2004 Rover - Austin CityRover Sprite from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing has gone wrong with the car at all.

The car is built to a good level.

The interior is made of sub-standard quality plastics, but they do the job that they were made for.

The engine is loud, but is one of the quickest in the city sector.

Best to avoid the base Solo as the lack of kit is a joke and you would be laughed at.

The car has lived upto what is expected of it and I would buy another if I needed another city car. Well done Rover for importing it.

These city rovers are built in India on the Tata production line (check the windows etc, they're stamped Tata) and the quality is very poor of these cars. You have only done 3000 miles so the car should be faultless, however, it won't be long before it starts falling apart!

This review sounds like as if it was written by an Rover Dealer.

I Agree with the Last Two Comments.

The first one is more than right and Believe me, I know how this car is Poorly Built.

I Bought one (2004 1.4 Solo) and so far, in past Three Months of ownership has been nothing, but trouble.

I will definetely ask for money back, if something else goes wrong.

I just, cannot stand so many problems, in a Brand New Car at a very early stage.

And your review really sounds as if it was written by an Dealer.

I agree with review above, because I think even though it may be crudely built, it does it's job, it doesn't fall apart and it is slightly cynical, in way saying that it will. Also, it's only a city car! It's not meant to be built like a VW passat! And I certainly disagree with what is said in review no.2. Although, my main criticism is,the lack of equipment, which is embarrissing! I don't think it's such a bad job.

Spend 900 quid on a 1.4 litre Rover Metro/100. Then spend about 300 quid on a decent stereo and speakers. If you want to go real posh, buy yourself an auto windscreen wiper kit for only fifty quid and even electric window kit. Then get a decent alarm amd immobiliser for anythng upto 400 pounds. Spend about a hundred and fifty quid buying new mats and seat covers and any other interior stuff you want.

And what do you end up with? For one and a half thousand pounds, a better car than a CityRover. Believe me. Its virtually the same car, but you save five and a half thousand pounds. That's how awful the CityRover is.

I bought a Cityrover Sprite 6 months ago and wish I never. I'm trading it in already as I am so unhappy with the amount of problems also amount of wind noise when you go faster than 50 mph.

The Cityrover is plainly overpriced. I got my estate version of the same car (which boasts of vastly better build quality, believe me, and infinitely better engine refinement) for about 5,500 pounds. Its the top end GLX version with aftermarket alloys and leather. Still it costs no more than 6000 pounds+ change. The top end diesel (most expensive car in the Indica lineup) retails for about the same price. Is Rover taking its customers for a ride :-)?.

I have a City Rover Style, and I'm happy with it, for "city driving" its great, has good visibility, good steering turn and enough leg room in the back for the tall people. the car has the usual remote central locking ABS, twin airbags, CD player etc, enough spec, and it is reliable and runs well. if I want luxury, then I take my Bentley out of my garage, but it is a totally different car. I happily traded in a jinxed Renault Megane which cost me hundreds of £'s in repairs and could not off load it fast enough.

I was thinking of getting one to replace my metty 100 GTa, but I think my GT is better listening to what you have said thank you.

As an owner of a City-Rover Select I can only say that this car does exactly what I want and expect from a town car. It is very nippy, I think the lower gear ratios are just right for city driving, with an excellent choice for 5th gear. I get 42.5 mpg average on long runs, and about town this drops to about 38mpg, still very good. I find it cruises very comfortably at 70 mph, is extremely roomy inside and the all round visibility (both night and day) is superb.

The headlights and instrument illumination are excellent (funny how road tests never seem to cover night driving). It does some minor foibles, but I love it anyway - and I am not a Rover dealer, but just an ordinary Joe.

Was this the car that the TV programme "Top Gear" weren't allowed to test, so they went undercover and hired one to show how bad it was?

What do people expect when they buy a "city"rover what you get is a car built to be good in the city, The fact that the car is too low geared to be effective on motorways is irrelevant as this is not what it's designed for. My style model has all the toys, and is as well presented as many other small cars. Maybe if the British press was not as critical we would still have a thriving car industry.

As far as I can see the car lives up to expectations with nippy around town performance allied with reasonable 38mpg fuel consumption.

I bought a City Rover Select 12 months ago - I've had the AA out twice! Last summer the spark plugs were replaced, in September the spark plug leads were replaced, in November the coil was replaced and in March the head gasket was changed/skimmed? It's in the garage again after losing power the other day and warning signs appearing saying "check engine" and "mil" - the AA chap thinks it may be a faulty coil. I traded my little metro in and didn't have any problems with this - it was just getting old and tired!

My family has had a City Rover from last January, so far it has been the biggest joke of a car ever, the worst things about this car are the gearbox is shocking. When changing gear it's not smooth, it feels like you're changing gear with an umbrella.

The ride in the car is the hardest I've ever known, to the point of just being uncomfortable and most recently, today the thing nearly killed me. I was driving down a fairly busy main road when the whole lot just packed up, the electrics were the fault. It appeared that the immobiliser came on when I was in motion. Thankfully I managed not to cause an accident, but believe me when I say this was more luck than judgement.

This issue has been around with this car for some time, usually only when you first come to start the car, and the only way to get it going again is to jump it.

It's a piece of rubbish and if you value your life, don't buy this car.

I bought a wee Cityrover secondhand for $3000, it was almost 3 years old and low mileage. All the gadgets included in the Sprite model.

I honestly doubt the intelligence of some people posting comments here that are expecting to buy a miracle car with a name like "CITYROVER" for 3 grand, its not a racing car, not a powercar, nothing like my old Polo, but it is exactly what it is supposed to be. A $3000 car, that's a run-around. It goes fine on the motorway for a few hours journey every now and then when it has to, but it was bought for short journeys.

You get 5 doors, CD player, enough room, alloys... for 3 grand. What did you expect?

Obviously there are problems, are there are with any car. My friend brand new peugeot 207 has been in and out of the garage, but it a great wee RUN-AROUND.

Use your head before you buy a car. Don't expect VW quality and standards from a 3 grand Cityrover. If you want that then pay 8 grand for a Polo which is amazing, If you want a great 3 grand car, get a Cityrover.