2004 Rover - Austin 75 CDTi Contemporary SE 2.0 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Great value luxury motoring, and different from the usual rep mobiles
Faults:
Broke crankshaft.
Ran out of fuel (faulty fuel gauge).
General Comments:
The Contemporary SE has the MG ZT interior with full leather seats and dark wood effect dash. Everyone is amazed at how luxurious and comfortable it is inside. Certainly a lot of car for the money.
I was unlucky to have the crank shear (not unknown on the BMW engine), but replaced the engine with a low mileage used one from a Freelander, and have had no problems since.
The auto box is smooth and the handling competent, if a little soft, but that gives the smooth ride and comfort.
There are a few things to watch for, not least to keep the drain clear in the plenum, which houses the cabin filter and also the engine management computer.
The electric fan can fail due to a dodgy resistor, but can be easily replaced by an upgraded resistor.
I have done a few mods to mine to improve performance, and have fitted a nice sound system, and can't see myself changing it for a long time.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th June, 2010
23rd Jul 2006, 15:15
I have had a Rover 75 2.0CDTi diesel for 3 years and I have to say nothing has gone wrong yet, and it has more than lived up to my expectations in terms of quality and robustness. The BMW engine is very refined and quiet even when cold. One thing that I am slightly disappointed with, though, is the lack of foot-well space and rear head and leg room. Overall the Rover 75 has bean an absolutely superb car and an amazingly quiet and comfortable motorway cruiser. I can barely think of a bad word against it.