Faults:

Rear arches.

Water pump.

General Comments:

Cheap running costs.

Ideal 1st car/learner vehicle.

Low fuel costs.

Easy to park.

Quite a nice looking car.

Comfy seats.

Practical.

All these Rover/Metros, no matter what age, seem to suffer from the rear arches corroding, so if you're looking to buy one, check the rear arches for signs of filler, and slightly different coloured paint.

Also prone to fail is the head gasket, so check inside the oil filler cap and dipstick for thick white sludge/ creamIness, and check inside the water fill for any oil that's mixed the water.

Faults:

Wheel arches have rusted.

Cylinder head gaskets need replacing; blew at about 27000 miles.

Alarm not working properly.

Gas suspension had to be regularly replaced.

General Comments:

This is a car that I just wouldn't touch with a barge pole. Although the 1.4 version is very, very quick, it's literally driving a death trap rust bucket. I eventually had to scrap it at ten years old, which for a lot of cars is nothing, but this car had the arches replaced due to extensive rust, and then they went again three years later.

The head gasket needed replacing about seven years ago, which cost the best part of £500.

The parts might be cheap, but you have to replace so many of them, that in the end you're paying just as much parts as you would with a more expensive car!

Faults:

1. Rear drivers side wing has rusted out. My local garage rebuilt & resprayed it, and it is good as new.

2. Central locking on the rear drivers side door has packed up. You can still lock it manually, so it is not a major problem.

3. Nothing else!

General Comments:

I bought this car from a main dealer at approx 6 months old. It had previously been a hire car on Jersey (Channel Islands). Those of you who know Jersey, will know it is very difficult to mistreat cars there as it is almost impossible to go fast, but you do have the sea air to deal with.

My husband refers to it as "The Go-Kart". It is a lovely little car, which handles like it's on rails! It is not the quietest or most highly equipped car, but it's fun to drive. A little car & a 1400cc injected engine = FUN!

I will keep this car until it dies. Partly because I love it, and partly because it is not worth diddly squat! I have seen them for sale for £500, and that is a travesty for such a lovely little car.