Used MG HS 2019-2024 review

SUVs are desirable products and, as such, can often bleed your wallet dry. Not the MG HS. It's honed the art of offering buyers as much value for money as possible – especially in used form.

That sounds intriguing, but surely it feels cheap, right? Well, not exactly, because this is a surprisingly plush, polished and well-rounded car, despite its extremely reasonable prices.

Engines and performance: The MG HS's two engine options start with a 162bhp 1.5-litre petrol unit, badged 1.5 T-GDi. When working hard, it can deliver keen acceleration – 0-60mph took 9.0sec on our damp test track. All models with this engine get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard from new, though examples with an optional seven-speed automatic are available.

The other choice is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 1.5-litre petrol variant that gets a 10-speed automatic gearbox and a total power output of 258bhp. It’ll take you from 0-60mph in 6.9sec, plus it feels a lot sprightlier than its non-PHEV counterpart in town and on motorways. It can run on electric power alone for up to 32 miles officially.

Ride and handling: The non-PHEV HS’s suspension strikes a good balance between ride comfort and handling. The ride isn’t quite pillow-soft, but it takes the sting out of most potholes. It deals pretty well with undulating road surfaces too, with only a small amount of float occasionally.

It has less body lean and better-weighted steering than some roly-poly rivals, such as the Citroën C5 Aircross – although we should mention that that car is more comfortable. The HS’s brake pedal is easy to modulate, whether in start-stop traffic or pulling up from higher speeds.

The PHEV is a different animal. While the ride is still mostly smooth over gentler bumps and is settled at motorway speeds, there's a fair thump when you hit something sharper or more substantial. The extra weight of the battery affects the handling, with significantly more body lean and less grip.

Interior and practicality: Usually if a car’s been made to fit a modest budget, its interior will show it, but the HS’s interior doesn’t appear cheap at all. Overall, it’s almost on par with pricier rivals including the Mazda CX-5 and Peugeot 3008.

The steering wheel is wrapped in tactile perforated leather, the switches work with pleasing precision and there are huge swathes of soft-touch plastic and faux leather on the dashboard and doors.

The infotainment touchscreen isn’t too tricky to navigate and even has a couple of physical shortcut buttons, but it’s not all good news. We found it frustratingly laggy, with a long delay between pressing an icon and anything actually happening.

Passenger space up front is plentiful, with only the tallest of the tall lacking room to spare. Rear space is good, although because of the high floor some passengers will find their legs forced up towards their chests. Head room is passable when the space-swallowing panoramic roof is fitted.

The HS’s boot is arguably rather small compared with the other cars we've talked about. We could fit in only six carry-on cases, whereas a Mazda CX-5 will swallow eight. Indeed, even the smaller Skoda Karoq has more room for cargo than the MG HS.

Trims and equipment: There are two trim levels to choose from for the HS. The first is named Excite and gets leather seats, adaptive cruise control with steering assist (auto only), keyless entry and start, automatic headlights and wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, power-folding door mirrors, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, a six-way-adjustable electric driver's seat and dual-zone climate control.

The infotainment system includes a 10.1in touchscreen, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and sat-nav. As you can see, the HS comes very well equipped straight off the bat.

However, if you do crave more, there’s Exclusive. On top of the Excite's long list of features, it gets diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated and electrically adjustable sports front seats, two-tone leather upholstery, ambient lighting, a panoramic roof and an electric tailgate.

On facelift cars, the trim levels were updated to SE and Trophy, but they come with a similar level of kit to the pre-facelift models.

Facelift: The HS was given a facelift right at the end of its life in 2023. It added a new front end design, with a larger, more imposing grille, as well as a new infotainment system and revised trim levels (SE and Trophy). The engine line-up was unchanged.

"I've driven a lot Chinese cars and many of them are poor to drive. Not the MG HS, though. While it's not perfect, it rides and handles well enough for a family SUV." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

If you're interested in finding a used MG HS or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Around £10,000 to £12,000 will get you a 2019 to 2023 petrol HS with low to average mileage, either in Excite or Exclusive trim. Spend upwards of £12,000 for a PHEV of a similar age and mileage, with both trim levels available. If you want a 2023 facelift car, you'll need a budget of £13,000 for the petrol and £14,000 for the PHEV. For a 2024 model, expect to pay £14,000 for the petrol and £15,000 for the PHEV.

Check the value of a used MG HS with What Car? Valuations

Find a used MG HS for sale here

MPG

The 1.5 T-GDi has an average fuel consumption of 37.9mpg, which isn't particularly terrific nor terrible. The PHEV promises 155.8mpg, although you'll be hard-pressed to replicate that figure in real-world conditions.

Road tax

As with all petrol (and diesel) cars registered after April 2017, the MG HS will incur a flat-rate road tax fee of £195 per year. To find out more about current road tax costs, click here.

Insurance

Insurance groups are generally quite low for the HS, although PHEV models push it towards average.

Servicing

Servicing costs for the HS are similar to its family SUV rivals. As part of a two-year service plan, we were quoted £404.82 for a four-year, 60,000-mile service and £282.64 for a five-year, 75,000-mile service. If you take your car for a service at an authorised MG dealer, you will receive 12 months’ MG Roadside Assistance provided by the AA.

Warranty

The HS comes with a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty from new. That's pretty good, beating the cover from Dacia, Renault and Volkswagen, but falling short of Hyundai, Kia and Toyota's offering.

Safety

The HS was awarded five stars out of five for safety by Euro NCAP in 2019. That's better than the Citroën C5 Aircross, which was given four stars for the standard car and five stars for cars with the optional safety pack.

Reliability

According to real-world owner reviews analysed in our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, the MG HS (2019-2024) is a risky choice. While its seven-year warranty provides some protection, owners reported frequent electronic glitches, crashing software and mechanical issues. Dealing with these faults was made harder by "atrocious" dealer service and long waits for repairs.

To find out more about used MG HS reliability, head to our dedicated reliability page.

Engine

Despite the added performance and fuel economy of the PHEV, the 1.5 T-GDi is cheaper to buy. Most will find the non-PHEV quick and economical enough, so we think it's best to save the cash.

Trim

Excite is very well equipped, but we'd recommend going for the range-topping Exclusive trim. It's similar in price to Excite on the used market and you get some useful extras, like heated front seats.

Our favourite MG HS: 1.5 T-GDi Exclusive

If you have some extra money to spend, the Hyundai Tucson is a great choice. It's notably more practical than the HS, with a vast boot and more space in back seats. It's better to drive, too, and standard equipment is very generous.

The Citroën C5 Aircross is good value and great if you want a comfortable motorway cruiser. Like the HS, it's good value, but it can be had with petrol, diesel and PHEV engine options. It's a spacious and practical car, too, with flexible seating in the rear.

If you're interested in finding a used MG HS or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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