Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

MG ZS review - Reliability & safety

Brand's score for owner satisfaction isn't the strongest and safety is only average

Carbuyer Rating

3.0 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.8 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

2.0 out of 5

MG lags behind its European rivals when it comes to safety technology – an area where the Chinese-owned marque would be wise to pull out all the stops in future. Meanwhile, the brand's reputation for owner satisfaction is rather in the doldrums at the moment, with a low Driver Power ranking.

MG ZS reliability

Out of the 32 brands covered by our 2023 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, MG finished bottom of the table. Value for money was praised, but the brand failed to impress in other areas, came last for overall quality, and 33% of MG owners reported a fault in the first year.

Advertisement - Article continues below

While it didn’t appear in the latest results, the MG ZS itself came 61st out of the top 75 cars in the survey in 2022, with poor results for reliability and build quality. Its infotainment also ranked near the bottom, which may be improved in time by the updated system fitted in newer cars.

Safety

Independent expert body Euro NCAP has put the MG ZS through rigorous tests, and it failed to match European rivals – particularly in the the Safety Assist category (where it scored 29%) because of an absence of crash-mitigation technology like autonomous emergency braking. Perhaps even more worrying are lacklustre scores for adult and child occupant protection of 71 and 51% respectively. These figures compare poorly to the 90 and 80% scores of a rival like the SEAT Arona.

The MG ZS does get a reasonable amount of safety kit as standard, including two ISOFIX child seat mounting points in the back, seatbelt reminders and a host of airbags. The Exclusive trim adds blind spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring, along with a 360-degree camera to make manoeuvring easier and safer.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Andy is Carbuyer's managing editor, with more than a decade of experience helping consumers find their perfect car. He has an MA in automotive journalism and has tested hundreds of vehicles.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

MG ZS review - a wallet-friendly SUV
MG ZS SUV
In-depth reviews
23 Feb 2024

MG ZS review - a wallet-friendly SUV

Most Popular

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
28 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
best electric cars
Best cars
28 Mar 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024