2003 MG ZS 180 review from UK and Ireland

Nothing, surprisingly.

If like a lot of people out there you think that the ZS is just a Rover 45 with a bodykit, you may as well not bother reading the rest as nothing I say is likely to change your mind.

If you're willing to accept the fact that Rover, a company more noted for safe choices when it comes to cars, have taken a 45, extracted all pipe & slippers DNA and added a good dose of everything that a hot hatch/everyday affordable performance car should be then give the ZS180 a try.

I've driven many hot hatch style cars - the CTR, Golf GTI, Audi S3 group, and found most of them, well, stodgy. The suspension is too soft, the body roll is often bad (I'm not saying ALL of these type of cars have this problem, but a lot have) and most of them have lost the whole idea of this type of car - remember the Mk1/2 Golf GTI or the old Pug205?

In my opinion, the ZS180 comes a lot closer to bringing the fun back into driving - and it has 4 seats that adults can actually sit in and best of all, a V6.

Sure, it's an MG, so things will go wrong, but I've had mine for just under a year and driven it slightly over 21,000 miles, mostly motorway cruising at speed or B-road lunacy, and as of yet nothing has fallen off or broken. I have 3 cars at present, all under 3 years old, and the ZS is the one I take out if I know there's going to be a fun road, even though one of the others is far more of a performance car.

The resale value isn't the best out there, which is great for second owner purchase prices, and the MPG is a little on the high side, but for a car that certainly stands out from the crowd, shows those others how to have fun, and is still usable every day, the ZS180 is great.