Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

There can be issues letting a garage service these cars, especially regarding spares parts & oil. Don't use modern thin engine oils for example as oil leaks are identified in the MOT. Stick with a good quality 10-40. Honda dealer serviced my D16 auto before I bought it with a 5 or 10-30 engine oil and it leaks! my K Series has developed a camshaft carrier oil leak since running it on a 5-40. Make sure spark plugs are gapped properly etc don't just fit em out of the box!
With a R8 check the subframes!
Apart from that and running them on a quality fuel there should be no problems.

Which is why I take mine to rover specialists not general garages.

we have been daily using both our G reg R8 saloons one since 2005. One has done 252K and other approaching 200K. Do not get any real issues other than servicing and other consumables except for the body work rebuild - even then it is only sills and rear arches and front wings changed which you only do the once.
Great cars and need to be used. Our rear discs do not like being left for much longer than a week anyway so it pays to use them regularly. One does 5K a year the other does about 8K

My fleet (apart from the 214 which isn't covered) are all used for commuting, and they have their pros and cons.

I think my favourite commuter wagon is the 420, although as noted above not exactly the most economical in urban drives. The ever present torque means it is the best for negotiating slow moving rush traffic, plus it takes the chequered flag nearly every time I'm on the starting line up of the traffic light Grand Prix. It also puts me in a great mood, because it's such a fun car to drive. The cons are manuals are always a pain in stop-start traffic, although less so in this because of that low down grunt.

The Streetwise is now rare enough to be quirky and different and thus gets heads turning wherever it goes. Now I've done the 84->103 throttle body upgrade (thanks Paul !) it's a super little urban motor and more than keeps up with the flow. I'm restricted to street parking near work and this never fails to get into smaller spaces, something the Accord and 620 tend to struggle with due to their length (meaning I end up a good 10 minute walk away from work). Downsides are that damned hard plastic steering wheel and asthmatic 1.4 engine, so not so good for long distance work (although I do now have a leather steering wheel to fit).

The 620 and the Accord coupe are for when I'm tired and grumpy, as these smooth machines, both autos, do all the hard work for me, especially good in stop-start traffic (something the Streetwise isn't that hot on). I also turn to one of these two when I have a long distance drive (eg visiting family 100+ miles away) as they're both excellent cruisers.

If someone told me they had to take four cars away and I got to choose which one would stay, it would be the 420 every day every week. Never mind the OMG MPG....

Nigel B wrote: ↑Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:31 pm Utilise a R8 416Sli Tourer as my daily, average 9,000 per annum in this, average around 30mpg (so not the most economical).
It has been used for a family holiday to Paris and over the past few weeks been back and forth between Birmingham and Fulham to facilitate daughters move to university.
Can not speak more highly off it other than to say it is still being used as it was intended, and has been for the last 2 years.
Previously used a Rover 45 1.6 Classic for 2 years as the family car.

Which car did you find the most comfortable to drive ? Was there a big difference in refinement?

I'm possibly looking getting a R8 214 as a daily to commute to work in the near future.

220 GSi turbo wrote: ↑Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:20 pm I have been running Rovers as daily drives since 2005: a great way of spending my company mileage allowance on treats instead of depreciation!

214 SEi (ran to 201,000 miles), 420 Tourer, (R3) 220 SDi diesel, several 25 diesel, a couple of 1.4 petrol 25s and a ZR diesel. Oh, and a few months with a 1.8 petrol 45. Latest drive is a 25 GTi (1.8VVC).

Personally, although they are the easiest versions to get hold of, I would avoid any of the 1.4 petrols: a lot of the 25s only had 84bhp and the 45 is a little heavy for the 103bhp 1.4 unless you are mainly doing town driving.
I have not tried a 1.6, but would definitely recommend the 1.8: plenty of torque and relatively high gearing means fuel economy is little worse than a 1.4. This engine is not particularly common in the R3 (other than the ZR120), the options being an early 218 iS or 25GTi if you can find one! Plenty of 45s around, though (Impression S was a good spec).
Diesels are rapid, reliable and economical; the only real concern being the gearbox after about 120,000 miles if the car has been driven hard.

I have always preferred the 25 over the 45 because of the smaller size/ease of parking and the 'chuckable' handling.

On the basis that all are now 15+ years old, I can't imagine that Fords, Vauxhalls, VVWs, Peugeots etc etc of similar age and price range would be any better!
Be prepared for random water leaks into the footwells and boot, electrical faults on post-2003 Rovers (Pektron modules) and fragile external door handles on the 400/45.

If going for an R8, 216 SLi or earlier GSi have to be the best buy (reliable and refined).

I've always found the 1.8 better on fuel than the 1.4 since to don't have to drive it with your foot on the floor to get anywhere

Craig MGR wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2019 7:26 am

Nigel B wrote: ↑Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:31 pm Utilise a R8 416Sli Tourer as my daily, average 9,000 per annum in this, average around 30mpg (so not the most economical).
It has been used for a family holiday to Paris and over the past few weeks been back and forth between Birmingham and Fulham to facilitate daughters move to university.
Can not speak more highly off it other than to say it is still being used as it was intended, and has been for the last 2 years.
Previously used a Rover 45 1.6 Classic for 2 years as the family car.

Which car did you find the most comfortable to drive ? Was there a big difference in refinement?

I'm possibly looking getting a R8 214 as a daily to commute to work in the near future.

The 45 was more refined, but have more fun and am comfortable in the Tourer (did 1000 last week) and have no qualms in recommending a R8 for daily use.

My 25 1.4 102bhp remapped to 110bhp by Saws tuning looks a perfect daily for my best half who is happy with it.
Easy to park, very responsive, fuelled by full E85 (ethanol) so a cheap & cheerful car for any day of the year.

My 1.4 K Series goes like a rocket, in fact to much power compared to the mediocre brakes
I think that all the 2/416's came with a bonnet acoustic blanket whereas the lower spec 1.4's didn't, that seems to make a lot of difference to cabin noise levels.
Still possible to mix and match before all the rougher ones disappear though?

My 95 214 never had an underbonnet pad. Fitting it did make the engine seem a little smoother.