75ZT Community

Hi,

I find myself between cars and seriously considering an MG ZT next. Not quite extreme opposites (though nearly!) I am torn between a 190+ and a CDTi. Having owned mainly Rovers before my recently written off Jaguar XJ6, I know little about either.

Any help with what to watch out for will be gratefully received. Is there a buyer's guide anywhere online?

Craig wrote:Hi,

I find myself between cars and seriously considering an MG ZT next. Not quite extreme opposites (though nearly!) I am torn between a 190+ and a CDTi. Having owned mainly Rovers before my recently written off Jaguar XJ6, I know little about either.

Any help with what to watch out for will be gratefully received. Is there a buyer's guide anywhere online?

this is a simpler choice than you may think. what do ypu really want, economy or performance? now dint get me wrong, the diesels with a few mods are pretty nippy, but the 190 may just have the edge

as for living with one, there are a couple of factors to consider:

diesels will have cheaper tax, especially next year if the tax goes up
diesels will probably be cheaper on isurance
diesels are cheaper to run

but in favour of the petrol, you soon be grinning when you plant your foot on the loud pedal when you hear the noise from the very good v6.

in terms of reliability, both have their problems, but generally are easy enough to fix. big costs tend to be the timing belts on the 190, and turbos on the diesel, but both are generally very reliable. one thing to watch out for are clutches, so if it hasnt been done, and the car has 80/90k, it may be due one...

have you got any in mind?

Thanks Reece.

On the one hand, the excellent fuel economy of the diesel engine really appeals - whatever I buy will be my daily driver and I often drive from London to South Wales to see family. It is hard not to be tempted by lower running costs.

On the other ... well, the performance of the 2.5 KV6 and associated fun factor! Mind you, even the 190 will undoubtedly be an improvement over my Jag. I was accustomed to seeing 16mpg around town in that beast.

As far as VED goes, what might happen there is a slight concern. But another on my list of possible next cars is 2.0 V6 Jaguar X-Type, which is in the same emissions band (K).

I have seen a few 190s advertised as having recently had the cam belt changed. One of them mentions a clutch that has 'seems a little heavy' after the car has been unused for several weeks. Might this be a sign of impending failure? The car in question is on eBay, here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2002-MG-ZT-190-ST ... 0590122868

price wise its probably worth a punt. as for the clutch, obviously no one could say without trying it. a new seat or repair would be one of the first things on the list though. hard to tell condition by the pictures but looks good.
and economy isnt too bad, i can get 37mpg on the motorway, so i would expect a little less form the mg, but dont expect much round town. the best advice i can give it=s try a couple of each, even if you know you dont want to buy it. that way, you will get an idea of any problems or niggles you want to avoid

Remember also that the diesel ZT's are much more expensive to buy, usually about £1000 more for the same plate ans spec. Despite what some may say the 190 can be quite economical. I too have seen 37 mpg on good runs and have never had much below 30 out of all 3 ZT's.

Thanks Richard.

My thinking is that a 190 cannot possibly be thirstier around town than a Jaguar XJ6 3.2 straight 6.

What are your experiences?

Also, would you automatically be concerned about the 'heavy' clutch described in the eBay listing above?

My 190 according to the enthusiastic MPG gauge on the ipk tells me i get 28MPG running around town.

on a run down to Portsmouth from Glasgow it returned 37 MPG from a brim to brim test...

Martin

28mpg? Even an optimistic reading of 28mpg is a lot better than a reading of 16 from the the Jag!

yep thats true mate....although thats been my worst it normally sits at 31mpg on my 7 mile run to work in the morning.

Martin

I do an 8 mile each way commute every day and I don't get less than 30 for that out of the 190.

I have to say 30 or near 30 is pretty impressive for around town driving. I expected low 20s at best.

So, let's say I was going to looking at and test a ZT 190+. What would you all say should be on my car/model specific check-list?

So far I have:
Recent clutch if mileage near or above 80k
Recent cam belt change

Yes, check for whether cambelt and associated tensioners have been changed at 6 years or 90,000 miles. Also, ask if the water pump was replaced at the same time. Clutches should last longer than 80k, mine has 80k and the clutch is fine.

Whilst on the test drive, give the car a bit of welly at around the 3,000 rev mark. There should be a noticeable surge of power from 3,500/4,000 revs upwards. If not, there may be a problem with the VIS (Variable Intake System) valves/motor.

Hope this helps.

It helps, Richard. Thank you.

Updated check-list:

History
Cam belt, water pump + ancillaries circa 90,000 miles/6 years
Recent clutch - not essential, but a nice bonus

During test drive
VIS valve/motor check (power surge between 3500 and 4500 rpm)

Any known weak spots, in terms of bodywork, electrics, suspension?

Craig wrote:It helps, Richard. Thank you.

Updated check-list:

History
Cam belt, water pump + ancillaries circa 90,000 miles/6 years
Recent clutch - not essential, but a nice bonus

During test drive
VIS valve/motor check (power surge between 3500 and 4500 rpm)

Any known weak spots, in terms of bodywork, electrics, suspension?

Told you there would be a wealth of info here didn't I Craig

PS, if you want a TOTALLY UNBIASED view of the diesel, ask me

Nice to see you here.

raistlin wrote:Told you there would be a wealth of info here didn't I Craig

PS, if you want a TOTALLY UNBIASED view of the diesel, ask me

Nice to see you here.

You did, Paul.

Unbiased ... diesel ... you? Does not compute!

On a serious note, though the budget probably would allow me to get a ZT CDTi, there'd be nothing left afterwards. My concern is that I'd soon be frustrated by the performance drop.

Is it expensive to up the power level to around the 160bhp mark?

Craig wrote:

raistlin wrote:Told you there would be a wealth of info here didn't I Craig

PS, if you want a TOTALLY UNBIASED view of the diesel, ask me

Nice to see you here.

You did, Paul.

Unbiased ... diesel ... you? Does not compute!

On a serious note, though the budget probably would allow me to get a ZT CDTi, there'd be nothing left afterwards. My concern is that I'd soon be frustrated by the performance drop.

Is it expensive to up the power level to around the 160bhp mark?

Your engine would be the 132PS model anyway if you were going for a ZT if I recall correctly.

The other bit you need would be a 'RonBox' AKA Synergy II which is £179 brand new from Ron but you can sometimes find them for sale second hand on this and other fora.

If that seems expensive, bear in mind that it includes the facility to use the very much cheaper Pierburgh MAF (Mass Air Flow Sensor) sensor.

where do you live Craig?

richardwjackson wrote:where do you live Craig?

Hayes, Middlesex - about 5 miles from Heathrow.

Are you thinking what I am? That I need someone local to show me their ZT?

doublekite wrote:http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=62122

Wow! That's a stunner and amazing value at that price!

It looks as though someone else will snap it up, though. I'm forced to wait for the insurance payout before my next move. Unfortunate timing.