MG aren't messing about are they? 700+hp for £48k...
Discussion
I'm sure if I drove one of these cars i'd find the handling and quality in some areas is somewhat below that of european brands, such as my current BMW i4.
But the level of tech and spec on these cars for the price is staggering, and then the performance too. MG are really swinging, and seem determined to carve out a serious share of the UK market. In new money, these cars are pretty much on par costwise with what Mondeo man used to live with.
Video review here, fairly thorough in terms of what you get for your £
I'll invite responders to ignore the fact they're Chinese cars and at least make an effort to assess them as a black and white value proposition. I think they're staggering value.
Debate.
But the level of tech and spec on these cars for the price is staggering, and then the performance too. MG are really swinging, and seem determined to carve out a serious share of the UK market. In new money, these cars are pretty much on par costwise with what Mondeo man used to live with.
Video review here, fairly thorough in terms of what you get for your £
I'll invite responders to ignore the fact they're Chinese cars and at least make an effort to assess them as a black and white value proposition. I think they're staggering value.
Debate.
I really like the look of the IM5 https://im.mg.co.uk/im5
I bought a UK-built MG-F. It threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection drive. This can’t be any worse than that was
I bought a UK-built MG-F. It threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection drive. This can’t be any worse than that was
Ste-EVo said:
Looks good, has epic performance, pennies to run (at home charging) and reasonably priced compared to european equivalents and no doubt some great pcp and lease deals make it an attractive proposition.
I'd give it some serious consideration.
That's the thing... The fast one is supposedly 48k, but I think people will have one on the drive for monthlies so low as to reveal that price is not the real price. They want to become a big presence in the UK so I'm guessing we're going to see some excellent lease deals to get the cars on the road.I'd give it some serious consideration.
While not as good as an I4 I think the gap is closing massively.
Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I’m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn’t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I’m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn’t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
mikef said:
I really like the look of the IM5 https://im.mg.co.uk/im5
I bought a UK-built MG-F. It threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection drive. This can t be any worse than that was
That's the awkward truth, the 'real' MG's were objectively terrible. These new MG's are mass produced facsimile cars, but that's actually what the biggest part of the market want and expect. It's just that now that big ol' chunk of the market get all the toys and some real power too. People that aren't really car people because their budget limited them to dull cars, are going to like that.I bought a UK-built MG-F. It threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection drive. This can t be any worse than that was
And these are just part of the early wave of surprisingly decent, surprisingly cheap cars to come from China.
CG2020UK said:
While not as good as an I4 I think the gap is closing massively.
Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
The gap between higher end and lower end cars has been closing for quite some time now. It's like the old days where some cars were known to be reliable, others not so much... But these days? Pretty much all cars are reliable. And in the same way a cheap car can give a punter the same gadgets and features as an S class. There are subtle but real differences in terms of quality and performance... But as you say, most people won't even appreciate the difference, so why should they pay for it..?Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
Witchfinder said:
Top Gear slagged it off, but I don't trust a word they write any more. Other reviews seem positive. I reckon the IM6 in particular will be popular.
Top Gear have long term relationships with the old school manufacturers that will give them any car and any level of access in return for saying nice things.Yes, I think the IM6 will be the one, it's a very smart car inside and out.
CG2020UK said:
While not as good as an I4 I think the gap is closing massively.
Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
The IM5 has a spread of just 8k between the "poverty" of 40k and the over 700hp at 48k. BMW goes from 50k to 70k just for that.Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
If you're opting for the 45k "Long Range", you might as well go for the insane power one.
As said, "luxury" is another thing these days. When we bought a car in the '90s, the higher spec luxury cars had central locking, electric windows, aircon, heated seats, cruise control, remote key... Actually legitimate creature comforts that we can hardly imagine not being on a car today.
What can BMW offer on paper these days that the MG won't have?
ZesPak said:
CG2020UK said:
While not as good as an I4 I think the gap is closing massively.
Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
The IM5 has a spread of just 8k between the "poverty" of 40k and the over 700hp at 48k. BMW goes from 50k to 70k just for that.Yes the suspension might be more like a car from 2 generations past but for your average Joe I m sure they are happy to save £20k.
It was always the loud, rattly and gutless engines and loose gearboxes I noticed and couldn t hack but most but EVs do away with that problem.
If you're opting for the 45k "Long Range", you might as well go for the insane power one.
As said, "luxury" is another thing these days. When we bought a car in the '90s, the higher spec luxury cars had central locking, electric windows, aircon, heated seats, cruise control, remote key... Actually legitimate creature comforts that we can hardly imagine not being on a car today.
What can BMW offer on paper these days that the MG won't have?
That sounds like I'm criticising my own BMW
but I'm not really. I appreciate the extra length they go to in terms of quality and function, I also like that it can maintain 1g lateral through a corner - I doubt very much the MG can do that!but it's not about making the BMW look expensive, it's about these sort of cars changing the sort of car someone budget conscious can put on their drive. It dangles in front of people something they previously simply couldn't dream of owning. I guarantee there will be thousands of UK drivers in old sheds that they put so much petrol and maintenance into, that they could actually afford the MG as a direct swap if they got a good lease deal. That's going to start to register with people.
I think they are worth a close look at that price.
I’m not totally convinced about either the exterior or interior styling, but it’s not hideous. They are also very heavy compared to their Tesla equivalents, which will inevitably impact the driving dynamics. The IM6 is 400 kg heavier than a Model Y, which is not trivial. Similar for the IM5 over the Model 3. But a big plus point for the proper hatchback tailgate on the IM5.
The headline performance is obviously very strong and comes relatively cheap. But I don’t think it adds any real world value over most of the competition and comes at the expense of more weight. But it does make a mockery of Porsche Macan EV pricing for their performance tiers.
The tech looks great too and the make or break here will be how stable and reliable it is. Tesla is the benchmark for touchscreen UI reliability. This is where Polestar has fallen flat on it’s face with the P3 and P4 software gremlins. If this Ui turns out to be flaky, then it’s a deal breaker for me.
Bottom line is I would seriously consider one of these if they are well built, reliable and I actually like the drive and styling in real life. But I have a feeling they might fall a bit short. But then again if the lease pricing is super attractive it might be very tempting.
I’m not totally convinced about either the exterior or interior styling, but it’s not hideous. They are also very heavy compared to their Tesla equivalents, which will inevitably impact the driving dynamics. The IM6 is 400 kg heavier than a Model Y, which is not trivial. Similar for the IM5 over the Model 3. But a big plus point for the proper hatchback tailgate on the IM5.
The headline performance is obviously very strong and comes relatively cheap. But I don’t think it adds any real world value over most of the competition and comes at the expense of more weight. But it does make a mockery of Porsche Macan EV pricing for their performance tiers.
The tech looks great too and the make or break here will be how stable and reliable it is. Tesla is the benchmark for touchscreen UI reliability. This is where Polestar has fallen flat on it’s face with the P3 and P4 software gremlins. If this Ui turns out to be flaky, then it’s a deal breaker for me.
Bottom line is I would seriously consider one of these if they are well built, reliable and I actually like the drive and styling in real life. But I have a feeling they might fall a bit short. But then again if the lease pricing is super attractive it might be very tempting.
uktrailmonster said:
I m not totally convinced about either the exterior or interior styling, but it s not hideous. They are also very heavy compared to their Tesla equivalents, which will inevitably impact the driving dynamics. The IM6 is 400 kg heavier than a Model Y, which is not trivial. Similar for the IM5 over the Model 3. But a big plus point for the proper hatchback tailgate on the IM5.
To be fair, that weight seems spot on with for example the BMW i4.I prefer the Model 3's dynamics over the i4, but some here might prefer the i4, so weight isn't the be al end all.
ZesPak said:
To be fair, that weight seems spot on with for example the BMW i4.
I prefer the Model 3's dynamics over the i4, but some here might prefer the i4, so weight isn't the be al end all.
Weight is fundamental to dynamics, especially when talking about hundreds of kgs. BMW just hide it better than most in the suspension and damping. The i4 is compromised by not being a dedicated EV platform. The MG doesn’t have that excuse. I prefer the Model 3's dynamics over the i4, but some here might prefer the i4, so weight isn't the be al end all.
Having said that, in normal everyday driving, extra weight is not always a huge deal. I test drove a Polestar 3 recently, which is an absolute pig at 2,600 kg. But it still drove very well with it’s sophisticated suspension and torque vectoring. It only felt bloated when I started chucking it around my local B-roads. It’s just something to consider when comparing specs.
uktrailmonster said:
ZesPak said:
To be fair, that weight seems spot on with for example the BMW i4.
I prefer the Model 3's dynamics over the i4, but some here might prefer the i4, so weight isn't the be al end all.
Weight is fundamental to dynamics, especially when talking about hundreds of kgs. BMW just hide it better than most in the suspension and damping. The i4 is compromised by not being a dedicated EV platform. The MG doesn t have that excuse. I prefer the Model 3's dynamics over the i4, but some here might prefer the i4, so weight isn't the be al end all.
Having said that, in normal everyday driving, extra weight is not always a huge deal. I test drove a Polestar 3 recently, which is an absolute pig at 2,600 kg. But it still drove very well with it s sophisticated suspension and torque vectoring. It only felt bloated when I started chucking it around my local B-roads. It s just something to consider when comparing specs.
But the next generation i4 will be a dedicated EV platform and will use the carbon composite shell ala the current IX, so at that point I'd expect a significant improvement
TheDeuce said:
mikef said:
I really like the look of the IM5 https://im.mg.co.uk/im5
I bought a UK-built MG-F. It threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection drive. This can t be any worse than that was
That's the awkward truth, the 'real' MG's were objectively terrible. These new MG's are mass produced facsimile cars, but that's actually what the biggest part of the market want and expect. It's just that now that big ol' chunk of the market get all the toys and some real power too. People that aren't really car people because their budget limited them to dull cars, are going to like that.I bought a UK-built MG-F. It threw a rod on the pre-delivery inspection drive. This can t be any worse than that was
And these are just part of the early wave of surprisingly decent, surprisingly cheap cars to come from China.
Budget and whether you're a car person are not linked. Or if they are it's probably the inverse. Someone with a £500 MX5 is arguably more of a car person then someone financing a Ferrari.
My mg4 x-power has been great for the 2 years I've had it. Staggeringly fast, well enough put together, comfy and nice to drive. Yes you can see where costs have been cut in places but it's priced accordingly.
Suspect the newer cars will have further improved on the quality and technology so these will likely be great.
Suspect the newer cars will have further improved on the quality and technology so these will likely be great.
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