Question about the MG6

When (if ) I get my MG6 in the next couple of weeks, I was wondering, how I should deal with any detractors that come my way. Its not an MG, its a Chinese car. It looks like a Vectra. Its still just a Rover, The head gasket will fail. You should have bought a Focus/Guilietta/Ka/Trabant/Whatever. These are all points of advice (apart from maybe the Ka and Trabant suggestions ), plus many others, that have been offered to me in the past few weeks since I started taking an interest in these forums again. What I'd like to know is, should I continue to argue in an educated and reasoned way, or should I just tell whoever is having a dig to push off and mind their own business because they don't want to hear the truth about the car and only want to stick with their small minded petty preconceptions? I'm inclined to do the latter.

I would ask them what cars are actually made in the country the manufacturer comes from. For example - VW are made in Spain and in Mexico and I can say that the quality appears to be second rate (a mate works for a dealer and he sees for himself how poor they are), BMWs are made in Slovenia (I believe) as well as South Africa, companies like GM, Ford, VW, etc have had joint partnerships with Chinese companies for ages to build their cars so the only difference is MG is owned by the Chinese with 80% of the car bing assembled in China with the remaining 20% being built in the UK - more than most cars these days!

You can then ask them what car they own - that normally shuts them up! I have used this against most people who have raised the issue and they start to agree with you. On top of this I've showed them the brochure and also the Quentin Wilson video. The end result? They're impressed and want to see it in the flesh whjen I get mine - especially when you tell them what you get for your money!!!!!

Thanks for that Jerry. The trouble is, thats what I'd call an educated answer and unfortunately, when your talking to people who are doing this...........



...then educated answers aren't any good, hence my prefered second suggestion.

Just keep it simple and say "You haven't driven one.", it's almost certanly true and can only leave them wondering what they might be missing out on.

You can also ask them what other cars on the market are actually built in a UK factory. Most people, even if they wont admit it, UK nationals or otherwise, will see that as something to be proud of.

And if they raise the Chinese issue, that is the worlds biggest car market into which MG's parent company sells 4 million vehicles per year. When I first started posting MG chinese news back in 2005 most people still seemed to believe that the Chinese traveled on bicycles and had a communist economy, views have changed a bit since then but for people who don't read the MG chinese news the facts can still be a bit hard to take in.

PS It's not a Rover, Rovers are Indian these days, no connection in any way.

AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! Thats another educated answer lmao.

We know that fashion/ideas we have heard are very important for cars nowadays - both in brand image and in technical areas.

Just look at the number of posts we are now seeing saying the new car NEEDS things - more spoilers, bigger wheels, a diesel, you name it. Generally this is a little bit like "dress your own Barbie" TBH - the posters have no intention of buying one.

About once a month, I get annoyed with some thread saying "dogs go miaow. Bloke on TV said so." but so many people nowadays will not step back from the received ideas planted in their mind that trying to reason is futile.

It's your car, your wonga, you don't have to justify your choice to anybody! And it isn't worth it. How about answering "whatever" to each of their objections?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XtPFgzypVg

Spot on there Pat. Me and you have the same ideas. I don't know if its a case of great minds think alike or fools seldom differ though.

Dynamo wrote:Spot on there Pat. Me and you have the same ideas. I don't know if its a case of great minds think alike or fools seldom differ though.

ummm... one of the two is me. Draw your own conclusions.

patpending wrote:

Dynamo wrote:Spot on there Pat. Me and you have the same ideas. I don't know if its a case of great minds think alike or fools seldom differ though.

ummm... one of the two is me. Draw your own conclusions.

Thats what I was worried about.

I had all the same rubbish about re-badged Rovers when I had a ZT, I get all the same nonsense now with hair-dresser's car with steam on tap in my TF LE500, and I expect I will get the same from tomorrow in my 6 GT. So, as ever, I shall reply with something along the lines of "Gosh, I wish I'd sought your opinion before buying!" That usually shuts them up.

Sometimes there is genuine interest in their question so I will take the time to elaborate. Even amongst the MGOC members there is patently a lack of knowledge as to where the cars are designed, or even just how good the cars are. Most negative comments have come from people based purely on their seeing a photo or a brief glance at it at a car show, slamming it with "boring Eur-box" looks.

I personally don't mind someone commenting negatively, if it isn't their choice, fine, and I especially don't mind when I know they can afford to go out and spend 3 times as much on a seriously high-end luxury car, they obviously won't be interested in an MG6. But when I read all the negative feedback on a certain forum coming from the opinionated rabble with too much time on their hands who clearly can't even afford a 90s banger from the scrapman, and think that the world ended with British Leyland, then I have zero interest in their views. The pity is that internet allows them to be heard beyond the pub.

Nice posts chaps! Nice looking car Martin, I hope all goes well tomorrow.

Next week I'm doing Uni visits with wife and daughter. This mean returning my new MG6 to the region of its recent birth. The following day I will be going to Leicester. That means I will be doing the Southern half of the M25 one day to the M40 and 2/3rds of the Northern half the next and then North up the M1 to Jnct 21. I'm not going to rag the car at all, I'll happily stick to 70 and watch people take interest as they go passed. At services I look forward to the odd person asking about the new car. I hope this will happen. a

A few years ago we went to Florida and were due to have a typical American 4 door. Unfortunately these had all gone and they gave us something else - A Chrysler PT Cruiser. I was sceptical but looking at it against the 'normal' cars it looked different and therefore stood out (cream white was its colour so was relatively bright compared to most cars out there). In actual fact it was a fun car to drive and so different from the regular boxes in every way. Several times people gingerly came over to inspect the car as they'd seen it but dismissed it on TV or if they'd passed one in the street (highway, drive, etc). It was only when they saw it in the flesh and asked me questions that they realised it was quite a good car and my report back to them was that it was fun.

I'm therefore expecting/hoping this scenario to happen when I pull up in Services or shopping centre car parks in the coming weeks and months. Trust me, I will ensure I visit as many Services or shopping centre car parks as possible to raise the profile and get people talking - wife permitting!

Jerry Zedman wrote: At services I look forward to the odd person asking about the new car. I hope this will happen.

Don't hold your breath.

At Toddington a few weeks ago, I took multiple photos of the latest Jaguar prototype and no-one spoke to me!

https://s688.photobucket.com/albums/vv241/patpending_mguk/Stealth%20prototype%20Jag/