Hey did any of Mirage owners in the U.K. or Ireland consider an MG3? 2019 ones are inexpensive enough but, used pre-facelifted cars go for nothing.
Hey did any of Mirage owners in the U.K. or Ireland consider an MG3? 2019 ones are inexpensive enough but, used pre-facelifted cars go for nothing.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)
The reviews are consistently high for the MG3. I think that some may have a sour taste in their mouth in regards to MG/Rover.
I think there is one old MG roadster in just about every small town around here. Good looking cars but I know they weren't known to be reliable.
The MG3 looks pretty good too, yet to me I think the Mirage looks better. Most small cars to me get style all wrong, like the small Chevy cars have crazy weird headlights, or no rear door handle.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)
I wasn't familiar with the MG3, but it looks like a nice car for the money. Sounds like a British brand that was taken over by the Chinese. I somewhat respect the opinion of reviews done in Europe, because they do a better job of recognizing the value of small economy cars.
The MG3 has some nice things going for it. It's very affordable. Converting Euros to dollars, it starts out at $10,740. It appears to have more room than a Mirage and has 105 hp. Engine & powertrain are old school, but proven. Finding a manual won't be hard, because it's only offered as a manual (all three trim levels) in Europe.
It has decent power for a car that size, & people seem to think it handles quite well. I would credit some of that to hydraulic steering, which would give the car a much better feel on the road.
In Europe a MG3 would be approximately $5,000-6,000 less than a Ford Fiesta.
In the couple reviews that I checked out on the MG3, the Mirage is never mentioned as competition. I find that sort of odd considering the Mirage has a starting price within a $1000 of this car.
If I was in need of a new small car & live in Europe, I would check the MG3 & some of Suzuki's offerings, too.
Last edited by Mark; 08-10-2019 at 07:09 PM.
I wish Suzuki would come back to North America. The new Swift is cool. So who knows, maybe they will return? Weirder things have happened in the car industry.
Wouldn't it be nice if say Peugeot, Suzuki, and others came to Canada/USA. Then so much more variety to choose from in the small car market. Even VW could bring over their small cars like the Polo.
Well anyway pipe dream, but maybe tastes will change in time enough that a bigger market develops for true compact cars in Canada/USA.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)
I'm not in the UK, and I never heard of the MG 3. I looked at some reviews, and I don't think it's a real compatitor for the Mirage, unless you drive very little. According to topgear.com the MG 3 is rated 51.5 (British) MPG combined, while the Mirage is 60.1. For that difference the MG 3 is £600 cheaper, which is (I think) about 90 gallons. So after about 800 miles you have lost your price advantage.
/Edit: The price advantage is gone when the difference is 800 miles, which is around 6000 miles.
Last edited by Space Wolf; 08-11-2019 at 05:35 PM.
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View my fuel log 2013 Space Star Cleartec Intense 1.0 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)
I had never heard of the MG3 either, but I would not rule it out as good option for some people. If your only criteria is mpg and price, the Mirage is hard to beat. Some people may value other factors more than those.
If someone used their car to haul the entire family around a lot, carpooled with 2-3 other adults, or used it as a uber car, they may value the slightly larger size, wider tires, & the increased horsepower of the MG3. The MG3 seems to get some praises for its feel on the road, which is a bit of a criticism for the Mirage. For two vehicles that are about the same price, it would give a person another option to look at.
If price and economy trumps everything else, the Mirage is a great choice! I wouldn't expect a car that is slightly bigger, heavier, and more powerful to be as economical as the Mirage. It may, however, do some things with ease that may be a bit of a struggle for the Mirage.
I like the various Suzuki vehicles offered in the UK. The Swift is just one of 5 different hatchback models offered. Two of those models are smaller than the Swift. They would be fun car to check out. I've never been that interested in sedans, and Suzuki seems to focus exclusively on hatchbacks (Celerio, Ignis, Swift, Swift Sport, & Baleno) & SUVs (Jimny, Vitara, & SX4 S-Cross).
The updated Suzuki Jimny, for example, has a very basic powertrain, & I sort of like that. It goes against the trend you see here in the U.S. where everything has to have a surplus of horsepower to be considered great.
I think our best hope is someone rebadging a Suzuki product in the U.S. Toyota is already doing that with other companies (Supra & Yaris). Chevy offered Suzuki products in the past.
Suzuki is doing quite well on their own, however. I don't see them coming back as a company while the F-150, Silverado, and Ram trucks are still the top three sellers in the U.S. Probably just wishful thinking on our part!
dspace9 (08-11-2019)
The new Suzuki Jimny is a cool small truck. Looks very rugged, and I enjoy their advertising slogan "Robust Off-Roader." Weirdly Suzuki used the SX4 name for a totally different car, and then attached the word Cross to the car. So just like Mitsubishi did with the Eclipse Cross.
I like Suzuki interiors, but their exteriors except the new SX4 cross are kinda ugly..they are different cars. Very "kei car" Japanese. That's cool though, driving a Mirage 5+ plus years new, I guess I like that sort of thing. The whole trucks as luxury car to me is stupid, but the truck part with a real long bed, ok I get that.
I thought about getting a truck but I don't want to throw my back out doing side stuff.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)