Faults:

Bought it at 1 year old with 9,500 miles.

Split tyre replaced o.k., but airbag light needed 2 visits to fix.

No problems until 12 month service. Then advised about problem (rumble) in the crankshaft, which l thought l had heard. Engine then replaced at Rover's expense. Crankshaft incorrectly machined from new. Totally new unit fitted, plus gearbox coupling. (well done Rover).

Also had a squeal from front offside wheel, which appears to have disappeared with new pads fitted.

General Comments:

lt was a Rover dealer who pointed out the engine problem, contacted the factory, and arranged for the new engine to be fitted at their cost.

l am very pleased with this, and the new engine is running fine.

For an auto, this car performs extremely well, and the torquey engine and CVT auto box pulls the car smoothly from 0 - 110+ mph with no delays or upchanges.(0-60 in under 10 seconds).

The car handles well, and is well equipped.

It is expensive new, but s/hand is o.k.

Will keep unless l have problems.

Faults:

Initially the windows and doors rattled at speeds above 60mph which took six attempts and nine months to fix.

The radio/cassette was delivered broken.

General Comments:

A fast car which is fun to drive, very economical to run and cheap to insure.

The car looks good but the standard of equipment should be improved. In my opnion it should have at least alloy wheels & ABS as standard.

Overall it is a shame this "wonderful" car is let down by its build quality and poor dealer network.

Faults:

Drivers side wing mirror rattles and wobbles above 75mph. Rear passenger doors don`t close unless you push them hard.

Fuel gauge is extremely unreliable, at empty, when I fill up, I only get 30 litres in, stupid when it's supposed to be a 50 litre tank!

General Comments:

I have one of the new shape models in 5 door, Amaranth (metallic purple).

Lovely car. Quick and effective overtaker. 0-60 in 9 seconds. Holds a steep A-road hill at 50mph in 5th gear. Good throttle response, smooth engine, although it needs revving to get the best from it.

Looks gorgeous and turns heads, especially in metallic purple (which I have). Ridiculously cheap to insure for the power you get (111bhp). (Group 7). A bit cramped in the back for adults, shouldn`t have 3 adults in the back unless they are contortionists! With the seats folded down you can fit two mountain bikes and 2 persons worth of luggage for a holiday (I`ve done it).

Handling is pretty good and body roll is minimal, although the front can run wide especially in the wet, PAS can feel light if you are throwing it around the lanes.

Can`t wait to save up to buy a 200vi!

Faults:

A number of initial teething troubles: in particular a manufacturing fault on early "new" 200s left the back spoiler vulnerable to over-zealous car washes! I can't complain: they fixed it for free.

General Comments:

Once up and running, I've been very pleased with the car; the top of the range models are pricey but offer luxury car features in a small package. The car has been unfavourably compared to Escorts and Astras because of reduced back seat space, but if you don't have a large family there are plenty of other things to recommend the 200 over its competitors.