2000 Rover - Austin 45 iL 1.4

Summary:

Best car I have ever owned

Faults:

Trouble with some of the electrics - blower packed up and washer jets have never worked properly.

Drivers side electric window makes a horrible juddering sound.

Interior trim coming loose in boot. Some other bits dropping off inside the car.

Rattling sound coming from boot.

Clutch packed up recently.

Cost me nearly £500 to get it through the MOT last year! This was due to blown exhaust, worn tyres, and some other problems. Fortunately it got through the MOT OK this year.

General Comments:

This is the best car I have ever owned. Really smooth and quiet and nice to drive.

Performance is OK if driven hard. The car magazines state that it does 0-60 in 11.2secs and has 103bhp. However, I always think it feels slower than that. It seems a bit gutless at low revs.

Interior is nicest I have ever seen in a car. The wood inserts are beautiful.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2008

2000 Rover - Austin 45 1.8 K series

Summary:

Stylish, cool, but unreliable (if one with air con is chosen!)

Faults:

A/C no longer works.

Back door does not open from the inside.

Front passenger seat is not easily adjustable.

Oil pressure switch leaked.

Aerial snapped in the car wash.

Brakes stick on occasionally.

The speedometer did not record the correct speed of the car.

General Comments:

What can I say about this car?

Basically it's a Honda Civic that looks better than the standard car. From the front it looks aggressive, but the rear does look ugly & benign. The cabin is pleasant if a little old fashioned, & all the controls are where you'd expect them to be.

The problem is that while the 45 took the shape with it, it didn't take the quality of the japanese car. Things that really shouldn't go wrong did, the brakes (common to most Rovers) stuck on. The rear passenger door first wouldn't close properly & now does not open from the inside. Various other minor niggles have happened since then.

Basically it's a good car, but the package itself fails on quality & could do with the legendary Honda Reliablility.

I chose this car because Rover is one of the last british car manufacturers. It was and still is great. It really is a shame that it went out of business. I do hope that Rovers will eventually be produced to better quality under its new chinese owners.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th July, 2006

17th Jul 2006, 10:55

Perhaps the back door no longer opens because the child proof lock has been switched on?

8th Aug 2006, 17:24

No it doesn't open because it's broken, just like the A/C the front passenger seat, the remote stereo controls and the top rear brake light.

2nd Sep 2006, 09:11

The perception that somehow the Civic is more reliable is ill-informed. You had a few bad experiences, but the 45 was recently voted the 2nd most reliable car, just behind the much newer 2001 model Honda Civic, a completely different car. I have a 2004 45 and its been faultless.

30th Dec 2006, 13:57

Nearly all the components that have failed are of Honda Domani/Civic origin...

10th Aug 2007, 00:44

So you're saying you bought the car with all those problems that you had stated? Maybe could be a question of owner responsibility not so much Rover unreliability? All cars do have their faults you know, even the good ol' Honda.

2000 Rover - Austin 45 i.e 1.4

Summary:

Classy car with an excellent ride

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

Very comfortable over long distances.

Even though it's a 1.4 (low tax), it gives a lively performance and returns well over 40mpg combined.

OK, so its based on a platform dating back a few years, but if you look at the car for what it is, it's a very competent car. The only comments I've had from friends are how quiet and smooth it is.

It all seems well screwed together - no rattles even on cold mornings.

Its personal taste if you like the exterior, but I have to say it seems to stand out visually against the more common Focus, Astra etc, especially in darker colours such as British Racing Green.

Second hand prices make it a very attractive car to purchase with a few miles on the clock.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th August, 2004

1st Jun 2005, 03:54

I purchased a Rover 45 in May 2004,A 2000 model, I have had to get a replacement engine put in due to the cylinder head gasket going which I have found out is a very common problem with this model. It is running very smooth now though I have to say, but I would not purchase another.

14th Jul 2005, 14:41

Bought Rover 45 ies Impression 8 months ago with 45,000 on clock. Now covered 52,000. It's a 2001 model 5door hatch. Some engine problems - replaced head gasket and head reskimmed. Also had teeth missing on ABS sensor rings. So about £600 spent in all. Now running fine - hope it continues to do so for next 18 months. My local garage (not a franchised dealer) seems to think it will be fine. Good economy and comfortable ride.