Enyaq

Are you talking about the MG ZS, rather than the MG 5? Or do you really think the 5 is a crossover? Surely it's a plain old fashioned estate car? The ZS is of course an SUV/Crossover whatever thing.

MG5 = estate




MG ZS = SUV

Oh right OK. No way in the world I'd think of the 5 as a crossover even, let alone an SUV. Every media review I've read calls it an estate, and that's waht it looks like to me. Anyway, hey ho.

Went back today for a second look at the Enyaq, and particularly the passenger space. Boy1 came with me, as he’s (a) the one most interested, and (2) the one most often stuck behind me on a long journey. I particularly wanted to check my observation from my first go that the electric front seats seemed to steal kneeroom from those behind.

Well, I may have been wrong there. I didn’t drive it this time but I was careful to set each car up as I’d want it, and there were no complaints from behind in either case. I confirmed it with my own legs, and with a tape measure that showed 75cm horizontally from rear seat backrest to back of front seat. The equivalent measurement in the CLS is 70cm, with less space for feet under the lower seat in front.

It helped that neither car had the (fortunately optional) sunroof. Headroom, front and rear, is excellent, which means everyone can adopt a comfortable position and have scope to adjust, which makes all the difference on a long trip.

So I’m encouraged. The manual seat car also had the ‘Loft’ interior, with two-tone fabric seats and a woven textile on the dash top too. Very appealing, and makes me think that leather interiors will look very dated in a couple of years. I think it’s what I’ll specify if I order an Enyaq.

Which I may well decide to do. Much will depend on next week’s A level results, and our consequent commitment to university runs to York, or Birmingham, or the University With a Long Name that Sounds Impressive But Actually Shows It Used To Be a Cycling Proficiency Centre. That might mean six extra 500-mile trips a year for three years, probably not enough on its own to justify a change of big car. On the other hand, the CLS will be 11 years old when Boy2 graduates, and I probably will want to replace it before then.

Boy1 also suggested we should look at the Mercedes EQC. As we were only two minutes from the dealer that sold us the E220, we popped in and they had one. And it’s quite nice. I’d need to look up the details but it seems a bit shorter than the Enyaq, and it lacks the Škoda’s huge, deep boot. But it’s not bad inside, 72cm behind my seat and with headroom that’s better than adequate, if not as good in the back as the Enyaq.

The interior in this one was dull Mercedes black leather, but I prefer the dash layout to the Enyaq because it has real buttons to adjust the temperature and turn off the radio. The door bins don’t bend when you pull them, either — at least, not in the front. It’s bound to cost more, but it may be nice enough to warrant that, as the CLS has been, and have enough room for two regulars plus two occasionals. I’m going to try one anyway and find out.

Reviews of the Ionic 5 seem to imply you'll not get a better alternative. Give it a few months and there will be a load more BEVs.

Not sure I'll be after a BEV for my next car in 2021 or more likely 2022.

What is it with these Q's??

EnyaQ
IoniQ

And we thought Mondeo was stupid back in the day...

I'm surprised at the cost of the front motor on the Enyaq. It will have the bigger battery but that's available with just the one motor. But even with two motors it's still a lot cheaper than that EQC. Blimey that's expensive.

Well, long motorway journeys are looming. Boy2 will be studying at York from September. This does mean we’ll need a suitable vehicle; I’m less clear on whether that’s the one we have or an Enyaq.

The range discussion is so boring and so not the point but let’s do it anyway. York is 191 miles away on foot and only 214 by car. An Enyaq 80 would do that on one charge; a 60 might need a top-up en route, but we’d need a break in a four-hour drive anyway. Either way, it’s an overnight trip, so we get a charge at our hotel and set off for home fully fuelled.

It seems viable to me. And the car has the space to make it a comfortable trip for everyone. But there isn’t time to change before September, so doing the first trip in the CLS will tell us whether this is a problem we should be solving now.