MG DTI vs TCI

Ive been driving around in a 6 DTi SE for the past few months, more so this last week.



We've put 6500 miles on it so far, long trips to cumbria and weekend utility work.



First off, the engine is sublime at motorway speeds and very much the accomplished engine. Easily on part with the 2.0 Ford and 2.0 GM engines ive been using lately. Punchy around town too. My only gripe is that low throttle movement is like an on off switch. It takes a while to get used to the sudden bite in 1st. Its gearing though is the secret to the feel of the engine. Good, usable gears - though 4th seems redundant. Cruising is effortless and overtaking is easy. Change is smooth, very smooth with good feel. The new gear knob feels solid and superior quality to the crap they used first time round....



The engine feels much more usable on the road than my 1.8 Tci - which in hindsight feels laboured in the 6.



Handling / Feel wise im perhaps a little displaced coming from driving a Magnette but heres my opinion. First thing Ive noticed is the feedback is poor, it does not transmit the road to me, our wheel loading, anywhere near as good as the petrol.



Handling is not as good at higher speeds. I cant be as aggressive with this as I can with my 6. Grip feels the same on turn in, but on uneven or broken surfaces the back end wants to jump up and drift loose, so the car becomes unsettled easier than the petrol does. Looks like its due to the CoG moving forward with all the extra engine and braking weight. Its not terrible but noticeable and requires a slight correction. Id say it adds to the excitement but it happens to far from the chassis' limit.



Braking is around the same, though they feel to have more initial bite on the DTi.



Its not as economical as I would like, try as I did I could not get it to average more than 55 - with and without CC on - on a recent 240 mile trip - mainly Motorways. V power Diesel did however get 57mpg return to Cumbria - which is decent I guess as its not all motorway.



Inside The car's got a lacquer on the dash that improves the feel and look of the lower interior materials, which was my first impression on getting inside. This is what the majority of the main OEM's do, so its good to see MG making progress. The new dual climate is as nice touch and the dials all feel to have a better weighting and feel more consistent - which is good.



Thats where the improvements end on the inside. The fit and finish is not as good as my 2012 TCi SE Mag, which is most evident behind the steering wheel where it has sharp edges where the plastics are not aligned correctly. The car also has more rattles from behind the dash near the Sat Nav (not cup holder though :) ) and the air con makes odd noises on start up or speed changes, like a plastic ball being bounced around in a tube. This is most annoying and feels like another oversight in QE. All those improvements to touch and feel are useless if the standards cannot be met when it comes to assembly.





Despite the niggles though, the sublime engine and gearbox more than makes up for its mistakes, at least pound for pound against the petrol. If you can afford either, go for the Dti. The outright pace is not too different and I suspect in Magnette form, the CoG issue is not as noticeable.



My car is having a new clutch (or had) and re-lubricating. Will be interested in seeing how the car performs then.

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