Used MG Rover ZT Tourer 2001 - 2005 review

The MG ZT-T manages to keep the Rover 75's smooth ride and refinement, but adds more poise, better grip and sharper responses to make it a very enjoyable drive.

The engine range is the same as you find in the ZT saloon, and all but the entry-level 1.8 give strong performance. They do need to be worked hard, though.

Iits big boot means it's practical as well, but the garish styling might put some people off. Cabin space is good for four, though, and lots of kit came as standard. Best of all, the car was built when BMW owned MG Rover, so quality is good.

MGs were always cheap to buy, and the poor residuals that put many new car buyers off make the ZT-T a cracking used buy.

Servicing costs were never steep, the costs for maintaining the ZT-T being comparable to those for a Ford Mondeo. Mind you, because MG Rover main dealers are a thing of the past and you have to go to an independent, servicing is now even cheaper.

Remember, though - the manufacturer's warranty died with the rest of the company, so you might want to budget for an aftermarket warranty package.

We'd recommend the turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol engine. Its 0-60mph time of 8.9 seconds isn't too far behind the bigger 2.5-litre V6 engine, but it improves your average fuel consumption by almost 9mpg.

The entry-level 1.8 is even more frugal, but it's too weedy to make the ZT-T feel like a proper sports car. The same goes for both the 2.0-litre diesel engines. The V8 isn't a great choice. It's very quick, but an average of 21.5mpg makes it very pricey to run.

Trim levels reflect those found in the saloon. There are two for our favourite engine: ZT-T and ZT-T+. The standard car has lots of toys, including remote central locking, air-conditioning, alloys, electric front windows, a sunroof and a CD player. The ZT+ won't cost you much more, and it adds climate control, electric rear windows and a CD changer.

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