MEGAWHEELS S5 Review

The S5 crushed much of the competition in the max speed tests by flying through our course at 16.2 mph. It has an average travel radius, a sound brake system, and a smooth ride provided by pneumatic tires. What kept this scooter out of the running for awards was its limited travel range and poorly designed portability features. It's a bit bulky, and testers complained that the latch securing the scooter in its folded configuration easily comes undone.

Performance Comparison

Our endless curiosity and healthy sense of competition lead us to buy all the top electric scooters on the market and test them side-by-side. We tallied the results of the competition and quantified which products rock and which simply roll. Below are the results for the MEGAWHEELS S5.

Range

Our range tests look at both travel radius, and the time it takes to charge a depleted battery. For accuracy, travel radius is split into two parts. These are the effective range and maximum range. The effective range is the amount of flat ground a scooter can cover at the scooter's maximum speed. The maximum range is a measure of how far the machine will go at any speed; many scooters decrease in speed at the end of their battery's charge.

The S5 has an identical effective and maximum rage that is slightly above average at 10.1 miles. The battery recharges in an impressive 3 hours.

Power

For this review, we define power in an electric scooter as hill-climbing ability and maximum flat ground speed. The hill tests were carried out on a 3.5% and a 10.5% slope. While the S5 was the top performer in speed assessment, maxing out at ~16 mph, it struggled with the hill climbing. The 3.5% grade slowed the scooter to ~12 mph, and the 10.5% grade stopped it in its tracks.

Ride

Ride is an appraisal of the feedback a scooter delivers when rolling over rough terrain such as cracks and bumps. After reviewing a number of these scooters, we know that this metric is in large part an evaluation of the tires. The MEGAWHEELS are pneumatic, and as such, they offer a relatively cushy ride.

Braking

Given the power this scooter packs for flat ground ripping it's a good thing that it has a good brake system. Sporting both front electronic and rear disk brakes that are actuated with a single hand lever, testers were pleased with the control afforded on steep descents and in flat ground situations. The S5 was a leader in this series of tests.

Portability

Weight, collapsibility, transporting ease, and folded dimensions are the focus of the portability assessment. The S5 does poorly in a number of these, particularly the folding latch and transporting. The latch tends to unhook itself, and the carrying handle is an odd trapezoidal shape that isn't ideal.

Value

Considering that the S5 is around a hundred dollars less than the top scooter models and shares many of the same features, we think that it's a fair value. You get what you pay for, no more and no less.

Conclusion