1996 Rover - Austin 600 620Ti 2.0i 16v turbo

Summary:

A wonderfully cheap high performance car that everybody underestimates to their cost

Faults:

Two new tyres at £120 a piece!!!

Fuel injection distributer blew at 70,000.

Clutch replaced at 71,000 but I believe this is normal.

Exhaust rusts badly in the winter salt.

Brakes warped at 67,000 and needed replacing.

Hand brake failed at 72,000.

General Comments:

After my previous car and only being 19 this is the fastest and best equipped car I could find at around the £3000 mark.

I love the acceleration and annonymity of its looks.

The interior was a nice surprise after seeing the drab examples within other cars from the 600 range.

The handling is better than any car I have driven, pity it has a tendency to under-steer.

It is economical if driven normally but does turn into a bit of a monster when dropped into second gear and floored. Outstanding acceleration and safe overtaking.

Very quiet and nimble in motor-way traffic.

Difficult to reverse as the rear visibility is appalling.

Try to buy one with 600 on the back and no one will ever steal it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd March, 2001

6th Mar 2001, 05:47

Bit of a jump from a Nova!

The obvious question: At 19, how much does your insurance cost?

20th May 2001, 07:35

With pass plus and being a member of the AIM it costs £997 pa 3rd party.

4th Aug 2001, 11:15

I thought my 620 Ti cost a lot to insure at £500 fully comp... but I've got 9 years no claims.

3rd Sep 2001, 14:51

I have just purchased an "N" reg 620 ti, firstly I could not believe the performance, it is outstanding for such a normal looking car.

The stability and solid feel to the car are very reassuring. I know there will be those that do not agree, but for a car costing £3000 with such refinement and a quality feel, I find the 620 ti a class act.

For those who are interested I am 31 years old and it cost me £315 for TPFT insurance. I consider the car to be a true wolf in sheep's clothing.

25th Jun 2005, 04:08

£315 for insurance! Give me the name of your insurer.

I just bought a 620TI from a 21 year old who had to sell because his insurance had just been quoted at £3200.

Great Car.

20th Sep 2005, 08:32

I'm 21 and my insurance on my 620ti is no where near the that price! Direct Line seemed pretty good when I took insurance out with them. Without a no claims bonus (having had my first car in my mother's name) it was just under four figures, which I thought was pretty reasonable. Hope that helps.

21st Feb 2010, 14:54

I too found the 600ti easy to insure at age 21. Forget the insurance group 17 on the technical listings!

Phone up and get a quote, and it was well under 4 figures, and only a little extra for cars 10 groups down!!

1996 Rover - Austin 600 Ti turbo petrol

Summary:

A very under rated machine!

Faults:

Well I can see that people have mixed views about their Ti's. I have had mine 7 months and I bought it with 115,000 on the clock! Had no problems for a few months - this is a very fast and stable car, N-reg!

My window dropped on the driver's side and after driving a bit to hard I blew the diff seal and needed a gearBox! Recon 400.00 plus a clutch.

Still I like this car a lot - it doesn't attract idiots - and I can get out of the way of almost anything!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st March, 2001

26th Aug 2004, 15:59

I agree this car is very underrated.

My friend straight-line raced a stock 620ti against a Porsche 911 of the same age and the rover drew with it. (we didn't have any accurate timing, just a guy watching)

1st Sep 2008, 14:55

I have to give you guys a funny story...

The 620Ti is very common in Denmark and the people driving it are usually mature and sensible. Now, a couple of times I've stopped at a stop light and a 620Ti has roiled up beside me, wanting to race me. Oh by the way I own a "Acura Legend LS Coupe" with type2 engine and 6-speed manual transmission from 1994. Well, back to the story, I hate doing show offs in my car and I think it's stupid to be driving that fast in town, so the only times I've raced against 620Ti's is when stopped at a stoplight just before hitting the entrance to a highway.

OK, everytime I have completely wasted them in their attempt to surprise me and no Rover has ever won in these quick take offs. On the highway they try as well and I can easily take them out there.

Funny...

My own father owns a rover 620Ti so I know how owner's of this car think they can surprise everybody, but ha ha ha...

It's so funny to waste them...

It's a quick car though and you're right, it can take most lower level BMW's and other cars like that.

I don't think it's a very reliable car and the rover parts in it, is poor. The only really good thing about this car is the speed... Indeed it is surprising to people who don't know this car.

1996 Rover - Austin 600 620i 2.0

Summary:

A versatile, fun alternative to a BMW

Faults:

Just minor things, like the interior light fuse, the cigarette lighter and the rubber seal on the passenger side kept getting trapped by the window.

I crashed it into another car - low speed, and mangled this guy's bonnet. The only damage to the Rover was that the left hand intake had popped out. One push fixed it!

General Comments:

This is my first car after ten years of solely sports bike riding, and I found it glides along smoothly, in a hushed atmosphere. The ride quality is second to none in my experience (as I haven't owned any other cars...).

When required, drop a gear and floor it. The acceleration is certainly more than adequate, but I found that this style of driving meant that the petrol gauge fell as quickly as the tacho rose.

Niggly things are the lack of a rear wiper, the different length wiper blades, that just seem to be out of stock in every petrol station in this land, the front seats as I slip about and end up sitting squinty, and lastly the first and second gear.

First can be a nightmare to notch in there and from first to second can be jerky, but it more than makes up for it with the rampant acceleration in these two.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th December, 2000

14th Apr 2005, 07:25

I also have a rover 620si, but its automatic. Although a great looking car and extremely comfortable the automatic box is very slow and has put me off the automatic version. However the manual version which I had before is perfect.