Since 2013, MG has been trying to win over the hearts of buyers of popular cars such as the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa with its 3 supermini, and priced from as little as £8,400, it significantly undercuts almost all of its rivals. MG likes to think the 3 is a perfect compromise between a car that makes sense, and one that can be personalised to the buyer’s wants and needs – the common head vs heart argument.
As with any of its rivals, there’s a number of trim levels to choose from, starting off with the 3Time. It has all-round electric windows, LED daytime running lights and a CD player with USB and aux connectivity.
Next is 3Form which adds the more important stuff such as Bluetooth, air conditioning and electrically adjustable door mirrors. Both of these models come with 14-inch steel wheels.
It’s not until 3Form Sport that you get 16-inch alloys. Lastly, there’s 3Style which adds rear parking sensors, cruise control and automatic lights and wipers.
This is obviously the one you want, and thanks to its £10,499 price tag, it’s still cheaper than the starting price of the Fiesta, Renault Clio and Kia Rio. In fact, we tested the 3Style, and unless you’re on a serious budget, we’d really recommend it.
Engine choice is good, so long as you opt for the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, because that’s all there is. Producing 106 horsepower and 137 Nm, it delivers its power through a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Acceleration isn’t breathtaking – 0-62 mph in 10.9 seconds – and the running costs won’t knock you off your seat either – 51.5 mpg claimed and 124 g/km of CO2 (£110 a year in road tax).
Unfortunately, usually when we drive superminis, they’re slightly average. They’re practical and functional, and it pretty much stops there. Ok, the MG3 isn’t a massive head turner, but we really did come out of it with a grin on our face.
The engine is pretty dormant around town, realistically returning around 40 mpg, but get it out onto some twisted country lanes and boy does it go! The freely revving engine demands that the driver pushes more and more, which is accompanied by the extremely impressive direct steering. You’d be forgiven for thinking, then, that the ride is unnecessarily firm, but thanks to the 195/55 R16 tyres fitted to the 16-inch alloys, this isn’t the case.
The car feels small enough to weave in and out of small traffic, but is also solid enough to hold its own at higher speeds. Inside, there’s acres of headroom and even the legroom in the back isn’t too bad.
Very rarely do we get to drive a car that puts an unexpected smile on our face, and it’s for this reason that we can’t help but award the MG3 a fantastic 4 stars.
