Despite the growing population of crossovers and sport utility vehicles (SUV), many Filipino car buyers still show their affinity for sedans — and it is not difficult to see why. Good handling, good fuel economy, and downright affordability are just some of the things that sedans get right.

Two of today’s most popular sedans are the Toyota Vios and the MG 5. One has been a segment staple while the other is an icon in the making. Which among these cars best suit your budget and your motoring needs? Stick around to find out.

Exterior

	Toyota Vios	MG 5
Length x Width x Height (mm)	4,425 x 1,730 x 1,475	4,601 x 1,818 x 1,489
Wheelbase (mm)	2,550	2,680
Ground Clearance (mm)	133	118

At a glance, the MG 5 boasts a longer and wider exterior. Its beefier body results in a longer wheelbase that should at least give MG’s entry into the local sedan segment a little advantage over the Toyota Vios in terms of ride quality. It also sits closer to the ground. thereby improving the car's stability.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Vios — not to be outdone — has a better overall height and also a higher ground clearance. This allows drivers of the Toyota Vios to breeze through potholes and road bumps they will encounter along the way.

As for the exterior appointments, the range-topping Toyota Vios offers a pair of three-tier headlamps, daytime running lights (DRL) with line guide, fog lamps, a piano black grille, and tail lamps with an line guide that are all on LED.

On the other hand, the MG 5’s top-tier model is equipped with automatic headlamps, DRL, taillamp,  (all on LED) and a rear fog lamp.

With both cars neck and neck, we call this round a tie.

Interior

Greeting those who open the front doors of the top-of-the-line Toyota Vios are comfortable fabric seats, a leather steering wheel, a leather shift knob, an Optitron meter gauge, and a 6.5-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The highest variant of the MG 5 also comes with its own suite of interior amenities such as leather seats, a leather steering wheel, an instrument cluster with a mix of digital and analog gauges, and a larger 10-inch infotainment system that doubles as a screen for the MG 5’s 360-degree view camera.

Right off the bat, we’re impressed with the cabin features that the MG 5 has to offer. That said, it’s only befitting that we give it this round.

Engine

Popping the hood of the Toyota Vios lets you peek at its 1.5-liter engine (1.3-liter in lower variants). The powerplant is mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). On paper, this setup gives the top variant of the Toyota Vios 105 horsepower (hp) and 140Nm of torque.

Also flexing its muscle is the MG 5, with its standard 1.5-liter mill. Like the Toyota Vios, it can be mated to either a five-speed manual tranny or a CVT. At best, the MG 5 makes 112 horses with 150Nm of pulling power.

Despite producing more power, we’re siding with the Toyota Vios in this round. The nameplate offers two engine options and provides the public with a powertrain setup that best works for their needs.

Safety

When it comes to keeping its passengers safe on the road, the Toyota Vios relies on a host of features like front, side, curtain, and knee airbags as well as three-point emergency locking retractor (ELR) seatbelts. It also comes with vehicle stability control (VSC), hill-start assist (HSA), an anti-lock brake system (ABS), a clearance sonar, and rear parking sensors.

Meanwhile, the MG 5 offers a similar set of airbags and seatbelts, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), cornering brake control, brake assist (BA), electronic stability control (ESC), auto hold brakes, a tire pressure monitoring system, and that 360-degree view camera we mentioned earlier.

With both cars offering almost similar safety features, we’re calling this round a tie.

Bottom line

Both the Toyota Vios and the MG 5 are great choices whether one wants a classy-looking sedan or a daily driver/weekend family carrier. With rounds going back and forth, picking between the two boils down to personal preference.

The Toyota Vios is offered in six variants. It is also good to note that The Vios is also offered in a special GR-S model complete with all the bells and whistles — but that’s a story for another day. Pricing for the Vios starts at P686,000. For the MG 5, it is offered in four grades with prices starting at P658,888.

Photos from Toyota and MG

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The vivid hues of the Toyota Vios

MG 5’s newest trim is tech-heavy

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