Used MG ZS EV cars for sale

Used MG ZS EV pros and cons

Is a second hand MG ZS EV a good car?

The MG ZS is the car that truly re-launched the MG badge in the UK, mostly by offering a cheap fully electric alternative to the likes of the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro. The ZS might take its name from a 2000s hot hatch, but it’s been one of the most successful electric cars on the market in recent years. It’s been replaced by a new hybrid-only ZS, so is the time now right to bag an electric bargain?

Buying an MG ZS EV is a bit like going into Currys and walking past all the Sony, Panasonic, and LG TVs and instead buying a big widescreen telly from a brand you’ve never heard of and can't pronounce. The whole idea is that it does what others do, but does it for less cash, although in MG’s case it has the benefit of a familiar British badge (even if the company has been Chinese-owned since 2005).

If you’re expecting MG’s sports car heritage to shine through in the ZS EV… well, you’re going to be disappointed. This is a pretty humble suburban SUV which in fairness does offer an affordable entry point into the electric motoring world. 

Early models came with spectacularly cheap interiors. The old MG ZS EVs are good enough inside, but don’t go thinking that the fancy-looking touchscreen is in any way cutting-edge — the software looks like a 1980s Atari video game. 

The later models got a much improved cabin — still cheap, but better — and a revised touchscreen with slicker, but still fiddly, software. 

Space up front is fine — although the front seats feel too squishy and lack support — but space in the back seats isn’t great. Legroom is fine, but the batteries eat into floor space, pushing the back seat up high which means rear headroom is limited, and that’s worse on the higher-spec models as the panoramic glass sunroof takes away more space. It’s really a kids-only zone in the back.

The boot gets an adjustable floor, and with a 470-litre luggage capacity it’s still competitive even today against newer designs. The back seats don’t fold 100% flat if you’re loading in bigger items, though. 

Originally launched in 2019 with a big traditional-looking grille up front, the MG ZS first came with a 44kWh battery pack which gave it a claimed range of 163 miles. Not great, but not bad at the time. It didn’t take MG long to update the ZS EV, and by 2022, it had a more distinctive EV-like face (rather similar to the old Hyundai Kona in fact) and a choice of bigger 51kWh and 72kWh batteries, offering claimed ranges of 198 miles and 273 miles. 

Those ranges are fairly realistic — as long as you’re not trying to drive the ZS like a hot hatch in its Sport driving mode — and the newer versions can get very close to their claimed ranges in everyday driving. 

The steering is light and surprisingly good, and the way the MG ZS EV rides softly over bumps, so together with the smooth, quiet electric motor it’s an ideal town and city centre car. 

Motorway runs are okay too, but wind noise really picks up with speed — it’s worse again if the ZS has the optional roof rails fitted — and those too-squishy front seats aren’t your friend on long hauls. 

There is a Sport mode, but there’s not a lot of point to using it. Earlier ZS EV models never felt much better than sloppy when pushed on a twisty road, but the post-facelift model was a little better, and at least felt nice and steady in corners. Front grip isn’t terrific though, and the instant-on power of the electric motor can spin up the tyres quite easily on wet days.

It’s not really that kind of car, though. The MG ZS EV is really designed for cost-conscious, eco-friendly buyers who want to find a cheap and efficient way into electric car ownership. On that basis, the MG ZS EV gets the job done.

What to look for when buying a used MG ZS EV

As with any electric car purchase you’ll want to check that the battery is in good health, and there are several good independent battery checking services which can do that for you. A reputable second hand dealer will probably have already had one done, and should be able to show you the paperwork. 

The MG ZS EV seems to have been a pretty reliable car so far, and any problems which have cropped up — mostly small issues with air conditioning or the main electric motor — have largely been covered by MG’s lengthy seven-year warranty. Indeed, even the earliest MG ZS EV from 2019 will still have a couple of years of original warranty to run, and the battery is covered for the first eight years. 

That said, MG finished in 32nd and last place in the most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with 28% of owners reporting a problem with their car. The ZS EV didn’t make it to the Top 50 Cars To Own list. 

It’s also worth remembering that the ZS EV isn’t a very fast-charging car. Hook it up to a DC rapid charging point and the most power that it can handle is 100kW, and the older version could only manage 76kW. This means more time waiting to charge when you’re on a longer journey than you’d face in most alternatives.

MG ZS EV FAQs