Lexus Lm500H vs MG MG3

What's the difference?

The Lexus LM 500h is luxurious, comfortable, practical, easy to drive and expensive. While it may appear to be the ultimate family car, with only four seats it's limited in terms of how many kids and their friends you can carry. On top of that, the privacy screen introduces accessibility issues to the kids you wouldn't encounter on other vehicles. If you are thinking of a Lexus people mover as your next family car I'd suggest looking at the LM 350h which has seven seats and no privacy screen. If you’re looking at a business class executive van the LM 500h would be perfect. 

The MG3 still makes a strong argument for a low-cost, low-fuss option just like the models it now beats on price (Yaris, Mazda2, etc) used to.

While it also falls short in some areas like dynamics when pushed, the improvements to interior tech and comfort mean the MG3 should be considered if you're looking for a city runabout.

However, with the MG3’s price jump, rivals from Japanese and Korean brands are closer in cost than they were for the sub-$20K first-gen MG3, and their ability to handle Australia’s conditions outside the city mean they’ll prove a more useful long-term companion for many.

The MG3 nails its brief as a convincing option for first-car buyers or as a second runabout when there’s another option for long trips. It has taken a big step up from the ‘budget-friendly’ vibe of the original.

The LM 500h doesn't look real. More like a concept vehicle with its vertical face wearing that enormous grille. Feels like if you watched it for long enough you’d catch it transforming into some kind of robot. Yet, at the same time its styling is elegant and prestigious.

I have a confession to make. I used this Lexus as my office. Its interior is that comfortable and spacious. I'm also a parent and there were times where it was the quietest place to get some work done.

It also let me observe people's reactions as they walked past with their dogs not knowing what was going on inside behind those tinted windows. The people that noticed were clearly car enthusiasts as they knew what they were looking at and couldn't pass without gaping it awe.

The LM 500h’s interior is superbly plush with thick carpets, beautiful copper metallic trim and nappa leather seats.

As I’ve said, the cockpit up front is less luxurious than the extravagant first class section in the back behind that dividing wall.

And yes, I’ve seen large screens before but nothing that stretches the width of the vehicle.

Following the new design language pioneered here by the MG5 sedan and MG4 electric hatch, the MG3 looks like it’s trying for a sportier vibe than its predecessor, and maybe even a hint of European flair.

A grinning front grille and pointed set of headlights are followed around the side by a couple of body creases that give the hatchback a sweeping look, an attempt perhaps to seem longer than it is.

It doesn’t look like any of its rivals, unlike the MG5 which is easily mistaken for a small Mercedes CLA at glance.

Here on our Dover White test car, some angles are unflattering (it's giving 'hire car'), though the model’s available Diamond Red or Brighton Blue are fairly distinctive. Yes, some of the colours reference the brand’s UK heritage, despite being built in China.

Inside, the cabin benefits from a fairly tidy layout, with some genuinely thoughtful attempts at making the otherwise budget-focused model feel a little nice. A cross-hatch design through the dash mirrors, the seat stitching and the steering wheel and its buttons are nicely angular.

You might be able to take Lexus out of Toyota but it's very hard to take Toyota out of Lexus and this particularly applies to the practicality of the LM 500h.

Every day I discovered new compartments, tray tables and storage areas. There are so many cabinets, lockers and hidey holes that we almost left my belongings (an entire family of plushie toy capybaras) behind because there are so many places to check.

Of course, I'm talking about the rear compartment here because up front there's not much storage. In fact, it proved to be quite a problem in that I had nowhere to put my bag with somebody sitting next to me and no area behind the front seats to stow it, either.

Talking of seats, the LM 500h only has four of them, with two up front and two in the rear. Up front, the seats are supportive and large, but the rear seats - those are, well... have a look at the images.

We’re talking two large captain's chairs that look as though they’ve been removed from the first class section of a plane.

And while this might be suitable for businesses shuttling a couple of executives to and from meetings, for a family, even with two children, the extra couple of seats a third row offers would come in handy.

The LM 350h has seven seats over three rows and no privacy screen. A far better choice for families.

For device charging there are USB ports up front and in the rear. There are wireless phone chargers for those in the back seats but not up front.

The LM 500h has a cargo capacity of 752 litres with all seats in place.

That tidy design inside helps when it comes to making use of the space, as well as offering some generous storage spaces.

For starters, while the clean layout means the screen looks like the main point of access for much of the car’s function, there’s an all-important shortcut button for the climate control which means you don't waste time navigating to the vent and temperature controls.

The only issue is that while my phone was connected to the system for Android Auto, I had to navigate away from the mirroring screen back to the MG3’s home screen before being able to shortcut to the climate settings.

Demister and volume control buttons are also present, but the screen itself has an easy-to-navigate menu.

The steering wheel controls are similarly straightforward and clearly labelled, while the driver display is tidy and shows important information clearly.

While the steering wheel isn’t telescopically adjustable, it's easy to find a comfortable seating position thanks to the adjustability of the seats. The material on the seats doesn't feel rough or cheap.

Behind that, there is enough space for my 178cm frame in the second row for the most part, but headroom isn’t incredibly generous.

The rear pew is a single unit, rather than a 60/40 split, so the whole backrest folds down if you need to load anything long through the boot. There’s not even an armrest or little ski hatch for long, thin items.

Its 293-litre boot isn’t small, and there’s a space-saver spare tyre in both petrol variants, but the hybrids are stuck with repair kits.

Even though it’s now more expensive with its $23,990 before on-roads price, it’s hard to deny the petrol-only MG3 Excite is a compelling offering when it comes to inexpensive runabouts.

Not only has the price been bumped up, but so has the apparent interior quality and features list.

A new 13.25-inch multimedia touchscreen is paired with a 7.0-inch driver display and both look pretty slick for the price point and operate well. 

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available, but are wired only and can’t be accessed with a Bluetooth connection, while a six-speaker sound system handles entertainment duties.

In terms of seating and material, the Excite gets cloth pews with some contrast stitching.

On the outside, folding mirrors and a set of 16-inch alloy wheels join the new MG3’s design, while this base model Excite is left with halogen headlights like it’s 2015. 

The Essence scores a set of LED units and is otherwise distinguishable by its sunroof, though it shares the same wheels as our base car, so it won’t feel like you’re missing out on heaps.

The LM 500h is a petrol-electric hybrid with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which makes 202kW/460Nm and works in concert with two electric motors.

The front motor makes 64kW/292Nm and the rear makes 76kW/169Nm. The combined maximum power output of the two motors and the petrol engine is 273kW.

The LM 500h is all wheel-drive and has a six-speed automatic transmission.

On paper, the MG3’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine is fairly underwhelming with its 81kW (peaking at 6000rpm) and 142Nm (at 4500rpm).

But these figures, including the engine size and even peak RPMs are not far off the likes of the Mazda2, which is a fairly peppy and fun car despite its lack of grunt.

Keen drivers will, however, be disappointed to hear the MG3 drives the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) rather than a traditional torque-converter auto, taking much of the pep out of its power unit.

You can expect to hit 100km/h in a bit over 10 seconds.

Lexus says after a combination of urban and open roads the LM 500h should use 6.6L/100km. In our own testing we found consumption was higher at 9.4L/100km.

Worth noting my driving environment was mainly a hilly suburban one filled with school drop offs. Achieved some personal bests this week, with one long run to Sydney’s outskirts, only to return in nightmarish peak hour traffic.

Premium (95 RON) fuel is required and the tank size is 60 litres. In theory the driving range is a smidge more than 900km, which drops to around 640km using our real-world average.

MG claims the MG3 uses just 6.0 litres of 91 RON petrol every 100km on the combined fuel cycle, so with its 45-litre tank you can hypothetically bank on a 750km range.

Of course, that might be achievable in lab conditions, but on test we found the trip computer’s estimates looking closer to 500km on a tank for the kind of urban driving it was undertaking with us.

On a dynamic test drive route, the trip computer settled at a displayed consumption figure of 7.7L/100km, but stop-start driving was not great for efficiency, as you'd expect.

Quite simply, driving the LM 500h is like piloting a limousine on stilts. Superbly comfortable, but with an elevated driving position that offers outstanding forward and side visibility, the LM 500h is an easy vehicle to drive for long periods of time.

A digital rear vision mirror means visibility behind is good and unobstructed by the privacy screen or the seats.

The drawbacks are down to the lack of space up front, with the driver’s chair limited in its ability to recline or slide back due to the bulkhead behind it.

And that's compounded by the lack of cabin storage for bags if the front passenger seat is taken.

As for the rear passengers there aren't many people movers offering this level of comfort, except perhaps the Zeekr 009.

Variable suspension that adjusts continuously keeps the vehicle composed and provides a high level of comfort for those in the rear. At the same time, the LM stays nice and flat through roundabouts while remaining civilised over speed bumps.

And then there's the acceleration, which, while not supercar-like is incredibly brisk for a van. The all-wheel drive system provides outstanding traction in wet and slippery conditions, too. 

Our family used the LM daily for everything from school runs to shopping trips and weekends away and not only was it fun to drive, our lucky rear passengers enjoyed sitting high and being able to see clearly out their windows along with the luxury of a giant movie screen.

The higher quality look and feel of the new MG3 carries through to its day-to-day driving. Some of the car’s Chinese compatriots seem to fall down when it comes to the on-road part, which for some is the most important part of a car.

But for a small city car the MG3 is very user friendly, with light and direct steering, good visibility, and just enough power and torque to not feel like everyone’s getting the green light a couple of seconds earlier than you.

It’s comfortable at urban speeds when it comes to the suspension, and doesn't get rattled too much in the front end by tram tracks or other road imperfections.

In narrow streets, three-point turns aren’t a hassle and the car’s size means it’s easy to reverse parallel park, although the reversing camera takes a second to appear when using phone mirroring.

On the highway, however, and when it comes to high-speed cornering, the MG3 can feel a little uneasy.

The road noise becomes more and more obvious. Driving on well-maintained metro freeways at around 80km/h or above produces unpleasant noise, and a during a particularly breezy week the car felt susceptible to swaying in high wind.

Its power delivery starts to feel lacking out of town, too, and taking corners on fast back roads means plenty of slowing down to avoid the front-end sliding or the feeling of the MG3 leaning unsettlingly around corners.

If you’re considering the MG3 but you need to head out of town regularly, take a proper long test drive before opening your wallet.

But if you just need it as an urban runabout, the MG3 does a fine job.

ANCAP hasn’t tested the MG3 yet, so there’s no crash safety information available. It’s worth noting ANCAP gave the MG5 a zero star score for its lack of active safety equipment, but the MG3 comes with more under its belt than its sedan stablemate.

Six airbags, two front, two side and two curtain, are joined by adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic assist, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and speed limit assist.

None of these systems were intrusive on test, though lane-keep assist feels like it could do with some more fine tuning.

Lexus covers the LM 500h with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. 

The Lexus Encore Platinum program is complimentary for LM owners for three years, providing 24-hour roadside assist, a loan vehicle or pick-up/return service at service time, 'On Demand' vehicle evaluation options, valet and airport parking benefits as well as exclusive offers and event opportunities.

Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000 kilometres, and impressively, pricing is capped at $695 per service over five years.

MG has a 10-year/250,000km warranty which is unmatched in the small-car market.

Servicing is scheduled at every 10,000km or 12-month intervals, with the first seven services averaging out at a fairly hefty $360 - the cheapest being $234 and the priciest $536.