Living with the GWM Ora Funky Cat Chinese EV. 3,000 mile real world review
Life with the GWM Ora Funky Cat Chinese EV. 3,000 mile real world review - the good, bad and dangerous! Jonny Smith has had this 193-mile range 48kWh electric hatchback on long term test for 4 months (since Feb to May) and in this episode he reports on the things he likes, the things he doesn't, and whether the Ora Cat is still a worthwhile consideration for the more-than-originally-promised £32,000.
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Filmed and edited by: Matty Graham www.pixel-click.com/
Thumbnail by: Matt Tarrant www.matttarantdesign.com
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Jonny Smith
Creative content maker, car presenter & car pervert for hire since '98
Website: www.carpervert.com
Instagram: / jonnycarpervert
Twitter: / carpervert
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:35 Real world range
1:55 Dimensions
2:10 Design and lights
3:03 Rear light issues
4:15 Annoying boot?
6:38 Bluetooth and wireless charging
7:05: Infotainment issues
8:31 Dangerous 'safety' features
12:19 First Edition not worth it
13:55 Indicator cancelling
17:01 Icons and tiles too small?
17:57 Rear seats
19:15 Charging
19:52 ride and handling
23:15 VERDICT
#orafunkycat #newchineseev #thelatebrakeshow
This is outright dangerous to buy vehicles like these ? I am talking about the indicator stalks, unclear rear lights, the constant beeps whilst driving...so many of them.
Therein lies the debate with modern cars, loaded with touch screen infotainment and 'helpful' and 'safe' gadgets. Let the debate begin!
I would say so, the constant (unwarranted) bleeping would put me in such a bad mood every time I drive it. Definitely be more dangerous for me.
@@TheLateBrakeShowbut it's also QC issues, not just the inevitability of technology.
and to think that this piece of rubbish has European certification…
God no. Put that in the hands of someone not used to lane keep assist and it will properly throw them. Fix the lane assist/other bits and drop the price a little, and it's a great car on paper.
I test drove the Ora Cat at Fully Charged Live in Farnborough last weekend. I'm a Driving Instructor and my thoughts were that this could make a super Driving School car. Perfectly sized, stand out looks, lovely colours and clearly well put together. I was looking forward the drive. Unfortunately the test drive turned out to be a nightmare fighting against the Lane Keep Assist system. Believe me, I'm reasonably sure of the best line to take on bends and how to avoid potholes while giving oncoming and following drivers time to respond to changes in road position. That's part of my daily job teaching learners. There were a lot of potholes on the Farnborough test route too. The Ora Cat had completely different ideas about where I should position, forcing me to constantly yank the car back into appropriate road position. After only a few minutes, it become seriously annoying and frustrating. The Ora demonstrator accompanying me on the drive explained that the Driver Monitoring and Lane Keep Assist systems must be switched off in Settings every time you commence driving if you don't wish to have the car interfering with your driving. No way would I inflict this car on a Learner Driver. Sorry Ora, you need to go back to the drawing board on this one.
Omg sounds horrible enough
Sadly not just ora, lots of modern stuff has this deeply irritating nannying.
Sorry man, not only that, but what if something breaks, you need repairs etc….could you live months without a car ruining your business?
@@kernowmcrae I agree it's not only the Ora, but BYD and GWM are usually more intrusive - till the point it becomes annoying, especially because of all the beeps people need to hear all the time just because a biker was closer to you than he should etc.. GWM is the worst, by far. But I believe they'll solve it at least for Europe and South America soon.
Just. Turn. it. off. Really, that simple. Turn off the lane assist e beeps. Problem solved.
That driver assist stuff sounds a death trap, that alone should be a deal breaker for anyone 😬
This is not an EV problem, the latest Yaris has lane keep assist that cannot handle single track roads in the UK. I agree it is a real problem with car manufactures not having the expertise to properly implement software that works in the real world.
I'd just switch it off...on B roads, I want to do all the driving myself (and A roads, and Motorways, and...)
Don't be swayed by Jonny's hang ups about safety warnings. I didn't find them intrusive at all. And it's not the car's fault that we have terrible road maintenance in the UK.
@@trevorberridge6079 I'd also find the repetitive warnings intrusive, but the state of the roads has nothing to do with my preference for having control of my vehicle. The current trend towards more vehicle driver assistance is dismaying. I've always loved driving.
It's the same on a lot of modern cars. My Isuzu pickup has that horrible auto braking when it thinks you are going to crash. It will cause more accidents than prevent. Technology that no one asked for.
I thought it seemed overpriced when it was initially released, and this review confirms it. Cheers, Jonny.
Might be a second hand bargain if the battery holds out?
@@Comakinobut who is going to buy one knowing price will halve in a year?
They go for the equivalent of £18K where I live, although that's twice the price of new BYD family cars.
From £11,700 in China
It’s good that structural safety of cars has improved hugely over time, because more crashes are inevitable due to people farting around with/being distracted by touchscreens
I've seen reviewer after reviewer complain about touch screens being distracting and how they prefer buttons because you don't have to look away from the road only to then watch them look away from the road to operate a button because it's small or fiddly or set low on the dashboard or not in an instinctive position. And they genuinely don't seem to know they're doing it because it's so ingrained in them. Touchscreens are no more distracting than buttons and piano key controls. I notice those who complain about built-in touch screens don't necessarily complain about smart phones attached to Android Auto or Apple Car Play.
@@trevorberridge6079 Absolute twaddle. I remember my first car had 4 knobs I cared about - left was heat temperature, middle was blower strength, right was direction. Above that was a volume knob with 4 directions around it for radio search or skip/back track. That was it. The reach for a button or physical control is muscle memory. If you try the same with a touchscreen you could be on "the wrong menu" or "the wrong screen" but you won't know unless you look. Don't believe me? Complete a small puzzle blindfold. Now complete the same puzzle while blindfold on a touch screen. No chance.
Spot-on mate.. touchscreen should be turned off automatically once driving at all ... My mate got run over in a car park at 5mph because the guy was driving along looking a his car touch screen.. it's actually safer to use your mobile whilst driving as you can put it into your field of view listing like a head up display.. so how is it it's not also illegal to use a touchscreen which vision completely away from the road in front of you... Voice control is the way forward.
@@rossmaclean2 agree 💯 my 2000 outback has touch buttons for HVAC but I much prefer my 1993 liberty rs sliders for heat and buttons for direction. I don't even think about what I'm doing to alter things. If I may say the heating for me is hot or with the air-conditioning on cold. Do we really need 22.5 deg or 23deg? I can't tell the difference.
I'm tired of people telling us that the whole UK will LOVE the brands such as BYD or Ora... Go ask Ssangyong how it went for them.
A review like this from someone of Johnny's calibre is enough for me to strike the Ora off the list for my first EV.
Sadly have to agree. The thought of those lane control features cutting in when going down the Via Gellia in the pouring rain....nope.
Likewaise.....
The problem is that journalists like Jonny rave about EV’s and don’t scrutinise them, then, when they live with them, they have to be honest. You could have looked at the specs and figured this would be a dud.
@@thejfg7741 really? Specwise this doesn't look too bad. I'm pretty sure if the driver aids hadn't irritated him so much the other points would have been less of an issue. That's also the point of a long term test - the first look was probably a couple of hours, and on first glance it looks good.
@@FormulaWhine absolutely. The price was never going to be 25k. The battery is too small and the cost was going to be too high. It will get there, like all Chinese car makers. But the actual flaws with EV’s themselves are highlighted even more here. Jonny Smith like a lot of motoring journalists have failed to be objective and properly critical of EV’s.
Almost rear ended a Vauxhall Mokka the other day, couldn't see the indicators so ridiculously small they're dangerous.
I have nearly collided with many a BMW - roundabouts are the real issue - as they don't have indicators.
@@tomooo2637 Or have run out of blinker fluid!
I can so relate to you, Johnny, about all the nanny settings. I had the US version of the VW ID.4 1st Edition and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough because of the nanny. The car literally pissed me off every time I drove it. There were other inconveniences also, like the poor infotainment menu system, the capacitive buttons everywhere, no on button for the heater (except in a menu) or the rear window controls. (Sorry for the rant. A year later and I'm still upset.) Good review and thank you for all the content!!
Lol😂. You'd expect those mistakes from a new car company, but not a company from World War era. I feel your frustration brother. Too many Tesla fan boys were on the design team.
@@BremboTIt's really not fair to compare the ID software with the Tesla software. Tesla is fast, intuitive and you can drive it 1000's of kilometres and never touch the centre screen. The ID software is slow and full of bugs and definitely a nanny system.
@MondoTV Well, I was alluding to the ID series moving away from physical buttons. I'm sure if they'd kept their original infotainment in the ID series it would make a more compelling buy.
You maybe missed the whole dodgy software thing with VW? Emissions report software?
The I.D's are renowned for the infotainment being utter shit. Harry's garage discovered it early on.
Heated seats : Peugeot e-208 when we ordered the correct spec had heated seats (highest spec), but when it arrived, they had removed the spec. We were really angry with Peugeot and of course they didn't care, be very careful with the Stallantis group cars with changing spec.
I like the way this thing looks, but after your review I don't think I would consider it for my commute which is mostly rural back roads. Also, I completely agree about modern indicators. So many are tiny and hidden within a headlight. It means at night you have to stare directly into the headlight to see if the indicator is flashing or not.
I have an Alfa Giulietta and it’s a bad example of this. I had to find some stupid bright led globes so the indicator can be seen when the lights are on. They’re even bad during the day as the DRL drowns out the indicator. I was getting honked a lot in roundabouts, I swear I had the blinkers on!!
You can't see indicators on modern cars because the headlights are so bright you end up being dazzled and can't see anything. Also you should wait for the roundabout to be clear regardless of whether some one is indicating or not. Most accidents on roundabouts are caused by people making assumptions and entering roundabouts onto oncoming traffic either because they've changed their minds and left their indicator on or they're in the wrong lane on the roundabout.
@@anthonyroylance867 The Guilietta has pretty piss weak halogens, buts it’s problem is the bright led DRL lights are smack next to the indicator and don’t dim when the indicator is on like most modern DRL equipped cars. Would be easy to do in software, something of an oversight! As for not relying on indicators in roundabouts I agree, but Australian drivers are not exactly world best!!
@@anthonyroylance867 It’s good now that I have led indicators in that are decently bright and can actually be seen!
Modern indicators are awful. Minis were the only car I knew of with usable ones. Now the Ora, too. Maybe visible indicators will make a comeback!
I cannot fathom why all manufacturers have reduced the size of rear brake lights and indicators, to virtually non-existent. The fact they are LED also reduces visibility in sunny weather. How the hell do these cars obtain European certification?
I wonder if it has to do with the manufacturers lobbying governments to get rid of naff regulations like how big indicator lights and brake lights have to be, so they can design them just as they like. I encounter frequently quite large cars (not only EV's) and their brake lights or indicators are pathetic - barely visible. I had some moments where only the fact that I try to keep a proper distance at any time kept me from driving into the back of someone about to turn as the lights were nigh on invisible.
Couldn’t agree more. Downright dangerous.
Get rid of naff regulations? Those regulations were keeping things visible. It really went downhill when the manufacturers were allowed to put indicators in headlights. BTW. The latest F56 minis have the same front indicator arrangement as the ORA. They can be seen! Rear lamps are much larger than the ORA.
Nobody uses indicators anyway so may as well get rid of them. Fish swimming about on the dash however very important feature in a car.
Also, very few channels post reviews based on more than a week or two with the car so thanks for spending this much time with the car and giving us your thoughts. I feel like Ora have a lot of potential but there are obviously a few big stumbling blocks to overcome.
I'm seeing quite a few of these in Thailand, where it's called the Ora Good Cat. I like the design, but it's interesting to hear what the car is like as a daily driver. The other EV that is popular here is the Build Your Dreams (BYD) Atto 3.
Thanks for this honest review Jonny. This car certainly has potential, but seems to need a major rethink on the software side. For now, the MG4 is a much more compelling proposition.
I ordered but had to cancel an Ora Cat Ultra and was disappointed at the time, but this review makes me somewhat less so. I've had my MG4 for 4000 Km now and it's a dream to drive, but shares many of the irritating firmware issues that are highlighted in this video. Lane Keeping Assist is on by default at startup and unpredictable to the point of being dangerous and much of the firmware is poorly thought through - in particular resetting the car to defaults every time you leave it. Like many MG4 owners, I am hoping that future updates will address these shortcomings. I should add that the driving experience in the MG definitely makes up for the other shortcomings.
Great review Johnny, I acctually bought an Ora in Sweden this february. No first edition here with the lovely interior but we got 2 versions to choose from with either 310 km LFP-battery at 48 kw/h or 420 NME-battery at 64 kw/h. I optioned for the former because of the lower price and earlier delivery. It came with heated seats as standard, without it no car will sell in Sweden. I too have been struggling with the "intelligent driving" on our smaller roads, but since it doesn't kick in until you've gotten over 60 km/h one does manage without turning it of while you're in the city. But whenever I go to drive on smaller roads I turn of emergency lane assist rather than the biometrics. The indicators have been a frustration for me aswell, but I have just now found out with how much preassure and how long you have to hold the indicator to cancel it. And I totally agree about the visability through the rear window. But I love my Funky Cat with it's cute estethics and it's comfortable interior. It's quick enough all the way up to 100 km/h. Waiting with great enthusism for the summer update which is said to bring android auto and apple carplay, and maybe a bit of tweaking on the safety features?
The driver assistance features would be a deal breaker for me. I turned them off in my car when I first got it and they stay off. Brilliant!
Happy you pointed out the indicator problem. I just hired an Ora for 3 days and kept battling LEFT RIGHT LEFT with the indicators. It was seriously dangerous and I found myself changing lanes just so the vehicle would think it had completed a turn so it could shutoff OR me simply not indicating even in busy traffic which I would never normally do. I drove around town for around 3 hours and had aches and tension in my shoulders from that and the beeps and the stupid screen changes. But really the Indicators are dangerous and should be BSI banned.
First, please excuse any errors regarding spelling and grammar. Since I’m a Swede, English has its mysteries to me. Nevertheless, thank you very much for both a splendid as well as a constructive review. Had I found this video earlier, then I wouldn’t have gotten myself an ORA 300. Now I’m driving one since early August and I can concur with much that you are saying. The interior is nice, so is the cameras and some other features. The tech in the car is an entirely another story though. The thing about the rear lights getting covered with dirt in bad weather is a thing that I must keep an eye on. Thankfully, I didn’t buy my ORA, but leased it for twelve months for 3450,00 Swedish crowns (about 230 £) a month, which includes winter tires. I've already had some mishaps as well. After a whole month and 900 km (560 mi) the car suddenly wouldn’t accept public chargers which was quite a problem, since I can't charge the car at home. It took me three visits to the dealer to get some software updates and for now it seems to be amended. During this month I listed all the features that annoyed me. My notes, in no particular order, follows below… The touch buttons on the steering wheel buttons are in one piece, which means that one often presses the wrong button. The optional functions on the steering wheel are few. Especially as there are only the same four options available for both buttons and one cant pick any other functions. There should be several options to choose between. The place under the front hood for the disconnection of the charging cable is incorrectly described in the manual. However, the picture is correct. Probably a bad translation from the original language. The release handle for the charging cable itself just looks like a thin, yellow electric cable, which is why one first is even afraid to pull it, as it looks like it will come off at the slightest pressure. There is also nothing to indicate that this is the release handle. "It's not possible to release the parking brake without putting the seat belt on first. Strange solution as one sometimes have to move the car short distances, e.g. on a petrol station or in a garage, and it then becomes awkward to put the seat belt on and off all the time. It appears that the blind spot cameras are misaligned as they show an image of what is happening diagonally ahead. In other words, they show what is already visible from the driver’s seat instead on what’s at the sides diagonally backwards. The single pedal mode setting resets as soon as the power has been turned off. The emergency steering, fatigue warnings etc. has already been covered in the video, but I can assure that they indeed are quite irritating and therefore also pose a distraction… i.e. they increase the risk for mistakes rather than the opposite. The setting in the audio system for shuffle when listening to music on a USB stick or Bluetooth etc. resets as soon as the power has been switched off. The sound system increases greatly in volume when the defroster/fan is turned on. It gets quite loud and comes as a surprise. If I think the fan disturbs my listening experience, I’m very capable of adjusting the volume on my own. This is a completely unjustified and disturbing "extra function" - unfortunately, it seems that it cannot be turned off. When the defroster is switched off, in some cases the temperature setting automatically goes down to "Low", which one sometimes don't notice until it starts to get cold. Still no Apple Car Play despite pre-sale promises that it would come with the next update. Still no Swedish text on displays etc. despite pre-sale promises that it would come with the next update. Very limited with station settings for radio (FM and DAB) where it's only possible to program six favourite stations. Already 15-20 years ago, most standard car audio systems managed to save upwards of 18 favourite channels or more. The multimedia system has a very limited ability to display information when e.g. playing music folding USB, Bluetooth, etc. Even in many older counterparts, it was possible to get more information about the audio track that was being played. Similarly, in older car media centers one could often also choose between whether to see the individual files on a USB-stick and sort them in different ways as well. The turn signal was mentioned, and it is indeed a safety hazard since it’s incredibly sensitive. Probably due that it’s entirely electrical. Even when you just want a short flicker, it's easy to get it going steadily. When you then try to reset it, it instead starts flashing in the opposite direction. Sometimes one has to persist for a while before succeeding in turning off the turn signal. The turn signal is also relatively loud, but it doesn't seem to be possible to adjust the volume. Some icons on the instrument display are very poorly visible in daylight mode... light green/medium green has a very poor contrast effect against a light gray background. The solution is to constantly drive with the display in night mode, but for it to be clearly visible in daylight, one must turn up the brightness on it. This means that the display gets much too bright at night, and then it's necessary to sit in the darkness and tinker with the system instead. When switching back and forth between e.g. radio and other sound sources, then it doesn't start until one presses the play button. It feels rather unnecessary to press twice when one have actively selected a certain sound source anyway. Sometimes information icons about weather and temperature (which are miniscule) in the upper left corner of the central display disappear. Probably because it’s all received online. Weather information is possible to live without (I can see for myself if it’s sunny or cloudy outside), but the outside temperature should be connected to a fixed sensor on the car! This has been standard for many years and worked well. The car was delivered without washer fluid which isn’t a big deal. However, there doesn't seem to be any indicator on the driver display that shows when the washer fluid reservoir is empty. It will sure be fun this winter… It is not possible to connect more than one mobile phone via Bluetooth, which is peculiar since already 10-15 years ago there were cars where it was possible to connect several mobile phones. Very annoying when using both a private phone as well as a work phone. The steering wheel buttons also do not seem to have any function to switch between e.g. different sound sources or to operate e.g. phone calls other than answering etc. It is also not possible to close certain information etc. that pop up on the center display. Many buttons on the display are so small that they are difficult to press correctly. For example. to change the temperature, the wrong button ids often pressed. Far too many sub-menus here and there and the center display is not the fastest, so one is often more occupied watching and tinkering with the display, rather than paying attention to the oncoming traffic when driving. Finally, the online vehicle manual is incredibly messy, unstructured and therefore quite difficult to use. It appears to have been automatically translated from Mandarin to English… and for us in Sweden then yet again automatically translated from English into Swedish.
Your points are excellent as well as is your mastery of English.
Very honest review - a refreshing change, impressive frankly - I also appreciate the balance needed to maintain a relationship with manufacturers - we are your viewers so do need to get true facts from watching reviews - as you rightly point out, we still need to try ourselves, I might love being tugged towards the hedge ( sorry that sounds a tad wrong 😂)
I thought that my '23 Kia Soul had a surfeit of bongs and nannying interventions. But, the Cat is completely over the top. There's no way that I could live with a car like that on my local, Suffolk B roads.
Can you check what happens if you tape over the sensor thing on the pillar?
Good question. We will try that.
@@TheLateBrakeShow Or how about attaching a short pole with a passport photo on the end of it 😄
Thanks for the review Jonny. Rather ironical that we should be buying "clean" electric cars from a land that has 1118 coal fired power stations. Some may regard this as progress.....
I guess you could argue that safety devices which try to steer you into oncoming traffic might work because you're constantly terrified and hyper-alert?! But yeah, the incessant bongs make it absolutely a no-buy.
This is exactly the reviews we deserve, accurate and honest.
Lane Keep Assist drives me crazy in most cars (although this seems the worst yet). I also resent the setting not persisting when I turn it off.
It is more annoying than helpful I think. Is the future of safety really lots of irritating noises and steering wheel grabbing?
Unfortunately it seems like with a lot of modern technology and programs the customers are automatically opted into things they may not want, and what is becoming even more common is making it difficult to fully opt out of them, if they even let you at all.
@@TheLateBrakeShow If I'm driving then I'm driving, not being 2nd guessed by some invisible driving instructor
I kinda get the feeling the reason you have to manually switch off all the monitoring systems every time you turn on the car is because the manufacturer has to give you the option but doesn't really want you to turn them off. So it's made deliberately awkward to persuade you to just leave them on, because turning them off every time is such a faff. One thing's for sure, that lane assist constantly bleeping away would do my absolute nut in.
Honest review, professionally filmed and delivered with none of the nonsense... Well done Jonny, keep them coming.
Excellent review! They seem to have improved the software (and hardware maybe for reactivity) vs the version available in SEA, but at the same time created some new issues about visibility of numbers on the dash. I still love mine, but it got the bigger battery and a cheaper price which helps dealing with the fact it got software issues. As for the boot I agree when I had to fit in a wheelchair in it it came to the point of guessing what would fit and setting it in diagonally so the boot would close… Hopefully their next iterations of cats will improve over time.
Hi. I just left this comment, maybe you could answer and help me decide it. Thanks. "Hi. Very good review. I'm wondering, have they updated this very intrusive "safety" features? I'm considering buying one here in my country. Ad I have other cars I was thinking of buying the most basic model for city driving only as my first EV. It's warm here where I live. I wonder, would the most basic version be a bit less intrusive or have they updated this safety system? Cause that's what's making me concerned the most. Thanks"
I like the interior design and front styling but it just seems if/when something wears out or breaks that it’ll be difficult or impossible to get parts for after a few years. Just like some neat looking Chinese scooters. When those break, you throw them away. Another great review!
It has to be said that even big name car manufacturers are having problems with part replacements because of Brexit regulations disrupting just-in-time deliveries. Nissan were going to leave the UK altogether on that basis until the government paid them a bribe to keep their factory open and pretend there was no ill effect. Toyota and Honda also threatened to leave the UK if Brexit affected their supply chains. And with new deals being struck with countries on the other side of the globe out of desperation you can expect more supply issues to pile up across the board.
Don't know how you've put up with that notification tone pinging for over 3 months...It got on my wick just in this video..!! 😂 Don't think it would instill much confidence either, knowing that even with certain functions turned off, that it could try to take over control at any given moment. Think always being on guard and waiting for it to happen would eventually be exhausting. I think your reviews are always really honest, and in this case, this is a car I think most people will shy away from. So yeah, don't entertain the 'first edition' and hopefully they'll have ironed out all the irritible quirks come the 'second edition'..!! 😂 Loving 'The Late Brake Show' mate. Look forward to lots more of the same and in the meantime, all the very best 💥💯👍
Brilliant review, Johnny. Thank you for your detailed review on so many cars you tested so far. I really like the look inside and out of this car honestly. However, I know there are so many features especially those "safety" warnings may work in the Chinese domestic market, but not necessary in other markets. If I am on the market for a reasonable EV, I would prefer MG4 over this Ora, the MG4 definitely is better value for money than this Ora. I wish GWM will soon release a new software update to fix up those software glitches and annoying warnings in order to give the drivers a more pleasant driving experience. Keep up with your good work, mate. 👍
I am sure it is easier to drive on a Chinese city grid system but for small UK town and city streets it is a disaster.
Well Jonny…our local Funky Cat dealer has had 6 of these parked up for sale for months…and it is understandable why. Full of faults and daft intervention. However….the looks are appealing and the interior is very attractive….if Ora listen to your video and sort out all the problems, then it could be a very useful car indeed. No I would not buy one but I can see why non technical buyers just might. It is too expensive by £10,000 but the Chinese are super quick learners and Cat 2 will be a very different proposition!!! As always….a most insightful video Jonny..well done!!🙂🙂🙂🙂
Great review. Helpful, informative and honest. Although clearly a problematic car, also calling out the good things to provide a sense of a balanced perspective. Much better than reviews that obsess about whether a water botle fits into the door bin.
Thank you proper review no shill ❤
Gorgeous styling, but all that interfering software needs to be stripped out. I'm not Jacob Rees-Mogg so I don't need a Nanny.
Sometimes you don't know how much you need nanny, until she's gone
Agreed, I'm not Arnold Schwarzenegger either
It's made for Chinese drivers. They need nannies and a lot more besides.
@@Lewis_Standing Count Duckula?
Sadly, all the driver monitoring stuff like "Lane Killing Assist" resets because EuroNCAP say it should re-activate every time in case a different driver gets in the car. Since Jonny attended the MG4 launch event, MG have removed the "Spy in the cab" module from the car.
I drive a Golf mk8 1.5tsi, and the driving 'aids' are just as bad it seems. Continuously intervening, even when turned off. When I come out of the Antwerp (Kennedy) tunnel, heading to France, it does not understand the winding 2 mile section of road and will start alarms and trying to overtake the steering. Bloody, bloody, annoying! Thansk again for another great video Jonny! Greetings from the Netherlands
Enjoyed your review. I sold mine back to dealership for two significant issues. You identified one. The lack of rear window wiper. The other you did not mention. I found that the gear change dial regularly did not change gear or had a significant lag.Got me in trouble trying to go into drive from reverse.
I'm currently renting an Ora "Funky Cat" whilst my Kia is being served. I'd say this thing appears to be affected by Tourette Syndrome, a condition normally effecting humans but that now appears to have jumped to the automobile industry, courtesy of the Chinese. Renting a car with this condition is distracting to say the least! In fact it's the most distracting car I've ever had the misfortune of renting... It's also the most lethal car I've ever sat in and that includes my final season back in 94 racing an Indycar that would regularly drench me in Methanol! Aside from the constant pinging, bleeps and bongs and the distraction of a disembodied voice repeatedly prodding me (amongst other nonsense) to "keep focused" and "don't get distracted" and "Please Concentrate When Driving" and "Thank You For Driving" and "Don't Forget Your Mobile Phone " (as I'm getting out the f*****g car with the damm mobile in my hand), there's the sudden jerks, twitches as the "Cat" attempts to steer you into any on-coming traffic. This feature is combined with a repeated on-screen warning (typical every few minutes) telling me the"Emergency Steering System has Activated" ping! ping! ping! and "Check Key is in Car" ping! ping! ping! half a dozen times when the Key is sitting in f****ing "Cat" and I'm driving down the road! Then you have the lethal, automatic braking system! This gem of automotive ingenuity features brakes that automatically explode into life when you least expect it! I can only imagine the idea is intended to wake up any dozing drivers and passengers... but then, falling asleep isn't an option... try snoozing next time you're at the Circus when the Clown Car starts it's routine! So far this automated braking nonsense has happened twice, despite my being fully awake and engrossed in the Cat's morning chorus of pings, bleeps, bongs and tings... Each time the brakes randomly slammed on, any following cars had to hit their brakes to avoid me! Of course, all these so-called "safety features" can be deactivated in the "Funky Cat Settings", but every time you do that, the Cat's AI system reactivates everything automatically for your "Safety and Convenience" ready for the next unsuspecting driver setting off for a morning commute! I could go on about the fish (I think they're supposed to be Carp) that swim majestically across the instrument displays or the miniscule 12mm Speed Indicator, hidden on the left side of the big main display screen... why? The leaping Carp are TEN times bigger than the speed indicator.... This feature is guarenteed to get you speeding tickets! And then there's the irrational lack of knobs and switches, because almost every function has to be operated by voice (function has to be operated by voice (sadly, as with most cats, the "Funky Cat" treats most requests and commands with distain or indifference). Finally, aside from the lack of range and luggage space, there's the carefully designed front windscreen pillars, positioned to obstruct your view when pulling out of junctions! Why? Perhaps renting this rubbish is what others want now that we're all living in a sterile world of Health and Safety but it's definitely not for me... Renting a "Funky Cat" a is like being condemned to suffer eternal punishment in hell with Lucifer's cat forever ping! ping! ping! prodding me not to forget my ping! ping! ping! f*****g mobile! I have a sneaking suspicion this thing escaped from the same experimental Wuhan Lab as COVID did! Avoid at all costs!
Great video Jonny. Interested to hear your thoughts on it. I like it’s styling and would probably drive one out courtesy before buying something else, but those tech issues you mention and the likely poor residuals would worry me
12:13 the state of that ‘first edition’ badge pretty much sums this car up for me…
I'm sorry Jonny, but you're going to have to work 8 days a week, because we need more of your unique, entertaining and informative reviews 😉 This is a really effective review because it reveals so much more than a 2 hrs test drive review. Have you tried putting tape over the monitor? 😅
Thankyou for the video! I was very interested in the car, and was wanting to get one, but I defiantly wouldn't like the driving assists. (I don't even like cruise control on normal cars, I like to be in control 100%), so this would drive me nuts and if its reset every-time its probably a deal-breaker for me. The additional of the sensors that seems like they are spying on you is also concerning. Certainly going to have to give it some serious thought if I still want to go ahead with it now...
Great review. I was thinking of looking at this. Hope they will have a bigger boot model
A great review, entertaining, honest and informative. I still get the feeling that the touchscreen tech' particularly in EVs, is still early gen', like v2.3 when we are used to v10.1 buttons and dials...if you get what I mean..?! Yet Chinese manufacturers are leading the way...be afraid Western manufacturers.
Great video, really interesting to see what it's like to live with. I could not live with those bings and bongs.... definitely a deal breaker and just too expensive.
What a detailed review nice, would love to see more "Living With..." series.
I saw one at Fully Chared last year and decided to get one. Delays with availability and then no large battery so I went for a 64 klw Kona which I am very pleased with
Looks like a good car but that lane keep noise would drive me insane, and it’s to expensive. I will keep my Renault Zoe thanks.
I was considering one of these as a daily driver, but since my daily driver is a 30 year-old Golf, the driver assistance stuff is going to drive me crazy, it is sad because I find the interior and exterior soooo beautiful and the price in my opinion was pretty good. Thanks for helping me steer clear from this car! I’ll wait for the BYD Dolohin or maybe the Volvo EX30
I had on hire for 4 months a brand new VW Golf which came with all the "modern" beeping, bonging, lane assist, steering adjustments etc etc the works. It was absolutely horrific! Every journey was complete with constant false audio warnings and by far the worse thing was the corrective steering. The car would throw you back into the lane if you were overtaking parked cars, it was frankly, dangerous at times. It was the most modern car I had driven with the new touchscreen controls and again I found it distracting and a pain In the arse trying to adjust minor things while driving, like the heating. Was absolutely thrilled to hand the keys back. To put this into context the last golf I drove was a MK5 which was massively more enjoyable to drive/live with than the newest. I'll stick to the golden oldies.
Great review. I realise, thanks to you, that I couldn't live with this car. I've had a Zoe and now have a Kia Soul ev but have been wondering whether to have a last change.
I was really excited to see this car come to market at £25K. For the price now, it's going to bomb. "Assistance" looks like it'd be incredibly annoying and possibly dangerous. I much prefer the MG. (Looking to buy in the next 6 months when the lease on our A Class runs out).
Or you can buy a better car for $12k and have over 50’000 miles of fuel
You said it Jonny, the Cat needed to be 25k otr to get a foothold in the UK or it wont sell in numbers. I did consider the Ora Cat when it first came out but now think the MG4 is a much better car with a more grown up design. But my preference now for a runaround car is to go smaller and for less money, the Dolphin or the Seagul.
Ora Driver here - fyi - ignore Lane assist (switch off once), what's causing the annoying manoeuvres by the car you're experiencing is ... the emergency steering wheel option (this has to be switched off everytime you start the car).
Thank you for your update, this is most valuable. The real world use is the major thing in working out the bad designs. Touch screens need to be easy to reach, designed in a manner that is easy to find what you want. Unfortunately I can see us getting more and more driver assist systems as they are deemed safer. Now as you say that depends on the way it is integrated. I think voice activation will be a winner to remove the need to reach the satnav or radio. Also, why is the car almost 3 times more cost in the UK?
Great real-world opinion mate👌👌👌👌
In the groups I'm in they're calling this the modern Nissan Figaro
It's not quite that cool. However it has a characterful face, and people do want to stop and talk about it. There is intrigue to the design, and that isn't happening enough in the car world these days.
@@TheLateBrakeShow Exactly! Modern cars are just plain boring now and older cars will always have the appeal bc of the way they look. You yourself know the fig wasn't that long ago (1991 for those that don't). Like what's happened in the design world since to make everything so plain. We've gone from fins in the 50's, cute faces with the Fig to not much else later on
I've just ordered tyres from Blackcyrcles. Fitting in a few days. 🤞🏼 all goes well
The fact that most of the issues you brought up seem to be software and digital design problems actually sounds like a good thing to me. Because those problems are substaintially easier to fix than bad range or crappy handling. Even the issue with the disappearing indicators in the back could potentially be fixed via software by making the lower indicators light up as well.
Except it is unlikely they will update the software that is annoying
The Europeans were heavily into type approval a while ago, when indicators were big enough, and heaven help a motorcyclist who dared modify any lighting smaller than standard. Now the lights/indicators on cars are nearly invisible and the same size as the ones on those slightly 'customised' bikes!
Interesting review, what you have said about the Ora Cat is similar to my experiences with the MG4 I bought, I have had it a similar time period and milage. I bought the long range trophy. As you said same price, better spec (why I bought it and not the Cat). However, on the strength of this review I wouldn't buy an Ora Cat. However, at the same time I wouldn't buy another MG4 either. It is just as irritating in terms of its bing bongs and its overly invasive "driver aids" and in the same vein they reset every time the car is reset, except the driver drowsyness alert which re-sets every time the car drops below 35mph. All of that I could tolerate if the softwere weren't full of bugs. Its a shame as it ruins what could be a superb car.
But you have to admit the MG4 is a great drive - I grin every time I start a trip but having to have a co-pilot to change half a dozen settings once we get underway does take a bit of the shine off the experience🙂
@@Sprocket9000 Oh as something to drive its not half bad, but the shine being taken off by being a beta tester for their software integration is off putting.
Great Review Jonny. My wife test drove at the Fully Charged show and it really does feel premium inside but so hard to justify that price. With your helpful long term video it convinces me that for now at least its too much of a stretch price wise from new. Shame that many new Electric cars like this (no idea if ICE have similar issues) have these irritating so called safely features. I have an MG4 which i love and at least with that the lane keep assist stuff which i also found to be dangerous stays off for me. The joy of an electric car should be how easy it is to drive but all the bleeping etc is not helping Cheers
After the initial review you gave a while back i was quite impressed with the car, but after watching this long term review i am off same opinion that the driving aids would put me off and be more of a annoyance, i am not a huge touchscreen fan even through i have one in my Cactus. Another thing that puts me of is the dealer network much like the BYD the nearest dealer is a 90 mile round trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow. My choice would be the MG4 after driving one last year and its cheaper than the Funky Cat as well. As always a excellent video.
That is the most useful review of this car I've seen. By far
Glad to hear it, thank you
Why do Chinese cars have tiny text and icons on the displays?
No idea. Very odd idea when the screens are so generous.
As usual a very polished review. Was thinking of looking at one for my wife but can now see she couldn’t cope with the niggles you have highlighted. I think Ora and other manufactures should get you in to review for them before release and then they can fix the silly things that the nerd techies think are wonderful. What are product managers for?
I quite like that and it would be ideal for my commute however no rear wiper and having to switch off the driving assist every time would 100% stop me from buying one
That thing would drive me insane. I'll keep my 1932 two-seater Morris Minor thanks. I'm in full control of it.
These have really grown on me. Yet to see one in the flesh, though. Sadly nowhere near ready to switch to EV yet, considering something PHEV next.
PHEV is a waste of time. They only exist to keep fossil fuels in the running and use up stock of fossil car parts that are laying around. A lot of PHEV owners say they make most of their trips on battery power alone as they mostly drive less than 35 miles in a day which is the national average. Your fossil fuel will spend a lot of time sitting in the tank doing nothing. A lot of people don't know that it can go off and ruin your fuel system when you finally do use the engine. Unless you genuinely have to drive over 150 miles non-stop from A to B on a regular basis you don't have any actual need for a hybrid of any kind. And remember, having to run two different systems in one vehicle means more to go wrong and higher maintenance bills.
Jonny, you raise an important point regarding the small icons and the distance of the screen. In a RHD car where the driver is trying to touch small icons at arms length with their non-dominant hand it is a major distraction from the road. Imagine that you are 25 years older and have a left shoulder injury like me, using the screen whilst driving is potentially dangerous. I could never contemplate owning a RHD Tesla for instance where even vital safety systems like windscreen wipers are controlled from the screen. Cars designed by the smartphone generation without thought for drivers of other demographics won't succeed.
Something that you've missed Jonny (and most people in the comments are missing) is that a lot of these new safety "features" are mandated by the new "GSR2" safety regulations which OEMs are required to conform to. From 2024 a new phase will be mandatory for all vehicles sold so this will only get much worse. (I work for an OEM and was involved in the implementation of these mandatory features).
Thanks for pointing this out. It's been mentioned in the MG4 owners forum as the reason for some of the more intrusive and, at times dangerous, features being implemented by default and one has to wonder if the people drafting the standards have any serious driving experience.
At 25k I would have been interested as a driving instructor car. But at that price I will stick with the e208 at the moment
OMG I'm glad I went with the MG4. Thankfully MG removed the driver monitoring camera and LKA isn't as annoying, but it also needs some work to make it safer on back roads.
Looked to replace our Zoe with this, seened a great product but seriously poor dealer put us off, didn't notice the software annoyance on the test drive, think we had a lucky escape 😂
Saw one of these in a shopping mall of all places. It is indeed a nice looking car and quite ‘funky’. However why anyone would buy one at this price is beyond me. Superminis over £30k are becoming worryingly more common which is quite staggering when you think about it.
There are many factors that add to the price of cars globally and in the UK we have a few extra unique factors that make it expensive for other countries to import limited stock vehicles at low prices. For the moment at least. Car prices in the EV market are going to drop notably within the next couple of years. Like for like EVs have reduced enormously in price over the last ten years. This is always the way with technology. Cheaper, better products over time. When plasma tvs first came out it might cost £15,000+ for an okay 32" screen. A few years later it cost £1200 for a very good 42" screen. Now it costs £300 for a 55" screen capable of things that weren't even thought of eight years ago. That's a 98% fall in price and a far superior end product. Same with mobile phones. Same to come with EVs.
all those bleeps from the assist would drive me absolutly bonkers
Great review. Most manufacturers seem to get this wrong. The lane departure in my Model S is equally annoying and in some cases I've experienced downright dangerous.
On the ORA I was fighting the lane change 'rectifier' at 30 mph. Imagine fighting with your steering wheel at 70mph...
Bought a Cupra Born instead, brand new, got it on Thursday. Absolutely love it, so glad I watched this video
€36K is way too much for this package.
Reminds me of the small annoying “bonging” mouse Droids on Imperial ships in Star Wars. However on the review side of things, another banger from Jonny, too many 10 mins reviews tend to get glossed over due to the “funky-ness” of the cat, but the price and the compromises of the car seem to outweigh its initial cuteness.
Thank you, appreciate the comment.
Living with a car for a while *definitely* allows you to learn important things that are not apparent even with a "full" driving test. Well done!
FINALLY! As a founding member of the Rear Wiper Police , I’m glad someone else has finally noticed 😆 Even all the previous Prius had one, the new one doesn’t 🙄
I thought the Zoe's safety features where annoying, but this takes it to another level. Certainly a deal breaker. (Even when turned off, Zoe would bong at every speed camera and traffic light cancelling out the navigation. "At the traffic lights turn BONG" )
Well thw zoe should not be allowed on roads as it got zero in the ncap safty tests, also they removed important side airbags so basically you get into a crash and roll or gwt hit on the side chances are your head and/arms go out the side windows
Saw the Cat at Fully Charged Live last year and I really liked the looks. The thing that struck me most was the tiny boot, it’s not a small car, so why have they given it such small load carrying ability? When GWM revealed the prices, I was staggered at how much they were asking, it’s wildly overpriced. If they want to successfully launch the brand in the UK, they need to price them to sell
Mg did it right. John Q. Public would want something simple and affordable.
Jonny, I hope you can get your hands on a smart #1 for testing. Can’t wait for that. I have enjoyed all your video reviews 👍🏻
Great review as always, I love these long term tests where you get to be annoyed and delighted by a car. I think you'd love this car if it was cheap and basic, as in 0 fancy gadgets with just basic materials. I bet that would knock £5k off the price. We all thought the Chinese would produce a basic car that would really be compelling but we're yet to see one. It's the curse of Teslas popularity, they all think they need to produce a car with a touch screen and all the gadgets and the only thing they can skimp on is a rear wiper. I like the safety gadgets when they're calibrated well, but they also need to be able to be turned off for sure
Sounds like one to avoid, not just as a potential purchase, more so if I see one coming towards me on a country lane!!
It’s a definite NO from me! I would find it so annoying that I would end up taking a hammer to it !
I was a big fan at the beginning, signed up for all the stuff you could get from ORA UK, then nothing, left in limbo about when it would be available etc. Their marketing was dire. Missed the boat when they didn't release when the first said they would. And at the price they originally said it would be. Other brands have taken over the mantle of cheapish EV, the MG4 etc. So glad you did this long term review, think I dodged a bullet, so glad I didn't get one.
Good honest review, looks like the nissan leaf at the same price range is a better buy, at least the tech works plus it has heated seats and a big boot
I really wish small EV's like this would come to USA. There's too much obsession about overpriced SUV's and trucks here.
There are a few smallish EVs available in the US. GM Bolt. Hyundai Kona, Mini F56SE. I think maybe the latest Fiat 500e is coming back. The Tesla Model 3 is not a huge car. I have a Mini, and absolutely love it.
@Pictsidhe I have a 2023 Bolt EV. Great car! But, GM has discontinued it. We need more small EV options.
I'm really keen to learn Jonny how the new Renault 5 will compare later this year , I'm not buying this one that's for sure !!
We will drive the R5 as soon as we're able, rest assured!
@@TheLateBrakeShow Fantastic Jonny , Thanks
In Australia the entry level Ora cat started out at $46,000 then the BYD Dolphin and MG4 announced their entry prices at $39800 and $39900. Ora Cat then repriced at $39950.
I wonder if he ever read the manual in his three months with the car(Probably not, its about 260 pages long). It has a section how to operate the indicators correctly. It also states "Lane Assist function only works when speed is between 60-150km/h. Lane assist is designed for DRIVING ON MOTOWAYS ONLY. Works properly only when lane markings are clear" Not for B roads. Can be turned off in a couple of seconds in the Vehicle Settings. (Price of Ora in NZ $41500 (after Gov. rebate) which I think is approx. 20.600 UK pounds!!!).
It’s just to expensive I mean come on 32 grand 😮
Couldn’t hear you over the bing bongs! They need to fix it asap. Great review, poor customer experience.. pass!
Also, starts at 32k? Vw will have the ID2 for circa 20k (iirc) and thats 2024? I mean......... 32 grand for this is just too much. Youre right Johnny, a 7 grand price jump is mental. Have they even addressed why they had to?
This car really unnerves me. Friendly face, pleasing design and comfortable cool interior. But, with all those sounds, haptics and tech settings that try to kill you, plus having Big Brother riding shotgun, it has the whole friendly terror vibe that makes me feel it could have been conceived for an episode of Black Mirror. If a car is making sounds like a smartphone, I run
If this car stayed at £25k, they might just have gotten away with it. But at £32k you'd have to be mad to buy it.
It is certainly a shame. Price hike hurts it.