Our Cars : Mark’s MG6 – so far, so good

Mark Mastrotaro’s clocking up the miles now, and has found that his MG6 is not only proving fault-free, but also surprisingly economical.

Well, almost 2700 miles into my MG6 adventure now and, refreshingly contrary to the other stories we have been seeing on here just of late, there is nothing to report other than stress-free motoring.

The car averaged 38.1mpg over approximately 1200 miles, at which point I reset the counter again to get another sample (just to see…) and, 494 miles in, it’s averaging 38.7mpg! I should point out, that 70% of my driving is actually urban at the moment, which makes the figures even more impressive.

I really do need to point out, I’m in no way out to make the car out to be something it isn’t, indeed I am the first to criticise things when it’s due!

One area I’m unimpressed with however, is how quickly the damn thing seems to steam up inside, if you have passengers in with you; clearly the ventilation system is set up for solitary driving, or, more accurately probably, warmer climates.

The large boot however, has been very handy, however both this one and the previous one I had, do take a good hard ‘shut’ to make them close properly, perhaps as the gas-struts age this will become easier… I’m unsure.  Also, as my young lad plays football every Friday and Sunday, I’ve had to get some minor muddy marks off the carpets and upholstery, they came off instantly, leaving no marks beneath, the same cannot be said of my Peugeot 407…

The coolant and oil levels have remained unchanged, as have the tyre pressures. Most importantly, everything is working exactly as it should, it’s comfy for long distances and short trips, it’s a pleasure to drive and it’s not costing a fortune to run.

So far, so good

Keith Adams

32 Comments

  1. That’s good to here!!

    I wonder – have other stories on the 6 perhaps sometimes over emphasised minor niggles, faults. Problems which would not generate a story for other marques. I don’t know, but is there a hint of MG UK still trying to shake off a bad press resulting from times long gone??

  2. @ David Dawson1.

    There is a great deal of prejudice around. If it’s made in Longbridge it’s a load of rubbish, and if it’s made in China it’s a load of rubbish. So the poor old MG6 can’t really win at the moment.

  3. @1
    Hold on bad press niggles?? They have sold about 3 cars this year? how does that work ot as bad press niggles? They should be perfect.
    The car in the photo is the same colour as my cousin had I do like the colour.

  4. Yes Barry it’s a gear indicator, you can turn it on and off in the trip computer settings.

    I agree Sward, very boring reading, nothing dropped off, nothing broken, no reason to spend 6 weeks on the phone chasing Longbridge up to replace an indicator lense I’m unhappy with or other such details lol.

  5. I’d like one of these to replace my 75 but sadly they don’t supply them to Ireland so I’ve no idea how I’d maintain one properly. Happy to see they aren’t all falling apart which gives me hope it could be done at some point

  6. @11 How far are you away from the border? EU rules supposedly enforce block exemption when it comes to warranty claims in indiviual member states but some manufacturers allowed you to go abroad (or jump borders) in order to purchase their cars – MG Rover encouraged it. You could get a right hand drive car in Italy but the spec would be marginally different. The price however was usually two-thirds of that in the UK.

    If you’re only just over the border and can get hold of one of the two MG dealers in NI, then the MG6 will probably be okay. Alternatively, you’ll have to wait until the start of next year for the European launch.

  7. @11 I’ve been following it closely. While dealership backup is an issue, I’d have to travel 100 miles or so one way for a dealership at least, VRT is a much larger issue. I can’t work out how much it would be. Petrol’s are heavily penalised in Ireland on the tax front. I must start investigating it more closely. It would also have little or no resale value here being petrol and no parts supply unless I sourced parts myself.

  8. Just to add I haven’t sat in one or driven one. I haven’t had the chance yet……….too bloody rare. There hasn’t been any imported here yet. I know one or two people looked into it at the start, including an importer, but nobody has bitten yet

  9. @6 Big H

    My use of the word ‘niggles’ did not refer to sales numbers. I was saying are minor faults, niggles being stressed too much and receiving a bad press which is ultimately a hang over from the seventies.

  10. I am very relieved as my wife has ordered a new TSE for delivery this week! I was beginning to wonder if she had made the wrong decision. I am going to write a article for this site on how she gets on with her new purchase!

  11. Good to hear positive and encouraging comments from Mark about his MG6! Pleased to hear that oil and coolant levels havent changed, they shouldn’t at such a low mileage. I’ve never had to top up oil or coolant in either of my recent Mk2 Focus’s

  12. Steady on chaps,it’s only done 2.7k!! Everyone seems to have very,very low expectations of these cars and then get all excited when nothing falls off after this minuscule mileage. Let’s get real!

    Can we not get someone one to comment from one of the leasing/hire agents.

  13. Give me hope Mark, nice to hear youre happy with it so far. As far as reliability is concerned I think we would all expect some problems, thats a given, but if there are no problems then that is great. The real question is however is how the problems are dealt with. Some of the other stories are not just about the faults in the car also more about the lack of interest or ability from the factory to be able to repair or provide parts for repair, and in getting the problems sorted. I would expect that if a local agent had not been able to get the car sorted after the second visit for example, that longbridge would be bending over backwards to fix the problem(s) directly or providing the agent with anything he needs to fix it tyres – subframe etc.

  14. @18 – homerdog?
    I’m not getting giddy at 2.7k, it’s a running report, so I can only do so as the mileage progresses, sure you understand 😉

    The update is more focused on the MPG being comparatively good for a 1800 Turbo-charged Petrol engine, in general everyday driving, as this seemed to be an area which concerned people.

    I don’t expect for a second, bits to be falling off etc.

  15. “Steady on chaps,it’s only done 2.7k!! Everyone seems to have very,very low expectations of these cars and then get all excited when nothing falls off after this minuscule mileage.”

    You say that, but by that mileage my top of the range Citroën C6 had already displayed faults in the RT4 navigation/I.C.E system, and by 11,000 the front suspension was starting to show signs of premature balljoint wear and I’d lost my temper with the Citroën owned dealer.

    2,700 miles isn’t a bad shakedown for assembly/manufacturing, vs. durability.

  16. Well, I’ve done 18,000 in mine and is still trouble free, not used any coolant and oil level is the same from new and from first service.Needed a new rear bumper when hit from behind, MG Motor could not be more helpful.and I average 41 mpg as mainly duel carriage way driving.Had no trouble with misting as mine has climate control with rapid demist button which clears the screen very quickly.
    So overall a very impressive motor.

  17. I owned the MG 6 for around 11 months. Although the car is great to drive, found it expensive to run. I averaged between 30mpg to 36mpg around town, and 40+ on the motorways on good days. I clocked up around 12k miles in the 11 months of ownership.

    Tax is high, but I suppose it is comparable to some other brands, it was one of the reasons I got rid of the car 2 years sooner than I would normally. One of biggest pet hates was the road noise, for a top spec motor that is 18k plus to buy brand new.. I was abit disappointed. Clutch squeaks and chair squeaks also appeared at 8k plus miles.

    I was also experiencing coolant loss during this time. First alarm was a fault due to some sensor, by the third time the levels had dropped, well I had part-ex it for a more fuel efficient car with zero tax.

    Overall nice car, and comfortable. Expensive to run. The tech and kit is also feels a bit sloppy. The interior is actually not bad at all, shame about the road noise really. Hopefully the diesel will improve upon this.

  18. MG may be feeling some Osborne Effect with this vaporware diesel.
    Similar to the forever belated Austin Mini grilled Mondeo and Focus, who would buy a current model when the regrilled facelift is round the corner?

  19. The £2,000 scrappage scheme worked wonders for the Korean importers at Hyundai and Kia, so it may work well for the Chinese too.

    This is a bit shocking though:

    “Despite a BTCC campaign with champion Jason Plato in the driving seat, the SAIC-owned former British marque persuaded just 6 people into an MG6 last month.

    That’s one less than sadly departed Swedish maker Saab shifted from beyond its corporate grave.”

  20. If its steaming up so quickly i’m guessing you have the AC turned off on the climate control?
    Modern climate control systems use alot less energy than the old on/off type systems as it uses what it needs. If its not hot outside then it wont be pumping like mad.
    Its also a sign that the pollen filter is blocked of damp.

  21. Interesting. We are in a situation where if someone offered us £3k for the Hyundai we’d bite their hand off.

    The comments give a good insight.

    Osborne Effect – “I have though decided to wait for the 1.9 Lt turbo diesel to hit the road before making a purchase.”

    And the good old german-owned-media/clarkson effect from “cmdmsm104” which is so ignorant it isn’t worth repeating.

    “Anyone know where their nearest MG showroom is?” – My nearest was open for about 3 weeks before suddenly closing last year.

    “not seen a single new mg on the road yet !”

    “very bad engines in the past with Head gasket problem which cost £ 700 to fix and that every 35000 miles” – HGF still a lingering memory

    etc. etc.

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