2022 MG3

The MG3’s total luggage space is 307L, increasing to 1081L with the rear seats folded.

There is no ANCAP safety rating for the MG3. Not only that, it misses out on autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, and driver attention monitoring.

Despite lack of local crash testing (which is somewhat bizarre given ANCAP’s own website simply says untested, despite the car’s popularity), there is an Euro NCAP safety rating of the pre-facelift model from 2014, which rates the car at three stars – though this rating has now ‘expired’ in 2021.

It’s important to point out that a 2014 safety rating score is very different to a 2022 score and the criteria for getting even that three-star rating is now substantially more difficult than before.

The lack of a modern safety rating is the main question mark hanging over the MG3’s head, especially compared to cars like the Kia Picanto that managed a four-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017, or the Mitsubishi Mirage and its five-star ANCAP rating from 2013.

All 2022 MG3 models come standard with anti-lock brakes and front, front-side and curtain airbags.

The MG3 returns a claimed combined fuel economy figure of 6.7L/100km. MG’s naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine can use 91RON fuel, but given Australia’s notoriously poor fuel quality, 95RON would be a better bet.

Fuel tank capacity is rated at 45 litres.

The MG3 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

During 2021 the company introduced capped-price servicing for the MG3, with intervals quoted at 12 months/10,000km – whichever comes first.

Pricing is as follows:

• 12 mths / 10,000km: $243
• 24 mths / 20,000km: $285
• 36 mths / 30,000km: $279
• 48 mths / 40,000km: $330
• 60 mths / 50,000km: $243
• 72 mths / 60,000km: $321
• 84 mths / 70,000km: $243

Look, it’s pretty slow. You wouldn’t expect it to be a rocket ship anyway, but it really needs you to flatten the accelerator to get any kind of overtaking done on the highway. Even then, that’s not something you want to do all that often.

It will absolutely get the job done as an inner-city commuter, but if you intend to do lots of driving on highways in the country where overtaking trucks is a regular requirement, we would probably recommend something with a little more power.

The MG3 isn’t not slow enough to be painful though, and the decision to go for a four-speed automatic transmission in lieu of a CVT makes the driving experience less droney, and more engaging.

We found the transmission at times hesitant to drop down a gear to get going, but if you drive it often and get used to its character you will better understand how to extract its (limited) power.

We found the ride of the MG3 to be on the firmer side. It tends to absorb a fair bit of poorly-surfaced roads and pass that vibration and harshness through the cabin.

You do feel a lot through the seat and steering wheel. Although this is probably unnoticeable to most drivers who are jumping into perhaps their first car or coming out of an old car, it’s sub-par compared to competitors like the Picanto.

Overall, we rate the MG3’s on-road manner as decent for inner-city and urban driving where the roads are smooth and the highways are infrequent, but outside of that we suggest an alternative choice.

The following colours are available:

• Tudor Yellow
• Dover White
• Pebble Black
• Skye Silver metallic

Metallic paint is a $500 option.

In the current market of high used car prices, never before has an MG3 made more sense for so many first-car buyers on a tight budget.

With a seven-year warranty, decent infotainment technology, and reasonable servicing costs, the MG3 is popular for a reason.

If the car had a five-star safety rating we would have no hesitation to recommend the city car as a great cost-conscious offering.

But as it stands, it really comes down to what a safety rating means to you, and whether you’re amenable to the idea of buying a five, six, or seven year-old used car without warranty with an older ANCAP rating, or if you’d prefer a modern car with warranty that lacks that surety.