MG Car Brand. Any Experiences ?

Danstar on 03/12/2020 - 09:53
Last edited 03/12/2020 - 10:09

Hi OzBers,

The missus is in the market for a new car, she likes the look of an MG but I don’t really know anything about that car brand. Has anyone got any experiences or opinions on them? My biggest concern is with these new name car brands around is that it’s hard to get them repaired when something goes wrong, although if she goes with MG they have a seven year warranty on their new cars…

She has around 20k to spend (+ trade in value of her car which will be about 5k im estimating)

Wants a small SUV type car

Automotive MG

Comments

  • thatonethere on 03/12/2020 - 09:56
    +3

    Nice Chinese car.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 03/12/2020 - 19:09
      +16

      My friend has one, it keeps trying to run over protesters.

      • spackbace on 03/12/2020 - 19:30
        +3

        Better than a Mustang, that just wants to run over everyone

      • Danstar on 03/12/2020 - 19:47

        Hmmm maybe I will get one myself LOL

  • Muzeeb on 03/12/2020 - 10:03
    +6

    Made in China with value for money.

    Ozbargain member pegaxs will chime in soon about how a family member "brought" one and was quietly surprised.

    I sure he will give some valuable advise.

    • pegaxs on 03/12/2020 - 10:08
      +5

      Did I tell you about this one time my cousin bought a… oh… that's a yep, huh?

      • Danstar on 03/12/2020 - 10:10

        How long they had it for now ?

        • pegaxs on 03/12/2020 - 10:16
          +3

          Only a few months. Maybe 6~8 months. Bookmark this comment and ask me again in 7 years what the car is still like..

          This is what I said last time (Because MS Paint cant link to comments… :P)

          Would I buy one? Meh, depends. I think maybe in a few years once they are more established in Australia and have more of a track record, I might buy one as a cheap, run around town junker. But at the moment, it's a "get what you paid for" experience. People are expecting it to be on par with a Toyota or a Hyundai, but it's not even in the same bracket and the price reflects this.

          I cant wait for the electric MG EV to become second hand. They are going to be a very affordable electric vehicle once that name badge depreciation and ordinary quality control hits in. Going to be a few, good, low km newish versions of that getting around in 2~3 years from now for very good prices.

  • paulpavs on 03/12/2020 - 10:10
    +14

    My in laws bought a brand new one (small SUV). Within year 1 it wouldn't turn on/start and had to turn key multiple times in the ignition to start. Took back to MG and they said it was the "character" of the car and many of them do it. They basically couldnt fix it after 6 months + and asked for them to speak to the factory direct.

    Really crappy service and support, however the car itself is decent with heaps of features for the money.

    You get what you pay for.

    • pegaxs on 03/12/2020 - 10:23
      +11

      Really crappy service and support, however the car itself is decent with heaps of features for the money.
      You get what you pay for.

      And that is basically /thread.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 03/12/2020 - 19:14
      +8

      Took back to MG and they said it was the "character" of the car and many of them do it.

      It's a car with Chinese characteristics.

      • Euphemistic on 07/12/2020 - 08:43

        It’s a great combination. A ‘new’ brand with Chinese characteristics and a British quality heritage.

  • QuicheLorraine on 03/12/2020 - 10:15
    +7

    How long do you plan on keeping the car for?

    You should be able to get a 2 year old ASX for under $20k. Yes they are an incredibly boring car, but they are well built, reliable and will still have 3 years warranty left. They are a good choice for an average type of car to get you from A to B.

    Mechanics are familiar with them, parts availability will never be a problem nor will the ability to sell it in 2-3 years time.

    • Tnetennba on 03/12/2020 - 10:45

      there was a small amount of hail damage that was fixed fully

      Hmm, bit of a red flag. Might be on write off vehicle register. Seems good value otherwise.

      • pegaxs on 03/12/2020 - 11:05

        Other issue is, probably cant get insurance other than 3rd party property for it if it was registered as having hail damage.

    • pingualien on 03/12/2020 - 15:46

      C-HR's are the best

      • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2020 - 20:10
        +1

        They're ok but they're quite impractical. What advantage does it have over a Corolla? Bit more expensive and you lose the interior space?

        • pingualien on 03/12/2020 - 20:23

          feels a lot bigger than a corolla but I've never sat in the back of my car

          • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2020 - 22:19

            @pingualien: They're not, small SUVs are based on small hatchbacks. They're not much taller but they're chunkier. Just means you get less space inside, they often have smaller boots and less legroom / headroom.

  • Bid Sniper on 03/12/2020 - 10:44
    +1

    I've seen those kids electric cars, probably built in the same factory.

  • tsunamisurfer on 03/12/2020 - 11:11
    +3

    I had no idea it was Chinese owned.

    I always thought MG was a good brand, then didn't see them for ages other than people with the old convertibles.

    Then suddenly they had a marketing blitz with the National Basketball League and I was shocked how cheap the MG ZS is.

    It actually looks decent.

    Made in China = No.

    • netjock on 03/12/2020 - 11:38
      +6

      Was British and the quality was so bad nobody bought them.

      Chinese quality almost as bad.

      I'd suggest OP buy a Korean or Japanese (Toyota / Mazda not dog house Mitsubishi, Nissan and Honda) and be done with it.

      • stiggerer on 04/12/2020 - 14:46

        There was nothing wrong with the quality on the old MG's was the fact you were buying a car designed in the 50's.

        • netjock on 04/12/2020 - 15:06
          +1

          50s design with 1950s problems.

          • stiggerer on 05/12/2020 - 07:53

            @netjock: Yep, not quality and people did buy them, they were dropped because they were seen as taking sales from the new kid on the block the TR7.

    • Stewardo on 03/12/2020 - 13:29
      +3

      MG was part of Rover group UK. They went bankrupt in 2005. The brand name was sold to a Chinese company SAIC who wanted benefit from the previous companies brand recognition.

      • thrillhouse on 04/12/2020 - 08:22
        +1

        The brand so well recognised they went bankrupt :)

        • netjock on 04/12/2020 - 15:07
          +1

          Yup like Alfa Romeo and rust come hand in hand. Sometimes old reputations are hard to shake.

          Mini was also part of Rover which was sold to BMW. BMW basically only kept the badge and the shape.

  • Danstar on 03/12/2020 - 11:13
    +1

    Thanks for all the replies. I’ll probably advise her against going with an Mg and stick to the known car brands

  • Seraphin7 on 03/12/2020 - 11:32

    While I imagine it's a completely different operation now (after the Chinese bought them) and whether its better or worse, who knows … but wasn't the last incarnation of MG (in Australia anyway) a total balls up with parts and servicing?

  • askme69 on 03/12/2020 - 12:03
    +6

    It has a great History until CHINA.

    Tell her to buy a car from our mates in Japan, South Korea anywhere except CHINA.

    • brendanm on 03/12/2020 - 12:16
      +7

      It has a great History until CHINA.

      Mg was rubbish long before China.

      • Stewardo on 03/12/2020 - 13:59
        +2

        I had a mate who worked for Bentley (before they were sold off) he said the quality of the Rover group cars before they went under was shocking, staff gave up once they knew they were going to be unemployed. Your right MG was a famous brand for being unreliable.

    • OZBargainer in SA on 04/12/2020 - 10:18
      +6

      You're exactly right. After how the Chinese Communist Party has behaved in the last few months, don't give them any more $$ than you have to.
      We have much better choices in cars from the rest of the world.

    • netjock on 04/12/2020 - 15:09

      It has a great History until CHINA.

      Don't shoot yourself down before you get to the good stuff. I agree with your second sentence.

  • spackbace on 03/12/2020 - 12:07
    +4

    Wants a small SUV type car

    Why though? Compact SUVs don't offer much in terms of higher seating position (it's not much higher), and generally crappy boot space and rear leg room.

    What car is she coming from?

    You could probably get more value out of a 1yo Corolla

    • SF3 on 04/12/2020 - 00:43

      SUV feel, without feeling like driving a bus (e.g. hard to park and navigate tight spaces)?

    • thrillhouse on 04/12/2020 - 08:23

      Because everyone else has one, obviously.

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 03/12/2020 - 12:19
    +2

    MG is cheap and nasty for a new car BUT if that is all your budget can afford OR you are driving a car over 10 years old - then go for it.

    From a safety pov, a new MG even with measly 3 or 4 star safety rating would be much more safer than 10 year old cars of similar size. That said if you can pay another $5-10k more for a japanese or korean car for a much better car overall.

    From a comfort pov, a new MG would be much more comfortable than many cars in its price range or a similar sized car that is 10 years old or more.

    • dazeet on 04/12/2020 - 23:05

      I’d wait for MGs to have enough crashes in the real world to be given a Used Car Safety Rating - and see if that Rating fluctuates significantly over the ensuing couple of years, before I will make that call myself.

    • snooksy on 06/12/2020 - 09:51
      +1

      Not always true. I have a 2014 VW cc with 60k in the clock I paid about $15k for 9 months ago. You can’t tell me a new MG full of plastic and cloth seats is more comfortable than a v6 European made cruiser. I also doubt a new MG is much safer than my car. My car was over $70k when new 6 years ago. Sure my service cost me $650 but it’s worth it to drive a nice car. Personally I don’t like SUVs unless you get a big full size one. Most SUVs are cramped inside, have poor boot space and are pretty basic inside.

      • TheMindsetTraveller on 06/12/2020 - 18:52

        I think your VW CC is a mid size sedan, and thus in a different category to the OP's purchase wish. In any case a sedan usually drives much nicer than its equivalent SUV. A 7 series BMW is much more nicer than its equivalent X7 (been in both) but the current model X7 is still very special compared to my Subaru :D

        That said, a MG SUV has an ANCAP 5* rating now - https://www.ancap.com.au/safety-ratings/mg/hs/10762e - which is similar to what your 2014 VW CC 5* rating, the difference is that the safety benchmarks have improved significantly especially in terms of active safety / collision avoidance which 2020+ cars now all seem to have in some shape or form. Even my 2013 Subaru has AEB, active cruise control, LDW and so on.

        But yes, your car would be much more comfortably - but its a different class. I could say my old man's $3,000 2005 e-class is more comfortable than yours but then we aren't exactly comparing apples with apples.

  • carlJack on 03/12/2020 - 12:26
    +2

    I have test driven MG HS. Top of the range for $34K with 7 year warranty. It has all the usual security feature wwith 5 start Ancap rating. Drive was good. I was plseantly surprised by it. If it wasnt for MG badge you would think of it as another Korean or Japanese SUV. I am sure MG will be like Hyundai or Kia in years to come. Even their new MG ZS EV looks good.

  • dylanando on 03/12/2020 - 13:04
    +3

    I’ve been following a mg fb group for a while. Most people seem happy however there is quite a number of posts of their car on tow trucks. Mg don’t seem to actually fix the problem. I’d avoid.

  • WreckTangle on 03/12/2020 - 19:45
    -2

    It’s got a 7 year warranty. If anything goes wrong, you’re covered.

    • spackbace on 03/12/2020 - 20:00
      +4

      And spend half your life with the car in getting repaired?

  • dcep on 03/12/2020 - 21:05

    Kia Rondo

  • boratthegreat on 04/12/2020 - 08:17
    +2

    My friend has the Excite model. Won’t turn on after 7 months. She bought it brand new. It’s a good-looking car and has many cool features but crappy engine. With your budget, get a Mitsu ASX.

    • snooksy on 06/12/2020 - 09:54
      +1

      Mitsubishi asx is a very basic car. I hired a new one and it felt like driving a car from a decade ago. Drive was rough, not much power, very cheap feeling inside.

  • jackspratt on 04/12/2020 - 08:26

    Actually made in Thailand - where the majority of Utes/Pickups imported into Australia come from.

  • nasz on 04/12/2020 - 09:28

    Cecil Kimber would turn in his grave if he new his marque would end up like this

  • OzHunterNSW on 04/12/2020 - 09:51
    +1

    My MG is a ZTT180. It is 18years old.
    It was made by BMW with BMW components.
    The vehicle was in its day, worth 60k.
    It is so advanced, that if a tail light is blown, it will automatically alert me to exactly which bulb, and redirect other lights, to compensate for that blown light.
    Mechanically it is in A1 condition and would have no hesitation driving to WA from NSW, and back.

    As for the newer vehicles, (not entirely like mine) they are a vehicle maker attempting to establish themselves. In doing so, they go beyond most in offering extras, that others may not have in that particular price range. Mechanically, all vehicles are relatively safe these days, as long as you follow your maintenance schedules.

    Considering an MG…. Go for it!

    • spackbace on 04/12/2020 - 11:13
      +1

      Considering an MG…. Go for it!

      Your MG may as well be a Ferrari compared to the modern MG brand

      You realise it's not the same owners, production facilities, etc etc? It's MG by badge only, nothing more

    • netjock on 04/12/2020 - 15:10

      It was made by BMW with BMW components.

      Not really an MG is it then.

    • Euphemistic on 07/12/2020 - 09:00

      MG was sold off to Rover by BMW in 2000.

      Worked with a guy who owns the Rover equivalent. While he said it is a very nice, comfortable car it is a money pit. Frequent expensive problems and no resale value.

  • Rockets84 on 04/12/2020 - 10:28

    Slightly off topic but MG being the major sponsor of the NBL were adverting that the finals MVP would get a MG car. Bryce Cotton from the Perth Wildcats still hasn't got his car. If they are willing to screw over some one like that would you trust them if you got a lemon?

  • nswnotill on 04/12/2020 - 11:53
    +3

    The Chinese will not buy our barley/wine/lobsters/beef/coal - why buy an MG?

    • netjock on 04/12/2020 - 15:11
      +3

      Because we can't afford European cars after they stop buying out barley/wine/lobsters/beef/coal.

  • Danstar on 04/12/2020 - 12:01
    +5

    Decision made. Not going for an MG

  • afah0447 on 04/12/2020 - 12:45
    +3

    Not a British car anymore. Just the Chinese trying to cash in on its hertiage and brand. Steer well clear. Chinese cars are absolute rubbish!

  • snooksy on 04/12/2020 - 12:54
    +1

    My is an very old British brand. Now owned by Chinese company and made in China

  • His_Holiness on 04/12/2020 - 18:07

    She has around 20k to spend

    Wants a small SUV type car

    Suzuki Ignis

    • Danstar on 05/12/2020 - 11:14

      That's what I said, but she's not a fan

  • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2020 - 18:45

    The company most likely to dominate electric vehicle sales across most of Asia, a huge market to be going for.

    https://www.saicmotor.com/english/latest_news/mg/index.shtml
    https://www.saicmotor.com/english/latest_news/index.shtml

  • Danstar on 07/12/2020 - 08:39
    +2

    Ended up getting the Mazda CX-3 Maxx Sport Automatic (brand new) in Red for 28K including floor mats and tinted windows. Also 2 years extended warranty (7 years total)

  • nickyd84 on 11/12/2020 - 21:24

    Anyone have any experience with MG3?

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