I regulary enjoy reading this....

[arwilson80]

put's a smile on my face every time.


MG ZS 180
Rating: 4/5

Can MG Rover transform the pipe-and-slippers 45 into a genuine road-burner? Prepare to be surprised
By Jethro Bovingdon March 2002



Stop sniggering. Okay, I'll give you a couple of minutes to calm down. It took me a while to take the ZS 180 seriously, too. I know what you're thinking: 'MG has stuck an Impreza-style wing on the back of a Rover 45 and is going to try and sell it as a performance car. It must be awful. And what the hell is evo doing featuring such a badge-engineered mess?' Am I right? Thought so. You see, that's the essence of MG's problem. If enthusiasts like you and me won't give them a fair hearing, who will?

Rover's pipe-and-slippers image is a real hurdle to MG's success. That's why MG is planning to go Touring Car racing with a derivative of the 45 and why this, the fastest road-going version, wears that high-rise rear spoiler.

Of all the cars MG engineers had to work with, the 45 seemed least likely to morph into a convincing sporting car. Its reputation for doddering owners and blue-rinse passengers is deeply ingrained. Would you fancy pulling up to your mate's house in a 45? Didn't think so. But - and there is a but - look a bit closer and you'll discover that the idea of a fun-to-drive MG based on the 45 isn't so implausible.

Under the pensionable exterior lies double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear set-up. MG has fitted springs that are 20mm lower and much stiffer; 66 per cent stiffer at the front and 78 per cent at the rear. Trick dual-valve dampers ensure body-control remains tight without destroying the ride quality, while the suspension bushing has been beefed-up and an anti-roll bar now ties the rear-end down. Impressive stuff.

The steering has also been heavily revised with a quicker-ratio rack and, in an effort to improve feel, has been revalved too. Grip shouldn't be a problem. The substantial 17in alloys are shod with 205/45 Michelin Pilot Sports.

The ZS 180 moniker is a little misleading, as with 175bhp it's a few ponies short. Mind you, that's a healthy output and mere figures can't convey the manner in which the 2.5-litre KV6 produces its power. It spins keenly right up to the 6750rpm limiter and emits a lovely hard-edged shriek that no four-cylinder rival can emulate. Low-down torque isn't great, but over 4500rpm the ZS really flies and throttle response is excellent. The short-throw gearchange helps, encouraging you to keep the engine on the boil with its snickety, positive action. MG claims 0-60mph in 7.3secs and a top speed of 139mph; both of which are entirely believable.

Traction is superb. Even in torrential rain on mountain roads around Cardiff the ZS has no trouble transmitting its considerable power through its sticky front Michelins. Over-enthusiastic entry speeds see the front-end wash-out but understeer is never sudden or irretrievable. A sharp lift of the throttle will bring the rear into play but in the dry I'm sure it would take real determination to unstick the tail. MG has provided brakes that are well up to the job, too - huge 282mm discs up front and 260mm discs astern - which should ensure that fade is never a problem on the road.

Over a challenging stretch of black-top the ZS's combination of keen steering, fine body control, stonking acceleration and well-judged damping would surprise a few established evo favourites. Turn-in is incisive and confidence inspiring, fast corners reveal a neutral balance, and mid-corner bumps fail to find holes in the ZS 180's thoroughly well-sorted chassis. Although never as involving as a 306 GTI-6, it remains faithful and fun.

Unfortunately I have a feeling that not many people are going to discover what a surprisingly good package the ZS 180 is. While big wings, showy alloys and mesh grilles may appeal to a certain audience, I suspect that those with over ΂£16,000 to spend like a bit more subtlety.

The cabin's none too convincing either. The silver-grey dials and metal-effect panels on the dash and doors do little to hide the old-fashioned architecture of the cabin. The stalks look and feel like an '80s Honda's, the doors lack the reassuring thud you expect and the driving position is far from ideal. Not even the supportive sports seats, splashed with dubious red panels on our test car, compensate for the perched driving position.

MG has done a great job of turning the cooking 45 into a car capable of attacking B-roads with real enthusiasm. But at ΂£16,395 for the saloon (΂£15,595 for the five-door hatch), it faces stiff competition. The similarly powerful SEAT Leon Cupra costs ΂£14,995 and has a classier cabin, while the Golf GTI lacks a bit of poke but has a cast-iron reputation. The ZS deserves to do well, but the odds are stacked against it.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evoc...mg_zs_180.html

[R8NMG]

That review is pretty much the same as other reviews I have seen. I also like to see 4/5 rating for handling in the other reviews. But the overall score is always let down by the interior and other bits.

[Venom]

Thats a bloody good read there, I've never seen it before and it did bring a smile to my face too.

[Southern Storm]

Never seen it either thanks man.

[Smokey]

yeah good review... should have shown them a mk2 with my silver interior...a touch more modern!

[shroonie29]

Originally Posted by Smokey

yeah good review... should have shown them a mk2 with my silver interior...a touch more modern!

After a lifespan of 13 years, you'd expect the Rover 45-cum-MG ZS to be long past its sell-by date.

Although the Rover 400 - as it was called then - was launched in early 1995, it was actually based on the Honda Civic five-door. And the Civic was, in turn, based on the 1991 Domani, a lacklustre Japanese-market saloon. Yet there is a benefit to using a Honda platform, however ancient. The double wishbone front suspension is still a sophisticated solution and well suited to an outright sporting car.

What really makes the ZS stand out is its V6 engine in a class of four-pot rivals. The 2.5-litre KV6 is exceptionally smooth and has real verve in the higher rev ranges. The ZS's comparatively low weight also means that it doesn't feel too bogged down in the lower arc of the rev counter (a problem in the heavier ZT). And with revs it really does fly, seeming to come alive at 4000rpm. There's real joy to be had extending it to its 6750rpm limit. There's serenity about the ZS under full-bore running.

Overall, the ZS180 is a very neat and tidy handler. The body is kept well in check and bumps smothered with some aplomb at fast B-road speeds. It feels very quick on the motorway and on fast A-roads; even at high speed the whole car feels very steady and assured. Bizarrely, the ZS also manages to feel genuinely fast at just 70mph, sadly often not the case in many more modern cars. At low speeds and on broken urban roads, there's a fair amount of chop-chop-bang from the 17in alloys. But overall the ride and handling compromise is impressive and MG has managed to keep the tyre noise down.

The steering is very nicely weighted and geared and seems especially intuitive at very low speeds in tight bends. The front end bites into corners with some enthusiasm (and has a particularly satisfying turn-in on flying corners) and the whole car responds especially well to the classic front-drive technique of using acceleration to pull the car through and around bends.

Overall, the balance of the ZS is not exactly 'snappy' but has a more mature, steady gait even when pushing quite hard. Even so, the ZS is very satisfying for back-country dashes, as I discovered on the northern Hertfordshire lanes - the same demanding roads used by Ford's chassis development teams.

Downsides? The brakes could use more bite and feedback through the pedal. Although the car will stop perfectly well (the ZS 180 has larger discs - 282mm at the front and 260mm at the rear) it's quite hard for the driver to tell exactly at what point the maximum retardation is about to cut in. The gearchange is confident and swift enough, but it needs a determined hand and a fully depressed clutch for a clean shift. The ZS180 also gets a stack of sports gear ratios and the gearshift has modified linkages for a shorter throw.

Decent driving position too, with impressive part-leather sports seats from the MG ZT. As part of the recent facelift of the range, MGR modified the ancient dash with modish circular vents and a new centre console and switchgear. I was surprised how acceptable the interior was. It's low-key, it didn't rattle and it's of perfectly decent build quality.
Incidentally, I'd recommend the saloon version of the ZS for a keen driver. An appreciably stiffer body means crisper handling and a better ride. It also looks better and has much greater carrying capacity than the hatchback.

The new body kit (standard on the 180 and a good value ΂£895 option on the smaller-engined ZS models) really lifts the familiar 45/ZS shape. Perhaps the new headlamps look a bit too 3-series derived and the grille surround a bit 'stuck-on', but to my eyes this is quite a crisp, even modern-looking car. The cherry on the styling cake has to be those distinctive front wing vents: what a pity that they're blanked-off fakes.

Contrary to expectation, this really is an impressive and satisfying driver's car. But ΂£17,295 makes it more expensive than a Focus ST170, costlier than a Civic Type-R and the thick-end of ΂£2K more expensive than a Seat Leon Cupra 180. Even with a V6 engine as its USP, the ZS is too expensive - but with a hefty discount it is genuinely worthy of consideration. Try it.

More MG ZS 180:

[arwilson80]

Originally Posted by Smokey

yeah good review... should have shown them a mk2 with my silver interior...a touch more modern!

But in March 2002 your car wouldn't have been about. The MKII didn't come in until June '04.

[Smokey]

point taken!...it would still make good comparison with a mk2 standard interior but then I did it so am bias!