1997 Rover - Austin 400 420 GSDi review from UK and Ireland

Front differential is starting to make a whining noise when pulling away.

Clutch is about due for replacement (expected with mileage).

Crack in windscreen from a flying stone (but replaced via insurance)

Having owned a 420 SD previous to this car, I knew what to expect. This one has the more powerful, intercooled engine however, whereas my previous one was the non-intercooled version and the power difference is immediately noticeable. The SDi kicks in a lot quicker, and is a much more driveable car than the SD in my opinion.

The Leather seats are extremely comfortable (much more so than the seats in the SD), and everything is within easy reach; you do not have to stretch to reach the controls etc. The GSDi version, being the top spec, has electric windows all round also (as opposed to just fronts in the SD) and also has working air con, which is an advantage in the warmer months (my SD had a sunroof of which I was supposed to be grateful!)

The L-Series engine again does not disappoint in this car, in fact I am very impressed with it (and I was impressed with the non intercooled variant in my previous 400 also!) - power on tap to get you out of sticky situations and it can throw you back in your seat - the intercooled SDi model is also a bit more economical than the SD also!!

The real tester for this car will be a 1200 mile round trip to Cornwall and back in September, and I am hoping it will do it fine, although the mileage concerns with regards to wear and tear are a slight worry, but we shall see!