So today was rather hectic - I am in the middle of a protracted house move and so pressed my MG BGT into service to take a load of clothes, coats, bedding etc (i.e. all light and squashable and not too much effort for the MG) to a storage place I've rented. And on my way back I passed Greenhous MG in Shrewsbury...
And that's Greenhous, not Greenhouse.
Anyway, I pulled up and there was a white MG3 with all-black alloys and the black trophy stripes. First impressions are good - looks really smart, although in white with stripes was possibly a bit 'in-your-face' for an MGB driver like me..
But the panel fit was excellent, the paint finish was excellent - in fact everything felt incredibly solid and well engineered. OK, this was after I'd just done 80 miles in an MGB but it certainly felt as good as any hired hatchback I've had lately. This demo model had red stitching on the steering wheel and silver surrounds to the console inserts etc. It all looked very good. Not as whacky or retro or tricksy as some of the competition, but it didn't look cheap. The seats were firm and supportive and gave a good driving position too. The steering wheel also had a good feel.
My only 'gripes' (such as they are) are that the plastic on the central console by the handbrake looks very scratchable, plus I wonder how long the silver paint finish on the steering wheel audio controls will last without wearing through (and the internal door handles too). Also, with the few extras that this car had (decals, stitching, wheels) they couldn't tell me what that OTR price was. Nor did they have any brochures, although they said that's because they aren't shipping until 1st October. So he says...
But overall, I was impressed. It felt far more substantial than my old ZR160 and looked about as up to date as it needs to. Boot space and back seat space are excellent as others have said. I will be doing a test drive (and probably placing an order) once I have completed the move and got the mortgage ticking over smoothly..
More importantly, chatting with the sales guy he said they've already sold some based on simply having the demo on site, and that people are trying to personalise them greatly. Apparently they had to dissuade one lady from having a pink roof by telling her to think of resale values!
In addition, they had about 10 MG6s on site and 2 in the showroom (although their unregistered showroom Magnette didn't have any chrome so must have been an old model - maybe they just took the plates off one and valeted it?). The sales chap said that the MG6 is also selling 'loads' now because they are getting what he described as 'ex-fleet' whatever they are, so are pricing them for about £9k and they have a good turnover. They seem to basically have found their price as a second hand deal so I wonder when the RRP on new models will get the inevitable chop? Anyway, I didn't think it polite to ask about new registrations!
So it was a positive experience - so much doom and gloom about MG, and the last time I passed this place it looked a bit shut away. But today there were 3 guys in the showroom, it was all clean and lit up, all the MG6s outside were lined up and sparkling and the showroom had a big MG3 display. Good vibes and a good indication of the future.
And that's Greenhous, not Greenhouse.
Anyway, I pulled up and there was a white MG3 with all-black alloys and the black trophy stripes. First impressions are good - looks really smart, although in white with stripes was possibly a bit 'in-your-face' for an MGB driver like me..
But the panel fit was excellent, the paint finish was excellent - in fact everything felt incredibly solid and well engineered. OK, this was after I'd just done 80 miles in an MGB but it certainly felt as good as any hired hatchback I've had lately. This demo model had red stitching on the steering wheel and silver surrounds to the console inserts etc. It all looked very good. Not as whacky or retro or tricksy as some of the competition, but it didn't look cheap. The seats were firm and supportive and gave a good driving position too. The steering wheel also had a good feel.
My only 'gripes' (such as they are) are that the plastic on the central console by the handbrake looks very scratchable, plus I wonder how long the silver paint finish on the steering wheel audio controls will last without wearing through (and the internal door handles too). Also, with the few extras that this car had (decals, stitching, wheels) they couldn't tell me what that OTR price was. Nor did they have any brochures, although they said that's because they aren't shipping until 1st October. So he says...
But overall, I was impressed. It felt far more substantial than my old ZR160 and looked about as up to date as it needs to. Boot space and back seat space are excellent as others have said. I will be doing a test drive (and probably placing an order) once I have completed the move and got the mortgage ticking over smoothly..
More importantly, chatting with the sales guy he said they've already sold some based on simply having the demo on site, and that people are trying to personalise them greatly. Apparently they had to dissuade one lady from having a pink roof by telling her to think of resale values!
In addition, they had about 10 MG6s on site and 2 in the showroom (although their unregistered showroom Magnette didn't have any chrome so must have been an old model - maybe they just took the plates off one and valeted it?). The sales chap said that the MG6 is also selling 'loads' now because they are getting what he described as 'ex-fleet' whatever they are, so are pricing them for about £9k and they have a good turnover. They seem to basically have found their price as a second hand deal so I wonder when the RRP on new models will get the inevitable chop? Anyway, I didn't think it polite to ask about new registrations!
So it was a positive experience - so much doom and gloom about MG, and the last time I passed this place it looked a bit shut away. But today there were 3 guys in the showroom, it was all clean and lit up, all the MG6s outside were lined up and sparkling and the showroom had a big MG3 display. Good vibes and a good indication of the future.
