MG IN THE MORNING, MG IN THE NIGHT… MG BABY, BABY… MG WHEN YOU HOLD ME TIGHT!
Why do Rovers have a pipe and slippers image? Post 1995 cars have been quite sporty to drive and whilst not cutting edge nor design icons they deserved a bit more credit than they were given.
Then of course ... Read review
Advantages: Performance, Looks (exterior), Heritage, Rarity, Standard Equipment Disadvantages: Ride, Looks (interior), Competitors, Sound System, Excessive Tyre & Wind Noise
MG IN THE MORNING, MG IN THE NIGHT… MG BABY, BABY… MG WHEN YOU HOLD ME TIGHT!
Why do Rovers have a pipe and slippers image? Post 1995 cars have been quite sporty to drive and whilst not cutting edge nor design icons they deserved a bit more credit than they were given.
Then of course Rover got in a spot of trouble and we had the whole BMW fiasco, but I won’t go into that. Since then standard Rovers have been pretty ... ...MG ZT is based upon), if not class leading. MG for those who don’t know is part of Rover, at least in a working relationship… I’m not sure if BMW kept MG for themselves, I know they kept Mini. Anyway…
MG’s current range of cars are all based on standard Rover cars (apart from the soon to be replace MGF). All are seriously sporty alternatives to the standard Rover models and very reasonably priced in comparison.
MG IN THE MORNING, MG IN THE NIGHT… MG BABY, BABY… MG WHEN YOU HOLD ME TIGHT!
Why do Rovers have a pipe and slippers image? Post 1995 cars have been quite sporty to drive and whilst not cutting edge nor design icons they deserved a bit more credit than they were given.
Then of course Rover got in a spot of trouble and we had the whole BMW fiasco, but I won’t go into that. Since then standard Rovers have been pretty good (especially the Rover 75 which is the car the MG ZT is based upon), if not class leading. MG for those who don’t know is part of Rover, at least in a working relationship… I’m not sure if BMW kept MG for themselves, I know they kept Mini. Anyway…
MG’s current range of cars are all based on standard Rover cars (apart from the soon to be replace MGF). All are seriously sporty alternatives to the standard Rover models and very reasonably priced in comparison.
The small hatchback ZR, a fairly average pocket rocket based upon the Rover 25 hatchbacks
The ZS, a 5-door medium sized sports saloon, very impressive compared to the regular Rover 45 on which it borrows its underpinnings.
Then there’s the ZT (the car I had), it’s available as a sports saloon as well as a tourer (that’s an estate to you and me). Both of which are based upon Rover’s executive saloon the 75.
THE STORY
I was recently talking to a nice young man from MG at a party; he had something to do with encouraging companies to use MG’s for their company car schemes. Anyway at the end of the evening he offered me a 7-day test drive of the MGZT.
Not one to turn down a freebie I jumped at the chance… I like to be a bit different when it comes to cars; my current car is the only one of its kind in right hand drive (I’m sure I’ll write an opinion about that in the future). There aren’t many of the new MG’s on the roads in this part of the country (Surrey, lots of BMW’s!), I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not, but didn’t really think of that until later.
The following week a bright red (not my favourite colour) MG ZT was delivered to my work, it certainly got a lot of attention, which in my line of business is always a good thing.
THE CAR
Well the car they gave me was fully loaded, clearly to try & impress me so that I'd pick it as a future car.
Model: MG ZT 190 Engine: 2.5 V6 24v Kit: Sports Suspension, Heated Leather Sports Seats/Steering Wheel, 18 Inch Alloy Wheels, Body Kit, Climate Control, Electric Mirrors/Windows, CD Changer in the glove box, Satellite Navigation with GPS, Removable Electric Cool Box in the boot & a pretty average remote central locking system with alarm/immobiliser.
All sounds pretty damn good for a car like this doesn't it? Although I'm sure it pushed up the list price I've stated quite a lot.
Insurance is expensive at group 15D, but in the same group as many competitors. The CO2 emissions comes in at 235, I’m not sure what group of tax that will make it, but it’s certainly won’t near the lower end.
Servicing is every 12 months/15,000 miles
Warranty covers Mechanical for 3 years; bodywork for 6 years
Build quality looks good, although I didn't have it for long. It probably isn't quite up their with the German cars... but then it is cheaper!
Part cost examples:
Parts Costs Air Filter £10.61 Oil Filter £7.50 Spark Plugs £8.93 Sump Plug Gasket £0.28 Timing Belt £64.93
APPEARANCE & DESIGN
MG are mainly associated with motor racing, so you’d imagine that they’d bring some of that classic MG styling & handling from the race track and carry it over to their road cars. The handling is definitely of MG quality, but the styling is an evolution of the current Rover line up. It’s certainly got a sporty look about it, but not in the same classy styling that many past MG’s have proudly flaunted.
EXTERIOR Well what can I say; it's one hell of a mean machine! If you want a car that stands out like a TVR (well almost), but has practical luggage space like a Volvo (well almost)... look no further.
It's lost all the elegance of the Rover 75 (voted the most beautiful car in the world in 1999), which it's based on; the chunky body kit has covered this up. All that chrome’s gone from the bodywork, to be replaced by big chunky bumpers and slightly flared wheel arches.
The front looks fierce especially with the quad lights sunk deep into the chunky bumper. They've added a huge air vent to keep the modified engine cool & some styled indicators & fog lamps.
The rear is a bit more subtle, with a nice spoiler & chrome surrounding around the twin exhaust. Build quality looks good, everything seems to have been made out of high quality materials. Everything’s been colour coded, including the rather chunky yet streamlined mirrors. It attracts a fair amount of attention, mainly from men and the police. It looks like it goes fast… perhaps slightly faster than it actually does!
INTERIOR This is where it goes downhill a bit, the first problem is the fact that whatever colour your exterior is (in this case bright red!), your interior gets the matching treatment. If you choose a nice colour then it won't be a problem, but sadly I had a red & black interior. That's red & black leather seats, steering wheel, carpet & door styling... but not the actual dashboard thank god!
It also looks a bit dated next to the Audi’s, it manages to carry over a little bit of Rover’s grandpa image. Still it’s very roomy in the front and everything bar the stereo is very well laid out. Rovers have never really had a problem with ergonomics and it would appear MG’s parts bucket is just as versatile.
The driving position is excellent, the pedals are thoughtfully laid out and the steering wheel can be adjusted for both reach and rake and the drivers seat is also adjustable in just about every direction possible. It can be electrically adjusted to go up and down and also for the back support. Then of course you can move the entire seat forwards and backward, add all that to the fact that the seats are heated and you shouldn’t find it very hard to get comfortable. I’m not the tallest of people and I had no problems at all.
The dash has the normal things you’d find in a car of this size… a speedometer, rev counter, oil and engine temperature display, fuel tank level, and a digital display that kindly informs you of your mileage, current mpg, doors open and any other malfunctions. The rest of the dashboard is covered in buttons or devices of one kind or another. Whether it be the temperature display for the climate control or the anti mist button for the windows.
The stereo is pretty nasty though, it’s poorly laid out, quite cheap looking and the sat nav screen that’s built in to it isn’t very big. Personally I’d buy a pioneer one separately rather than having it as an option or I’d delete it from the standard equipment. Also I’d get some better speakers fitted, they’re a bit tinny and don’t produce enough of an output to silence the wind and engine noise.
Rear space is fairly good, tall people can easily get comfortable… although the horizontally challenged people may feel a bit crushed. Rear passengers also get their own air vents, which is quite useful for keeping people in the back happy on longer journeys. The sports seats make this a very bad car to even consider getting if you’ve got kids. You’ll have a lot of trouble getting the comfortable and baby seats are almost out of the question.
HANDLING AND PERFORMACE
This is fairly mixed in my opinion. As far as sports cars go, it handles very well. MG has given the suspension a full going over, it's fine when you're travelling at say 70+ mph along the motorway or along nice national speed limit country roads, but anything else is a nightmare!
You see the suspension is incredibly stiff, put this with the enormous 18-inch alloy wheels and the result is masses of grip, hardly any body roll and some pretty tidy cornering at speed, although tyre noise is excessive (more on that later!) This is all wonderful on fast roads or on a track somewhere… some of the best handling I’ve ever seen in a car of this size, I’d even go as far as to say that it’s the best handling performance saloon this side of a BMW.
The problems start at lower speeds, the slightest bump or pothole in the road results in a sharp judder being sent through the entire car and right through everyone’s backs. You may think that I’m exaggerating, but sadly I’m not, it only takes a wheel going over a cats eye to seriously unsettle the ride.
Then there’s speed bumps or ramps in car parks! I seriously wouldn't recommend tackling these at any more that 5-10 mph; otherwise the ZT will either nosedive into the surface or you’ll whack one of the exhaust silencers at the rear. If you had a full car or shopping in the back I’m sure this would be even worse, so as a load lugger, something for the weekly shop or taking in to town you should definitely look elsewhere.
Saying that… parking is very easy, the steering is very precise if a little heavy. Visibility is acceptable all round and the shape of the car doesn’t cause any problems, although because the car is quite low I wouldn’t recommend swing the front over kerbs.
Reversing is great fun! Have I gone mad? No I haven’t! I found out just how brilliant the ZT was at reversing when I was confronted by a stretch limo done a single-track road in Albury. The speed at which you can reverse is immense! If you were to put me next to a Fiesta (or similar) at some traffic lights, them facing forwards and me in reverse… I’m positive I’d have no problem outrunning them! It’s incredibly fast, whilst remaining rock solid and stable. But then I guess you don’t really buy a car for it’s reversing capabilities…
As far as performance goes MG claim that you can get 141 MPH out of the 190 version that I had (that’s 190bhp). 0-62 can be reached in 7.8 seconds… although the more equipment you have on board the heavier the car gets… but mine was still quick enough to pin you me against my seat. There are certainly faster cars of this size (generally more expensive though), but lets face it… unless your going to take it out on a track somewhere, you’re never really going to need all the power under the bonnet. It’s nice knowing it’s there though! Big, fast cars need good brakes, the ZT’s are excellent. They’re very sharp, so only a slight touch is usually needed… but in an emergency I’m sure it the responsiveness of them could make a vital difference.
Everyone who drives knows that the harder you push a car the more fuel you use. Each car has it’s own “G Spot”, basically when driving conditions permit, a certain speed when optimum fuel consumption can be reached. MG claim that the average fuel consumption for the ZT is just 28.7 mpg. Certainly not great when you compare it to a Porsche, but it does have a lot of weight to carry. Personally I’d say that I was averaging about 30 mpg on most trips, around town you can expect that figure to drop to as low as 18 mpg, which is more of a figure I’d expect from a Chrysler Voyager or something.
Then of course there’s the wind and tyre noise I was talking about earlier. This is partly due to the huge tyres. When travelling at speed it sounds like a volcano is erupting underneath the car. It’s enough to give you a headache after a while… really! The wind noise isn’t as excessive, but just adds to the noise.
MG really need to do more to soundproof the wheel arches, they’ve done a fairly good job on the engine… leaving just enough of the engine note to be heard.
CONCLUSION
As a performance saloon it’s a great car, that’s reasonably priced and does what it sets out to do. But as an everyday car it’s flawed. I certainly couldn’t live with it. The market MG are aiming for is quite competitive and there are better alternatives out there. They may be a bit blander, but the German cars won’t feel troubled by MG. It’s encouraging though… I hope they continue to develop road cars, if a couple of year’s time I can imagine them being one of the better brands in the performance car market.
I’d only really recommend the MG ZT for young businessmen and women that don’t have families and do the majority of their miles on the motorways.
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.mg-rover.com This is the official site of MG. Here is some of the information you will find on the site:
Current vehicles and information
MG News (company and events)
Future cars and concepts
History
MG Motorsport
Your nearest Dealer
Arrange a Test Drive
Get sent a brochure
www.mgcars.org.uk This is the site of the official MG owners club. If was formed in 1973 and currently has over 50,000 memembers making it (in their words) 'the world's largest single marque car club'.It costs £28 to join with a one off £5 joining fee. For your money you'll get a membership pack, monthly magazines and access to all this discounts and features. These include:
...its paragon. MG could have had the world at its feet with the ZT. But it let itself down on two fronts. Firstly, it continued to produce the 75. It need not have done this. An increased targeting of younger drivers would have more than compensated in sales for the loss of the 75 among older drivers. The ZT was a car which held its own in the credibility stakes with Audi, BMW and Alfa Romeo and with the oriental sector also. And was signifcantly less ... ...was always the impression that MG were making silk purses out of sow's ears. The interior of the ZT was every bit as impressive as the exterior heralded it to be. The 75's gloomy cream dials taken from Harrison's instrument that calculated Longitude were relieved by crisp white gauges that lit up like Big Ben. Seats were contoured and close fitting and driving position was good. The dashboard was in the same plane left to right, and did not succumb ...
jerry6525 17.04.2007 (20.04.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of MG ZT
Advantages: Loads of Car for Very Little Money - Handles Like a Dream Disadvantages: The are not making any at the moment
...of to describe my new MG ZT. I have the 2.5v 6 160bhp 2002 model and what a car it is.
Even with the fact that MG and Rover have gone POP I would still recommend anyone to buy this car - if fact now is the best time to buy this car with the deals that are available.
Background
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I have been a Hyundai girl through and through for the past 10 years. I have owned 4 different ones myself, my partner has one, my son has one and my father had ... ...coupe and I spotted an MG ZT driving past me on the motorway - it caught my eye straight away. I had been looking around at BMW's and Audi's but to get one in my price range (£9k max) I had to go quite old and this was not really what I wanted to do.
My friend then came to me as she was selling her MG ZT (the one I now own) as she was about to get a company car and offered me the ZT at a very reasonable price. I was umming and aahing until I drove ...
rachel1431 11.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of MG ZT
Advantages: Reasonable running costs, looks different to anything else, performance, reliability Disadvantages: Ride comfort, some servicing costs
I've owned a very early 190 ZT for three years now, it has been fitted with a torque chip, induction kit & twin stainless exhaust making it look like the V8. This only added about 6BHP to its power output according to the rolling road but torque is incredible, first gear is no longer used unless I need super quick acceleration. Despite the cars incredible weight it will fly from the lights, pins you back into your seat and suprises the boy racers ... ...amazing, other than servicing items it has cost me nothing yet. Like most modern V6 engines cambelt changes are expensive although not required as often as 4 cylinder models so it probably works out reasonable on the whole.
It was once left over winter for seven weeks on the drive in freezing temperatures and snow but as soon as I turned the key it was like it was started 5 minutes ago. Its well worth finding an independent Rover specialist for ...
mininuttyboy 15.06.2008
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of MG ZT
Advantages: superb Disadvantages: tyres cost a fortune
...by the locals whereas my MG attracted quite a crowd.
The interior is a refreshing change from the doom and gloom of the Germans and just oozes class and style.
Seats hold you very snugly - which is just as well as I just love throwing it around corners - and yet are remarkably comfortable on long journeys.
bought this car after having owned two 3 Series as I wanted something a bit different and I have not been disappointed.
The ZT must be the ... ...comfortable and distinctive. It manages to corner very flat yet still gives an acceptable ride. The Rover K series V6 sounds very classy too.
I have lost count of the number of people who have commented on how great it looks. I have even had a total stranger comment on the car after I had parked it.
The only thing I can think of to say against it is that there are more spacious cars in its class, but as I rarely carry more than two passengers that ...
wildybeast 23.12.2004
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZT
Advantages: Loads of miles on one tank of diesel Disadvantages: Not my much loved ZS 180
...wrote a review about my MG ZS 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 ... ...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 the power is there when you need it most. Handling
As I have said before for a big car this handles like a dream. Corners very well and ...
Mahancini 16.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZT
Advantages: ESTATE CAR SPACE IN SPORTS CAR DESIGN Disadvantages: 2.5 V6 THIRST FOR PETROL
WHEN WE FIRST SAW OUR CAR IT WAS LUST AT FIRST SIGHT!
We walked into the showroom and there it was, the car for us, after weeks of searching. For business purposes and family and dog (3 huskies) commitments, we must have a large estate car.
We purchased the MGZT-T +180 Automatic with a 2.5 V6 engine giving 177 bhp. It is Front Wheel Drive. Our car is Starlight Silver which gives the 'aluminium' look. It's mean looking from the front and sleek from any other view. The engine sounds great and you can hear the throaty sports sound from the exhaust. Fabulous 18" Alloys and colour coded skirts/bumpers complete the external look.
On the inside, the seats are snug and fit well round the shape of your body, the dash is well equipped with sporty rev counter and speedo in white. The seats are adjustable up/down and forward/back. Lumbar ...
hartplatt 12.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of MG ZT-T
