1997 Rover - Austin 600 620 SDi review from UK and Ireland

Power steering pump is noisy.

Tyres lose pressure over time.

I bought my 620 SDi about a month ago, having had a 420 diesel (same engine) before my last car (a very thirsty petrol Mercedes 190).

I've always loved the diesel Rovers - I can get 400 miles for £30 easily, which is pretty impressive! Mine has got air con & alloys, & the bodywork is all colour coded, so it looks quite classy.

For a 10 year old car, it certainly looks respectable, & I'm certainly not ashamed to be seen in it. The interior is comfy, although with the front seats right back you can't even get into the back seats. Rover seemed to class a huge boot as more of a priority than rear legroom! But as it's normally just me, that's not a problem.

The diesel engine is reliable, and gives quite good performance, especially in-gear acceleration on hills or overtaking. They are fairly noisy round town, but quite refined on the motorway. The suspension is... well, not a strong point, the body rolls in corners, & the heavier diesel engine really highlights how soft the suspension is, as the front end dives under braking & bounces up & down several times when you stop (this may be partly down to worn shock absorbers as well though).

I believe the 600 is one of the best Rovers made in their more recent history, as it is heavily based on the Honda Accord. It is well built and the petrol ones all use Honda engines (except the 2.0 turbo), rather than the unreliable K-series engines.

I would certainly recommend a Rover 600 and especially the diesel - you can pick up a perfectly decent one for £500 - mine was £550 with a full MOT & 3 months tax! When you think what sort of tired, scruffy Ford or Vauxhall you can get for that, it seems quite a bargain!