my mum is looking for a new car just something cheap but half decent. she has seen adverts for brand new rover 25`s for about £4000 and mg zr for about 5K. they are selling these at motorpoint but i was wondering if you get any kind of warranty and also will there be any problems getting parts or people to work on them if anything goes wrong. just worried about saying yes go and get one and then having loads of problems later. any help apreciated cheers. leon

 

go to www.mg-rover.org - the guys on there may well know the answer and will be happy to help out I would think.

 

Dont

My mother has just traded in a 53 plate ZS Diesel with 7k on the clock & she got 4 & a half k for it against a new shogun

Allegedly they aint selling (suprise suprise) & they cant get insurance for them no matter if its a basic 25 right upto the the V8 ZT

 

It's a gamble.

It maybe cheap to buy, but like the ones that were sold at the original RRP before they went bump, they have a nasty habit of biting the hand that holds the wallet when they went wrong. Couple that with continued depreciation and your good buy may not be so good after a couple of years.

 

so are they unreliable then?

 

You're asking whether it's a good idea to buy a car from a failed manufacturer.


What do you think? When the dealer network is disappearing up it's own backside, parts supply is unsure and residual values are in free fall, is it a good time to buy?

An old design from a dead company owned and driven by some of the lowest in society. Great choice, do you hate your mother or something? Why do you think these cars are so ******* cheap? FFS people's idiocy never fails to surprise me.

 

but would the same apply to a lotus elise/exige going for half price if lotus went down the pan (not entirely unlikely) ?? i'd certainly be interested in a brand new exige with a 2 year independent warranty for £15k.

i know that lotus engineering is way better than mg's but they were, until recently, using the k series lump.

 

as said it's a bit of a gamble (as is with most new cars). you could be lucky but if you end up with a ringer then it could all end in tears. my local rover dealer is slashing thousands off theirs and giving away a 2 year independent warranty too so is not all bad.

best thing to do would be to do some serious research using parkers 'owners' reviews or top gear's survey or duffers results. i know the mg zt came 12th in last years survey so can't be all bad (appart from the looks ). oddly enough the 45 came 80th (out of 140) which was better than a lot of cars from vw, vauxhall, ford, renault, citroen etc. and people are still buying golf's.

good luck

 

They were **** cars when the company was afloat.

 

Locally round here if you want to PX one, they weigh them by the Pound - Kilogram.

 

And you have the cheek to lecture others on stereotyping groups of people in society? ****.

The facts, as from someone who makes it his business to know these things, not from some 15 year old cyber-**** with as much knowledge as a empty bic.

The dealer network is contracting obviously, but I've found that more specialists are popping up, particularly useful for good servicing.

There is nothing unsure about the parts supply. XPart was sold to Caterpillar a couple of years ago and they have a warehouse with £60million worth of parts and preferential agreements with suppliers to guarantee parts supplies for years to come. They realised a statement to this effect some months ago. Even if the suppliers fold they are in a position to but up tooling and continue production themselves. The only uncertainty remains amongst those who'd rather spout opinion and bullsh1t on a BBS on actually bother to find out the facts for themselves.

MGR is in administration and will be sold to one of three parties in the next few weeks. Expect to see production recommencing early next year and new models in 2-3 years time.

Now is a great time to bag a bargain.

Simon.

 

One of my work mates has recently bought a used TF 160 for a ridiculously low price. He has found:

Parts .........easy to get hold of, and not too pricey
Servicing .......... no problems local dealer is continuing and selling another maanufacturers car alongside the Rover department.
Warranty.......... no problem in the form of a 3rd party type.
Insurance......... no problem at all (why should there be)

I'm really not sure what half the people posting on this thread are on about.

Rover may not be the manufacturer of your choice (not mine), but the deals out there are excellent and people can get themselves a nearly new car at REALLY low prices if they wish. Servicing/spares and warranty issues are non existent, there are too many scare stories about that some believe.

 

You own a MGR product then? What a sad man.

You are talking total bullsh1t, some parts were on back order when MGR still existed and took weeks to arrive.

 

No YOU are talking total bullsh1t. Any manufacturer has issues getting some parts, when certain suppliers don't pull their finger out. Often the same supplier will supply a number of different manufacturers too so many can be affected at the same time. MGR still exists now. Go read up on companies house moron.

**** off and talk about something you know about.

 

Longbridge doesn't exist though does it? The cars arent rolling off the line are they? Just because a shell company exists for future exploitation by the chinese doesn't in any way make an outdated old supermini a good prospect does it?

MGR had massive problems sourcing some parts when it existed this is only going to get worse. Muppet.

 

Err yes it does. And it looks like it'll be british owned in a fews weeks time as well. The only parts problems were caused when they ceased their unipart contract and switched over to caterpillar. What exactly do you know about all this are are you just going by what you've read in the gutter press rather than the facts from the people who've worked their and are close to the bids for buying the company. Get a decent argument or shove a cork in it.

 

The cars ARE rolling off the line? News to me. The fact there are some empty sheds full of machines and car parts hardly constitutes 'existence' as a car manufacturer, fool.
I'm going from what I've read on really informative and unbiased (not) sites such as MGR.org as well as some quality sites/periodicals. The information I've gleaned from these sources tell me that to buy any old MGR product now would be an act of utter folly.
That's without even getting into the fact that other than the 75 the products are outdated garbage.

Your straw clutching about Rover opening as a mass market producer is literally only that. Let's wait and see shall we?

In the meantime buy an old MGR product and find parts problems, dealers going bust left right and centre and own a car with an outdated loser image. Nice.

 

Sorry to but in fella's...but,weve experienced problems already on rover parts supplies..
One being a wheel trim for a cityrover..main dealer said they couldnt supply one so customer had to buy a full set from elsewhere(aftermarket).
And another for a steel water pipe on the rear of a rover 111 engine,same story from main dealer..we had to have one fabbed up..
2 local rover dealers gone bump in my local area,in one case it also took a Nissan and Seat dealer with it as they were part of the same group..

Its a sad tale...

 

Most manufacturers Subaru included will have to put certain parts on back order,

Ford motor company do this ever day often placing referral orders from abroad even though Daventry is the largest single Parts distribution warehouse in Europe!



Cat logistics do have I believe the second largest parts distribution warehouse in the UK stocking Rover parts under the Xpart banner and is contracted to do so for a long time to come.



I work closely in this sector and therefore know, not guess, or type aimlessly, that the supply chain for these cars will be around and distributed for a long time to come.



No I would not buy one I don’t like them, however if my daughter could drive I would not hesitate to buy her a MG zr at the prices they are available at.

 

The 25,45 and ZR,ZS yes but I actually liked the 75 and ZT. They were well specced and nice to drive. Didn't do too badly in the JD Power surveys either and most of the mainstream motoring jurno's liked them as well.

Sadly one good large car, that is itself ready for replacement, cannot keep a large scale manufacturer afloat.

On the parts issue, CAT Logistics say they have many years worth of major parts left. Longbridge is still producing some components as other manufacturers use Power Train engines and gearboxes.
A lot of the 75 including the diesel engine was BMW sourced as well.

Seen year old 75's for £6499, a good car for little money if you intend to keep it.

Cheers
Lee

 

I agree with what you say about parts, but that bit ^ strikes me as extremely optimistic. They should have sold to Moulton - at least his promises (to make MG viable as a small volume British manufacturer) were capable of being kept.

What volume car maker would want Longbridge now, even after the taxpayer is forced to foot the MGR pensions bill?

 

Autoexpress were talking about a new Rover 75 and a new Rover 45, the article (i was reading it quick in tescos.......cos it wasnt worth buying) seemed to be suggesting that someone (Japanese Company ?) has bought Rover and is going to recommence producing cars........not sure how much truth there is in it though. But it would be good news for all existing Rover owners if it was true..

Too mnay people here are a bit too quick to start slagging off people who buy a certain car from a certain manufacturer. They are assuming that these people really give a **** about what car they buy, alot of people don't. They look at the price, they look at the model, they like it and so they buy it.

These kind of people are not going into lengthy discussions about the pros amd cons....will they regret it ? well they might do but too assume that they are the lowest scum in society is absolute nonsense.

Everyone pays their money and takes their choice, it doesn't make them any less of a person cos they came to a different conclusion than you did!

 

Most Rovers on the forecourts bark at you when you walk pass LOL

 

Perhaps if you drop the "considerably richer than yow" attitude you'd have some friends?
I'm not sure if you drive a subaru or not, but I'm sure you'd agree they are also driven by some of the lowest in society.

 

Uh-huh not sure how I've got a "considerably richer than yow attitude" but as it happens, I am.

Don't drive a Subaru but yes, I agree they are.

 

i had a ZR160 when these first came out (15k new), i got rid after 6 months as i get fed up with cars easily (32 cars so far).
For the prices you mentioned i'd get 1 if i was looking for that type of car again (i also had a 1.6il R25).
I worked at the local MG/Rover dealership when i bought my cars and in the 10 years i worked ther there weren't any real issues with these cars as with previous models (220 turbos with clutches that lasted 10k, etc), i know the MGs are looking dated but if you see a lot of a certain car don't they all?
If you do get an aftermarket warranty then this should cover you for any problems as it's down to them to source parts,
Insurance wise - why should they be uninsurable just because there not made anymore? does this mean classics can't be insured?
If you buy the car on finance then you can also take out the GAP shortfall insurance

 

How much do you earn and how much invested then?

I'm comfortable with my finances but it wouldn't stop me recommending a 75 to someone. £6k for a nearly new well built comfortable car with all the toys is less than most of the 75's rivals will loose in depreciation over the first few months.
RAC warranties are OK and parts for the 75 shouldn't be a problem as the running gear is still being built by either BMW or Powertrain.

Some people are a bit insecure and have to have a BMW or Merc badge to make them feel good.
If you dont have those insecurities then the 75/ZT is a good buy.

Cheers
Lee

 

Nice one Lee, very well said. I've had 5 Austin/Rover/Mg's over the years (still have a 25 GTi) and when the family comes I'll be looking to replace it with a ZT. Cracking car for not much cash. Mini-Bentley indeed.

I've driven just about all the MG's and Rovers of the last 15 years or so and am very content and happy to buy a car that I like and that suits my needs and not just a car to impress the neighbours/12 year old girls/people at work etc.

 

A BBC news report today stated that Shanghai Motors are about to put in a bid for Rover and plan to re-open Longbridge.

Seems the post on this thread by 'SD' on th 13th July (post no. 11) was'nt too far off the mark.

 

They've been talking to SAIC and Nanjing for years though. Fair play, might happen, and it would be nice if it did, for Rover workers, but if they wanted to buy the company they could have done so at any point over the last year or more.

One reason that might change is if MGR liabilities are taken on by other people, as is happening with the fairly massive pension liabilities, now to be picked up by the Pension Protection Fund. The PPF is funded by a levy on private-sector state schemes, so MGR's pension bill is effectively being met by the rest of the private sector. In most cases the legislation is designed to pick up assets from the owners of the business, but Towers and mates don't seem to have much.

There are good car factories in Britain, so I'm not sure whether to cheer about another attempt to keep one of the less good ones going with more intervention, even if it is less overt than previously.