Giant Handling Test - The Top 10
The other 10 cars involved were :
Unerringly stable, depite a cornering attitude you can adjust on the
throttle, the little MG was one of the few cars able to take Church flat-out
without scaring its driver witless. part of the stability is down to the way
it soaks up bumps without being jerked off line; there's oversteer, but it's
amazingly gradual for a mid-engined car. There's a touch of understeer, too,
but the front wheels will still bite if you need to turn harder. As long as
you keep on the power, the MG points in the right direction. It's fluid,
safe, and much more manageable in the wet than the Elise.
So why is the MGF so good? The Hydragas suspension's combination of supple
bump absorption and taut control plays a part, ensuring the MG is never
subjected to sudden extreme forces which could knock it off its fine balance,
and its tyres give just the right amount of grip - any more, and that wonderful
progression would be lost.........no mid engined car inspires more confidence
across all conditions. The MG offers all the larks a small mid-engined car
ought to bring without the worries.
Top Three in the Most Fun to drive stakes:
The rest were: BMW Z3, Fiat Barchetta, Porsche Boxster, Alfa Romeo Spider,
Renault Spider, Mercedes SLK, Mazda MX5.
MGF VVC:
Jeremy Clarkson: "...put some decent seats in. Then it's the best car
here ...you could live with it every day and I reckon it's faster than the
Boxster. The superb engine completely transforms it."
Lotus Elise:
JC: And then you drive it over 100 miles and you haven't got that smile
on your face anymore.
TN: Of course you can drive an Elise 100 miles.
JC: And you can also stick needles in your eyes.
TN: It's a second car; a weekend car.
JC: No it's a fourth or fifth car.
TVR Chimaera:
TN: Kit car is the word. The things you hated about the Elise are true for
the TVR. It's fun for a short blast, but you'd never want to own one. It's not
badly conceived, but it is badly made. The reliability is frightening.
Mark Blundell:
"For me the MGF is a good solid, sportscar. We did comparison tests with other
manufacturers vehicles - they were not in the same league. It can be pushed to the limit
and not give the driver a fright. Predominantly you have under rather than oversteer. I
feel, for the average driver, that this is much safer because you can back off the throttle
and bring in the front end, as opposed to trying to use a lot of ability to catch it."
No point in beating about the bush. The MGF is a winner. With its wonderful styling, entertaining chassis, exceptional ride and rock solid build quality, the F mercilessly exposes the shortcomings of the ageing MX5 and the toy like build quality of the Barchetta. The only drawback is face- ache from smiling so much, and you can't ask for much more than that from a 16k sports car. It's a great car and one Rover can truly be proud of because it's their own, not a regrilled Honda or BMW in disguise.
Comparison of four sports cars:
1st MGF 1.8i
2nd Fiat Barchetta
3rd Mazda MX5
4th Alfa Spider
MGF: "Purpose-built modern sports car with distinguished looks, good performance and
economy. Road-holding and handling will appeal to the expert driver, plus an outstanding
ride. Those who want the pleasure of driving a sophisticated, pure mid-engined machine
should go for the well-engineered, all-new MGF. The new MGF feels great."
Barchetta v MX-5 v MGF
Our Choice - MGF 1.8i
"The MGF beats them. We love the bold, mid-engine approach. We love the design...we're
convinced the MG would be best of the trio for every day use, offering a level of civility
and comfort no rival can match."
What Car - Car of the Year awards 1996 - Open Top category
Winner - MGF 1.8i VVC
BMW Z3 1.8 versus MGF 1.8i
Verdict: MGF captures the roadster crown. MGF wins on performance.
BMW Z3 1.9 versus Mazda MX-5 versus MGF 1.8i VVC
Our Choice - MGF VVC
Email:Martin.Woods@spamvirgin.net
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