2000 Rover - Austin 75 Connoisseur review from UK and Ireland
"Probably good if you get a good one and not a"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Cruise Control (Faulty on delivery) took 4 visits to repair (5 days off the road)
Interior auto dipping mirror (Faulty on delivery) 1 day to repair
3 of the 4 alloy wheels began to peel! within the first 4 months (Rover would only replace them one at a time so meant 3 separate visits)
Windscreen replaced twice. (The tinting in the galss was smeared the first time. When the engineer replaced the screen, he managed to damage the new one with his diamond ring - hence the second screen (2 days off the road)
Rear screen replaced (same fault as the front one)
Exterior door handles faulty on all, but one door (1 day off the road)
Interior door handles faulty (2 days off the road)
Electric seat recline switches (both sides) broken so seat cannot tilt
Airbag light continues to come on and go off at erratic intervals despite having been "fixed" three times at the dealers
Trim piece at side of front screen fell off
Drivers side window does not raise fully without repeated pulls on the switch
MAS or MASS air filter (or something like that) failed at 30,000 miles and the car drove like a fiat panda 750 with 27 rugby players in it. We happened to be in East Germany at the time so had to drive all the way home at about 50mph!
Countless headlight bulbs, brake light bulbs (27 at last count I believe) dealer says there is no fault!!!
Various other bits and pieces that I can't be bothered typing about, but I am sure you get the idea!!
General comments?
My business partner and I thought we would treat ourselves to a couple of the 75's on contract hire with Rover. At the time, the connoisseur SE diesels were quite rare and took a bit of tracking by our original dealer. We live in Warrington, Cheshire. One car was in Doncaster the other at a dealer in Jersey. When my car finally arrived (after a run in with Customs and Excise) the problems started. In the first 3 months, the car spent a total of 18 days in the dealers with countless visits since. Even the other car is not without fault, it has 30,000 miles on the clock and has recently spent almost 3 months off the road awaiting a new clutch!!
Would I buy or lease another Rover? Will the Queen leave the Duke of Edinburgh and move in with me over a chip shop in Peckham???
Search for New and Used Rover - Austin 75s available in the UK
Click here to advertise your car
Recommended reviews
|
| Terrible cars, avoid at all costs!! |
|
| TOUGH! reliable, sure footed and easy to drive! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 2000 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 21 miles |
| Most recent distance | 47000 miles |
| Previous car | Peugeot 306 |
| Date of Entry | 21st January, 2003 |