MG6 Magnette (Saloon)

[shroonie29]

http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/2011...motor-circuit/

[Gary Gee]

Looks way better as a saloon but why is it so high at the back - did they really want to go for the Austin Princess look?
Straightening the above pic so the wheels are level shows it even more, rather than having a roof rack they could offer some kind of pullout undercar storage tray / drawer:

[Jerry]

Anyone bought a Magnette - looks sorta OK....?

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by shroonie29

http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/2011...motor-circuit/

All links busted....

[shroonie29]

Originally Posted by Jerry

All links busted....

AROnline is currently off-line for maintenance.

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by shroonie29

AROnline is currently off-line for maintenance.

Oh yes - looks troublesome. Sites are not usually off line for so long. My site moved servers and only problem for 2 hours was DNS propagation.

Hope he sorts it as its the best MGR resource on the net.

[MartinW]

Too much traffic, Keith's new server provider pulled the plug on Thursday, he has now got the database back up online on another new server.

How are you doing, Jerry?

[MartinW]

Just to add, I was down at the dealer yesterday, he had two Magnettes in. One was in the blue, the other in the fab 90s colour of Champagne Gold...

Anyway, personally, I'd say the saloon doesn't do as much for me as the GT does, the GT somehow seems to combine ZT/75 styling with the SD1/800 tailgate to give someting that is just a little different from all the other hatches on the road. The Vx Insignia is about the closest in looks that I have seen that manages to pull of being a hatch without looking like a chopped off saloon.

The red and black are my two personal favourite colours for both the Magnette and the GT, they remind me of the 'in-yer-face' colours that the Z range did so well and help the car stand out. The sunroof on the Magnette is a bonus, though.

[Gary Gee]

Actually saw the 6 yesterday at CPOP, Magnette far better looking IMO. Blue Magnette looked great but not overly keen on design of dash at all plus the leather seats didn't look as if they would be very hardwearing

[Jerry]

Not a bad looking car.

[The Express Valeter]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Anyone bought a Magnette - looks sorta OK....?

One of my customers has just ordered one.

[Gary Gee]

Told the dealer there that if he could give me £15k for the ZS I may be interested...
(That blue Magnette is £20k, ok cheap compared with some but not exactly a price to attract me tbh)

[Car13]

Problem with car is that you can get top spec Skoda VRS with DGS box for less..

RRP below and most dealers will give you interest free credit Leeds dealer 19500 on road... Sorry MG but your just not being sensible on price.

Skoda also do a oil burner.......


vRS 2.0 T FSI 200PS DSG vRS £17,229.17 £3,445.83 £21,540.00

[Kelvin Fagan]

the Saloon does look better than the 6,
I wonder if it will impress's more than the 6?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mosl...ES-MARTIN.html

[Gary Gee]

Originally Posted by Kelvin Fagan

the Sallon does look better than the 6,
I wonder if it will impress's more than the 6?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mosl...ES-MARTIN.html

They had a GT there too - says something that I hardly looked at it and took no pics of it (partly as it had those hideous "twist" alloys, yuk!), it does have a huge boot but then so does the Magnette.

Not sure if I had £20k to spend that it would make my shortlist tbh, love MG but I rather buy something "known" if I had to. Something like the Skoda mentioned above - been making them for years so any probs should be sorted.

Think the cheapest 6 (of either version) makes most sense MG wise. Main thing about the top of the range for me would be the leather seats and tbh they don't look up to the job, have heard of someone with one that has only done 1000 miles and its get baggy already.

If I HAD to have one it would be the Magnette S and somehow get hold of some of the "straight" alloys but even then you're looking at about £16-17k or so...

Sounds like MG put a lot of effort into preparing that press car for Mr Martin, thats quite a worry - press / demo ones "should" be the very best they can do

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Kelvin Fagan

the Sallon does look better than the 6,
I wonder if it will impress's more than the 6?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mosl...ES-MARTIN.html

With a review like that - it's curtains. Why would a private buyer risk his own money? They won't.

Time for a Skoda???

[mattie007]

I really don't see an issue with the interior quality. A mate of mine who just bought a new Astra, feels no different quality wise.
Just saw a Magnette near Peterborough, looks very nice on the road and stands out more than you think.
Maybe these 'quality' issues can be sorted on the mk2.
Didn't realise you can get a new VRS for £17k, that is a bargain!

[Gary Gee]

Originally Posted by mattie007

I really don't see an issue with the interior quality. A mate of mine who just bought a new Astra, feels no different quality wise.
Just saw a Magnette near Peterborough, looks very nice on the road and stands out more than you think.
Maybe these 'quality' issues can be sorted on the mk2.
Didn't realise you can get a new VRS for £17k, that is a bargain!

Have you felt the leather on the seats? Its like what you'd make some ladies gloves out of and in the one I saw felt about as thick as polythene.
Can't really say much for quality of interior, but then nobody can yet - it takes some time to see what drops off / stops working. Problem with interior for me is theres no "design" to the door pads (but can ignore that really as tbh you don't really see them once you're sat inside) and the dash is too mich of a mix of shapes - the glaring ones IMO being the use of two shapes of vent and about 500 buttons on the centre console.

Surely on a new car you shouldn't really be hoping for things to be sorted on the MkII? Whatever happened to "right 1st time"?

[mattie007]

I agree mate but my point was the quality doesnt seem an issue but that might be because im used to a ZS!
Agree about the seats though, very poor.
Time will I guess.

[Gary Gee]

If MG keep going (and to me thats a big IF) I'd possibly consider a 2nd hand Magnette in a few years (preferably fully UK built) but it would have had to prove itself in the mean time.
As for a new buy now, absolutely no chance on this earth - far too many unknowns and I haven't got the best part of £18k fallin out of my ass!
TBH you've almost got to be willing to throw that money away, if they don't make a go of it, the car turns out to be a dog etc

Oh and if I did have one it wouldn't have that leather LOL

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by Kelvin Fagan

the Saloon does look better than the 6,
I wonder if it will impress's more than the 6?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mosl...ES-MARTIN.html

I usually find James Martin a complete nob-end but actually that review was very objective and he seems to know his cars. But even though he wanted to like it, he didn't. Shame.

The thing that bothers me most about the 6 and the Magnette is that the waistline is far too high. Sounds trivial but my Hyundai Coupe (Gen 3) was like that and I never felt like I could place it on the road properly, it put me off driving it quickly and enjoying it.

[ViT]

Originally Posted by Car13

Problem with car is that you can get top spec Skoda VRS with DGS box for less..

RRP below and most dealers will give you interest free credit Leeds dealer 19500 on road... Sorry MG but your just not being sensible on price.

Skoda also do a oil burner.......


vRS 2.0 T FSI 200PS DSG vRS £17,229.17 £3,445.83 £21,540.00

Bingo I totally agree

However, the saloon six looks ten times better, the MG 5 is looking better still. But it's a fair whack of cash to put on a car, and to coin a clarkson expression the six doesn't "put it's hands down my pants and play". For the Money, I'd be buying a Alfa 159. The MG6 Magnette may prove a good second hand buy, or a car to buy now and sell in 3 years

[KirkJames]

Will little passengers in the back be high enough to see out of those too high and tiny rear windows...............More window and less door and that would of looked a lot better and would of had a lower stance look imo

[MartinW]

Originally Posted by KirkJames

Will little passengers in the back be high enough to see out of those too high and tiny rear windows...............More window and less door and that would of looked a lot better and would of had a lower stance look imo

No, they struggle a bit but that's the price of designing for the Euro NCAP 5* rating which these have gained.

[KirkJames]

Ah reet, fair do's, I'm all for safety anytime

[RRC]

I really like. I can see so much potential in terms of improving the looks. Just needs hitting with some air-ride and a nice set of 19" Schmidt TH Splits IMO to sort the stance out. I'd look at getting one in 3-ish year when the depreciation has knocked them down a bit, and hopefully have a diesel out by then. That way it'd leave some cash to get the interior re-trimmed properly in a better quality leather. The style of the interior is fine, it's just the Vinyl-look leather that spoils it.

I'd have to have a black one though. I can honestly see that looking hot in a Nu-Wave style.

[Windy]

Originally Posted by MartinW

No, they struggle a bit but that's the price of designing for the Euro NCAP 5* rating which these have gained.

As far as strength is concerned they should have more than 5 stars, this one has a 30 tonne truck complete with it's load of gravel on top, The car was stuck, but the doors still open and the driver climbed out shaken but uninjured:

[mattie007]

That's amazing. MG really need to shout about how safe it is. That's the only reason Renault sell cars afterall!

[Windy]

Originally Posted by mattie007

That's amazing. MG really need to shout about how safe it is. That's the only reason Renault sell cars afterall!

Does anyone actually think that a Renault would survive a truck landing on top of it


I was also impressed by the new MG3 looking like it could be repaired after the NCAP front impact test, and getting a higher score than the VW Polo that was tested at the same time:



I wouldn't like to be in it during the impact though: http://video.sina.com.cn/p/auto/v/20...861479807.html

[redzs180]

why do they keep putting small bloody wheels on???

[The Express Valeter]

Originally Posted by Windy

As far as strength is concerned they should have more than 5 stars, this one has a 30 tonne truck complete with it's load of gravel on top, The car was stuck, but the doors still open and the driver climbed out shaken but uninjured:

On a different note - note the sharks fin on the roof!

[The Express Valeter]

Originally Posted by redzs180

why do they keep putting small bloody wheels on???

Chineese Spec.

[Windy]

Originally Posted by The Express Valeter

On a different note - note the sharks fin on the roof!

Maybe we have different radio in the UK and need long whip antennas for a decent signal?

[ViT]

Originally Posted by Windy

Maybe we have different radio in the UK and need long whip antennas for a decent signal?

Or rather, do the Chinese have digital radio? We need massive aerials because of the radio frequencies we use, If China is all about digital radio it would need a tiny areal

[Windy]

Originally Posted by ViT

Or rather, do the Chinese have digital radio? We need massive aerials because of the radio frequencies we use, If China is all about digital radio it would need a tiny areal

They do use DAB2 - more advanced than us, but pictures of their facelift car which has yet to be released show the long antenna along with a few other features that we currently have and they don't such as indicator lamps in the mirrors.