Neil Allison, Electric Road’s most prolific owner contributor, has been out & about once more!
After his recent purchase of an MG4 EV Neil decided to go on road trip to bonny Scotland.
Introduction
As some will know, I recently added to my EV fleet with the purchase of an MG4 EV. It’s the 51kWh SE model. I did consider the LR version but felt overall the standard range model would serve my needs well enough and the Trophy is quite a bit more money for essentially a few more bells and whistles.
After getting used to the car and ensuring it had no teething troubles or faults (which did appear to affect early release models) an opportunity to go up to the Scottish borders arose, giving me the opportunity for a long-distance test drive!
Preparation
The night before departing I charged at home using my Indra Smart Pro and set off with a range 0f 214 miles. The first part of the journey took me onto the M6 in weather which could be only described as torrential rain. This meant I needed the fan on and a bit of heat coming through to ensure I was fully demisted!
Journey
A steady drive followed in 100% pure comfort; no rattles or squeaks. The seats provided good support and I felt relaxed during the first part of the journey. Averaging about 60–70 mph, I arrived at my first charging point with 75 miles in hand.
I charged up via Instavolt at Booth’s supermarket in Carnforth. A lovely store with a good café and after a late breakfast, the car was up to 85% (199 miles) which would be more than enough to complete the journey to near Dumfries.
Anyone who knows the M6 in Cumbria will be aware of the amazing scenery and the fact the motorway tends to ‘thin out’ in terms of traffic so the rest of the drive north was a delight. The MG4 is very smooth and quiet, quite a bit quieter than my i3 in fact and a much more supple ride. Acceleration is rapid, maybe just a little less than the BMW but not by much.
Arriving in Scotland with about 100 miles to spare, it had become clear to me that the MG really is a special car. In my opinion, it’s unmatched on price with very little compromise. Android Auto worked fine, providing sat nav which seems more reactive to changing traffic conditions than a factory fit one. Whilst it’s not hard to spot some hard plastics in the interior, MG seems to have spent the money in the right areas with a lovely leather steering wheel (with a nice grip), well-damped switchgear and most of all for me, a quiet and rattle-free interior.
Practicality
Space is not an issue in this car, the boot was able to handle whatever I needed to carry. The rear leg room is very generous too. Most of all though, this is such a relaxed cruiser and made the journey seem like it was shorter than it actually was.
After a couple of days pootling about the Solway Firth, it was time to return home. Not much more to be said other than it was a repeat of the journey northwards: quiet, relaxed and fun. Just one stop was required at GRIDSERVE Sandbach and then home. The car was returning on average 4.5 kWh/mile which is more efficient than my i3.
Niggles?
None really. The only thing I’d say, which is a feature of all MGs, is that the sound system volume defaults to ‘on’ when you get in the car which means you can get music blaring out when you don’t want it. There is a mute switch on the steering wheel but I’d rather have the choice of whether I turn it on or not.
Conclusion
When you think that this car is £26,995 on the road, it really is astonishing value. I recently drove the BMW iX1 (view Test Drive here) and the price of the model I tested was a shade over £60,000. The BMW may well be faster, have a higher specification and it’s fair to say is also an SUV but the astronomical price tag is very difficult to justify when you can buy something as good as the MG4 for less than half that!
The exterior finish on the MG is excellent and the panel fit first class. The doors clunk shut with more of a solid feel than the BMW, and overall, I can’t believe how MG have achieved this for the money. My advice is if you are looking for a new EV try the MG4 EV. It really is that good.
N.B. For those interested, the Jaguar C-Type replica was built by my brother who is a genius with the spanners. It was great to be able to experience it.
See other road trip reports here
