1995 Rover - Austin 200 214 SEi from UK and Ireland - Comments

The Rover K series engines are OK if looked after.

These cars are not quick/fast no matter how many chavs come on here and say any different.

They may beat saxos and corsas (unlikely) but who cares. If you are buying a car for performance I would say to go for a proper performance car, but if you are after a comfortable car that returns good economy and has a good level of equipment then look no further.

I think we can all agree they are fast for a 1.4 hatchback with a poor image.

I have blown head gaskets twice - though I must admit I was not exactly dilligent about servicing.

The first went after 60k. The second went at 70k. £700 for first, £1200 for second because Rover charge a bomb.

I have been told the gasket design is appalling with 0.8mm clearances. The first gasket went with a carbon build up which burnt through the gasket.

Another weak spot with the design is that suspension/tracking is fragile.

I knocked out the 4 wheel alignment so bad with one pot hole on a long journey I came home with tyre radial wires sticking out of the rubber.

I also have an anti-roll bar which is snapped at one end and bent at the other. You think it rolled a lot on corners before you try it without an anti-roll bar!

However the car is nippy, economical, easy to park, spacious for its size and has loads of boot space with the seat folded down.

Its fast enough to get you out of trouble on a tough junction and quick enough... However when I had to burn across normandy last year at near enough max speed to catch a ferry (although my foot was not quite on the floor even at a sustained 112mph), the brakes did go on fire after a few hours which caused some pretty scary brake fade.. The billowing smoke made me think it was the gasket again.. and on arriving at dieppe I took the heavy chemical smell to mean the french were doing some industrial chemical production. It wasn't that - it was my brake pads burning :)

My wife runs a hand-me-down 214sei (from my father) - a nice solid capable car. I run a highly modified toyot a and ended up with a spare induction system.

Fitted this instead of the standard air box and a transformation occured. Suddenly low revs have power and high revs build more quickly. Since then fitted a strut brace and after market alloys.

The car is now starting to make people look - specially with the induction roar (and it does!). Also waitin to have 40mm lowerin springs fitted.

As said on the previous page...

"The Engine is a total gem, with a k&n induction kit, the car will hit 0 - 60 in 8.5seconds"

I'm sorry, but it really really won't. I've had 2 SEi's now, both around the 85,000 mark. The K-series is a very decent engine. The performance does suffer when going uphills, but on the straights it still brings a smile to my face.

0-60 is around 10.5 seconds and it'll pull to 85/90mph rather quickly. Most I've had out of it is 110 down a slight slope.

Great interior, great looks with the alloys and spoiler... mine has a few colour coded bits which I took off a scrapped Coupe which just add to the looks. Definitely one of the best cars in its class!

The K-series do have problems with head gaskets, but if looked after won't go as often as people say. I've done 20,000 and never had a HGF.

Cambelts are normally good for 80,000 and the water pumps/CTS sensors and thermostats will need replacing at some point in the cars life.

I've recently bought a 220GSi, but am going to miss the 214. For a first car with reasonable insurance, the 214 is a cracking car!

My 214 does 500000000mph top speed and handles better than a lambo. :) Come on people. it's a cheap car. that's it. my dad has an m3 but in the run up to buying this we tested many true sport cars. I was once like you, but once you test drive a proper car, like me you will soon realise how wrong you are. I have a 330ci sport bmw 52plate and my mates 220 turbo is almost as quick, but if you stop driving these cheap fast cars (220 turbo renault 5 clio williams type r ect) fast then they are crap. buy a proper car- speed reliability handling and luxary!

Saying you were once naive about cars sounds pretentious. People are right to praise this car, as for the price it is very good value for money, and IS fast for a 1.4. I don't believe that 0-60 was hit in 8.5 seconds as it only does it in 10.5, possibly 10 if lucky. For anyone who likes this car you should look at the 200 SDI. It is similar power, but faster in every department (including 0-60) and does 45mpg minimum, plus there are no reliability issues, honestly.

People may mock the performance of the 214sei but they havnt a clue people say that it tops 112 there wrong I got 130 out of mine its dun 130k and runs like a dream so all you rover haters sort ure lifes out it's a brilliant car I paid £200 3 months ago for mine you cnt grumble for the price the only issue I have wiv my 214sei is wen replacing battery the immobliser is constantly stuck on does any1 know hw to resolve this??? many thanks.

I had a 1995 (old shape) 214 8v for 7 years and loved it dearly. Plenty fast enough for me, and surprisingly nippy in low gears. That car never let me down in any way, even with 143,000 on the clock, until it needed a new catalytic converter, last summer.

Within 25 miles of leaving the garage with my new Cat, it had blown the head-gasket. Typically, it got me home OK before it disgorged frothy coffee everywhere. It even got to my garage 5 miles away OK. There they quoted me over £500 to do the HG and told me the new cat was almost certainly u/s too, (another £100). They persuaded me that it was not worth fixing, it was gonna be twice as much as the car was worth at its age and mileage. My friends/relatives agreed. I was, sadly, persuaded.

I scrapped it, and have regretted it a hundred times since. I hate the Skoda Felicia 1.3 I replaced it with. I yearn for another Rover and am constantly looking out for a good one, much to my friends' disgust.

I think the Rover 214 was a brilliant car, and the old shape very attractive. Not too sure about the newer "bubble" style in looks, though I am told they are just as good and reliable.

Does anyone know what the spares situation is now for Rovers? Would I be making a mistake to get another one now?

I have a 214sei and it's a little beast. I had a 216, but the engine went pop after valve bouncing in nearly every gear.

My 214 is on an M, and has done 90k and is going well. It's true I don't know my 0-60, but I've had mine to 130. I will admit I took a long way, but it pulls 110 easy.

I got a K/N air filter and a twin DTM exhaust. I have decat pipe on it that helps it rev harder. It flies past my mate's 1.6 Corsa Sport and even a 1.6 Punto.

A mate also has a 214 with a Rover 1.8 engine with a 1.6 gear box. He has had 4 gear boxes in a year, so if you do the engine swap, put the 1.8 box on and that will pull 130 EASY.

Happy driving folks.

P.s does anyone know if the Tomcat turbo will fall in the 214 shell.