I learnt to drive in one and my best mate owned two. So I dare say I have driven one for a tad more than two miles...
Rover 25
- Thread starter helpimcrap
- Start date
I learnt to drive in one and my best mate owned two. So I dare say I have driven one for a tad more than two miles...
The interior is fine, it isn't anything too great I'd say its far better than the equivalent corsa or whatever else I could have picked up for the money I paid for mine. It feels solid enough no rattles or squeaks. Gave it a bit of a thrashing coming back to lincoln last night and it felt really well composed. I really enjoy mine and wouldn't dismiss it from your ultimate car search.
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Aug 2006
- Posts
- 11,477
- Location
- Derbyshire
Go look at a ZS, if you want something bigger? 180 is the V6 and not prone to HGF either...
...but £500 to change a cambelt....
Stolen from a thread when I was making enquiries about the 180...
Did somebody say MG?
Right, first...the bad.
Common issues with these are (as already said) - VIS valves, £55 each to replace, the inlet plenum tends to go at around 60k - £450 to replace. That's about it...the KV6 engine in general is solid. Mine does see the redline a lot and I'm currently in Manchester and the car didnt miss a beat all the way up here.
The seats are very comfy, I think all the pre-facelift ones come with half leather seats to match the outside of the car.
Also the rear bumper on all of these does 'sag' - this is due to the fact they are not fitted properly. A simple fix brings it back into alignment
If you are looking for comfort features then look elsewhere. It has aircon and front electric windows.....the list pretty much ends there. The short shift gearbox is awesome, the car is relatively quick. Oh, at 60k it needs a cambelt change, budget £500 - £700 to do this. Me and a friend are currently looking into it ourselves to save an absolute packet.
The handling on these is fantastic, very similar setup (if not the same) as the Integra. Make sure you treat it with decent rubber and the car will look after you.
Most parts bar body panels are readily available. Most are written off if so much as a moth hits the wing mirror because you can't get hold of them.
Oh, you'll be pleased to know they have started making the KV6 engine again so soon parts won't be a rip off
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Apr 2007
- Posts
- 7,567
- Location
- Southport
My Rover history is:
- 1997 416i with the K series engine, that went like a bat out of hell due to new cams and was a solid car. The base spec made me want to cry, but everything else was good. Headgasket went once, but if you can twirl a spanner you can do it yourself, also had a set of brake pads and the aforementioned cams. Interior build was good, nothing fell off. However my rear bumper did when I went hooning across a beach and caught it in a hole 
- 1999 420 iXLD with the excellent L series diesel engine, after a £30 tuning module built by an enthusiast that was chucking out 130bhp and was good on the juice too. High spec interior, I just wanted something turbo and petrol next. Car is sat in my garden, feel sad seeing it there as it's a lovely bit of kit
Failures with this car were the exhaust (£90 from cat back) and the rear trailing arm bushes (£130 fitted). Interior was good, a few toys and felt quite solid too. A few bits of small trim fell off, the surround for the gearstick and buttons off the radio
- 1999 620ti with the 2l turbo T series engine. Got this a week or two back, stonking car with silly amounts of power. Didn't struggle to keep up on the Yorkshire moors at the latest meet, with an ST220, 2 Civic Type Rs, Clio 172 etc. Small niggles due to 117k miles, but no rust at all and mechanically all is good. Interior is excellent quality, not quite sure why! Nothing falls to pieces and all feels nice and solid.
If you can get over the snobbery on here and find a good example, I would. I have spent a good amount of time in a mate's 2002 Rover 25 and it seems to be a decent bit of kit, however I would go for the 400/45/ZS option.
- 1997 416i with the K series engine, that went like a bat out of hell due to new cams and was a solid car. The base spec made me want to cry, but everything else was good. Headgasket went once, but if you can twirl a spanner you can do it yourself
, also had a set of brake pads and the aforementioned cams. Interior build was good, nothing fell off. However my rear bumper did when I went hooning across a beach and caught it in a hole - 1999 420 iXLD with the excellent L series diesel engine, after a £30 tuning module built by an enthusiast that was chucking out 130bhp and was good on the juice too. High spec interior, I just wanted something turbo and petrol next. Car is sat in my garden, feel sad seeing it there as it's a lovely bit of kit
Failures with this car were the exhaust (£90 from cat back) and the rear trailing arm bushes (£130 fitted). Interior was good, a few toys and felt quite solid too. A few bits of small trim fell off, the surround for the gearstick and buttons off the radio
- 1999 620ti with the 2l turbo T series engine. Got this a week or two back, stonking car with silly amounts of power. Didn't struggle to keep up on the Yorkshire moors at the latest meet, with an ST220, 2 Civic Type Rs, Clio 172 etc. Small niggles due to 117k miles, but no rust at all and mechanically all is good. Interior is excellent quality, not quite sure why! Nothing falls to pieces and all feels nice and solid.
If you can get over the snobbery on here and find a good example, I would. I have spent a good amount of time in a mate's 2002 Rover 25 and it seems to be a decent bit of kit, however I would go for the 400/45/ZS option.
That wasn't my point, most of us have admitted that they aren't the most solid car you can own but they're nice to drive. You were insinuating we're just biased because we own them and to ignore the positive comments (of which I haven't seen any unreasonable ones).
I guess based on that, we can only ask either people who've never owned the car in question or who owned one but didn't like it for whatever reason.
Which is stupid.