1989 Rover - Austin Metro MG 1.3 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Metros are basically one of the last cars from when motoring was much more affordable and simple

Faults:

CV joint had gone with age, but was repaired with second-hand parts cheaply.

Head gasket blew through cylinders 2 and 3, this was repaired by myself outside my parents house!

Front tyres wear quite quick!

Exhaust, pay attention to this, the A+ needs good back pressure so make sure the exhaust only has one exit hole! Make sure you use new clamps at the manifold side to get a good seal, and a little exhaust paste.

Rust on the front valence is common as people do not clean the rain channels underneath.

General Comments:

Great little cars, only bought one to get me by, but now I have two as they are quite efficient and are great for window cleaning.

Cheap standard roof racks fit Metro's.

Simple engine, little electric to go wrong.

Cheap available parts, most of the time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th December, 2002

1989 Rover - Austin Metro MG 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Not bad if you like a small car

Faults:

Sub-frame bent causing the car to veer to the left. Caused by hitting a kerb at 30mph. £400 worth of damage.

General Comments:

This car has a good engine, but a word of warning for you is that the sub-frames are very weak and a bump onto a pavement can cause significant damage.

The interior is very smart though and is the most comfortable of any car of that period which I have driven, except perhaps for the Ford Sierra of the same age.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th November, 2002

1989 Rover - Austin Metro L 1.3 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Cramped, noisy and unreliable car with a sad image!

Faults:

Oil consumption has been heavy throughout its life.

The choke cable snapped at 33000 miles.

The clutch was in desperate need of replacement at only 35000 miles.

The rear window heater sapped power from the battery leaving the car prone to not starting.

The bolt attaching the two parts of the drivers seat together broke.

The brake disk warning light started to turn on when applying the brakes downhill at 41000 miles.

Pieces of interior trim have always been fragile, making them vulnerable to snapping and loosening.

For a 1.3 liter super-mini, an average of 36 miles per gallon is pretty poor.

General Comments:

Although this car was designed for the 1980's, that is no excuse for some of its flaws. Fiesta's, Nova's and especially the Micra's are all from the same era and they offer many things a Metro seriously lacks, such as space and comfort.

On the other hand, it does have a personality. The engine makes a lovely growl when speeding from 0 to 60 miles per hour. Unfortunately, that's about it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 18th August, 2002

1989 Rover - Austin Metro GTa 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Underrated fast car at small cost

Faults:

Oil consumption is excessive. Engine is in need of a rebuild to solve the problem.

General Comments:

An excellent small car although it is slightly dated.

On the road it handles beautifully, although not as tight as a mini. Traction is exceptional on large tyres and inspires confidence, whilst retaining a smooth ride.

Once past 3000 on the rev gauge, the car pulls like a bull, exactly what you want from sporty little motor.

With front and rear anti-roll bars, including shock absorber's to boot, even in the rain it handles like a dream.

Down side is motorway driving where the addition of a fifth gear would have been the cherry on the cake.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th July, 2002

1989 Rover - Austin Metro GTa 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

The most underrated small car ever!

Faults:

Other than tidying up the car and sorting the normal metro rust (minimal) the car has been a good buy at only £275 with 5 months MOT at the time.

General Comments:

Great car, nippy around town, great fuel economy and if things do need replacing local breakers always have spare parts available.

I've never driven such an addictive car since I had my old Nova SR 1300.

This is more fun as the handling is better and it feels exactly like a large go-kart!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2002

1989 Rover - Austin Metro City X 1.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A low cost riot!

Faults:

Down pipe (for the exhaust) has disconnected 4 times.

Both seat mechanisms have broken, rear passengers cannot get into the car.

Window winder has become jammed.

Interior lining has become unstuck.

General Comments:

This car is brilliantly simple, most faults can be fixed with a little common sense.

Go-cart handling that is a blast around the city.

Huge amounts of space for such a small car, rear seats fold down into foot well to achieve van like qualities.

Biggest downfall is rust, I had a little scratch on one wing; the entire section needs to be replaced as the rust has spread.

Very loud engine, this engine was actually designed in the 1950's! This does however reduce repair costs.

Exterior looks are cute and cheeky, but they won't give you any credibility.

Surprisingly nippy when you are solo, quick off the mark, add any more passengers and the performance falls accordingly.

So, so cheap to run this will barely make any difference to your bank balance unless you are an 18 year old male like me.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2002