MG HS SUV Exclusive 1.5T-GDI DCT auto 5d Owner Review

We found the car and package, with the warranty offered to be attractive enough to take a chance when these cars were still relatively unknown.

Build, fit and finish are all good; this is the first car we’ve ever had that hasn’t had any rattles or squeaks.

However, time has shown that you get what you pay for. The irritations with this car are not necessarily how it drives or performs, but detail issues. Almost all of these are software related.

A software update (free, but others have had to pay) largely resolved the intensely annoying suite of audible warnings that accompanied every start up and shut down. But issues with the infotainment system, such as random shutdowns (often coinciding with satnav being in some critical location) have been a regular feature.

The driving experience is generally ok. Most people won’t be bothered by the noisy engine which doesn’t feel as enthusiastic or powerful as the quoted figures would suggest. Fuel consumption is typically mid 30’s but took a nosedive when E10 was foisted upon us.

The 7 speed DCT automatic gearbox changes ratios smoothly enough once on the move, but input through the gear lever is dim-witted, often requiring several shoves, leading to some embarrassing parking moves.

The brakes require a heavier right foot than most other cars and whilst that’s not a regular issue, we’ve felt on occasions where evasive action was needed that the car wouldn’t pull up on time.

The start/stop system needs to be disabled to avoid kangaroo starts from the lights, and although there are several driving modes (eco, normal, sport, super sport), only normal provides a decent mix of comfort and response.

Interaction with the heating and ventilation, audio, navigation and so on is solely through the touch screen. This is perhaps one of the most irritating features of the car, because the touch screen is so, so unresponsive.

Getting in the car on a winter morning, it requires several stabs to enable the demister, heating, heated seats and tune in the radio. The heated seats have only one level, and never quite satisfy.

Connectivity with smartphones isn’t amazing. You can mirror, but our experience suggests that you’ll need a very good quality lead and the right phone to do this successfully. If using CarPlay, you’ll struggle to easily adjust the radio, ventilation or built in navigation because those systems don’t interact effectively.

The auto wipers are the least intelligent we’ve ever used, the electric seats are slow, with no memory function, the electric tailgate regularly freezes halfway requiring manual input, the LED headlights cast a distracting blue halo at night that is fatiguing, the windscreen is perpetually misted up and the ambient lighting system a pointless addition that cheapens the otherwise pleasant interior.

It’s not all bad. The interior is genuinely a nice place to be, with comfy seats, a good driving position offering decent visibility and some nice design touches such as the rotary air vents. The glass panoramic roof is lovely.

As our family has grown, these ever present irritations have combined with practical drawbacks (the boot isn’t large enough or thoughtfully designed, the parcel shelf roller sits too low to allow a pram to fit beneath, the low roof load limit (50kg)) and a recent spate of engine management warning lights, to convince us to admit defeat and change the car.

MG have grown massively even in the relatively short time we’ve owned one. Our nearest dealer is now five minutes away rather than one hour, and the HS seems to have recently become very popular.

We would imagine that newer versions have had some of the wrinkles ironed out by now, nevertheless if you are considering purchasing one, try to look beyond the package, chrome trim and impressive interior and arrange a longer test drive to see if you could tolerate the various shortcomings.