Introduction
Though the supermini market is full of an exceptional list of impressive offerings, it’s a segment that’s getting ever-more expensive. Though the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Corsa are excellent cars, their starting prices seem to be creeping up by the minute.
That puts them just out of reach for many buyers looking for the advantages that come with a new car. With that in mind though, they’re not completely out of luck — step in the MG3.
Starting at just £9,495, this is one of the most affordable new cars on the market — save for offerings from Dacia — which alone makes it a tempting prospect. But how does the actual product fare? We get behind the wheel to find out…
Performance
There’s just one engine available for the MG3 — a naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit. It produces 105bhp and 137Nm of torque, which is sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.
As a result, 0-60mph comes in 10.4 seconds with a top speed of 108mph. MG says the unit can return 42.3mpg in mixed driving conditions with a CO2 output of 140g/km.
Performance isn’t really a problem for the MG3. The numbers may not suggest that it’s the zippiest car in the world, but power feels plentiful in the real world and it’s certainly enough to shift the lightweight machine about. It is an old unit though, and refinement is particularly poor — as is efficiency, for that matter.
Ride & Handling
Perhaps the best quality of the MG3 is its ability to deliver an engaging drive. It’s no hot hatch, but the chassis feels remarkably composed and enjoys being chucked into corners with a bit of ferocity.
It’s great around town, too. Well-judged steering makes it easy to dart around built-up areas and it’s a breeze to park — aided by its excellent all-round visibility. The MG3 does suffer from a harsh ride though, and cabin noise is at a poor level — though that’s perhaps to be expected at this price point.
Interior & Equipment
Though the MG3 comes in under £10,000, it’s hard to tell that from the cabin. Everything looks very nice, though perhaps not quite as good to touch, and it feels well put together. It’s pretty spartan in terms of high-quality materials, with a lot of hard plastics exposed, though none of it feels particularly nasty.
Boot space comes in at 285 litres — bringing it in just behind the Ford Fiesta five door’s 303 litre capacity.
When it comes to equipment, the MG3 isn’t blessed with goodies, but it is reasonable considering its price point. At no extra cost, it comes with LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth phone support, hill hold control, a tyre pressure monitoring system, body-coloured bumpers and electrically-adjustable door mirrors.
Moving up to its £11,395 Excite trim adds air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto support, however), four front speakers and reverse parking sensors.
At the very top of the range is Exclusive, which comes in at £12,795. This adds sports seats, cruise control, a reversing camera and six speakers to the car.
See Available MG3 Deals
Cost
As mentioned, the MG 3 comes in at an exceptionally reasonable £9,495 starting price — though we’d suggest opting for the more expensive Excite grade.
Efficiency isn’t the car’s strongest point, but it will by no means be expensive to run — especially thanks to its low 7E insurance grouping.
Verdict
It may be budget on price, but the MG 3 certainly has enough in its armour to be a worth supermini contender.
It’s a fun little thing to drive, and one that’s exceptionally easy to live with. Practicality isn’t too far off the class leaders, and there’s a decent amount of equipment available to boot.
As far as affordable runabouts go it’s a hard car to beat.
