MG3 Hybrid+ long-term test: sluggish gearbox causes frustration

Verdict

The rather dim-witted three-speed gearbox in the MG3 is a constant source of frustration, and leads to often disjointed power delivery from the hybrid system, which also is proving to be less efficient than we’d expect. Overall however, this is still an excellent supermini.

• Efficiency: 48.7mpg
• Mileage: 6,156

When the MG3 was unveiled this time last year, the most eyebrow-raising detail for me was that it had a three-speed automatic transmission. The only other cars I knew that used such things were American muscle cars from the sixties, and those were hardly the pinnacle of automotive engineering at the time, let alone more than half a century later. 

However, while the concept of a three-speed gearbox sounds old hat, to say the least, it’s part of a thoroughly modern full-hybrid powertrain that has a 134bhp electric motor as the front man. Plus, MG claims this simple set-up is more responsive than the complex CVT gearboxes often used by hybrid cars, including fellow supermini, the Toyota Yaris. So like a lot of things, the proof of the pudding would be in the eating. However, I’ve lived with the MG3 for several months, and I reckon if you tried to serve this to celebrity chef Paul Hollywood, you definitely wouldn’t be getting a handshake.

Bear with me here, but have you ever played Three-card monte? Or maybe that game where you try to find the ball under one of a magician’s three cups as they’re shuffled at speed before your eyes? They’re stupidly simple yet somehow you still manage to make the wrong choice if you’re not really paying attention. Well that’s what dealing with the MG3’s gearbox feels like sometimes. 

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Despite having just three gears to choose from, I often find myself driving along listening to the loud drone of the petrol engine as the transmission ponders something – the meaning of life perhaps, or what it fancies for dinner. 

From what I can tell, the gearbox only shifts into top gear when you approach 70mph – which is fine when you’re joining the motorway. But on the twisty, single-lane country roads around my home in Hertfordshire, I either have to wait for the gearbox to stop procrastinating, or go faster in order to force it into action. There are no shift paddles on the steering wheel.

The other side effect of the dim-witted gearbox is uneven power delivery. The e-motor responds immediately when you press the throttle and delivers a good hit of torque. Then, once it’s time for the engine to chip in, there’s a pause while it wakes up and the transmission fumbles around, before you start gaining speed again. 

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However while the gearbox has proved to be fairly infuriating, it’s one of the few complaints I have about the car. Less major (depending on your view) is my average fuel economy which, as you may have read in my previous Fleetwatch report, is some way short of the 64.2mpg the MG3 is supposedly capable of. It appears to have settled at around 48.7mpg now, but I will be keeping a close eye on the gauge.  

Otherwise, the MG3 has been a great little companion during the winter months,
helped by the heated steering wheel and front seats, which some passengers were surprised to hear are fitted as standard. The adaptive cruise control has been great for long motorway journeys, too, although the sound system could be a lot better.

I’ve also come to appreciate the Apple CarPlay being a wired-only set-up. I’d much rather  plug my phone in with a cable than have to sit in my car for five minutes at the start of every journey trying to troubleshoot why the device isn’t connecting wirelessly, or have it suddenly cut out before a junction.

MG3 Hybrid+: fleetwatch

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MG claims its hybrid supermini is capable of 64.2mpg, but we're getting less than 50mpg

My teachers always warned me to never believe what you read on the internet, and they were right. The hybrid MG3 is supposed to be capable of up to 64.2mpg, but I’ve not seen close to that in nearly three months with the car, despite spending a lot of time driving on battery power. In fact, my average economy has recently dropped to 48.7mpg.

Most drivers would be impressed by that, but my colleague Tom Jervis has been achieving over 58mpg in his Suzuki Swift. The MG has some catching up to do.

MG3 Hybrid+: first report

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We welcome new full-hybrid supermini to the fleet, and it’s loads better than expected

• Efficiency: 51.4mpg
• Mileage: 5,302

While Captain Quint and the other blokes in Jaws may have needed a bigger boat, after living with a BMW iX1 for several months, I’ve realised I don’t. That’s why I welcomed the opportunity to try the new MG3 for size – and so far, it’s proving a perfect fit. 

The 293-litre boot might not be the largest of all the superminis on the market, but I’ve found it’s big enough to swallow the carry-on bag and backpack I take with me on work trips. There’s room left over for a large duffle bag too. Sure, the MG might not work for a family of five, but I’m predominantly a party of one, so it’s more than enough.

I’m sure I could cram in more stuff if I had to, because of how deep the boot is. There’s a large load lip as a result, but I’ve not found this to be an issue. Nor have I cursed the designers for not fitting a height-adjustable boot floor. 

Unsurprisingly, the MG’s interior isn’t as luxurious as that of the BMW, but I haven’t felt like I’m sitting in the cheap seats since swapping keys. For one thing, the design is smart and modern, and it feels spacious up front, thanks to the almost vertical dashboard and low centre console. 

There are some nice touches, such as the quilted upholstery and check pattern on the dash, which offsets a lot of the surfaces being made from hard, scratchy black plastics. Aside from the flimsy cover for the central storage cubby, the interior feels well built, too. 

Even the onboard technology is better than you might expect, because the seven-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen are clear, bright and easy to read. I wish the MG3 had a set of physical climate controls, though, because then it would have something on the iX1. Although I can use the joystick on the steering wheel to adjust the temperature and fan speeds easily enough. 

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Sadly, MG hasn’t installed any handy solutions for turning off the various bongs and chimes from its driver-assistance systems. The worst is the speed-camera warning, which sounds like there’s a smoke alarm going off in the dashboard. You need to go through the sat-nav system’s settings in order to turn off the bleeping, rather than the regular menu. But unlike the usual bongs, this one doesn’t reactivate after you turn the car off. Overall, that annoying alert is the only real issue I’ve had with our MG3 so far, while the list of standard equipment on this high-spec Trophy model has been a particular highlight.

It features LED headlights, a 360-degree parking camera, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, leather-effect upholstery, keyless entry, blind-spot detection, rear privacy glass and plenty more besides. Of course, even the base model, which is available from £18,495, features a full-hybrid powertrain. The star is the main electric motor, which alone produces 134bhp, plus 250Nm of torque, making the MG3 feel incredibly quick and as responsive as an EV around town, yet also impressively lively on faster A and B-roads. Admittedly, the set-up can be quite laggy when trying to overtake on the motorway, and while MG claims it can average up to 64.2mpg, the best I’ve managed so far is 51.4mpg. Hopefully we’ll see that improve over the coming months. 

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.