2000 Rover - Austin 25 il 1.6i from UK and Ireland
Summary:
I loved owning this car until the known gasket issue caught up with me
Faults:
Rear bulbs went a few times in the 4 years, but easy to change at £2 per bulb.
Head gasket at 48,000 miles = £500.
Front tyres wore quicker than rear; probably quite normal.
Driver's electric window went at 47,000 miles = £70 parts.
Boot would not open easy with key.
Lost acceleration power temporarily when I after changing down at high revs once, but after taking it slow, it righted itself.
General Comments:
Same BHP as the more expensive MG version.
Drove well through lanes and motorways.
Braking good.
Good style design was first reason why car appealed to me.
Love the cockpit layout / design was why I bought this over a Renault Megane.
Nearly slid when cornering on roundabout in first week, but have cornered great since, so put that down to learning the car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 15th May, 2008
25th Nov 2007, 03:10
All well and good, but you'd better pray you don't prang it, or need certain parts. Engine bits are still available, but body panels and trim parts often are not.
A friend has an MG ZR which had a small front end collision 6 months ago, and it's still in the bodyshop awaiting a couple of bodywork parts. Apparently if the suppliers get a reasonable order quantity, they'll make a batch. But no promises. He won't accept secondhand parts (not that you can find them at sensible prices anyway), so the car is off the road for the foreseeable future.
Rovers are cheap for a reason, and £3k is still a lot of money for something with no official backup whatsoever. I'd put £3k into a Ford or Vauxhall, and take my chance on getting less car. At least I know I can get it fixed when it breaks.