How many MG dealers/service agents are there in UK? I know it is a lot more money but it is a lot more car - I'd rather have an MX5

I always liked the styling of the MGF and thought the mid engine packaging was neat. I was also a fan of the K Series engine, which for some reason seems to get a lot of stick. When this engine appeared, it was quite advanced for the period and in 1.6 form I thought it was a gem. One of the nicest engines I have ever had in a car. Unfortunately, it seems that the MGF had its fair share of problems but maybe they can sort them out. The one Rover I have owned was bought because the overall package was hard to beat. I would love to see a similar situation again.

I suspect that he (the chap from MGOC) is also very biased...For example, I'm fond of my old polo but to most people it is; slow, noisy, unrefined, basic, small. They will however acknowledge that it is both reliable and cheap. A £15,000 MGF is not cheap and reliability is not yet proven.

The MG was introduced back in about 1995 from memory. At that time it was not as desirable as an MX5. It was based on parts from the Rover parts bin which included Metro subframes and suspension plus an engine that suffered more leaks than a goverment department.

Over time they "improved" it, the appearance was updated and the gas suspension replaced with proper springs but during the same period Mazda brought out 2 brand new MX5's plus numerous other developments.

I have seen brand new Mazda MX5 1.8's advertised at under £15,000, you would have to be clinically insane to spend over £15,000 on a Chinese MGF that has neither the looks, reliability, dealer network or resale demand.

I guess some people will argue that sales don't count but from a little research I have found the following info.

The 900,000th MX5 rolled off the production line in February 2011. Not been possible to find a total production figure for the MGF but in the best year it looks like 14,000 (some years way less) thus for the 10years it was manufactured the max would have been 140,000, probably nearer 100,000 looking at some years figures. That would be a ratio of 9 to 1.

Here are a few comments I found comparing the MX5 to the MGTF when it was relaunched by Nanjing.

Parkers gave the car 2.5/5 and said its pros were "Styling, handling and brand heritage" and cons were "Dated interior, patchy build quality and poor reliability."

WhatCar? gave it 2/5 saying its pros were that it's "pretty and affordable" but its cons were "The driving position and steering are not what you'd expect in such a sporty car."

AutoExpress reviewed it after Nanjiing took over and also had a 2/5 verdict, liking how it's "well equipped and compact" but disliking how it was priced more expensive than a basic Mazda MX5, has "barely changed since 1995 and can be mistaken for a much older vehicle" and also commenting on its cramped interior.

Would I buy an MG or an MX5, don't think I need to answer that.