Faults:

Nothing other than an air blend servo on the climate control heater... £10.00 off eBay and 10 minutes to fit the part. Otherwise a set of front discs and pads, a new battery, and oil change and filters, and a couple of front tyres... service parts!

No signs of head gasket problems. I bought a bottle of K-seal for £6.00 and used that as a preventative in the cooling system; worth it in the long run.

They're very underrated, and basically a very sound, reliable car.

General Comments:

I bought the 1.4 Rover 45 2005 for £1200 in 2013, as it had the face lift bumpers and head lights and dash, with Grey Kevlar effect inserts instead of the fake walnut and lovely metallic black bodywork, alloy wheels, and masses of extra kit and rear boot spoiler; it looks like an MG ZS without the extra insurance.

I am getting around 40 MPG in town, so very good on petrol, and it starts first time on the damp cold mornings.

Quite brisk for a 1400cc engine; I think it's 104 BHP. It handles very well, with lots of grip in the corners. The ride is not harsh or too firm; just right and well balanced, and the brakes and ABS systems are excellent.

The boot is big enough… I took 5 of us on holiday to Cornwall with 4 cases, and still had room for more, and it returned around 47 MPG.