Nice not to have all the annoying beeps etc with latest safety systems

Been waiting for SOMEONE local to review this car!

Ive just picked mine up last week, great car, not bothered by the safety features as my last car didn't even have airbags 😂. It takes off better with less lag in sports mode. Definitely great value for money.

I pick my yellow essence up on Friday, so excited 🎉

Great review mate! Been waiting for someone in AU to review MG cars. This one reminds me of the Mercedes cla except half the price😄

I'm in WA and have ordered a yellow one. It's nice to finally have a review from someone in Australia! I'd gotten used to searching for the MG5 GT (overseas model). I have a moderately long commute across the city to my home, about 45 minutes, and am looking forward to enjoying it in this car. Compared with my current drive, a 2002 Mazda 323 Protege in acid-drenched silver, with the road noise of a tank and CV Joints that creak with more urgency than a parched skeleton, it's going to be a grand touring experience. I test drove the Vibe, but knew I needed more power. Can't wait to see how the Essence drives!

Amazingly good for the money, albeit safety features missing and potential low safety rating not great. Still a worthwhile option for many who will benefit from an attractive new car that’s likely far safer than something that’s been driven for years. MG’s build standards, warranty and general economy in purchase and running costs is a winner.

Great video / review matey! Was waiting to see something here, in Australia, and this is the first review I have seen from you, and doubt there will a better Aust review...well played.

I really like the Mercedes Benz CLA Coupé & A Class Sedan styling. I expect this to sell well to owners of 5-10 year old Hyundais looking for an upgrade to a modern sedan. Well done MG!

Love any reviews of sedans, takes me back to my youth😅.

I did an extended test driver today (1st September 2023) approx. 90km around south west Sydney, some thoughts? Steering is fine, I put the steering mode into "dynamic" which made the weight of the steering more consistent at all speeds however feel is very minimal but that is nothing new as its coolum mounted electric steering (with parking speeds fine as the tyres are only 215/50/17 - in case anyone is wondering: tyres are MAXIS Premiter S), brakes (rotors all round with single piston callipers all round) ) are also fine since this is basically a lightweight sedan (kerb weight is approx. 1,250kg), ride is also fine for independent strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, dampers are little soft in the rear to compensate for torsion beam so from a drivers feel heavy around corners and will skip hard on bumps however I would think for rear seat passengers the comfort factor should be fine. Turbo petrol engine is chain driven (yes that is important to know), has VVT on inlet side, also the turbo is mounted on what would normally be the inlet side (re: front side) right next to the radiator / inter-cooler, with the inlet manifold on what normally would be the exhaust side, my guess is SAIC are not confident of the turbo lasting the distance and for maintenance its easier to fix any issues by having the turbo front mounted, as for performance? it's got the goods in the mid range, but up high runs out of boost around the 5,000rpm range, yes peak power is 6,000rpm but by then the engine has lost its urge and takes time to spin that hard, the issue is down low, LAG, no easy way to say it so here goes, it's gutless from idle to around 2,500rpm in any mode (drive or sports auto/manual), it's like the turbo is sleeping then BAM its got BOOST just like the old days of turbo engines form the 80's, and the transmission? its a dud with bad shift points, I got fed up with it in standard drive mode that I switched it to sports mode with paddle shift to avoid the transmission lag, if you do a lot of start stop driving it will drive you crazy with the amount of "slip" off the line and then the shift points are like why? why get to top gear as fast as possible which causes the engine to labour and then like a yoyo up and down the gears, in sports manual mode its not an issue as the transmission will hold gear selected until road speed forces the downshift to happen regardless (like all automatics do), if you do motorway/highway driving I would not bother with D mode only I would be in S mode and use the paddle shifters but hey that is my driving style, if anyone from SAIC reads this, CHANGE THE DCT TO A CVT OR BETTER YET A TORQUE CONVERTER TRANMISSION, DCT ARE RUBBISH FOR AU DRIVING CONDITIONS. Seats are great all round, even though artificial leather they are soft with good side bolsters, passenger side is same height as drivers in lowest seating (which is great) and rear seat are the same, shame that the rear seat does not split fold but anyway its not like owners will be using this as a cargo carrier, the sun/moon roof is decent size, general ambiance is good as is all round vision, side mirrors are good size, very easy car to drive around with only the extreme rear being blind spots, interior size is very good for this size vehicle, if you have memories of the VB to VL series Commodore then its roughly a little bigger than that inside. Tech wise its decent save for no DAB+, AM (536kHz to 1700kHz) and FM worked great, Bluetooth streaming / audio was fine, as was the standard phone connections, Android Auto is full screen and worked no issues once connected via USB (don't have the alternative option so cant tell you) , the 360 camera is ok it even has a 2D/3D modes, lets call its 240p/25fps resolution but it works, the shortcut keys are at best a compromise since HVAC controls are on the info screen BUT it works fast so on you get used to it its ok, it should be noted that a lot of the vehicle settings are in the Info screen, owners will have fun setting everything up. drivers digital screen is a mix of KIA/BMW/GWM/Haval/Toyota (the 7" central screen screams stolen from Toyota) in terms of design, way to much to go into detail, again owners will have fun setting it up to there liking. Oh yeah air-con is fine once you figure out how to set it up. Finally? (yes I know this has been long to read, but thanks for reading it) fuel economy/consumption? as a rough guide over the 90km test drive the vehicle was displaying 8.5km per 100km, however I was not trying to be frugal, and testing included lots of stop/starts and variable speeds and one run up to 110km/h (foot to floor), if you drive it more smoothly it probably return low 7's possibly in the high 6's on highway runs. The lack of some active safety tech could be a deal breaker. Yes/No? for the price its worth it, that said their is a reason why lots and lots of buyers of SAIC products get rid of them and why used car dealership are full of them, seriously have a look at the dealerships/ads, most are well within warranty period., that says a lot. If you want a 1st car for your kids to drive while on their P' licence its a great car for that 4 to 5 year period but beyond that? no so great, if you are buying it as a family car? No, buy from the known quality brands. Where would it belter in design? if it was a lift back and where is the hatchback version? also SPLIT FOLD rear seat and physical controls for the HVAC and Blind Spot Monitors on the side mirrors. Thanks for reading, I hope this helps you with your decision making. Also thanks to Matt for allowing me to post such a long reply.

After looking at one at my local dealer I was impressed that it had nice touches like the lamps for the visor mirrors and rear grab handles.

Neither my last Nissan X-trail (2015) nor my Honda Civic (2016 - this MG looks a bit like that) had any lane keep assist or even AEB, yet those were a 5 star ANCAP rated cars. This one has everything those cars had (plenty of airbags, ABS) and more with AEB. Besides, Lane Keep Assist will not make a car crash better. As long as this scores well in the ANCAP test, that is all that matters. Interestingly, the base model Civic in 2016 started at $24,900 and the midrange I've got cost me $28,000 with not much extra. So $24k or $28 k for a fully loaded midsize car is just about right. Certainly, my paycheck didn't double in the last 6-7 years, so calling cars today cheap because it cost what others should be costing (frankly, it is ridiculous that almost every other car brand doubled in price during those 6-7 years) is perhaps not the best word of choice...

Love the way he made the review for the car. Great work mate😁👍🏼

I too got my MG5 last week. I drove it to Canberra and back, it performed brilliantly. I agree with the majority of your assessment. I do want to highlight the comfort of the seats. But I agree, the performance ability, comfort for the money is hard to beat. I love and enjoy this car.

The lack of level 2 ADAS is not a deal breaker, its a deal sweetner, all of those bongs and beeps plus that are most distracting plus the inability to turn them off permanently so you have to add to your startup ritual. The top spec is a brisk performer once you get used to it and it costs way less than a Civic which by right this car competes against.

Keep up the content mate, the MG5 is really popular here in Thaland and Vietnam.

Knob and dials for HVAC controls for me. Lovely little car. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

I was thinking about this car for a while but now I’m thinking about getting a ford puma, can’t wait for your review on that😁 Keep up the great work🥳

Great video as always 👍 👍

Thank you for sharing such wonderful reviews and always mentioning alternatives. Can you please also review Genesis GV70 as well please.

Great review to the point with the pluses and minuses! I am test driving this weekend the Essence and will most likely order one as a second car, our primary being the family SUV. You cannot beat the price and ownership value for my case, and wanting a fun cheap sedan.. Only bummer is lack of heated seats as it gets very cold in North-West Sydney, so may need to fork an after market option. Also two /C vents at the back would be nice for 2 rear passengers. Hope the Air Con is strong enough.

Love this car. Thanks will be trading my mg3 for the mg5.

Gonna be a bargain indeed! Keep up the great content mate!

Love these videos. No fat on them, they're about what they're about. And the Aussie light, there's just something about it... I've got mates in Cudal, love seeing the roads of Orange and surrounds... keep up the great work!

What I really like how you reviewed the new cars, straight to the point and no B.S. I actually think this MG5 looks like a bit of the old Mercedes Benz C class especially at the back with the brake lights. I quite like the look of this car. I watched a few videos on the other MG5 which is an EV and station wagon available in many European countries now. I wonder if MG Australia is going to bring the same car to Australia or if this MG5 sedan will have an EV version in the near future? Hopefully, you can let me know what you think about this. Please keep up with your good work, mate.

Great review!, I'm between this one and the mazda 3 hatchback. I believe in what you said as there is a great value for money for this MG5. Thanks and keep up the good work.

This is exactly the kind of car Canada needs! I just saw one on the highway and did a double take on the badge. MG was gone from here before I was even born so that's the first new MG I've ever seen. The car I saw was from Mexico, and sadly we won't get them here because we have ridiculous safety standards on new cars and such a small market for such a big country means it's typically not worth the investment to most manufacturers.

Nice looking,inside and out ,and excellent value for money

Great review thank you.

Bought an MG ZST Excite in 2022. Love the zippy 1.3 turbo and more so that's its a true automatic. Don't use half of the "safety features" as they're MORE of a distraction than a safety feature. If the MG5 had a proper auto, I might have regretted buying the ZST for $4000 extra. The height of the ZST and proper boot space with split rear seats are also a great win and it's a mighty quiet ride too. ZST for me!

Hi, yes it's not a bad car for the price.I'd buy one , despite the lack of "safety" gizmo's, a front centre airbag would be good though.

I am from the Philippines and I have found "The Right Car" in MG GT Sport. It's so handsome at all angles and I love it! Mine is a Brighton Blue GT Sport Turbo (Essence version in AU).

I just bought my MG5 vibe and need to pick from nsw and will drive all the way to vic. Very excited

I used to hate Chinese cars, I drive a C class Mercedes daily but my GF bought an MG5 and it's not bad at all for the price. I enjoyed driving it even thought it lags sometimes but at that price? it's pretty damn good. Even Mercedes is struggling to give parts these days. Nothing a good mechanic can't fix

Hi Matt I considered the MG5 yet the rear seat was a deal beaker for me. Not being a split fold means it's pretty useless for buying things from Bunnings. The way the seat belt hangs out stretched full length when the tear seat os down looks crap! Having a small access boot rather than being a convenient liftback was the second deal breaker. So, instead of going for the top spec MG5 I went for the top spec Chery Omoda 5 EX which is truly a bargain compared to the MG5.

My pre-order Essence arrives next week. It has everything I want in a car and you can't argue for value. There's nothing in it's price point and competitors are at least $5k more for less.

Yes the BRIXTON BLUE METALLIC colour is awesome

Looks very nice. Love the design.

Definitely best value car in the Australian market.most cars now are 30k plus which is crazy for a car

I think the ANCAP crash testing methods are fundamentally flawed. For me I’m not too worried about the safety tech. I just want to know how well it performs in a crash test (ie do the crumple zones work & does it protect me in the event of a crash. All this extra safety tech will one day break because they are computers after all. I just hope they still get the basics right because that’s what matters the extra tech is nice but not essential. You can have all tech in the world but if the car cannot protect you in a crash what is the point. It is just dumbing us down. What ever happened to defensive driving.

I’m sold, if only a diesel. Keep up the great reviews. 👍🍻

Great review.

thanks MG for giving us an affordable option while everyone else rips us off. i just wish car manufacturers would give up the dct and cvts no one likes them. a normal TC auto is the best and proven since forever. !

Adore your reviews. Everything I need to know and nothing I don't. No the lack of tech wouldn't stop me from buying one as friends tell me their cars fight them to steer their car OUT of a lane or brake hard if near a wall or narrow lane! No thank you. A jerky CVT is a deal breaker though...the least I would want is a torque converter auto but probably a (rapidly disappearing) manual.

I already bought one MG GT Sport Turbo 300TGI "Top of the Line" model in Brighton Blue. I am from the Philippines; my friend.

I believe ANCAP safety ratings are flawed, because the total stars given is based mostly on whether or not it has electronic safety systems , none of these will help you when your t-boned by a drug driver or someone missing the stop sign and plow into you car , ANCAP should solely be measuring its star rating based on vehicle body strength and internal protection systems like airbags only. In relation to the throttle and gearbox lag I’d be keen to see what a throttle controller can achieve as it’s done wonders for my MG3 , completely transformed how it drives for the better.

Brought one this week love it

People complain about all the plastic, the car manufacturers stick all that piano black glossy shit which scratches easy and then looks twice as shit

Great review as always. It looks great, which is important in a segment where looks often trump practicality. Not so long ago DCTs were only found in expensive sportcars now they're thrown into everything, including cars with little 3 cylinder lawnmower engines. For me as long as a car has airbags for all inside, ABS and similar acronyms, its OK. The beeping stuff are often switched off anyway.

Let's just call it vinyl because that's what it is. Why can't they do a nice cloth upholstery for base models anymore?

Writing a car off for not having an ANCAP rating or a bad one in 2023; is pretty much the same as saying a used car made before 2016 is buying a death trap and you will be turned into red jam if you hit a stop sign. Automotive safety improved so many times over in the last 40 years due to computer modelling reaching it's peak in 2010; that hand waving any car for an ANCAP rating after 2020 is also telling people don't buy used anymore unless it's a giant ute that can win by sheer physics. Always drive defensively and always assume no one else is paying attention!

When you consider that a significant percentage of the buyers of this car are probably buying on finance, the more well-known brands/models are probably only another $20-30 a week. My guess is it'll be the Vibe model that gets the bulk of the sales.

I think if you don’t mind a lightly used car, I’d say a 2019-20 Mazda 3 is a better equipped (adaptive cruise, HUD) small sedan that feels higher quality and drives better. That’s the beauty of deprecation, that brings something at the top of the class to a cheaper price point. But for a “budget” small sedan under $30k, this does not look cheap inside nor out. The same money will get you a Cerato with halogen headlights, an old school key, plastic steering wheel and hubcaps.

I would​ definitely​ buy this​ car as a budget oriented shopper. I always​ keep​ in mind when it comes to automobiles​ that I've been driving​ since 1988, and I was very satisfied with my cars back then: 1984 Peugeot 505 and 1988 Chevrolet​ Cavalier. They didn't​ have anything on modern cars at all in terms of electronic safety equipment, but they were safe enough. MG 5 is fine for​ me. Ofcourse, I'm just an '80-'90s ICE road hugger so I probably don't​ resemble Millenials or Post-Millenials in likes and dislikes.

Very cool to see Chinese cars coming into Australia! Canadian here and not likely we’ll get over our political obsessions to see these cars here, but I have a home in Mexico and MG is sold and is well known there. Well done!

Go the Mazda. If the engine and DCT are the same from the HS … they are crap. I was driving the work HS. I came to a stop at a sign, on an incline where the front was higher then rear. When I released the foot brake, and went to accelerate away, the engine basically increased in speed to 1200rpm ish then back down to 800rpm (ideal). Held the accelerator at about 30%, went nowhere. Had to stab the pedal several times before it finally went.

Excellent review. Thank you. Pity MG didn't make the MG5 a hatchback. as their market would be considerably larger. A 4 door sedan is way less appealing for me. Their MG3 is a great little car, so expecting this one should be a beauty. A lot of car more the $, particularly the turbo version, but I wonder how many punters are torn between the positive appeal of the "MG" branding image & the negative "Chinese" ?

Great car for the money! Sadly we don't see it in NZ (no sedan market here).

I bought one Going to receive in the upcoming week

Do you think that spending more for the essence trim is justifiable? I’m still torn whether to buy the vibe or the essence.

It would be nice if it came with an engine and a proper street gear box. Not a twin clutch track box.

Looks like a Maserati Ghibli from the front and Peugeot 308 from behind..Nice.

If it managed to pack all those extra safety features for under 30k, this would be undoubtedly be one of the best releases this year. While I could do without, it is 2023 some of this tech should be the minimum on any car.

I would consider buying this car if I were in the market. I would have to look at some of the others too

The safety features are the same as what my 2012 Lancer is. I don't see the need for all the safety tech either as cars used to come without it

Is the lack of "off the line" responsiveness prevalent in the Vibe's engine? I've noticed that a few turbo engines in lower price range have this issue but not in NA.

It does looks nice

Heey, great review, you mentioned when I picked you up (if you remember 😉) that the mg4 is great value for money, would you consider the MG5 turbo better?

MG design language is similar to Mazda sleek elegant pleasing but catching

Patiently waiting for mg7 to come to australia.

Looks good from the front, back reminds of of Peugeot and a bit dumpy. Safety tech is fine, but would be good to have radar low speed auto-brake and blind spot, the lane keeping assist etc is useless imo.

One thing lacking in your reviews is cornering/handling capability - understeer, oversteer, balance etc. If you could include a section on that it would be great.

Just curious about your comment about high cabin noise. Wouldn't that mean its not good for a long distance rural driver?

Best buy for the price

A car can get 5 stars in safty easily if there are 6 airbags and basic active safe function like AEB.

Beautiful car. 😍

Yer we love it that is why we have just got one

We have the MG5 in the UK too but in estate guise and it’s an EV only.

Great car, I would buy too if in the European market

A stunning car. Looks like a mini Mercedes! Pity we don't get it in the UK.

MG/Austin Montego Turbo rules!

Remember the previous MG6 Plus that was last sold in Australia in 2017?? I'm getting strong MG6 Plus vibes at the rear with this, especially the rear slopping glass area and the shape of the rear lights, it's just a shame though that the MG5 doesn't hide a liftback tailgate like the MG6 Plus did, it certainly has the shape for it and would've made for a more practical vehicle. Honestly though, I don't mind the look of this and it's great value in todays market. I don't think I'd like drive/trans combo though. I applaud MG Australia for bringing in vehicles at the cheaper end of the market. So the MG5 may only be a 3 Star car in terms of safety, but it's probably still safer than something that was tested 12-15 years ago. I think more manufacturers should do the same to lower their prices. I sometimes feel manufacturers jam vehicles will all sorts of technology, some of which is not necessary, just to inflate the price of their vehicles even more. By not achieving a 5 Star crash test result, it's not going to be the end of the world. I feel like too many people today rely on some of these safety features too often and are weakening a persons driving ability. So, if I had to choose between the MG5, Kia Cerato or the Hyundai Elantra, er .... sorry Hyundai i30 sedan, it would be the Hyundai I30 sedan, purely on looks, I don't really care for any of them.

Does it have a side mirror light sensor?

50k toyota camry also comes with fake leather seats and over 40k camry comes with fabric seats. MG5 very good for the value.

Positves? Nice city/metro/urban runabout for 20+ years old females who need a car to get them to work / uni / shopping centres / supermarkets while on there provisional licence as they are still learning how to be comfortable driving. No need to burn serious cash to buy this. Turbo petrol sounds good & I trust Matts thoughts about steering, ride and brake balance, he is pretty much spot on as he like myself likes to drive vehicles that engage the driver. Negatives? Yeesh DCT? SMH RME WHYYYYYYYYYYY? Heck give me to CVT with the turbo petrol at least it will be a lot smoother. Subjective? It looks like a love child between Mazda 3 and Hyundai i30 (both sedans) on the front outside and at the back a Toyota Crown (JDM), on the inside its a looks like someone at MG stole GWM and Mazda internals. No DAB+ ... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Anyway Matt great review, love Orange NSW, (well not the Northern Distributor heavy truck bypass, that road need serious repair work), another great road out that way is get of the Mitchell Highway and onto Escort Way out to Cudal/Eugowra and then on the Forbes and get on the Newell Highway which is one of the flattest highways we have in NSW, ah gotta love the Central West tablelands.

Does it have heated seats and blind spot monitoring

Interestingly to see MG didn’t pick their 6 or 7 when coming into Australian market, thought MG 5 was targeting the Chinese local market and South East Asian markets, that’s why it has missed those safety features 😢

MG need to ditch their CVT and DCT . And use torque converter auto,s.

Next time could you please show us when you get in and out of the car ? Because if the car is too low it's hard for us to get in and out of the low car for whoever has a knee problem like me. Thanks mate.

I think this is a good car, especially as you were really looking for faults. The single vent in the back is ok. This is not a big sedan. An owner told me that the single vent does the job well. The performance lag is not ideal. but don't hammer it off the mark, just drive it normally off the mark and give it acceleration after that .. there is a lot of pop and torque here. Again you are looking for issues. I love the car . And ancap .. I don't care.. but.. The kerb weight of the .MG5 is a mere 1260 kg. Thats 200kg less many others. That means it's economy is excellent and acceleration a fun ride..I think they have stripped padding in the car and that compromises noise.. it is noisy from 90 + kph. And I definitely like my car to have that solid thud noise when you shut the door. So MG should submit the MG5 for an ANCAP crash test, and tell us whether insulation or padding has been stripped ( or rather,not included) to give the car pace and better handling but at the expense of noise. It should be an honest conversation.. we'd like to hear it .

Any update on Honda CRV 2024?

At first glance of the rear, I thought that MG had already sold this car here 😁

As you know from Instagram its already bought! note to all Grey colour in certain lights looks burgundy

please do the base model.

The cause of that "Laggy" Feeling is provoked by a veeery agressive TCS it is not related to the very well executed transmission Try to set the TCS Off and you'll see how it really performs fella i got this car, in Mexico is badged as MG GT Greetings!!

NZ misses out on this model and the alternatives. No i30 sedan, no Cerato, no 2 sedan etc.

Real shame it doesn't have a 5 star ANCAP rating because it'd be a great Uber/Didi car otherwise. A heck of a lot of car for the money. Just wish it was a liftback!

Passive safety is more to the point. Active safety should make less difference statistically for experienced and responsible drivers

Can someone suggest a good car to buy?