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On the bright side; they cannot possibly be less reliable than when they were actually English.

Mazda CX-5 tribute band 😂 and I burst out laughing with the safety tech voice over - brilliant!!

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

As a Chinese person that safety features part cannot be more legendary!

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.

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.

"Holden, as Australian as McDonalds" MG, as British as Alibaba.

Mate, such a helpful video and very informative, cheers! End credits were a good laugh 😆

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

That feature set voiceover setup was perfection!

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.

Recently brought the hs Trophy and it's brilliant so many features on it pleasantly surprised

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'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.

Great informative video! Was curious about these since I'm seeing more and more on the road. Will stick to Japanese and Korean.

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 have a 21 excite and love it. Yes I have had a couple of minor issues but covered under NCW. Overall a great car.

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.

I've heard the negative opinions of others. However, your information is qualitative. Thanks.

Another great video. Thanks.

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.

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.

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 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

I have owned one for three years, very happy with it

I know folk think Chinese cars will be crap but that is exactly what folk used to think about the Japanese stuff too!

Notification squad, I've been growing with this channel.

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 great honest tale, thanks, team...

i'd hate talking to people who think that mg is still british

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.

It’s bang for the buck. Anything else is considerably dearer. My daughter has one is happy with it. And so far no issues.

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.

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!

Thanks for the video. I had a new Nissan pulsar. The transmission was crap from the start. They could never get it to work properly. So then I sold it a a great loss. I then got an mg 3. Three years on it’s great so I’ve got the hs phev hs. We’lol see how this goes.

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.

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.

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

Hired one in Qld holiday, bloody good👍

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 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 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.

Not sure if you have them downunder but this reminds me of the Mitsubishi Outlander: heavily styled, tech up the whazoo and under powered.

Thanks your reviews are awrsome. Came across your KZfaq in the search for and SUV. I'm so torn, but think I'll check out the ASX or Kona instead of MG.

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.

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.

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 have a MG vibe 1.5L i have done 13,460km the only issues i have with the car the window wipers sensor are shocking and the screen overheats that only happen twice but after it's 10,000km service everything has been all good . For the price point you are getting a pretty good car as long you look after it you have good time also great first car. I got the car in November 2023

Nice review, please do some on Haval/GWM products. Interesting to see how the Chinese cars fair.

Awesome video mate, just a word of advise use wireless android auto adaptor and it works amazing!

I'd love to see the Hyundai Kona (2018-2021)

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

Thanks Bob. 😃

Watching from the UK. I’ve even heard some people saying they wouldn’t drive a Chinese car in case they are using them to spy on us. That made me lol, as if China want to know how often we go to the supermarket 🤣 Anyway, I loved this review guys. Put it all out there - all the pros and any known cons. Nice job. Cheers 👍🏻

Hey mate, I got a request. I would like to see a review or a video about a second hand Volvo S60 Sedan. Anyways keep up the good work love the vids!!

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!

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.

Jeez Adam, I'm glad you reminded us that you're not a mechanic, because I keep thinking you are 😁

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.

Great review guys you answered a lot of questions prospective buyers have on Chinese cars. Sounds like this will fit well with the Suburban low mileage group. Personally I’d be happy to throw all these SUVs in the Yarra but then I’d have to find another group of people to Bitch and moan at. Love your reviews.

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 pick up an mg hs exclusive one of tbe last coming through because of the trophey model as its replacement in the uk as my next motability car next week. I have found your video helpful to look out for things that might go wrong but all in all i am looking forward to having an mg even if its not english, the name still gives it that nostalgia. I'll let you know how i get on in 2 months 🙂

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...

Great video!👍👍

The mid part, where the mandarin vocal came out right after the 'royal melody' punched in, really really really laughed my ars off lolololololol

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.

I’ve ordered one , I drive a vw Tegan , the gear box broke a few weeks after I collected it brand new.

My colleague bought a brand new mg3. Looked good but It had a leaking fuel filler, it took ages to get it fixed!!! So unless they improve their after sales service and relability, SAIC aint getting my money yet!

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.

Can you do a review for Infiniti q50 ? The 2.0t one

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

some issues you said are the same issues with my geely car!

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

I have one at the moment as a rental, personally i find it quite impressive for the cost

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.

Damn!...I WAS thinking about buying one.

I wish I could quadruple like the "what's it like to drive" section.

Ide totally buy one as long as it was a low km and within the warranty period

Better looking than an Equinox, which it shares a slew of powertrain problems with.

Got a 2021 MG HS Essence 1.5ltr. Never had worse fuel economy (over a full tank) of more than 8.4ltr per 100km. Usually around 7.8, sometimes less. City driving but don't do a lot of short stop, start trips. I have never experienced any of the common issues complained of, perhaps I am just lucky. Comfort wise, both inside and driving wise, better than my last vehicle a Hyundai Tucson Active X. Yes, I know it devalues, that's why I bought it around 12 months old for 10,000 less than new with low mileage. Time will tell, happy thus far. May come to regret the buy but you can apply that philosophy to most vehicles. A lot of complaints seem to be about the transmission. People should take the time to learn how to drive a DCT, they are not like a standard Auto. Most complaints in this respect seem to be from people who hire them, aside from the fact most hire cars are never serviced.

I had two cars with this engine in the 90s. I also had 5 engines in the same two cars. 🤦

We had this car as a rental our our last trip to the UK... I was impressed... The internal quality and ride comfort was really good. I was pretty shocked to be honest... When I checked price, it was equally suprising.. It's really worth it. Truth be told... The big red Super Sport button on the steering wheel sold it for me 😂

Really comfy, roomy, drives well, plenty of gadgets and does not cost fortunes. What more do you want?

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.

Can you guys please review some GWM when possible? Cheers!

Great video, very diplomacy

That safety list 😂

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?

Lemons 🍋 waiting to be ‘Squeezed’.

Your review went basically how I was thinking. It's not really an old car your reviewing, ok for a few years of ownership but electrical and the engine says in 10 years from now you'll never see one on the road anymore. Buy a genuinely made by "older Mitsubishi" or a Toyota if keeping for more than a few years.

Good test , 46 years In the auto industry i wouldn't gamble on it and for what they are they are a bit on the pricey side

The “English” voiceover over the top of Pomp and Circumstance March… fucking gold.

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.

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.

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

8:49 we gonna talk about that huge dent in the door panel?😂😂😂😂

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.

Thanks

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