So I thought after 2 days I better write up a proper appraisal of the new beast.
I'm well impressed with it. The quality of finish is not quite up with the VAG output of the same vintage with regards to plastic quality. The upper stuff and leather is all soft touch and really nice, all the cup holders and cubby holes feel good when shut but when you open them, although they are well damped you can feel the plastic behind it all is a bit flimsy. That said, it wears it's mileage and it's age much better than my Dad's old Boras, nothing looks worn out or gone shiny despite the 9 years and 111K. The only real wear shows on the seats where the alcantara has ruffled up somewhat. The doors, boot and bonnet all shut with a germanic thunk as well and there is not one single rattle or squeak from the interior. The seats are really comfortable, supportive and keep you planted when you chuck it about. The driving position is also excellent and the interior space is well thought out and HUGE!
Driving it is an eye opening experience as it is rather a large beast, biggest car I have ever owned including the old VW T25 van. Out on the road it's 135bhp is not a lot when it's hauling around 1500kgs of car but the torque is enough to make reasonable progress. By modern standards for a 2.0 diesel it's quite slow but it is very refined and surprisingly quite (Which reminds mine, road and engine noise in the cabin is almost non existent). Gear shift feels a little vague compared to the mx5 but that's hardly surprising. The steering is really sharp and there is surprisng amounts of feedback when pushing on, but feels stable and planted at speed on the motorway. This leads me nicely onto the suspension and handling. This is where I am most impressed. It rides undulations brilliantly and while it does feel 'sporty' and a little stiff it's not harsh or crashy. When throwing through a series of tight bends it feels nimble, well planted and like it wants you to push a bit harder, it's handling is really impressive for it's size and weight. Then when you're cruising along the motorway it'll happily waft along in the fast lane at speed quitely and sedately with the minimum of fuss.
When I decided to buy one of these it was because they are cheap and ticked all the boxes for what I need from a daily for work. I've been genuinely surprised at how good a car it is to drive and how well screwed together it is. It seems a shame that MGR's demise came at a time when it was building probably the best car it ever had. Having driven Passats and Golfs of a similar age, I have to say I would choose one of these over the equivalent VAG offering even if money was no object. It's that good!
The only downside is the constant ribbing about MGR going bust and the inevitable Head gasket comments. A small price to pay.
Nick
