I have always fancied buying a Rover 75 and now they can be picked up for only a few thousand pounds. However, I'm worried that if I bought one the service backup would be minimal, at best. I've only driven one briefly, not for long enough to get a real feel, and admit I am more impressed by the design of the car. Is is worth the risk, given the low purchase cost?
no. although designed with the watchful eye of BMW its still a rover, and while it may look nice inside, if u look closely, the buttuns and switchgear are of a really low quality. i can say this from experience cos i drive a rover 200. the materials inside are similair.
its a compact executive car and is really below par. if its to be used as a family car then fair enough. however with rover down the drain ure not going to get the service backup for long. the parts will eventually become hard to get and if its a serious problem with the car its a serious problem for you!
the 75 was light years ahead of the rover 200 & the last 75's were good cars whose reputation was on the rise. parts should not be a problem & within a year or so you should be able to source them from china. that said the v8 with its ford engine probably the best bet for parts ??
saying that you would be much better off with the likes of a volvo 850/S70 saloon or even something like a vauxhall omega
-------------------------------------------- Two junior particle physicists were dismissed today after using the Large Hadron Collider to smash conkers into each other at near-light speed.
Don't listen to the naysayers. In most countries, by law, a manufacturer must provide parts for a vehicle for up to 10 to 20 years after production has ceased. Former Rover dealers aren't going to simply switch to selling apples, so chances are they'll be selling some other make, but still have the expertise to work on Rover cars and still have access to the parts network. I wouldn't say the 75 is or was ever a 5-series threat, but it is rather good, although leaning more towards the confy/luxury side than sport. Comparisons with the old 200s are pretty baseless. I feel that many people stick to outdated prejudices of a particluar brand and refuse to let go of them, regardless of the proof in the pudding.
the base models are probably not worth looking at...a V6, or better, the V8( not a lot of difference in performance..but one heck of a lot in kudos) if one can be found....go for the highest trim level too.
as for parts..don't worry...for body panels no probs, as rover make an awful lot of 75's before they stopped...so the repair panel industry are well up to speed....all consumables are available, cheaply,...
loads of car makers in teh past have stopped....but spares are never the problem.
If getting a new 75, it'll be covered by an insurance...just like a washing machine...go for it
I had use of a brand new 75 1.8 Club for a while. Engine was a bit lethargic but adequate and the handling was quite scary if you tried anything too adventurous, but that's not what these cars were about. The ride quality, I have to say, was sublime, best I've ever experienced in a car with conventional suspension. And the switchgear and electrics gave me no problems - seemed as well bolted together as most cars of that class. If I were looking for cheap but comfortable wheels in this class, I'd be looking at a 75. Would probably go for the 130bhp CDTi over the 1.8, the uprated version of the BMW diesel was supposedly ideal for the relaxed manner of this car.
Don't buy one with the 1.8 petrol unit - head gasket problems still haunt these - a colleague had two replaced in 35,000 miles. My choice would be one with the BMW diesel unit, unless you like paying for lots of fuel in which case the V6 or V8.
A Rover 75 makes some kind of sense now. You can always buy a third party warranty and plenty of garages will be able to service them. As said, avoid the 1.8 petrols.
Originally posted by NSB1066: I have always fancied buying a Rover 75 and now they can be picked up for only a few thousand pounds. However, I'm worried that if I bought one the service backup would be minimal, at best. I've only driven one briefly, not for long enough to get a real feel, and admit I am more impressed by the design of the car. Is is worth the risk, given the low purchase cost?
Colleague bought a 75 against many other peoples advice.
It fell apart within 6 months. Even the door seals removed themselves from the door frame.
Under normal circumstances you would be able to get the manufacturer to buy it back on the basis that it is sub-standard goods. But the manufacturer does not exist anymore. He suffered a huge loss on it, got messed around by disinterested dealers who were losing their franchises anyway, and in the end got rid of it for a song and bought a proper car.
DO NOT buy a Rover 75. It is about the very worst full-size car around. Even a Kia Magentis or big forgettable Hyundai is better.
The 75 is a music hall joke in the motoring world, and deserves to be put well out of its misery. Which is what has happened. Before long they will have all fallen apart & our roads will be rid of them once & for all.
Originally posted by Palmira: Colleague bought a 75 against many other peoples advice.
It fell apart within 6 months. Even the door seals removed themselves from the door frame.
Under normal circumstances you would be able to get the manufacturer to buy it back on the basis that it is sub-standard goods. But the manufacturer does not exist anymore. He suffered a huge loss on it, got messed around by disinterested dealers who were losing their franchises anyway, and in the end got rid of it for a song and bought a proper car.
DO NOT buy a Rover 75. It is about the very worst full-size car around. Even a Kia Magentis or big forgettable Hyundai is better.
The 75 is a music hall joke in the motoring world, and deserves to be put well out of its misery. Which is what has happened. Before long they will have all fallen apart & our roads will be rid of them once & for all.
I find this rather strange Palmira. The 75 is regularly highly rated by the annual JD Power and other owner surveys. I think at one time a few years ago it was the only Rover product to make it into the top 10 - which is more than Ford, Vauxhall, Kia and many other brands could claim. Sure its not a BMW 3 or 5 series competitor but neither is it's price. I even think the MG version has a certain baby Bentley look about it.
..beautiful cars, beautiful interiors, well worthy of the rover name...tho only the top spec models...your mate must have had a bad apple palmira..i know several people who own v6 or diesel versions and have racked up thousands of miles in gentlemans club comfort with no problems...that would be like me saying dont buy a mercedes on the grounds that gavin green ex editor of 'car' and several 'car' magazine readers who have had horrendous experiences with build quality, dealers and reliability issues
It sounds like that car was a production run done quite near to the end.
Having spoke to a few former Longbridge workers (I live in that area), they openly admit the quality of the cars in the last few months before the end was shocklingly bad. Somehow, their motivation was lacking when they could see for themselves that things were about to go t**s up!
Originally posted by Palmira: Colleague bought a 75 against many other peoples advice.
It fell apart within 6 months. Even the door seals removed themselves from the door frame.
Under normal circumstances you would be able to get the manufacturer to buy it back on the basis that it is sub-standard goods. But the manufacturer does not exist anymore. He suffered a huge loss on it, got messed around by disinterested dealers who were losing their franchises anyway, and in the end got rid of it for a song and bought a proper car.
DO NOT buy a Rover 75. It is about the very worst full-size car around. Even a Kia Magentis or big forgettable Hyundai is better.
The 75 is a music hall joke in the motoring world, and deserves to be put well out of its misery. Which is what has happened. Before long they will have all fallen apart & our roads will be rid of them once & for all.
I find this rather strange Palmira. The 75 is regularly highly rated by the annual JD Power and other owner surveys. I think at one time a few years ago it was the only Rover product to make it into the top 10 - which is more than Ford, Vauxhall, Kia and many other brands could claim. Sure its not a BMW 3 or 5 series competitor but neither is it's price. I even think the MG version has a certain baby Bentley look about it.
That argument is about as valid as saying "Don't buy a Mercedes because the A class failed the mooose test and fell over".
The 75 is a reliable, comfortable and highly regarded car. Unfortunately the manufacturer has ceased to exist and it is fashionable in Britain to make a joke of the whole issue. Conversely in Italy, for example, the 75 was voted the most beautiful car of all time.
The retro styling won't appeal to all but then that's also true of cars such as the new Beetle, Mini and Jaguar S-Type.
Most ex-Rover dealers and X-Part centres are happy to service Rover cars - who wants to turn away business? If you buy the diesel model with the M47 BMW engine then BMW dealers or specialists will service the car. The best engines to choose are the K-V6 (2 litre or 2.5 litre) or the diesel.
In terms of spare parts, what do you think you will need? Regular service items such as belts and filters are not a problem and all body panels are available through X-Part and other suppliers - remember that the parts side of the business was sold to Caterpilar so you have the backing of a large multinational company.
Unfortunately you are being subjected to the usual prejudices and ignorance of the British public by some members of this forum - buy a 75 and enjoy it for many years to come!
If the comfort oriented ride does not appeal to you then don't forget the MG ZT and ZT-T models - you have the added advantage that the MG badge is not as tarnished and the once proud Rover badge.
And finally don't forget that the compact sporting executive market was invented by the Rover P6!
was looking at a td conniseur rover 75 just before christmas..two owners, high miles, fsh. immaculate throughout..it had shrugged its miles off with germanic contempt....£2k...........?? lot of car for the money there, and a lovely, lovely place to sit....
Originally posted by biggbn: was looking at a td conniseur rover 75 just before christmas..two owners, high miles, fsh. immaculate throughout..it had shrugged its miles off with germanic contempt....£2k...........?? lot of car for the money there, and a lovely, lovely place to sit....
Wonder if this is the same Ex-Chauffeur car that my colleague rejected! If its done a high mileage & its a Conniseur.
92k miles, for sale up here in jockland..never been private hire..oops, taxi...oops, sorry, chauffeur car...knew both the previous owners and as i said, they had no problems..repeat zero problems with the car.....could have driven it off for about 1600 quid i reckon...i thought THAT was too dear, cos i like to know i'm at least gonna get my money back when i buy a car, but for someone thinking for a long term family car, it seemed a hell of a car for the dough......
It's very easy to wreck even the best of car makes, given unsympathetic hands....the strongest of Mercedes motors has always been the base model 180's, etc...those chosen by taxi drivers the world over..check out Beirut sometime?
as for music-hall jokes...usually promulgated by those with either a grudge to bear, or who wallow in ignorance of the whole game....Skoda, Reliant, for example.
As for BMW reliability?
whilst flagship models may well have some effort put in by the factory, we have had some pretty disappointing experiences with more mundane models such as the 5-series...inevitably these must form the 'bread-and-butter' income for the factory...but get treated in an underserving manner....particulary with regards to reliability of engine management systems.....defianately '3-times bitten',,,????
the point is, no manufacturer is perfect, 100% of the time.....a coupla bad experiences with rover 75's doesn't make it a poor car....don't forget the thousands that are providing sterling, reliable service.
go and sit in one...listen to the experts from the press, its their JOB to be objective...it's OUR job to be thoroughly biased.
Originally posted by biggbn: 92k miles, for sale up here in jockland..never been private hire..oops, taxi...oops, sorry, chauffeur car...knew both the previous owners and as i said, they had no problems..repeat zero problems with the car.....could have driven it off for about 1600 quid i reckon...i thought THAT was too dear, cos i like to know i'm at least gonna get my money back when i buy a car, but for someone thinking for a long term family car, it seemed a hell of a car for the dough......
You think we are taxis?
Ive never seen a Rolls Royce Phantom taxi. Or a Bentley Flying Spur taxi.
Originally posted by queenjane: It's very easy to wreck even the best of car makes, given unsympathetic hands....the strongest of Mercedes motors has always been the base model 180's, etc...those chosen by taxi drivers the world over..check out Beirut sometime?
as for music-hall jokes...usually promulgated by those with either a grudge to bear, or who wallow in ignorance of the whole game....Skoda, Reliant, for example.
As for BMW reliability?
whilst flagship models may well have some effort put in by the factory, we have had some pretty disappointing experiences with more mundane models such as the 5-series...inevitably these must form the 'bread-and-butter' income for the factory...but get treated in an underserving manner....particulary with regards to reliability of engine management systems.....defianately '3-times bitten',,,????
the point is, no manufacturer is perfect, 100% of the time.....a coupla bad experiences with rover 75's doesn't make it a poor car....don't forget the thousands that are providing sterling, reliable service.
go and sit in one...listen to the experts from the press, its their JOB to be objective...it's OUR job to be thoroughly biased.
Youre right, I do agree with alot of that.
However I believe its an AWFUL car through & through, by todays standards. Just like the Discovery was an AWFUL SUV. I wouldnt say its just the poor reliability either - its everything. The way it feels, the drive, the interior, the styling, the fact that it doesnt feel all of a piece like modern cars should...
I just think there are alot of people who are British, so stick up for the Rover because its British. I love France, and some French cars, but when you go to France, the locals buy French cars even if they are awful, just because theyre French.
Dont get me wrong, im not a particular fan of BMWs, but I would say this:
There is a common misconception that the 75 is "BMW quality". It isnt. It is not based on any BMW, does not use BMW mechanicals or chassis, and was not built by BMW engineers in a BMW factory.
It was knocked together on the cheap by a p*ssed off workforce in a seriously ailing & oldfashioned factory set to close.
