Most reliable car of all time???

Nope - there was a MG Turbo version of the Maestro. And it was bonkers.

"Pete M" wrote in message news:f7u6l9$t38$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org...

The Bluebird replacement Primera in about 1990 was much nicer to drive, and very reliable still, especially once it had been in production a couple of years, up to 99 when some cost cutting took place but was still OK until the Renault partnership took its toll in 2002. In 87,000m my '97 2.0 has had one exhaust system (at 8yrs), one rear washer non-return valve (at 9yrs) and a front suspension top link that I decided was too noisy (at 9yrs) which the MOT garage said it was fine. It's also had oil changes every 6k, more than recommended, as had my last Primera with a similar record that got smacked by a Granada at 158,000m. The 96 on ones don't rust either, and older ones are still pretty good apart from radiators that corrode.

The thing about some cars though is that they may be reliable, but do they drive any good when they're old? Primeras do. In fact, with modern tyres they drive better than ever, mileage doesn't seem to matter but I'm not sure they could put up with NO oil changes like a Bluebird could.

Erm, we're talking about the diesel.

The message from "DervMan" contains these words:

Yes, but that was petrol. What I said was that I didn't think they put the turbo Prima engine in the Maestro. I know they put it in the Montego

- I had one!

The message from "DervMan" contains these words:

Only on corners.

I'm not a mechanic, but I know two people in our place with company cars had engines blow on the Avensis - and had been properly serviced. AFAIK they were complete replacement engine jobs, so it was a "major" fault.

A third, possibly just a really unlucky guy - had three (IIRC) tyres blow out on him in his Avensis what I think was a very short period of time. His car had laid idle for around 12 months due to a health problem - whether the blow-outs occurred before it was laid up I don't know (but should be able to find out).

D'oh.

However, Rover did use the turbodiesel in the Maestro. Optional power steering and a sunroof: my Dad leased two, one without PAS, one with. PAS made it a much, much nicer machine.

It was advertised as "100 mph 100 mpg."

"Colin Wilson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net...

I should say. Sounds unusual. We used to give our cretins, sorry, our "less than mechanically sympathetic" company car drivers the Toyota Carina E, because when the Laguna "just died" and then the Peugeot "just died," we figured this oaf was the cause.

(This idiot had no mechanical sympathy and didn't bother to check the fluids, which was a sackable offence - but my boss was too stupid to try to sack him heh).

Incorrect inflation perhaps. Three again sounds unusual!

In part maybe. But there are also commercial forces involved here. The motor retailers like a system with something showing the year. This is so that they can sell new cars to all those people who like to show off that they have a new car, with the latest registration letter/number.

I was close to buying it too (it was end-of-lease, to be sold off cheap) but the valuation came in a couple of thousand more than other Avensis' had sold for (possibly a higher spec) - only then did I find out about the blowouts and I started to get worried :-p

Nedavno asahartz napisa:

Where I am, when you buy used car, (usually) old plates are returned, and new owner gets new plates.

Somewhat different. But thet did fit the TD towards the end.

For me its the Mk3 Polo, but the Mk2s lasted well too.

The police also wanted to keep an age related plate as that is usually the part witnesses remember if they remember nothing else from the plate.

And for it's time wasn't a bad diesel. I never drove the maestro, but the Montego with that engine went quite well. Horrific turbo lag though.

..don't forget the vast amounts of smoke you could get from them either (usually on demand!).

That was a good point, though. If I put my Saab's DieselTune unit to the right setting, I can hide the car behind. :)