Robsters

MG3 i seen they are selling them quite cheap but built in china...what are peoples views on MG come back ?

stevieturbo

MG's were shite when they were built in the UK....you think that will improve when made even cheaper in China ? lol

Robsters

haha yeah i know prob will not last 16 yrs like my ford fiesta has thats for sure

ray barker

it only took mg ten years to come up with a revised h gasket for that k series

Robsters

shame as mg3 looks good and very good value for a new car...you can finance it and have it all paid off in either 3-5 years, don't think i have seen any on the road though.

gcfcos

If u got one brand new on pcp finance and just handed it back after the 3 years then u wouldn't have to worry about anything as it'll be covered by the warranty. They look very cheap per month

Robsters

Yeah about £115 per month i think about 1700 upfront deposit but i seen some ex demo cars even cheaper at 7k which for a new car is def lot cheaper then the new fiesta, saw one for the first time on the road this morning when i dropped off my wife to work. bit bigger then i thought but did look nice but then most new cars look nice lol

lot negativity over MG though which seems a shame. my grandfather used to own an mg sports car. my research has shown that parts are built in china then resembled in the uk and car was designed in the uk as well. people say this nosense but then i think look at fords these days and they are built in turkey now...it's just the way the world has gone.

badj

The only Ford built in Turkey is the Transit.

There's nothing good about UK built cars, I'm afraid. History has shown that most of the quality control was appalling, and I have worked with Dagenham blokes who recount various tales of how they got bored and rarely did a decent shift.

Regardless, that MG3 deal:

£115pcm over 60 months, plus £1739 deposit. You pay £8695 with "0%" interest. That's for the '3Time' trim, which gets you a 1.5L car with around 100hp with 14" steel wheels.

I can't imagine living with what would feel like a budget hire car for 5 years would be much fun, especially 4 years later when you get reminded it still costs £115 a month when it starts to be worth less than £2k and falls to bits.

Robsters

yeah you have a good point there, 5 years paying £115 is a lot and has been on my mind, prob better to keep my wreck for as long as i can, a friend at work said just keep buying old cars for £500-£1000 and run them into the ground he said that what he does and works out cheaper haha, prob right to some extent.
yeah i can see that MG3 losing value quickly, i have booked a test drive just out of interest really, however it is the cheapest new car around. do you think the mg3 will fall apart quickly not last long time like the fiestas do? u mention steel wheels there one for same price near me at there dealership thats red with alloys for 8k so bit cheaper has only 1000 miles on it

badj

You can get a Fiat Panda for less (£6995 I think) and they are great.

The MG will have to meet Euro 6 standards, so it will not only be cheap but it'll have a plethora of additional sensors and emissions controls over a 2001 Fiesta, except there isn't any redeeming features.

You mention one that is only £8k with only 1000 miles on it and a higher spec, but:

a) You won't get the finance offer on that, you'd need a car loan (thus APR%)
b) If it's lost over 2k list in 1000 miles, that's not a good omen.


I had this conundrum when I was at Ford and was tempted to take the priviledge discounts, or one of the hundreds of constant offers they threw at staff (Ka for £99 pcm on Options, Red 1.25 Zetec Fiesta for £129, for example), but in the end I just took out £5k over 2 years and got something older, but actually comfortable and worthwhile driving. Difference was, I still owned it when I was read to sell, and didn't have a mileage cap or any of that nonsense.


My current Ford is over 10 years old, has cruise, leather, A/C and more, whilst costing less than a grand. It might not be new, but it's a nicer place to be than nearly all of the entry-level cars out there.

Robsters

cheers for all the info and knowledge there yeah as you say there a lot to consider and other options. my heart not set on any new car anyway i really enjoy driving my mk5 even if it is rusting and on its last legs i call it the millennium falcon of cars as its a piece of junk that keeps going even when things dont work on it lol, yeah its like computers isnt it buy a new one then within a year its worthless. I guess just not keen on going 2nd hand car again but i guess if i look carefully i will find something that is good when the time comes. my dad takes the oppersite view he says repairs always cost you less in the long run then buying a new car all the time.

badj

True, but the only real economy in owning an older car is when you're doing the labour yourself (perhaps minus the welding aspect).

The issue with the mk5 is the it still uses the same platform as the mk3, Ka and Puma. They all succumb to tin worm, and when it sets in badly, it's almost irreversible.

If you really like the mk5, and it were me, I'd find myself a nice rot-free (or as minimal as possible) Zetec S. I'd spend the time doing rust treatment and prevention whilst the current one drops its guts out. I would have liked one while they were still practical (probably something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142369740920)

Robsters

tin worm? and yes i was considering the same thing getting a 2nd one zetec and S and getting that in top shape. down side is my wife wants a 5 door car not a 3 door, women hey can never please them

badj

tin worm = rust and rot.

I had a Panda 100hp, which is 5 door and was brilliant. Reliable, cheap parts, basic, but so much fun.

Robsters

not sure if my mk5 is at the point of no return on the rust or not so far mostly visable on back arches and one sill which has a hole in other side still ok the arch that side less rusted so passenger side of the car is worst side but either way its fucking lot of work and money to save it now i think thats the problem. that zetec s be cheaper to buy then saving my mk5 really lol

badj

That's the same issue with Pumas though.

People accept on those that you can pay £300+ for new arches, then need to re-do it after a couple of years.

The rot you see is only the tip of the iceberg

Robsters

oh really so what do all body work then rust could still come back again :S i guess its gets into the chassis as well? if the sills are going, was going to ask mot centre to just do basic welding job on it to cut it out dont really care about looks longs its cut out really be cheaper then a body work shop right then under seal it all myself afterwards to protect it a bit longer if its cost effective

badj

It's not quite that simple. You'd need to do a lot more to those chassis, they're just not well protected from factory.

I think people have tried injecting stuff into the sills, but even then I think the rot came back.


The most "cost effective" way of keeping them going for longer involves rust treatment and filler to keep the MOT inspector at bay, but I wouldn't advise it.

Robsters

aye i got a quote today on the hole £100 to cut and weld, he was not interested to do the arches he said it cost over £1000 and have to go to a body shop now there something i did not know (sarcastic comment as i got my 1k quote a month ago) im pretty sure i can get a better quote then £100 though also i was surprised how clean it looked under the car! the worst bits are ironically on the outside of the car on the arches it was looking pretty good for its age under there my plan to weld the hole in the sill and fibre glass the arches again myself this time i might get a power sander and wire brush instead of doing it all manual so really rub the rust away.

colarado red

How about going for 2-3 yr old fiesta titanium 1.0 ecoboost no tax 40+ mpg all day long all the toys 5dr job done.

Caddyshack

I wouldn't buy a Chinese MG and I would deem it as a punishment if someone gave me one and made me own it...it would be the worst ownership experience you could imagine....you can get a new fiesta on lease with bugger all down for under £100 per month and just hand it back after 3 yrs and get another one.

Robsters

most cars are built in asia or other countrys now at least this one was designed in uk, booked a test drive for tomorrow see how it goes

badj

Have you read that directly from the sales brochure?

The MG3 is made most in China and Thailand. If anything is done at Longbridge, it'll be the absolute minimum.

But as you say "most cars are built in asia or other countrys now", I think even a cursory amount of research shows that the following are UK built:

• MINI, MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman, in Cowley, Oxford
• Honda Civic and CR-V in Swindon
• Toyota Auris, Auris hybrid and Avensis in Burnaston, Derbyshire
• Nissan Juke, Qashqai, Note and Leaf and Infiniti Q30 in Sunderland
• Lotus Elise, Evora and Exige in Norfolk
• Aston Martin DB9, Vantage, Rapide, Vanquish, and DB11 in Gaydon
• Bentley Continental, Flying Spur and Mulsanne in Crewe
• Rolls Royce Ghost and Wraith in Goodwood, West Sussex
• Jag F-Pace and XE in Solihull
• Jag F-type, XJ, XF and XE in Castle Bromwich
• Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque in Halewood
• Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Defender in Solihull
• Vauxhall Astra at Ellesmere Port and Vivaro van in Luton

That's before you get on to Caterham, McLaren, Noble, Morgan, Bowler....

Also, Ford manufacture most of its engines in the UK.




Buying a car from China is not patriotic, so no point banging that drum.

Robsters

haha yeah def not, i been trying to spot how many new MGs i see on the road and so far i have seen 1 so not a good sign i see more old ford fiesta mk5 like mine about still

Adam-M

It would be like pouring money down the drain but less exciting...

badj

It's like when you realise how many people went and bought a Daewoo


They didn't even have salesmen!




How you can make such a crap cheap product, sell so many and yet have no salesmen to pay, and still go belly up owing billions is beyond me!

Robsters

so it looks like the new MG will struggle to take off here in the UK? i still the eye out if i see anymore on the road so far still just the one, i saw two fiesta mk1 this week....surely they got to be rare now so not looking good for the MG when its being out numbered by older cars

stevieturbo

will struggle ? Chinese MG's have been around for a few years now....and I see almost none on the road.

I dont think it's a case of "will" struggle....they're already struggling and have been for years.

Robsters

yeah seems so, offering 0% and can all be paid off over 5 years so you own the car, i guess just keep offering better deals but i guess the fear is co2 on engines is high and if they go bust again parts will be hard to source.

gcfcos

There's an mg dealers near me which is part of
The local ford dealer (like a separate dealer but on same site) see quite a few in my area, a lot of
The old retired folk seem to like them. Can u get it on a pcp deal that when it's out of warranty u hand it back and get another new one. That's what I'm doing with my Nissan note, £103 a month

Iain Mac

https://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/

MG sold 272 cars in April last year, dropping to 219 this April.
They sold 1264 cars in the Jan-April 2016 period. They sold just 20 more in the corresponding period this year, despite the VED bounce in March.

Dacia is the other cheap brand and they sold over 9000 Jan-April.

Robsters

very low numbers, would explain why u hardly see any MG on the road, speaking to a guy at the MOT centre today he said the new fiestas not much better he said he had 2013 and 2014 model he ended up giving up on them and said he went for older corsa in the end. he told me I dont blame you for hanging onto your mk5 fiesta these new cars are shit now he said, he not the first one to say that new cars have more issues nowadays....is there any truth to this?

i suspect with the MG brand and history of what happened before plus the fact there built in china is putting people off and car reviews arnt overly great as they moan about the engine not being upto date or fuel efficient

gcfcos

I'm starting to think that when my Nissan goes back next year I'm going to get something older. Wouldn't mind another mk3 cavalier as a daily family car

The Black Count

A couple of colleagues have MG3's so asked about them.
Jim is around 60 years old and bought a sport model 18 months ago for just over £10,000 and put a near immaculate KA in as part exchange. What drew him to the MG was the styling but he also recons that the engine is excellent, it handles very well, is comfortable and has every thing he requires. In the time he has owned it the only problem is a connector under the seat keeps coming undone. I have to say he is very very happy with it!!
Ken has a MG3 and a Vaux Astra and has to drive the Vauxhall to work as his wife wants the MG

From what I heard from them there is nothing wrong with the cars, both plan on keeping them so depreciation etc is not an issue.

P.S. drove a new Fiat Panda for a couple of weeks (a hire car) and did not like it at all, out of all the small cars I've driven including the fiesta the corsa was the best, sorry.

The Black Count

Retro is in big time at the moment hence all prices going up, don't expect to get one cheap

gcfcos

One just down the road from me In pretty good nick with new mot for £395, would suit me I think at that price

JasonPD

I couldn't go back to an old banger, most of my cars have been under £1000 sheds but once you've had a nicer/newer car it is hard to go back..

fuzzy

never seen an mg3 until I just googled it. looks nasty that and I don't think id fancy paying for one of those for 5 years!

Robsters

i am booked in for a test drive for the MG3 so i let u know what it feels like to drive but i wont be buying one for the moment as i cant afford it.... i will be hanging onto my mk5 fiesta for now, I'm fixing rust myself on the rear arches, I also got a quote to fix the sill hole for £72 inc vat, the guy mentioned he could paint both sides with a rubber paint that stops it ever rusting again for extra £20 per side or can of paint i think he said... but he talked me out of it saying the car not worth it? thoughts? as for the arches i started fibre glassing them again myself tonight.