Buying a used MG3 (2017-2023)

When the Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor of Shanghai absorbed the Nanjing Motor Group in 2007, with it came rights to the octagonal MG symbol and a struggling range of British sedans and sports cars.

Only the congenitally naïve held out hope that SAIC ownership would bring rekindled sports car production, but at least the Century-old brand had survived.

Production of existing models did continue until 2011, when the last MG TF roadster was produced. Thereafter the company concentrated on its light-size MG3 hatchback.

Introduced in 2008, the original MG3 looked old and frumpy, as indeed it was. The car was based on a defunct Rover model called the Streetwise, which itself had been developed from a facelifted version of the 1990s Rover 200.

Sold only inthe Chinese market where any vehicle at all was viable, the MG3 established SAIC as a supplier of affordable small cars, encouraging the company to invest in a new, British-designed platform and modernised styling.

The second-generation MG3 introduced in 2011 was built in China and England (until 2016), with one minor restyle in 2013. 1.3 or 1.5-litre engines were available, with an Italian-derived five-speed semi-automatic transmission being optional.

Australian sales began in 2017, and all of the initial cars had a five-speed manual transmission. Another update came in 2018, with revised front-end styling, a larger touch-screen and mechanical modifications to comply with European emission regulations.

A third-generation MG3 will be revealed in early 2024 and is expected to be released globally – including in Australia – later in 2024, by which time the existing MG3 will effectively be 13 years old.

MG in its present form came to Australia with a skimpy range of models and two major points of difference.

It offered the lowest list price of any new car in the local market ($13,990 plus on road costs), aligned to one of the longest periods of warranty cover – six years with no kilometre limit. This was later extended to a seven-year/unlimited-km warranty.

Sadly, the price advantage came at the cost of indifferent build quality and disappointing performance.

The warranty looked good when printed in the handbook but was of limited value to owners who continually returned vehicles to have faults corrected, only to have dealer and distributor staff deny the existence of any problem.

Even when a warranty claim was accepted and attempts made to rectify the issue, required parts sometimes weren’t available in Australia.

The MG3 was sold in three trim levels – Core, Soul and Essence – but by 2018 only the Core remained. The others, which seem not to have sold in significant numbers if at all, were replaced by the Excite with a base price of $14,990. 2018 brought a mandatory four-speed automatic transmission and a $2000 price increase across the range.

Leading the brand into battle during 2017 had been the $13,990 Core manual. Interestingly, the standard paint colour for these was black – echoes of Henry Ford? – with metallic blue, red or silver costing $499 extra.

For a car at the very bottom of the pricing barrel, MG3 Core offered reasonable levels of equipment while trimming its weight to minimise the engine’s struggle to perform.

The double overhead cam 1.5-litre made 78kW of power and 137Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-100km/h in a manual took 12.5 seconds, with the later automatic and its 82kW engine unlikely to be any faster.

The Core included air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors, a four-speaker sound system with CD slot and MP3 input. There was also a trip computer and tyre pressure monitoring, but minimal attention to occupant protection.

While the current MG3 has never been independently crash-tested by local auto safety body ANCAP, it did attract a lowly two-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. This was due to heavy deformation in frontal collision tests, difficulty opening doors after impact and unacceptable risk of driver head injury in a frontal collision.

The Excite, although it was slightly dearer, was the better buy, with features like a six-speaker stereo, improved seats and 16-inch alloy wheels in place of steel. There were rear parking sensors but buyers should probably look for an updated MY18 car with a reversing camera.

The base price of a Core with an automatic transmission as standard had by mid-2018 remained at $15,990, but importers dipped further into the goodie tin for some extras in addition to the reversing camera.

On the list were automatic headlights with halogen bulbs, an 8.0-inch infotainment display in the more expensive version and 15-inch alloy wheels with 65-profile tyres.

One option was the Core with Navigation. New in 2019, this cost $18,490 and received good reviews from owners. However, these vehicles are hard to find in the used market and the navigation function isn’t likely to survive the life of the car.

Provided you drive predominantly on smooth bitumen, the MG3’s rudimentary suspension won’t cause alarm. But head for a rural road, especially one that’s unsealed, and it will likely get unsettled by corrugations and big bumps.

Suspension sophistication didn’t rate highly on MG’s ‘must have’ list and owners report worries that the car might have suffered front-end damage due to the noise when hitting a deep pothole.

Every aspect of the MG3 ranks as ‘adequate.’ The seats are OK for commuter and urban short-hop travel, but how a driver would feel after running interstate for hours is less obvious. Presumably not as fresh or pain free as one who did the same run in a Mazda2 or VW Polo.

Performance with the four-speed automatic is drab, and extracting decent acceleration will affect fuel consumption. Steering is OK as well, but keep an eye on the tyre pressure monitor because if those tall tyres get baggy the steering will become heavier and even less precise.

Changes to the dash layout during 2018 were welcome and the leather-wrapped steering wheel is nice to use. Seats in the Excite with their simulated leather coverings are similar in shape to those in the base model, but feel like they might grip occupants a bit better when the bends got tighter.

Economical motoring is a prime reason for buyers to buy an MG3, and fuel economy is a significant factor. Do also spend some time comparing sometimes-dramatic differences in the advertised prices of cars with similar kilometres and that look almost identical. Here, RedBook’s Pricing Insights guide can be useful as well.

Running on short city journeys, an automatic MG3 will likely use about 9.0L/100km. On the open road you might mid-5.0s, but that does depend on the terrain, number of occupants and how quickly you want to be there.

Low-powered engines as used by the MG3 can use more fuel than those that don’t need to be driven as hard while maintaining the same pace.

No. The MG3 is best suited to incidental local travel with one or two occupants. It should be cheap to run and easy to park, but that is about the limit of its attractions.

Buyers with young children may find the back seat is an OK place for them to be, with easily reached child seat tethers and big windows.

But there are no rear air-vents for cooling and the rear seat upright the boot may have just enough room for a compact baby stroller.

RedBook Inspect mobile inspectors can take the guesswork out of buying a car with a comprehensive vehicle inspection.

Used vehicle grading for MG3 (2017-23)
Safety: 7/20
Practicality: 12/20
Value for money: 12/20
Design and function: 10/20
Wow factor: 7/20
Score: 48/100

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