MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: the cheapest hybrid cars in the UK put to the test

Hybrid cars used to be expensive alternatives to traditional petrol and diesel, but as time’s passed they’ve become more popular – and much cheaper. The two cheapest hybrid cars on sale today are actually two of the cheapest cars, full stop – the MG3 hatchback and the Chery Tiggo 4 SUV.

Both of these vehicles come in at well below £20,000, undercutting almost all of their closest alternatives. But at the same time, they offer loads of power, impressive standard equipment and a surprising amount of space inside.

What’s the catch? Well, I’ve spent plenty of time driving both of them, so I’ll tell you exactly what they’re like to drive, how practical they are, how easy they are to live with and crucially, if they’re worth buying or if you should stick to a slightly more expensive but more established alternative instead.

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MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: pricing and deals

The MG3 range starts at just under £17,500, but that’s for the pure petrol model with a manual gearbox. The Hybrid+ model (the one you want) starts at £19,945, or £21,495 for the higher-spec Trophy model.

There are some amazing savings available through Carwow, though. If you’re paying cash, you can pick up an MG3 Hybrid+ for just £17,495, or a Trophy model for £18,495. In that scenario, we’d definitely go for the top-spec car, as it gets niceties like keyless entry, heated seats and steering wheel, a 360-degree camera and artificial leather upholstery – on top of the climate control, adaptive cruise control, sat-nav and wireless smartphone connectivity that SE cars have.

The Tiggo 4 comes in at £19,995, or £21,995 for the better-equipped Summit. Carwow savings on this model aren’t quite as generous, but you can save £750 off either of these. Entry-level Aspire cars get full LED lights, keyless entry and a reversing camera, but Summit adds artificial leather upholstery, heated seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and a wireless phone charger.

It’s the same story if you’re leasing one, too. The Tiggo 4 isn’t fantastic value to lease just yet, with an entry-level Aspire model costing £277 a month over a three-year deal with 12 months initial payment. That’s a total cost of £13,300.

Under the same terms, an MG3 Hybrid+ in top-spec Trophy trim will cost you £152 a month, with a total three-year cost of just over £7,400. That’s crazy good value.

MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: design

These two cars aren’t exactly comparable on this front, because they’re from different classes. The MG3 is a traditional hatchback supermini, along the lines of a Ford Fiesta or a Renault Clio, while the Chery Tiggo 4 is a compact SUV, similar to a Ford Puma or Toyota Yaris Cross.

Still, both of them are eyecatching in their own way. The MG3 is genuinely quite a stylish little thing, in my opinion – it has nice proportions, a sharp front end with a wide grille and pointy headlights, and a pert rear. The sides feature interesting sculpted lines and there are some pretty attractive alloy wheel designs too – though the wheels themselves do look a little bit too small for the car, like a rugby player wearing ballet slippers.

The Tiggo has a similar problem – it looks like it’s had bits grafted on from different, larger cars, so the bonnet and grille all look a bit too large for the rest of its stubby body. It has loads of styling details that look like other cars, from Volkswagen-esque taillights to the grille which looks like it’s come from a DS. But while it’s not beautiful, it’s still smart enough.

MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: interior and practicality

The Tiggo 4 clearly has the leg up when it comes to space just because it’s so much bigger overall. As a result you get room for four six-foot adults inside in a surprising amount of comfort, and a large 430-litre boot – even if it does have a very awkward hump to accommodate the 12V battery, that’s still a good size.

The MG3 has quite tight rear seats in comparison – a six-foot adult can fit in there, but they won’t want to stay there for a long journey. At 293 litres the boot is a lot smaller too, and the seats don’t fold very flat – plus, the tailgate is quite narrow.

Once you get up front, you’ll really start wondering if someone made a typo on these cars’ price tags – as both of them feel much more expensive than you’d expect for less than £20,000.

The MG3 feels very well-built and is neatly styled, with a minimalist dashboard incorporating some plush faux leather and a bit of tartan-patterned trim. You don’t have to poke far to find some cheaper plastics, but the same is true of any car in this class – even the more expensive ones.

There’s a 10.3-inch infotainment screen that’s a sensible size and well-positioned, though it’s a shame MG hasn’t introduced some of the time-saving interface tweaks featured on its latest cars – a drop-down menu with a simple button to mute the safety alerts, for example.

The Chery Tiggo 4 also feels like it’s a lot more expensive when you sit up front. The twin 12.3-inch displays sit under a seamless sheet of glass, giving them an upmarket look akin to a BMW or Mercedes, while there are real separate climate controls – albeit on a touch-sensitive panel that’s not especially responsive.

Chery’s infotainment isn’t as slick or as nice to use as MG’s, but it does have some handy shortcuts which make life a lot easier. Both cars have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though, so it’s easy as pie to bypass the native systems and run your smartphone for navigation and entertainment.

MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: engines and driving

Both of these cars are very powerful compared to most of the hybrid alternatives. While cars like the Renault Clio E-Tech, Toyota Yaris Cross and Fiat Grande Panda are all good, their hybrid systems top out at 145hp (for the Clio). The MG3 has a whopping 191hp while the Chery Tiggo 4 has an even more impressive 204hp, and as a result both have much more performance in reserve for overtakes or short sliproads.

But what are they actually like to drive? Well, to start with the MG, it has a powerful electric motor and quite a large motor and battery, with the comparatively weedy 1.5-litre engine acting like a generator most of the time rather than directly driving the wheels.

As a result, the power delivery is really smooth – unless you put your foot down, in which case the engine joins forces to give maximum motive power. It’s at this point it feels quite clunky, because MG’s only fitted a three-speed gearbox – so there are big gaps as you go up the ratios.

The Tiggo 4 has a similar setup with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor – and like the MG, it’s predominantly driven by electric most of the time. However, the engine chimes in more often, and it’s a bit more vocal when it does. The engine itself is a little less powerful than the MG’s and it too only has a three-speed gearbox, so put your foot down and it’s quite noisy.

Both cars feel peppy to drive around town and have ample power to mix it with bigger cars on the motorway. But it’s the MG3 that’s nicer to drive overall. It feels very agile, with light, accurate steering and loads of grip in the corners. The body doesn’t lean much, and the suspension strikes a good blend of ironing out potholes without feeling all wishy-washy over rough surfaces.

The Tiggo 4 isn’t bad, but there are a few factors that just aren’t as nice as the MG. The steering is weirdly heavy just off-centre, so you don’t ever really get used to how much force you have to apply. It also leans a lot in the bends thanks to the overall softer suspension. If you enjoy driving, you should definitely get the MG3.

With their hybrid engines, you can expect reasonably low running costs from both of these cars. During our time with them, we averaged about 52mpg in the MG3, and 48mpg in the Tiggo 4. Those are good figures but not groundbreaking – you’ll get much better economy (close to 60mpg) from a Renault Clio E-Tech or a Toyota Yaris Cross.

MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: alternatives

All of the hybrid alternatives to these cars are much more expensive, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering.

MG ZS

Effectively the SUV twin to the MG3, this uses the same hybrid engine but offers a lot more space. It’s also amazing value to lease, costing just £188 per month over a three-year term with 12 months initial payment. It’s more expensive in cash terms than the Tiggo 4, though.

Toyota Yaris Cross

This is the fuel economy champion, capable of returning well over 60mpg in the real world – though with just 130hp it doesn’t quite have the turn of pace of either the Chery or the MG. If you want to match them on equipment you’ll have to spend quite a lot of money, too.

Renault Clio E-Tech

Our favourite hybrid hatchback, the Clio E-Tech looks great, is fun to drive and has a fabulous interior, but the rear seats are very cramped so definitely not one for family buyers.

MG3 vs Chery Tiggo 4: verdict

These are two of the cheapest hybrid cars you can buy, but which one’s best? Well, the Tiggo 4 is a great-value car for cash buyers, but at the moment it’s too expensive on leasing or manufacturer finance to consider against the alternatives. Once those prices come closer to reflecting this car’s stunningly low list price, it’ll be tough to beat the Tiggo 4’s combination of space, sophistication and equipment.

At the time of writing, though, the MG3 Hybrid+ looks like absolutely unbeatable value. It’s good to drive, feels posh enough inside and – while it’s not very roomy for family buyers – the similarly competent MG ZS can be yours for just a few pounds a month more. The MG3 is the winner of this test.

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