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

Suddenly, MGs are everywhere.

In fact, it’s rare to drive anywhere in Sydney without seeing half a dozen of all shapes and sizes, weaving in and out of traffic or stopped at traffic lights.

However, like most budget and mass-market cars, I noticed that the reviews were always a little spotty.

Some critics claim that the brand’s vehicles are simply lemons and should be avoided at all costs. While others praise its performance and say they will never buy “overpriced” models again.

As someone always interested in bargains, I was intrigued. Especially since the budget line of most makes and models has increased rapidly, making it difficult to find a cost-effective option.

Then the brand launched the all-electric MG4, starting at $37,990, and the MG3 Hybrid, starting at $27,990, and I knew I needed to see exactly what was on offer.

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

For me, chargers take too long and are too scarce on long trips for electric models to be a viable option for my family. We take a long trip at least once a month.

But I love the power that comes from an electric motor, so I find hybrids to be a good balance.

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

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

Now, at first I must admit that I didn’t like it.

It felt a little… light.

But somewhere between day one and day 90 my opinion softened. At the end of my time with the car, I practically converted it.

In fact, I would have bet everything except that it’s a little small for a family.

Day by day

As a daily driver, it was hard to beat.

It has all the amenities for a comfortable drive. And all the safety equipment that comes standard: lane sensors, traffic speed sensors, automatic stop and the like.

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

It seemed to fit into any parking space with ease and was, in fact, “fast 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 it up’ because we were heading into the snow and it cost me less than $20, needing less than 10 liters of fuel.

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

Another feature I love about the car is the lack of control the kids have in the back seat.

There were no lock buttons on the doors, so no child lock is necessary, which is quite helpful 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’s screen and GPS or audio using the car/phone connectivity screen was a bit fiddly.

Long distance

The car performed well on our first longer snow trip, taking us from Sydney to Jindabyne in icy conditions with no problems.

And unlike other hybrid cars I’ve reviewed, the fuel economy didn’t seem to disappear as soon as I hit the road.

Leaving Jindabyne I was frustrated by a mysterious warning sign on the screen, but then realized that the car was warning me that some of the safety mechanisms were disabled due to the thick fog and ice.

We detoured to Bega to refuel, but I was pleasantly surprised at how far the little car had travelled: from our home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs to Jindabyne and then on to Bega.

I filled the tank and we finished the trip; The car took tight corners with ease.

We took a roundabout route home, about 400 km, but the car arrived without needing to refuel.

I didn’t refuel for the next 10 days and then headed to Queensland.

I filled the tank before leaving home and then again in Coffs Harbour. This didn’t go as far as I would have liked the car to go, but it has a small fuel tank. We continued towards the Gold Coast and the engine continued to run very well.

The car looked elegant; when I uploaded it I thought it was a little 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 gone in my own car, which is 13 years old, I don’t know if we would have been unscathed.

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

I recharged again just north of Newcastle before continuing home.

On this trip, boot space was a real problem, but I remembered that this is a small car, not a family car.

The seats are also a little uncomfortable during a long journey, but it’s designed as a city car rather than bouncing around between Sydney and the Gold Coast.

The warning chimes are also a bit annoying, especially at times when the speed limit recorded on the car is different from the actual limit.

While a quick beep is helpful to know if you’ve exceeded the speed limit, I found this model’s chime to be a bit excessive on long trips.

In total, I covered 3,900 km and was very satisfied with the performance of the car.

Not once did I have problems with the sensors failing or the key fob disconnecting, as some reviewers have had.

I would also feel comfortable purchasing the MG3 Hybrid for one of my children as their first car because it seemed safe and reliable and was incredibly fuel efficient.

Now I know why there are so many MGs on the roads: this affordable, mass-market car outperforms others I’ve tested in its class.

If they make the infotainment system easier to operate and somehow improve the boot space, then I’d rate it as the ultimate city car.