For users in congested urban areas, who already have a gasoline car at home, a micro electric vehicle is a good choice. The sales figures of electric vehicles in 2020 proved the strong demand for micro electric cars. For instance, the sales of Wuling Hongguang MINIEV and ORA Black Cat have grown rapidly. While the Chery Little Ant's sales don't match up to these models, it still enjoys a lot of popularity. So, is the Chery Little Ant worth buying?
One of my colleagues recently bought a Chery 2021 150K Ant Fan Cool version. When I talked to her about the car, she mentioned three advantages that convinced her to buy it. However, after using it for two months, she also identified two disadvantages. If these cons are acceptable, it’s actually a good choice as a second car, especially for female drivers. Let's look at the three pros and two cons she mentioned.
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High appearance value and decent interior
Among the three advantages, appearance was surprisingly one of them. Despite the Chery Little Ant being criticized by many for its looks, my female colleague said that women have different criteria for car aesthetics compared to men.
Although the Chery Little Ant’s front doesn’t look as cute as the Great Wall ORA Black Cat or the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, it’s quite appealing. Her evaluation is that the car’s small and delicate exterior is very cute, with high aesthetic value. The side lights are adorable and very eye-catching, making the car look particularly fashionable. The overall minimalist design style is lively.
She bought the red and white color combination, specifically the white/lava red. The interior is relatively simple but above average.
Good value for money
Many people think the Chery Little Ant with a range of 301 km, now priced slightly under 60.000 yuan after discounts, offers great value for money. For the working class, it’s quite suitable for commuting. Compared to the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, it’s safer and better equipped. Although many say the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV has the best value for money, in terms of safety and comfort, the Chery Little Ant is superior.
The Chery Little Ant comes with practical features such as tire pressure monitoring, a rearview camera, automatic parking, a multifunctional steering wheel, and wireless charging for front-seat mobile phones. These features are quite useful for daily commuting.
My colleague mentioned that charging at home is very cost-effective, with each kilometer costing less than 6 cents. Also, unlike gasoline cars, it doesn’t require frequent maintenance.
Sufficient space and realistic range
Although the Chery Little Ant is primarily for commuting, my colleague mentioned that it’s sufficient for daily needs such as dropping kids off at school, commuting to work, and grocery shopping. The front and trunk spaces meet expectations. For long-distance travel, her family uses their Audi Q5.
However, in the second row, if the person is taller than 172 cm, there’s barely any headroom, though there’s about three fingers’ worth of legroom. So, it meets daily needs well. The only inconvenience is that the rear seats require moving the front seats for access, but it’s still better than the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV.
She believes the Chery Little Ant’s range isn’t exaggerated. Initially, without using the air conditioner, the range was close to 300 km, which was adequate. Now, in winter, with the heater on, the range is about 180 to 200 km.
Of course, she’s also not satisfied with certain aspects of the Chery Little Ant, which are common complaints. These mainly focus on details and after-sales service.
Poor suspension and low comfort
For some reason, even with independent front and rear suspension, the Chery Little Ant's suspension remains uncomfortable, the seats are not comfortable, and the interior noise isolation is poor. However, she mentioned that for a car costing tens of thousands, and with an all-aluminum body, this is acceptable.
Subpar after-sales service
The after-sales service of the Chery Little Ant is another area of frequent complaints, which she also experienced. During the warranty period, the service staff were unresponsive to issues, which might be a common problem with Chery’s after-sales service.
Overall, my colleague is quite satisfied with the Chery Little Ant. She also considered the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, especially since some people in Xiangtan bought it. But she ultimately chose the Chery Little Ant. What do you think about the Chery Little Ant? Considering its sales lag far behind the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV, do you think this car is worth buying?
