Any advice for a prospective ZT - T purchaser?

[myquest]

Hi I am an exile from the TVR forums as I need an other car as my Dad is very ill in Eastbourne and I live in Manchester and will need to commute at weekends for a good few weeks and don't want to put the mileage on my Chimaera.

Fortunetely I have access to sufficient funds to spend about £5-6K and, given that I am likely to have a house to clear, I think the best value quality car is a ZT-T that will give comfortable motorway cruising with a bit of performance and load capacity to take the tutt to the tip.....

Given my budget, which is the best model, I've seen a CDTI on autotrader but I am worried it may be a bit gutless, should i hold out for a 190+ ???

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Westy

[Roman]

I have a ZT 190 - really like it. Solid, good to drive, characterful.

I would say don't discount the CDTI - you can get it chipped to around 160bhp for under £200

http://45zs.info/75Zt/R75tu3.htm

Think it would be hard to seperate pace of 190 against chipped CDTI in real life.

For further reading: www.xpowerforums.com

[andymadmak]

I have a 190+ A very good car indeed.

Andy

[BIIOAB]

I have had a few TVRs and a ZTT CDTI 135+ company car - no real complaints you can hustle the MG along at a fair pace when required once you learn to use the torque curve of the BMW engine.
Not the most economical though - I struggle to ever get more than 35 average mpg!
Think if it was mine, though, I would look at chipping it for less than £200 - that would make it VERY impressive....

[zax]

Resurrecting an old thread here since I was looking at a 2003 ZTT yesterday and was thinking of having a little test drive next week.

I found the technical details etc. on the xpower forums, but is there any more detailed information on service intervals (what should be done & when) somewhere? Also a "buying guide" with a list of common issues and things to check would be useful. Apologies if they're already on that site somewhere, couldn't find them whilst hunting around.

[968csreading]

I have a 2003 ZTT CDTI 135 and have had it since new and done 69K. It has been very reliable, the clutch was replaced early in its life and this is a weak point so always check it out. They can also leak and have wet foot wells so check for signs.

Mine has never been very quick or economic and I have a TU3 and MAFAM supplied by Rover Ron as mentioned above. It has improved the performance and pick up of the car but not as much as others. I think mine is just a slow performer.

The MAFs go after about 30-40k so asked if it has been replaced and or just budget for a replacement and fit a TU3 box and MAFAM for maximum enjoyment. They are very good value esp if you can get one with all the toys. They will never give the shove that the VAG TDI do but I think the BMW unit is very quiet and they handle very well. Tyres are not cheap though. If you can afford the MPG go for a 190 but ether one is good.

http://forums.mg-rover.org/

[andymadmak]

zax said:

Resurrecting an old thread here since I was looking at a 2003 ZTT yesterday and was thinking of having a little test drive next week.

I found the technical details etc. on the xpower forums, but is there any more detailed information on service intervals (what should be done & when) somewhere? Also a "buying guide" with a list of common issues and things to check would be useful. Apologies if they're already on that site somewhere, couldn't find them whilst hunting around.

I have a ZTT 190 and its now up to 84k miles. No problems to speak of. Service intervals are about 15k miles (It has one of those BMW stylee service mileage calculators) Most services cost 150 - 250 quid. The big one (cambelt) is at 90k and costs about 700quid. Plugs get changed at 60k.
Check the bulkhead drains (blocked ones are the usual source of the wet carpets and ECU problems) and check that everything is straight and works. These were very well built cars so anything trashy should be viewed with suspicion.
Tyre wear - I get 20k per set from mine. Still on oriiginal exhaust and battery and clutch.
I average 28.5mpg around town and fast motorway work. Very very comfy and great for doing big miles in a day (seats are especially good) Better than my previous Volvo S60 T5se by a long way.
Buy cheap and enjoy your bargain!

Andy

[hope2421]

Ive had three of them a ZT190,ZT160 and a ZT-T 180 auto all great cars very under rated.

[Speed Buzz]

Had a ZT T 1.8 turbo for a year now in which i have covered 30,000 miles
No real problems to speak of car has been great and is really well built.
Had a ford for a weekend and realised how much better built the mg was!
got a tvr as well so both seem to pair up well.

[thebigmack]

I have gone off the 156 purchace and am now looking at a MG ZT 190.
Looking good in my section of the market, I always like something a little left field.
All advice on something with around 40,000 miles would much appreciative.

Thanks.

[Kermit power]

thebigmack said:

I have gone off the 156 purchace and am now looking at a MG ZT 190.
Looking good in my section of the market, I always like something a little left field.
All advice on something with around 40,000 miles would much appreciative.

Thanks.

Any particular reason for choosing a 190 rather than a 260?

[aquarama]

There are a couple of thinks you need to look out for the zt has had problems with the fuel pump and clutch, the fuel pump is a cheap fix the clutch is not.