205 Gti 1.6 Vs Fiesta Xr2 Vs Mg Metro Turbo - 1984 Road Test

[Tesstuff 222]

Here is the first in a double challenge for the 205 1.6 Gti against the other hot hatches of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

Have you found the roadtests on flickr by any chance?

[dandanger 12]

phase 1 dash not my favourite type phase 2.5 every time

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

Just look how dated the Metro looks there, the 205 still looking relatively fresh.

[Baz 421]

Nice!

 

But isn't that a very early 205 and as such doesn't have the full later GTi suspension setup etc?

 

Having owned a couple of Fiesta's (Mk1 with 1600 CVH & Mk2 XR2's) they're really not a patch on the 205's handling.

[shalmaneser 26]

105bhp engine, too.

 

I love reading these contemporary road tests!

[dandanger 12]

i owned a xrpooi after my 1st 205 gti and i hated it the cvh engine was just so so flat i couldnt wait to get another 205 the 1.6 just revs and revs and then bangs on the limiter the cvh engine mind it just felt like it didnt like to be reved hard

[christopher 5 1 Cars]

Thats a bit hard on the CVH. I had mk2 XR2 with a Kent CVH 22 cam and a Janspeed system and it revved and went like the clappers.

[e8_pack 4]

Had a few XR2's back in the day, i always thought it looked pretty sporty, even back then. That Metro looks so dated, you dont see many with the recessed front lights, probably the most rare of the three now.

 

The 205 definately looks the most modern, even by todays standards the 205 is a nice looking car.

 

Always liked old fords though, saw an XR2 on the motorway a few months back, was great seeing one on the road, not sure i'd linger as long over a 205, they seem to be far more abundent. Just seemed like quite an event to see the old fiesta!

Edited June 30, 2012 by e8_pack

[bigearmuffs 9]

Having had a Fiesta XR2, MG Metro and 205 I personally prefer the 205 on handling and performance, amazing that Austin carried on so long with the A series engine.

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

Ha, love it

 

My first car was an MG Metro (non-turbo); such fond memories, but I think everyone remembers there first couple of years driving with 'fond memories'. Those early models with the recessed Sherpa-esque front lights haven't aged well at all, have they Pug looks fresh as a daisy. They seem quite polite to the Metro but the reality of it is it's a gear short, several CC's down and neutered by a turbo that gave up before it applied any serious push in order to retain gearbox life for warranties. That fecking gearbox killed off the A-series

 

In a modern world of the 205 gti, it's hard to think of anything seriously positive about the Metro, except maybe the beautifully crisp throttle response and a characterful-sounding engine... but I still loved E322 VOK ;-)