AT under £10,000, even for the top of the range model, the all-new MG3 promises value with added fun. But does it come at the expense of quality?

On the road: MG may have arrived at the supermini party to find just an untouched bottle of Blue Nun, but to some it’s an achievement that it got there at all. The 3, which comes on the coat tails of the MG6 hatchback, is a distinctive looking little car with a plethora of personalisation possibilities. Comparing its with one of its key rivals, the Dacia Sandero, is like comparing night and day. It has the cheeky looks that the sector demands and, from a distance at least, looks more than the sum of its parts. Sticking with the positives, with its wheels-at-all-four corners stance, it grips well and does engage the driver to a degree. The downside is what lies beneath the bonnet. It’s not a small engine, at 1.5 litres, but it does feel like it’s partial to the odd Benson and Hedges. You have to work it really hard to make any kind of meaningful progress and doing so inevitably increases cabin noise. Overtaking can be achieved, but you do need to give fair warning. Mention should also be made of the steering, which is rather numb.

On the inside: MG has done well on a limited budget with the interior. If it sounds like damning with faint praise, then I apologise. But it’s obvious they haven’t given those tasked with putting design into reality a free hand. Black is the colour of choice, but where possible it is broken up by red outlines or silver detailing. There’s little to confuse the driver when it comes to knobs and buttons, they are all pretty uniform and do exactly what you think they might. There’s a nice symmetry to the layout and, overall, it’s not the coffin that some budget cars offer.

The Northern Echo:

What do you get: THERE are four cars in the line-up and all offer decent bang for your buck. The entry level 3Time costs £8,399 and comes with a CD player with MP3 compatibility, electric windows front and rear. It might not sound a lot, but if it’s a car to get you from A to B then what else do you need? The mid-range 3Form costs £9,299 and adds air conditioning, DAB radio, Bluetooth and audio streaming, leather steering wheel and stitching and steering wheel mounted controls. The top of the range 3Style model is shod with 16ins alloys and has a sports styling pack that includes rear boot spoiler and side sill extensions. Additionally, there’s cruise control, automatic lights and wipers and reversing sensors.

The Northern Echo:

How practical is it: THE MG3 is surprisingly spacious. Up front you can sit well away from the steering column without impinging on the room in the rear and two adults can sit in comfort in the back with little fear of their head brushing the roof. Our family make-up of three kids also found it to their liking. The boot isn’t massive at 285 litres but it’s more than a match for the competition. Dispensing with the space saver tyre helps and dropping the seats is easy if you need more space. They don’t fold completely flat, but it’s not really an issue. In addition, there are also plenty of little cubbies to keep life’s little trinkets in.

The Northern Echo:

Running costs: OWNERSHIP offers pluses and minuses. It’s cheap to buy and cheap to insure, but fuel economy, despite the car’s size, isn’t great and emissions are relatively high. MG says around 49mpg should be achievable on the combined cycle but we managed rather less at 36.1mpg. CO2 is 136 g/km. On top of that there’s also depreciation to be taken into account.

Verdict: THE MG3 isn’t a bad car and it will appeal to the cost conscious. My advice, go for the range topper, it will make the necessary compromises easier to swallow.

Alternatives: Skoda Citigo, Dacia Sandero