Rover 414i

First things first, this is a car review by a girl who knows nothing beyond how to drive the thing! Regular watchings of Top Gear have never taught me much more than how many caravans one can crush in an hour, and the right way to pronounce Porche. There are other reviews of the Rover 414i on this site with much better technical information than I can give, and when it's been said so well I see no reason to repeat! Thus, if it's okay with you people, I'll stick with what I know about my car, the general driving experience it gives, and the details of how it's been as a first car, over a ... more

Welcome to my first review since the beginning of March! I'm sure you're all glad to see me back (stop stifling the laughing at the back). As you've probably guessed through reading my other reviews, I manage to get through a lot of cars (on number 12 now, not bad for someone who has only been driving 7 years). So I thought I may as well write my big comeback masterpiece on my latest pride and joy, my beloved Rover 414SLi. Before I plough into this, I should warn you that it is based entirely on my experiences with this car, and a 416GSi I owned a few years back, which are both Mk 1 'wedge' ... more

I bought my 1997 Model Rover 414i 5 door hatchback in July 2001 as a used car from Les Rayner Foxhunters in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear. It's a high mileage car, it currently reads just under 93,100 miles (correct as of 29 August 2001), but the 1396cc Rover K-Series engine seems to wear the miles very well. The car is well equipped as standard with electric front windows, wood veneer trim, drivers airbag, electric tilt-and-slide sunroof, grippy front seats and a large boot. The car is spacious inside, and the cabin has an inviting look to it. My particular car has an Ash Grey interior, and it has ... more

I purchased this used car from a main dealer last August for just under £5000, it came serviced and with a 12 month Mot, it had a genuine 17000 miles on the clock Within a week it had refused to start a number of times with a starter fault. This was rectified by fitting a new starter free of charge by the main dealer who I couldnt fault for there service. A couple of weeks went by and a violent knock developed at the back, this was easily diagnosed as a leaking shock absorber, the dealer refused to change this as it was fair wear and tear, (I think not as it had just been serviced and had an ... more

I finally traded in my G-registered Rover 216s for a second-hand K-reg Rover 414Si. The bodywork was in surprisingly good condition for a Rover, since older models were prone to rust, particularly around the windscreen. This was the second of only three cars I've ever owned, so I was hoping for it to last quite a lot longer than it did. After noticing a "flat-spot" on the accelerator (engine dying slightly when you put your foot down), and after numerous visits to the garage, the problem was finally uncovered as being an oil-filled ECU, caused by an up-surge of oil through the breather-pipe ... more