Faults:

Just about everything. Head gasket, oil leak, coolant leak, driveshafts, the list goes on.

Most famously for this car, yes it was a rust bucket, even at barely 4 or 5 years old we noticed it starting everywhere.

General Comments:

This Metro deserves its poor reviews. A very unsafe and poor quality car.

We bought used approved back in 1997. The car had low mileage and was in good condition so how bad could it be we thought? Blue L reg, "S" model, very basic.

As it turned out, the car was OK the first year or so. But we noticed the famous rust starting. Then the mechanicals started giving problems as the mileage rose. But we looked after the car and drove carefully.

Interior was cramped. Uncomfortable. Too much noise. It felt unsafe just sitting in it, let alone on a motorway passing lorries.

The 1.1 was surprisingly nippy in the right conditions. Also contrary to popular belief, it could actually manage 100 mph with the wind behind it going downhill. Maybe the speedometer was over-reading!

Scrapped at 10 years old, not worth fixing. No wonder Rover went under, they needed a popular hatchback and this offering was terrible. Mind you, I do not hate Rover - my father had a 600 then an 800 around about the same time; they were actually OK cars, still had reliability issues but at-least they could give similar cars a run for their money.

But the Metro was a terrible car. Even the updated nameplate change Metro "100" in its final years was basically just as bad, despite the "improvements".

Good points? It was not as slow as people said they were, and it was cheap enough to fix. But not a car that will be fondly remembered; there are some hardcore fans of it here in the UK, it has quite a following but I will never understand why. Easily the worst car we had in the family (and we had/have lots!).

Faults:

Alternator failed.

Head gasket blew at 65000.

Gearbox failed and car scrapped an uneconomic to repair.

Central locking failed on passenger side for two yeas, then started working again without problems until vehicle was scrapped.

General Comments:

Very fun to drive, in fact the most fun of any car I've owned.

I really liked the CVT transmission, which in this very lightweight car worked well until it broke.

Steering feel was excellent.

75hp engine was perfect fit for the transmission, and gave good real world performance.

Faults:

I bought the car with a blown head gasket due to the radiator failing.

The rear arches are going slightly rusty.

General Comments:

I replaced the Radiator and head-gasket and since then it's had no troubles. The car came with Full Rover Service history and I haven't spent out on it since. I bought it as a Track Day toy which is now after being on the road for a few thousand miles having a roll cage, seat, and fire extinguishers fitted along with the normal upgrades like suspension and brakes etc.

Faults:

Remote control fob finally gave up the ghost in 2002, now no longer have any central locking or alarm! (No Longer Available! THANKS, ROVER!)

Alternator cooking the battery.

Hot running problems due to sticking valves when new.

This car has been always kept in a heated garage, fully (3 tins!) waxoyled THREE times (first time at 2 months old) and absolutely cherished, and yet I've STILL had to have remedial paintwork on the rear arches to stop them from rotting like all the others! Will mine be the only one left with it's original arches??

General Comments:

I got this car brand new when I was 19 (back in the days when it still a feat to have a new car... unlike today when everybody drives over-produced tomorrow's tat today")

Peformance, from only a 1.1, is excellent, I once had 115mph out of her!

The interior on the "S" model is superb, and the car looks a beauty in flame red. Shortly after purchase I fitted 93-spec GTi16v alloys, and then a GTi body kit. It gets admired wherever it goes, and people really appreciate it's immaculate condition... which is great because even with the up-most care and fair-weather use it has at times taken effort and cash to keep it "as new"