Metro or XJS ?
Author
Discussion

threespires

Original Poster:

4,465 posts

240 months

Friday 1st March 2013
quotequote all
Upon reading a forum elsewhere I was reminded of a situation I had some years ago.
BL wanted to borrow my Mazda RX-7 for a week to carry out some evaluative stuff. [Being their closest dealer this was not uncommon]
They offered me in exchange either a Metro Turbo or a Jaguar XJS V12.
Which car would you have chosen for the week?

Hooli

32,278 posts

229 months

Friday 1st March 2013
quotequote all
Jag.

V8 FOU

3,023 posts

176 months

Friday 1st March 2013
quotequote all
Wouldn't matter which, as neither would last a whole week without breaking down....

shouldbworking

4,801 posts

241 months

Friday 1st March 2013
quotequote all
Having owned both a metro and a v12 xjs, I would go for the metro and avoid the hassle of having to file for bankruptcy.

littlebasher

3,956 posts

200 months

Friday 1st March 2013
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Metro 6R4?

spoodler

2,304 posts

184 months

Friday 1st March 2013
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Having driven both - they are both great in the right conditions.
In my current financial situation it would have to be the Metro, I can remember watching the instant fuel consumption readout in the XJS drop to 2m.p.g. (yes, two) when I floored it to overtake a line of cars on some New Forest back road... what a car tho', a sense of drama and occasion sadly lacking in most cars that have come since. The Metro on the other hand was just sheer fun - could never understand why all the Max Power kiddies craved the Nova at the time.

peteA

2,759 posts

263 months

Friday 1st March 2013
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I owned a Metro for 6 months but haven't been in a XJS...

Jag.

ClassicMotorNut

2,438 posts

167 months

Friday 1st March 2013
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Cost can't be too much of an issue if one is only in possession of the car for a week. I'd have the Jag.

Xtriple129

1,173 posts

186 months

Friday 1st March 2013
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Had an XJS ( in fact, several of the buggers, even though I always said "Never again!" ) and got the fuel read out to 1 quite easily!
Now have a Metro in mint condition stored away in the garage, used occasionally, but unfortunately, not an MG or a Turbo, just a bog basic 1.0 City.I absolutely love the little horror and for such a basic car it;s a riot to drive.

fatboy69

9,424 posts

216 months

Friday 1st March 2013
quotequote all
Xtriple129 said:
Had an XJS ( in fact, several of the buggers, even though I always said "Never again!" ) and got the fuel read out to 1 quite easily!
Now have a Metro in mint condition stored away in the garage, used occasionally, but unfortunately, not an MG or a Turbo, just a bog basic 1.0 City.I absolutely love the little horror and for such a basic car it;s a riot to drive.
Mmmm. Quite possibly the worst car I have ever driven. Mine had horrible plastic seats, a hugely long gear lever, no rear wash/wipe although the sodding thing would never go quick enough to get the rear screen wet.....

Also hated the fact that the seats could not be adjusted (apart from being able to be moved backwards or forwards) so they were set in the same upright position whether you were five foot tall or six foot tall.

Just a horrid little car - quite the opposite to the MG Metro Turbo or the 6R4.

I wonder what happened to A999 UOX?

4rephill

5,165 posts

207 months

Saturday 2nd March 2013
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How is this even a question to ponder?

A boring looking box on wheels or a a sublime luxury coupe?

shouldbworking said:
Having owned both a metro and a v12 xjs, I would go for the metro and avoid the hassle of having to file for bankruptcy.
Just how is a borrowed XJS going to bankrupt you in a week? confused

If it goes wrong you contact BL and they supply another car!

Even the fuel bill wouldn't have been that much of an issue back in the days when BL existed!

LordBretSinclair

4,306 posts

206 months

Saturday 2nd March 2013
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I had a Metro Turbo for a couple of years when the sprogs got too big to squeeze in the back of the V8 BGT - got rid of it as soon as I could though - horrid little thing IMHO frown


Balmoral

42,561 posts

277 months

Saturday 2nd March 2013
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LordBretSinclair said:
horrid little thing IMHO
I agree, I used to sell them back in the day, I ran the odd Turbo as a demo car, the standard MG 1300 was a much nicer car all round IMO.

jpa

218 posts

260 months

Saturday 2nd March 2013
quotequote all
spoodler said:
The Metro on the other hand was just sheer fun - could never understand why all the Max Power kiddies craved the Nova at the time.
I know why, I had 2 mates back in my youth, one who had a Metro Turbo and the other with a Nova SR. They each tried out each others car on a little circuit of good country roads near home. I had to take the other car and follow them and then swap so got to try both.

The metro was fun, but rough and old fashioned, and I struggled to keep up with the Nova. The SR on the other hand was smooth, fast, and handled sweetly and felt a lot more grown up (which of course when you are in your teens probably counted for a lot!).

Now, of course, the metro might be more 'fun' because it is so raw in comparison.

arfur daley

834 posts

195 months

Saturday 2nd March 2013
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fatboy69 said:
Mmmm. Quite possibly the worst car I have ever driven. Mine had horrible plastic seats, a hugely long gear lever, no rear wash/wipe although the sodding thing would never go quick enough to get the rear screen wet.....

Also hated the fact that the seats could not be adjusted (apart from being able to be moved backwards or forwards) so they were set in the same upright position whether you were five foot tall or six foot tall.

Just a horrid little car - quite the opposite to the MG Metro Turbo or the 6R4.

I wonder what happened to A999 UOX?
Services provided by DVLA:


Vehicle enquiry

The enquiry is complete.The vehicle details for A999 UOX are:



Date of Liability

01 12 1999


Date of First Registration

18 08 1983


Year of Manufacture

1983


Cylinder Capacity (cc)

998cc


CO2 Emissions

Not Available


Fuel Type

PETROL


Export Marker

N


Vehicle Status

Unlicensed


Vehicle Colour

WHITE


Vehicle Type Approval

Not Available


Vehicle Excise Duty rate for vehicle


6 Months Rate

£74.25

12 Months Rate £135.00










deltashad

6,731 posts

226 months

Saturday 2nd March 2013
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Novelty value the Metro is cool, the whine of the gearbox and upright driving position is almost go kart like. But, for a week,the XJS.
Drop it into D, powerslide around the corners in leather and walnut, I'd have the mirrors set so I could admire those lovely rear buttresses.. with 'the saint' theme tune on the CD player. Or maybe James Last Seduction. Quality...

Grom1t

46 posts

176 months

Sunday 3rd March 2013
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XJS any day of the week, I had 3

1 x V12 and 2 x 4.0ltr facelifts.

V12 sounded awesome, flat out exiting the dartford tolls and the 4.0 litres could do decent mpg.

Friend had a metro.... Why ?

V12 Migaloo

1,152 posts

175 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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In the late 80's my UNO SX with twin weber upgrade, use to wipe the floop with my mates Metro Turbo. Jag every day.

smiffy220

181 posts

179 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Would be a Jag all the way for me, I'd even rather put up with it breaking down all the time than drive a Metro!
It used to be a standing joke of mine, it seemed whenever I got stuck in a line of traffic in the late 80's early 90's, there would be a Metro at the front causing the queue. I even remember snaking in a long line of slow moving traffic once and seeing a milk float at the front and thinking that was why it was slow. But no, next right hand bend I could actually see a Metro in front of the milk float holding that and the rest of us up!
Hateful things in my opinion!

dbdb

5,177 posts

202 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Definately the Jag. I learned to drive in a N/A MG Metro - it was good to drive; easy and fun. It made the VW Golf my mother had at that time feel like a tractor.
The XJ-S is a wonderful thing though. It wouldn't break down but the rust it would inevitably have would bankrupt someone else.