I see Chinese made MGs everywhere!

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

They've come from nowhere to this in only a couple of years. Anybody drive one or purchased one?

Yep, it’s hers and sits beside my M3SR+ .
Surprisingly quiet, supple ride but definitely not a handling car.
I keep looking for reasons to complain about quality but I’m becoming more surprised by the kilometre so far.
Think 2015 Mazda styling and equivalent Japanese quality.
The Japs were crap and never going to be any good either......in the 60s.
You will have more issues with the wall charger than the car however.

[roKWiz]

I've noticed there seems to be a new found enthusiasm for the real MG sportcars around here lately.

[T3rminator]

Where are you guys / gal's seeing these MGs. I've been on the lookout and I don't see many around Melb.

[chinamonty]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Where are you guys / gal's seeing these MGs. I've been on the lookout and I don't see many around Melb.

I see them regularly around Dandenong.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Where are you guys / gal's seeing these MGs. I've been on the lookout and I don't see many around Melb.

I see them all along the Hume towns from all states.

[Citroënbender]

A friend has just bought one, about eighteen months old. Blue SUV styled thing. Being in Tasmania, she paid near-new price for it. :-/

I’d been trying to find her things that (in my opinion) would be better value, more durable, better resale, etc etc. But in the end it became clear she wanted a new/near new car that was blue and looked SUV-like.

[Syndrome]

The onslaught continues.

[ryeman]

TBH has one in the garage beside my SR+

[tbro4123]

Don't know anything about MGs but have plenty of experience with Chinese buses.

Can they make a good product, yes if your willing to pay for it. Trouble is once they have your confidence they will then start to cheapen down the finished product until you either accept the rubbish or you jump on them with contract in hand.

Can they design a good product, in the auto world NO!!!! They learnt from the Japanese to copy and produce and let the world know that if you don't like it stiff!

Chinese made products from major manufactures, my experience is with Michelin mainly, first batch of tyres we found to be made in China were sent 40 ft container amount back quick smart, European price for Chinese product, no thanks. We were then asked if we would accept Chinese tyres at a heavy discounted price to try them, we did and went over to Conti tyres as the Michelins were cracking on the sidewalls even before we could use them for caps for the rear of Urban buses (12 months/120,000kms).
Cummins engines, ZF trans and parts, Thermo King bus A/C units the list goes on, some of it is as good as what is produced else were but same cost so no advantage.

As for the Chinese mentality to cheapen the finished products, 1 engineer who grew up in the coach manufacturing industry in Australia ended up working for an Aussie company who imported complete buses (less seats). He explained to me that every week he would go down to the production line and check things like the insulation, with a lighter to make sure it wouldn't catch fire (re:ADRs) because it would only be a matter of when, not if, they would slip in the cheaper flammable materials to save the Chinese bosses some money.

I've seen first hand what these same companies, be Aussie owned or Chinese owned would do if they were found to be providing less than satisfactory vehicles, even to the point of ignoring a Victorian Supreme Court ruling and still telling the owners to go back to court and get another ruling, they did and the company dragged their feet for so long that the sole operator went belly up, ending 4 generations of a family business.
I watched a another company sold probably 5000 buses then left the market so no backup, no parts warranty, no nothing. The sad part is that State governments were bulling family bus companies into buying these cheap buses or lose their contracts for school runs, then when the s**t hits the fan and they can't get anything done to their buses then the governments dept leaves them in the lurch. The disappointing part was that they could have purchased Australian built school bused for $30,000 more (350,000 Aust or 320,000 Chinese) with backup but the contacts are financed by the state Governments so they had no choice. I went to look at a depot just out of Brisbane to decide if we would purchase the company and saw a new (within 12 months old) Chinese bus with a red defect sticker on the windscreen, can't use until repaired and then after reinspection by Compliance @ qld Transport, apparently a cracked chassis, picked up on first over the pits inspection, towed home as the distributor/manufacture was deciding if it was covered by their warranty???? I didn't purchase the company so don't know what the outcome was.

As you can gather we never had anything to do with Chinese buses, we actually purchased 2 Aussie made coaches from NZ and refurbished them to use as school buses when nothing was available here, and when we needed any coaches/buses and nothing Aussie was available we purchased Irizar products made in Spain, not perfect but at least Irizar went the route of purchasing the original distributor out and then provided factory backed parts and warranty.

Would I buy Chinese, cheap non life threating stuff yeah, major stuff nope!

They will learn? eventually when the western world gets sick of the poor attitude to cost/manufacturing but only when forced to do so.? Maybe!

Stay safe

Terry aka Tbro

[FTE217]

hardly see these MG's around my Sydney areas I frequent.

[ryeman]

SAIC manufacture under license the stretched domestic market Audi A7.
Like your smartphone….it probably won’t be crap.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by ryeman

SAIC manufacture under license the stretched domestic market Audi A7.
Like your smartphone….it probably won’t be crap.

But the German Audis are cr@p, why would the Chinese ones be any better.

Dr Terry

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by ryeman

SAIC manufacture under license the stretched domestic market Audi A7.
Like your smartphone….it probably won’t be crap.

The vehicles that have 'SAIC MOTOR' on the back grind my gears...

I want a bunch of S stickers to add to the end...

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

But the German Audis are cr@p,

Do tell ?

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Whitey-AMG

Do tell ?

I've worked on too many of these overpriced VWs. They are beautifully finished but the ownership experience, especially out of warranty is awful.

Not to mention Dieselgate & excessive oil consumption in most models.

If you're well healed & running costs are not an issue for you go ahead, but if you think you are buying long-term, reliable motoring, think about an alternate brand.

Dr Terry

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I've worked on too many of these overpriced VWs. They are beautifully finished but the ownership experience, especially out of warranty is awful.

Not to mention Dieselgate & excessive oil consumption in most models.

If you're well healed & running costs are not an issue for you go ahead, but if you think you are buying long-term, reliable motoring, think about an alternate brand.

Dr Terry

Agree about VAG products, same thing here have been on the end of fixing them for customers and no one wants to pay what it costs to fix.

Its a shock to the system when people who have gone from owning local and Japanese cars to then getting behind the wheel of VW/Audi and then getting their first out of warranty repair expenses.

[Tassie f100]

Problem with buying these Chinese cars is not now,but 4-5 years down the road when parts are needed.Have seen it with Great Wall and JMC.seems that it is easier to either close the factory(or change its name)than it is to keep supplying parts to keep them going.No reason to think that MG will be otherwise

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I've worked on too many of these overpriced VWs. They are beautifully finished but the ownership experience, especially out of warranty is awful.

Not to mention Dieselgate & excessive oil consumption in most models.

If you're well healed & running costs are not an issue for you go ahead, but if you think you are buying long-term, reliable motoring, think about an alternate brand.

Dr Terry

Yeh
You mean like constantly repairing diff bushes , mile shake ZF trans , numerous wheel bearing issues, rust in boot seams and peeling shockwave paint on local falcons….. yes I see what you mean… local is much better and cheaper.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Whitey-AMG

Yeh
You mean like constantly repairing diff bushes , mile shake ZF trans , numerous wheel bearing issues, rust in boot seams and peeling shockwave paint on local falcons….. yes I see what you mean… local is much better and cheaper.

I didn't say local was better than Audi.

My statement was that Audis are over-rated & are not the pinnacle of quality they portray.

If you want quality in automotive terms, buy Lexus, but then get prepared for some outrageous replacement parts costs, when out of warranty.

Dr Terry

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I didn't say local was better than Audi.

My statement was that Audis are over-rated & are not the pinnacle of quality they portray.

If you want quality in automotive terms, buy Lexus, but then get prepared for some outrageous replacement parts costs, when out of warranty.

Dr Terry

Rolex/Omega v Seiko/Citizen ( Manual wind v QUARTZ )

Its not always purely about quality and post warranty perception. Its Tech/Prestige association. The demographic interested in AUDIs would primarily buy based on the TECH/Prestige value proposition that cant be matched by the Japanese / Asian brands no matter how hard they try to copy. I'm sure most AUDI buyers would look at the LEXUS as an overrated TOYOTA..as many may look at the S3 as an overrated GOLF. An FPV GTF as an overrated R spec.. We've all been there with similar debates

The target markets mostly don't overlap so its likely a moot point. Same for the ROLEX v SEIKO - no Rolex owner is going to bemoan their purchase because their auto/manual wind watch is certified +5 seconds per day less accurate than a $150 SEIKO Quartz and costs $1500 per year to service.

Trying to completely understand "value" and how people "rate" things is a rabbit hole, hence these new MG buyers obviously don't have an issue with purchasing a British badged ICON made and owned by SAIC.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by tbro4123

Don't know anything about MGs but have plenty of experience with Chinese buses.

Terry aka Tbro

We have a small fleet of Chinese KL coaches, absolute rubbish, every one of them has issues of one type or another.
One has an electrical gremlin in the door sensor electrics resulting in loss of power as it thinks the door is ajar, another has fried its dashboard and has no instrumentation, a 7k repair im told and another one will not go up a hill over 30k/hr as the dash just lights up and goes into limp mode.

[Franco Cozzo]

Everything is made in China these days, including half of Melbourne

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Everything is made in China these days, including half of Melbourne

Thats Ok, half of the Hunter Valley is in China now.

[kevino]

Hey Bent 8 perhaps we can bring back the SB and BLP Bedfords!
Now they were real buses.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by kevino

Hey Bent 8 perhaps we can bring back the SB and BLP Bedfords!
Now they were real buses.

Lol, id be all for it but if they arent auto's none of our other drivers would touch them the precious sooks.

[kevino]

Can still remember the 300 petrol SB route bus taking off from the lights hitting a hill and through the four gears think first was non synchro?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Lol, id be all for it but if they arent auto's none of our other drivers would touch them the precious sooks.

Given how the ones driving bendy buses in Adelaide CBD drive they need both hands on the wheel for dropping off the troops on Omaha beach

I'm not sure if it was the Victorian plates on my car but they take their right of way to pull out pretty bloody seriously

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Given how the ones driving bendy buses in Adelaide CBD drive they need both hands on the wheel for dropping off the troops on Omaha beach

I'm not sure if it was the Victorian plates on my car but they take their right of way to pull out pretty bloody seriously

We have a few ex southlink/torrens drivers with us, they all mentioned being unable to drive manuals in their interviews, i think you might be on to something there.
They certainly are a pushy bunch those public bus drivers, dont get away with it against us in coaches though.

[Eaturbo]

Why just why would you buy one. Buying something from a country that hates us. Guaranteed to have problems at some stage. Can buy Japanese for not much more.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Eaturbo

Why just why would you buy one. Buying something from a country that hates us. Guaranteed to have problems at some stage. Can buy Japanese for not much more.

There's nothing but Chinese in that market segment, when I bought my first new car in that sub $20K micro segment I had 20 or so choices for the $18K DA I paid.

When everyone retreats from that market segment because it's 'unprofitable' then they left it to MG and Kia.

The problem though these kids buying their first new car have gone into the MG instead of Ford.

When they have finished University, got a foot in the workplace, have a house and have started a family by their early 30s they'll want to move up to something better, so they'll look at MG again.

The MG3 might be unprofitable but it's what's called a loss leader - it's a product that there's a lot of competition on and you either make a loss or make SFA on it, but you do it because it opens you up for other more profitable opportunities with the same customer.

I've got this same situation at work, I make a loss on a high volume product, but said customers I'm doing this for I'm their first call for much more profitable opportunities.

The loss leader opens me up to a couple customers spending 7 figures.

My first new car was a Ford, my next new car was a more expensive Ford also.

Kevino here in another thread is car shopping and he bought a Skoda Fabia for himself and is looking for another new car for his wife and he's looking everywhere but Ford.