Are MG TFs rubbish ??
Discussion
Yes they are plop.
Its a British open top 2 seater. It's got a K series HG muncher, Its ugly and from my experience they leak like a sieve and the fit and finish is.. iffy.
older one stone chip like mad too
But hey, If you can pick one up cheap enough maybe. They do a lovely purple colour too
Its a British open top 2 seater. It's got a K series HG muncher, Its ugly and from my experience they leak like a sieve and the fit and finish is.. iffy.
older one stone chip like mad too
But hey, If you can pick one up cheap enough maybe. They do a lovely purple colour too
I've got a 2004 TF135. Whether it's a good or bad car probably depends on the example in question.
My main bugbear (and that of many) is the seats are set too high in the car. A couple of inches extra in the wheelbase and lower seats would transformed the position and how experience. Make sure you're comfortable.
It's a good little car. It's had the head gasket done a couple of wheel bearings and an alternator (but that was Bosch, Count of Insufficient Light). Apart from that just normal service items. Because the garage couldn't
There are a couple of places it feels cheap (plastics in the footwell) and other places where they've obviously used expensive materials, like the hood.
Performance is about what you'd expect, 8 seconds to 60. Likewise fuel consumption: 30 to 40 depending on how it's driven.
Probably the best ABS brakes I've ever tried; they only cut in when you really need them and have a lot of feel. Again, my car has the optional AP upgrade properly setup.
Handling is excellent if the car is setup properly and there's a lot that can be adjusted so make sure the right people do it. Mine will only understeer if you put full lock on and boot it from stationary (a little less lock and it will doughnut). Normally the handling is neutral to oversteer and (on Toyos) far, far more progressive than my MR2. In fact it feels more progressive than my brother's Elise but that could be a decade of sliding cars around tracks making it easier for me to catch it.
Under no circumstances put cheap tyres on it. These will make it very skitish and potentially dangerous to drive. Always use the recommended rubber as it needs the correct sidewall construction. The Elise and MR2 were similarly affected by incorrect tyres leading to snap oversteer.
The boot is excellent. Interior a little cramped but better than the Mazda or Lotus, not as good as an MK2 MR2.
My brother rolled a '95 MGF at about 60mph, roof down and slid for at least 100' along the verge. He walked away unhurt. Not only that but a couple of months later somebody called him to see if he'd still got the stereo facia as they were repairing the car and the windscreen hadn't moved by as much as 1mm. I know of somebody who roled a Mazda at a much lower speed and it's windscreen collapsed, leaving him with a broken neck. The Mazda screen isn't strengthened, not in the original cars at least.
The TF got a 4* NCAP rating. Considering it doesn't have side bags that's amazing.
Just keep 500 to 1000 back in case it needs any work. They're so cheap you're already saving far more than that and if it doesn't use the money you've got it later.
My main bugbear (and that of many) is the seats are set too high in the car. A couple of inches extra in the wheelbase and lower seats would transformed the position and how experience. Make sure you're comfortable.
It's a good little car. It's had the head gasket done a couple of wheel bearings and an alternator (but that was Bosch, Count of Insufficient Light). Apart from that just normal service items. Because the garage couldn't
There are a couple of places it feels cheap (plastics in the footwell) and other places where they've obviously used expensive materials, like the hood.
Performance is about what you'd expect, 8 seconds to 60. Likewise fuel consumption: 30 to 40 depending on how it's driven.
Probably the best ABS brakes I've ever tried; they only cut in when you really need them and have a lot of feel. Again, my car has the optional AP upgrade properly setup.
Handling is excellent if the car is setup properly and there's a lot that can be adjusted so make sure the right people do it. Mine will only understeer if you put full lock on and boot it from stationary (a little less lock and it will doughnut). Normally the handling is neutral to oversteer and (on Toyos) far, far more progressive than my MR2. In fact it feels more progressive than my brother's Elise but that could be a decade of sliding cars around tracks making it easier for me to catch it.
Under no circumstances put cheap tyres on it. These will make it very skitish and potentially dangerous to drive. Always use the recommended rubber as it needs the correct sidewall construction. The Elise and MR2 were similarly affected by incorrect tyres leading to snap oversteer.
The boot is excellent. Interior a little cramped but better than the Mazda or Lotus, not as good as an MK2 MR2.
My brother rolled a '95 MGF at about 60mph, roof down and slid for at least 100' along the verge. He walked away unhurt. Not only that but a couple of months later somebody called him to see if he'd still got the stereo facia as they were repairing the car and the windscreen hadn't moved by as much as 1mm. I know of somebody who roled a Mazda at a much lower speed and it's windscreen collapsed, leaving him with a broken neck. The Mazda screen isn't strengthened, not in the original cars at least.
The TF got a 4* NCAP rating. Considering it doesn't have side bags that's amazing.
Just keep 500 to 1000 back in case it needs any work. They're so cheap you're already saving far more than that and if it doesn't use the money you've got it later.
Buff Mchugelarge said:
they leak like a sieve
Mine has never leaked, nor have the two my brother owned, well the first might have done after it's upside down slidey trick but he didn't own it after that.Conversely if I drove my MR2 T Bar on a wet day I'd get damp trousers. I used to sit on a plastic bag but it would drop onto my leg. Not only that but the boot was normally soden.
soad said:
Most powerful engined variant packed what - nearly 160bhp? Which was more than both mx-5 and mk3 mr2 of the time.
Should be fun to drive..
It's fun with 135.Should be fun to drive..
They really reward a precise style with minimal steering input.
The other thing I'll mention is the ride is really pretty stiff.
I think its like marmite, you'll either love it or hate it.I went in one once and wasn't very impressed, went to drive it and the seating position in my opinion was horrific. im tallish (6ft2) and found there was nowhere for my left leg to go and it repeatedly hit off the steering wheel when coming off the clutch was was extremely annoying. Cant comment on the ownership side of things as ive never had one and couldnt tell you about if they leak etc although i do know a fair few have had head gasket problems but saying that HGF isnt always the end of the world. Can put an uprated gasket on before it goes for pennies if your handy with a socket set...
They are not rubbish, they are just a triumph of design over production. By that I mean that the design is pretty good, but the materials, production and assembly quality let it down very badly. Ran one for three years and although nothing 'broke' the fit and finsh was appalling - a good design which had been subjected to far too much 'cost down' attention to reduce production costs.
The Good : Handles really well with progressive oversteer (although quite a lot of owners have been caught out exiting wet roundabouts with too much welly applied and not enough talent in reserve). Steers and brakes really well. The more powerful versions go quite well.
The Bad : The engine is susceptible to HG failure when the cooling system is not kept in anything like top nick. Having said that had no problems with mine. The coolant pipes that run inderneath (from front to back) have a tendency to rust away so need an eye keeping on them (some just change them for stainless steel versions to be on the safe side). Materials and fit and finsh are poor by anyone's standard. Zipping/unzipping the rear screen to prevent it creasing and cracking when putting the hood up/down is just a complete tiresome 'fight'. Susceptible to tyre choice - can get extremely 'nervous' on the wrong rubber.
The Ugly : They leak. The channels in the side window rubbers 'collapse' and then water doesn't drain through them - it runs over them past the window and into the floor pan (fixed by inserting more rigid plastic piping into the window rubber channels). The plastic air box 'scoop' under the bonnet on the scuttle is a complete mismatch with the curves of the scuttle to which it is mounted and has a completely inadequate seal. This allows water to run into the heating system ducts and be expelled into the floor pan. Some of the body 'monocoque' seams are not seam welded and are not fully sealed. This allows water ingress into the floor pans from all manner of places. I managed to solve the first two of the leak problems but the third defeated me and was the reason for its eventual disposal - it had a permanent jacuzzi in the passenger footwell!
The Good : Handles really well with progressive oversteer (although quite a lot of owners have been caught out exiting wet roundabouts with too much welly applied and not enough talent in reserve). Steers and brakes really well. The more powerful versions go quite well.
The Bad : The engine is susceptible to HG failure when the cooling system is not kept in anything like top nick. Having said that had no problems with mine. The coolant pipes that run inderneath (from front to back) have a tendency to rust away so need an eye keeping on them (some just change them for stainless steel versions to be on the safe side). Materials and fit and finsh are poor by anyone's standard. Zipping/unzipping the rear screen to prevent it creasing and cracking when putting the hood up/down is just a complete tiresome 'fight'. Susceptible to tyre choice - can get extremely 'nervous' on the wrong rubber.
The Ugly : They leak. The channels in the side window rubbers 'collapse' and then water doesn't drain through them - it runs over them past the window and into the floor pan (fixed by inserting more rigid plastic piping into the window rubber channels). The plastic air box 'scoop' under the bonnet on the scuttle is a complete mismatch with the curves of the scuttle to which it is mounted and has a completely inadequate seal. This allows water to run into the heating system ducts and be expelled into the floor pan. Some of the body 'monocoque' seams are not seam welded and are not fully sealed. This allows water ingress into the floor pans from all manner of places. I managed to solve the first two of the leak problems but the third defeated me and was the reason for its eventual disposal - it had a permanent jacuzzi in the passenger footwell!
Garvin said:
The Ugly : They leak. The channels in the side window rubbers 'collapse' and then water doesn't drain through them - it runs over them past the window and into the floor pan (fixed by inserting more rigid plastic piping into the window rubber channels). The plastic air box 'scoop' under the bonnet on the scuttle is a complete mismatch with the curves of the scuttle to which it is mounted and has a completely inadequate seal. This allows water to run into the heating system ducts and be expelled into the floor pan. Some of the body 'monocoque' seams are not seam welded and are not fully sealed. This allows water ingress into the floor pans from all manner of places. I managed to solve the first two of the leak problems but the third defeated me and was the reason for its eventual disposal - it had a permanent jacuzzi in the passenger footwell!
They can leak but mine hasn't and nor did the two my brother owned. On the other hand I frequently used to get damp trousers in the MR2.yonex said:
50/50
Rubbish build comes with the marque but they do handle. However it would need to be cheap and show signs of decent maintenance to be worth considering over an MX-5 and/or MR2. Both of which are better cars IMO.
The MG could be better built but it was always a cheap car. Mine seems OK but when sitting in it you can see where the money was saved. Conversely when driving it you can tell where the money was spent.Rubbish build comes with the marque but they do handle. However it would need to be cheap and show signs of decent maintenance to be worth considering over an MX-5 and/or MR2. Both of which are better cars IMO.
The MX5 and MR2 aren't perfect either. MX5s are known for rust and in the case of my MR2 it was hideously expensive to own, the brakes were rubbish (when they hadn't siezed up) and it didn't handle anywhere near as well as the TF.
I had a MGF, a steptronic one.
Actually not a bad little thing and although some of the trim quality was suspect I had no problems in the few months that I owned it. HG aside I think the K series does get treated a little harshly.
I think I would actually look at a TF before a MX-5 (had 2 of those in MK1 guise)
Actually not a bad little thing and although some of the trim quality was suspect I had no problems in the few months that I owned it. HG aside I think the K series does get treated a little harshly.
I think I would actually look at a TF before a MX-5 (had 2 of those in MK1 guise)
It's not a bad car, by any means. The wife's dad bought one at the start of this year when I had my MX5. Since then, his best mate has bought one too and I've now got an MR2 Turbo. So I've had fairly recently experience of all three.
The good: The MG TF has decent seats, and a nice seating position though as has been mentioned, it does feel a little high for the type of car. The steering is pleasingly weighty and the car handles pretty well. The engine isn't so powerful that it will be regularly overcoming the back end grip. The gearshift is alright, the engine is competent but nothing special in any regard.
The bad: The interior is extremely plastically. However, unlike the MX5 and the MR2, the plastics feel and look quite cheap. Nothing feels particularly solid, but it does look pretty dreadful. It's not as exciting as the MX5 and nowhere near as exciting as the MR2. The steering feel is a bit vague compared to the MX5 and the MR2, which is not the most confidence inspiring trait in a RWD car with a mid mounted engine!
Overall, it hasn't suffered any serious faults but it's been looked after and given fairly light use. When buying it, I recommended he looked for one with a recent receipt for a replacement head gasket. This advice was heeded and he bought one that had recently had the part replaced, so hopefully that should last a while now.
As a drive, I don't think it an can stand up to the MX5 or the MR2 for fun and enjoyment. It also feels quite a bit tattier inside and the MR2 strikes me as a far nice place to sit with levels of comfort the competition can but dream (despite being the most raw and involving of all three cars). That said, if you're just after a bit of roof down cruising and would like an introduction to mid engined cars you could find a lot of enjoyment in the MG.
The good: The MG TF has decent seats, and a nice seating position though as has been mentioned, it does feel a little high for the type of car. The steering is pleasingly weighty and the car handles pretty well. The engine isn't so powerful that it will be regularly overcoming the back end grip. The gearshift is alright, the engine is competent but nothing special in any regard.
The bad: The interior is extremely plastically. However, unlike the MX5 and the MR2, the plastics feel and look quite cheap. Nothing feels particularly solid, but it does look pretty dreadful. It's not as exciting as the MX5 and nowhere near as exciting as the MR2. The steering feel is a bit vague compared to the MX5 and the MR2, which is not the most confidence inspiring trait in a RWD car with a mid mounted engine!
Overall, it hasn't suffered any serious faults but it's been looked after and given fairly light use. When buying it, I recommended he looked for one with a recent receipt for a replacement head gasket. This advice was heeded and he bought one that had recently had the part replaced, so hopefully that should last a while now.
As a drive, I don't think it an can stand up to the MX5 or the MR2 for fun and enjoyment. It also feels quite a bit tattier inside and the MR2 strikes me as a far nice place to sit with levels of comfort the competition can but dream (despite being the most raw and involving of all three cars). That said, if you're just after a bit of roof down cruising and would like an introduction to mid engined cars you could find a lot of enjoyment in the MG.
It's not bad. Handling is pretty decent, engine is good (except for the head gasket), steering is good,... on the other hand the driving position is very hatch-back like (I find it shockingly uncomfortable) and build quality is somewhat suspect.
Overall, it was a pretty good car but it was rather outclassed by the competition by the end of its life. Especially the mk3 MR2, which is a gem of a car if you don't need a boot.
Overall, it was a pretty good car but it was rather outclassed by the competition by the end of its life. Especially the mk3 MR2, which is a gem of a car if you don't need a boot.
Baryonyx said:
As a drive, I don't think it an can stand up to the MX5 or the MR2 for fun and enjoyment. It also feels quite a bit tattier inside and the MR2 strikes me as a far nice place to sit with levels of comfort the competition can but dream (despite being the most raw and involving of all three cars). That said, if you're just after a bit of roof down cruising and would like an introduction to mid engined cars you could find a lot of enjoyment in the MG.
Was this the MK2 or MK3 MR2? I find the TF to be head and shoulders about the MR2 MK2 rev 1 that I owned in terms of handling, including steering and particularly brakes (14" wheels on the MR2 meant discs were tiny). The MR2 could snap into oversteer while the MG tends to drift the back out more; very "exciting". Additionally the MR2 would understeer (not that badly) where the MG would just turn. The '2 was a much, much nicer place to be though and made a better sound. But either is far better than the BMW Z3...
My car has the red dash and suede(alcantara?)/leather interior which seems to lift it compared with the usual grey offerings. But as you say some bits are agonishingly cheap; the heater controls are a prime example.
Worst car I have ever owned was my 2003 TF135. It's easier to list its good points,
1. The looks, it's actualy quite a good looking car from the outside.
2. The exhaust note when you give the throttle a good jab up to about 2500rpm.
Everything else was rubbish. I may have bought a bit of a lemon but not once did that car make me think of searching out a really well looked after model, even on the rare days that the car worked properly, the sun was shinning and there was something good on the radio, all I could think was how much I missed my mx-5.
1. The looks, it's actualy quite a good looking car from the outside.
2. The exhaust note when you give the throttle a good jab up to about 2500rpm.
Everything else was rubbish. I may have bought a bit of a lemon but not once did that car make me think of searching out a really well looked after model, even on the rare days that the car worked properly, the sun was shinning and there was something good on the radio, all I could think was how much I missed my mx-5.
Baryonyx said:
When buying it, I recommended he looked for one with a recent receipt for a replacement head gasket. This advice was heeded and he bought one that had recently had the part replaced, so hopefully that should last a while now.
The HGs usually go for a reason, something is not quite right with the cooling system (doesn't have to be much on these vehicles). So, unless the root cause has also been fixed a replaced HG may not be the comfort it appears. Best to go through the cooling system with the proverbial fine tooth comb and make sure everything is 'top notch'. If the system is losing even the smallest amount of coolant then a) it shouldn't; and b) get it seen to asap - usual suspects are the thermostat not working properly, the filler cap allowing coolant escape followed by corrosion of the under floor pipes. HGF. Could be poor assembly, crap HG, leaking rail, inlet manfold, liner heights, header cap, pipework, hoses, porous heads or just normal stuff that goes wrong with every other car 
Take the opportunity to port the head and swap cams whilst it's apart.
Take the opportunity to port the head and swap cams whilst it's apart.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 11th January 15:00
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