You can’t drive anywhere in Sydney without seeing a new MG Hybrid – so I put one through its paces: Here’s how it performed

MGs are suddenly everywhere.

In fact, it’s rare to drive anywhere in Sydney without coming across half a dozen of all shapes and sizes, weaving through traffic or stopping at traffic lights.

But as with most cheap, mass-market cars, I found the reviews were always a bit patchy.

Some reviewers argue that the brand’s vehicles are simply lemons and should be avoided at all costs. While others praise their performance and claim they will never buy ‘overpriced’ models again.

Since I was always on the lookout for bargains, I was intrigued. Especially since the budget line of most makes and models has risen rapidly, making it difficult to find a cost-effective option.

Then the brand launched the all-electric MG4, from €37,990, and the MG3 Hybrid, from €27,990, and I knew I had to see what exactly was on offer.

I opted to try out the hybrid mainly because I don’t think Australia is yet well prepared for the all-electric car experience.

For me, chargers take too long and are in short supply on long drives to make electric models a viable option for my family. We take a long drive at least once a month.

But I love the power that comes from an electric motor, so I think hybrids are a good balance.

I had the car for three months and all in all it performed much better than I expected.

I used the MG3 Hybrid as my daily driver, from home to school, work and shops. I also used it on longer road trips – once to the snowfields and once to Queensland.

Now first I have to admit that I didn’t like it.

It felt a little… light.

But somewhere between day one and day 90, my opinion softened. By the end of my time with the car I was quite converted.

Actually, I would have been all in, except it’s a little on the small side for a family.

From day to day

As a daily driver, this was hard to beat.

It has all the modern conveniences for comfortable driving. And all the safety equipment that comes as standard: lane sensors, traffic speed sensors, automatic stop and the like.

I felt like it was using almost no gas. In fact I drove it for 14 days and the fuel gauge had barely changed despite having driven about 200km.

It seemed to fit into any parking space with ease and was indeed ‘spirited and fun to drive’, as I had previously read in a customer review.

I drove the MG3 Hybrid – and it exceeded my expectations

I “filled up” because we were heading to the snow and it cost me less than $20, even though I needed less than 10 gallons of fuel.

The hybrid requires premium fuel, but given how efficient it is, I didn’t mind spending a little more money at the pump.

Another feature I like about the car is the lack of control children have in the backseat.

There were no lock buttons on the doors, so no need for child locks, which is quite handy for parents.

The car seat jacks were easy to use and neatly hidden in the trunk.

The sound system was clear – and connectivity was easy, although switching between heating and cooling on the MG screen, and GPS or audio via the car/phone connectivity screen was a little fiddly.

Long distance

The car performed well on our first, longer trip to the snow, taking us from Sydney to Jindabyne in icy conditions without any problems.

And unlike other hybrid cars I’ve reviewed, fuel economy didn’t seem to go out the window as soon as I hit the highway.

As I left Jindabyne, I became frustrated by a mysterious warning sign on the screen, but then realized that the car was just letting me know that some safety mechanisms were offline due to the thick fog and ice.

We drove towards Bega to refuel, but I was pleasantly surprised by how far the little car had gone: from our house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs to Jindabyne and then to Bega.

I fueled up and we finished the drive, the car negotiating tight corners with ease.

We took an indirect route home – about 400km – but the car made it without needing to refuel.

I didn’t refuel for the next 10 days, then I went to Queensland.

I filled the tank before leaving home – and then again in Coffs Harbour. This wasn’t quite as far as I would have liked to take the car, but it does have a small fuel tank. We continued our way to the Gold Coast and the engine continued to hum along nicely.

The car felt stylish – when getting in I thought it was a bit light, but after a few weeks I really liked it

At one point a car swerved in front of us and I was impressed by how quickly the MG’s safety systems activated.

If I had been in my own car, which is 13 years old, I don’t know if we would have gotten out without a scratch.

I refueled before leaving the Gold Coast, although the car was not empty but estimated it only had 200km in the tank.

Just north of Newcastle I topped up again before heading home.

On this trip, luggage space was a real problem, but I reminded myself that it is a small car and not a family car.

The seats also get a little uncomfortable if you’re on a long journey, but it’s designed as a city car, not a run between Sydney and the Gold Coast.

The warning sounds also become a bit annoying, especially at times when the speed limit recorded in the car is different from the actual limit.

While a quick beep is useful for knowing if you’ve exceeded the speed limit, I found the ringing in this model to be a bit excessive on long drives.

All in all, I put 3,900 km on the odometer and was very satisfied with the performance of the car.

Not once have I had any issues with the sensors malfunctioning or the electronic key disconnecting, as some reviewers have.

I would also happily buy the MG3 Hybrid for any of my children as their first car as it felt safe and reliable and was incredibly economical.

Now that I know why there are so many MGs on the road, the budget car for the masses outperforms others I’ve tried in its class.

If they make the infotainment system easier to negotiate and somehow improve the luggage space, I’d consider it the ultimate city car.