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Only drove an mg once. Picked up a brand new one from a hire car company. Took it back an hour later as the brakes failed. The engine was also idling very roughly. The gofer guy at the hire place told me on the side that they had huge problems with them.
Having worked in the smash repair trade, I've worked on a few of these Chinese MG's. The parts supply problem has been ongoing since day 1 when they first arrived. The worst problem is the thickness of the metal panels, they are so wafer thin & can be hard to straighten properly as when you fix the repair, another part of the same panel warps. 10L/per 100kms is pretty bad consumption from a 4 cyl engine. I get the same figures driving my '03 Holden VY S ute that has an LS1 V8. My advice, stay away & drive something from a car maker that has a reputable history.
SAIC will be half decent but they need 10-15 years until they reach hyundai/kia level of quality. As long as they keep the price down to undercut every other brand and compete with suzuki then they have a high chance of doing well.
@@eugenewang4650 Hey mate had (two) Suzukis for nearly twenty years , Grand Vitara and Vitara not a single problem with either. Bit of a basic plain Jane but great cars for reliability and economy.
I looked at a new HS two years ago when I needed to replace a KIA Rondo written off with storm damage. While it seemed OK, I actually preferred the ZS and ended up buying one. The smaller car better suited our needs and I preferred the overall design - especially the dash, with actual round knobs for the air conditioning and sound system volume. As a base Excite, it doesn’t have all the “driver aid” systems, so it’s a nice quiet drive, too. At the two year mark, the quality is holding up well and it hasn’t had any problems to speak of.
I've never owned a PHEV, can you really just use electric (if you only drive within that 60km range) and the car never have to turn on the engine at all? Cheers.
@@Fuckingwevyes. We have the phev. Range is fine for local driving, best I’ve got from a tank of gas is 4,000 km, so pretty happy with that. Average about 2,000 from a full tank with around 2.3L/100km efficiency.
@@emptyal5341 I ended up getting it not long after I left the comment, now it has 2500km on it, still got half tank of fuel, and 95% of the electricity came from solar. I reckon it beats most cars on the road when it comes to luxuriousness. My only complaint is the aircon control, other than that I'm very happy.
In the UK, I have just placed an order on the top spec face lift auto model for £28500 new for September delivery. I had the mk2 BMW X1 x-line petrol 2.0 auto for 5 years, with no issues and amazing car, but the ridiculous waiting times and price hike put me off. The MG dealer is around the corner from where I live, and curiosity got me to have a test drive of the new MG. I was amazed at the quality of drive and spec. The 7 year warranty nailed it for me to order one. I would advise anyone interested to check one out, and you will have a pleasant surprise. Just for reference for a similar spec BMW would have me waiting for over 14 to 15 months and a cost of £46500. That's a £13,000 up in price from the model I bought new in 2018
Had my HS 22 trophy for 3 months, things that have already gone wrong: keyless locking only works on passenger side, wiper sensors don’t work, voice commands button on steering wheel doesn’t work, android auto works when it feels like it and is getting worse, DAB radio doesn’t work either. All small problems, but a pain. I’m glad it’s a hire car through my company. Can’t wait for it to go back.
I have a giggle at how SUVs have convinced everyone that a station wagon (albeit shortened) is a good thing. They initially took off as they offered a better view over all the sedans/hatches. Now that Oz is approaching peak ute/SUV - not so much.
With Volvo, VW, Audi,BMW & Mercedes brand cars being built in China I really can't see where this Chinese brand snobbishness arises.. personally I've had 2 Chinese MGs not one problem through 7 years of ownership
I've got an MG HS EV+. At 7000km it started throwing software errors on a drive from Melbourne to Brisbane via Cobar. Took in for servicing who claimed they couldn't find anything but it's been OK since then. It will do till my Lexus NX450h arrives.
@@rileyrichards844 In it's defense, the best car in the world is useless if there is no stock. I had a RAV4 on order for 9 months and couldn't even get a build date. MG Brisbane had 2 of these in the yard. I collected mine 7 days after ordering it.
UK here - I'm retired and had a high end Volvo XC40 + paid for extras from new (2019) I didn't want to spend stupid amounts on a replacement so went for the MG HS Exclusive auto.. In terms of comfort, performance, ride quality the MG is just as good. There are some irritating features, but not £10-£15k worth of them
@@yslee1401Geely has several car marques it produces that all have great quality cars and cars that feel far from cheap, like Volvo and Smart, but everything I’ve seen from SAIC just appears flimsy and cheap and it’s given me this poor mindset about their ability to produce vehicles. The early MGs and pretty much all of the Maxus vans are just diabolical.
At least Holden's Ve and VF Commodore range did them proud when GM let them off the leash to do a clean sheet Australian design. I have a 2013 VF sv6 sportswagon with almost 170,000 km that has been super reliable, voice command infotainment and sat navigation systems all been top notch and actually feels solid and built to last. Sad we can't buy a VF commodore quality car for $40k any more. I picked mine up 18 months d for $31K which was a steal and will never part with her. Heck I can even get less tha. 7.5 litres per 100 km on a li g road trip. I miss locally made Commodores and Falcons built and designed for our roads :(
@@thomasclayton169 ah that explains why those shitbox Cruze's and Captiva's are as strong as wetpaper, yet the Commodores are much more solid. It's a shame they shut down manufacturing here.
@@eyecontrol4900the Commodore was a rebadged Opel commandant. The Cruze was for some reason a massive hit and miss for quality control. Especially the ATs. Much prefer cars with a millennial ant-theft device.
@@thomasclayton169 yes 2 billion dollars of taxpayers money we spent on Holden for a piece of total crap and then they pissed off back to the US. Keep the car as its probably the only VF still going
Ok, so this vehicle is perfect for grandparents of a certain age, it is affordable, the levels of tech and comfort are going to blow their minds, and it has a familiar badge so they will feel all warm and nostalgic. And seeing as it will probably be the last car that they own, resale becomes a non issue.
@@miskatonic6210 ok, so their benchmark is probably going to be an elderly hatchback or Australian sedan, this here MG is going to be like an alien spacecraft by comparison. I have had older folk’s jaw hit the floor when watching a low spec Garmin satnav, and others look at Apple CarPlay and android auto like it’s some form of sorcery. Besides, any part of the car only needs to work occasionally, the old people I’m profiling never go anywhere, all this MG needs to do is remain parked at a retirement village. I’m sure it can pull that off.
I'm based in the Philippines and there's a lot of Chinese cars rolling around the roads here. MG are seen as budget offerings with poor infotainment systems, but some of the other brands are bloody nice and really well equipped for the money. The Chery TIGGO 8 PRO has a good infotainment system and is actually really well made, and their product support is incredible. They have a 7 year, 200,000KM warranty with three years free servicing and roadside assistance. One of my friends here has one and it's had a couple of software updates in the past year and the DCT is as smooth as the VW Golf I had before. Chery has regular meetings and get together for owners groups and encourage feedback. I took it for a drive and really found it to be pretty damn good for what it is. The chassis was co developed with Jaguar/Land Rover which is why it rides pretty well. Thankfully, he's not had any issues, but the car is just under a year old and has just over 10ks on the clock so time will tell. No squeaks or rattles. The "leather" isn't really leather though, but the seat cooling helps on hot days and it wears pretty well. Time will tell if it holds up. I've also got Mates here who have Greely and Changan cars and they're pretty happy with them too. The value proposition is pretty good compared to Japanese and Korean vehicles, although I'm partial to my Kia here. Chinese cars have also become really popular in South Africa too. I think China is becoming the next Korea as far as automakers go, starting to get the hang of things by copying the competition, as all Chinese brands do..lol.
Last year I had a couple of these as Avis rentals for two weeks each time. I got quite familiar with them over that time and drove them in a variety of conditions. The good points I found are that they are very roomy and comfortable to sit in. The paint work and trim was flawless and the interior fit and finish was perfect. I really can only be positive about the build quality from my experience. Yeah, they drove OK and were fine around town and on the freeways. The aircon was very effective and I had no problems with CarPlay. That's about it. The bad points are the fuel consumption, the clunky DCT gearbox at low speed and by far the most annoying was the appalling and badly designed ergonomics and HMI. Your review is too generous in that regard, I found them to be the worst modern car I have driven in that regard. Changing settings on the aircon requires several screen settings to get there and back, turning the radio off required reading the manual because there is no obvious off button (you hold the home button down!!!!), the row of switches below the screen are small, poorly labelled and all look the same. The lag from the system is press the button or tap the screen, count to three and see what happens. Really annoying when changing volume or other settings. The adaptive cruise control works well, but the controls are hidden behind a steering wheel spoke and you can't read the functions in the straight ahead position. The tacho needle rotates CCW which is a slightly annoying gimmick and the driver's instrument panel screen doesn't automatically revert to the previous default setting when you change something, meaning you lose the digital speedo display and have to go to the menu controls to retrieve it. I could go on, but I find these things you use every day when driving, just too fiddly, laggy, poorly designed and positioned and totally unintuitive to use. For those reasons alone, I would never buy or recommend one. When you consider Adam's remarks about longevity, resale and support, it's a no from me.
I recently had the misfortune to get ‘upgraded’ to one of these at a car hire place. Harsh ride and the auto cannot decide what gear it wants to be in in slow or stop/start traffic. Entering a roundabout it went through three gears in about 3 seconds and revved hard on its own with no foot on the accelerator. Cruised so-so on freeway but you really feel cars passing you. The sport button on the steering wheel seems to confuse the auto even more. When I returned it, I mentioned the odd auto changes and the receptionist said no one had ever mentioned it before, to which the gofer guy replied that everyone says it, she just glared at him so apparently it’s a sore spot.
Similar experience too in the last few months, mind you, my hire car went quite well considering I had the handbrake on most of the time. Gave that pos a real hard time. The odo probably read 1200kms extra on return but mechanically it had about 48000 kms of wear in that time.
I actually bought one and regretted almost immediately. For me being tall it was very uncomfortable, the ride and suspension was awful and the infotainment system was slow and froze a lot. I sold it a month later and bought a Nissan which is so,so much better. These are terrible cars.
Got one as a hire car a few months ago. Brand new. Total brake failure within an hour of taking it out of the yard. Rev counter was also oscillating up and down. Young guy working in the yard told me they were all terrible.
Got an ZST Core so far so good very quiet on the road hardly can hear the cars passing me. Got only 1200km on it fuel consumption is a bit up from the Hyundai Accent what used around 5.5 liters/100km on the highway but I think it will get way better over time .Another thing I like is the Pilot system for an old bloke like me its mind blowing
A good professional review that meets the questions likely to be raised byTarget Market buyers. Last century I was responsible for National Sales for Australia's largest Fleet Supplier, as well as for the Finance Company, that was bought by GE making it the largest in Australia. Long story short, you covered all the available information, in a very interesting and professional manner, that I could not fault. Phil.
Used car prices have been dropping through 2023 sharply - they are now not too far off pre-pandemic prices. You can now pick up one of these quite a bit cheaper than the price range listed here.
Thank for the great review. Wondered about MG when I was looking for a small SUV very recently, to replace my bullet proof but very aged Yaris.. But was very nervous about their reliability and longevity, apparently I was probably right. Using my own research and backed up by your favourable review, I ended up with a 2021 Honda HR-V. Very happy with my choice. Keep up the good work.
I had a CLA250 Shooting Brake Sport, 2021 model. Traded it in on a 4x4 2L HS. I have done almost 18,000klm in it now. My gripes are NO DAB radio in Australia. Slow infotainment but can live with it. The black side mouldings around the wheel arches have been replaced twice as they keep coming off. Need to have the two roof rack rails replaced as paint fade is severe. Had to have front badge and front grill trim replaced as peeling. So far that is about it. The car is doing its job, has reasonable power and fairly economical. So the past 12 months have had no issues. Will keep it for a few more years as the warranty is 7 years so any repairs can be done under warranty. Happy hunting.
I traded my MB CLA250 Shooting brake and bought the MG HS 2.0L AWD, gad it for over 12 months and then traded it in for a new ALFA ROMEO GUILIA VELOCE. The MG was fine, missed the DAB radio, was a bit heavy on fuel, but otherwise was ok. Agree the touch parts didn't stand up, but mechanically ok.
We must have got a lucky batch of the mg hs's as we've had none of these issues. We don't even have shiny leather on the gear stick & wheel and it’s now 2 years old!
I had one of these as a rental. I personally hated it with a passion. The infotainment interface was woeful. I could not find a way to turn off the radio. AC controls annoying. The auto ambient light sensors turn on the lights even when the car is locked meaning I had a flat battery on the first day. The accelerator pedal is connected to the motor via an elastic band. I could go on. That said, I’m sure most people in this price bracket don’t care. It’s a tool for a job.
I bought a new 2022 HS Essence 2L AWD for 42K, it had 23klms on the clock. I kept it until recently and traded it for an Alfa Guilia Veloce. Trade value was $19k. I had the MG for almost 2 years with no problems, except little minor things that were fixed on warranty. One issue i found was the auto transmission, it used to bog down on take off or if going around a round about and exiting you put your foot down it had a LONG hesitation to kick down, to sometimes a bit nerve racking. Overall it wasnt too bad, but pricing I think is not as shown on this video. I had a Mercedes CLA250 Shooting brake which i traded for the MG. Was i sorry, yep, that is why i have a new Alfa now
Despite the reviewer's continued assurance, "don't worry it'll be fine...", I would say that regardless of age or one's stage in life, sink your hard-earned coin into a car that is still going to be worth something (or even still on the road) in a few years' time...Why take the risk and be part of SAIC/MG's learning curve, when there are heaps of great brands already available here in Oz.
I've just ha₫one rented in the UK whilst there on holidays, we did about 2000 k's London to Scotland and back. It's not the worst car I've driven, but it's the second worst. I would not buy one, even if you gave it to me for free. Uncomfortable to ride in, underpowered, lots of understeer and the gear ratios were all just a bit out from what you would expect when you changed gear. Oh, and my favourite, you can't turn the radio off - you have to keep muting it. All sorts of electronic glitches (e.g. auto high beam turned ON when it detected a car coming the other way). My guess is that it was designed and built by people who have never driven a car in the city or on the open road. When I returned it, the rental car rep said "what did you think?" As I paused to assemble my thoughts, he put his hand up and said "don't tell me. I was awful, right?" I laughed and agreed. Dreadful car. Do not buy one.
An mg dealer told me that saic produces parts for VW in china, that steering wheel is a VWparts bin wheel with an mg badge on it. Trade marks, intellectual property etc have no meaning in the PRC. Especially if it means profits for their business.
@Retired Bore The USA, the land of hypocrasy is notorious for that, think employing a few nazi scientists was bad....Look up the the employment history of the Japanese scientists of Unit 731 pretty much ALL of them got jobs in bio and chemical firms in the USA
I’ve owned a SAIC MG and trust me you realise pretty quickly that the perceived ‘quality’ soon exposes itself to being only on the surface. Lots of problems, a warranty not worth the paper it’s written on because mg hate approving repairs , terrible re sale value and currently all non ev Mg’s have terrible engines and gearboxes. If you must get an Mg get the mg4 …it’s the best of the lot at the moment..but my comments about the warranty and after sales support remain.
I had one as a rental last week due to car issues and overall i loved it, was a nice change from my small low cars to something much more spacious. My only gripe was the sluggishness at junctions or roundabouts. But i would be happy to have one as my car
Great review mate & you get what you pay for. I had a ZS for a hire car for a month & yeah it was ok however after some time I would he hesitant to keep one long term.
Like the Japanese in the 1980s and Koreans since 2010, the Chinese may eventually make reliable, decent cars BUT, they are not there yet. LDV and BYD have documented rust issues that stem from the fact that NOT ALL Chinese cars are dipped in a galvanising process, therefore are like most cars sold 50 years ago. The Chinese are also still cost cutting where you don't see like thinner brake rotors. The supply chain issues on Chinese cars are an issue because the factories are working flat out on producing completed vehicles and don't favour producing spare parts.
Rented one out of Darwin and drove 1600 k/m to Kakadu, Katherine etc. Overly light steering at highway speed does not impress. Radar cruise control would not let you overtake a car on the left. Needed to switch the cruise control off to overtake which is disconcerting.
The trouble with all cars today is the price. We are all paying for tech that I personally don't want. My old car is 18 years old with a lot of Ks on it. It is a base model Rav with no flash features to break, so it keeps working. I would like to change it for something a bit newer but prices have gone through the roof. A secondhand Toyota equivalent is out of my price range, as are most of the respected brands. So I have looked at MG. Then the worry sets in. They are cheaper but still pretty dear. They certainly don't give them away. Resale value and general longevity. Rust issues. All sorts of things go through your mind. Then you come to my next issue with all vehicles after a certain point. Driver aids or as I call them unwanted driver annoyances. If I could switch them all off and they stayed off I wouldn't care. But you can't and I strongly don't want any of them. I want a cheap basic secondhand car with low Ks, no gizmos and good reliability. If that is my choice why shouldn't I be able to buy one. Why should some external organization like Ancap be able to dictate to me what I drive. Spec it if you like for people that love tech and like being controlled. But to make it default on is removing my freedom of choice and should be illegal.
Having an outlander PHEV, the drive train is impeccable, got it for not much more than a MG HS. 10 year warranty. Neighbour's father's HS is noisier and poorer design. And besides, we should not be rewarding China with our spend on cars. It's like buying a VW Beetle in 1938'
Would love for you guys to get your hands on an early current-gen Haval H6. Plenty of them rolling around as Ubers so there must be some high km variants out there!
They cant even put the badges on straight on them! What an absolute piece of junk. Either insanity or ignorance is at play when purchasing one of these communist $hItboxes
I have just bought a MG ZST Essence 1.3 turbo here in NZ, when I bought it, I didn't realise that MG actually uses same model 6 gear standard Auto transmission as in some of the Toyota cars - Made by Toyota transmission company Aisin and mine also has a badge on it - Made in Japan.
IMO, just get the Mazda CX-5. Looks good, well built and near luxurious, but actually very reliable. I'd avoid the diesel engines though, they're the exception to the reliability claims. Plus, they also drive well for a compact crossover. If you think the CX-5 doesn't compete directly, there's the CX-3 or CX-30.
The diesels are after giving the CX-5 and Mazda in general a bad tarnishing in the UK and Ireland.. Mazda were after building a good reputation for reliablity with their petrols (bar the RX8) , then their diesel cars from 2003 to present ruined them. And diesel cars in general out sell petrol cars in Europe 3 to 1 almost since the turn of the millennium..
I can't go past how over the top the front seats are. Why do they look like they should be in something with 3 point harness. Why do they have those upper shoulder bits that would block the view for people in the back?
Have driven 2 of these. The transmission was crap 90% of the time, so jerky and rough (was a mix of driving, mixture of driving like a bit of a knob and driving smoothly, just crap the gearbox). Brakes I found unresponsive under light braking, and when you lift you're foot off the accelerator, it keeps acceletraring for about 1/2 second, how is that acceptable? Nvh I did find quite good though, and the 1.5T did have enough poke for an A-B run around. Working in spare parts, getting parts is a pain I personally wouldn't buy one
So glad I watched this vid! I was quite impressed to begin with. But if I'm paying over$45k for a new SUV or $35k+ for an under 100km SUV, if anything is going to go wrong, I don't want it to be ALL of the stuff highlighted here. So it's a definite no from me. Thanks for the vid
It would be like buying a 10 year old new car, that’s how this MG comes across, so a bit old school but gets the job done as a solid enough mode of transport.
I flipped the DCT from AT to AMT and have gotten around 6.7L/100 kms freeway cycle with the aircon on with the 1.5L Essence. I overcame the Android Auto issue by getting the Motorla M1 as I got fed up with the cable disconnecting. I asked myself a similar question... With everything coming from China and don't care much for it, why do we look strangely at the cars. With the budget that I had, the MG HS came out on top and primarily because in Western Australia, John Hughes has his name on the brand and that gave a level of trust factor.
Drove a 2021 MG HS on loan from Hertz for 2 weeks while waiting for my MB to be body repaired. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Love the keyless entry and bigger screen size compared to my 2021 GLC 200. Suspension is definitely better suited in Aus conditions than GLC 200 too. Yes the Infomedia system is a bit slow and I was unable to set the temperature setting from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Pilot badge gives you all the safety features matching MB. I don't mind having one for the price of around $30k.
I have the top model and the only things Missing are wheel and a Head up control. Otherwise. It's great, especially with the INCLUSIVE ELECTRIC SUNROOF.
Interior quality of even much more expensive cars from other brand has also declined. For the price, the interior quality of this car is exceptionally good!
Its also important to contemplate the Geo-political trend into your decision. The US semi conductor ban on China will have impact on Chinese cars both on software and hardware. If a regional conflict take roots (which I thin its unlikely and hope not) and also with the current trend of deglobalisation in mind: owning something like a MG or Haval or LDV or SAIC or BYDs will needed to be aware of. Spare parts might become an issue, warranty support could be a problem if this brands have to cut back on their OS operation.
Theyre actually ok. Only prob we had was system played up after replacing the battery. It was only a couple things like the sensors but then the dealer fixed it saying it was software. No problem since. Its about 4 years old. Just dont drive it like a maniac and the drivetrain should be alright.
Just bought a MG HV + EV Essence brand new 10k years warranty , road side assistance and fixed services for 34990. I have taken a calculated risk and at that price it's value for money, or is it?
wait so are you saying after years of me using the mg down the line it would just stop working? like around the time i cross 200,000 km and the cost to repair it would cost more
Although the MG are now built in China, alot of the design and research are done at Longbridge, England. Just a shame we don't get alot of the trim specs here.
Not really mate. From Motorsport September 22 - "MG is now Chinese, far more so than, say, Bentley is German. MGs are largely designed in China, built in China and while nominally headquartered in Longbridge, sold overwhelmingly in China thanks to the clout of its owner the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC)." It's a token effort in the UK, probably a marketing team left behind.
Drove two HS as rentals over the last six months. Exceeded my low expectations. I wouldn’t buy one. It’s not as refined as our Mazda. The BSM warning light looks cheap and it’s location at the base of the A pillar compared to the Mazda having the BSM warning light in the rear view mirror. When the engine gets revved, an annoying zinging sound could be heard from the B pillar. Overall, good car for the non car person. For me, I’ll pass and buy something preferably made in Japan.
We test drove one, and it was quite nice indeed. It does feel quite luxurious for the price point. However, did some research and got a bit put off. Seems like they use thin steel in the panels (and what about the frame ????????? weak in a crash ????????). Heard quite a few stories of people waiting not weeks but months for parts to come from China. Why is that the case when so many are being sold here ? I believe weight is about 1.5 tonne yet it's only got a 1.5 engine powering it, so it's turbocharged to force more HP out of it. That means engine is stuffed earlier. Sounds like a recipe for a car with a limited life and poor resale value. Quite poor fuel economy for an engine this size. Is that due to an old outdated inefficient engine design, or trying to make a small engine do more than it should ?? Quite a few quirks with the "intelligence" of the gadgets. Nice car but very scared of it's longevity. I wonder if after a certain time it will have a sharp and large decrease in value.
SAIC Group, like a lot of the Chinese brands, seem to do disposable motoring. Insurance assessors hate these; parts are a nightmare to get, working on them is harder than it should be, they're nowhere near as reliable as they should be, then there's the SAIC dirty secret: rust. Lack of galvanising on the body panels and frame means that underneath the exterior, these things will be riddled with surface rust. Steer well clear.
I Own a 2021 excite X AWD 2.0ltr best car I've owned had only one issue which is the tpms sensor failed but that's for tyre pressure so doesn't affect the driving if you are after more power get the 2.0ltr it's worth the extra money in price and fuel consumption and the best towing out of all the models I also think these look way better than any Japanese or euro cars on the market in its class.
I bought the MG ZS EV in 2021. so far no issues at all. I would buy a Chinese car only if it is electric. Chinese are experts at manufacturing batteries, they have the 2 biggest companies that make them, CATL and BYD. Yes it's still a Chinese car, yes it has some comfort and practicality issues, but I was able to afford it, and now spend 1/4th on electricity compared to gas, and I drive a lot.
And. I have just bought one. And. Well. Hmmmm. I'm having a real problem with trying to change, for eg. The temperature when driving. Why not have straightforward controls not everything via that central control?
I was about to buy one of these until my dad and brothers all had a sook and told me if I go ahead and get this I’m just stupid 🤦🏻♀️ so I ended up getting myself the cx5 Akera turbo
The A/C on screen controls would be a deal - breaker for me. I rented a VW Golf equipped in this way and it was a terrible experience. Back to the knobs and switches for me.
got given one of these as a rental while I was on holiday, nice inside, enough power -- but the most uncomfortable seats I've ever experienced. they're fine for a 30 minute drive but I did 3000km ... I would never buy one
We bought a Volvo XC40. Main reason for choice was the torque converter and a proper auto gearbox. Even other posh brands had the dual clutch nonsense so they were out. Sure, it cost a lot more money than the Chinese cheapies, but my XC40 was made in China, so they can make some decent stuff.....
Exactly how I thought the review would go! Not as bad as some say, but nowhere near great, and definitely not something you want out of warranty. Even if you do have one short term, re-sale when it gets close to the end of it's warranty will be appealing.
one thing bad about the infortainment touch screen... is slow and laggy... and even if they have apple play or android app... after 10 minutes run is starting to slow and delay when you using android google map on MG touch screen.
Great video. Quite informative. I have a zs and was looking at upgrading. Ive had some of the issues mentioned. Battery died and the keys are not recognised all the time.
I’m one of that’s against people buying Chinese made cars. (And motorcycles) It’s bad enough pretty much everything we buy in our day to day lives is made in China. But a car is most people’s second biggest investment they will make. Big difference in giving the ccp a few hundred or a few thousand for stuff when there’s not a lot of options to buy elsewhere to dropping 50k on a car when there’s tons of other options.
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On the bright side; they cannot possibly be less reliable than when they were actually English.
Brilliantly said!
💯
😂. True!
My thoughts exactly 💯
Yes, they can.
Only drove an mg once. Picked up a brand new one from a hire car company. Took it back an hour later as the brakes failed. The engine was also idling very roughly. The gofer guy at the hire place told me on the side that they had huge problems with them.
That person had to warn you first 😮. That is terrible
Having worked in the smash repair trade, I've worked on a few of these Chinese MG's. The parts supply problem has been ongoing since day 1 when they first arrived. The worst problem is the thickness of the metal panels, they are so wafer thin & can be hard to straighten properly as when you fix the repair, another part of the same panel warps.
10L/per 100kms is pretty bad consumption from a 4 cyl engine. I get the same figures driving my '03 Holden VY S ute that has an LS1 V8. My advice, stay away & drive something from a car maker that has a reputable history.
Less than 30 miles to the gallon!
SAIC will be half decent but they need 10-15 years until they reach hyundai/kia level of quality. As long as they keep the price down to undercut every other brand and compete with suzuki then they have a high chance of doing well.
@@eugenewang4650 Prices down due to being most likely subsidised by the CCP.
These things are not old enough to be on redriven.
@@eugenewang4650 Hey mate had (two) Suzukis for nearly twenty years , Grand Vitara and Vitara not a single problem with either. Bit of a basic plain Jane but great cars for reliability and economy.
I looked at a new HS two years ago when I needed to replace a KIA Rondo written off with storm damage. While it seemed OK, I actually preferred the ZS and ended up buying one. The smaller car better suited our needs and I preferred the overall design - especially the dash, with actual round knobs for the air conditioning and sound system volume. As a base Excite, it doesn’t have all the “driver aid” systems, so it’s a nice quiet drive, too. At the two year mark, the quality is holding up well and it hasn’t had any problems to speak of.
I've never owned a PHEV, can you really just use electric (if you only drive within that 60km range) and the car never have to turn on the engine at all? Cheers.
To be fair on other cars, 2 years is not really a marker for quality. It's essentially still brand new.
@@Fuckingwevyes. We have the phev. Range is fine for local driving, best I’ve got from a tank of gas is 4,000 km, so pretty happy with that. Average about 2,000 from a full tank with around 2.3L/100km efficiency.
@@emptyal5341 I ended up getting it not long after I left the comment, now it has 2500km on it, still got half tank of fuel, and 95% of the electricity came from solar. I reckon it beats most cars on the road when it comes to luxuriousness. My only complaint is the aircon control, other than that I'm very happy.
In the UK, I have just placed an order on the top spec face lift auto model for £28500 new for September delivery. I had the mk2 BMW X1 x-line petrol 2.0 auto for 5 years, with no issues and amazing car, but the ridiculous waiting times and price hike put me off. The MG dealer is around the corner from where I live, and curiosity got me to have a test drive of the new MG. I was amazed at the quality of drive and spec. The 7 year warranty nailed it for me to order one. I would advise anyone interested to check one out, and you will have a pleasant surprise. Just for reference for a similar spec BMW would have me waiting for over 14 to 15 months and a cost of £46500. That's a £13,000 up in price from the model I bought new in 2018
🙃🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Commie
I bet your regretting this decision now.
What is your honest review on the MG now after owning one?
And now?
Had my HS 22 trophy for 3 months, things that have already gone wrong: keyless locking only works on passenger side, wiper sensors don’t work, voice commands button on steering wheel doesn’t work, android auto works when it feels like it and is getting worse, DAB radio doesn’t work either.
All small problems, but a pain. I’m glad it’s a hire car through my company. Can’t wait for it to go back.
I'm not gonna lie, every single SUV looks like it's made in the same factory.
Yes. So true.
I have a giggle at how SUVs have convinced everyone that a station wagon (albeit shortened) is a good thing. They initially took off as they offered a better view over all the sedans/hatches. Now that Oz is approaching peak ute/SUV - not so much.
With Volvo, VW, Audi,BMW & Mercedes brand cars being built in China I really can't see where this Chinese brand snobbishness arises.. personally I've had 2 Chinese MGs not one problem through 7 years of ownership
I've got an MG HS EV+. At 7000km it started throwing software errors on a drive from Melbourne to Brisbane via Cobar. Took in for servicing who claimed they couldn't find anything but it's been OK since then. It will do till my Lexus NX450h arrives.
huh interesting
@@rileyrichards844 In it's defense, the best car in the world is useless if there is no stock. I had a RAV4 on order for 9 months and couldn't even get a build date. MG Brisbane had 2 of these in the yard. I collected mine 7 days after ordering it.
But you could buy two for the price of the Lexus. I'm sure one of them will always work.
@@miskatonic6210 True, but the Lexus is going to last me for 20 years (at least). This MG isn't going to last to the end of the warranty.
@@elhombre2711 And you like a lot of others that have taken the punt on MG it is not a inferior product compared to the big T
UK here - I'm retired and had a high end Volvo XC40 + paid for extras from new (2019) I didn't want to spend stupid amounts on a replacement so went for the MG HS Exclusive auto.. In terms of comfort, performance, ride quality the MG is just as good. There are some irritating features, but not £10-£15k worth of them
Volvo is actually a Geely. So you are still using a Chinese branded car
Why would you get rid of such a young car if you're retired?
@yslee1401 owned by a Chinese company, yes. But is it made in China, though?
@@yslee1401Geely has several car marques it produces that all have great quality cars and cars that feel far from cheap, like Volvo and Smart, but everything I’ve seen from SAIC just appears flimsy and cheap and it’s given me this poor mindset about their ability to produce vehicles. The early MGs and pretty much all of the Maxus vans are just diabolical.
You get what you pay for it,Iam h a pay mazda6 wagon 2023😂
Mazda CX-5 tribute band 😂 and I burst out laughing with the safety tech voice over - brilliant!!
"Holden, as Australian as McDonalds"
MG, as British as Alibaba.
Seen an MG3 with a Union Jack roof. OMFG. As bad as the BMW "Mini" that get plastered in them...
At least Holden's Ve and VF Commodore range did them proud when GM let them off the leash to do a clean sheet Australian design. I have a 2013 VF sv6 sportswagon with almost 170,000 km that has been super reliable, voice command infotainment and sat navigation systems all been top notch and actually feels solid and built to last. Sad we can't buy a VF commodore quality car for $40k any more. I picked mine up 18 months d for $31K which was a steal and will never part with her. Heck I can even get less tha. 7.5 litres per 100 km on a li g road trip. I miss locally made Commodores and Falcons built and designed for our roads :(
@@thomasclayton169 ah that explains why those shitbox Cruze's and Captiva's are as strong as wetpaper, yet the Commodores are much more solid. It's a shame they shut down manufacturing here.
@@eyecontrol4900the Commodore was a rebadged Opel commandant. The Cruze was for some reason a massive hit and miss for quality control. Especially the ATs. Much prefer cars with a millennial ant-theft device.
@@thomasclayton169 yes 2 billion dollars of taxpayers money we spent on Holden for a piece of total crap and then they pissed off back to the US. Keep the car as its probably the only VF still going
Ok, so this vehicle is perfect for grandparents of a certain age, it is affordable, the levels of tech and comfort are going to blow their minds, and it has a familiar badge so they will feel all warm and nostalgic. And seeing as it will probably be the last car that they own, resale becomes a non issue.
😂
Now that is funny 😀
Still trash we have to deal with once broken, Pop's old cordless drill with a flat battery in the handle.
The tech will blow their minds? You mean all the tech not working or the car not opening that will annoy the shit out of anyone not a car guy?
@@miskatonic6210 ok, so their benchmark is probably going to be an elderly hatchback or Australian sedan, this here MG is going to be like an alien spacecraft by comparison. I have had older folk’s jaw hit the floor when watching a low spec Garmin satnav, and others look at Apple CarPlay and android auto like it’s some form of sorcery. Besides, any part of the car only needs to work occasionally, the old people I’m profiling never go anywhere, all this MG needs to do is remain parked at a retirement village. I’m sure it can pull that off.
I'm based in the Philippines and there's a lot of Chinese cars rolling around the roads here. MG are seen as budget offerings with poor infotainment systems, but some of the other brands are bloody nice and really well equipped for the money. The Chery TIGGO 8 PRO has a good infotainment system and is actually really well made, and their product support is incredible. They have a 7 year, 200,000KM warranty with three years free servicing and roadside assistance. One of my friends here has one and it's had a couple of software updates in the past year and the DCT is as smooth as the VW Golf I had before. Chery has regular meetings and get together for owners groups and encourage feedback. I took it for a drive and really found it to be pretty damn good for what it is. The chassis was co developed with Jaguar/Land Rover which is why it rides pretty well. Thankfully, he's not had any issues, but the car is just under a year old and has just over 10ks on the clock so time will tell. No squeaks or rattles. The "leather" isn't really leather though, but the seat cooling helps on hot days and it wears pretty well. Time will tell if it holds up. I've also got Mates here who have Greely and Changan cars and they're pretty happy with them too. The value proposition is pretty good compared to Japanese and Korean vehicles, although I'm partial to my Kia here. Chinese cars have also become really popular in South Africa too. I think China is becoming the next Korea as far as automakers go, starting to get the hang of things by copying the competition, as all Chinese brands do..lol.
Last year I had a couple of these as Avis rentals for two weeks each time. I got quite familiar with them over that time and drove them in a variety of conditions.
The good points I found are that they are very roomy and comfortable to sit in. The paint work and trim was flawless and the interior fit and finish was perfect. I really can only be positive about the build quality from my experience. Yeah, they drove OK and were fine around town and on the freeways. The aircon was very effective and I had no problems with CarPlay. That's about it.
The bad points are the fuel consumption, the clunky DCT gearbox at low speed and by far the most annoying was the appalling and badly designed ergonomics and HMI. Your review is too generous in that regard, I found them to be the worst modern car I have driven in that regard.
Changing settings on the aircon requires several screen settings to get there and back, turning the radio off required reading the manual because there is no obvious off button (you hold the home button down!!!!), the row of switches below the screen are small, poorly labelled and all look the same. The lag from the system is press the button or tap the screen, count to three and see what happens. Really annoying when changing volume or other settings. The adaptive cruise control works well, but the controls are hidden behind a steering wheel spoke and you can't read the functions in the straight ahead position. The tacho needle rotates CCW which is a slightly annoying gimmick and the driver's instrument panel screen doesn't automatically revert to the previous default setting when you change something, meaning you lose the digital speedo display and have to go to the menu controls to retrieve it.
I could go on, but I find these things you use every day when driving, just too fiddly, laggy, poorly designed and positioned and totally unintuitive to use. For those reasons alone, I would never buy or recommend one. When you consider Adam's remarks about longevity, resale and support, it's a no from me.
That was a better description and review than the reviewer.
Thanks for that. You've answered lots of things nobody gets to find out until it's too late and you've bought the thing 👍
Same as the ldv stuff. Poor when trying to be fancy
An Avis car with good paint work? Pfft
Being nearly 70 i am thinking of buying one, it'll probably see me out for my remaining driving years.
the interior wear and tear suggests the car has done alot more than 44k km. just look at the elbow inprint on the door! at $40k, its not good enough
I noticed the door card too lol... Yikes
Ditto. The closeups really revealed the marks and wear. edit: holy crap that elbow mark isn't in closeup - that's a huge dent! wth?
As a Chinese person that safety features part cannot be more legendary!
i was rolling at the "as english as an mg gets"
It’s bang for the buck. Anything else is considerably dearer. My daughter has one is happy with it. And so far no issues.
confirmation bias
I recently had the misfortune to get ‘upgraded’ to one of these at a car hire place. Harsh ride and the auto cannot decide what gear it wants to be in in slow or stop/start traffic. Entering a roundabout it went through three gears in about 3 seconds and revved hard on its own with no foot on the accelerator. Cruised so-so on freeway but you really feel cars passing you. The sport button on the steering wheel seems to confuse the auto even more. When I returned it, I mentioned the odd auto changes and the receptionist said no one had ever mentioned it before, to which the gofer guy replied that everyone says it, she just glared at him so apparently it’s a sore spot.
Similar experience too in the last few months, mind you, my hire car went quite well considering I had the handbrake on most of the time. Gave that pos a real hard time. The odo probably read 1200kms extra on return but mechanically it had about 48000 kms of wear in that time.
I Work on these nearly daily, 100% know what you are talking about. Awful awful cars.
I actually bought one and regretted almost immediately. For me being tall it was very uncomfortable, the ride and suspension was awful and the infotainment system was slow and froze a lot. I sold it a month later and bought a Nissan which is so,so much better. These are terrible cars.
Got one as a hire car a few months ago. Brand new. Total brake failure within an hour of taking it out of the yard. Rev counter was also oscillating up and down. Young guy working in the yard told me they were all terrible.
Got an ZST Core so far so good very quiet on the road hardly can hear the cars passing me. Got only 1200km on it fuel consumption is a bit up from the Hyundai Accent what used around 5.5 liters/100km on the highway but I think it will get way better over time .Another thing I like is the Pilot system for an old bloke like me its mind blowing
I know folk think Chinese cars will be crap but that is exactly what folk used to think about the Japanese stuff too!
Difference is that the Japanese stuff isn't at all crap. Most of it is impressive
@@melissabarrett9750 that's my point!
@@melissabarrett9750 innovative and ahead of their time, unlike these cheap copies.
and Hyundais!
they are cheap shit
A good professional review that meets the questions likely to be raised byTarget Market buyers. Last century I was responsible for National Sales for Australia's largest Fleet Supplier, as well as for the Finance Company, that was bought by GE making it the largest in Australia.
Long story short, you covered all the available information, in a very interesting and professional manner, that I could not fault. Phil.
That feature set voiceover setup was perfection!
Used car prices have been dropping through 2023 sharply - they are now not too far off pre-pandemic prices. You can now pick up one of these quite a bit cheaper than the price range listed here.
Thank for the great review. Wondered about MG when I was looking for a small SUV very recently, to replace my bullet proof but very aged Yaris.. But was very nervous about their reliability and longevity, apparently I was probably right. Using my own research and backed up by your favourable review, I ended up with a 2021 Honda HR-V. Very happy with my choice. Keep up the good work.
Given the Honda dealer situation it's not much better.
@Anonymity Reliable yes. But like an ugly girlfriend you don't want to be seen next to 🙃
U could of gotten a yaris cross or corolla cross
@@Low760you don’t really need the dealer for anything
I had a CLA250 Shooting Brake Sport, 2021 model. Traded it in on a 4x4 2L HS. I have done almost 18,000klm in it now.
My gripes are NO DAB radio in Australia.
Slow infotainment but can live with it.
The black side mouldings around the wheel arches have been replaced twice as they keep coming off.
Need to have the two roof rack rails replaced as paint fade is severe.
Had to have front badge and front grill trim replaced as peeling.
So far that is about it. The car is doing its job, has reasonable power and fairly economical.
So the past 12 months have had no issues. Will keep it for a few more years as the warranty is 7 years so any repairs can be done under warranty.
Happy hunting.
I traded my MB CLA250 Shooting brake and bought the MG HS 2.0L AWD, gad it for over 12 months and then traded it in for a new ALFA ROMEO GUILIA VELOCE. The MG was fine, missed the DAB radio, was a bit heavy on fuel, but otherwise was ok. Agree the touch parts didn't stand up, but mechanically ok.
i'd hate talking to people who think that mg is still british
The vast majority of people simply dont give a fuck.
It makes little to no difference. Every fault mentioned sounds like every British car.
@@nedyahyakcam true
Give it a couple of years, they’ll go the same way as the Hyundai XL.
Given how (un)reliable British cars are, I think being Chinese-owned is probably a comparative selling point here 😂
@@domht the MG3 is today’s Daewoo Lanos/Hyundai Excel
If you check out the warranty in depth, it's not as good as you think
That’s correct not all items are covered
We must have got a lucky batch of the mg hs's as we've had none of these issues. We don't even have shiny leather on the gear stick & wheel and it’s now 2 years old!
I had the doors refusing to unlock, the car refusing to start but took it in at 7000km and they re-flashed the firmware which seems to have fixed it.
For a brand new car, that’s honestly the bare minimum standard I’d expect tbh
Hey, it’s not just mg’s that have inconsistent build quality. I can name a few (many) other brands.
I had one of these as a rental. I personally hated it with a passion. The infotainment interface was woeful. I could not find a way to turn off the radio. AC controls annoying. The auto ambient light sensors turn on the lights even when the car is locked meaning I had a flat battery on the first day. The accelerator pedal is connected to the motor via an elastic band. I could go on. That said, I’m sure most people in this price bracket don’t care. It’s a tool for a job.
I bought a new 2022 HS Essence 2L AWD for 42K, it had 23klms on the clock. I kept it until recently and traded it for an Alfa Guilia Veloce. Trade value was $19k.
I had the MG for almost 2 years with no problems, except little minor things that were fixed on warranty. One issue i found was the auto transmission, it used to bog down on take off or if going around a round about and exiting you put your foot down it had a LONG hesitation to kick down, to sometimes a bit nerve racking.
Overall it wasnt too bad, but pricing I think is not as shown on this video. I had a Mercedes CLA250 Shooting brake which i traded for the MG. Was i sorry, yep, that is why i have a new Alfa now
Despite the reviewer's continued assurance, "don't worry it'll be fine...", I would say that regardless of age or one's stage in life, sink your hard-earned coin into a car that is still going to be worth something (or even still on the road) in a few years' time...Why take the risk and be part of SAIC/MG's learning curve, when there are heaps of great brands already available here in Oz.
coz we all broke AF lol
I had two cars with this engine in the 90s.
I also had 5 engines in the same two cars. 🤦
I've just ha₫one rented in the UK whilst there on holidays, we did about 2000 k's London to Scotland and back. It's not the worst car I've driven, but it's the second worst. I would not buy one, even if you gave it to me for free. Uncomfortable to ride in, underpowered, lots of understeer and the gear ratios were all just a bit out from what you would expect when you changed gear. Oh, and my favourite, you can't turn the radio off - you have to keep muting it. All sorts of electronic glitches (e.g. auto high beam turned ON when it detected a car coming the other way). My guess is that it was designed and built by people who have never driven a car in the city or on the open road. When I returned it, the rental car rep said "what did you think?" As I paused to assemble my thoughts, he put his hand up and said "don't tell me. I was awful, right?" I laughed and agreed. Dreadful car. Do not buy one.
An mg dealer told me that saic produces parts for VW in china, that steering wheel is a VWparts bin wheel with an mg badge on it. Trade marks, intellectual property etc have no meaning in the PRC. Especially if it means profits for their business.
@Retired Bore The USA, the land of hypocrasy is notorious for that, think employing a few nazi scientists was bad....Look up the the employment history of the Japanese scientists of Unit 731 pretty much ALL of them got jobs in bio and chemical firms in the USA
I have a 21 excite and love it. Yes I have had a couple of minor issues but covered under NCW. Overall a great car.
2023, Drove the ZS on holiday for 4000km, It surprisingly good, no issue at all! .
I’ve owned a SAIC MG and trust me you realise pretty quickly that the perceived ‘quality’ soon exposes itself to being only on the surface. Lots of problems, a warranty not worth the paper it’s written on because mg hate approving repairs , terrible re sale value and currently all non ev Mg’s have terrible engines and gearboxes. If you must get an Mg get the mg4 …it’s the best of the lot at the moment..but my comments about the warranty and after sales support remain.
This car is built to do a job at a realistic price. I've had one for 2 years no problem . Cheap and cheerful.
I hate when people describe cars as cheap and cheerful. There's nothing cheerful about them. Cheap and nasty!
Recently brought the hs Trophy and it's brilliant so many features on it pleasantly surprised
I'd love to see the Hyundai Kona (2018-2021)
Notification squad, I've been growing with this channel.
Although I must say GM has indeed improved heat dissipation and overall longevity of the 1.5 litre engine from what I have read in the forums...
I had one as a rental last week due to car issues and overall i loved it, was a nice change from my small low cars to something much more spacious. My only gripe was the sluggishness at junctions or roundabouts. But i would be happy to have one as my car
Really comfy, roomy, drives well, plenty of gadgets and does not cost fortunes. What more do you want?
That "does not cost fortunes..." will become one sooner after buying one brand new
Great review mate & you get what you pay for. I had a ZS for a hire car for a month & yeah it was ok however after some time I would he hesitant to keep one long term.
Yes the zs hurtd my back after a bit of driving.
Remember when people thought a Toyota was worse than a Ford or Holden... MG is on the Toyota path they are on the front foot of the EV market.
The term "Jap Crap" was bounced around a lot.
Like the Japanese in the 1980s and Koreans since 2010, the Chinese may eventually make reliable, decent cars BUT, they are not there yet. LDV and BYD have documented rust issues that stem from the fact that NOT ALL Chinese cars are dipped in a galvanising process, therefore are like most cars sold 50 years ago. The Chinese are also still cost cutting where you don't see like thinner brake rotors. The supply chain issues on Chinese cars are an issue because the factories are working flat out on producing completed vehicles and don't favour producing spare parts.
Rented one out of Darwin and drove 1600 k/m to Kakadu, Katherine etc. Overly light steering at highway speed does not impress. Radar cruise control would not let you overtake a car on the left. Needed to switch the cruise control off to overtake which is disconcerting.
Jeez Adam, I'm glad you reminded us that you're not a mechanic, because I keep thinking you are 😁
But Jim is! 🤣
Nice review, please do some on Haval/GWM products. Interesting to see how the Chinese cars fair.
Anecdotally, from what I’ve heard, MGs are pretty shonky but Haval/GWM are pretty decent and don’t have major issues.
@User my mums haval already rattles internally like a 15 year old car and her partners already has an engine tick that the dealer "cant hear"
The trouble with all cars today is the price. We are all paying for tech that I personally don't want. My old car is 18 years old with a lot of Ks on it. It is a base model Rav with no flash features to break, so it keeps working. I would like to change it for something a bit newer but prices have gone through the roof. A secondhand Toyota equivalent is out of my price range, as are most of the respected brands. So I have looked at MG. Then the worry sets in. They are cheaper but still pretty dear. They certainly don't give them away. Resale value and general longevity. Rust issues. All sorts of things go through your mind. Then you come to my next issue with all vehicles after a certain point. Driver aids or as I call them unwanted driver annoyances. If I could switch them all off and they stayed off I wouldn't care. But you can't and I strongly don't want any of them. I want a cheap basic secondhand car with low Ks, no gizmos and good reliability. If that is my choice why shouldn't I be able to buy one. Why should some external organization like Ancap be able to dictate to me what I drive. Spec it if you like for people that love tech and like being controlled. But to make it default on is removing my freedom of choice and should be illegal.
Kia Picanto then.
Having an outlander PHEV, the drive train is impeccable, got it for not much more than a MG HS. 10 year warranty. Neighbour's father's HS is noisier and poorer design. And besides, we should not be rewarding China with our spend on cars. It's like buying a VW Beetle in 1938'
Would love for you guys to get your hands on an early current-gen Haval H6. Plenty of them rolling around as Ubers so there must be some high km variants out there!
They cant even put the badges on straight on them! What an absolute piece of junk. Either insanity or ignorance is at play when purchasing one of these communist $hItboxes
Ubers in New Zealand are mostly Toyota Hybrids.
I have just bought a MG ZST Essence 1.3 turbo here in NZ, when I bought it, I didn't realise that MG actually uses same model 6 gear standard Auto transmission as in some of the Toyota cars - Made by Toyota transmission company Aisin and mine also has a badge on it - Made in Japan.
Just bought a 2023 Core ZST, fantastic value, very impressed with the finish and features. You can just turn off beeps that you don’t need.
IMO, just get the Mazda CX-5. Looks good, well built and near luxurious, but actually very reliable. I'd avoid the diesel engines though, they're the exception to the reliability claims. Plus, they also drive well for a compact crossover. If you think the CX-5 doesn't compete directly, there's the CX-3 or CX-30.
no reason to get a cx3 over a regular mazda3 hatch, but i agree that the cx5 is a far better choice than an MG.
The CX-30 has almost no grunt... I drive one regularly and it's my main complaint
The diesels are after giving the CX-5 and Mazda in general a bad tarnishing in the UK and Ireland.. Mazda were after building a good reputation for reliablity with their petrols (bar the RX8) , then their diesel cars from 2003 to present ruined them. And diesel cars in general out sell petrol cars in Europe 3 to 1 almost since the turn of the millennium..
I can't go past how over the top the front seats are. Why do they look like they should be in something with 3 point harness. Why do they have those upper shoulder bits that would block the view for people in the back?
MG is not the only brand that does it.
Thanks
Thank you so much!
Have driven 2 of these.
The transmission was crap 90% of the time, so jerky and rough (was a mix of driving, mixture of driving like a bit of a knob and driving smoothly, just crap the gearbox). Brakes I found unresponsive under light braking, and when you lift you're foot off the accelerator, it keeps acceletraring for about 1/2 second, how is that acceptable?
Nvh I did find quite good though, and the 1.5T did have enough poke for an A-B run around.
Working in spare parts, getting parts is a pain
I personally wouldn't buy one
What about manual?
@@sintezmaniac don't believe they come in a manual in Aus
Why bother when you can get a mazda cx30 new for aud$35k?
So glad I watched this vid! I was quite impressed to begin with. But if I'm paying over$45k for a new SUV or $35k+ for an under 100km SUV, if anything is going to go wrong, I don't want it to be ALL of the stuff highlighted here. So it's a definite no from me. Thanks for the vid
It would be like buying a 10 year old new car, that’s how this MG comes across, so a bit old school but gets the job done as a solid enough mode of transport.
You would be better off with a 10 year old Toyota, Mazda etc
Been driving one as our hire car for the last 4 days and it’s been great. Lovely to drive and loads of great features.
I flipped the DCT from AT to AMT and have gotten around 6.7L/100 kms freeway cycle with the aircon on with the 1.5L Essence.
I overcame the Android Auto issue by getting the Motorla M1 as I got fed up with the cable disconnecting.
I asked myself a similar question... With everything coming from China and don't care much for it, why do we look strangely at the cars.
With the budget that I had, the MG HS came out on top and primarily because in Western Australia, John Hughes has his name on the brand and that gave a level of trust factor.
Mate, such a helpful video and very informative, cheers!
End credits were a good laugh 😆
Drove a 2021 MG HS on loan from Hertz for 2 weeks while waiting for my MB to be body repaired. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Love the keyless entry and bigger screen size compared to my 2021 GLC 200. Suspension is definitely better suited in Aus conditions than GLC 200 too. Yes the Infomedia system is a bit slow and I was unable to set the temperature setting from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Pilot badge gives you all the safety features matching MB. I don't mind having one for the price of around $30k.
I have the top model and the only things Missing are wheel and a Head up control. Otherwise. It's great, especially with the INCLUSIVE ELECTRIC SUNROOF.
Interior quality of even much more expensive cars from other brand has also declined. For the price, the interior quality of this car is exceptionally good!
Its also important to contemplate the Geo-political trend into your decision. The US semi conductor ban on China will have impact on Chinese cars both on software and hardware.
If a regional conflict take roots (which I thin its unlikely and hope not) and also with the current trend of deglobalisation in mind: owning something like a MG or Haval or LDV or SAIC or BYDs will needed to be aware of. Spare parts might become an issue, warranty support could be a problem if this brands have to cut back on their OS operation.
Theyre actually ok. Only prob we had was system played up after replacing the battery. It was only a couple things like the sensors but then the dealer fixed it saying it was software. No problem since. Its about 4 years old. Just dont drive it like a maniac and the drivetrain should be alright.
Just bought a MG HV + EV Essence brand new 10k years warranty , road side assistance and fixed services for 34990. I have taken a calculated risk and at that price it's value for money, or is it?
Great informative video!
Was curious about these since I'm seeing more and more on the road. Will stick to Japanese and Korean.
I have owned one for three years, very happy with it
I was looking between this and the Kia niro, I went for the Niro and I’m glad I did just for the fuel economy alone which is nearly double
I would definitely buy a Honda CRV for similar money
wait so are you saying after years of me using the mg down the line it would just stop working?
like around the time i cross 200,000 km
and the cost to repair it would cost more
Although the MG are now built in China, alot of the design and research are done at Longbridge, England. Just a shame we don't get alot of the trim specs here.
Not really mate. From Motorsport September 22 - "MG is now Chinese, far more so than, say, Bentley is German. MGs are largely designed in China, built in China and while nominally headquartered in Longbridge, sold overwhelmingly in China thanks to the clout of its owner the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC)." It's a token effort in the UK, probably a marketing team left behind.
Drove two HS as rentals over the last six months. Exceeded my low expectations. I wouldn’t buy one. It’s not as refined as our Mazda. The BSM warning light looks cheap and it’s location at the base of the A pillar compared to the Mazda having the BSM warning light in the rear view mirror. When the engine gets revved, an annoying zinging sound could be heard from the B pillar. Overall, good car for the non car person. For me, I’ll pass and buy something preferably made in Japan.
We test drove one, and it was quite nice indeed. It does feel quite luxurious for the price point.
However, did some research and got a bit put off. Seems like they use thin steel in the panels (and what about the frame ????????? weak in a crash ????????). Heard quite a few stories of people waiting not weeks but months for parts to come from China. Why is that the case when so many are being sold here ? I believe weight is about 1.5 tonne yet it's only got a 1.5 engine powering it, so it's turbocharged to force more HP out of it. That means engine is stuffed earlier. Sounds like a recipe for a car with a limited life and poor resale value. Quite poor fuel economy for an engine this size. Is that due to an old outdated inefficient engine design, or trying to make a small engine do more than it should ?? Quite a few quirks with the "intelligence" of the gadgets.
Nice car but very scared of it's longevity. I wonder if after a certain time it will have a sharp and large decrease in value.
SAIC Group, like a lot of the Chinese brands, seem to do disposable motoring. Insurance assessors hate these; parts are a nightmare to get, working on them is harder than it should be, they're nowhere near as reliable as they should be, then there's the SAIC dirty secret: rust. Lack of galvanising on the body panels and frame means that underneath the exterior, these things will be riddled with surface rust. Steer well clear.
More cheap than cheerful I’d say. My daughter bought one 3 months ago. It’s already been back the garage twice so far.
I Own a 2021 excite X AWD 2.0ltr best car I've owned had only one issue which is the tpms sensor failed but that's for tyre pressure so doesn't affect the driving if you are after more power get the 2.0ltr it's worth the extra money in price and fuel consumption and the best towing out of all the models I also think these look way better than any Japanese or euro cars on the market in its class.
I bought the MG ZS EV in 2021. so far no issues at all. I would buy a Chinese car only if it is electric.
Chinese are experts at manufacturing batteries, they have the 2 biggest companies that make them, CATL and BYD.
Yes it's still a Chinese car, yes it has some comfort and practicality issues, but I was able to afford it, and now spend 1/4th on electricity compared to gas, and I drive a lot.
And. I have just bought one. And. Well. Hmmmm. I'm having a real problem with trying to change, for eg. The temperature when driving. Why not have straightforward controls not everything via that central control?
I’ve ordered one , I drive a vw Tegan , the gear box broke a few weeks after I collected it brand new.
I was about to buy one of these until my dad and brothers all had a sook and told me if I go ahead and get this I’m just stupid 🤦🏻♀️ so I ended up getting myself the cx5 Akera turbo
very wise!
And in 10 years your Mazda will still have resale value.
Your Dad and your brothers in this case, were correct.
Sounds like they did you a huge favour
The A/C on screen controls would be a deal - breaker for me. I rented a VW Golf equipped in this way and it was a terrible experience. Back to the knobs and switches for me.
got given one of these as a rental while I was on holiday, nice inside, enough power -- but the most uncomfortable seats I've ever experienced. they're fine for a 30 minute drive but I did 3000km ... I would never buy one
How many cars can pass 200k without any major repairs? I had a Merc the transmission went out at 68k
Me 2000 Corolla is at 170,000 kms. Service items only, runs like new.
We bought a Volvo XC40. Main reason for choice was the torque converter and a proper auto gearbox. Even other posh brands had the dual clutch nonsense so they were out. Sure, it cost a lot more money than the Chinese cheapies, but my XC40 was made in China, so they can make some decent stuff.....
Exactly how I thought the review would go! Not as bad as some say, but nowhere near great, and definitely not something you want out of warranty. Even if you do have one short term, re-sale when it gets close to the end of it's warranty will be appealing.
I hated the moment he said "Slowest opening cup holder.." BRUH it is so elegant the way it opened !
I am driving one of the top spec models as a rental, it has less than 40,000km on it and the twin clutch transmission slips like you would not believe
one thing bad about the infortainment touch screen... is slow and laggy... and even if they have apple play or android app... after 10 minutes run is starting to slow and delay when you using android google map on MG touch screen.
Great video. Quite informative. I have a zs and was looking at upgrading. Ive had some of the issues mentioned. Battery died and the keys are not recognised all the time.
Not sure if you have them downunder but this reminds me of the Mitsubishi Outlander: heavily styled, tech up the whazoo and under powered.
I’m one of that’s against people buying Chinese made cars. (And motorcycles)
It’s bad enough pretty much everything we buy in our day to day lives is made in China. But a car is most people’s second biggest investment they will make. Big difference in giving the ccp a few hundred or a few thousand for stuff when there’s not a lot of options to buy elsewhere to dropping 50k on a car when there’s tons of other options.
It's a shame I had to scroll this far to find this comment.
Hired one in Qld holiday, bloody good👍