Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information

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Thu 31 Jan 2019 16:57
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Steveieb

Saw one in pale blue and it looked great.

Got to be a great buy if the right one comes along?

But which model and year would you recommend ?

Understand the first ones were built by BMW and the later ones went down hill when Rover became responsible.

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Thu 31 Jan 2019 18:04
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - badbusdriver

Saw one in pale blue and it looked great.

Got to be a great buy if the right one comes along?

But which model and year would you recommend ?

Understand the first ones were built by BMW and the later ones went down hill when Rover became responsible.

Not sure i'd buy one at all TBH, but if i were to, i'd probably sticking by the typical response when buying an older car, keep it simple!.

I remember driving a diesel 75 some years ago and being very impressed by how refined it was. But since being a member of this forum i have often looked at the reviews on cars asked about by other posters, which often include the letters B, M and W(!). The good/bad section of said reviews invariably list a catalogue of reliability woes, most of which seem to affect the 2.0 diesel. Which, presumably is the same unit under the bonnet of the diesel 75. With that in mind, unless someone says (proves?) otherwise, i'd avoid the diesel.

Problem is that i'm pretty sure i have read about problems regarding all the other units in the car (apart from the V8 you got in some of the last 75's and MG ZT's), so that is the 1.8t, 2.0 V6 and the 2.5 V6.

It is a shame, as i really like the 75, thought it was a much better resolved shape than the Jag X-Type (certainly in saloon form). Going purely on appearance, i definitely prefer the original pre-facelift shape.

BTW, have you seen the 75 that some guy turned into a coupe?

not2grand.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/P102051...g

apparently was inspired to do this after seeing the concept which Rover made themselves but didn't put into production. Uses the roof of a 3 series BMW!.

Edited by badbusdriver on 31/01/2019 at 18:05

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Thu 31 Jan 2019 19:50
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - SLO76
The earlier pre-Phoenix and pre-facelift cars were better made and nicer to look at in my opinion. Lovely comfortable big cars and a touch of British class but sadly lacked a decent engine option.

The 4cyl 1.8 K series petrol are pretty notorious for head gasket failure which if correctly repaired using the upgraded Land Rover gasket set is actually quite a robust motor but it lacks power and the turbo is even worse for HGF possibly due to the added heat from the hasty turbo installation.

The KV6 was pretty well sorted by the time the 75 came along but it lacks low speed pull (particularly the 2.0) and has three timing belts which are very costly to change and almost always neglected. Buy it with this in mind and it’s silky smooth and suits the car well especially with an auto.

The BMW 2.0 diesels are bad for timing chain failure and any number of typical diesel problems mostly due to age and neglect. A good one can be made reliable if looked after but again they lack power (114bhp) in standard spec (131bhp) in later post-facelift higher output models, mostly MG’s.

I get the appeal but any I’ve viewed in recent years has needed major money spending to bring up to reliable use standard. Could be worth it if you get a tidy example especially a Tourer. Parts are easy enough to come by but body panels are getting scarce so survivors will plummet in the coming years.

Shame it wasn’t based on a Honda Accord. The previous 600 series made an excellent cheap family car with class and the next gen Accord to that with the 75’s style along with Honda’s excellent VTEC engines would’ve been brilliant.

Edited by SLO76 on 31/01/2019 at 19:51

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Thu 31 Jan 2019 22:17
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Trilogy.
Shame it wasn’t based on a Honda Accord. The previous 600 series made an excellent cheap family car with class and the next gen Accord to that with the 75’s style along with Honda’s excellent VTEC engines would’ve been brilliant.

Just as BMW bought Rover Honda were about to up their stake to 50%. Sometimes I think what Rover would have been as a Rover Civic 200, Rover Jazz Metro. MG Rover is a missed marque. A union between Rover/Saab/Lancia could have saved them. All FWD sitting in the hierarchy just below Audi, BMW, Mercedes. I know Lancia still exists..........just.

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Fri 1 Feb 2019 07:44
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - pd

The BMW engine in these is the M47R. It has a very solid timing chain and can do 200-300k miles and often does,

It does not suffer from the issues the N47 has which came out in 2007 and was never fitted to the Rover.

Like all diesels it can suffer with the odd injector issue but on the whole it is a solid old engine with a simple turbo and without the swirl flaps of the BMW version which can cause issues.

These are all old cars now so have old car issues. The newest is 14 years old and the oldest 20.

114bhp was quite competitive in 1999 - most competitors have about 110bhp from the era and there are loads of 1.6 diesels in large cars with 110bhp or thereabouts sold in huge numbers much later on. They're not fast but plod along as well as anything from the era.

Edited by pd on 01/02/2019 at 07:47

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Fri 1 Feb 2019 16:34
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Miniman777

Dont know why people get glassy-eyed at Rover 75s? Big dated, lumbering, wallowing creatures, with mongrel DNA. Usually driven by old men in flat caps. Sorry, but in my eyes, not a classic, not a particularly attractive car, and spolit by Rover unreliability. Just a nice motor for the man who does a few thousand miles per year and wants comfort.

And yes, I've owned two Rover/BL cars in my 45 years of motoring - a MG Maestro that ate front wheel bearings and a Montego VDP with frail wiring and a wiper linkage that fell off every time it rained. Oh, and the rust... worst cars I ever owned.

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Fri 1 Feb 2019 17:20
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Avant

For me the trouble with the Rover 75 was the gloomy dashboard, which called to mind the furnishings in the sort of 1940s front parlour that was only ever used if Aunt Bertha came to stay, or there was a death in thr family, or both.

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Fri 1 Feb 2019 18:24
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - badbusdriver

Dont know why people get glassy-eyed at Rover 75s? Big dated, lumbering, wallowing creatures, with mongrel DNA. Usually driven by old men in flat caps. Sorry, but in my eyes, not a classic, not a particularly attractive car, and spolit by Rover unreliability. Just a nice motor for the man who does a few thousand miles per year and wants comfort.

And yes, I've owned two Rover/BL cars in my 45 years of motoring - a MG Maestro that ate front wheel bearings and a Montego VDP with frail wiring and a wiper linkage that fell off every time it rained. Oh, and the rust... worst cars I ever owned.

People get glassy eyed about them because they like them.

Big?, not really, narrower than a Golf and shorter than a Passat.

Dated?, well that was the point of the styling, to invoke older more traditional Rovers.

Lumbering AND wallowing?, in the context of car handling surely these mean pretty much the same thing?, but having said that, (IMO) there is nothing wrong with a car whose sole priority is not to get round the Nurburgring as quickly as possible, but to get its occupants to where they are going in unruffled comfort.

Mongrel DNA?, how many current cars can you name that do not share their DNA with other cars?. And in the past, mongrel DNA would include cars such as the Jensen Intercepter, Lotus Cortina, and Bristol 403 (most pertinent here due to the origins of it's engine). Either way, i wouldn't consider having mongrel DNA as being an issue at all, never mind being detrimental.

Old men in flat caps?, this presumably includes Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, or to go in a different direction, Brian Johnson (lead singer in AC/DC), so i'm quite happy to go along with that!.

The reliability thing?, well despite my earlier misgivings, i'm not convinced it is that big an issue. SLO posted earlier that the KV6 was well sorted by the time it went into the 75 (apart from lacking low down torque), and pd posted that the BMW diesel fitted to the Rover is actually a very sturdy and reliable engine indeed (unlike its post 2007 successor). And i do find it interesting to note that the owners reviews on Autotrader rate the MK1 75 as 4.3 out of 5 over 66 reviews. Compare that to the 2002-2005 Honda Accord which (despite having legendary reliability) scores a marginally better 4.5 out of 5 over 53 reviews. That suggests the Rover isn't all that bad!.

I'm also rather perplexed that you feel past ownership of a Maestro and a Montego makes your comments on the 75 (other than you find them unnatractive and simply don't like them) valid?.

Edited by badbusdriver on 01/02/2019 at 18:25

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Fri 1 Feb 2019 20:45
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Steveieb
Many thanks for all your interesting comments.
Brings back memories of being at Rover Gayden and being shown the sketches of the 75 Tourer.
We bought loads and even commissioned the stretched version for chauffeur service.
Remember having one delivered to Singapoere and the office couldn't register it as Rover had forgotten to fix a VIN plate under the bonnet. Enough said.

But these cars go for very little and are comfortable and some gave had light use. My colleague lost a fortune when the news of Rovers closure broke.

But which model diesel and year would you recommend ?
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Fri 1 Feb 2019 21:33
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - badbusdriver

Well this is what pd said about the diesel, and i took it from his comments that this relates to all the 75 diesel's,

The BMW engine in these is the M47R. It has a very solid timing chain and can do 200-300k miles and often does,

It does not suffer from the issues the N47 has which came out in 2007 and was never fitted to the Rover.

Like all diesels it can suffer with the odd injector issue but on the whole it is a solid old engine with a simple turbo and without the swirl flaps of the BMW version which can cause issues.

These are all old cars now so have old car issues. The newest is 14 years old and the oldest 20.

114bhp was quite competitive in 1999 - most competitors have about 110bhp from the era and there are loads of 1.6 diesels in large cars with 110bhp or thereabouts sold in huge numbers much later on. They're not fast but plod along as well as anything from the era.

As for which year, typically with a car like this the best idea would be to get the youngest available, but according to what SLO says, the earlier, pre-facelift cars were better built. So with that in mind, the best of those you can find. Might be an idea to see if there is an owners club and if so, join. As well as giving more comprehensive advice on what to look for, there is also the possibility of buying a well looked after car from a club member.

But looking on Autotrader, one of SLO's recommendations (on older cars anyway) of buying private is impossible as all of them (the diesel versions) are being sold by traders. The prices range from £3995 for a 27k mile version down to £550!. There are a couple of nice looking ones in the £1-1.5k bracket, but you'd have to inspect the car thoroughly, check the MOT history etc. If you were not specifically after a diesel, an interesting option cropped up (albeit at £3995), and that is an example of the 2.5V6 which was also used by John Nettles in Midsomer Murders!. It does look nice in dark metallic blue,

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190126431...1

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 01:03
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - SLO76
“The BMW engine in these is the M47R. It has a very solid timing chain and can do 200-300k miles and often does,”

While certainly more robust than the later N47 timing chain failure was a very common issue with this engine too. Take a look at the low survival rate of E46 BMW’s which shared it. Admittedly though much of this is related to the neglect older diesels tend to suffer from as they’re bought by those seeking to save money. A low mileage KV6 auto and money wisely spent on replacing all three timing belts along with the water pump would be the best route to 75 ownership.

Edited by SLO76 on 02/02/2019 at 01:05

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 09:47
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Trilogy.

The joys of owning a Rover 75.

www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/the-joys-of-owning-a.../

If too wallowy go for an MG ZT-T, that's where my money would go.

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 10:05
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - pd

I've honestly rarely come across timing belt issues on the M47. Other issues, yes, and maybe the odd one which has never had an oil change might suffer. E46s usually die for other reasons.

I'm not convinced about the KV6. It wasn't fully sorted in the 75 at the start and many early examples suffered piston liners dropping which gives identical symptoms to a failed headgasket (coolant pressurised).

Most of them also suffer from failed manifolds (swirls flaps jammed/not working) which kills low down torque and economy. You can remove them but it is a sod of a job which involved splitting a plastic manifold not designed to be split and welding it up again. Replacements are £500 or so. I reckon about 80% of KV6 cars running around are not working right because of this.

There is also the common thermostat leak in the "V" which people don't notice so they get low on coolant and cook also often warping the heads. This isn't a terribly easy job to do either as a lot has to come off to get to it.

The main issue on the diesels is clutches. They often wear by 90-100k and the slave & master cylinders are weak. MAF sensors also fail causing no go below 2000rpm but are an easy and quite cheap fix.

The best built in my opinion are the early Longbridge cars, circa 2001-2002. They made a few changes on moving production and actually did it very well. Post 2002 came the "Project Drive" which kept removing bits from the cars.

The last built ones can be amusing in that they were running short of supplies so you see all kinds on odd trim bits - blue door cards with green upholstery etc. as they struggled to complete cars.

Nonetheless I'd echo what I said above. They are all old cars with old car problems so finding a trouble free one virtually impossible. That applies to any 20-15 year old car.

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 11:42
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Steveieb

Many thanks again for all this excellent feedback.

i'm overwhelmed by the depth of knowledge available from contributors to this group.

Its a pity that those members still in the trade arn't allowed to post adverts of cars they wish to sell. At least there would be some sense of security when buying.

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 20:46
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - Avant

"Its a pity that those members still in the trade arn't allowed to post adverts of cars they wish to sell. At least there would be some sense of security when buying."

They can do just that in our Cars for Sale section on this site: click on the link at the top of the page.

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 12:22
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - badbusdriver

The joys of owning a Rover 75.

www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/the-joys-of-owning-a.../

If too wallowy go for an MG ZT-T, that's where my money would go.

Thanks for that Trilogy, thoroughly enjoyed it, and am now very tempted myself (especially knowing they are less than 1.8m wide).

Now i wonder, would the wife be willing to take the money instead of the Motability car?, hmm!.

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Sat 2 Feb 2019 13:00
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - SteveLee

Rover 75s actually handle very well, there's a difference between handling and stiffness implying sportiness.

Early "BMW" Rover 75s always suffered from corrosion on the sills, Later post-BMW models built in Longbridge fare better, until the later still (last two(sh)) years where cost cutting measures dropped quality. Of course all Rover 75s are now very old cars - but they are wonderful comfortable real world cars in good working order. When Rover produced a car built for comfort (which is what most people want even if they don't know it) the press crucified them - when VAG brought our the Skoda Superb similarly softly sprung - the press slobbered over them. As usual in the press German=Good, British=Bad.

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Sun 3 Feb 2019 23:21
Rover 75 Diesel - Latest buying information - pd

Yeah, 75s handle OK. They're fluid and composed rather than "sporty". Nothing drives quite like them.

Incidentally the early ZTs have stiffer suspension than the later ones. They softened it after the first 18 months of so and the once standard suspension became the "sports" suspension option.

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