IN this job, you get to test a lot of different cars, which is great for a car enthusiast like me.

But most of them feel strangely similar because they are so easy to drive. Which is why I was keen to get behind the wheel of our long-term MG ZT 190 because I had heard from office colleagues that it was a 'bit of a brute'.

And they weren't wrong. Everything from the steering to the gearbox to the pedals felt immediately heavy and initially I thought I wouldn't get on with the MG. But after a few days of driving, I have come to realise the secret of driving MG's flagship Z-car. You simply have to take it by the scruff of the neck and show it who's boss.

And while its weight may not make it the most agile of cars to take down your favourite backroad, the sweet sound from the 2.5-litre V6 engine more than makes up for that. In fact, listening to the engine sing as the revs rise is quite addictive, although this does make visits to the petrol station all too frequent.