went to the local dealer here in Sydney
key points
anyone own one that can share what your thoughts are?
I’m a recently retired auto exec and was involved in setting up another Chinese brand in Australia and NZ. I can tell you the following:
1.MG is owned by the CCP and your money goes into supporting them. In fact by law, CCP are involved in all Chinese companies
2. The MGs are well designed, modern and fresh with decent infotainment due to their connections with GM
3. The vehicles themselves are very cheaply made. On the surface they look nice but look underneath and they are using tech copied from cars from decades ago. Eg the ride and suspension.
4. Spare parts access is a nightmare. Good luck if you were involved in an accident as you could be waiting for months
5. Buybacks - every manufacturer buys back cars that don’t or can’t meet basic requirements. MG has ALOT of buybacks which means they have some fundamental quality issues
6. Full marks to my colleague who heads up marketing for MG as they manage to put a good spin on an average product
Finally would I buy one? No, no and no.
even without you giving this info, I still wouldnt buy one
Not siding with the Chinese at all, but can this line be elaborated on? "1.MG is owned by the CCP and your money goes into supporting them. In fact by law, CCP are involved in all Chinese companies"
Show me any Australian company that isn't regulated and taxed by the government.
What does it mean owned by the CCP?
What does it mean owned by the CCP?
China govt bad- don’t buy China car.
Or alternatively:
If you buy a Toyota only half the parts are made in China so you can stick it to the Chinese govt by not supporting them.
@Euphemistic: Not many nations significantly involved in the manufacture of cars has the intent, and capability of, invading Taiwan and subjugating ever increasing areas of the Asia-Pacific region.
China govt bad- don't buy China car.
Well, not until they alter their aggressive militaristic stance towards the Asia-Pacific region.
Unfortunately, I can't see that happening any time soon.
@Creamsoda: Poor grammar/syntax makes your post somewhat difficult to read.
However, for those who might object to me using an article from Sky News or Fox News, I will quote from an article from CNN(aka the "Clinton(as in Bill/Hillary) News Network).
Even that news source is now "on board" with acknowledging China's expansionist posture.
"US can’t keep up with China’s warship building, Navy Secretary says
China’s navy has significant advantages over its US rival, including a bigger fleet and greater shipbuilding capacity, as Beijing seeks to project its power across the oceans, the head of the United States Navy said Tuesday.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said China “consistently attempts to violate the maritime sovereignty and economic well-being of other nations including our allies in the South China Sea and elsewhere.”
“They got a larger fleet now so they’re deploying that fleet globally,” he said, adding that Washington must upgrade the US fleet in response.
“We do need a larger Navy, we do need more ships in the future, more modern ships in the future, in particular that can meet that threat,” he said.
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy could be fielding up to 400 ships in the coming years, the Navy secretary said – up from about 340 now.
Meanwhile, the US fleet sits at under 300 ships.
[…..]"
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/22/asia/us-navy-chief-china-…
An image caption from the article reads:
"A Great Wall 236 submarine of the PLA Navy, participates in a naval parade on April 23, 2019."
I wonder if it also has a 5 year warranty, like their utes?
@Leadfoot6: Get lost with your negativity & crap.You are like a broken record, spewing the same stuff over & over.
@Hackney: I believe that if I stay within forum rules, I am permitted to make the comments that I have been making over the past month or so since I started actively participating here.
Please let me know if, in your perception, I am breaking any rules.
@Hackney: Oh look, it is the construction worker from the Village People again.
You must be channeling my comments about the China/US naval comparisons.
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy, oh
last time i checked China only have a defensive navy
Aircraft Carriers and Nuclear subs are undeniable Naval Power projection tools.
China has both and is building more at a rapid rate.
They are also expanding their reach into the South China Sea with artificial, militarized Islands.
Undoubtedly US Navy currently has more in the power projection range, but the balance is tipping rapidly toward equality between the US and China.
And gotta love the concept that the US has been "choking" China since the 80's… the same time period that has seen China lifted out of abject poverty on the back of an explosion of global trade via the sea.
China must be really into S&M if this "choking" has lead to such technological advancement and prosperity in such a short time span!
@ESEMCE: You conveniently left out their 3 Aircraft Carriers are conventionally (steam) powered with only 16 Nuclear subs. Meaning close operational range. Go to any military forum and ask if Chinese Navy is a offensive one? then check how many nuclear Aircraft Carriers/subs the US have?
70% of their food/oil imports travel through the Strait of Malacca into the South China Sea, a US general once said you can starve China and its population if a war breaks out by blockading those strategic choke points. They have every right as the 2nds largest economy to protect their trade routes.
Their claim of those islands is always there even during the ROC years before WWII. Same with Taiwan so why is it such a issue now? China was a friend not so long ago until it's rapid speed of technological advancement threatened the dominance of the US and rise to become a peer competitor. So Obama's "pivot to Asia" started then we were bombarded with anti China propaganda zoomed in on every reaction for every action the US made against them. Its always about US dominance and dictatorship around the globe, maintain it's #1 spot by beating down on the #2 that gets close.
I don't see China exporting or demanding countries to become "Socialist country with Chinese characteristics" around the globe. On the other hand the war machine has never stopped. manufacturing consent for war and regime change over and over again while the public seem to suffer from collective amnesia from the same recycled propaganda tactics our media pumps out.
@Hackney: Its the Construction Worker from the Village People again.
I have every right, and actually a responsibility, to point out geopolitical realities.
My father volunteered to fight for this country in World War 2.
Whilst still alive, but which was curtailed due to injuries suffered as a result of his service, he was happy that I took an interest in his previous service and why him and the other Australian and Allied servicemen put themselves out in defence of freedom.
I know that you could not give a toss about securing the freedom of Australia and our allies, but you are not able to curtail my right to do so…..unless China make good on the promises and threats that they are so determined to make.
New threats against Taiwan's sovereignty are being made on a very regular basis by China, including the latest incursions into surrounding air and sea space.
Go and play a few Village People songs, but before you do, have a look at some world news reports.
I quote one from the very Left leaning BBC for your edification.
"China-Taiwan: Aircraft carrier 'seals off' island on third day of drills
Published
9 hours ago
By Kelly Ng
BBC News
China has finished three days of military drills around Taiwan, which included "sealing off" the island and simulating targeted strikes.
Taiwan said it had detected jets to its east, while China said its Shandong aircraft carrier had taken part.
Beijing began the exercises on Saturday after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met the US House Speaker in California.
After the drills ended, Taiwan's defence ministry said it would not stop strengthening its combat preparedness.
The drills have not been as big as those that followed Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last August.
Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing's control - by force, if necessary.
On Monday, China said its drills had ended successfully. Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected 12 Chinese warships and 91 aircraft around the island"
[…..]"
@Leadfoot6: You do NOT have the ‘responsibility’ to let people know(fact) we all make our own decisions, not to be told by so who thinks they know best.We all have the free will to decide what we do & not what we want to do.This is an automotive forum, NOT a political one.Leave politics out of it. I don’t care( or any one else I should imagine) if your father fought in WW11, it is not relevant to the discussion(fact).Stay on topic.Quite frankly you are not going to stop people purchasing these products, no matter what you care to believe or not believe.
@Hackney: Your freedom and way of life was secured for you by the sacrifices made by Australian veterans and our allies.
You owe the benefits that you are enjoying to dead men.
Please respect them.
@Leadfoot6: Again, not @ all relevant.Go to the relevant political forum & post there.End of discussion.
@Hackney: I don't believe that you have the authority to tell me what to do.
Of course, any significant aggression by China could see sanctions imposed on that country, just like those sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
I can predict the supply of spare parts would be severely curtailed, so my comments about buying Chinese cars would then become quite germane to this discussion.
Resale values could also be further impacted, more than they already are which are, of course, quite poor.
I am merely suggesting to potential buyers to be fully aware of the potential ramifications of such matters.
I am actually providing a public service to those who might not actually be aware of the potential pitfalls.
Because not all governments are the same, Some are more controlling as well as demanding as well as have less interest in human rights and also less afraid of being voted out or losing power if the people dont agree with the government. I have never understood why people think they can argue that all governments are the same so there is no difference between them…. There is a hell of a lot of difference, its about accountability and what happens if they are corrupt or go past what their own people will deem is ok.
MG is owned by the CCP and your money goes into supporting them.
Not sure why you had to list this down given that you are in turn paid by the CCP indirectly.
And a lot of Australian infrastructure assets/land/companies are partially owned indirectly by CCP. Im trying to be neutral here but not sure what sort of impact are you trying to achieve.
Buy an iphone so Ukraine can get more bombs /logic
Spare parts access is a nightmare
I know someone with one in for panel repairs. Its been in there for months waiting for parts.
Thank you sir!
I thought MG was British…
If you don't like them that much why did you help them set up the business and only come out and criticise them now that you are no longer paid by them? What an absolute sell out.
Get a Kia Picanto, it's actually quite good and similar money. Far better design, engineering, build, warranty and support.
Seena few MGs, the build quality is dodgy AF
the car is for the Father in law, he has only ever driven small hatches and wanted to own something with a higher driving position.
he is pretty set on the car but wanted to see if there are any current owners that can share some real-world reviews or thoughts. .
my dad tried one out for the same reason, while he isnt fussy he did complain a lot about the MG. The main complaint i could remember was the steering was horrible and it got a bit shaky on the freeway. He quite liked the mitsubishi ASX (i didnt try any of them)
"Seena few MGs, the build quality is dodgy AF"
What kind of issues have you experienced with them?
Build and mechanical design, parts fitment, paint coverage (in places you don't normally see, light doors, window mechanisms, rubbers, plastics. Not to mention on road performance, NVH, etc.
Oh, so just like a Tesla Model S?
lol… just a perceived "Its a Chinese car" stigma. I dont have this car but a few friends have it. For the cost to benefits ratio, they are great. No complaints from them so far.
Will be buying an MG EV once my current car is almost bedridden.
Wow so like a BL-era MG.
What I can't believe is how many are on the road. Mechanics will have a field day once the cars out of warranty
Not really. They’ll just end up being scrapped like all the early Hyundai and kias that didn’t die.
Kia Picanto is not the same as a MG ZST. The Picanto is basically a Kei car and the ZST is a small/compact SUV/crossover. It would be like someone cross shopping a Ranger Raptor with, say… a Nissan Patrol…
And I have friends and family that own MG's and they all love them. While they are no Hyundai/Toyota, they are also must less in price and a built to that price point. Peopple want to pay $29,990 for an SUV but expect $49,990 quality?? "Errrr… MG's are shit cause the quality is bad…" or maybe it's the fact it's $10k to $30k cheaper than other competitors offerings?
Oh I missed the ZST- was thinking MG3. Agree the ZST is probably better (they wouldn't have to try hard).
People that want an SUV should probably get an ASV if they're on a budget.
In my exp few ppl can tell a decent car from a crap car, until they've had it a while. And it can take years for people to get over confirmation bias on car purchases.
someone cross shopping a Ranger Raptor with, say… a Nissan Patrol…
I understand this reference 😀
I'd say the MG and Kia aren't really in the same category, one's a compact SUV - more room, higher ride height, the other is a compact hatc (really small).
TBH i'd be looking at a Haval Jolion though over the MG. The fit and finish seem to be better.
I'm just here for the "cHiNa cAr Bad" armchair automotive experts to arrive and add their worthless 2c.
funny watching the FIL test drive it on the weekend, and getting confused with the indcator stalk on the left Hahaha
Oh, I hate that shit. Worked for Euro car companies for years and it would mess me up all the time… change lanes?? Nope, that's your wipers… Half expected the Atto 3 to have backwards, wrong side indicators, but nope, pleasantly surprised.
Didn't want to consider their ZS EV? or wait a little bit for the release of the MG4 EV?
budget is also considered, as he is in his late 60's and just wants a new (different) car to drive, i don't see him driving it longer than another 5 years.
i can kick in a few extra thousand but that's not going anywhere near EV territory
@Archi: Oh, ok, may not pay off then if only 5 years. Because the only other one I was going to suggest was the PHEV, but unless he is doing lots of trips around town, no point. If it's for infrequent use and only for 5~ish years, makes sense.
Have you had an look at something like the Kona? Would feel similar to the i30 in size, but you sit up a bit higher and more upright. I think they are in the same ball park as the ZST
@pegaxs: yeah, that is a little bit more but considering that as an alternative…
he looked at the hyundai venue, but thas just an awkward car on the inside.
@Archi: Kia Seltos? It's similar to the Venue (same platform I believe) but may have a nicer interior lay out?
@pegaxs: his friend bought one recently that's also why he wants another car,,. cause he likes the seltos, but doesn't want the same as his friend.
to me that was the best car for his budget,
it will either be the seltos or kona, but the MG looks and drives OK. not sure, as never owned one.
i'm partial to the kona, as i have owned a few hyundai's and never had a problem.
@Archi: Then go big, or go home… Hyundai Palisade??
And imagine all the smugness a ZS EV would bring though… "Oh, nice Seltos… Still putting petrol in cars, Gerald?? How very retro for you…"
@pegaxs: hahaha… i like how your thinking
they also had an EV6 in the showroom, because a retired came to test drive it as she already had one on order and her brother wanted to buy one as well.
slick looking car.
@Archi: Hyundai Kona is the sister car to the Seltos, expect the refresh to come shortly and catch up with the Seltos in terms of interior.
@Archi: :) are you sure its not a teenager you are buying for :P
my dad also tried the kona he wasnt a fan (with a bad back its not high enough but we're pretty tall he's 1m85)
@Slippery Fish: Oh yeah, I forgot about Haval. If you are considering an MG, definitely go and look at a Haval. I almost got one of these as a work car before I found an Outlander.
@pegaxs: I almost bought the jolion, ended up finding a 2.5yo equinox for about 10k cheaper and decided the homeloan needed that cash more 😂 but the haval from when I tested both was much nicer feeling than the mg. A friend bought the new sporty h6 and is happy as a pig in shit about it. She drove 30000km in last 9 months 😳
@Slippery Fish: seen a few H6 GT's on the road, they look pretty good, haven't driven one myself, but as a car enthusiast, i'd like to have a deeper look.
@Archi: That's the one my workmate owns, swears by it. Obviously newer model so parts might be hard atm, but it's a new car. She has done 30k km in it 😂
That's a bold statement coming from you when you love to offer your armchair automotive opinions and worthless 2c on other automotive threads. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/759137#comment-13429171
@Pegaxs literally has industry experience…
Lol… so much butthurt… going to follow me around to every thread now? Just leave your retaliatory neg votes and jog on, champ. :D
When I need advice on neck tattoos or whey protein powders, I’ll come to you.
Just beware MG's cnnot run on e10, you have to use 95 and abouve and it DOES add to the runnig costs. We have an HS….good cars though
Pretty certain I saw an article that MG can be run on 91
MG’s run on 91. I own one and was the first question I asked the dealer
MG3 Yes…although we found it runs rough on 91…ZS and HS? That is quite simply untrue…95 or 98 only but if you want to void a warranty…….
Had the opportunity to drive for 2 days MG 3 from car rental when gone to Goldcoast. I got 2 year old car 45K on the odometer and I can tell that car has got real brunt and is ready to fall apart anytime.
The break disk was warped up so shuddering, bearing noise coming in the car, pickup slow so feel clutch plates are not engaging, AC stop working and blows hot air, so AC compressor issues and simple on-screen display.
After driving for 2 days, I was glad to return to the rental company. Can't believe that car has degraded so much within 2 years and with such a low KM. I read online that their after-sales service is horrible and 5 years warranty is a joke as they don't have spare parts to replace such as the water pumps and absorbers and so the car remained with the dealer for 3 - 4 months.
I agree they have a great marketing team that keeps us going to consider, short delivery time, and lots of online material to features but the drive and long-lasting value are hopeless.
If your Hyundai still runs well and has no issues then continue with it unless you want to make your FIL to fall back to pick up your car when his new car is in the garage for a warranty claim.
Sounds like a poorly maintained rental car to me. Also, it's a rental at 45k very hard kms.
"rental car" and is using that as their basis for "aLL mG cArS aRe TrAsH!!1!"
Nowadays all rental company stock MG cars since they were the only supplier during covid time. Apparently, cars don't degrade that much. it all depends upon the quality they build to last not just use and throw like cheap junk currently we are buying.
Funny that Corolla/Camry rental cars don't feel like that.
@bobbified: And, just what is the price difference between a new MG3 vs Corolla, vs Camry?
Base MG3: $18,990 drive away
Base Corolla: $28,630 + ORC
Base Camry: $32,490 + ORC
I sure it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the cheapest Corolla is over $10,000 more than the MG3.
The MG3 would be the cheapest to rent as well being in the “economy class” and would be treated like absolute trash where as the Camry and Corolla are in higher price brackets and usually the people who can afford more expensive cars to rent have a better chance of treating the car better.
Now, before you all get butt hurt and neg me because you think I’m some CCP sympathiser, I agree the MG3 is a pretty ordinary car, but you have to look at it from a price perspective. How well do you think a $18,990 drive away rental Toyota would fare as a base, economy level rental vehicle? I would think not much better than the MG3.
@pegaxs: Don't get my wrong.. I agree with you re the price.
But there is a reason for the cheaper price. Customers just have to think: "do I spend more and buy something better upfront or should I just get something cheaper knowing it's not going to last as long?"
We have had literally zero of any of those issues in the 2.5 years we have had our MG's
Pffft… 2.5 years… Didn't you read Darayus's review… Pretty convincing. They had one for "2 days…" and the MG3, the cheapest vehicle in the MG stable… as a "rental car". Apparently it was bad, ergo, ALL MG cars are "bad".
I think them renting a rental company MG3 for 2 days makes them a far better expert car reviewer for ALL MG cars then your ownership of 2.5 years… sheesh. :D
Let me guess. You maintain it and don't treat it like a rental.
pickup slow
We all know rental cars have the fastest pickup
Also had a rental car experience with the MG ZST, cept this one was rather new-ish, think it had about 3000kms on the clock.
Honestly, overall cabin feel etc. was great and was happy with it as a rental. But the car wasn't great to drive.
The car doesn't "accelerate" well, so if you wanted like to speed up a little to overtake, huge delay on the kick down and when it does kick down, it was surprising how slow it was. For day-to-day driving, its fine but when you need the boost, it's really not there. Similar experience to above.
Do recommend more thorough testing and checking the power delivery figures etc.
sounds like the work cerato… what a piece of junk at only 25k
As mentioned above, indicator stalk on the wrong side would be close to a deal breaker for me. It is a stupid cost cutting measure that needs to go away.
Otherwise if it ticks your boxes, the quality is good enough for a cheap car then why not.
Would I buy one out of warranty? Probably not for a few more years yet, but new with warranty maybe.
"As mentioned above, indicator stalk on the wrong side would be close to a deal breaker for me. It is a stupid cost cutting measure that needs to go away."
While I agree it's lazy on manufacturers part, that seems like a really minor thing to be a deal breaker.
Rules out pretty much all European made cars.
Rules out pretty much all European made cars.
And this is a bad thing??
PLENTY of reasons to exclude european cars….. but the indicator stalk is an odd one to be top of that list.
@cheesecactus: An MG is hardly a ‘special’ vehicle.
Some compromises are acceptable. For me, indicator stall on the wrong side would be a deal breaker if there was a similar vehicle with out that compromise.
It’s not top of the list, but sometimes it doesn’t take much to rule out a vehicle. It’s a personal choice.
As mentioned above, indicator stalk on the wrong side would be close to a deal breaker for me.
It isn't that hard to just get used to it…
But why should we? Most manufacturers can put the stalk on the correct side, the side that isn’t involved in changing gears - although I recognise that most cars are not manuals now. It should be on the right and it would cost cents to put them on the correct side.
For what it’s worth I’ve never owned a car with LHD indicators, but my wife used to drive her parents car which did. The only time she had trouble was hopping back into my falcon afterwards. Her car was fine.
as always i'm with euphemistic on this
if your muscle memory is RH stalk and you're spending $xx,xxx then shouldnt the car fit your criteria as much as possible??
sure this will count out a HEAP of cars that you wont buy but if its your money then theyre missing out
i remember having a similar conversation with people who flat out didnt like the foot brake
but Mercedes have been using this for decades???
Mate of mine had a Fargo Ute way back. Column gear lever was in the right.
That would take some getting used to.
My only comment, drove a MG (of some description, and looking up the shape, it looks like it might have been a ZST) Hire Car in Sydney and it was clear to me that the Dual Clutch transmission was on its way out at ~20,000Km.
Shifts weren't quite as bad as my former Powershit Mondeo, but the car was frequently bunny hopping off the line and making clunky shifts through the middle gears.
My Powershit experience has made me incredibly wary of Dual Clutch Trans along with VW and Hyundai's poor history with the tech, and now the MG experience has doubled down on my already low opinion of the technology.
According to the ZST spec sheet, the base models have a 1.5L NA with a CVT, then premium models have a 1.3L Turbo with a 6-speed auto. Perhaps the one you drove had a CVT? Anyway, sounds like the premium models are the way to go.
It was definitely a DCT.
Must've be the MG HS.
There's bugger-all difference between the 2 models, ~20cm extra length and 7cm extra width in the HS and most of that space seems to have gone into extra luggage capacity!
Aside from the trans, it seemed like an OK car, but I kinda expect that for a <2 year old vehicle.
HS is good for a family of 4 that does lots of things..the extra space makes a diffrlerence. The ZS was too small for us
Love the China Bad hating on here.
Remember when Kia and Hyundai had this, look where they are now
Only thing is Chinese cars have already overtaken them for 25% less and with the same if not better warranty.
My pick would be Haval though, the ZF automatic gearboxes are at least tried and tested, technological fit out is second to none and the value proposition is extremely competitive.
Your pick would be a Haval? Certainly a better choice, but don't use the cruise control! Or keep it past one year. Noone wants to buy these things ex warranty. Just new when compare to Korean stuff they are a bit cheaper.
Sure ZF gearboxes might be fine, but they need a quality platform around them, and good factory integration, to be of much use.
All KIA/Hyundai had to do was hire an ex-Audi designer and suddenly everyone loves them.
haha, love how you make out to be a small deal. I mean, they only have to design and manufacture good looking and reliable cars - once they do that, people start buying them :)))
yeah but the difference is Hyundai Kia are with a government that does not have human rights issues.
I think this is a major stumbling block for many and really… i could care less about those people or from China companies…. it is what it is
Vote with your wallet. I doubt the CCP cares whatever the hell about a market with only a million cars a year.
BUT to me Hyundai Kia still have a lot to fix… their inline four issues being one… its not something I would risk with my dollars but hey, good luck to you Korean car fans.
Name me one government in the world that does not have any human rights issues?
You have a point.
If you like it then go for it.