MG ZT V8

[AdamW]

My Dad announced on Saturday that he needs to trade in his car. As his current daily driver is a Mondeo ST220 he decided he needs something with similar or better performance, but still comfortable for long journeys. So, on Monday we took an MG ZT V8 for a testdrive. Oh my god, how sexy does a V8 sound?! Same engine as the latest Ford Mustang, even had the leaping horse logo on the top of the engine!

The demonstrator had the optional X-Power exhaust, so had an extra loud, deep, musclecar burbly sound. Seemed totally wrong, a big menopausal tank of a car, with THAT sound coming out the back. Surprising how many pedestrians were turning round and looking.

Lovely car, but with two rather imposing problems (massive depreciation aside),
1) 14 gallon tank
2) each gallon is pi**ed up the wall after just 15 miles (yes, 15mpg, British gallons too!)

Yes, a big, big car with a range of just 200 miles.

So, can any of you recommend any new or nearly-new saloons in the £20-30K range with a 6-second-range 0-60 time, that get considerably more than 15mpg? Even if it is a diesel. But not a Skoda (sorry Simon! ). Oh, and Mitsubishi Evo's are out of the question as 4,500 mile service intervals are a bit silly!

 

[2scoops0406]

Audi S4?

 

[Quick Fit]

So many around that price. Audi hold's value well, same as VW
Reno 220? very quick car, but to small? have a look on the web, as said so many to pick from.
Good hunting

 

[AdamW]

Suggestions passed on, thanks guys! I had totally forgotten about the Audi S-cars, nicely understated so would suit him quite well as he doesn't like cars that scream "flash g*t".

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

how about a saab aero?0-60 6.5 secs 155mph 30mpg good motorway plugger.

 

[2scoops0406]

Or maybe an S6 if you want something bigger, or even an S8, which is fast luxurious but probably too thirsty.

If you want something a bit insane how about an RS4, eye watering performance, you need something like a ferrari (and a fast one at that) to out drag the RS4.

 

[AdamW]

Guess what... He's not buying the MG

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

Guess what... He's not buying the MG

why not.he might get a big chunk of the asking price now a friend of my uncle last month saw a new rover 75 top-of-the-range car in a showroom,was up for £22000,the saleman said make me an offer,£14000 she said an hour later she got it for £14500

 

[AdamW]

Well, I suppose the engine is a Ford so you could probably take it to a Ford garage (do UK main dealers have much work in servicing Mustangs? )

 

[jamestheoptimist]

I guess you've been watching the news on MG with interest. I would
personally would avoid all MG's for the foreseable future as they will
depreciate massively but more importantly PWC who are the appointed
administrators have announced that any remaining warrenty will no longer be honoured.
I would suggest a vauxhall monaro if you want something similar to the MG, but again depreciation maybe a factor.

 

[david and julie]

Personally I would still consider a new Rover. I am not sure how much of an issue the depreciation is because you may well get such a good deal in the first place. Unfortunately I replaced my car recently so am not in a position to change again. If I was, I would most certainly be looking at the Rover 75 estate diesels, what could be better at the right price? proven drive train, parts manufacture as been bought out, lovely looking and driving car especially with the leather etc. You could buy a seperate warranty anyway. If one of these was say £10K less than 3 months ago it would be a fabulous buy.

 

[Porker]

Regarding the warranty - I heard on R4 this evening that the warranties must be honoured by the dealers. Apparently this is enshrined in law although the dealers dispute this. I wasn't listening too carefully as the only rover I own will go to the scrappers when it fails its MOT.

http://www.autowired.co.uk/news/article.aspx?storyid=13747

 

[keyplayer]

Oh my god, how sexy does a V8 sound?

Um, not very.

 

[AdamW]

Oh my god, how sexy does a V8 sound?

Um, not very.

And you are reading the "cars" forum?!

What engine would you say sounds sexy then (and you can't say "none, they are engines").

I know some people prefer the whine of a ****el, some like the lumpy-idle and the "woosh" of a highly-tuned I4, others like a boxer. But come on, a V8! It's all "WOOOM-gah-durk-gah-durk-gah-durk-gah-WOOOOOM!!!"

EDIT: apparently "rotary internal combustion engine, favoured by Mazda" is a profanity, hence the asterisks above

 

[keyplayer]

Sorry AdamW, was a bit sarcastic there, I find certain women very sexy but thats about it. However I do remember the rotary Mazda motors(and Nissans possibly?, not sure now, the years that Jaguar mopped up, approx 15 years ago) screaming down the home straight at Le Mans and wondering if they were ever going to change up, must have been 20K rpm plus, very impressive sound. Come to think of it, I got a nice nosh off a mademoiselle in the grandstand, so maybe you're right.