Well this is my review on an MG ZS 1.8 120
After having just got rid of my last car (VW Golf GT TDI) I decided it was time to get back in the MG Rover scene and to do just that I started my 4th car search. I eventually fell upon MG cars just because they had a sportier look and appeal. ... Read review
After having just got rid of my last car (VW Golf GT TDI) I decided it was time to get back in the MG Rover scene and to do just that I started my 4th car search. I eventually fell upon MG cars just because they had a sportier look and appeal. I was really drawn to the ZS but found they were a little pricy for me. After having just bought a VW Golf and spending a lot on it trying to make it good and ... ...a big bite. 2002 MG ZS 1.8 120, Lemans Green, 53,000 miles and recently serviced including timing belt and head gasket repair. I really liked the colour which I thought looked fantastic and very different. I bought it and brought it home that day.
The car
What I had just bought was a 2002 MG ZS 1.8 120 finished in Lemans Green with just 53,000 miles on the clock. What I liked was it had just been fully serviced with ... more
Well this is my review on an MG ZS 1.8 120
After having just got rid of my last car (VW Golf GT TDI) I decided it was time to get back in the MG Rover scene and to do just that I started my 4th car search. I eventually fell upon MG cars just because they had a sportier look and appeal. I was really drawn to the ZS but found they were a little pricy for me. After having just bought a VW Golf and spending a lot on it trying to make it good and selling it for a lot less I was a tad broke and ideally wasn’t looking to spend too much on my next car. A week passed and I got a bite, a big bite. 2002 MG ZS 1.8 120, Lemans Green, 53,000 miles and recently serviced including timing belt and head gasket repair. I really liked the colour which I thought looked fantastic and very different. I bought it and brought it home that day.
The car
What I had just bought was a 2002 MG ZS 1.8 120 finished in Lemans Green with just 53,000 miles on the clock. What I liked was it had just been fully serviced with head gasket repair and timing belt. It also featured a full years MOT and 3 months road tax. I paid £1500 which I thought was a bargain, and it was.
Spec
The features were pretty good. This one being the plus model had front electric windows, electric mirrors, remote central locking, alarm, immobiliser, host of airbags in the seats etc, air conditioning, front fog lights, rear spoiler and 17inch straight multi spoke alloys.
Looks
These cars really do look well. There so sporty looking and they attracted me straight away. Looking back I think the saloon is sportier looking than the hatchback but at the time I liked the hatchback and it was the only one that I could really say I liked and could afford.
Insurance
Insuring this wasn’t a problem. Coming from my VW Golf GT TDI 110 to the MG ZS 1.8 120 cost £40 extra. Overall cost for a years insurance stood me at £900 which I thought was good considering I was just 21 at the time of owning this car last year.
Drive
Driving the ZS was something I never really wanted to stop doing. I would find myself just lifting the keys and taking off. I even found that when faced with the choice of motorway or back roads I always chose back roads due to the way the car drove and handled. It attracted quite a few looks, all good though I think.
Handling
Well this is what this car had been designed for and boy did it handle. In the corners it was superb. I always found myself wanting to go faster round corners due to the way there was hardly any body roll. It just sat very flat on the road and in corners. The seats being a nice bucket type hold you very well indeed. OK so cornering is brilliant however that stiff setup does come at a cost…comfort. For the most the comfort is pretty good however on bumpy roads it becomes quite a nuisance. Its stiff setup sends shockwaves round the car and through the seats when hitting a pothole and speed ramps really do need to be taken at slow speeds, down to 2nd gear. I had my cousin in the back with me one time and he said the comfort was appalling and offered to drive me around with me seated in the back. How could I refuse and sadly yes he was right, the comfort in the back was far worse than the front. I didn’t buy the car for comfort but unfortunately ended up selling it because of this.
Speed, Performance & MPG
After having owned a Rover 214 and a Rover 216 Coupe in the past (reviews on here) I could tell there was a good difference in speed and performance. It accelerated much quicker and had lower rev torque. The engine note passing through 4,000rpm was even nicer and it sounds particularly lively close to 5,000rpm. MPG was worse in town than the 1.4 and the 1.6 but much better on long journeys. Town driving would return around 30mpg but long run would see 45mpg travelling at motorway speeds.
Reliability
In the short time I had my ZS it was faultless. Nothing went wrong with the car and it had no faults, everything was still working perfectly.
Summary
To sum up it was a fantastic car which handled extremely well, looked fantastic and was awesome fun to drive which held its value. In fact I even sold it at profit. I bought it for £1500 drove it for 2 months and sold it for £1900. What a way to part. I only sold it because of 2 reasons:
1. It was too uncomfortable for me. If it had of been a wee bit smoother over the bumps I would have kept it a little longer.
2. I really wanted to buy a caravan so wanted to free up some cash by buying a cheaper diesel car and then a caravan.
I would recommend these to anyone who wants a fun drive with razor sharp handling and good MPG.
Advantages: Stylish looks, superb handling, excellent price Disadvantages: Nowhere near as quick as the ZS 180!
...I looked at both the MG ZR and ZS, having a family I needed 4 doors and a bit of space, despite a fantastic performance this really ruled out the smaller sports hatch ZR. So the ZS it was. I organised a test drive and found the performance of the ZS 120 equally as good as the ZR I had test-drove, this brought a smile to my face!
So how did it perform? The instant thing you notice in the ZS is the incredible road handling, it seems that you can take ... ...45 hatchback.
For any MG enthusiasts, Rover has given a great deal of thought to this car, reinstating the wire grill and ensuring the car delivers on handling. The one thing the motor press picked up on was the apparent dated interior, for me personally I think the interior fits nicely with the car and none of my passengers have complained!
All in all the MG ZS offers a sensible family car yet delivers with it some fun for the individual who enjoys ...
purplepants 31.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZS
Road Handling
Comfort
Features
Fuel consumption
Looks
Quick review of MG ZS
MG ZS 180 Saloon.
Other reviewees have pointed out the great handling and road holding that this car has, good looks etc etc. Tacky interiors etc etc. I concur with them all... What nobobdy has mentioned (probably cos they dont really know) is the crash worthyness of this car. Mine was new in 2002 and on the 8th May 07 a freelander pulled out in front of me when I was doing around 60mph.
I hit the Freelander which pushed me sideways into the side of an aggregates type truck, that then pushed me into the hedgerow, all in the space of 2.5 secs or so. My pride & joy was written off, but i got out completely unscathed. Awesome car & i really miss it already. ...
nicetrousers 11.05.2007
Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZS
Advantages: The grin factor, performance Disadvantages: Watch interior build quality
For. The grin factor, performance and the badge to go with it not to mention touring car prestige!
Against. Interior fittings don’t always fit as good as they should
Value. This car has got to be one of the best on the market in terms of value. I don’t think that there is much out there that can match it or the same money. Whips the competitors asses!!
Costs. Not too bad at all. Fuel economy is pretty good, especially on the two diesel ... ...worry as long as you shop around a bit. Dealer servicing can be a bit expensive but the car is easy or you to work on yourself.
Reliability. Good so far
Driving. I could go on about this all week! The chassis is tight like a tiger and the suspension is firm without being too hard for road going comfort. The ZS is very quick to turn in and inspires a great deal of confidence in the driver by providing bags and bags of grip even when pushed ludicrously ...
RogerBVH 22.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZS
...I have gone for a MG ZS+ 120
1.8i 16v DOHC.
120 bhp.
the car comes with aircon, 4 airbags, electric everything, central locking, immobiliser, alarm, low profile 16" alloys, blah, blah, blah....
but the thing that makes me tingle is that when you get behind the wheel, it does what you ask it to do!!!
Simple, you say - obvious, even...
but so many cars i have driven in the past do not.
When you put your foot down, the zs responds...
quickly ... ...goes where you point it...
no fuss, no body roll, and loads of feedback from the road.
when you brake...
the car stops.
Now this may all seem a bit simplistic but really you should try it.
when you have driven a zs and you get back in your own car, you suddenly realise how bad it handles.
the ride is hard (just how a girl like me, likes it!!)
it looks fantastic (just like me!!)
It makes men drool (Do you see the pattern yet!!)
Go buy one,
...
treacle 26.08.2002
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZS
We've had our ZS 120+ for just over a year and 20,000 KM from new. The car is a delight to drive, when you want to go for it! Performance is average unless you really rev the engine hard, but the handling is as good as anything I have ever driven. It really does corner incredibly, with just a hint of oversteer in extremis when lifting off, way too late and way to fast.
We opted for the metallic red, with the 18 inch wheels and the big spoiler. Specification ... ...but the fit and finish is pretty poor, with some loose trim and quite a few squeaks and rattles now. This may be due to the ride, which is really too hard, but I suspect that's a pay off for the awesome handling. One tip here - we replaced all four tyres recently with Pirelli P Zero Heros and they are much quieter and even more grippy than the originals.
Boot size is amazing, rear seat room average, and cubby storage is pretty good, although there ...
Estupendomike 19.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZS
Advantages: Cheap, reliable Disadvantages: Power and lack of comfort
The looks OK from an exterior point. I bought the car in the hope that it would be more cost effective than my previous MGZS as I incur a lot of work miles. I can only now look back with regret. It certainly has not put the fun back into driving!
The engine is the least powerful 1.6 that I have driven and it is also not very good on fuel economy. The car is not very spacious, especially if you compare to the likes of the Honda Civic.
The driving position is terrible. If you have any back condition, avoid! The seat has no lumber support and also offers zero support. You simply could be better off with a deck chair. You also sit twisted as the steering wheel is off set to the left, again not helping any back complaints. I recently spoke to an Occapactional health nurse that highlighted this car as a problem company car in ...
What a stylish little car this is. With its 114 break horsepower it will do 0-100 in 28.4 second and will then go on to do a top speed of 125mph.This nippy car has unbelievable stopping power because of its 276mm ventilated discs (and 259mm on the rear). This car will accomplish 60-0mph in 3 seconds dead on. This car with its 5 speed manual gearbox will cost you around £11,600. I can think of a few cars that are better value for money than this. For example, the MGZS 180. This will cost slightly more at £15,995 (an extra £4395). For this you have a higher top speed and quicker acceleration. Also you get the looks unlike the mini one. I prefer the old mini myself, cheaper, cheaper to run, and looks just as good. ...
gav07944 16.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of MINI One
Advantages: Loads of miles on one tank of diesel Disadvantages: Not my much loved ZS 180
Hi I recently wrote a review about my MGZS 180 the car was superb but with the greatest downfall PETROL cost holding me back. I have now changed the car after only 4 months. Now I have bought a 52 plate MG ZT cdti 135.
Looks:
Ok I am 25 years old and drive a granddad looking car. It's big a beefy looking which in my opinion kinda looks stately. I think a few changes will help the looks of this car greatly.
Ride
Well if you go by my fiancés standards, as she falls asleep every time she is sitting in the car, the ride is excellent. I have to admit it is so comfortable to drive it maybe a big car but it's smooth and easy to handle around corners.
Performance
Compared to the 2.5 V6 ZS it's like the tortoise and the hare. But once you get up to around 2500 revs the turbo kicks in and away you go. Great for overtaking as ...
Mahancini 16.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZT
