1980 Rover - Austin Mini Clubman review from UK and Ireland
"A piece of British Leyland best forgotten, but it was fun!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Everything basically wore out!! Needed a new engine, it uses more oil than OPEC.
Brakes and steering always needed work at MOT time.
Suspension so hard I kept a bag of suppositories handy, this car will give you haemmorhoids at any age!
General comments?
How British Leyland got away with making this for 40 years is beyond me. I needed a car VERY quickly after writing off my previous set of wheels. It was a straight choice between the Mini and a Talbot Horizon. How could I make such a decision? It's like being asked to choose a date with either Jo Brand or Anne Widdicombe.
The car handles very well, like a go-kart, but I suspect part of this phenomenon is that you are not actually going very fast, it just feels like it.
Forget refinement, I felt as if I was sat inside the engine block on long motorway trips. After driving from Manchester to London I thought I had just been to a Led Zep gig! I couldn't hear a thing and ended up talking like Steven Hawking.
It's a rubbish car, but I will remember it fondly as a custard yellow bird magnet!!
Search for New and Used Rover - Austin Minis available in the UK
Click here to advertise your car
Recommended reviews
|
| A cheap, economical, reliable motor |
|
| Love/Hate relationship |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1980 |
| First year of ownership | 1991 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.1 Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 3 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 77000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 93000 miles |
| Previous car | Opel Ascona |
| Date of Entry | 20th March, 2001 |