Used MG 6 review and buying guide (2011 to 2016): which one to buy and what to check

Which used MG 6 should you buy?

The hatchback's the MG 6 to buy, because the four-door saloon isn't as practical, and you get a roomy cabin with space for a family either way. It also handles better than you'd expect. A diesel joined the petrol after launch, and the later facelift dropped both the petrol and the saloon, so the age of the car changes which versions you'll find.

The record of faults on this car is thin, not clean, so don't read the gaps as proof that it's reliable. What does come up again and again is quality: it's full of irritating niggles and doesn't feel well made. Go and look at one expecting to find small faults, and judge each car on how many it has.

Which MG 6 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

There's too little on record to call any MG 6 engine or gearbox a safe pick, so don't let a seller tell you one is, and test the clutch and gearbox carefully on every car. The engines are noisy and rough-sounding, so don't expect a hushed drive. Emissions are high too, the petrol's especially.

The one engine-related complaint is electronic rather than mechanical. One owner of a 2016 car had a recurring electronics fault that threw out the dashboard readings and eventually put the car into limp-home mode, and the MG service agent took four months to fix it. Ask any seller whether the car's had that kind of work, and get the invoices if it has.

What should you check when viewing a used MG 6?

Ask straight away whether the airbags have ever gone off or been replaced. One owner of a 2013 MG 6 had all four airbags deploy just from switching on the ignition, so if a car has any airbag history, you'll want invoices showing what was replaced and who did the work.

Go round the cabin properly, because that's where this car's niggles show up. Run every window all the way up and down, the driver's especially, watching that the glass stays straight, since one owner had the driver's window guides fall out. Press on the trim for anything loose or rattling, and try every switch.

On the drive, feel how the clutch behaves: a high biting point, judder as you pull away, or gears that are hard to select all need explaining before you buy. Keep an eye on the dashboard too. Readings that jump about, or the car dropping into limp-home mode, are what one 2016 owner kept getting from an electronics fault.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used MG 6 cost to run?