Faults:

Brakes replaced at 75,000 miles.

Wiper motor replaced.

Tyres replaced.

General Comments:

This is the best diesel estate car of its time. It returns 50 mpg on a run, and it's still very powerful for a car that's 16 years old. The bodywork is still like new.

Faults:

When I first got the 418, within 48 hours, the water pump gave up (had been standing over a year, with little use).

'Lift Pump' (fuel) died after 5,000 miles of me owning it.

General Comments:

I brought this car for £500, with 11 months MOT & 5 months tax. Because my 16 year Ford Escort did a 1000 mile round trip to Cornwall, & water got in electrics & died.

Needed a new car quickly, & a bloke in the village only had this in my price range.

Has a few dents, etc. But runs like a dream, around 47 mpg on a average run (starting, traffic light, hills etc). Even with low profile alloys.

Inside: Very nice, usual electric pack, alarm. immobiliser, front electric windows, power steering, airbag, electric wing mirrors etc.

Engine: 1.8 diesel turbo intercooled. Quick for its age, and economical. Goes up hills like a breeze.

Faults:

Slight oil leaks, common on this car. Not serious.

Slight gearbox input bearing noise, again common from the Honda gearbox.

Drivers window mechanism broke, easily replaced.

Nothing else has gone wrong. Not bad on a 13 year old car.

General Comments:

These are great sleeper cars. Faster than many other cars, especially the GTI brigade. Same power as a new Golf GTI turbo, but much lighter, makes it a match for an R32. Has a Torsen diff, a form of LSD, something few modern price equivalents have (only the Megan F1 to my knowledge, which is the fastest around a track). Doesn't have the finesse of newer cars in fast sweeps, but is a match or better in the tight twists as a result of the diff.

Generally quite reliable, most problems are only annoyances, such as oil leaks. Engines are tough, bodywork is good, interiors are of higher quality than the likes of Ford, Peugeot or Vauxhall.

Parts are cheap and are shared with other lower models making replacements easy to find.

They are easy to work on to, no bizarre design, unlike some french cars.

Faults:

Front passenger side window motor failed at 65,000 miles.

Brake pads needed replacing at 70,000 miles and again at 81,000 miles.

Engine blew head gasket at 79,000 miles.

Engine became difficult to start after 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

The 414 SLi was a generally reliable and swift family saloon which also gave good economy.

The interior was upmarket and comfortable.

Good value at £3,250 for a mid range five year old family saloon.

Retailed at £1,500 three years later.

Hope MG Rover will soon make cars again.

Faults:

At around 20,000 miles, the engine cut out suddenly with no warning and wouldn't restart. Fault traced to a tiny module on the ignition (called an igniter if I recall correctly). Fixed the problem and it never reoccurred.

Other than that, as reliable as clockwork.

General Comments:

This car replaced a 1992 Astra (mk3), and in turn was replaced by a 1997 Renault Megane. With hindsight, I think it was a better car than either of them.

Good quality trim with light, airy colours and half convincing wood bits, good seats, reasonable equipment, solid build quality, (then) classy looks, low noise levels, and excellent performance from a gutsy, sweet 1.6 litre Honda engine.

Other things I remember distinctly:

Motorway cruising ability ruined by a stupidly low 5th gear - 70 mph = 3,500 RPM.

Economy not great, particularly on the motorway due to above.

One of the most dreadful standard fit stereos I've ever heard in any car.

Reliability flawless apart from a failed igniter unit (common fault apparently) which did in fairness cause a breakdown.

Helpful dealer.

Hard to believe Rover is now dead and buried when a decade ago it was making cars that stood comparison to any mainstream competition. On the basis of comparing this car to others I have owned, Rover would not have been at the top of my list for likely bankruptcy.