Hi all,
I'm due to pick up my MG4 next week and wanted to reach out to those who snagged the deal recently. How’s your experience been so far? Any key learnings, surprises (good or bad), or things I should be aware of before I get behind the wheel?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and tips!
Cheers,
Pix
cool story, bro.
Proceeds to buy everything else China-Made, LOL. Typical.
Yeah- they probably eat their dinner off a China plate!
And a succulent Chinese meal.
I see this argument here and there, and honestly it's not a good one.
First of all, the OP didn't even mention China.
Also, essentially everything is Chinese made. But you have non-chinese options when it comes to expensive purchases.
Check for a sagging floor pan.
And dont forget about the updates to R34 and make sure you CC: in the salesperson, dealer manager, service manager, finance manager, workshop leading hand, PD department manager, MG Australia, SAIC China and update your blog that you have sent out these requests… Dont forget to cut and paste the link to their internal service bulletins in-case they don't have a copy…
update your blog
I was laughing but that made me wet myself. FFS.
Don't forget Panadol for headache. Enjoy your new car.
Haha NGL i didnt love the quality of driving when test driving. But im sure it will improve once I get used to it + adjust a few of these modes off. Also I dont drive much haha
Genuine question - if you didn't enjoy the test drive, what made you buy it? What made it stand out as a must-have?
The cheap price?
The price tag, nothing more I'm guessing.
They look half decent, and when you're comparing them with incumbents on paper they are fine.
Im moving homes and need car for essentials like groceries. Nothing else at this price point. Ive got a company so can buy ex fbt.
But im sure it will improve once I get used to it
That's not how "drive quality" works. If anything, it'll get worse.
Yeah, its not gonna improve. You just get used to the quirks.
Hated how my current vehicle kept warning me about lane changes and jamming on the brakes when i got to close to another car. Ive now adapted a bit. Lane stuff is 'normal' and the auto braking hallens leas often as ive learned to stop a little further back.
@Euphemistic: Depending on the car you can adjust the distance sensitivity
I've had it activate a few times randomly
@coffeeinmyveins: Inadjusted mine pretry soon affer picking it up. Made a difference, but atill need to adjust driving style a bit, mainly hanging bacl fromncars that are turning off rather than close shaving like i was used to. The cameras cant tell if a car is turning out of the way in time.
auto braking hallens leas often as ive… Inadjusted mine pretry soon affer… but atill need… bacl fromncars
Are you posting this while driving?
i didnt love the quality of driving when test driving.
And you still bought one? 😲
Haha not a big driver.
What colour
Red but VicRoads Says It's White
Funny. Mine is orange and serviceNSW says it's black. Is this some sort of common mistake for this car?
Normally reserved for Mazdas in soul red but the occasional exception is made.
Orange is the new black.
Red but VicRoads Says It's White
They're made in China so probably a typo….
Blek
Just like most USA employers
I've had my MG4 for a year now (well 11 months) and I couldn't be more pleased. I charge at home on weekends with solar, do 50km commute per day and it's just so effortless. The amount of money I've saved on fuel is ridiculous (to be fair I had a bit of a petrol eater as my previous car). The car is fun to drive and really responsive. As you've probably heard elsewhere, the lane guidance feature is awful and I turn it off pretty regularly. The radar cruise control can be more aggressive than I would prefer in slowing me down when the car in front is a long way ahead and stopping or turning, but those are pretty much the only minor annoyances I have experienced.
Thanks for the tips! Do you charge just with the plug it comes with or did you get a special charger installed?
I just use the charger it comes with. It takes a long while to charge, but I'm at home so I'm not bothered by that.
Thanks! Btw when you say turning off lane guidance regularly, is it possible to completely turn it off?
how much do you think you have saved vs depreciation in 12 months?
That would only be relevant if they are selling the car now though.
Or if involved in an accident and the car is a write off
No idea mate. But since this car has a 7 year warranty, and I was planning on keeping it longer than that, I'm not particularly concerned about that. All I know is that I was spending about $100 per week on fuel with the old car, and my power bill has gone up only about $20 per month with the new car (from when I have to charge during the night, when I need to travel further than normal), so I'm currently about $380 per month better off.
@Nebargains: Sure, but I'm also ahead on servicing costs and I got money for the old car, and I have a new car. Yes, I have paid more for the privilege of buying a new car, and I may never recoup the costs entirely (although I'm not someone who worries about whether something "pays for itself"), but it's a choice I made and I'm quite satisfied with the way it has worked out.
@Nebargains: Saving 5k a year, which is a number that would only be going up. The car is probably "free" once op reaches end of warranty.
Well that certainly takes care of some of the depreciation.
Can you elaborate on other costs like insurance too? Tia
@dtrinh: My comprehensive insurance is $140 per month. The car comes with complementary 12 months of roadside assistance, but I'm not sure I will worry about that after that expires.
Insurance premium is atrocious though, got quoted at $3k - 4k a year which is more than double my current car
the lane guidance feature is awful and I turn it off pretty regularly.
Is it the same as in the petrol MGs? I drove an HS, and the lane guidance was as you describe. Not remotely comparable to a Tesla. Otherwise the car was OK.
I think this is what people forget when they talk about the higher depreciation over the years, which is true, but I'm saving more every week/month than I will 'lose' in extra depreciation and its not even close.
Between the fuel vs electricity savings and the almost non existent servicing/repair costs, I'm well ahead even if the car depreciated 20% more than an equivalent ICE car
Everyone complains about EV depreciation but that'll just be temporary while prices are regularly being reduced. They're probably getting close to the 'floor' now and will begin to depreciate more normally.
If anytginf, EVs will probably have less depreciation than ICE vehicles once they become more common. Being able to buy a second hand EV and not have to pay for petrol or servicing will increase their demand over ICE.
I saw a study identifying batteries should be good for 20y. Should have saved it to provide a link.
there usually is a toggle button to manage the distance from the front car before break kicks in cruise control - as you click this toggle button it should cycle through 1,2,3,4km - 4km is the default one - you should also see it update in the dashboard as well - check your manual as this my experience for another car
Never been in one, but I think it would be fun to have a brand new vehicle for second hand prices. Even if it falls apart twice as quick.
They now come with 10 year warranty
warranty is only good if dealer will actually honour it
Warranty is with the manufacturer not the dealer
@oscargamer: What happens when the manufacturer abandons the country, as has happened with Chinese vehicles before?
@brendanm: MG semes to have enoygh of a foothokd and a decent range of vehicles. They are unlikely to pull out, unlike some of the single model ultra budget brands.
@Euphemistic: It happened in the past with great wall, Chery and foton. I'm sure it can't happen again.
@brendanm: True enough, but i dont think those brands got near the market share that MG seem to have at present. Not saying it wont happen, but id be more confident of them staying than Chery or some of the new EV brands coming soon.
@Euphemistic: @All
MG is big player now in the OZ market. MG was the 7th largest seller of cars in Australia in 2023.
MG is not some small player.
Last year they sold more cars in Australia than Nissan, Volkswagen, Subaru or Honda.
SAIC the parent company of MG made over 5 million (closer 6 mill.) cars last year
.
SAIC motors is in the top 10 largest automotive company’s in the world .
They have invested massive amount of money in setting up shop in Australia. Have near 100 strong dealer network.
Their not going anywhere. Anytime soon.
For the budget minded buyer the MG4 at just over $30k is damn good car at unbelievably good price. You’re getting an EV at the price of an ICE car. No more buying petrol at $1.80 - $2.20 litre. With 10 year warranty hard to beat.
@brendanm: And has happened with HEAPS of non-Chinese brands - what's the difference?. No parts or service problem with Commodores, Falcons, Daihatsus, Renaults (latest to go) Dodge etc while they were still under warranty - and they were all far less reliable than any EV.
Besides, SAIC (MG's maker) is bigger worldwide than Hyundai or Honda; it is most unlikely to leave anytime soon. BYD - its real competitor - is now the second largest car firm in the world. Times have changed.
I drove a MG SUV in Tassie this year, had it for a week, car was….adequate. For the bottom of the range edition it wasn't bad. Some weird thing like the interface on the headunit was not great, requiring multiple touch to go through menus, which is not great while driving. Engine was fine but no real power when needing to overtake, brakes…..worked. Suspension was not great, too soft, felt like I was driving a boat. Feature wise it was okay for the price.
Chinese cars will get there, but it will take a few more years. Same as South Korea did, same as Japan.
do you like massive deprecation?
european cars have entered the chat
I don't like MGs personally, but this depreciation comment is hilarious and you're acting like buying an Audio won't wipe tens of thousands off it immediately.
like buying an Audio
Don’t all cars come with audio systems these days?
I’ll show myself out…
Oh poop.
haha.
Whoah I don't like the sound of that!
I love it. Current car is 18 years old.
Feels like something you should have researched before you bought???
Whirlpool has a long set of posts on this already though which will be a better source of info. This is for hatchback but you'd find similar for other models:
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/thread/9w8yrw54
Bit late now, you've already bought it.
I always wonder why people ask questions after they buy their new nightmare…. If everyone says its a chunk of shit and dont go near it - what then?
It's only natural to seek validation even if the decision is already made.
Natural only for some people.
I'm with phark on this- totally pointless to spend the energy seeking post purchase validation. Spend the time before the money.
They want us to help them feel better, to erase regret. I think the MG4 looks cool tbh, I'd take a punt if I were in the market for a new EV.
Asking for tips that could mitigate potential quirks whilst accepting theres going to be issues. Does that answer the why?
Also the car was definitely not a dont go near it situation, most said amazing value + pretty sure it won small car of yhe year.
Also the car was definitely not a dont go near it situation
bit late, you already bought it which most posts are saying…. Why ask afterwards…
@pharkurnell: Im so confused at this line of questioning. Said before as well I didnt ask should I have bought lol. Im asking since I bought - what should I expect and have you found ways to mitigate them yet…
Buy what makes you happy OP and forget about the noises around you.
Enjoy
Have had one for two months so far. Only has three wheels left. 😆
I bought my MG4 77kWh Essence Long Range a year ago, and I am really happy with it. Can't really fault it, but for the lane guidance which is a bit temperamental on curvy roads. It drives well, it is snappy, and very comfortable for travel. I particularly like that I can use the MG app to turn on and set the temperature of the air-con before I leave for work in the morning (which is great when temperatures go sub zero!). I have solar panels and a battery, so I charge at home. I installed a 7Kw wall charger, but I usually charge within 5Kw during the day, as my inverter is 5Kw. Hope this helps! :-)
You'll get a lot of comments where people have had them as hire cars because they're commonly used for this purpose due to their low purchase and running costs.
And being a hire car, people aren't comparing the vehicle to other vehicles in its price range, they're just pointing out all the flaws and probably comparing it to their own car which costs much more.
When you go to purchase a car you have to compare it to other cars in the same price range, as everyone does. So the only fair review you'll get is someone who purchased one and did a fair comparison of cars within the same bracket.
The more important point is that those who've driven the MG hire cars have driven another model entirely, highly unlikely the newer, altogether different MG4 ev. All the MG hire cars in the past 2 years we've driven have been the (often shoddy) MG HS or ZS, only one was ev. From a test drive of the MG4, can confirm it's quite different to those older models.
I've had the base model for a year and love it, great fun to drive, hottish hatchback looks, and basically free to run (i can charge at work for free and have an EV power plan that gives me free charging for 4 hours on the weekends). First service will be at 2 years, 40000km and costs $290. Free (including a loan car) warranty software update fixed a couple of quirks with the adaptive cruise control and front collision detection being a bit aggressive with cross traffic. Would definately recommend, especially on a FBT free novated lease and at the latest price point.
Enjoy your car and don't worry about what other people think. You're locked in now, so if there's anything bad about the car you can't change it anyway.
I have nothing against Chinese cars but i have read a fair few people complaining about MGs with loads of issues with them
Seems like if you want to go Chinese the GWM isnt a bad option heard good things about the GWM Tank esp for the price
Ill stick to my Japanese cars as i think the prices arent that different but the known quality is still large I dont think Japanese cars will ever be 2nd to anyone in reliability as I think their culture is one of tedious perfection
Downvoter on 09/10/2024 - 20:23 Comment score below threshold.
