MG 3 - TopCarNews

MG 3 (2014 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The MG 3 (styled as MG3) is a small, supermini-class, five-door hatchback. It was launched in the UK back in 2014, with a major facelift arriving in 2019.

The MG 3 rates very much at the bottom end of the small car segment, based on 18 reviews we have analysed from across the UK motoring media. As of December 2021, it has a very poor Expert Rating of 41% – the only small car with a worse score than that is the now-discontinued Mitsubishi Mirage.

There is very little to recommend the MG 3 over any other similarly-priced small cars. It had a sub-par three-star safety rating when it was tested by Euro NCAP seven years ago, and that rating has now expired because the car doesn’t even meet the required standard for a three-star rating anymore.

As a used car, it might be worth looking at if the price was low enough, but the MG 3 doesn’t stack up as a new car. The new Dacia Sandero is both significantly cheaper and significantly better (although it has its own safety concerns), while more expensive rivals are both better and safer.

MG 3 highlights

Seven-year new car warranty
Attractive low-cost pricing
Decent cabin space
Appealing exterior update
Agile handling

MG 3 lowlights

Poor engine quality
Cheap interior trim
Bumpy ride
Very basic safety features
Poor fuel economy

Key specifications

Body style: Five-door hatchbackEngine: petrol
Price: From £12,300 on-road

Launched: Spring 2014Last updated: Spring 2019
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

MG3 (2019 facelift)

MG3 (2014 – 2019)

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 5 / 10“The MG3 supermini is a smart-looking and simple supermini with an attractively low starting price.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“The MG 3 handles better than you might expect from a car of this price, and it’s had some decent updates to the interior. But the old 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine lacks the necessary puff.”
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Score: 6 / 10“The MG 3 is a very affordable supermini; it costs several thousand pounds less than some of its rivals. But it lacks the necessary puff, especially when compared with the perky engines of its rivals.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: Score: 7 / 10“The MG 3 is a good-looking car: subtly sporting, modern and anything but cheap.”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual ExclusiveScore: 6 / 10“While there are certain things to like about the new MG3, such as its competitive pricing, extensive warranty and the sheer amount of metal you get for your money, it remains a disappointing package.”
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Car

Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“The MG 3 is not an unpleasant car to drive but it needs some proper old-school MG tuning and a lot more power to get some attention.”
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“It may be budget on price, but the MG 3 certainly has enough in its armour to be a worth supermini contender. As far as affordable runabouts go it’s a hard car to beat.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 5.6 / 10“The MG3 is a characterful and cheap supermini that is severely hampered by a lacklustre engine”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 4 / 10“The MG3 is a small city car that’s cheap to buy and relatively roomy but it isn’t as nice to drive as alternatives and lacks some common safety kit.”
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Eurekar

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual Excite“The MG3 is a perfectly enjoyable, if not very spirited, car to drive – smooth, at ease on faster roads, with positive steering and is well insulated against road and engine noise. The dash, facia and seats aren’t the most upmarket around but then you wouldn’t expect luxury fittings anyway.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: Score: 7 / 10“The MG3 offers decent chassis, performance and price.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“The MG3 sits at the affordable end of the small hatch market, but it doesn’t feel like a cheap product. Instead, it’s one of the most underrated small cars on the market, even if it’s beginning to show its age.”
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Motors.co.uk

Model reviewed: Score: 2 / 10“The MG 3 offers a decent drive and roomy interior at a low price, but but the interior feels cheap, the engine is thirsty and ride quality is poor.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Score: 6.4 / 10“The MG is an interesting, colourful alternative to mainstream low-cost cars.”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual“MG is finally carving out a legitimate slot in the market. Going up against brands such as Dacia and SsangYong, it’s differentiating itself by placing emphasis on attractive design, which pushes it more towards young drivers than elderly potterers destined for the care home.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10“The MG 3 is certainly a better-looking car than its predecessor and there’s more equipment, a better-looking interior, a seven-year warranty and a low 4E insurance group.”
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Top Gear

Score: 5 / 10“Not quite the awful snotter we were expecting. But it is ruined by an awful engine.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Score: 4 / 10“The MG 3 is keenly priced, but a bumpy ride, wheezy engine and disappointing safety rating all count against it.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Expired safety rating

The MG 3 was crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2014 and achieved a three-star rating. However, this rating expired in January 2021 and is no longer valid.

Euro NCAP’s crash testing standards are raised almost every year, and ratings will expire when a vehicle no longer meets the latest standards for that rating. Sometimes a vehicle will be re-tested against the newer standards and awarded a new (usually lower) rating, but this has not happened in the case of the MG 3.

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The MG 3 has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP, and only a few cars have do far been assessed.

The MG 3 is now an old car, so it is likely that it will never be tested by Green NCAP. If it does ever happen, we’ll update this page with the results.

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