Rustbucket or Revmeister? (Austin/MG Maestro)

Member Name: Ophelia

Product:	Austin/MG Maestro
Date:	22/08/01 (302 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Solid, Good sized town car, Economical

Disadvantages: Rust, Rust, More rust

Clapped out runabout or economical town car? Both! I am not going to pretend a car of this generation does not have its problems but it also has its good points.

THE CAR

The maestro was first produced in 1983 and 596,000 cars were made. The model is available in 1.3, 1.6 litre petrol engine or 2.0 litre diesel or diesel turbo.

The maestro has a four cylinder engine and reaches a maximum of between 93 and 101 mph depending on the model (but take it from me with a tail wind and a steep slope you can try for more!).

The 0-60 statistics don’t quite rank with a Porsche and range from the 1.6 model at 10.5 seconds to the 2.0 litre diesel at a lethargic 16 seconds. Not a car for avid drag racers.

The maestro is a relatively fuel efficient car achieving 39 miles to the gallon, although the diesel models achieve only between 51.4 and 55.6 miles to the gallon.

BUYING SECOND HAND

There are certain faults which are common in old maestros and so when stalking through the used car market the buyer should be wary for them!

The bodywork is prone to rust, especially around the door seams, tailgate and around doors and windows.

Oil and coolant leaks should be checked for. Expect the need for frequent oil changes on diesels and high oil consumption on the 1.3 model. Also expect to live with a permanent oil stain on your driveway, which no garage mechanic can fix (the guides won’t tell you this!).

Needless to say you should expect to find rather ‘tired’ interior trim and worn upholstery – unless you pick up one of those delightful little runabouts that has been owned by the same old lady for 20 years and no one has ever sat on the back seat!

MY EXPERIENCE

When I first got my hands on a maestro (something I don’t always admit in polite company!) I fitted an alarm an immobiliser. This probably seemed utterly superfluous on an E Reg old
motor but I was feeling paranoid after my ancient metro had been stolen a couple of weeks before.

On the positive side the maestro (1.3 ltr engine) was reliable, solid (okay – also, admittedly tank-like, but you felt safe in it!) and economical.

On the negative side it shook like a petrified rabbit when driven over 75 on the motorway. Power assisted steering had never even glanced at the car, so you had to go into training to be able to handle manoeuvres and the bodywork left a great deal to be desired.

Ahh – the bodywork. How can I forget that? My maestro was registered as ‘white’ but at a glance, due to the excessive rust, it was more brown. There were holes in the doors, boot – well, everywhere! Worst of all, when raining water would pour through the roof and – there was no sun roof! Would you believe that the front seats were permanently wet and I always had to drive about sitting on a plastic bag? When offered a lift friends would insist on sitting in the back – so I felt more like a chauffeur than anything else.

The maestro eventually had to retire when it cost me £300 for the welding to get it through its MOT. However, I had one last laugh – I traded it in and was given £100 for it and, I later found out that the dealer only managed to get £50 for it at auction!

Hmm – having read my review, have just realised that there seem to be more negative points than positive. However, the rose tinted spectacles of memory will leave me with good thoughts of the maestro. Long may they rust on our roads!

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