Austin Maestro

Austin Maestro: which version to buy

If you are choosing an Austin Maestro, you are choosing among 10 versions of 1 generation (1983–1997), all Mini 5-doors, all FWD, all Front, transverse 4 Inline engines, 140 mm ground clearance, front Disc, rear Drum, independent spring front and semi-independent spring rear.

Austin Maestro: which version to buy

If you are choosing an Austin Maestro, you are choosing among 10 versions of 1 generation (1983–1997), all Mini 5-doors, all FWD, all Front, transverse 4 Inline engines, 140 mm ground clearance, front Disc, rear Drum, independent spring front and semi-independent spring rear. There is no second generation to “wait for.” The decision is engine size, power, gearbox, and whether you want Gasoline or Diesel.

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Austin Maestro specs that actually split the line-up

Power runs from 60 hp (2.0 MT Diesel) to 113 hp (2.0 MT Gasoline): a 53 hp gap, 88% more at the top than at the bottom.

Displacements in the data are 1275 cm³, 1598 cm³, and 1994 cm³.

Gearboxes: 4-speed Manual, 5-speed Manual, and one 4-speed Automatic.

Boost: nine versions No; only the 2.0 MT Diesel is Turbo.

Fuel: Gasoline on nine versions; Diesel on one.

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1.3 engine: three 1.3 MT cars, not one

All three 1.3 MT versions use 1275 cm³, Gasoline, Carburetor, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, FWD. They are not the same car.

Arithmetic

• 1.3 MT 67 hp vs 1.3 MT 63 hp: +4 hp (+6.3%), +3 kW, +3 Nm, peak power 300 rpm higher. Same 875 kg kerb, same 154 km/h, same 4-speed Manual. Specific output 52.5 hp/L vs 49.4 hp/L. Weight per hp 13.06 kg/hp vs 13.89 kg/hp. Bore × stroke 70.61 × 81.3 vs 70.64 × 81.28. Compression, fuel grade, 0–100, consumption, tank, wheels: not measured on both.

• 1.3 MT 69 hp vs 1.3 MT 67 hp: +2 hp, same 102 Nm at the same 3500 rpm, but a 5-speed Manual instead of 4. Kerb 925 kg vs 875 kg (+50 kg, +5.7%). Specific output 54.1 hp/L. Weight per hp 13.41 kg/hp — heavier per horse than the 67 hp car because the extra 50 kg outruns the extra 2 hp. Compression 9.75, fuel 95. City 7.8, highway 5.6, mixed 7.8 L/100 km. Gross 1370 kg. 0–100 12.5 s — the only 1.3 with a measured sprint. Top speed still 154 km/h.

Buy the 63 hp 1.3 MT if you want the lightest petrol Maestro in the table (875 kg) and will live with 4 gears and not measured 0–100 and mpg.

Buy the 67 hp 1.3 MT if you want the same 875 kg and the same 4-speed box but 4 hp and 3 Nm more. That is the cheapest power upgrade in the 1.3 group: no extra kerb weight in the data.

Buy the 69 hp 1.3 MT if you want the fifth gear, the only 1.3 acceleration figure (12.5 s), and the only 1.3 consumption set. You pay 50 kg kerb and still stop at 154 km/h. Mixed 7.8 L/100 km is worse than the 1.6 MT 86 hp mixed 7.3 — the 1.3 is not automatically the thrifty petrol choice on mixed cycle.

Tank and wheels: not measured on every 1.3.

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1.6 engine: four manuals and one automatic

Displacement 1598 cm³, Gasoline, No boost, FWD, clearance 140 mm.

1.6 MT 83 hp vs 1.3 MT 69 hp

• +14 hp (+20%), +30 Nm (+29%), +323 cm³.
• Specific output 51.9 hp/L vs 54.1 hp/L — the 1.3 69 hp is denser per litre.
• 0–100, top speed, consumption, kerb: not measured on the 83 hp 1.6 MT. You cannot prove it is quicker than the 1.3 from these numbers.

1.6 AT 86 hp vs 1.6 MT 86 hp

Same 86 hp / 63 kW at 5600 rpm, same 132 Nm at 3500 rpm, same 9.7 compression, same 76.2 × 87.6 bore × stroke, same Carburetor, same 2 valves, same 95 fuel. The split is the box: 4 Automatic vs 5 Manual.

Only the Manual has measured performance: 10.5 s to 100 km/h, 167 km/h, city 8.9, highway 5.3, mixed 7.3, kerb 975 kg, gross 1440 kg. For the 1.6 AT, 0–100, top speed, mpg, kerb, gross: not measured. Buying the automatic is buying a gearbox, not a measured-faster or measured-heavier car.

1.6 MT 86 hp vs 1.3 MT 69 hp (the only pair with full sprint/mpg/weight)

• Power +17 hp (+25%), torque +30 Nm (+29%).
• 0–100 10.5 s vs 12.5 s — 2.0 s quicker.
• Top speed 167 vs 154 — +13 km/h.
• Kerb 975 vs 925 — +50 kg.
• Gross 1440 vs 1370 — +70 kg.
• City 8.9 vs 7.8 — +1.1 L/100 km in town.
• Highway 5.3 vs 5.6 — 0.3 less on the road.
• Mixed 7.3 vs 7.8 — 0.5 less mixed.
• Weight per hp 11.34 kg/hp vs 13.41 kg/hp.
• Payload from the two masses: 1440 − 975 = 465 kg vs 1370 − 925 = 445 kg — +20 kg payload on the 1.6.

If you want the only petrol Maestro with a measured 167 km/h and a measured 10.5 s, this is the 1.6 MT 86 hp, not the 98 or 99 hp cars.

1.6 MT 98 hp vs 1.6 MT 86 hp

• +12 hp (+14%), peak 6000 rpm vs 5600. Specific output 61.3 hp/L vs 53.8 hp/L.
• Torque, 0–100, top speed, mpg, kerb: not measured on the 98 hp car. Valves, carburetion, compression, bore × stroke, fuel grade: not measured. Extra peak power is in the data; extra speed is not.

1.6 MT 99 hp vs 1.6 MT 83 hp

• +16 hp, +8 Nm, torque peak 4000 rpm vs 3500. Specific output 62.0 hp/L vs 51.9 hp/L.
• vs 1.6 MT 86 hp: +13 hp, +8 Nm.
• vs 1.6 MT 98 hp: +1 hp, and this one has 140 Nm; the 98 hp car’s torque is not measured. Peak power 5600 rpm vs 6000.

Buy 1.6 MT 83 hp only if you want 1.6 displacement and 132 Nm with the lowest 1.6 power — and accept not measured sprint, speed, weight, and mpg.

Buy 1.6 AT 86 hp if the 4 Automatic is the point. Do not claim it is slower or thirstier than the 86 hp manual: those figures are not measured.

Buy 1.6 MT 86 hp if you want numbers you can compare: fastest measured petrol sprint and top speed in the whole model, mixed 7.3, highway 5.3.

Buy 1.6 MT 98 hp or 1.6 MT 99 hp for peak horsepower in the 1.6 group. Prefer 99 hp if you care about a published 140 Nm; prefer 98 hp only for the 6000 rpm peak. Neither has a measured 0–100 or top speed, so neither beats the 86 hp manual on paper for “how fast it goes.”

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2.0 engine: two 2.0 MT cars, opposite jobs

Both 1994 cm³, 5 Manual, FWD, 140 mm, No petrol boost vs Turbo diesel.

113 hp vs 60 hp: +53 hp, 88% more. Specific output 56.7 hp/L vs 30.1 hp/L. The petrol 2.0 MT is the most powerful Maestro in the data. Its 0–100, top speed, torque, mpg, and weight are not measured, so you cannot rank it against the 1.6 MT 86 hp’s 10.5 s and 167 km/h with a stopwatch from this catalogue.

Diesel 2.0 MT vs 1.3 MT 69 hp

• Power −9 hp, torque +19 Nm, torque peak 2500 rpm vs 3500.
• 0–100 16 s vs 12.5 s — 3.5 s slower.
• Top speed 150 vs 154 — 4 km/h slower.
• City 5.9 vs 7.8 (−1.9), highway 4.4 vs 5.6 (−1.2), mixed 6.2 vs 7.8 (−1.6).
• Kerb 1095 vs 925 (+170 kg). Weight per hp 18.25 kg/hp vs 13.41.
• Gross 1560 vs 1370 (+190 kg). Payload 1560 − 1095 = 465 kg, same payload as the 1.6 MT 86 hp (465 kg).

Diesel 2.0 MT vs 1.6 MT 86 hp

• −26 hp, −11 Nm (121 vs 132), but diesel torque arrives 1000 rpm earlier.
• 0–100 16 s vs 10.5 s — 5.5 s slower.
• Top speed 150 vs 167 — 17 km/h slower.
• City 5.9 vs 8.9 (−3.0), highway 4.4 vs 5.3 (−0.9), mixed 6.2 vs 7.3 (−1.1).
• Kerb +120 kg (1095 vs 975). Heaviest kerb in the file.

Buy 2.0 MT 113 hp if maximum petrol horsepower is the filter and you accept not measured speed, torque, and economy.

Buy 2.0 MT 60 hp Diesel if mixed 6.2, highway 4.4, and Turbo plus compression 20 matter more than sprint. It is the slowest measured Maestro (16 s, 150 km/h) and the heaviest (1095 kg). It is the only diesel and the only turbo in the data.

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Generations: nothing to “step up” to

1 generation only, 1983-01-01 to 1997-12-31, Mini 5-doors, 10 versions. Chassis pattern does not change by version: Independent, spring front, Semi-independent, spring rear, Disc / Drum, 140 mm. You are not choosing a restyle generation. You are choosing an engine and a gearbox inside one body type.

Searches for a Maestro van, Vanden Plas, or petrol turbo do not match a separate version in this dataset. The turbo in the numbers is the 2.0 MT Diesel.

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Performance and economy (measured vs not measured)

0–100 km/h measured (3 of 10):

• 1.6 MT 86 hp: 10.5 s
• 1.3 MT 69 hp: 12.5 s
• 2.0 MT 60 hp Diesel: 16 s

Spread: 5.5 s from fastest to slowest measured.

Top speed measured (4 of 10):

• 1.6 MT 86 hp: 167 km/h
• three 1.3 MT: 154 km/h
• 2.0 MT Diesel: 150 km/h

Consumption measured (same three as 0–100):

The 1.3 is not the highway winner: 5.6 vs the 1.6’s 5.3. The 1.6 wins mixed and highway among petrols with data; the diesel wins all three cycles.

For 1.3 MT 63 and 67 hp, 1.6 MT 83 / 98 / 99 hp, 1.6 AT 86 hp, 2.0 MT 113 hp: 0–100, top speed (except the 1.3s’ 154), and mpg are not measured.

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Dimensions, weight, tank

Ground clearance 140 mm on all 10.

Kerb measured on 5 versions: 875, 875, 925, 975, 1095 kg. Spread 220 kg.

Gross measured on 3: 1370, 1440, 1560 kg.

Tank: not measured on all 10. Wheels: not measured on all 10.

You cannot pick a Maestro here by tank size or tyre size. You can pick by kerb if you stay on the five versions that list it.

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Which version to choose

Lightest petrol, fewest gears: 1.3 MT 63 hp or 1.3 MT 67 hp — 875 kg, 4 Manual, 154 km/h. Take 67 hp for +4 hp at the same weight.

1.3 with a fifth gear and a stopwatch: 1.3 MT 69 hp — 12.5 s, 7.8 / 5.6 / 7.8, 925 kg.

Best measured petrol driving numbers: 1.6 MT 86 hp — 10.5 s, 167 km/h, mixed 7.3, 11.34 kg/hp.

Only automatic: 1.6 AT 86 hp — same 86 hp and 132 Nm as the 86 hp manual; performance not measured.

Most 1.6 horsepower: 1.6 MT 99 hp (99 hp, 140 Nm) or 1.6 MT 98 hp (98 hp @ 6000 rpm, torque not measured). Speed not measured.

Entry 1.6: 1.6 MT 83 hp — 83 hp, 132 Nm; rest of the performance sheet not measured.

Most horsepower in the catalogue: 2.0 MT 113 hp Gasoline. Speed, torque, mpg, weight not measured.

Lowest measured fuel use, only Diesel, only Turbo: 2.0 MT 60 hp — mixed 6.2, highway 4.4, 16 s, 150 km/h, 1095 kg.

A short rule: if the figure is not in the table, it is not measured — not “unknown to the world,” just not in this catalogue — and it must not decide the purchase as if it were a number.