16th May 2001, 13:17
Original reviewer replying to the above comments:
I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you on the issue of rust, fair enough if you are over 70 you have the time to wash and wax them everyday, but even if you wash them once a week without fail they will still turn into garden sheds (look at the last of the line M plate models, all rusty as hell!).
With regards to running costs yes they can be cheap to maintain if you know what your doing, but if like most car owners who know virtually nothing about repairs you have to rely on expensive garages (budget for front wheel bearing replacements every 10k, at least £150 if garage does it).
Of course if your looking for a cheap car even the newest one's can be had for a couple of hundred quid.
To the last comment, Sexy? A Maestro? Don't think so!
18th Aug 2002, 19:59
I bought a 1.3L maestro from a local scrap yard for £20, taxed for two months and MOT'D for five months. It was O. K for a while before I noticed a small patch of rust on the drivers door. three months later that small patch of rust went from the size of a 50p to the size of a football. I took the door off to replace it with another one and when it was sitting in the street it was burned. It cought fire to an Audi A4 beside the Maestro and it was burned too. My point is is that if I had it for any longer it would have rusted away anyway.
5th May 2001, 15:13
Austin Maestros are clearly not a upper class car, yet they are reliable and they are economical, and in the case of a 1.6 Van den Plas with electric windows, sunroof and leather seats, can be pretty sexy too.
Austin cars do have thin metal, but looking after the bodywork carefully will ensure that rust is not an issue. If you have rust, it means you havnt looked after it properly!