Used MG 3 2013-present review

Often, small cars can be surprisingly expensive, with some costing almost as much to buy new as a family hatchback. And sadly, those that remain in the more affordable area of the market tend to be quite dull. Fortunately, the MG 3 dared to be a little bit different when it arrived back in 2013. A well-priced small car that drove well and looked sporty, it was positioned as a good-value alternative to rivals such as the Dacia Sandero, Kia Rio and Vauxhall Corsa when new.

On the face of it, you might wonder how MG managed to offer this car for such a low price. But when you delve under the skin, things start to become a little clearer. A 1.5-litre petrol is the only engine on offer, and while it offers a great headline power figure for the class (105bhp), this non-turbocharged unit isn’t as flexible as more modern offerings, and you really have to thrash it in order to make progress. When you do, it sounds a bit rough, and it buzzes away in the background on the motorway.

You’ll also notice that the 3's ride is on the firm side. This is great for handling, where the 3 feels fleet of foot and is rather good fun. But it crashes into potholes, is unsettled over rough roads and transmits plenty of road noise into the interior. The steering is heavy for a small car, too, making parking a bit trickier. It is accurate, though, enabling you to place the car through corners with ease.

The 3 is spacious inside, with plenty of head room. You can fit two tallish adults in the rear seats, thanks to a surprising amount of leg room. The steering wheel adjusts only for height, though, so the driving position isn’t as comfortable as it could be.

The quality of plastics inside isn’t great, but considering how cheap the 3 was when new, this is to be expected. What does really date the interior is that there isn't an infotainment screen on models made before the 3 was given a facelift in late 2018, with a very fiddly radio unit that has lots of small buttons. Post-facelift 3s have a much more up-to-date 8.0in touchscreen that's responsive and has an attractive layout. It only has Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity, though, not Android Auto as well.

Speaking of pre and post-facelift 3s, there's a marked difference between the two in terms of standard equipment. Entry-level 3Time models are best avoided in favour of mid-range 3Form and 3Form Sport, because you get air conditioning, a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, with 16in alloy wheels and some exterior styling tweaks exclusive to the 3Form Sport. Additional luxuries were reserved for the range-topping 3Style, which had diamond-cut wheels, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors. The 3Style Lux came with leather seats.

The facelift led to a rationalisation of the MG 3 range to just three models: Explore, Excite and Exclusive. Explore is a bit basic, with only 14in steel wheels, Bluetooth and central locking, so look instead for an Excite version with an 8.0in colour touchscreen, rear parking sensors, air-con and 16in alloys. Top-spec Exclusive models come with a reversing camera, cruise control, an upgraded stereo and sports seats.

If you're interested in finding a used MG 3, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Prices for the MG 3 start at £3000 for a 2013 example. A well-equipped 3Style model is a little bit more, at £4000.

MG increased its warranty cover from three years to five years from January 2018, so if you want something with a bit more coverage, you’ll need to spend around £7000. A facelifted 2019 example can be had from £8500. Nearly new examples from 2022 go for upwards of £10,000.

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MPG

If you go for a pre-2016 model, official NEDC fuel economy is 48.7mpg and CO2 emissions are 136g/km. Examples produced after 2016 improve upon those figures, reducing consumption to 51.4mpg and CO2 to 124g/km. However, facelifted versions are rated under the current (and slightly more realistic) WLTP system and therefore have slightly worse figures of 47.1mpg and 140g/km.

Road tax

Early examples of the 3 registered before 1 April 2017 will be charged road tax based upon the amount of CO2 they produced, whereas ones registered after this date incur a flat rate fee regardless of the emissions produced. This is currently £165 per year.

Insurance and servicing

The MG 3 sits in a low insurance group, helping to keep running costs down. However, both fuel and yearly road tax are high compared with rivals, because the 3 has a relatively large petrol engine.

Servicing is usually every 15,000 miles, but if your car is fitted with the start-stop function (a fuel-saving feature that cuts the engine when the car is stationary), it'll need to be seen every 10,000 miles.

Since there's only one engine and gearbox choice, this bit is quite simple.

The 3Style seems to be one of the more common trims available and has all the equipment we like from the 3Form and 3Form Sport with a few added luxuries for not much more money.

If you happen to be going for a facelifted model from 2019 onwards, there isn't much of a price difference between mid-range Excite and top-of-the-range Exclusive, so you might want to stretch to the higher-spec car for more equipment.

Our favourite MG 3: 1.5 3Style

The Dacia Sandero is by no means perfect, but, it's a very roomy car and you get the option of a more modern, turbocharged engine.

Value for money has always been a key selling point of the Kia Rio, and most examples will still have some warranty coverage left. The Rio's interior is well put together, if a little dull, and the car gets plenty of standard equipment.

Then there’s the Vauxhall Corsa, which has been a big seller for many years now thanks to low prices, affordable running costs and cheap insurance rates. It’s not the most exciting small car to drive, but it is one of the more spacious cars in its class.

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If you're interested in finding a used MG 3, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.