... This is the second Rover I have owned the first being a old shape 1995 214 which was my Dad's but drove after passing my driving test at 17. Two and a half years later at the age of 19 and being very impressed with the 214 I decided to buy a Rover 75.
I had a budget of under four grand ... Read review
Saloon - Front (FWD) - 5 Speed Manual, 5 Speed Automatic - 2497 cc - Max Speed: 137 mph - 177 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: Connoisseur SE, Contemporary SE
Advantages: COMFORT, STYLE, REFINEMENT, TRADITIONAL ROVER VALUES Disadvantages: NOT MADE ANYMORE
...well. This is the second Rover I have owned the first being a old shape 1995 214 which was my Dad's but drove after passing my driving test at 17. Two and a half years later at the age of 19 and being very impressed with the 214 I decided to buy a Rover 75.
I had a budget of under four grand so I decided to bite the bullet and buy a 75 from the auction. I knew pretty much what to look out for and finally bought a X reg 2001 1.8 classic ... ...in it, so why has Rover got such a bad image?. The facelifted 25,45, and 75 facelifted models had just been realised and sales were very poor.
Although a bog standard you would never know from the outside or inside apart from the steel wheels inleu of alloys and missing a/c button. The interior still have the massive arm chair style velour piped seats which a very very comfortable, leather cream steering wheel, handbrake and gearknob. ... more
It's time to write a review after owning a 75 for two and a half years, I now feel I know 75's rather well. This is the second Rover I have owned the first being a old shape 1995 214 which was my Dad's but drove after passing my driving test at 17. Two and a half years later at the age of 19 and being very impressed with the 214 I decided to buy a Rover 75.
I had a budget of under four grand so I decided to bite the bullet and buy a 75 from the auction. I knew pretty much what to look out for and finally bought a X reg 2001 1.8 classic with NO aircon in wedgwood blue. I really wanted a 2.0v6 connoisseur se but being 19 had to think about insurance!. Although a bog standard 75 it was in the lovely wedgwood blue which is one of the best colours in my opionion had just been serviced with a new cambelt was in superb condition with 102k on the clock I got the car for £3500 in 2004, not bad for a three year old car.
I was very nervous when I got the keys as to how the car would drive with such high miles on but I told my self it's got a full history and the build is impressive. I was not wrong the car drove like new. Really quiet, smooth and refined. Being a 1.8 I also expected performance to be hampered, but not at all it was actaully faster than my 214. It's not a rocket ship but it's certainly not slow. Driving home from the auction I pulled onto the motorway and accelerated effortlesly upto 100. I could not beleave it was doing a 100mph it was so quiet and it did it so effortlesly I knew this was a car I would have to watch the speedo with.
After getting the car home I realised what a bargain I had got, I could of not got a x reg fiesta for the money. The next task was the insurance and being a bog standard 1.8 worked in my favour again as she sits in just insurance group 8. The neighbours curtains were twitching like mad and everybody who saw the car asked how the F**K have you got a car like that. Many mistaked the car for a Jag, and everybody always says how much they love the colour. This had me wondering everybody likes my 75 who has seen it and been in it, so why has Rover got such a bad image?. The facelifted 25,45, and 75 facelifted models had just been realised and sales were very poor.
Although a bog standard you would never know from the outside or inside apart from the steel wheels inleu of alloys and missing a/c button. The interior still have the massive arm chair style velour piped seats which a very very comfortable, leather cream steering wheel, handbrake and gearknob. The interior certainly feels very special and has walnut dash whcih I like very much and the level of build and quality of materials used is extremely high. This is a car that has a high build cost and you can certainly tell.
Comfort is certainly the 75's forte. The ride in particualar is very impressive. It's like driving a magic carpet you just don't feel the lumps and bumps. Handling although not pin sharp is very well controlled there is loads of grip and no matter how hard you push the car it refuses to get upset. Personnaly I think the ride/handling set up is superb because although it may lean a bit it will go around any corner with such panach it puts a smile on your face how civalised the car is. The car is good if you have any bad passengers who don't like going fast they don't realise how fast you are going along or around a corner because of how civalised it is. The car is like no other car I have driven is terms of how civalised it is and I have driven most cars at work. If everybody drove a 75 I don't think road rage would exist.
Running costs are very reasonable group 8 insurance 9 if you got a higher model 11 for the 2.0v6 14 for a 2.5v6 and 9 for the excellent derv. MPG is not brilliant around town I only get 25 going to work, but on the motorway it is great 40mpg plus on the motorway even doing 80plus. Servicing comes around every 12 months or 15000 miles is about average for cars of today and servicing prices are no more than what a mondeo or vectra would cost. The timing belt only needs replacing every 90000 miles or 6 years. Around fifty quid fills the tank up.
I have had no massive problems with the car except a head gasget at 118k miles but the dealer assured me this was down to the millage wear and tear and not a fault with the k series engine. The car is still today at 130k on it's origianl clutch and exhaust and battery and every other major part. I also had to have the brake pipes replaced 12 months ago for the mot but they cost just 90quid. The brake discs and pads are expensive but they are on any car. The engine still sounds like new after 130000 miles and after 18 months there is no sign of a repeat head gasget. The car has always started first time and never broke down at the side of the raod. The gasget first failed on holiday in Norfolk when I noticed very slight oil in the coolant, I still drove home and the dealer said it was in the very early stages of failure and would of lasted a while longer obviously I got it done.
Rover 75 have a old mans image and a pipe and slippers image some 75's look more traditional in green or with the standard connoisseur alloys but mine looks as one girl described it beautiful. Young girls are falling over them selves to come in my car and especially like being picked up droped off at partys in it. People presume I have a really good job and are ok fro a few bob. Every girl and lad young or old always says I love this car, nobody has ever said they don't like it, and at 22 be mates and girlfriends are not afraid to tell you the truth.
All in all I love my car to bits although I would still like a v6 model I even have a private plate for my car it's R**ROV I've left the numbers out for security purposes.
One more point before I go I know I have gone on a bit is that the Rover 75 is not a BMW in any way shape or form. Many people beleave it's underpinnings are all BMW they are not it was developed on a brand new platform and all parts a pure Rover the only thing that is BMW about the car is that it used BMW idea of a z axle and BMW money to develop the car at a cost of 900 million the design was largely decided before BMW even bought Rover and Rover engineers produced the car. Even the 2.0 derv is not a BMW engine has so many people say. Yes the same engine is used in the BMW 320 and 520, but this engine was built for BMW and Rover happened to also use it. Both Rover and BMW buy the engine from a third party who designed and produces the 2.0 derv. The engine has been redeveloped by Rover hence the fact that it only produced 114bhp and later 135bhp rather than BMW's 150bhp.
There are also lots of parts out there the is no problem many ex Rover dealers still stock parts through X-part. Ignore any idiot who has never had a 75 and buy one before they are all too old you will not get anything in the same quality for your money every again.
Advantages: Grown up and well engineered luxury car Disadvantages: Rover badge, insecurity of the firm
...the trouble that has surrounded Rover over the years, it's a mazing the company exists at all. Thinking back at all those awful cars the company made (or in fact all their cars), they really should have died a quick death a long tinme ago. The rule here is that Rover make crap cars. And to prove a rule you need an exception and the 75 is just that.
Rover cars have lived under the pretence of having some sort of prestige for years now, thinking that ... ...But with the 75 Rover has finally created a car of real refinement, a car that actually oozes quality.
Much of this is done by blatantly copying the Jaguar S-Type, but the 75 is a far better looking car. It also has a huge advantage over the Jag because production was over-seen by BMW, a company that knows a little more about producing prestige models than Ford. The car is superbly crafted from the outside and really does look like a car or real ...
kfingleton 15.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Rover 75 1.8
...off.
In my 800 mile round trip the rover returned a mpg figure of 38 which is pretty good considering its not a small car.
Now all I have to do is save up £16,995 I wonder how many reviews I will have to write for that ...
philmuss 04.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Rover 75 1.8
Advantages: Comfort, Value for money, looks Disadvantages: No CD player, can be awkward to clean all that chrome :-)
You know what annoys me? Reviews written by people, who have never actually SAT in one of these, let alone driven one! And take "advice" from others. (You know who you are!) let me just start by saying don't believe the hype, parts for these cars are easily obtained and they are no worse than any other car out there for reliability or anything else, my mate has a 1 year old BMW 530 D and its been in for repairs 3 times in the past 2 months, and he ... ...around in ours. Yes there are problems with some of them, but as I already stated that is true with all cards, not just the Rover. Buy from a dealer with a warranty (yes there are plenty out there) and join the owners club and you should have many years happy motoring. Speaking of the owners club, there is a forum where you can ask questions and get technical advice for FREE! http://forums.mg-rover.org/ have a look.
Right, our car is a 2003 1.8 ...
brianmcc 13.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Rover 75 1.8
Advantages: driver fatigue is very well designed Disadvantages: see above
The Rover 1.8 club (automatic)has too many faults, i was going to buy one earlier this year but was advised not too by a good friend of mine, let me takes you through the faults that have been found on this overated vehicle.
1: Cam cover gaskets leaking due to torque relaxation
in other words the bolts on the Cam Cover are always coming loose.
2: Head Gasket always blowing, causing oil and water to mix.
this would be down to poor gasket design ... ...to a manufacturing problem as Rover are now fitting modified shocks on all new cars.
4: Rear doors stick and are difficult to open.
Door latch pivot point sticking.
5: Cam Seals leaking.
This causes cambelt oil contamination which can weaken and lessen life of belt unless changed.
6: Water ingress.
Drain channels in bulk head are getting blocked and water is filling scuttle panel, then via heater into passenger footwell.
Odd Cases:
1: Cental ...
rushed 28.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Rover 75 1.8
Advantages: comfy Disadvantages: slippers image is alive and well
A few months ago rover dealerships were offering the crazy deal of a 24 hour road test with unlimited mileage. All I had to do was arrange temporary comprehensive insurance through my broker, which surprisingly didn't cost anything extra. So armed with my temporary cover note and my driving licence I marched into the showroom one Friday morning to claim my prize. Yep, they hadn't been joking, 'here's the car', they said, 'its brimming with petrol ... ...it would have been rude not to, surely.... I had arranged the test drive to coincide with a trip (from Sheffield) to St. Albans and back in a day. So I reckoned that I would get a good idea of how the car was overall. Initially driving around in Sheffield, which is full of hills and pot-holed roads I wasn't impressed. The car is definately on the very heavy side of heavy and you really had to floor the accelerator to gain altitude. This was the 2 ...
cabletow 20.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Rover 75 1.8
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Rover 75 1.8T
Advantages: Every extra you could want - heated leather seats, cruise control,sat nav,the list is endless-Looks Disadvantages: Heavy on tyres and not so economal -Looks
at the dashboard lights.
I have done 50000 miles now without any major problems. The only problem I had was when I damaged an alloy wheel in the snow only to find my spare is a space saver, even though there is plenty of room for a full size tyre. These space savers are only designed to get you home.
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To say it is a diesel it is not as economical as I thought it would be. I only get around 35 mpg on average, but that is with the car fully laden, and mostly around town.
I must say I do not get a very good service from my local dealer. They don't even wash the vehicle, but I put that down to the car being a lease vehicle. I would consider another Tourer ...
AMBLER 06.08.2004 (12.08.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Rover 75 Tourer 1.8
