1994 Rover - Austin Montego LXi Clubman 2.0 EFi

Summary:

British rubbish

Faults:

I really hate this car. I though it was a good car, but I had a huge deception with this piece of crap.

In 93000 km I have changed the exhaust six times.

The car is seven years old and is covered in rust.

Doors have never adjusted very well.

The injectors had to be cleaned at 14000 km.

Now has a coolant leak and I'm not going to repair it.

General Comments:

Rover cars ARE RUBBISH. I won't buy another Rover in my life. Now I'm looking for a Passat TDI or a SAAB 9-3. I don't which one is better in reliability terms. If anyone could help me I would be happy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd October, 2001

3rd Oct 2001, 16:59

If you want the best reliability, go Japanese or as a second choice, German.

21st Jun 2002, 08:16

I currently have 2 Montego (+ a SEAT Leon TDi 150), One is a 1990 1.6L with 60k miles (100,000km), the other a 2.0GTi Estate with 130k miles (210,000km), both very reliable.

The 2.0GTi is used on track days, it always starts after being left outside all summer, and has never caused a problem, even on the 2001 Cape to cape challenge where we did 9,000 miles in 10 days.

I'd go for the Passat with the 130bhp 1.9TDi...

11th Jun 2003, 09:59

Why are you saying that all rover cars are rubbish the Montego was and all cars that were designed by Austin, but I have had 4 rover 800's and not once have they broken down. the worse thing that happened was that a clutch went.

22nd Dec 2003, 18:11

Hear hear to the last comment. Not every car from the old Rover Group was rubbish, although it is true the Montego and most other Austins were. At the same time as the Montego range was dying out (early-mid nineties) however, Rover were also making superb 200's and 400's to replace them and the 800's of that day were just sublime. Rover stagnated a bit between 1996 and 2002 (the BMW years) but the current range of cars from what is now called MG-Rover looks pretty impressive and I can foresee a 75 or an MG-ZT coming my way when my 800 finally gives up the ghost (although not usually until 300,000 miles so I've got some time yet).

3rd Oct 2015, 21:06

So bad he kept it and drove it for almost 93k miles???