USED MG Rover TF Open (02 - 05)

My car

I've purchased the 135 Spark earlier this year and so far it's been a pleasure to own and drive.

The car handles well when entering corners at speed and accelerates away quickly too. It's true to say cabin is far too cramped but you get use to it after a while. The hood is easy to place down and then up again, although having to unzip the rear screen when placing the hood down is a pain.

Economy and insurance costs are good, however the interior is bland and could do with updating. The car gets plenty of looks and glances from pedestrians and motorists alike and the sound of the twin exhausts when accelerating is pleasant.

My car

I owned a TF 135 for six months and it was really easy to drive, not as cramped as I imagined it would be, and quite cheap to run.

This car, although not the most expensive two-seater, is in fact probably the cheapest sports car on the market. It's not the best equipped car in its class but it's great value for money and a hoot to drive.

My car

I'm 6 foot one but find the driving position very comfortable as long as you wear light shoes as there is scarce room round the pedals.

The handling and performance are excellent. I drove round Knock Hill in heavy rain where I found I could slide it in a square and balanced fashion. One driver managed to spin off however.

I purchased it from Jam Jar cars. I have had no problems so far and first service was painles from a Rover dealer though I am always suspicious as to what apart from oil change gets done. I have a hard-top for winter but drive it usually open in summer, often doing 260 mile trip on single carriageway roads in Scotland. It usually takes about five hours.

I will inform if any problems develop.

My car

Overall it's disappointing - mainly because of the ride and handling. No complaints about the engine or transmission, which are OK and fun to use.

My ex-demo has Sportpack suspension and on country roads the ride is ridiculously harsh. But worst of all is the tramlining, on uneven roads or motorway slow lanes it can scare you to death! Apparently it's a 'camber-sensitive car'. But any car that feels like it's steering itself, and can jump sideways on motorways, does not feel safe to me. Softer rate springs help (XPower) but the only temporary cure seems to be to renew the front tyres every 10,000 miles. The car eats tyres anyway. And the fronts scrub the inner edges away. Apparently this is 'normal'. In my opinion, there's only one tyre to go for: F1 Eagles, which are hard to get.

Economy is good, driving on good quality roads is fine, Insurance is OK. Some of the interior items, such as heater controls, are cheap. The hood rattles like crazy.

It's all very sad because I used to have a BGT and really wanted another MG. Now I'll probably trade it in early for a Focus.