at home, that's because it simply doesn't make sense to do anything else. As an example, my family lives in disparate parts of the UK, and getting together for Xmas requires a couple of hundred mile journeys. Yet not a single one of these cars would be incpapble of doing that journey, which is the longest journey that any member of the family has to do. Living in Spain, I'm the only one who actually needs more than a 200 mile range. Nor, BTW do these reviews ever point out the fact that most hotels, B&Bs and even camp sites have (usually) free charging. Now, I've stayed in quite a few high end hotels in my life, anbd most of them will fill your tank for you (for a fee), but not a single one would fill my tank for free, yet you get this with an EV pretty much everywhere.

[@tashiyann3262]

lots of ➰➿💲✳✳💱♋〰〰✴ going on in the auto sector but consumers are suffering. nooooooooooooo free trade is on😄😄😄an unbelievable all-rounder vehicles companies that will be blocked for consumers

[@davidcolin6519]

@@tashiyann3262 "lots of ➰➿💲✳✳💱♋〰〰✴ going on in the auto sector but consumers are suffering." I have no idea what you're talking about, ICE cars are just as expensive as they were, and EV prices are dropping as expected. The legacy automakers have singularly failed to prepare for the switch and think that the buying public will continue to support a corrupt, misleading and ecologically unsound industry because... erm.. it's European/American/Japanese? Nor do I have a clue who you think is "suffering". Modern ICE cars tend to be pretty sh** as far as reliability is concerned, but that is because the industry doesn't give a sh*t about the reliability of their product once it's out of warranty. Nothing new there. The Koreans provide great warranties, so how is it that "consumers are suffering"? If you have ever wanted a decent warranty, you never bought European anyway? Or do you think that EV "consumers are suffering" because they are "restricted to a driveable range of 200 miles"? Why don't you tell me when was the last time you did 200 miles in a day? As for "nooooooooooooo free trade is on😄😄😄an unbelievable all-rounder vehicles companies that will be blocked for consumers" I haven't a clue WTF that is supposed to mean.

[@Xzibitfreek]

people who can charge EVs at home already have one. what about the rest of the people who cant charge at home and who mostly dont own one yet? thats who this video is aimed for.

[@davidcolin6519]

@@Xzibitfreek I would think that if you are trying to aim a video at those that don't have an EV, it might be a good idea to aim one at trying to persuade the politicians to provide cheap SLOW chargers, because that's what most EV buyers REALLY need.

[@esm7708]

What's tricky for reviewers is you can pick up the extended range top spec MG4 for about £26k.

[@ISuperTed]

And an SE long range for around £21k. However, there’s an update coming in the spring, so I imagine they’re discounting to shift stock now.

[@tsedge99]

Yes, it is pointless comparing list prices, the only prices that matter are the ones you'll actually pay and MGs are available with huge discounts.

[@esm7708]

@@tsedge99 I think they've had a panic with the EU tariffs.

[@siraff4461]

@@tsedge99 The obvious problem with that being that not everyone will get the same offer so how can they compare anything other than list prices? "Ted round the corner paid £14k so thats the number we're putting in for our test" is a lot less relevant to most viewers than what it is supposed to cost. If the discounts are so far reaching maybe dropping the list price would be a better option?

[@sargfowler9603]

Great video covering all the options of the lower end of the market! Thanks guys!

[@billienomates7100]

Here's my advice. MG4 wins because you can get a second hand, next to no miles long range MG4 for less than 30% cheaper than the Citreon and comes with 288 miles of range. The MG3 is the cheapest by nearly £2000 and the models you can get for the entry price of the other 2 are vastly higher.

[@miskatonic6210]

Oh, and now guess why these low milage MG4s get sold? Because it's the faulty cars the former owners want to get rid off asap, because they couldn't get fixed.

[@davidlloyd1526]

You can always get a second hand car of any make...

[@oliverstemp9132]

The eC3 is the cheapest

[@drfisheye]

Why not get a used Tesla then? Or a used Zoe? Comparing used cars with new ones never makes sense. The resale value will be much lower, so you'll have to take that into account. Also less warranties. More maintenance. Might need new tires as well. And the batteries will have degraded somewhat, so less range.

[@TB-up4xi]

Pricing very different in Australia - MG is on special at the moment (drive away including GST/VAT and on-road costs) Dolphin is $36151 (£18144) for 44.9kwh version and $42331 (£21246) for 60.4kwh MG4 is $32990 (£16558) for 50.4kwh and $34990 (£17561) for the 64kwh with 280miles WLTP range E-C3 model shown here excpected to be $42000 (£21080)

[@Paul.Woodcraft]

Why the fixation on range? If the car can drive for longer than the bladder and need for a drink or food, we have to stop and as EV drivers know we keep topping up and never run down the battery to zero. The MG has a manual pre-heater for the battery how easy is that to use (the Tesla is automatic) do others have preheat? How much charge can be input during a comfort break. Tesla driverd generally have to rush to their cars to avoid penalty payments for overstaying after being fully charged. Are they compatible with Tesla Superchargers which are half the price of most other fast chargers. These are some practical things EV drivers would like to know about charging rather than the ICE mentality although I haven't seen a similar video of running a diesel until it runs out of fuel to see if the claimed range is correct.

[@hishamg]

As an EV driver myself, I normally would agree with you. However, my issue is the cost of rapid charging in the wild, I can charge at home using a cheap overnight EV tariff, on long journeys I have to pay 79p a kWh. Bigger range means I can get further on my own cheap electricity before I have stop and buy motorway electricity which costs more than diesel. Fortunately I only have to do a long journey about once a month.

[@t4bs594]

@@hishamg You could try the Tesla Supercharger network. Prices are dynamic, usually between 44p and 55p/kWh.

[@moragkerr9577]

Well, obviously the MG4 and the Dolphin are compatible with Tesla superchargers because they charged them at a supercharger in the film. The MG4 has its charging port in the same place as a Tesla's, so I just slot in with the Teslas (feeling a bit like a cat in a dog suit). I often stop at Tebay for lunch and a charge. Last time I was there, there were only about 20 EVs on charge altogether, counting Teslas (southbound only) and others (mainly northbound). I had to switch to the northbound site as the non-Tesla plugs on the southbound site were all taken, so I got a good look at both sides. Absolutely heaving, is the only description. Both car parks very full of ICE cars (and a few parked-up EVs). I had to queue for 20 minutes for a toastie, which puts charging speed into a bit of perspective. But we're always being told that ICE drivers simply fill up in five minutes and get on their way again! So why the long wait for food? Because the ICE drivers were filling their tanks (taking more than five minutes to do that, what with queueing for a pump, filling up, then going in to pay) then moving their cars to the car park and going in to eat. The EV drivers actually had the easier time of it, just parking on a charger, plugging in, and heading for grub. It's very very rare for me to need to do a public DC charge in a situation where I'm sitting in the car clockwatching. On these occasions, sure, a 150 kw charging speed would be a nice thing to have, but the rest of the time it doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

[@dzonikg]

@@hishamg YEs charging is what gets me out buying EV,i can charge overnight at home for 8 cents but if i need to charge on public chargers its 10 times more and you need app for every different charger and to pray it works

[@CampGareth]

​@@moragkerr9577I find I am clockwatching when charging my Dolphin for the opposite reason though! The car will be full and ready to move in 10 minutes, if the queue for food takes longer than that I'll be rudely hogging a charger! Agreed that it's very easy to drive long distance in an EV because I need to stop before it does and it's ready to go again before I am. The rest is route planning.

[@aaronivory8088]

You can also talk to the car to change the air-con settings while driving + many more things. You don't always have to use the screen.

[@simonpaine2347]

No mention of the cars V2L capability. This has to be factored in for emergency power and power in remote locations.

[@scottcompany4040]

Range at 100% shown on the Guess-o-meter in these cars is based on recent driving styles - over about 2 - 4 weeks typically. I charged mine to 100% a few days ago and the G-o-M said range was 219. I got down to 18% with 47 miles left in the 'tank'. Re the MG4 - I have a Trophy which I bought new in January 2023. I've had no issues, 1st year service cost of £115 inc a years recovery. Running cost is about 2p per mile. Anyone charging at home at the price cap rate would be crazy. I pay 7p per kWh if it's winter and zero from May to September. The hard surfaces are exactly what you'd expect in a cheap car. The touch screen is a tad slow but within a week we were used to it. Climate control is not a probelm with the touch screen. Battery SOH is 94.8%. 2nd service is booked in for Jan 11th at a cost of £205 inc software upgrades and another year's recovery. I'm happy. BTW my previous car (SKoda Karoq) cost me 15p per mile.

[@peterbunker7165]

Great video, chums. I'm the owner of a 2023 MG4 Trophy Long Range. Bought with just 1500 miles on the clock, for £20k. This is how cheapskates like me buy cars. Six years warranty, plenty of range. I agree with your comments on the infotainment, but you figure out workarounds. Not ideal, hopefully some of the bigger glitches will be sorted in software upgrades. On a final note, please stop working out costs based on 24p or whatever for a kwh of electricity. Anyone buying these cars, who charges at home, will be be on Octopus intelligent Go, and will be paying 7p/kwh. Please move on from this nonsense.

[@RichTallent]

What a great comparison well done guys, I love how fair you make these across all areas.

[@encodersofia]

As a EV owner i can tell that charging speed is what matters for the total time spent in a long intercity journey, not the size of the battery. If it's gonna be the sole and only car in the family the charging speed is one of the most important things to consider. Just a tip for first time EV buyers, because this was not relevant until now (for ICE owners) and it's easy to overlook. According to EV database MG4 charges at 230 miles per hour, e-C3 at 210mph and Dolphin at 160mph

[@siraff4461]

There should be a standard measurement of how much can you add in half an hour. Thats about as long as kids want to stop for before they start getting bored and annoyed - its also about what it takes to have a bite to eat and so on. Much more than that and it gets to being a big pain which a fast charging car doesn't need.

[@TsLeng]

That's not accurate because the miles/kWh varies. How hard is it to know the kW charge rate and work it out for oneself? 😂 Miles per hour charge value is so dumb

[@siraff4461]

@@TsLeng You do realise that all you're doing is adding an extra layer of math to arrive at the same result? The miles per kWh will vary in the same manner regardless of charge speed so I'm not sure why you think thats even relevant. Call it miles per hour or kWh per hour - it makes zero difference because its a measurement being placed against another measurement which you can only estimate until it actually happens. Since you can't accurately know what miles per kWh you will do on the next journey it stands that you can only estimate the miles added too. In the same way that if you take the kWh added you can only estimate the miles added after doing a kWh per mile conversion anyway. You can get a computer to estimate your miles based off the kWh added or you can estimate it yourself from kWh added but you're going to end up with the same margin of error and more sums to do. No its not hard but its also not necessary.

[@encodersofia]

@@TsLeng It is accurate for comparing purposes, because EV database uses the same methodology for all cars. I don't guarantee that MG4 will go 230 miles after one hour charge, but i can guarantee that it will go 43.75% further (230/160) than the Dolphin in the same circumstances. Edit: looking at EV database, mph charging rate is extrapolated from the 10% to 80% time. For MG4 it's 33min, and for the Dophin it's 40min

[@encodersofia]

@@siraff4461 Yes, that is a good idea. I understand the kids, over half an hour waiting and i also get annoyed

[@Paul_anderson_creative]

So much better than CARWOW.. real data and information ❤

[@Brian-om2hh]

And no childish humour.....

[@The-Salty-Bager]

I like the EC3 best of the 3 as just think it looks the best

[@peterjones6640]

I have an MG4 and a Zoe. One of my key considerations when I change my cars will be charging speed and charging curve. I would have an expectation of 250kwh charge speed with a charge curve which could maintain that speed as close to 80% as possible.

[@竹子叔叔]

In China, all cars have voice controlled air conditioning. What era is it? Do you still have hand scrolling screens or buttons? Additionally, the video only mentions BYD's 360 degree panoramic view at the end, which is present in the vast majority of cars in China. This video tells me that MG and Citroen do not, I think this feature is very useful.

[@wgemini4422]

I hope the voice control is better than Tesla's. I can never get it to do anything right.

[@dougonutube]

Another issue with this review, in common with many EV reviews, is the cost per mile calculations you made. You took the "home charging" element to be 24.5p per unit - no-one in their right mind charges an EV at home at 24.5p per unit!!! - if you have an EV and can charge at home, the first thing you do is switch to a tarriff with a competitive overnight rate (we pay 7p currently). So, your review calculations should take this into account and use a value of 7p (or maybe 7.5p for average across tarriffs) for the home charging element. This, of course, shows EVs in their proper light, as much cheaper per mile than ICE, for those who can charge at home.

[@toyotaprius79]

We're seriously getting ripped off if we can't avail of the BYD Seagull, sodium ion batteries, or the cheapest VW ID3 with LiFePO4 chemistry cells only available in China

[@cheungchingtong]

You are, ID3 currently sold for 15.6k EURO, after few times price drop, yet still hasn't reached 1/5 of Seagull's sales.

[@ISuperTed]

We’ll never get prices like China due to different safety standards, taxes and tariffs. Just double in the West and you’re not far off. Maybe that difference will lower over time, but no way will it ever get anywhere near Chinese prices.

[@chrispenn715]

Good to see Citroen/Stellantis producing a competitive car for the first time in years (speaking as an MG4 owner). I think the long range MG4 is worth it for the extra versatility on longer trips. Don't know about the others, but there are big discounts available for the MG.

[@stephen25uk]

My MG4 is brilliant. Fast, quiet, smooth, comfortable and so cheap to run as I charge at home. The build quality is good and so far no faults whatsoever. Delighted with it. Plus here in Spain I will get 7,700 euros back for exchanging it for a 20 year old diesel. Win win over here.

[@JK-mw9mi]

Cheers from UK!! Citroen e-c3 is my wife's car. 🎉 Absolutely nice EV. I have Citroen e-c4x since 2023. Never back to petrol cars.

[@lordtraust]

Big question is what about privacy, what is being sent back to the manufacture. A lot of these modern cars are sending back a LOT of personal information.

[@zhangguai]

Maybe you have to stop using your phone first if you care so much about privacy

[@_Dougaldog]

Just like the internet then.

[@FromaTwistedMind]

I think another factor to remember which needed to be taken into consideration with all 3 cars are these two! How does it drive? How does it look? Imho the MG sounds like it beats its competitors on those 2 points also.

[@rubel247]

Just looked at auto trader mg4 se selling for 20k new it's a bargain Byd is also similar price what a bargain

[@ISuperTed]

Yep, there’s an update coming in the spring and rumours are the base model will get a different battery that will give more range.

[@Athrunwong]

@@ISuperTed i doubt the Solid state battery is coming to cheap models, but Sodium Ion is a big possibility. Holds less charge, less mileage but it's cheaper to manufacture.

[@markrozee]

Superb advice. I bought a fabulous, nearly new Zoe with over 200 miles of range for £14K. Perfect car, bargain price. ❤

[@n1vca]

Nobody said anything on the comfort when cruising along the highway ... which one needs the least attention when driven with lane assist and automatic distance enabled? Because I don't want to spend a lot of time manually driving ... I usually go on the highway, enable "Highway Drive Assist" and lit it do its thing ... occasionally take over manually but mainly and let it drive without having a foot on the pedal and hand on the steering wheel all the time. I have heard that the MG4 isn't exactly good at that, not even with an update its not solid and stable on the track. The MG4 is definitely the most beautiful car, while I am not sure if the BYD isn't the most aerodynamic? I think the Insta will be a very interesting comparison to these ... best technology that actually works, most flexibility inside but its probably even weaker and slower or just as bad as the Citroen. I am also curious about the Kia EV2, that is supposed to be released in 2025, which will have a lot of technical similarities of the Insta, but will be on a purely electric platform I believe. It would be nice to have a data table at the end of your video, showing the results in direct comparison and the current pricing, so that everybody can put things into perspective. Also which car comes with a heat-pump and for which it is optional and what the actual street price is. Anyway many thanks for the comparison.

[@MithunOnTheNet]

Jeez, the cost of electricity is very high in the UK! I would have liked to have seen a price comparison with petrol expenses to travel the same distance.

[@Brian-om2hh]

The cost of electricity is very low in the UK if you use an off-peak tariff to charge your EV during the night, as around 70% of UK electric car owners do. They might only use costly public chargers on a handful of occasions per year.

[@hoodmonster1]

Totally beyond me how the best car on test is the most unreliable car you can buy. WHAT !!!!!!!

[@lucasroper46]

Most owners don't have any problems. We've had an MG4 for 2 years and it's been the most reliable car we've ever owned.

[@cliffordevans9203]

Mg4 xpower here, almost a year old and 20k miles, no issues at all.

[@barriewilliams4526]

@@cliffordevans9203 Lexus 300, 381, 265 miles, no issues at all.

[@paulmeredith6102]

I've had an MG4 for 2 months and it's been reliable. A good many of the reported issues are with the software. Updates have to be done by the dealers and seem to result in some bugs fixed but others introduced. Mine does all the essentials so I'm leaving it alone rather than risk updates.

[@barriewilliams4526]

Many cars can be great to drive, (like a lot of supercars) but still be unreliable. Not difficult to understand.

[@dynamotightstar3472]

Infotainment systems can be so hit and miss. My brand new Transit Custom is a pain in the butt to change the temp whilst driving but I've just had a Peugeot 3008 hire car in Germany, Netherlands and Belgium and adjusting the temp was very easy. Nice big icon and then nice big temp up and down buttons. So do it well and some do not.

[@miskatonic6210]

Why would anyone choose a Ford?

[@Gimlet6051]

I would love to see a comparison video between Renault5 and Hyundai Inster.

[@dogsbodyish8403]

Sounds like that will happen pretty soon, from what they're saying.

[@MattyClivingthedream]

What's with no rear window wiper on the MG4? I thought all MY24 had a rear window wiper, or is this an old car?

[@ColinGarner-h1t]

Before watching this video and after I would only buy the Citroen. No contest for me .

[@tigertoo01]

The best thing about this video is the transition music between vehicle change overs. If I wanted to go to sleep this is the video I’ll be playing in the background.

[@fyve4321]

Two thoughts. When I tried the MG4 I thought the rear seats were lacking in under-thigh support, felt like a stressful position for anyone over 6ft. I also don't get the fascination with changing climate control settings, especially temp. You should be able to set it and forget it if the system is any good. It's not a temperature dial in the sense of non-climate control systems, it's the preferred temp you're setting and you should be able to let the car manage the heat or cooling needed to get to that temp. Worth calling it out if you can't but if you have to keep wacking up the temp or dropping it either the system isn't working well or you're using it wrong.

[@mikemorley2797]

You can set it to do this no problem.

[@vernhill-wv7pp]

How come I have yet to see a right hand drive ec3 being reviewed when they have supposedly been on sale in UK for a couple of months now. Is there an issue with UK deliveries?

[@tug1345]

It's like I'm watching a car review from 35 years ago, except they've gone massively overpriced, the Citroën has that weird mix of crashy bumpy town ride, and floaty soft car sick high speed ride, and can only do 82mph, the BYD can't handle 90bhp and has bad brakes, traction and handling, the MG is a bit more resolved, but they forgot to line up the drivers seat properly, it's all stuff from 35 years ago, this is bad, really bad

[@richardbull5561]

Don't know what they were smoking. The seat in the MG4 is definitely not offset.

[@CampGareth]

The BYD stock tyres are really bad, swap them for any known good brand and the ride transforms. I have the 200hp version and got wheelspin when putting my foot down in eco mode on dry tarmac in summer. It also felt unsettled doing lane changes on the motorway. After swapping to Michelins those problems went away and it's a much better car.

[@tug1345]

@@CampGareth How much more is the 200 bhp version over this car tested?

[@mikerman50]

also MG4 SE LR here, had it for a couple of years without any drama regarding reliability. how it was marked down might be due to the number of people who haven't learned to adjust the driving assist sensitivity options. I'm expecting to go the MG ES5 early 2026

[@xntrix]

Warranty 🤷‍♂️ the reliability issues ? a bulb going our or the motor goes bang ‼️ need some meat on the bone to make a decision … too long spent on charging prices ( which are location dependent, so pointless) great viewing, but poor information at the end to make an informed choice

[@Modoki_999]

These guys are not well informed obviously .. the Citroën has already big issues has they rushed to selle it

[@wembleyyy]

Great video!

[@carlomorischi3435]

Gridserve has terrible hardware. They should get rid of those shitty ABB chargers ("Always Be Broken") and get some reliable and more powerful Alpitronic HYC400

[@Draigthedragon]

They took on the old Electric Highway stuff. Their newer stuff is comparable with other networks.

[@JoshLStuff]

​@@Draigthedragon ABB chargers are the new ones. Cant remember what the old ones are but they're all gone by now

[@hugheffo]

When it comes to climate controls, I think Ford has a fairly good compromise, the controls are in the infotainment unit, but are permanently shown on the bottom of the screen. Also I thought the MG’s suffered from bad vibration through the steering wheel

[@InBodWeTrust]

I don't get all the angst about lack of physical HVAC controls ... these days the HVAC performance in most cars is very effective, and (I assume) most people will simply set a target temperature, put the system in Auto and let it get on with it. That's certainly what I do in my own MG4 SE SR (51kWh version) and find that it works very well regardless of exterior climatic conditions.

[@moragkerr9577]

Are you the only MG4 SE SR owner who hasn't programmed the right star button for the HVAC controls then. I thought everyone did that! Change temperature and/or fan speed without taking your eyes off the road. (The only time I put mine in Auto it was still running the fan at full speed ten miles later, so I quit.)

[@InBodWeTrust]

@moragkerr9577 hi Rolfe 😉 My car has had the latest R38 update and I created a thread about it on the forum 😉 After setting the temperature and vents required etc. I just leave it to do what it needs 🙂 PS right star is regen and left one is drive mode 😉

[@moragkerr9577]

@@InBodWeTrust Maybe I should try the automatic setting again. I tend to flip the temperature up and down a bit as the drive progresses. (I remember now you saying you left it on auto.) I don't really change the drive setting much, so I'm cool with it the way it is. Heading to Lancashire on Monday to collect the e-bike. Lunch at Tebay on the way there, and I've figured that if I go high enough I'll get back to Tebay for dinner on the way back. (Last time I wasn't sure there were chargers at Tebay Northbound, but that's actually where most of the non-Tesla ones are.) If I stop at Burton-in-Kendal I have to go over 90% to get home, and after a bit that gets boring. I sometimes think these Gridserves aren't as fast as they're cracked up to be. Although there were another six ready to be commissioned last time I was there. (The food isn't as good as Tebay either.)

[@wgemini4422]

I find my Tesla's HVAC causes wh/km to double in short drives. I almost never use it other than to defog.

[@SteveTekcor4]

If your doing a long range Mileage comparison then the MG4 should have been set on "ECO mode" see video at 20:49

[@EverydayLife621]

The MG4 is nearly 3 years old, but still outclasses any rival in this rapidly chaning industry.

[@Vwguy-jf9vj]

I have an MG 4 LR and I regularly do long journeys in it, it’s excellent.

[@crm114.]

What’s this obsession with how far they will go? The average UK daily mileage is less than 30 miles. So, even with a range of 150 miles, the average driver would only have to charge once or twice a week.

[@moragkerr9577]

And if you have home charging you do it overnight, refuelling time is measured in seconds. It is useful to know how they perform on a road trip though, and the answer is "just fine if you're not working for Pony Express".

[@TB-up4xi]

@@moragkerr9577 Sydney to Melbourne (600 miles) is both faster and cheaper in my EV (Model 3) than previous ICE car (Audi A4). I stop 2 times for meals and bathroom breaks no matter what car I am in, 2 x 20 min charges is all it takes and the car is ready to go again before I am.

[@moragkerr9577]

@@TB-up4xi The Model 3 is a different beast though. Longer range and faster charging than the MG4 SE SR. That only maxes out at 88 kw, and on the motorway, moving fast, I'm not getting much beyond 140 miles. As highlighted in the video, you're looking at about 40 minutes to charge, not 20, and you're going to have to charge more often. I'm looking at three charges on a 450-mile run, though the third one might be a short boost if it's summer. However, with that charging speed, the car is NOT really ready to go before I am, most of the time. Depending on the urgency of the journey that can be an advantage. It's very doable for road trips, but if you're under time pressure, go for a longer-range, faster-charging model.

[@dzonikg]

@@TB-up4xi Well that is a lie,no EV can ever be faster on motorway then diesel ,my Insignia sport tourer 2.0 diesel give me 1200 km range on 130 km/h highway speed and 225 max speed .It tows my 1.5t camper caravan with 800 km range at 100 km/h . NO EV can even dream off that. So for me diesel is still the king but its hard this days to find new diesel car,my car is no longer in production . BUt EV has own advantages like if you drive shorter routes and charge at home at night when is next to nothing its cheap.BUt for long drives and towing diesel will be king for long time

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@dzonikg New diesel cars in the UK are dying. Sales of new diesel cars are now down to 6% of the new car market. Both BMW and Volvo no longer sell new diesel cars in Britain, and some other car brands have dropped them from their ranges. For example, the whole 2025 Audi A6 range is 100% electric.....

[@thenighttale-g8x]

in china, all of these cars are below 20k usd. simply because the competition of EV is wild in china. good luck to people in the countries that blockade competition, you'll have to spend more

[@paulkeenan2691]

EV Road Tax 2025 and 10% annual in Electricity cost price and over 20k - makes the Alfa Romeo Quardrofolio an exciting alternative 😂😂

[@Brian-om2hh]

So you think your VED (road tax was abolished in the 1930's) won't increase during 2025, or the cost of petrol? Good luck with that..... And who in their right mind buys an Alfa Romeo?

[@dghackett58]

Very good comparison and very interesting. It was a shame that you did not itemize the issues with the MG 4 as not being an ice car there is lees to go wrong.

[@JamesSmith-qs4hx]

Some say, that on a quiet night you can 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 them depreciating.🤨

[@gerbre1]

Which never happens with fossil cars, of course.

[@sargfowler9603]

@@gerbre1 Just happens a lot quicker on EVs 😄

[@JamesSmith-qs4hx]

@@gerbre1 EV owners are evangelical to the point of being deranged. They have to try and justify what is turning out to be a terrible buying decision - worse for the environment, more expensive, horrific depreciation, short life span ,limited range and more expensive to charge than petrol if using public chargers .

[@ricco123tube]

So on the used market EVS are by far the best value option? You can potentially do 300 miles for £5 on overnight cheap rate electricity. Sounds like a brilliant option to me.

[@sargfowler9603]

@@ricco123tube Very true, they have their negative and positives, but if an EV suits your needs, then there's no cheaper way of motoring.

[@KennethPaul]

Great overall comparison with key figures included I think very fair look at those three cars 👍

[@thejecs8]

No wonder so many car brands are in trouble...look at the price hikes. They actually deserve to go bust, greedflation in a time where owning a house is almost impossible is criminal.

[@stephen546]

It's called inflation!!. Relative to inflation, UK wage haven't really gone up much in 10+ years, so things will seem more expensive. Another thing to remember is that outside of China car manufacturers are making pretty low profits on ev's. May I suggest the biggest issue is your wages haven't kept pace!!

[@kazali6111]

The Citroën e4? Reasonable price too

[@Man_v_Cars]

I'm still using my purchased new Toyota IQ 1.0l from 2009 for £12k (£18,750 in todays money). Zero road tax, 60+mpg on the motorway, 35 + mpg in town and now on 104,000 miles. Never broken down and had 1 clutch replacement, 1 exhaust and the normal wear and tear items replaced. Who needs an EV? 😂

[@esm7708]

@@Man_v_Cars yes but you've had to have a Toyota IQ

[@pmac6584]

The fact that you think that is good means that you’re not aware how much better an EV is. 300mpg is possible with home charging (cost equivalent). No clutch or exhaust to break and the brakes don’t wear out. The only wear and tear items are tyres and I have bought 4 in 50000 EV miles. Get yourself a cheap bmw i3 and start saving

[@Brian-om2hh]

You will once petrol stations begin closing down....... 60 mpg is shocking. My Kia eNiro returns the equivalent of around 150 to 180 mpg in "fuel" cost terms. And I don't need to go near a petrol station, because I "refuel" on my drive at home on cheap rate electricity. ICE car drivers don't have a "fill up at home on cheap rate" option....

[@Man_v_Cars]

​@@Brian-om2hh Now go check out how many people can charge at home. Come back when your car has done 15 years and 104k miles, no doubt you'll have swapped it out for a newer version as you'll be worried about the cost of a replacement battery ie as much as a new car.

[@Man_v_Cars]

​@@pmac6584We'll ignore battery replacement 😊

[@waynehobbs5175]

Great video thanks. In Australia we only get the Dolphin and MG4 and they cost about $41,000 and $33,000 AUD equivalent to about £20,500 and £16,500 respectively. I drive an Atto 3 and love it but agree the MG4 is better bang for buck than the BYD Dolphin. P.S. the Atto 3 is a significantly brighter, roomier and better equipped car than either Dolphin or MG4 and in extended range (top spec) is worth the $49,000 asking price £24,500. Also, we pay 8c/kWh (UK 4 pence) for EV charging between midnight and 6am at home so 20,000km (12,000 miles) cost me $300 (£150) for a whole year!

[@sudiptodas0001]

2nd hand EVs make all of these obsolete. For 20k you can buy a tesla in good condition that's still under warranty that would wipe the floor against these toys.

[@miskatonic6210]

Yeah, just buy a cheap used Tesla 3, the most unreliable model of all cars in germany (TUV 2025). That's the car you want to buy used. Good advice.

[@hojnikb]

@@miskatonic6210 and for tor 20k, you're getting over 4 year old ones, so no warranty other than the battery. Not a good choice at these prices. Better to wait for facelifted 2021+ versions to drop on price, they're overall better cars.

[@Brian-om2hh]

With respect, not everyone wants a Tesla

[@ouethojlkjn]

Skywell is selling in the UK now - Large long range SUV with every possible extra, just under £40k.

[@Brian-om2hh]

And one tester in the UK commented that the example he drove, would need to be improved to reach the point where he'd call it average.....

[@johnhawkins2717]

You can take 20% off the claimed range of any electric car which essentially makes these things useless.

[@therealjeffg]

Another great comparison review….thank you

[@whatcar]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mr11ESSE111]

EVs are garbage and middle class in UK are more poorer day by day and buying that EV garbages with limited range and high prices of electricity on chargers and after 7-10 years will be worthless

[@spsmith45]

Do explain to us why they are garbage when they are cleaner, quiter, accelerate more quickly and are cheaper to run.

[@jimmyh6601]

Which oil company do you work for? Worried about your future?

[@Mr11ESSE111]

@jimmyh6601 for which Circus you work for!?you must then take off tires and plastic parts from your shitty EV because that is from oil too but EVangelists like you are too dumb to realize that !!dont eat food from stores too because mostly are agricultured by diesel maschines as tractors !!you must eat only food agricultured by electric tractors!!dont go on ship too because it use diesel engines or plane because it needs fuel too !!use only electric aeroplanes and ships

[@Mr11ESSE111]

@spsmith45 cleaner in what!?do you use wooden tires or have wooden parts inside or how those or from where lithium,cobalt comes !?did you go to that mines and digg with your hands for assholes on west !?how this batteries are cleaner and safer when they produce acid and fire too and polute more atmosphere then any ordinary car!!and where this shits are quickier!?on 1/4 mile if they have 500-1000+hp !!i dont buy cars for 1/4 mile then for long distance travelling and range of this EV garbage are pathetically bad and that is if you drive slowly and price of EV shits are still way above ordinary cars and for 7-10 years this shits would worth basically nothing because nobody dont want to.pay expensive replace of new battery !!interesting that politicians drives luxury ice cars and not this EVshits and low-midd class must buy this overpriced useless garbage

[@andrewsmith4105]

The one set of controls I’m not worried about is the temperature (in a climate controlled car that is). I’ve just got back from a week in my wife’s car and I touched the temp once in all that time. Things like heated seats and defrost controls need to be on dedicated buttons though as these need to be turned off and on whilst driving.

[@robinallen7356]

Here we go again.. "We're going to do an assessment of which of these three cheap runabouts might suit you for daily school runs, and we're going to do that by DRIVING AS FAR AS THEY CAN GO AT MOTORWAY SPEEDS". Pathetic. And then how long did you leave those "7p" rates on the screen for? 0.5 seconds? Why are you spending ages talking about 79p motorway chargers, only 30 seconds on 'what if we charged at home like non-idiots', and 0.5 seconds on 'what if we chose a sensible energy tariff'. Your bias is so obvious. Just for ONCE, do a video that actually gets opinions from people that DRIVE EVs and know what they're talking about.

[@stephencollins5706]

Why was the MG4 infotainment screen in Dark mode, it has 3 settings, dark, light or night mode which switches to dark at night or lights on ?