1995 Rover - Austin 200 214 SEI review from UK and Ireland

Not a lot really, the exhaust had a crack in which was already like that when I got the car (reason for getting it cheap), and the central locking plays up on the drivers side. Other than that, all good.

Really smart car, I used to have a new shape Renault Megane, which unfortunately got written off, so I brought the Rover off ebay as a stop gap just to get me to work and back, and it's great, I am going to hang onto it!

I do a lot of miles; anything up to 600-700 a week, and so far the Rover has never let me down. It's great on petrol and it's really comfortable as well; it feels so much better round bends than the soggy Megane. It's also got a brilliant driving position, and the half leather seats are really good; they make you feel like you're driving a 220 Turbo until the lack of power when you put your foot down!!

Saying that though, the car is actually pretty good fun to drive. The car has had bigger 16" alloys off a 200 BRM, and they really improve things round corners (a friend of mine had a G Reg 214 and that didn't handle at all!). There is loads of body roll of course, but it really does grip well (a lot better than my 2 year old Megane, especially in the wet!). There is also plenty of feedback through the wheel, and it always gives me an inspired confidence when hammering it back from Wales to the Midlands late at night, and I've never had a car that cost under £500 which did that!

The performance of the engine is good too; for a 1.4 it flies. You need to work it quite hard, but it pulls well, and you can sit on motorways at 90mph all day long, providing the head gasket don't go pop! Saying that, if it does go I've got a bottle of K-Seal in the boot which will get me home (friend of mine used that in his MG ZR for 4 months after the head gasket went, poured it in once and the car was good to go again as it fills the crack in the gasket or head, and stops the water mixing, and it only cost £8).

Overall, for a banger it's brilliant. I doubt you will find much better for under £500. Mine only set me back £375, and after a good clean and a polish with Meguiars Gold Class it really is almost immaculate. With the bigger 16's and the deep red metallic paint, and its brilliant half leather Recaro style seats, it really doesn't look like a cheap of banger, and people never assume that it cost as little as it did.

So if you're skint like me and need something that can get you round from A to B, without your mates taking too much of the p***, get one as it's a lot better than a crappy mid 90's 1.4 Escort or Astra.