MG ZT 190 or Mondeo ST220?

[Hallsy01]

I need a runaround car, a large hatchback or estate, doesn't need to be a high performance car, just something with enough grunt to keep me interested, nice spec, plush inside, etc and cheap - think bargain basement!

My default choice her in the past has been a Turbo Swede of some sort, had a couple of 850's (T5 & R) and as great as they were, I fancy something different and a bit newer. Not really sure about a P2 V70 T5, more problematic from what I gather. So a Saab 9-5 Aero has been the main contender, but I'm almost bored of looking at them in the classifieds........so, into the ring come a couple of british V6 powered barges.

I was quite surprised to find that when Googling, I could find very little in the way of direct comparisons between the ZT 190 (I'd be after a ZTT) and ST220 - so I ask the PH members, who here has tried or owned both, and how would you compare them?

I appreciate the ST220 is more expensive, and I would likely be looking at a pre-facelift, and maybe even to find one of those for £1k, but if you had to spend the extra, is the ST220 worth spending the extra on over the ZT?

The ST220 is quicker, but still not exactly a performance vehicle (I have a 944 Turbo and S2000 for thrills), a bit heavier on juice, arguably better looking and better specced, but I have heard a few people saying that the 3.0 V6 hasn't got quite as much low down grunt as you'd expect, which means it has to be revved to get the best from it - which maybe misses the point a little with a big engined car of this class.

Is the 2.5 KV6 engine much the same, or does it make up for it's lack of outright power, with good low down torque?

I'm more likely to find a good ZTT 190 for £1k, and would be scraping the barrell with an ST220, so really as above, it's a question of whether the ST220 is worth the premium.

Any thoughts much appreciated

[irocfan]

never had a ST220 - have had the ZT190+ though. Lovely car and great for the money. Round the twisties it's fun, civilised when you want it to be, lovely cabin... however (you knew there had to be one!) I couldn't get along with it on long journeys. It really didn't work for me going down the M-whatever at 80ish with the engine turning 3500, got really wearysome, I appreciate that if you've coming from a diet of Jap cars then it'll likely not be an issue

[Jakg]

irocfan said:

It really didn't work for me going down the M-whatever at 80ish with the engine turning 3500, got really wearysome, I appreciate that if you've coming from a diet of Jap cars then it'll likely not be an issue

It's worth mentioning the ZT 190 has a lower-ratio gearbox than the rest of the range so it'll probably be in the same situation

[V88Dicky]

I'd probably take the Belgian car

[Podie]

If you can find a decent ST220 you might be surprised just how well you can hussle the big old bus - certainly surprised more powerful machinery over the years I had one.

The facelift is a much nicer place to be though.

[Bennet]

I gather from reviews that the 2.5 is indeed a revver rather than a lugger.

Also consider: Sport spec x-type estate.

[Hallsy01]

V88Dicky said:

I'd probably take the Belgian car

And which is that - I must be missing something, lol!!

[Hallsy01]

Thanks for the replies so far, I had heard that the ST220 handles quite well, as does the ZT - they are more a sport saloon platform than exec platform I guess.

Jag X-Type estate was on my list, but the estates came out later, so wasn't sure that I'd get anything worth having for around £1k - also, all I hear about on these is transfer box issues and rust. How bad does the X-type rust, is it cosmetic, or structural?

[S10GTA]

I was wondering the same and ended up with a xc70....

[anonymous-user]

There are quite a few niggling and annoying problems with the variable intake system on the KV6 engine in the MG I believe, but it's a lovely engine. I think I'd personally go for the Mondeo though, the MG experienced so much cost cutting over it's life and it really did feel quite cheap and nasty at the end.

[V88Dicky]

Hallsy01 said:

And which is that - I must be missing something, lol!!

The Mondeo. They've never been built in the UK

[john2443]

You get a lot of car for the money with a ZTT Check the club forum first http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/index.php they have a number of easily fixed/cheap issues that occur on nearly all of them so it's worth knowing what to look for and know if they've been done.

I guess common sense would say go for the Ford but he ZT is less bland and the load lugging space bigger than on a Mondeo (I'm assuming you mean the hatchback - did they do a 220 estate?)

[fushion julz]

My ex bought a 2001 ZT 190+ (saloon) back in July for <£400....it needed an MoT, but passed first time with no advisories and is exceptionally clean and seems pretty well looked after...But there do seem to be issues with the cooling system, in particular...There are a few common faults, but it drives well and is reasonably fast and handles reasonably well for a big FWD saloon.

However, it isn't very big inside..the rear seats, especially, are quite cramped for an adult. Also I have a E46 330i Touring of about the same vintage (but much higher mileage) and the BMW is cheaper to run...both in parts and in fuel. It is also *significantly* easier to work on and a lot less complex.
The KV6 engine is quite a nice design, but it is quite a complex one, too...Belt drive (rather than the chains of the BMW), with an extra pair of cam belts at the rear, too and it is only 190bhp...the BMW E46 325i is about the same power and the 330i has more.

Personally, I'd still choose the BMW...You can get one for under £1k (I did) and it has a decent amount of interior space, handles nicely, is well built and is RWD...

Never had a Mondeo 220 so can't say much about that...

[Podie]

john2443 said:

...did they do a 220 estate?

[mr_fibuli]

My favourite ST220 sound clip... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79EeuCOd2Js

[rb5er]

A friend got a zt 190 estate for £500 recently. Lots of car for the money but needs to be revved to go anywhere. I'm used to turbos so was a bit of a disappointment having to thrash it to get it going, makung me look like i was trying to hard rather than getting an eady surge of torque. Nice car everywhere else though.

Personally I'd get an st220.

[jimi]

I had an MG ZTT+ 190 for a while. I thought it was great. Ran well, reasonably swift for what it is, handled OK, it cost buttons to buy, sounded nice and was pretty well specced xenons, satnav/tv etc.

[Hallsy01]

fushion julz said:

My ex bought a 2001 ZT 190+ (saloon) back in July for <£400....it needed an MoT, but passed first time with no advisories and is exceptionally clean and seems pretty well looked after...But there do seem to be issues with the cooling system, in particular...There are a few common faults, but it drives well and is reasonably fast and handles reasonably well for a big FWD saloon.

However, it isn't very big inside..the rear seats, especially, are quite cramped for an adult. Also I have a E46 330i Touring of about the same vintage (but much higher mileage) and the BMW is cheaper to run...both in parts and in fuel. It is also *significantly* easier to work on and a lot less complex.
The KV6 engine is quite a nice design, but it is quite a complex one, too...Belt drive (rather than the chains of the BMW), with an extra pair of cam belts at the rear, too and it is only 190bhp...the BMW E46 325i is about the same power and the 330i has more.

Personally, I'd still choose the BMW...You can get one for under £1k (I did) and it has a decent amount of interior space, handles nicely, is well built and is RWD...

Never had a Mondeo 220 so can't say much about that...

I have heard that they are a little cramped in the back - reality is, most of the time it will be the dog in the back, or loaded up with the seats folded flat - but worth considering.

We used to have a 330ci a few years back, lovely car, but for this car it will be initially used by my other half throughout the winter rather than the S2000, and she has said she would rather FWD or AWD - otherwise, a 5-series or E-class would be on the list also!

[WojaWabbit]

fushion julz said:

ZT and BMW 330 stuff.....

I was about to say something similar.

I currently run a ZT 180 Auto as my daily and it's a great car, considering the sub £1k price of it. It's a surprisingly good drive, the steering is brilliant when compared to modern-equivalent cars and the noise is lovely I've driven an ST Mondeo and it was a nice drive too, though I can't comment on long-term living with one.

The MG has started suffering from the 'KV6 Rattle' mentioned above, but it doesn't affect the drive in any way, it just sounds like a diesel. Fuel consumption is terrible and servicing costs of the timing belt and water pump etc, also mentioned above, can be larger than expected. However, you could buy a reasonable one for around the £500 mark, and don't bother with the belt.... just run it until it dies, then buy another! Anecdotal experience seems to show people running them for more than a couple of years before the belts let go.

One thing to note - when I bought my ZT, it had loads of tread on the tyres, as some old biddy had them on for years doing hardly any miles. Unfortunately the inside sidewalls were cracked and I was £600 for 4x new tyres - 225/45x18 are rare and therefor expensive. You'll get equivalent 225/40x18s for the ST220 for a lot less.

Anyway, I've been looking around at the 330i, and I think if you're looking at spending a bit more than £1k on a good Mondeo, you'd be well advised to look at a well looked after 330i Touring. They're a good steer, have a cracking motor, are well made and they are similar size to the ZT-T. They do tend to have high mileage around the lower price points, but if you can find a nice one I'd be inclined to go for it over the ST220 or the ZT-T. I'm just not sure I can go over the £1k for my bike and 'board carrier!

EDIT: Just seen your post RE winter use - winter boots on second-hand ebay/scrapper alloys won't set you back a great deal for any of the cars. None will be any good in snowy conditions with 225 section on low profile sidewalls.

HTH

Edited by WojaWabbit on Tuesday 14th October 13:07

[Hallsy01]

With regards the ST220, is there a massive difference between pre & post facelift?

I understand they went to 6 speed and the centre console changed, with new headunit, etc - but is there anything else of significance?

There is a quite nice looking '53 ST220 on ebay, history is stamped up but no invoices as such, but was a Cat C in 2012 - seller said he wants around £1500. I'm not usually one to buy a Cat C or D car, but as this money, if it has been repaired well, then I suppose it makes little difference. I would be thinking closer to £1k though.