SAIC Motor Roewe eRX5 -Hybrid PHEV

First day of 2023, sharing my car usage diary.

I was among the first batch of blind-order users. Coincidentally, my family member was eligible for the Jiading District subsidy, so I had to wait until she obtained her driver's license to qualify for purchasing the car. Fortunately, she got her license by the end of November, and I successfully picked up the car on December 8th. I've been using it for almost a month, driving approximately 1000 kilometers, and now I'd like to share my experience.

【Car Purchase Experience】

This eRX5 is my first car. When choosing a car, the main factor I considered was finding a new energy vehicle that could get a green license plate. Since I often need to drive long distances and don't have a fixed parking space with a charging point, I decided to go for a plug-in hybrid. I also compared it with BYD's Song PLUS DM-i at that time, but I eventually gave up on it for three reasons: the long waiting time for delivery, underpowered performance, and my lack of interest in light-colored interiors. Later, I learned about the eRX5, a local Shanghai brand, which gave me more peace of mind. With the additional support of the Jiading District subsidy, I didn't hesitate to choose it.

【Driving Experience】

1. Exterior and Interior

Starting with the exterior, the front of the car looks very imposing, giving a "Venom" vibe. When the贯穿式 front lights are on at night, the ambiance is fully enhanced. The rear end is slightly less impressive. The "Silk Velvet Silver" color is quite unique; it looks a bit like champagne gold during the day and more like silver at night.

For the interior, my family member liked brown, so I went with her choice. After picking up the car, I liked it more and more—the color is really nice. There was a somewhat pungent smell inside the car when I first got it, but after placing charcoal bags twice, the smell dissipated almost completely after a week.

2. Features

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the features. The only minor drawbacks are the lack of interior ambient lighting and wireless phone charging. The in-car audio sounds decent enough, and I don't have high requirements in this regard.

3. Energy Consumption and Range

There's a commercial public charging station in my community. I charge the car whenever possible; if not, I just use gasoline. About 70% of my driving is on elevated roads, and 30% on surface streets. I usually drive in Eco mode, with regenerative braking and battery preservation mode set to default—I'm too lazy to adjust them every time I get in the car. Currently, after approximately 1000 kilometers, the displayed combined fuel consumption is 5.6L. The fuel consumption when the battery is low is estimated to be around 7L, which should be quite fuel-efficient. I live in the suburbs, and my usual round trips are basically over 60km, so the 55km pure electric range is slightly insufficient. It would be better if the pure electric range were higher. Additionally, this car doesn't have fast charging, making it difficult to charge in shopping malls.

4. Power and Handling

The main reason I chose this car was its sufficient power, and the actual driving experience confirms this. When driving on elevated roads, overtaking and accelerating are quick, and the throttle is very responsive. Occasionally, though, the shifting logic acts up, causing the engine speed to suddenly jump above 2500 RPM for no apparent reason. I particularly like that the steering wheel force can be infinitely adjusted, making steering very flexible and handling comfortable. On elevated roads, I usually activate ICA adaptive cruise control, which allows me to take my hands and feet off the controls—it's quite a practical feature. When changing lanes, it automatically switches to ACC, and there's basically no steering wheel resistance. However, even when adjusted to the 1st level, the following distance feels very far, and other cars often cut in. Maybe it's for safety reasons. Regarding wind noise, my car, produced in November, still has wind noise from the A-pillars, which becomes noticeable when driving above 80 km/h, though it's not very obvious, and my family member didn't even notice it. I heard that there's a queue for replacing the rubber strips at the after-sales service, so I'll leave it for now and not bother with it.

【Least Satisfactory Aspects】

To mention a few minor drawbacks, apart from those mentioned above, the "Luoshen" infotainment system isn't very smart and occasionally acts "stupid". The in-car functions aren't very丰富 either, and it feels like the capabilities of the Snapdragon 8155 chip aren't fully utilized. Additionally, the driving habit settings can't be saved, so I have to reconfigure them every time I get in the car, which is quite annoying. I hope the infotainment system can be optimized more in future updates.

Finally, thanks to the forum moderator for the recommendation.

【Car Usage Sharing】
Key points: Spacious, powerful and fast acceleration, intelligent, comfortable, safe, phone-controlled locking
1. High space utilization, very spacious and not crowded inside, and the trunk capacity is also sufficient.
2. The driving experience is really good. Whether using fuel or electricity, the power is sufficient, and the acceleration is fast, which is obviously felt when driving on the road. The chassis is very stable, and the 20-inch tires are also very steady, with no bumpy feeling.
3. 27-inch 4K sliding screen, the screen is large, and the intelligent vehicle system can replace manual operations, facilitating various applications while driving, avoiding being flustered and making people feel more secure. At the same time, the sliding screen can be moved to the co-pilot, so that the co-pilot can also operate it conveniently, which is very practical.
4. 360-degree panoramic image function can clearly judge the distance between vehicles and help us detect blind spots. Because I used to drive a car, this car is larger than previous models, and I couldn't get used to it. I always couldn't grasp the feeling when reversing, but the 360-degree image solves this problem well. When driving slowly, there is a pedestrian warning sound to remind passers-by. Moreover, the 360-degree panoramic image can be controlled by a custom button, which is very convenient to switch at any time without operating the screen. There is also an intelligent auxiliary system, which makes me feel much more secure.
5. The seats are very comfortable, and you won't feel uncomfortable in the waist even after long-time driving. The automatic seat adjustment is very powerful, and there's no need to reach under the seat for mechanical adjustment anymore.
6. In hybrid priority mode, when the battery power is low, it will automatically switch to engine driving and can charge the battery. However, it is recommended to charge at least 1-2 times a month, because the pure electric range is limited and fast charging is not supported, which is indeed not very friendly for car owners who are not convenient to charge.
7. You can download the Roewe APP and bind your car to unlock and lock it with your phone. At the same time, you can share the authorization code with your family, and they can also operate via their phones. Once I forgot to bring the key, and I unlocked it with one click on my phone, which was very convenient.

【Car Usage Complaints】
Key points: Wind noise, non-adjustable rear seats, car machine settings not remembered, engine noise, Bluetooth
1. I heard from other car owners about this problem before buying the car. When I just picked up the car and the speed reached about 80 km/h, I could hear a "rustling sound" from the driver's and co-pilot's side doors. (I decided to go to after-sales service to replace the sealing strips, and I heard that I need to make an appointment and queue up.)
2. The rear seat backrest is too straight and cannot be adjusted, which will be uncomfortable after sitting for a long time.
3. The car machine settings are not remembered, and you have to reset them every time you start the car, such as re-adjusting to hybrid priority. Otherwise, you will often find that the battery capacity is 0 before adjusting. Long-term battery depletion is not good for its health.
4. The cup holder, if a tall water bottle is placed, will more or less affect the operating lever. The problem is not serious, just pay attention to it.
5. When accelerating with fuel and when the engine intervenes, the engine sound is a bit like the roar of a tractor, which is relatively loud. I asked the car owner group, and it is true that this situation exists. It's not that the car is broken, maybe it's a common problem, but it's just uncomfortable to hear.
6. Haven't found the problem of no sound in Bluetooth calls yet, but when using car Bluetooth, at the beginning and end of each sentence, the receiver will hear a滋滋 current sound. The call clarity is okay, but it's strange that there is a滋滋 sound at the beginning and end of each time.

【Other Feelings】
1. It is recommended to test drive, especially for car owners who used to drive cars.
2. Every time you get in the car and close the door, you need to confirm twice, because often the door is not closed properly, causing the car to be unable to drive. (Once I started it many times and found that the car wouldn't move, and later I found that the door wasn't closed properly.) Although this is a safety guarantee, it's really embarrassing to encounter it on the road. If you encounter this situation, remember to check the doors to avoid embarrassment.
3. When you release the accelerator during driving, there will be an obvious deceleration feeling. The car owner group said that this is kinetic energy recovery, so don't panic when encountering it.
4. Finally, remind to film the central control panel for protection, as the surface is too easy to scratch.

That's all. I'm a new driver, and this is my first car as a post-95s. Any problems, I just throw them in the car owner group and everyone will immediately give solutions. If you need to join the car owner group, you can contact me.

【Car Purchase Background】
Originally, we had no plan to buy a car this year, but after the wedding on National Day, we gradually got the idea of buying a代步 car. As oil prices have been rising steadily this year, we actually wanted to buy a pure electric car at first. Once we had the idea, we decided to take action. So on the morning of October 6th, we went to a BYD 4S store to see the Song PLUS. The overall appearance of the Song PLUS is relatively stable, but there was no discount on the price, and the waiting time for delivery was long. In the afternoon, we went to a Roewe 4S store and were immediately attracted by the appearance of the third-generation eRX5 at first sight. It has a stylish look, especially the large-sized spindle-shaped front grille, which gives it a luxury car feel and is in line with current aesthetic trends. Additionally, the 27-inch slidable central control screen and the crystal gear lever with landscape painting patterns are of high aesthetic value. Although we liked it very much, BYD's pure electric range is indeed much longer than Roewe's, so we did not place an order that day.
Considering that plug-in hybrid vehicles will no longer receive free green license plates and the Jiading subsidy will be canceled in 2023, and pure electric vehicles have range anxiety on highways, while the Roewe eRX5 can enjoy the green license plate and subsidy without range anxiety, we finally chose the Roewe eRX5 and paid the deposit on October 16th (Sunday). There was no discount on the裸车 price. Including insurance, charging pile, handling fees, 20-inch wheels and other costs, the all-in price was approximately 176,000 yuan. The originally promised window film was not provided in the end, and we spent 1,900 yuan to upgrade the film instead. We also received floor mats, a vacuum cleaner, and 5 maintenance services excluding labor costs. We were notified to inspect the car on November 3rd, and subsequent processes such as loan application, charging pile installation, insurance purchase, car pickup, and temporary license plate application all went smoothly.
【Driving Experience】
1. Since there is no charging pile in the community, we generally use more fuel, but using electricity is still very enjoyable. The addition of the motor makes the power stronger, with quick start and rapid acceleration. Because the commute distance is short, I don't drive on weekdays. The current total mileage is 570 kilometers (I added 380 yuan of fuel when picking up the car). I drive around on weekends. When driving on the highway, I use the energy mode as hybrid priority and increase the battery level. In the case of low battery, the gasoline engine will charge the battery and provide power at the same time. I remember when driving from Shanghai to Suzhou, the battery was charged to 35 kilometers.
2. Regarding the smell: The new car had a strange odor. I bought activated carbon bags for formaldehyde removal and an in-car air purifier. After placing them for about a week, the odor in the car was significantly reduced, and the effect was obvious.
3. Space feeling: The eRX5 has a wide body, the驾驶舱 is very spacious, and the rear row space is also sufficient. With my height of 172 cm, I don't feel cramped at all when sitting inside.
4. In-car storage space: The storage compartment in the front of the co-pilot currently only holds documents such as driver's license and vehicle registration certificate. In the future, when there are more things to put, it may be slightly insufficient for large items. Two bottles of water can be placed on the center console, and the hollow area below can hold a handbag. The armrest boxes of the four doors are deep enough to hold small items, water, tissues, etc. The trunk space is very large, so placing luggage is not a problem.
5. The 27-inch slidable central control screen is very wide. It can display real scenes on one side and navigation on the other. It supports AR mode and has various reminder functions to let the driver know the surrounding situation.
Now let's talk about some shortcomings:
1. There is wind noise and tire noise. At around 80 km/h, wind noise can be clearly heard (there is wind leakage from the A-pillar windows on both sides). The whistling sound in the ears is a bit annoying, and I can only cover it up by playing music.
2. The car machine settings cannot be memorized, and they have to be reset every time the vehicle is started. The Gaode navigation in the car machine has many problems: the prompts are delayed in tunnels, sometimes the navigation is not accurate enough, and the position is erratic. The Zebra system is also relatively stupid. I haven't learned or figured out many functions, which made me very angry at that time, but I hope it can be greatly improved after the system upgrade.
Finally, thanks to the circle owner for the recommendation.