MG TF 160 - Buying Advice - Should My Daughter Get One?

[im]

Her experience:

She's 22 and currently has Golf Mk4 GTI 2.0L. She has driven an MG ZR 1.4.

How will she find the MG TF 160?

How 'nippy' is it by comparison with what she has/had?
Is the HG an issue?
Are there any other issues?

All replies gratefully received.

[Mr POD]

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/equipment/Detail.asp...

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

The short answer is YES buy one, but yes HG can be an issue but the second website has a FAQ's bit and a bit of care when buying and a bit of care when owning.

I'm looking to buy a TF or F, and am in that "investigation mode" to ensure I don't get screwed.

[Yugguy]

Buy one, life's too short. Just do the regular fluid checks and you'll be fine. Oh, and remind her it's RWD, and no, they're not massively powered but you can still have fun on slippy roads. I wonder if the price of used ones will go up now the official word is that Longbridge is reopening?

[Mr POD]

Yugguy said:

Buy one, life's too short. Just do the regular fluid checks and you'll be fine. Oh, and remind her it's RWD, and no, they're not massively powered but you can still have fun on slippy roads. I wonder if the price of used ones will go up now the official word is that Longbridge is reopening?

Why should S/H values go up ? From what I have learnt there is enough interchangability with the freelander and other Rover derivatives to make parts issues not a problem.

S/H values would appear to be related to a perception of reliability. And the perception is bad I can tell you. I've mentioned to a few friends I'm on the lookout for a good one and they Roll their eyes as if They are resigned to the fact that one day they will have to phone someone and have me sectioned.

I'm seeing that I can get a 92 Eunos or mx5(in really good condition?) for the same price as a 99 MGF

An 03 MGTF would be halve the price of an equivalent MX5.

Now the way I'm looking at it, because it's going to be a weekend car for ours, is that reliability is not that important and £2K buys alot of Head Gaskets.

Any engine spec will be 'too' quick for my wife, and she'll drive it like a 998 metro, but I'm thinking VVC 1.8 F is the best compromise of price, vs performance vs future resale

[Yugguy]

We had a TF135, only for a year mind but it never let us down. I'm sure the die-hards will say it is soft but it was never meant to be a hardcore car, it is what it is, it's easy to drive, simple to run, it's predictable, it's not going to kill you if you mess up occasionally, and I think it looks nice. The hard top makes it look like a rather svelte coupe. I always enjoyed driving it cos you could have fun in it without having to break limits, speed or your own, or drive recklessly.

Buy one, they're cheap. And you're right about parts. And they're not unreliable. Just check the fluids regularly as you should in any car, and you'll be fine. It really shouldn't be a hardship to pop the boot once a week and look at the water expansion bottle...

[bikemonster]

I have a '02 TF160 as my daily driver, and love it to bits.

Yes, I've suffered a HGF, and fitted an Eliseparts remote thermostat conversion after it was fixed. That was at 36,000km, now at 78,000km and all well (so far). Which does not mean that the remote 'stat conversion necessarily made the difference.

My car does around 60km a day, and I drive it enthusiastically, although I do wait for the oil to come up tp temperature before giving it beans. I have done a number of track days with the car and enjoy it immensely.