Volkswagen Golf vs MG 3

What's the difference?

While some Golf enthusiasts will prefer the lighter, more nimble, front-wheel drive GTI, this Golf R is now an even more serious machine. 

It’s a great touring car, super-sharp in the corners and good value in the context of its competitive set. Cars like Toyota’s GR Corolla and Honda’s Civic Type-R are on notice.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Aside from its safety shortcomings and underwhelming powertrain, it’s easy to see why the MG3 has become a successful part of the brand’s line-up. If you’re driving around a rural centre like I was, it makes a lot of sense.

Whether you choose the Excite model, which has a bit more visual pizzazz, or the Core model, which is our pick of the range, the MG3 is well priced, has the media tech buyers are after, is a charming looking thing that comes in a range of great colours, and is smartly packaged, too. 

Thanks to the team at Orange MG for assisting us with this the loan vehicle for this review. Head to Orange MG for more information.

In terms of exterior design, at the front there’s a relatively mild cosmetic makeover with some changes to the headlights and the bumper as well as a horizontal line across the grille, which, along with the VW roundel, is illuminated.

From the side the ride height is 20mm lower, and cosmetically there are matt silver housings on the exterior mirrors, blue calipers behind new design 19-inch rims and in the centre of the wheel there’s an R logo rather than the traditional VW branding.

At the back, you’ve got new customisable LED tail-light clusters with welcome and goodbye effects, which can be programmed via the vehicle settings in the multimedia system, as well as a larger spoiler at the back of the roof on top of the tailgate.

Inside, the ‘big’ change is an appreciably larger central multimedia screen running new program software. It has physical touch bars along its lower edge for audio volume and climate control adjustment.

The driver’s display now includes a G-meter and GPS lap timing. The steering wheel has its own look and feel and the sports seats feature integrated headrests. There are alloy covers on the pedals and ‘Carbon Grey’ decorative inlays around the dash and doors.

It’s a classically restrained and subtly sporty design treatment inside and out.

It’s a fresh looking thing, the MG3. 

From its attractive front-end with “London Eye” LED daytime running lights, its Euro-look angular front bumper and chrome-trimmed grille, and its angular window lines, it really does have a distinct personality.

It looks a lot more modern and enticing than the first version of the MG3 sold here, and I have no doubt that a lot of buyers of the MG3 have been attracted by its sharp styling first and foremost. MG has done a tremendous job of creating a family look - it just happens that the family looks like it has been taking good care of itself, keeping active and trim, too.

The rear end isn’t quite as attractive, with the vertical tail-lights making it seem taller than it is. It’s still a nicely sculpted back-end, though.

On the Core model you’ll get some lower blacked-out design trim bits, and the wheels fitted are 15-inch alloys. 

The Excite model seen here is a little more, dare we say it, exciting to look at. That’s down to its body kit, consisting of lower chrome elements on the front bumper, a set of black side skirts, and a hatch-mounted rear spoiler. You get 16-inch alloy wheels, too. 

In terms of dimensions, it’s closer in size to the Kia Rio than it is the Picanto. With a length of 4055mm (on a long-for-its-size 2520mm wheelbase), a width of 1729mm and height of 1504mm, it’s a pretty chunky little unit. 

It is rather conventional in the way its interior is designed, however - there’s no sliding second row (like the Suzuki Ignis) or flip-folding seats (a la the Honda Jazz). Check out the interior pictures below to see for yourself.

For reference, the Golf R is just under 4.3m long, close to 1.8m wide and a bit less than 1.5m tall with a 2630mm wheelbase. Right in the middle of the medium hatch footprint.

In the front there’s plenty of breathing room for the driver and co-pilot. And in terms of practicality, you’ve got big bins in the doors with room for large bottles. There’s also a box between the seats with a lid that doubles as an armrest, which also adjusts for height and length, which is nice.

If you need more, there are two cupholders in the centre console, one of which is adjustable for smaller cups, plus a long oddments tray as well as a more powerful ventilated wireless device charging tray at the front end of the console.

There’s also a decent glove box and two USB-C ports for power and connectivity.

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position, I have ample headroom, legroom and more than enough foot room.

That said, three abreast for full-size adults would be very squeezy. Even a trio of middle teenagers might find it a bit tight. Best as a two-seater in the rear.

Then for storage, you’ve got big bins with room for bottles. Fold down the armrest and you’ve got not one, not two, but three different size cupholders in it.

There’s a nifty double pocket set-up on the front seatbacks, each just right for a phone or hand-held game console, as well as a more conventional map pocket lower down.

There are individual ventilation outlets as well as climate control for the rear section, plus two USB-C outlets.

With the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright the 8.5 Golf R boasts 341 litres (VDA) of boot volume, which is decent, and that number expands to nearly 1197 litres with the seat down. 

There’s a load-through hatch, tie-down anchors, a 12-volt outlet, multiple bag hooks, specific lighting and storage compartments to the side.

No spare of any description, however, with a repair/inflator kit your only option.

If you’ve owned the same old car for years and you’re setting foot in an MG3 for the first time, you’ll probably feel amazed that you can get an interior with interesting finishes, a high-tech screen and decent materials at this price point.

Earlier versions of the MG3 were nowhere near as good inside as the current model, which has been on sale since 2018. It’s not perfect, but there are plenty of things to like.

The seats offer plenty of adjustment, including a huge amount of height adjustment for shorter drivers. The seat is comfortable, though some drivers might find it hard to get the right position: there is no reach adjustment for the steering wheel (only rake adjust), and you can’t adjust the seatbelt height, either. 

I really like the seat trim which is a broad tartan design (with “synthetic leather” bolsters and contrast stitching in the top-spec Excite), mirrored by an etched tartan aluminium trim piece on the dashboard - it looks really smart, even if my OCD radar was set off by the fact the trim wasn’t aligned to match perfectly between the cushion sections. Take a look at the interior pictures to see what I mean.

There are some really nice elements to the cabin. Things like the 'lock' and 'unlock' button on the driver’s door, which looks like it has been stolen directly from Audi’s parts catalogue. The same can be said for the speedo instrument font. 

There’s no doubt that it’s built to a price, but it doesn’t feel anywhere near as cheap as you might expect. We’ve criticised Audi, VW and Skoda for cutting costs with hard plastic trims on doors and dashboards, and the MG has plenty of hard plastics, too - but it’s expected at this price, not double it.

There’s a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen media system with AM/FM radio and Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, plus USB connectivity and smartphone mirroring - meaning you get Apple CarPlay, essentially negating the need for sat nav if you use an iPhone. You can option a GPS navigation system on the Core model, but satellite navigation comes standard on the Excite. There's no Android Auto mirroring available at all, though.

In previous models from the SAIC stable - including the LDV T60, and MG ZS - I had troubles with the media screen, but the version in the MG3 Excite I drove was quick and problem free, even when disconnecting and reconnecting my phone multiple times. 

There are other little things that could be improved, like the fact the trip meter is difficult to navigate, and there’s no digital speedometer. Also, the digital climate control in the Excite model shows up on the media screen, though by way of a graphic rather than a temperature number. In the base model Core there’s a simpler manual a/c system. 

The steering wheel has a part leather trim with perforated edges which makes it look and feel a little bit sporty – and it has a flat bottom as well, which will appeal to the sporty-minded buyer. There are stereo and cruise control buttons on the wheel, but the stalks behind are “back to front”, with the left stalk for indicators and lights, and the right for wipers. 

As for storage, up front there is a single cup holder between the seats, a couple of small storage sections including a trench for a wallet, and another storage section in front of the gear selector - that’s where the MG3’s single USB port is, too.

The front door storage includes bottle holders, and there are soft padded elbow pads on the front doors - which is more than we can say for some of those aforementioned Euro brands.

With the driver’s seat set in my position (I’m 182cm tall), I had enough back seat space to be comfortable. There was enough knee room and toe room, and reasonable headroom if I sat perfectly still - although the slightest tilt of my head to the outer side of the car saw my noggin contact the headlining. Rear seat comfort is okay - the backrest is a firm, but there’s good visibility out the windows. There are dual ISOFIX child seat anchor points, and three top-tether points for baby seats. 

In the back the storage is minimal. There are two map pockets, but no door pockets, and there’s no flip-down centre armrest with cupholders. But there is one large pocket in front of the middle-seat rear passenger which would do for a bottle. The back seat also misses out on soft elbow pads on the doors. 

Boot space is good for a car in this size segment. You’ll only really do better if you buy a Honda Jazz or Suzuki Baleno, as the MG3 offers a deep and boxy cargo zone, with a cargo capacity of 307 litres to the cargo cover. 

Need more luggage capacity? The back seats fold down in a 60:40 split, alleviating 1081L of space - though the load-through is limited as the seats don’t fold completely flat. Or you could fit a roof rack. 

The success of the MG3 in Australia has been largely driven by its price. 

And no wonder - pricing for cars of this size has increased steadily, and plenty of brands have found their light cars in the "too hard" basket as a result.

But the MG3 is still relatively cheap. Prices have jumped over the time since we drove this particular car, but they're still sub-$20K for all models in the range.

For context, the 2020 model started at just $16,490 drive-away for the Core model and topped out at $18,490 drive-away for the top-spec Excite, and those prices were the RRPs listed on MG’s site at the time.

But now the MG3 has become a bit pricier - the current pricing for the range is up, with the base model Core now $18,490 drive-away, while the Core with Nav model costs $18,990 drive-away, and the top-spec Excite grade is a Macca's meal short of twenty grand at $19,990 drive-away.

Wondering what features you get when it comes to the models in the range? It's pretty simple, so let’s run through what each model gets.

The Core gets 15-inch alloy wheels, cloth tartan finish seat trim, auto on/off halogen headlights with LED daytime running lights, manual air conditioning, electric windows, electric mirrors, and a leather steering wheel with audio and cruise control buttons. There’s a space-saver spare wheel, too.

The media system includes a 8.0-inch touchscreen with USB connectivity, Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto), Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, and AM/FM radio. There’s no CD player, and the Core model gets four speakers. If you're keen on sat nav, you can step up to the Core Nav model, which adds $500 to the bill.
Stepping up to the Excite nets you a few extras like 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels and a body kit, body-coloured mirrors, vanity mirrors in the sun-visors, and synthetic leather trim on the seats with contrast stitching. 

The Excite also includes GPS sat nav as standard, and steps up the sound system to be a six-speaker unit with “Full Vehicle Yamaha 3D Sound Field”.

Interested in the safety spec inclusions? Read the safety section below for what’s included, and what’s missing.

Our friendly MG dealer let me know that he can’t get enough of the Tudor Yellow models, and that colour - as well as Dover White and Pebble Black - are no-cost optional hues. You should bare in mind that Regal Blue metallic, Scottish Silver metallic and Bristol Red metallic (as seen here) will set you back an additional $500. Looking for orange, green or gold paint? Sorry, no can do.

As for accessories, beyond floor mats there’s not a lot to speak of. Oh, and those wishing for a sunroof? No chance… unless you’re handy with a Sawzall. Note: do not cut a hole in the roof of your car. 

While the prices have gone up since we originally published this review, the MG3 still scores strongly for pricing and specs, because the market has moved up, too, and like-for-like it's still cheaper than almost all of its rivals - Picanto excluded.

This updated Golf R is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine VW enthusiasts around the world know by its ‘EA888’ code name.

In this guise it now produces close to 245kW (+10kW) and 420Nm (+20Nm) with the maximum available across a broad plateau from 2100 to 5500rpm.

The 2.0L EA888 features a cast iron block and alloy head, with direct-injection, water-cooled exhaust gas routing to the turbo (in the cylinder head) and variable valve timing with double camshaft control.

Power goes to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and an all-wheel-drive system using a twin-clutch pack to manage front-to-rear drive distribution as well as torque across the rear axle.

Keen to know the engine specs for the MG3? Well, it’s pretty simple on the specifications front.

There’s just one motor available: a 1.5-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine, dubbed NSE Major by MG. 

It has class competitive outputs of 82kW (at 6000rpm) and 150Nm (at 4500rpm). It is only available with a four-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. There’s no manual transmission available anymore - it was available in the earlier MG3s, but no more. 

While some competitors offer higher-powered flagship variants that act as the horsepower hero of the range, there’s no such variant in the MG3 range. Not yet, anyway. For now there’s just one engine size, no turbo, and no diesel or EV models to speak of either.

The tare mass/tare weight for the MG3 hatch is 1170kg, which is a bit heavier than a Mazda 2, but pretty much on par with a Kia Rio. 

Considering a caravan holiday with your new MG3? Maybe think twice - the maximum towing capacity is just 200kg. 

If you’re worried about engine problems, clutch problems, or have questions about the battery, gearbox, or the oil requirements, be sure to stay tuned to our MG problems page. And if you're curious about whether it has a timing chain or timing belt? It's a chain.

VW is proud to point out that thanks to an electronic coolant regulator unit, the Golf R’s 2.0L engine “features very efficient thermal management with a short warm-up phase” which it says reduces friction losses for better fuel consumption.

Its official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel economy figure is 8.3L/100km, which isn’t out of order for a hot rod hatch with this much performance potential.

Over the course of a 200km-plus road drive on the launch program, covering mainly twisting B-road and highway sections, we saw a dash-indicated average of 9.9L/100km.

With a 55-litre tank those figures translate to a theoretical range of around 660km, and a real-world number closer to 550km between fills.

The combined cycle fuel consumption claim - which is what the brand claims the vehicle should use across a mix of driving situations - is the same across the MG3 line-up: 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres.

During my time with the car - which consisted of exactly 100km of mixed driving - I saw an at-the-pump fuel economy return of 7.7L/100km, which is decent.

The fuel tank capacity of the MG3 is 45 litres - meaning a theoretical mileage per tank of about 580km. It runs on regular unleaded (91RON), too.

Just be aware, the filler neck of the fuel tank is a little less angled than some other cars, so you might find it can splash back when it ‘clicks’ the first time.

The Golf R weighs in at 1517kg and Volkswagen says it will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.6sec, which is quick, and the car’s broad torque band makes it super-usable. The maximum 420Nm is available from 2100rpm all the way to 5500rpm. 

A blue ‘R’ button on the steering wheel is your short-cut access point to various modes - ‘Eco’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’, ‘Sport+’ and ‘Race’ - and in the racier settings what VW calls ‘Turbo Pre-load’ steps in. More or less an anti-lag set-up for smoother power delivery.

Even from low revs in a (manually-selected) high gear, squeeze the throttle and it quickly builds up a head of steam. Power delivery is impressively linear.

The transmission is super slick and manual shifts are rapid. Refreshingly, manual mode is exactly what it says on the tin. Select a gear with the wheel-mounted paddles and it will stay in that ratio until the rev limiter makes its stuttering presence felt.

And if you’re going into a corner under brakes just keep the left-hand paddle pulled in and the transmission will automatically cycle down to the lowest ratio available, which is handy if you’ve really got the bit between your teeth.

Even with the standard exhaust, once you’ve dialled up the sporty modes, you get that snap, crackle and pop on full-bore upshifts and on the over-run, which also enhances the experience.

Suspension is by struts at the front and multi-links at the rear, and the ‘Adaptive Chassis Control’ system monitors acceleration, braking and steering to fine-tune the set-up.

We drove on some rough B-road sections, in the wet, and the R remained surprisingly refined. Given how hard it grips and how much it communicates back through the seat of the pants it is a comfortable touring car. It’s like a GT in hatch form, eating up the kilometres without fuss or putting too much stress on the driver.

Worth noting we spent much of our time in ‘Nürburgring’ mode, accessed through the Race menu, which, no surprise, was developed on the famous Nordschleife. It’s tuned to optimise dynamic performance on undulating patchy surfaces and is a superb set-up sweet spot for the road and track.

Progressive ratio steering delivers good road feel without too many jitters coming up to your hands. And turn-in is precise without being jagged. Just point the car and it goes exactly where you want it to.

The drive system splits torque between the front and rear axles and across the rear. If, for example, it senses the car wants to turn more but might push into understeer, it calmly manages drive distribution to keep everything under control.

Tyres are Bridgestone Potenza S005 (235/35) and over even coarse chip surfaces they remain quiet and grip with admirable determination.

Braking is by ventilated discs all around and on twisting backroads we occasionally leant on them hard and they were well up to the task. A firm pedal with progressive application when getting on or easing off the brakes. 

They even stood up to a race circuit pressure test without raising a sweat, because day two of the launch included a track session at Sydney Motorsport Park. And we can confirm the car is properly fast, balanced and predictable in that environment. 

SMP’s dipping, then uphill, off-camber right-hand turn four highlighted the R’s grip and the sophistication of its torque vectoring set-up. We also went sliding on the skid pan in the car’s Drift mode, which biases the rear axle, and is huge fun.  

In terms of lower speed manoeuvring, you’ve got a 12-metre turning circle, which isn’t vast but isn’t tiny, so be ready for that.  

You’ve also got a 360-degree overhead view, which is very handy in tight spots. And if you want some extra support, ‘Park Assist Plus’ will help you slot the car into the space you’re aiming for.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, the sports front seats deliver solid lateral support yet remain comfortable over long periods behind the wheel.

Speaking of the wheel, it’s just the right thickness, with perforated leather at the quarter-to-three positions helping with that lovely connection to the front tyres.

As well, from an ergonomic point-of-view, working through the central multimedia screen and driver’s display is straight-forward, with the latter able to be configured via the steering wheel. 

You might think of MG as a sports car brand - that’s what they built back in history, after all, and those are the reminiscences the company is hoping you’ll have when you see the famed octagonal badge.

And of the current crop of models that MG sells in Australia, the MG3 is undoubtedly the sportiest. 

That comes down to its driving manners, steering and ride - but not the engine and transmission.

The powertrain feels to be lacking enough power and torque to make it feel light and zippy when accelerating. The automatic transmission doesn’t make the greatest use of the engine, and can be indecisive when climbing hills or when you ask more of the car. Oh, don’t even think about a 0-100 performance claim - no such number exists.

In urban driving at lower speeds it’s fine. Between traffic lights and encountering roundabouts, and there’s not much to complain about. It doesn’t have any lag or lurch from a standstill, and is smooth and quick enough to get away from rest, too.

It’s just once you start to ask more of the engine and transmission that you notice that things could be better. There is, at least, a manual shift mode for the transmission to allow you to take control of the shifts, and there’s a sport mode too, which will hang on to gears and quell the indecision of the transmission to a degree.

On the open road it gets along fine, sitting at the speed limit without much fuss - although once you encounter a hill, you will notice the speed drop off a little. And the cruise control seemingly has a bit of a mind of its own, with a set speed displayed at 100km/h, I noticed the speed varying between 90km/h and 110km/h, depending on the terrain.

It’s the road holding, grip, handling and steering that help it live up to the badge, with steering that has a nice hefty weight to it and good directness at pace or around town. It even offers a little bit of feel through the wheel, which is welcome. That grip was surprising given the tyres fitted to the Excite’s 16-inch alloy wheels (Giti GitiComfort 228 tyres in 195/55/16 size).

The ride is tuned with a firmer character to it than you might expect. It’s not to the point of discomfort, and nor is it fidgety or clumsy over potholes or sharp edges. And that tune for the Macpherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension means that it feels plenty grippy in corners. Over my drive loop - incorporating sweeping bends and tighter twists - the MG3 stuck itself to the road commendably, with no noticeable skittishness to speak of. 

Indeed, I kept thinking that the suspension tune reminded me of a VW, Skoda or Audi city car - assured, confident, and ultimately a bit of fun.

The braking performance was good, too - it pulled up true and straight under heavy braking, and offered decent response at city speeds, too.

One minor criticism was some noticeable wind noise from around the windscreen pillar / mirror area, which was evident at speeds from 70km/h up.

Safety technology is the MG3’s biggest shortfall. There’s no ANCAP crash test safety rating to speak of, and the MG3 doesn’t come with any form of auto emergency braking (AEB), which is disappointing given the tech has been available on affordable city cars since 2013 (the VW up! was an early benchmark). 

Even the facelifted Mitsubishi Mirage has AEB with pedestrian detection, but the MG3 doesn’t. Nor does it come with lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert or rear AEB.

So what do you get? The range comes standard with a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, and six airbags (dual front, front side, full-length curtain). And that may be enough for you, but we know you can get more safety tech in rival cars, so it can’t score well against this criteria.

Where is the MG3 built? It’s made in China. 

The Golf R is covered by Volkswagen Australia’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is a match for most mainstream brands, although an increasing number are nudging up to seven and even 10 years.

There’s also a 12-year corrosion perforation warranty, which is a plus, and the recommended maintenance interval is 12 months/15,000km with ‘Assured Service’ pricing averaging $840 per workshop visit over the first five years.

Three- or five-year pre-paid ‘Care Plans’ reduce that number, with the latter working out to an average of $658 per service. Far from over the top for a performance hatch like this one.

I kept thinking about one particular thing over my time in the MG3 - the warranty. It’s such a great peace of mind move from the company to back its cars with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan. 

If your brain works like mine, you could calculate it out and see the purchase of the MG3 completely differently: what about thinking of it as a $2500-ish-per-year investment, and at the end you get a free car…! The same can be said of the Kia Picanto and Rio, though.

That warranty should put your mind at ease when it comes to reliability, problems, common faults and issues, as any required fixes are set to be covered by the brand over that period. And buyers get seven years of roadside assistance included, too.

Maintenance is required every 12 months/10,000km, whichever comes first. That’s a bit more regular than some rivals (most have 15,000km intervals), but the brand backs its cars with a seven-year fixed service cost plan. Servicing costs averaged out over the first seven years/70,000km of ownership equate to $382 per visit (before GST), which isn't cheap, but nor is it expensive.

Here's a rundown of the recommended service costing (all prices pre-GST): 12 months/10,000km: $231.76; 24 months/20,000km: $385.23; 36 months/30,000km - $379.72; 48 months/40,000km - $680.74; 60 months/50,000km - $231.76; 72 months/60,000km - $533.19; 84 months/70,000km - $231.76.

Keep the service logbook stamps up to date in your owners manual - it’s a ticket to better resale value.