1992 Rover - Austin Maestro LX review from UK and Ireland

Oil leak from the sump.

Heater radiator blew ruining the radio.

Light/signal stick broke.

Won't run without the choke fully out for 10 minutes.

Headlining falling off.

Cheap plastic parts are just crumbling to bits, literally.

Dash warped in sun and is comping away.

Stitching on seats coming apart.

Rust, rust and more rust.

This car really is a pile of junk. My father got it from my grandfather who took care of it the best he could. But it hasn't rewarded him for that. The car had only done 26000 miles in 10 years and the thing is falling apart. Even with full service history.

I have never known a car to feel so unstable while driving. If you go around a corner briskly in this thing, it feels like a bathtub full of water on wheels. The body roll is unbelievable.

This car should not have been made. I don't even know how they sold this thing.

The layout of all the control seem to have been an afterthought in the designers mind. You can't even see the blower controls unless you poke your head under the steering wheel. They might as well have put the controls completely under the dash so you can feel under to take a stab in the dark when you want to put the heated rear window on.

It is also extremely underpowered the engine is a tired old piece of kit designed in the 60s for a Mini. Somebody obviously thought it was still good 40 years later so continued to use it. Typical British complacency, no wonder the British car market is no more.

The car, in it's short used lifetime, is virtually a wreck waiting to go to the scrap-yard. I certainly won't be sorry to see it go!