Toyota Prius

Summary:
Worth the range anxiety

Faults:
None.

General Comments:
The range is comfortable for a daily commute. Supercharging is beginning to have great coverage, and the battery life is still good.

Very comfortable and obviously quiet, performance you wouldn't expect from an EV, and great looks and gadgets.

Summary:
Great electric vehicle

Faults:
12V battery terminal got disconnected disabling the entire car.

General Comments:
I have always wanted a Model S, but price ($90,000+) new made it unattainable. I bought the Chevy Volt as a compromise and owned it four years (25,000 miles) while I kept watch on the prices of used Model S. When the price dropped into the mid $30,000 I went looking for one. I researched the overall reliability/performance history and decided it was time to buy. I was sure I wanted the large 85KwH battery vehicle with its idealized 265 mile range. The car I got was a one owner corporate vehicle and had high mileage (146K). The battery capacity has dropped from its original 85 KwH down to 81 KwH, a 4.7% reduction over 8.5 years & 148K miles.

The car is a rocket... One must drive an electric car to truly understand this comment. The regenerative braking is great, it basically reduces 90% of the wear on the disc brake system. At nearly 150K miles there is more than half of the original brakes pad material left.

I have to say the interior is quite 'spartan' and could be better fitted. The seats are on the firm side, and there is nothing in the back for passengers to place or store any drinks or stuff.

So far, the car has averaged 320 watts/mile at around a 96% efficiency. I had Tesla do a complete heath check on the car and the result was a clean bill of heath.

Summary:
Best car ever!!!

Faults:
Minor squeak on both falcon wing doors that were repaired in less than a day, but since I couldn't wait they gave me a model-S P85 so I took it home to enjoy and came back the next day to a beautifully detailed car with no noise at all!!! There is nothing else to maintain!

General Comments:
I have owned my 2017 Tesla model X 90D for 22 days. I have over 4000+ miles on it already and driven every terrain except for snow.

This vehicle continues to impress and outperforms all other competition (Including my neighbor's Lamborghini Gallardo!!!).

I have had zero problems locating superchargers along my route, which are totally free! I thought having this car in my apartment on the beach would be a problem, but it's totally not since I only have to charge it every other few days and charging is pretty quick.

I have autopilot version 8.1 installed and I can honestly say that autopilot is a serious step into the future. 90% of my long term driving now uses autopilot with me only fully driving in construction zones or bad roads or city driving. It's so amazing it probably saved my life! I dozed off one late night driving back from Washington DC to Miami. Autopilot sensed my hands weren't on the wheel and woke me up with a chime all while the car was safely maneuvering thru traffic! This is hands-down the best and safest vehicle that has ever been produced for the public! It compliments aerodynamics and ingenuity so well that the feeling can only be similar to the shock and awe of the Citroen DS of 1955 that paved the way for safer more efficient quality cars.

By the way, the Tesla has no engine, so say goodbye to gas and hello more trunk space!

Thanks for this very honest review. I'm saying this because I know there are many Tesla fans out there that may get irritated when someone talks about negatives about this car. Not saying it's a bad car, but like any car it has its downsides and minor inconveniences. A Tesla cannot be compared to - say - a Lexus or BMW in terms of build quality. This is a very new brand, built from scratch; time is needed to refine their cars. The trickiest part is that buyers spend a good amount of money anyway, and given the level of refinement offered by the gasoline driven competition, they feel entitled to get their money's value. But one still needs to realize that this is a very young brand that indeed needs time to mature - however this is a little difficult to accept in a consumer society.

Very good point about voice command in other languages.

The autopilot must be taken with a grain of salt. It is not perfect and does require constant attention from the owner: for example, it does not work in road construction areas because the autopilot is using street line markings for guidance, and in construction zones these lines often times are modified, less clear or worse covered with concrete separators. This caused some accidents (look up on Youtube). On the other side, the autopilot also saved several crashes from happening (search again on Youtube) so it's a good thing. It should be improved in the future.

I would also like to point about a rather common complaint when it comes to Tesla owners (not in your review, but on their forums). Several owners feel that for the money spent they don't get the same luxury as on equivalently priced gasoline cars. The fact is, the price of a Tesla is related to the battery, electric drive line and also company investment in infrastructure (manufacturing, robots, car design, etc). So despite being priced like a high end luxury car, the money doesn't go exactly into luxury equipment.

Any how, I hope more Tesla owners come and leave honest feedback; the Tesla section is lacking reviews on this site!

Summary:
Game changing, but immature

Faults:
• Gaskets beneath front doors are poorly glued and keep falling off.

• Triangular window on passenger door had a faulty seal and needed to be replaced.

• Door trim vibrated when cranking up the volume, fixed on warranty.

• Cruise control/autopilot is highly unreliable, automatically braking for shadows and non-shadows on the highway.

• Forward crash warning alerts go off on meeting traffic for no reason.

• Folding mirrors freeze in winter time.

• Defogging is mediocre and defaults to "recirculate" on medium power when fresh air and high power is the obvious solution.

• Window wipers and washer fluid jets (built into the blades) are borderline dangerous, failing to clean the window properly.

• Automatic wipers are in "beta" and requires a tropical storm to register rain on the windshield.

General Comments:
Electric propulsion is by far the future, but while excelling in electrification, Tesla fails on most other parts of car making. The Model X is spacious for passengers with comfortable seats, but a very noisy cabin and a large yet impractical boot are big drawbacks. Voice control is probably useful for English drivers, but any international buyers are left fiddling with a touch screen while driving. Build quality is generally OK, but certain design choices make the car fall short of European premium cars. Access to Spotify, podcasts and streaming radios are all great, but the lack of proper phone support (e.g. CarPlay or Android Auto) is preposterous. In short, it is difficult to say something about the car without adding a "but" towards the end of the sentence.

That said; power is incredible, the default sound system is above average, the Supercharger network is a lifesaver, the comfort level is very high and the car shows promise of what tomorrow's car will look like. Here's hoping tomorrow comes sooner rather than later.

Summary:
Good car, expensive initial cost, but savings the longer you own it

Faults:
Nothing went wrong with the car. Though didn't own it very long.

General Comments:
Ordered Model Y 3rd quarter '21, it arrived 1st quarter '22 for my wife. She absolutely loved the car. The initial sticker price of the car can be a bit much. However, after owning it, it's apparent how much money will be saved the longer you own the vehicle.

As far as charging is concerned, we opted for for a NEMA 14-50 charger at home. It regularly charged to what would be equivalent to roughly 32 miles per hour. So overnight or about 6 hour charge was all that was needed. Supercharging was and incredibly fast, about 20-30mins to full charge.

The only reason we no longer own this vehicle, would be that my wife was in an accident and the car was totaled. On the brighter side of things, the Tesla was really safe and kept my wife and children safe... So we ordered another. It'll arrive later this year.

Faults:
Motor mounts(upper and lower).

Fuel pump.

Bosch computer (used).

Air mass sensor (used).

Water pump.

"Will soon need": rebuilt turbo, clutch, timing chain.

General Comments:
One of the nicest cars I have ever owned/driven. Hasn't been as reliable as I'd like but with over 218k miles, I accept that.

Still original turbo and timing chain! Fast as H*ll in cooler weather but still averages 27mpg.

Get a black one and it's nearly invisible. Great fun to blow off kids in little Japanese cars with a big 4 door, "old people" sedan.

Love the hatchback & huge cargo area.

The closest SAAB garage is 16 miles away but they have "loaners" and use used parts when available.

Summary:
Next time I tool around with Saabs, I'll buy a 9000 Turbo with a manual transmission

Faults:
Auto transmission failed.

O2 sensor failed.

Starter motor failing.

Engine mounts soft.

Rear disc brake warped.

General Comments:
The good:

Very comfortable.

Styling oozes of class, and is a refreshing change from the cliched BMW or Mercedes look.

Has a major feeling of safety to it.

Will not rust (at least, not in Australia).

Excellent handling.

The engine itself is smooth and reliable.

The bad:

Drinks like an Engineering Student.

Irritating little things kept breaking on it (O2 sensor, starter motor etc).

Irritating big things kept on breaking on it (transmission etc).

Quite expensive to keep running.

Is quite a heavy car, and really needs a turbo to make it fun.

The ugly:

People have mistaken it for a Renault.

Saabs are very, very addictive.

Summary:
Perhaps the most versatile car ever?

Faults:
Not a lot for a 13 year old car doing 20K miles/year. I changed a faulty CV boot at 60,000. Changed brake caliper at 75,000. Front suspension spring snapped at 80,000.

General Comments:
A great workhorse and comfortable tourer. You can get a double mattress in the boot (!) with the seats folded down. I have carried a desk in there without dismantling it. At the same time, I have used it for long distance journeys with 5 adults and luggage and arrived fresh and relaxed. Performance from non-turbo engine pretty good. Great cruiser. Handles very well in cornering for a large car. Very secure. Very solid. A truly reliable companion. Perhaps the most versatile car ever made, combining good performance and handling with fantastic load carrying ability - though perhaps the Turbo would go one better in performance. In this overall respect, the 9000 is a better car than its replacement, the 9-5.

Summary:
A great car

Faults:
Front wheel bearing.

Trip computer display (easy fix - replace light bulbs).

High beam switch (easy fix - remove and clean contacts).

Windscreen washer switch (easy fix - clean contacts).

Sun roof leaking (easy fix - blow out drain holes with air compressor).

Synchros on 2nd gear is very poor. Problem is on upshift. Will need to fix.

Air conditioning does not work. Unsure of fault.

Rear brakes rattle like maracas.

Hydraulic lifters are starting to make more noise than rear brakes!

General Comments:
Very nice car, always wanted to own one. Is it the largest luxury manual hatchback there is? At 227kph, it was apparently one of the fastest production cars in the world in 1986.

With hatchback and folding rear seat, it is very practical. And comfortable.

Smooth turbo power delivery, great for open road driving. Handles well on winding roads.

Lots of accelerative power yet can be very economical when driven easily.

Bloody awful turning circle.

Summary:
A fast highway armchair on wheels

Faults:
Auto Gearbox rebuilt twice (once at 120,000kms & 200,000 kms)

Fuel Pump (around 150,000km)

Air Mass Sensor (150,000kms)

Turbo & Head overhaul (around 180,000kms)

Steering Box (around 150,000kms)

High Beam Switch

Sun roof sticking

Leather on drivers seat worn

Creaking boot hatch

Worn door rubbers

Leaked power steering fluid reservoir (around 240,000kms)

General Comments:
A fair few (expensive) things have gone wrong with this car, however I love it dearly for the comfort, performance and sheer load carrying (especially with seats folded flat).

And to answer your questions, my service book has not missed a stamp.

Some reliability issues can be owed to driving style (had car since I was 18, upped the boost/re-chipped the computer and added a Remus cat-back exhaust, 2 inches lowered Ebach springs all round, 16 inch rims on Z-rated rubber, dark black window tint, gray duco/gray bumper model, looks awesome!).

The automatic gearboxes, fuel pumps and air mass sensors are notorious with these cars. If you are seriously considering buying an auto model, see if you can get under the car and open up the auto box - look for metal fragments in the oil. Also look for car which won't slip easily into 'D' from 'P' or kick down properly. Also stand behind the car when the car is being started to see if there is a telltale puff of black smoke (not fatal though).

OK, so that's the bad bits - good bits:

- Driven from Adelaide to Canberra (1,600kms each way) in one go with no problems. Done this many times and back with no troubles, passes massive trucks with ease, masses of mid-top range power (you really know it when it kicks down). I also owned a modified 1998 Subaru WRX, which eats the SAAB to 100km/hr, but over 100km/hr the SAAB reels the Subaru in and blows it away over 150km/hr.

- Has the best handling top end speed. Will easily sit on 180km/hr for hours and make you feel like your are doing 60km/hr. Top speed I have had this car is 225km/hr on a very straight patch of road (stupid I know). Sat there without a twitch! (remember - there are areas in Australia such as the Northern Territory which do not have a speed restriction - just need to look out for the kangaroos!)

- Handles corners great, especially with aftermarket springs (next best thing handling wise to my 4wd Subaru WRX)

- Seats are the most comfortable I have sat in - supportive, deep. More comfortable than my dad's C220 Merc.

- Basically a great car if you look after it.

Summary:
Modern manufactures are just starting to catch on

Faults:
Alternator failed shortly after purchase, replaced with a rebuilt unit from ebay for $20; only took 2 hours.

Brakes, replaced with Brembo rotors and new pads for $100, took 45 minutes.

New ACC belt--failed because of alternator.

Exhaust broke at resonator, more a result of a cheap aftermarket exhaust put on the car by PO.

General Comments:
What can I say, this is an old warrior that just keeps fighting. I've owned many cars despite my young age; three Saabs, two Porsches, and a Subaru. This is currently my winter car, the Porsche goes into storage. More reliable than my previous Saabs, but it was also better cared for.

The negative side of the car is that as it has aged the handling has softened--worn out shocks and such. What makes up for that is the blast of power from the turbo. I have already performed the APC modification for about 13 psi and the car is now as fast as my 944 Turbo. Absence of wheel hop is nice too. Somewhat notchy H-gate and a stiff clutch are normally expected only of a sports car.

Definitely a car for those who like something unique. Tons of space to carry things, and if some punk in a Honda pulls up to race...well, let's just say that 1/4 throttle takes care of most cars.

Oh, and one more thing- I bought a Subaru Loyale thinking it would be more economical and cheaper on parts. All that car did was be horribly slow, break often, and roll morbidly. The 4 wheel drive was the only reedeeming factor. This car is better in every aspect. I would venture to say this car is superior to the E30, if RWD handling isn't ones forte.

Summary:
Stylish, comfortable and roomy - but appalling reliability and build quality!

Faults:
A plethora of dashboard electrical problems.

Interior door trim fell into the road!

Various items of poorly-designed trim became loose of fell off altogether.

Cruise control failed on numerous occasions.

Heated seats failed on numerous occasions.

Alternator failed at 66,000 miles.

Sunroof had a tendency to jam.

Horn circuit failure at 80,000 miles.

Door locks extremely susceptible to freezing during cold weather.

General Comments:
Bought under Saab's "Approved Used" scheme with a full service history - carried out by the vending dealer - and a "114 point comprehensive check-up", the deal certainly promoted confidence!

The car was a roomy, comfortable, stylish luxo-barge... and a bit of a head-turner to boot! Admittedly performance from its 2-litre non-turbo heart was disappointing, but in compensation it constantly returned 33mpg.

However I wouldn't be overstating the case when I say that the 9000 was by far the most unreliable and poorly built motor I've ever owned (and that includes a Morris Marina!).

The dashboard resembled slot machine in that its multitude of warning lights continually flickered for no apparent reason - very distracting! (Looking back, it's a mystery to me why this didn't happen during my test drive.)

Unsurprisingly bulb failure in the dash was a constant problem and, not being covered by the warranty, was an expensive annoyance at fifty quid in labour each time!

Various items of trim were poorly designed and had a tendancy to come loose or part company with the car altogether. I'll never forget the time when the entire door panel fell into a puddle!...

Which reminds me that as the car had no roof gutters, alighting occupants would be treated to an impromptu hair-rinse during rainy days. The hatchback suffered the same problem and ultimately led to one of the rear loudspeakers shorting out.

Despite repeated attempts by the dealer to cure it, the cruise control system never worked for any longer than three weeks at a time. Similarly for the heated seats.

The electric sunroof developed a habit of jamming in the open position (though a repeated presses of the button would close it fully.) Again the dealer attempted several fixes without success.

After a month of ownership, the alternator packed up without warning. It took the dealer over a week to acquire and fit a replacement. (They loaned me a Lancia Y10 during the period... perhaps hoping I would think the Saab wasn't so bad after all!)

The dealer was always very polite and accommodating, but clearly did not possess the ability to resolve the car's numerous recurring faults. The only other Saab dealer in my area (over fifty miles away) wasn't much help, either.

Michael Fish only had to hint at the merest possibility of an incoming cold front and the door locks would obstinately freeze up - bizarre considering the car's Scandinavian birthplace!

After twelve months the bankruptcy-saving warranty had expired with the car retaining a sizable backlog of old and new problems. Two unsuccessful attempts by the dealer to trace a fault in the horn circuit cost me eighty quid. I decided it was time to cut my losses. Other than the alternator, all the faults I had experienced had been minor, but when I realised that the malfunctioning horn would lead to MOT failure, the car had to go. (The following week I traded it in for a good old Ford Sierra which, as ever, proved to be a paragon of reliability!)

In a year of ownership, the Saab had visited the dealer once per month in increasingly fruitless attempts to address its mounting faults.

It's tempting to suggest the car was simply style over substance. I have little doubt that Saab's collaboration with Fiat and Lancia (the 9000 was a "cousin" to the short-lived Croma and Thema) was partly to blame for the car's poor build and electrical qualities. Yet the other reviews here are far more positive, so it's difficult to say whether my car was a "Friday afternoon" job or the dealer was simply incompetent. (As it happened, they closed down shortly afterwards!)

I look back now with some amusement on my love/hate affair with that gorgeous Swedish temptress. She seduced this young, naive chap with her looks, style and pedigree. She cost me a fortune to keep and areas of her otherwise sublime body were nowhere near as perfect as she professed. I could have tolerated all of this were it not for the fact that she soon found another man she preferred the company of: my mechanic! He played while I paid. Such treachery could not be tolerated.

Well, yes the Saab Aero has complexities like all cars that have swung over to the computer, in the perhaps erroneous belief there are unassailable benefits in fuel injection, and at what massive service costs over a carburetted car would be utterly staggering. The Op-Amp has almost limitless possibilities, and can be applied through a computer for interaction among "sensored" components. The impossibility of exhaustively testing the systems is a curse, as the purchaser then becomes the ultimate test driver.

As for the air conditioning... a very wise move to bring a car quickly to your chosen temperature. If you don't want it, you reach out with the nearside arm and press the button labeled "OFF". Yes, the compressor uses fuel, but so does your completely unnecessary sonic boom sound system at ear shattering levels. So does adjusting the seat or using the headlights, or if you are truly emotionally self destructive, lighting a cigarette using the lighter. The compressor is not operating after the "OFF" button has been pressed.

The worst cars I found as a teenager in Sydney were beachside... eastern suburbs particularly, where expensive cars were bought on credit and left parked in streets, suffering sun and leaf damage, scratches, and often abandonment. Yes, the cars will rust, but I am at Arundel, where cars and anything rusts... but my Saab seems to have survived, and my Alfa 75TS about to go on sale... Japanese cars don't. Vans don't. The worst are cars repaired after major accidents, which were never returned to factory standards... excluding the old "been on the English roads" private imports, which are cancerous from salt.

Yes, the 9000 Aero transmission, though an improvement over the standard one in a few respects, does crack up... the 900 Aeros are the pits in my view. There is no excuse for SaaB producing lightweight gearboxes, and they knew the auto wouldn't cop it well, however this gets back to usage... screaming it through low gears, dropping clutches and so on does not meet the idea. One dropout once replied to me "cars are intended to be used".. yes, but by what and how?

If someone can help me track down some 9000 Aero rims, please call me on 0405 400 515.

Well, yes the Saab Aero has complexities like all cars that have swung over to the computer, in the perhaps erroneous belief there are unassailable benefits in fuel injection, and at what massive service costs over a carburetted car would be utterly staggering. The Op-Amp has almost limitless possibilities, and can be applied through a computer for interaction among "sensored" components. The impossibility of exhaustively testing the systems is a curse, as the purchaser then becomes the ultimate test driver.

As for the air conditioning... a very wise move to bring a car quickly to your chosen temperature. If you don't want it, you reach out with the nearside arm and press the button labeled "OFF". Yes, the compressor uses fuel, but so does your completely unnecessary sonic boom sound system at ear shattering levels. So does adjusting the seat or using the headlights, or if you are truly emotionally self destructive, lighting a cigarette using the lighter. The compressor is not operating after the "OFF" button has been pressed.

The worst cars I found as a teenager in Sydney were beachside... eastern suburbs particularly, where expensive cars were bought on credit and left parked in streets, suffering sun and leaf damage, scratches, and often abandonment. Yes, the cars will rust, but I am at Arundel, where cars and anything rusts... but my Saab seems to have survived, and my Alfa 75TS about to go on sale... Japanese cars don't. Vans don't. The worst are cars repaired after major accidents, which were never returned to factory standards... excluding the old "been on the English roads" private imports, which are cancerous from salt.

Yes, the 9000 Aero transmission, though an improvement over the standard one in a few respects, does crack up... the 900 Aeros are the pits in my view. There is no excuse for SaaB producing lightweight gearboxes, and they knew the auto wouldn't cop it well, however this gets back to usage... screaming it through low gears, dropping clutches and so on does not meet the idea. One dropout once replied to me "cars are intended to be used".. yes, but by what and how?

If someone can help me track down some 9000 Aero rims, please call me on 0405 400 515.

Summary:
Great car on paper - and occasionally lives up to its specs

Faults:
The Swedish temptress invites you to spend more on her because she can give so much. But does it ever end?

Admittedly, so long as the timing chain is kept in check, the engine is near bullet proof. You can get half a million kilometres on it without much sweat. For me, this included the turbo, but others have had different experiences.

The tranny, is a different story. The clutch is an expensive fix. The synchros on 2nd gear bit the dust a while ago, and 1st, 3rd and reverse were following suit.

No problems with the suspension.

After 15 years, rust was becoming an issue (I live in Sydney, Australia). Affected areas included the sunroof, inside bits of the doors and 'the aquarium' a region in front of the windscreen in the engine bay (affectionately known as such because, by design, this area fills with water... don't ask!).

Front wheel bearings generally go every 100K kms.

Electrics - too much of it for my liking - looks like Saab where trying to differentiate this model from the cheaper 900 by loading it up with gimmicky crap. It includes the most annoying AC system I've known. It turns on by design when you switch on the ignition. If you're air con works, this isn't much of an issue, but still, the compressor affects fuel economy.

The headlight high beam relay is a nuisance - this (expensive) thing (s) die after every 5-10 years or so due to a design fault which relies on the mechanical strength of a bit of solder.

If you have approximately 2-8 grand to spare on top of purchase price, pick up an OK one and you'll have yourself a fantastic machine that won't cost you another cent for a good few years! Few of us in the market for a 5 grand car do, and hence, the very low resale value of a car that once retailed for >$65,000.

General Comments:
5 door hatchback, with greater (useful) carrying capacity than many large 4WDs. In manual turbo form, the 2.0L engine delivers all the power you require on the open road and with fuel economy that still compares with many similar cars that are 15 years younger. Ride and handling is what you would expect from a leading Euro manufacturer (not the finest, but not bad at all either). All this in a neat well-made package.

In Australia, however, ownership of a Saab is an expensive and love-hate experience. And only those in the know respect the car for what it is.

Summary:
Sensible extravagance

Faults:
CD changer not working -- dealer replaced at no charge.

Rear seat ashtray not secure in console -- dealer replaced console at no charge.

General Comments:
I was not prepared to like this car when I first stopped in at dealership, but a brief test drive quickly changed my skeptical attitude.

The car has very hefty, solid feel -- tracks true in crosswinds. V6 engine reasonably powerful (I'm used to V8's).

Cowl shake and chassis flex very minimal. All body panels & windows seat/seal perfectly (a small amount of wind noise noticable at the joint between left side windows, only objectionable because interior so quiet!).

Seats VERY comfortable -- firm & supportive without clumsy bolstering -- great for long distance motoring. Plus, I have the satisfaction of a prestige car without being flashy about it. HIGHLY recommended.

Summary:
A topless hot rod with European luxury and performance

Faults:
A cooling system hose broke and the cooling system thermostat malfunctioned - these problems may have been related.

General Comments:
I bought this car because it was available when my previous car was totalled. I wanted a front drive convertible and had not seriously considered a SAAB before. I was not prepared for the hot rod like performance of the car or the high level of luxury fittings included but they came with the package.

The car is almost as loose and shaky as the '69 Malibu convertible I had many years ago. It's also almost as fast and much better in the twisties. It creaks and groans over rough surfaces and I'm surprised that parts haven't fallen off. Paradoxically, it's also a very solid feeling car on smooth roads.

Ergonomics - seating and controls - are better than any car I've driven. A long drive through the Rocky mountains with the top down (on a sunny day, of course) is bliss. And it's nice to know you can quickly pass almost anything on the road.

Performance and comfort are the best things about the car. The bad things are the shaky body and wobbly gear shift

Summary:
Piece of junk

Faults:
The traction control system does not function properly. The estimate to fix it was approximately $500.00. I did not get it fixed.

The transmission malfunctioned. I have no reverse. It is not drivable currently. Cost to fix is $1,700. Cost to replace the transmission is $2,500 with a refurbished transmission. Saab USA, Inc. cannot guarantee that other gears will not malfunction before 2005. This does not give me much confidence in the car.

General Comments:
I would never buy a Saab car. My Saab car is only 6 years old and the transmission malfunctioned. Saab customer service would not assist me in any way. Would you buy a car expecting the transmission to malfunction after only 6 years? No one in their right mind would buy a $45,000 vehicle with those expectations. However, I feel that Saab gave the message that they do not expect their vehicles' transmissions to last longer than 6 years. When I spoke to them, they insisted that the car was 6 years old and things can go wrong with it.

I have owned a Nissan Stanza for 10 years, and I believe the transmission will last at least another 10 years.

Summary:
Needs Lots of $$$ Repairs

Faults:
Water Pump and Drive Belt Went at 59000 Miles. Cost $5K to repair because Drive Belt damaged entire engine.

New Muffler at 50000 Miles.

Headlight bulbs changed constantly.

Power Window and Power Antennae replaced at 50000 miles.

Power Roof Sensor had to be replaced at 70000 miles.

General Comments:
The car is built tough and I feel safe driving it.

It is not a comfortable ride, but I chose safety over comfort with this car.

This is my second and last Saab 900.

The first was a 1989 that I put 217,000 miles on with NO PROBLEMS at all.

I swore I would drive a SAAB for the rest of my life.

My second Saab is a lemon. I hate owning it because I have a constant fear of it breaking down.

Summary:
Its like cheesecake, which I also love

Faults:
The other day my car told me a light was out. Someone got on the car for needing lights changed frequently; let me just say that any car with day-time running lights needs frequent headlight changes.

So far nothing but high gas prices to deal with. It gets about 27 miles per gallon with me. I've had it for a year.

General Comments:
The front seats are very comfy except if you are trying to fall asleep. Which I guess is good if you're the driver. One night I was trying to fall asleep, but couldn't because my neck was strained when I wasn't sitting normally.

I rely a lot on the car's brakes, which work quickly and firmly.

Handles turns nicely, though I do not endorse testing it to its limits.

As in all convertibles, you can't see much in the rear view. It is something you get used to and I've only had one close call in a parking lot.

The interior is cozy with its tinted windows, leather seats, and black soft top which I love on rainy days driving to work, and on nice days I make sure there isn't any loose paper lying around and I put the top down.

I really love the little quirks that make the Saab 900 SE an individual. With the analog clock on the dashboard it takes me a bit of extra concentration to figure the time, and I have to admit there were a few times at first when I would get in the car and move to put the key in on the steering column.

Summary:
Absolutely amazing, would recommend to anyone and everyone

Faults:
I have only had four things really go wrong.

I have a bad AIC, but it's an old car.

I have had a fuel line go bad. This was a combination of things. I live in Maine and bought bad gas.

Finally I had both my gas tank straps break.

I am very thankful for this car.

General Comments:
This may not be a turbo, but it goes really fast.

It handles exceptionally well.

The car is extremely safe!

This car saved my life! I was on the highway I-295 going about 70 mph when a deer ran into the side of my car. I went from one side of the highway to another did a 360 and ended up backwards in the breakdown lane. If I would have been in anything else, I would be dead. I had my little sister and my mom with me, it was the scariest moment of my life. Like I said, this car saved my life and theirs. I wouldn't buy anything else.

Summary:
Nice looking car, excellent comfort, but stubborn gearbox and underpowered motor

Faults:
I fixed a broken clutch cable at 91000kms, then problems started with the gearbox. The rear gear became pretty hard to engage, and now I have to press the clutch harder than before if I want to shift gear in a smooth way.

I've noticed that sometimes a big white cloud of smoke is spewing from the exhaust pipe at high speed, but it never caused any troubles or loss of power.

General Comments:
This Saab is a very nice car to drive, handles very well, even in winter (without winter tyres!!) and is pretty silent.

About the motor, well let's say that the car is almost underpowered, the 2.0 133hp is not powerful enough for a car of this weight, just good for a smooth and calm ride, but nothing else. You'll have to get used to be overtaken by Smarts or other tiny cars on the highway.

And about the fuel consumption, it's a disaster, almost 10.5L/100km!!

One of the very good point of this Saab is the interior. I was very impressed by the interior space, the comfort of its seats and the cargo capacity. The dashboard is very nice-looking and practical.

Summary:
Comfy ride, good MPG, but difficult to work on

Faults:
I bought the 900S from a salvage auction for $600, and put in another $300 to repair the driver's side axle, and then it was good to drive it.

I was really afraid of getting a Saab, because some of my friends have had bad experiences with the automatic and turbo versions, but reviews on this site helped me weed those out, and I got a non turbo manual one.

For the first couple of months, it ran like a dream, and everything couldn't be better. I consistently got 30mpg on this car, and it was very comfy ride.

However, the trouble started when one cold day in the Oregon winter, I heard a strange whining sound in the front, and then the computer said my serpentine belt had failed, and shortly after, the engine overheated, and I was stranded in the cold rainy Oregon winter. I popped the hood, and it looked like the timing belt tensioner pulley had seized up, and the serpentine was totally torn up. I was lucky to have broken down near a farm, where I managed to call home and get a ride.

Once home, I did some Internet research, and found that this is a major weak link in the engine. This pulley fails every 45k miles, and it costs about $50 to replace. It was very easy to replace, and my Saab was running fine in no time. The overheating didn't seem to cause any damage to the engine... very, very lucky it was in the winter time.

Moral of the story, I went to a couple of junk yards and collected one of these pulley spares and serpentines, and carried them with me just in case, but the pulley never bothered me again.

The problem that finally forced me to sell my Saab was the CV axles. It turns out that the boots had cracked and leaked all the grease, and I was getting serious vibration and shaking of the steering wheel above 65mph on the highway. I discovered the source of the problem, but none of the auto parts stores had the CV axles, and not only are these axles hard to find, they are expensive and extremely hard to replace. So I decided it was time to sell my Saab. Sold it for $450 after driving over a year and putting over 50k on it. Not a bad deal. It was a memorable experience...

General Comments:
Very comfortable and well designed interior. The best I've ever seen in any car. However, the radio never worked from day one, and I found replacement was too expensive, so I drove without a radio. But the trip computer was really excellent, and I really enjoyed the data output and maintenance interval reminders. I only wished it wasn't so cryptic to work the controls on it...

Also, this car is difficult to do basic maintenance on, especially changing the oil. I found the easiest way to change the oil, is to jack it up so you can get wrench clearance. It wasn't designed for the do it yourself, but thankfully, I managed to drive 50k with just basic oil changes and the pulley replacement described above...

Summary:
It is a fun car, great for younger drivers to have fun in

Faults:
Blown Head Gasket at 117000.

Oil Leaks starting at 109000.

Bought the car with bad seats and worn interior, including cracked dash board and ripped up headliner.

General Comments:
This was my first car that I bought at age 14 and began to restore it at 15. In my opinion it is the most unique car I could ever hope to own. Had I been older with some more money to play with I don't think I would have ever gotten rid of this car.

While I loved owning this car, its age and because it was an import made it pricy to fix and eventually cost too much in repairs to keep.

For those looking for a great little car that, with the proper upkeep, will last a long time, the SAAB 900 is perfect. I found it handled well in the snow, the heater never failed on me, and it's fold down back seats made it perfect for a day of skiing or snowboarding.

Summary:
A very good car,not a lemon.

Faults:
Oil leaks all over the place.

General Comments:
A very reliable car, very comfortable and fast if you put your foot down... thirsty if you do... no joke here!!!

Very comfortable interior and so well made... a big truck hit me once and really no worries, the truck driver was very surprised as the car was damaged, but not as if it has been a korean car...

Before you buy one make sure.. I will say this again, make sure you got a good mechanic... not an "specialist" but one that you can trust, as the car is fairly complex... very advance for its time. My car used to leak oil from everywhere...didn't stop this dinosaur... a heavy and very safe dinosaur.

Summary:
This is the greatest car I have ever owned

Faults:
A/C system has never worked but doesn't bother me much.

It has minor oil and power steering leaks.

Head was planed and refitted and harmonic balancer replaced at 180,000 miles.

Heater control valve replaced at 200,000.

Clutch at 210,000.

Speedometer / Odometer and Tachometer all began failing around 235,000, and now do not work.

Exhaust needed to be repaired and welded every three months until I found someone who knew how to fix it.

The original radio stopped functioning in 2000.

It tends to run warm in the summer under 30 MPH and is a little sluggish in the heat.

General Comments:
I knew the second owner and purchased it from the third as an emergency vehicle. It quickly became my daily driver as my other cars failed. This car has needed some work over time but has never broken down. It drives great! The pedals, shift knob and steering wheel fall right into place. Fuel mileage is 25-30 MPG if driven gently, 15-20 MPG when driven it's hardest, which is hard acceleration and highway speeds of 90 plus MPH. It just cruises along!

It has huge cargo capacity, like a station wagon. With the rear seat folded and the hatch open but tied down, the car has easily carried huge objects like sofas, beds, and even three kayaks at once!

The car handles very well, particularly in the rain. It's like a snowmobile in the snow and ice. The car seems to be made to stay cool without A/C. Despite the Atlanta, Georgia heat, I can leave the windows up and vent fan running in 80 degree weather and am comfortable. I only crack the windows 1-3 inches until temps are over 90. It's cozy warm, even in very cold weather, and seems to run better the colder it gets.

Having a good mechanic (like I do) who knows the SAAB 900 is a big plus. We estimate mileage at 350,000 but it may be much more because we don't figure in road trips and weekend driving. The 210,000 mile clutch job was the car's first! This is the most reliable and inexpensive European import I have owned. SAAB claims this car can reach one million miles with proper maintenance and I believe them. This is a true classic and a seemingly bulletproof car.

Summary:
Reliable high performance, but it will cost you

Faults:
When I purchased the car it needed a new transmission due to a curb accident, a new clutch, and I replaced the shocks with aftermarket Bilsteins to increase riding comfort and control. A Gerret T3 turbo has also been replaced as the original which worked fine, but I wanted extra boost since it's a heavy car. After these repairs the car looks, drives, and is as reliable as it was when it was new, if not more so.

General Comments:
My 'new' Grey/Blue 1987 Saab 900 Turbo is a serious car to drive, with 18 PSI Turbo and suspension upgrades it's a Rolls Royce of a classic 900 Turbo.

Its been very reliable and other than regular maintenance like brake pads and new tyres the car is rock solid in the reliability column and with still having less than 100,000 miles I'm honoured to drive a classic saab that feels like it did when it was new, but with select components added as sensable practical upgrades.

The interior is a very cool feeling dark blue leather, my previous car was also a 1987 saab 900 turbo identical in model to this one, but with burgundy leather interiour which sounds nice, but in actuality is very gloomy and depressing to live in day to day. The leather in a saab 900 as in many cars becomes very hot and sticky during the summer and cold and stiff in the winter.

The heated seats are a nice addition, but mine tend to get warm just as you are pulling into work in the morning, however the heater of the car is amazing and I can comfortably drive around town in the winter with the sunroof open if my heart desires to do so.

The car handles superbly in the snow, granted I have a hefty set of snow tyres installed, but I think its mainly due to the engine being practically in front of the front drive axel.

Visibility in the car is superb and even with it being a hatchback the rear windows extend back more than enough to know where every corner of the car is at a given time.

Very nimble in traffic for a full sized car that weighs almost 2 tons.

Fuel consumption is around 32MPG, more than the owner's manual's stated 28MPG. Town driving however brings that figure down to more like 10MPG.

Overall the car is a blessing to own in the safety departments, very overly constructed and the body will last 500,000 miles if you can keep the car working that long.

Preforming many typical maintenance procedures on your own will save you a small fortune in repair bills and the parts are very reasonably priced.

All and all definitely a car I will hold on to and recommend to someone like a student or practical businessman who wants more quality then quantity in their automobile.

Brandon B.

Summary:
I'm in love with this car, can't you tell? ;-)

Faults:
If you want higher-end power -- power for freeway passing -- the 8-valve Saab 4 cylinder engine is not for you. It's downright pokey at cruising speeds -- takes quite a few seconds to get from 50 to 60, for example, and from 60 to 70 is forever. But if you are willing to wind the engine out to its 5500 or so redline, you can get some performance out of it. Shifting isn't very quick or intuitive, though that may just be this particular car's gearbox. A short-throw shifter is available in after-market.

There doesn't appear to be any way to improve the performance of this engine over stock.

The '900 classics' tend to rust in one or two spots that can get structural and ruin the car. This one had rust behind the control arms on the unibody near the right front wheel -- I had a welder do a nice job of 'recovering' what could have been a fatal flaw. Rumor has it that this is caused by the nearby battery leaking acid, plus there are no engine parts on the passenger side that leak rust-inhibiting fluids, such as power steering. Saab mechanics say that small amounts of rust in this one spot have ruined many a car.

Driver's seat cover (velour) had shredded at the door-side shoulder -- replaced the seat with a used one.

Another problem that is ubiquitous for this model is the plastic chrome strips around the windshield and rear window -- they have faded to a color that can only be described as 'bird droppings'. There doesn't seem to be any easy fix for this -- it is a defect in materials that Saab themselves don't have a fix for, except to replace the stuff -- then it supposedly fades quickly again. Something to do with UV rays burning the chrome coating off the plastic.

Heater valve was stuck when I bought the car -- my mechanic freed it up -- not too costly a job unless you let it go and have to replace the heater core. Watch out if your main heater/A/C knob starts to move sluggishly or stick!

Gearbox is mushy coming out of 4th -- hard to find 5th -- mechanic tried to adjust it, but it still has a very imprecise feel -- I often hit 3rd when I want 5th. Something's wrong there... not sure what it is, but it's drivable. I'll live with it.

Car had a slight power-steering leak, not worth replacing the rack ($500) -- I fed it some sealant and the leak seems to have stopped.

Analog dash clock has stopped.

Noice reducer fastened under the hood had started to disintegrate, dropping mushy yucky stuff everywhere -- egg-crate foam insulation that had stopped being foam and become something else. I took it off and threw it away. That stuff could cause real problems if it got in the wrong place.

Car needed a clutch when I got it -- I had my mechanic put in an upgraded clutch kit for a turbo model -- supposed to wear longer.

Bumper clear-coat has largely peeled off.

Black dashboard has heat cracks -- rare not to find them in the 900 classics.

General Comments:
This car was well-taken care of by its previous (original) owner. Miles are very low for its 20 years of age.

It runs like clockwork, smooth and strong in the lower gears -- hesitates just a bit when cold.

Engine is phenomenally tight -- oil is nearly as clear when I change it as it was when I put it in. Does the fan -- the one that goes on automatically after you stop the engine -- help to prevent fluids deteriorating?

This car, driven conservatively, will get 33 mpg on the highway.

Maybe it's the midnight blue color, but this car gets admiring looks everywhere. Classic, understated styling. I took off the steel rims and replaced them with Saab alloy wheels for the same year -- this really helps the looks too.

Car handles very well despite the fact that it's a low-end model and it's suspension is all stock. Fun on these winding Vermont roads! I'd only add anti-lock braking ... but you can't do that with this model, to my knowledge.

I previously owned a '93 900S and I like this car much better... it just has more character.

Summary:
Solid and individual

Faults:
Tendency to overheat if stationary in traffic for more than a 3-4 minutes.

CV Joint required replacing.

Brake pipes required replacing.

Headlining saggy and torn.

General rust spots around the bodywork.

General Comments:
A very comfortable car to own, even aged 20-years old, with 180,000 miles on the clock.

With regular servicing, you genuinely feel theses cars could go on forever - what an engine!

Not an 'away from the lights' car in terms of performance, but once you hit 40mph upwards on dual carriageways and motorways, you can keep up (and regularly overtake) the best of 'em.

Handles superbly around corners, and is a solid, solid car.

Can get classic insurance for them, which is dirt cheap.

Alas, mine was in daily use on the school run, and on stop-start journeys, which detracted from the pleasure of ownership somewhat - the biggest problem for me was the horrific fuel consumption I was getting, and the opinion that these cars deserve to be used as a weekend or summer car, rather than get hacked about through the rat race every day!

In the end, I just had to get rid of it, as the petrol cost was bankrupting me! As a fun summer or weekend car however, I couldn't recommend them more.

A pleasure to own, and its timeless styling really stands out these days amongst all the soulless euro-blobs and ghastly, clichéd 4x4s that litter our roads.

Summary:
Solid and individual

Faults:
Tendency to overheat if stationary in traffic for more than a 3-4 minutes.

CV Joint required replacing.

Brake pipes required replacing.

Headlining saggy and torn.

General rust spots around the bodywork.

General Comments:
A very comfortable car to own, even aged 20-years old, with 180,000 miles on the clock.

With regular servicing, you genuinely feel theses cars could go on forever - what an engine!

Not an 'away from the lights' car in terms of performance, but once you hit 40mph upwards on dual carriageways and motorways, you can keep up (and regularly overtake) the best of 'em.

Handles superbly around corners, and is a solid, solid car.

Can get classic insurance for them, which is dirt cheap.

Alas, mine was in daily use on the school run, and on stop-start journeys, which detracted from the pleasure of ownership somewhat - the biggest problem for me was the horrific fuel consumption I was getting, and the opinion that these cars deserve to be used as a weekend or summer car, rather than get hacked about through the rat race every day!

In the end, I just had to get rid of it, as the petrol cost was bankrupting me! As a fun summer or weekend car however, I couldn't recommend them more.

A pleasure to own, and its timeless styling really stands out these days amongst all the soulless euro-blobs and ghastly, clichéd 4x4s that litter our roads.

Summary:
Brilliant - reliable, comfortable, a trusted friend

Faults:
We bought the car with 52,000 miles on the clock, but have the service and repair receipts from when the car was new.

At 41,000 miles, the head gasket was replaced.

At 85,000 miles, a shock absorber was replaced.

At 101,000 miles, the front discs needed replacing.

At 102,000 miles, the worn-out steering rack was renewed.

At the same time, 2 wheel bearings needed replacing.

At 121,000 miles, the brakes failed and the car had to be towed home (the only breakdown on the road). It was a perished hose.

At 124,000 miles, the water pump was replaced and a new radiator fitted - the latter had been leaking slightly for more than a year.

At 127,000 miles, owing to having been used very little and left outside in all weathers, a major overhaul was needed - principally replacement engine block, front shocks and ball joint - private job by a Saab mechanic and only £450 all-in!

The full-length Webasto roof cover had to be replaced in 2003, as she has spent most of her life (now garaged, at last) in the open air.

It can be a problem keeping the hub-caps on (the clips are useless), and it's quite scary to see the heavy caps bouncing down the road in front of you! I now use cable ties.

A lot of the braking system has been replaced over the years - more due to age than any mechanical fault.

Some rust is appearing, especially at the bottom of the rear doors, but will be fixed this year (promise!).

General Comments:
We refer to the car as Rosie because the colour is rose quartz, although most of the time the car looks silver, and the registration document says brown! We also had a car with the registration GYM.

A full-length Webasto roof was fitted from new, and makes Rosie almost a convertible in the summer. Lovely.

Minor servicing and repairs, including brake pads, are easy. When she was on the street for 4 years she was keyed and the badges stolen - we have yet to remedy those defects, but she still looks (and sounds) great.

Rosie drives like a dream - so eager and positive, yet sedate and comfortable, and you feel you can trust her. We also know from a bad experience with an earlier 900 - we have had five 900s, a 9-3 and a 9000 (oh dear) over the years - that in an accident she would protect us.

The boot is huge - big enough to sleep two comfortably and carry very large and/or heavy weights. I used her as a courier car for a couple of years, because the automatic gearbox made town driving so easy. We have a Saab roof-rack, too, which is a great boon.

Tyre wear is very light - the sidewalls are more likely to perish (should have avoided the kerbs!) before the tread wears down.

Only 5 criticisms of the car - one major and four minor. Major: the 3-speed gearbox means fuel consumption is high (27 miles/imp gal). With petrol prices going through the roof, we have to consider whether every journey is necessary.

Minor criticisms: the spare wheel is a bit of a joke, although it does the job and we have only needed it once; the plastic fittings (e.g. rear ashtray, seat release clips) tend to break easily - but that's probably age; the brakes squeak (when not applied) sometimes - I could remedy that if I made the effort; there is no rear wash-wipe as standard.

Until last year we always had a second car and used Rosie very little because she was the more expensive to run. Now we are retired in Wales, we have given our newer car (Saab 9-3 turbo - wow!) to our son and rely totally on Rosie. She doesn't disappoint, and at nearly 24 years old, we are very proud of her. She turns heads.

Shame they don't make them like that any more, eh?

Summary:
Excellent car with loads of class

Faults:
So far, only normal maintenance. No issues that need to be discussed at all. It is really a great car, that hasn't lived up to what some would consider a bad name in terms of service.

General Comments:
When many people think of Rolls Royce, they think of well elegance and wealth, but more importantly, you talk to people about Rolls Royce, and the first thing that comes out of everyone's mouth is "too expensive to service." In my experience, and this is my second Rolls Royce product (first being a 1989 Bentley Mulsanne S), I have not run into that issue with either of my cars. My Bentley had 90,000 miles on it when I traded it in, and my 1997 Rolls now has 46,000 on it. A few thing really get to me every time I sit in the car. The most amazing wood I have ever seen, the nicest leather I have ever sat in, and carpet and wool overlays nice than my carpet in my house.

The rear seat, which now had rear A/C vents (Bentley didn't have that) has tons of room, even with the seats all the way back. In 1997, the LWB model was standard and it's great. Foot rests are in the back to top it all off. The relocation of the buttons and A/C controls on the dash is more accessible, however the key location is a little awkward. I am fine with a left side key, but it is rather low. The engine bay has been cleaned up cosmetically, and looks great with the Rolls Royce covers on it. I did notice the hood ornament on these cars are a little smaller than the earlier Spurs, however the integrated bumpers make the car look much newer and sleeker than the older ones.

The ride is nothing short of amazing, smooth and silk, nothing more to say. Like riding on a cloud.

This 1997 gets looks like you would not believe. There is nothing on the road that looks like a Rolls Royce Silver Spur. The body style is so classy, I would prefer it over a new Phantom any day. A real mans heart and soul was poured into this car, and it shows in every way. I would not think of driving anything else.

Summary:
The 1996 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur was the best year of the later models

Faults:
Aside from routine maintenance and care, nothing had gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:
The car is amazing, definitely the most comfortable I've ever owned. That goes a long way, considering I owned a 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car before this.

The car is big, beautiful in and out, and immaculate. The power the car has is actually good. While it's no sports car, you'd be surprised at how quickly the car picks up speed. The thing you've gotta watch out for with big, heavy cars is that as they pick up speed, they generate a lot of momentum, which is good for keeping the car in motion without putting your foot on the pedal, but braking becomes a bit more difficult, especially with other cars around.

The real wood and leather interior is by far the finest I've ever seen in a car. It tops my old Lincoln in almost every way. It's not too advanced like the new BMWs and Mercedes, but it's definitely by no means low tech.

Handling is actually pretty good for a car of this size. The rack and pinion steering is definitely better than the recirculating ball used in the Lincoln. However, it's not completely fair to compare this car to one that is far larger. I specifically wanted a 1996, because in 1997 they added those sixteen inch wheels that hurt the ride quality in exchange for better handling.

As for gas mileage, my last car was a 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car with a 460 V8 that got 8-14 MPG, so I'm pretty tolerant in this field. It's definitely better, around 12-17 MPG. Unfortunately, the better fuel economy is offset by the fact that the Rolls uses premium fuel, which is more expensive.

All around, the 1996 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur is a great car in practically every aspect. They sure don't make them like this anymore. Servicing is costly and must be done like every couple of months or so. I've helped offset the servicing costs by not taking it to the dealer, as they're not the most complicated cars in the world to work on, and the dealerships are ridiculously overpriced.

Summary:
The ultimate luxury car for those who appreciate advanced engineering.

Faults:
Green mineral fluid leaks from rear brake reservoir.

Power steering seals leak fluid.

Leaks engine oil from front seal of timing cover.

General Comments:
This car is reliable, powerful, refined, comfortable, has unsurpassed elegance, snob appeal and is an engineering masterpiece.

This car leaks all types of fluids.

Summary:
What you expect with a classic RR

Faults:
On going maintenance required, approx 8k to 12 k per year to keep in showroom condition.

General Comments:
Beautiful classic RR design, inexpensive to buy.

Be prepared to spend a minimum average of $500 per month to properly keep it up.

Summary:
The 1989 Silver Spur was the best year

Faults:
Storage Compartment light missing.

Door lock control on center console inoperative.

Cruise control inoperative.

General Comments:
The 1989 Rolls Royce Silver Spur is the best production year of the 1980 decade.

Avoid model years 1981 to 1987. 1987 1/2 to 1989 excellent cars.

This car rides like a Rolls Royce should.

The outside sounds are muted.

The car is responsive to road conditions.

The car is the gentle giant of automobiles.

If you drive it gently and regularly, the car will be a dream.

Perform the required maintenance from a reputable Rolls Royce mechanic and the car will last.

Summary:
If you think that you would ever own one, go for it, but buy one with a 20,000 VIN

Faults:
Return fuel line rusted.

Trunk lock malfunction.

EGR valve replaced.

General Comments:
When I first purchased the car, there were a small number of "wear and tear" items that required attention, but over the next 6 years it has been reasonably problem free.

The car is stored in an inflatable capsule during the winter months, and is always ready to run when the snow has gone.

Comfortable, spacious ride.

Summary:
Very nice, but not perfect

Faults:
Fuel pump fuse melted. I was told by the dealership that this is a common problem. Some fuses have become so hot that the circuit board cracked. They have an upgrade for this problem. I think they called it a fuse 13 upgrade. 13 being the number of the fuse. They no longer will use the fuse and place a circuit breaker in its place. The Bosch fuel pump is a big pump and pulls lots of juice and melts the fuse is what I was told happens.

General Comments:
Rolls Royce was still using lacquer paint on this model year. The paint work on these cars in awesome. However since it is lacquer, you need to invest time and labor in taking care of this delicate paint. The body panels fit perfectly and are the straightest you will see on a car.

The engine is extremely quiet. The engine has sufficient power to move this heavy car. It is not a fast car though. The engine temperature gage shows extremely cool even when going up a mountain. I guess the big radiator, 10 quarts of oil capacity, and engine oil cooler keeps the engine cooler.

This car features the reliable and cheap to service Chevrolet Turbo 400 along with the GM A-6 dual belt air conditioning compressor.

The ride of the car is about like most Cadillac models, it is not as smooth as a Lincoln though.

Wind noise is slightly more than a Lincoln or Cadillac due to its traditional body design.

Quality of the interior is much higher than a Cadillac or Lincoln. Real wood of high quality compared to low quality wood and plastic that looks like wood. Wool carpeting compared to nylon. All leather used inside and no vinyl whereas a Cadillac or Lincoln just has leather seating surfaces.

The mineral oil brake system is complex and difficult to find people to work on it other than the dealership. It has not given any problems yet.

The dash light bulbs are poorly designed; they have threads like lamp bulbs. Road vibrations make the bulbs unscrew themselves and the dash needs taken apart to tighten the bulbs.

The factory radio is a Blaukpunt. It is complete trash and cannot compare to a Delco or Ford radio of the era.

The intermittent speed on the wipers do not have a way to set the timing of the pause. there is only one x second pause when using the intermittent speed.

The gearshift is small like a turn signal switch from a GM car. The gear shift just slides up and down into gear. It does not need to be pulled toward you then shifted. It is so easy to knock this car into another gear while turning the steering wheel or to bump it into gear while parked. To make matters even worse the cruise control buttons are located on the gearshift. This is the worst part of the car.

Overall, I really love the car. It is a Rolls-Royce, but it is by no means a perfect car. I have yet to find the perfectly designed car. It appears that many of the quirks in these cars are with the electrical system.

Summary:
Great car, requires sustained, undivided commitment over time

Faults:
Cooling system.

Wiper speed.

Wipers sagging.

All windows jammed.

Warm starting issues.

Rough idling.

Rough ride over bumps.

Electrics.

Power steering pump.

Air conditioning.

Braking system.

Cruise control.

Dash lights.

Interior lights.

General Comments:
This car, like many of these older cars was left in a garage for many years. He just gave up with the overwhelming list of service issues.

The car drives well, and I'm learning about these issues by driving the car.

It was taken through the car wash 1,000 times; I'm sure as there are scratches all over it. The paint is in a moderate condition. Interior fantastic, but had a shocking musty smell and had spider webs and mould inside.

Have spent approximately $5,000 on the first service and now finding a host of issues to be addressed. One project after the other needs to be addressed over a long period of time. These cars are all the same, with all the same issues.

This is my 3rd Rolls/Bentley. Have waited 25 years for this and I needed this time to get over the last one, which was a money pit. Not only that, but most of these cars are beyond saving, they only look nice.

Being in a car club is important because it's all about the duration. The car is not in the same ball park as any other car, it's better than anything and everything. Only special people own these. Once a person owns one, they can never truly be satisfied with any other car.

Summary:
The best

Faults:
I have had no failures on the car.

Due to the excessive heat we experience in summer, 45 to 52 degrees, I fitted an American Flexolite Fan (Flex Fan). This has worked very well and I would recommend it.

I use the car every day, and normally travel every second weekend close on 2000 kilometers.

I have removed four of the six silencers, leaving only the back two. This has lessened the heat build up under the car, and improved fuel consumption.

I average 5/6 kilometers to the litre, averaging 140 kilometers an hour on a 600 kilometer trip.

General Comments:
I am very satisfied with the performance, it has never failed to deliver when presented with a challenge which I enjoy.

I also own a 71 Shadow, and have made the same conversions on it.

Summary:
Not to be used as your only vehicle!

Faults:
All four tires went "out of round." The car had not been driven more than a few miles every 2-3 months for the previous 2 years.

One of the AC/radiator fan belts failed--luckily there are actually two identical belts, so this did not stop the car, but it made some awful noises!!!

Relays that control position of transmission (park, reverse, etc) intermittently need to be reset, and sometimes even then the car will not change gears when the lever is moved. Still looking for the problem.

General Comments:
Drives better than expected--not as numb and "floaty" as I expected.

Engine is powerful and moves the car with authority and a deep bass rumble, but at the expense of dismal fuel economy (13 mpg highway).

Decadent interior: leather, wood, chrome, and wool everywhere. Power everything (except, strangely, for seat back angle!)

Summary:
An expensive car to own, but great to be seen in.

Faults:
Rear struts both failed.

Air conditioning compressor failed.

Front passenger and left rear passenger power window motors failed.

Hydraulic levelling pump failed.

Have noticed cracking in paint at roof line and next to grille.

General Comments:
Car was 10 years old with only 15000 miles, so many systems needed attention. These cars prefer to be driven, not parked.

This is a daily commuter vehicle for me and is now very reliable albeit an anachronism.

Although this model is fuel injected the actual performance is quite staid. I managed to get the fuel consumption up to 14 miles per gallon (US gallon) by not having the automatic climate control left on which always runs the air conditioning.

Summary:
Extravagant bargain

Faults:
Alternator replaced at 84000.

Driver's door electric lock occasionally jams.

Front windows occasionally stick - DIY easy to fix.

Rear brake/ suspension pipe leak at 87000.

Brake light bulb went at 88000. DIY replaced.

One fuse blew at 86000. DIY fix.

Rust on rear bumper/ fender.

87000 miles: One major 12000 mile service to fix and prevent all possible problems, including major rear brake overhaul & brake accumulator & pump, MOT, four new tyres, replace corroded brake pipes and part exhaust, windows etc £3500.

Needs no major further work for years, bar basic service items, wear and tear.

Would have cost double from main dealer £££!

Not cheap, but then it costs £3500 just to replace a Ferrari cambelt, so could be worse.

General Comments:
This is an incredible car. Cost about £230,000 ($500K) in today's money 1971. I got it for £13,000 ($20,000); about the cost of a Ford Focus hatchback.

Previous owners spent a fortune on it, so got it virtually rebuilt from classic dealership. Prior to my getting it, it had been sitting in a private collection unused for years.

Has huge history file and new upgraded engine that was replaced with the gearbox back in '78. Had driven only 13000 miles since then. Has numerous upgrades including mirrored cocktail cabinet in dashboard, special fitments, rear headrests, sunroof, mirrors in back, extensive rustproofing etc, all by by old owner.

Has every kind of modern gadget-electric seats, twin level aircon, etc, all done on old fashioned 60's way with acres of leather, wood and chrome.

Is an absolute beauty to own, and no regrets.

On road it's not a sports car, but a grand tourer to waft along in. Amazingly roomy and comfortable, near silent travel, apart from wind noise. Steering a bit vague, but has enormous power to keep up with modern traffic, that can shock other unsuspecting drivers who think it's slow. No one blocks its way!

Very tight turning circle, but needs a big parking spot in town as it's 17 foot long. It will do 120 mph easily. Seats four or five in great comfort.

I have burned off a few spotty Golf GTI drivers at the lights in this old beast, leaving them to sob in their cornflakes! People seem to love it, and women go weak at the knees in this car. I leave on the road, and it's never been touched, being an old classic.

Downside is of course the petrol consumption which is hideous - 8-10 in town, 14 on a run - UK gallons. Servicing by specialist only or money pit. Spares are reasonable compared to modern supercars, & can be got easily in UK from Intercontinental in Surrey, UK.

Servicing can be very expensive if neglected, and best from independent specialist, and some bits can be DIY. Spares all top quality and last years. These cars, as with all RR & Bentley, have to be driven regularly to stop the rot setting in. I have however left it for months and it always starts first time, no problems. If you want to get a RR, get the best you can afford - don't buy a resto project or you'll lose your shirt in the process. Also get it serviced regularly - don't skimp - and rustproof it thoroughly.

Very well engineered (80,000 components), but can rust to pieces, even the new ones. My mechanic tells me that the old RR from 60's and 70's are much better built than the later and new ones.

Corniches are going up in value now, so be quick - mine has nearly doubled in price in a year. Shadows are still very undervalued, but essentially the same car at half the price or less.

Summary:
The ultimate status symbol

Faults:
It was literally owned by a little old lady who could no longer drive it, and it sat for a couple years before I came across it. The engine ran a little rough at first, and the power steering pump leaked, but there have been no problems since.

I'm used to a Beetle diesel as my daily driver, so 13mpg on premium really hurts!

General Comments:
I bought this as a fun summer car, and it's turned into a really fun daily driver! I really dread putting it away for the winter.

Even though it is 31 years old, and has some wear around the edges, the engine is very powerful and the ride is very smooth.

But 31 years later, luxury is at a completely new level. A Honda has almost all the "luxury" features that this car does at almost the same price.

I've done all the maintenance myself, and prices on parts have been surprisingly reasonable. I would turn it over to a professional for anything more than a basic tune-up. The brakes a especially tricky.

Summary:
Who cares about fuel consumption when it's built like this?

Faults:
Nothing: 100% reliable!

Although ... there's a slight blow from the exhaust manifold, which seals itself when it warms up.

General Comments:
Turns heads - especially when told that it's now 31 years old.

The suspension - all original equipment - still holds the road like new, and affords the smoothest ride of all the cars I have owned since I passed my driving test in the same year this car was built.

Although the leather interior is in need of a good clean, feed and recolour, it is still in much better condition than that found in many cars decades younger.

If I could get a decent price for the Grand Cherokee, I would drive the Rolls all year round rather than just in the Summer months!

Summary:
A lot of fun, but not a daily driver

Faults:
The brakes went out and had to be replaced (using Jaguar brakes).

The blue leather seats are fading from the sun.

The car had sat for years, so the tires needed replacement, and a small rodent had made its home in the engine compartment.

General Comments:
This is my father's car, but I've driven it enough to write about it. He bought it for $10,000 USD in 2003, and the car is in really nice shape. It didn't run when he bought it, but he got it running. It is going to need a ring job in the future, but it doesn't get driven enough to warrant one right now.

I love the way people stop what they are doing and stare when I drive down the road. This car commands respect from everyone who sees it. I've taken it to car shows, and people with American muscle cars get annoyed because I park a hand-made luxury car next to their Camaro. Oh well.

I don't like the lack of seat belts. There is an aftermarket lap belt in the front seat, but that is it. If I inherit the car, I will have seat belts installed. I don't care what that does to the value; I'm not driving with my family in a car without seat belts.

Summary:
Absolute excellent. You need to get one!

Faults:
This car has obviously some years to it now and it has also covered a significantly distance.

As the car stands now it is almost nothing wrong with it. Just wrapped front disc and a minor leakage from the exhaust and of course some rust (non visible).

I also own an 2004 Audi. Just let me say that service parts for the Silver Shadow is cheaper then those for the Audi!

Owning a Silver Shadow the only real concern should be whether the engine or the hydraulic leveling system breaks - which it won't.

General Comments:
I have had the car for just a short time, but I must say it is absolute incredible. A 36 years old car and still drives better than most new cars in many aspects.

The interior is still in excellent condition and it looks awesome exterior too even though it starts to form rust here and there.

You can hardly hear the big V8 - that goes from both inside and outside.

It is a good feeling owning a bit of the most excellent piece of automotive engineering ever built.

I have an 1989 Silver Spur and had a similar problem. There is a return fuel line from the engine to the fuel tank. It is located along the left or driver's side. Mine had rusted and was leaking. The defective section was cut out and replaced by my local garage. Cost $40. Hope that this helps.

rayhutch@lks.net

Summary:
Nice to look at, but having trouble with it now

Faults:
Electrical problems and fuel leaks.

General Comments:
Suddenly we noticed gas leaking from the bottom of the car in one area, which has now spread all along the bottom from back wheel area to front wheel area. I hear there is a recall from the wiki website. Can anyone confirm this? We would like to know how much it would cost to replace the fuel line?

Summary:
Lovely car, but needs attention to keep it going

Faults:
The CV joints start to knock at 2,500 and need replacing at 5,000.

The gearbox is a skill to use and the steering is only decent for a weight lifter!

Rust is reasonable if controlled, but once out of hand the car falls apart around you.

The only real problem is the suspension. The common faults are cured with skill and TLC. "Hydra-gas" or "Hydro-elastic" suspension is standard and finding somewhere to pump it up is a nightmare and it always goes down!

Keep your ball joints greased and you'll save a lot of money!

General Comments:
The car drives well, but does tend to need a skillful hand for a smooth ride. Double-d-clutching up and down the box is essential in some!

Very cheap to run. More is spent on oil than petrol.

If looked after they can be very nice cars. If not, they're prone to fail at least once a week.

Stay away from the automatics, they're useless!

Summary:
Lovely car, but needs attention to keep it going

Faults:
The CV joints start to knock at 2,500 and need replacing at 5,000.

The gearbox is a skill to use and the steering is only decent for a weight lifter!

Rust is reasonable if controlled, but once out of hand the car falls apart around you.

The only real problem is the suspension. The common faults are cured with skill and TLC. "Hydra-gas" or "Hydro-elastic" suspension is standard and finding somewhere to pump it up is a nightmare and it always goes down!

Keep your ball joints greased and you'll save a lot of money!

General Comments:
The car drives well, but does tend to need a skillful hand for a smooth ride. Double-d-clutching up and down the box is essential in some!

Very cheap to run. More is spent on oil than petrol.

If looked after they can be very nice cars. If not, they're prone to fail at least once a week.

Stay away from the automatics, they're useless!

Summary:
So much better than it was been condemned

Faults:
Heater failed after 63,000 miles.

Brake cable snapped after 70,000 miles.

Radio packed up after 76,000 miles.

Underside of car was becoming rusty just before I sold it.

General Comments:
Generally reliable considering its age and high mileage.

Apart from rust later on, the Allegro was a very well built car.

The windscreen never popped out when it was jacked up!

It could be towed out of the Mersey Tunnel without snapping in half! (That was when the brake cable snapped)

Summary:
Lovely car, but needs attention to keep it going

Faults:
The CV joints start to knock at 2,500 and need replacing at 5,000.

The gearbox is a skill to use and the steering is only decent for a weight lifter!

Rust is reasonable if controlled, but once out of hand the car falls apart around you.

The only real problem is the suspension. The common faults are cured with skill and TLC. "Hydra-gas" or "Hydro-elastic" suspension is standard and finding somewhere to pump it up is a nightmare and it always goes down!

Keep your ball joints greased and you'll save a lot of money!

General Comments:
The car drives well, but does tend to need a skillful hand for a smooth ride. Double-d-clutching up and down the box is essential in some!

Very cheap to run. More is spent on oil than petrol.

If looked after they can be very nice cars. If not, they're prone to fail at least once a week.

Stay away from the automatics, they're useless!

Summary:
200ukp for 20,000 miles and five years of more or less trouble-free motoring

Faults:
- Leaky petrol tank (a new one cost £30).

- Clutch slave cylinder burst (£25 for a replacement).

- Some minor electrical faults (nothing serious: bad earths and the like).

- Rubber engine mount started to shear through (about a fiver to replace, although a bit fiddly to fit).

- Rear suspension mount also sheared (again, cheap enough, but fiddly).

General Comments:
I still can't believe what a bargain this car was. It isn't exactly fast (except for low-speed acceleration - you can out drag a 318i up to 30mph), and the body roll is quite magnificent, but it does so little wrong that I'd be a fool to complain at getting this much car for £200. It is also unexpectedly nice to drive. The steering is very light and responsive, the brakes are excellent and nicely progressive, and the ride is very smooth. The gearchange is less smooth (getting third is like riding a bike - impossible at first, but you never forget once you've learned how). It's also worth mentioning that the Allegro 1.1 and 1.3 both sport the Austin A-series engine, which is one of the nicest, smoothest engines ever made.

Summary:
A great, characterful seventies charmer which also drives very well

Faults:
Nothing really, it has a full service history so problems aren't expected.

I had to replace a shattered steering cowl though costing me £4.80 from the ACI.

Needed to replace the left hand sidelamp bulb.

General Comments:
The Allegro is a great car, so much character and some head turner on today's roads.

My Allegro's a Mk1 with the original square (quartic) steering wheel. They're quite nippy at low speeds and smoooth, gear change is good although getting into reverse can be problematic as it often goes into 4th gear.

It's fully serviced since 1975 when brand new, bodywork is very good for the year, (colour is Bracken, orange) with Sorrel interior.

They're fine cars and drive well, why people laugh at them is questionable. I bought mine for £150, the best use of my money ever!!

Summary:
You'll have the last laugh

Faults:
When I first got the car it had been stood for a while so the brakes creaked badly, but to my surprise I found a whole new set of disks and pads were remarkably cheap. Apart from that nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:
I really didn't like Allegros much before having this one, but when I needed cheap transport a freind who owned one talked me into buying one. I found one locally for just £225 taxed and MOT'd - BARGAIN!. The first thing I noticed was the suspension and ride, it was great, I have a friend with an old Citroen GS (known for their high quality ride) and it was just as good.

Also compared to competitors of its time it is very well equipped with disk brakes, heated rear window, locking seat belts and comfy seats.

Anyone buying an Allegro will have cheap happy motoring, and will probably have the last laugh on the people making jokes especially when their Mondeos are on the scrap heap in a couple of years and your Allegro will still be sailing on.

Summary:
The Most practical and cheap classic car

Faults:
The radiator fan switch failed at 59,000 miles.

General Comments:
These cars are seriously under valued, I paid £100 for this car from our local scrap dealer.

Since I bought the vehicle it has sailed its MOT test and provide perfect service at little more than the cost of the fuel.

The Austin Allegro must be the cheapest car on earth to own, it uses the cheapest size tyres, It costs a very small amount to insure and parts are available from most motor factors at giveaway prices.

Summary:
Get a manual and you'll have a great car

Faults:
Transmission self destructed at 55k which wrote off the car.

Otherwise, it was great!

General Comments:
I loved my little allegro... 200quid, for a rust free car... it started every time, and never let me down as a daily driver for work.. 100 miles a day in city traffic.

Sadly, its Achilles heel was the automatic transmission... it melted down in Scotland on the motorway, and I had to have the car towed home.. I was quoted 700 to have it fixed, so I had to say goodbye.

Lovely ride, nice interior, quirky styling... I'd have it today if the tranny didn't go.

Faults:
CV joint replaced at 82,000m.

Heater valve jammed,

Black paint flaking off around rear window revealing chrome (?!)

General Comments:
This is a very nice car. At least, I thought it was when I bought it. First impressions can be deceptive though. After a few weeks I noticed the ride is not particularly smooth, and the smallest of bumps can be felt through the seat. The seats themselves are very comfortable and the interior is very luxurious and full of gadgets that still work faultlessly after ten years. The engine is not as flexible as one would expect, but is more of a screamer. This doesn`t fit with the general feel of the car, being quite taught feeling until you get to a roundabout, when it feels like it`s rolling like a 2CV. Amazing amounts of grip though, considering the way it feels. The major let down for me with this car is that it's not a car you want to drive for the sake of it. It's quite lively and doesn't feel it`s size but it's just too dead feeling to drive for fun. And you soon stop worrying about the 7.5 sec 0-60 time when you realise it costs £55 to fill up the tank (every 300 miles).

Summary:
Cheap luxury car

Faults:
Honda Auto Box packed up - twice, common problem apparently.

Tappets were extremely noisy, sounded like a traction engine.

Elec windows stopped working.

General Comments:
Very poor construction interior wise, bits just kept falling off.

Honda V6 capable unit, smooth and powerful. Although what out for non-regular oil changes, engine has a tendency to wear camshaft & tappets out quite quickly under these circumstances, and when it's worn it sounds absolutely awful (It's not as good as some people tend to make out).

Honda auto box suspect, I had two, kept slipping like nobodys business in 2nd gear! This is what put me off buying another one, I think a manual box might be better, however they may well have cracked the problem by now.

Summary:
Cheap luxury motorway workhorse

Faults:
Automatic cooling pipe leak. This caused the transmission oil to be lost and the car to break down. Cost £150 to fix.

Electric window connector. Fixed with WD40.

Electric seats would not move. Fixed with WD40 on the connectors and switches.

Air conditioning clutch squealed until the belt burned out!

General Comments:
Very comfortable and perfect for motorway cruising.

It has strong acceleration although the transmission is damaged and requires manual 'helping' by selecting second.

I make a 100 mile journey twice a week and have complete confidence in the car.

I have fitted a £300 Pioneer stereo system into the existing speaker holes which improves the driving experience no end.

Car only cost £550.

Summary:
Cheap, fast and reliable, but with a tendency to fall to bits

Faults:
Electrical failure with windscreen wipers, speedometer, electric windows, sunroof, remote locking and ignition.

General Comments:
The Honda parts of this car (basically the engine and running gear) are reliable and perform incredibly well, but the Rover parts are typically, err, Rover!.

Like the SD1 before it, door panels fall off and the interior rattles.

The electrics either give up the ghost or have a mind of their own.

The bodywork rusts badly particularly the door skins, bonnet and tailgate.

The Honda 24 valve V6 engine is incredibly powerful and smooth, but revvy, there is little low end torque and what seems to be a power band just below the red line, this is a very good power unit and longevity for seemedly highly strung engine is astonishing.

The auto gearbox is another quality reliable unit which seems to lose little power in comparison to the manual version.

Summary:
A reasonable British car

Faults:
- Ignition harness failed, causing the engine to miss one cylinder. A new harness had to be ordered since no one carries it.

- Some climate control switches have fallen apart and have had to be replaced.

- Instrument panel lights have poor connections and flicker occasionally.

- Window switches work erratically and the glass does not move up and down smoothly.

- The factory remote entry is unresponsive.

- Transmission "pops" out of 2nd gear from time to time.

General Comments:
- The Honda V6 is very reliable and a smooth, if somewhat overworked, performer. Runs well for having over 180000 miles on it.

- The car is reliable overall. The electrics are tricky and don't hold up too well, but they have never caused the car to be inoperable or uncomfortable.

-This is a comfortable car for long trips compared to my lovable MGB. The climate control works well and the interior has a lot of nice creature comforts, such as the rear window sunshades and power seat controls.

- Everything about the dashboard is incredibly flimsy, which is odd because fit and finish are great everywhere else. Acura must have designed everything except the dash, because that's where all of the demons are.

-The car is cheap to keep running, but the parts that aren't shared with the Acura Legend are extremely hard and expensive to find, especially since there are no Rover dealers in America.

Summary:
Nice old cruiser, no fun on the back roads though!

Faults:
Electricals: Lights, interior fan, mirrors, seats, windows.

Torque converter/gearbox (was eventual reason for trade in - catastrophic gearbox failure :-) ) )

Engine trouble, never managed to diagnose exactly what, but would guess hydraulic lifters not self adjusting properly (perhaps no adjustment left!)

General Comments:
Nice motor, when it worked it was fantastic!

Engine sounded nice at full tilt, comfortable, air con, leather and wood, computer (which was fun when flooring and watching the MPG!!)

Abysmal mpg really...20 ish stretching to about 28 on a really take it easy longer run.

A nice gentlemans club of a car which was unfortunately built by Rover, so didn't work properly when it started to age.

Summary:
Gentleman's express

Faults:
Black rubber at the top of the rear window was looking bad. I removed it and spray painted it with rubber coating for E20.

The car had a very low mileage (70.000km), so it must have been stationary for a long period. This is nice, but it brings problems (minor):

- Rubbers in the front suspension changed.

- Stabilization bars and connections changed.

- Brakes: 820 brakes were fitted by the previous owner, but now Vitesse 827 brakes are installed.

Rust on the sunroof frame inside the cabin. I removed it with 120 and 240 sandpaper, and then of course rust-converter, price E10, and finished it with black spray paint.

The car came from Switzerland, and had seen a lot of sun, so the leather needed some tender love and care. Leather revival kit, soap and cream, price E30 (good result)!!

Cooling water expansion tank dried out at the hose connection, making it weak (new tank installed).

And normal maintenance; oil change, oil filter and gearbox oil.

General Comments:
The Rover 827 is a fine combination between British styling and Japanese engineering.

The engine is a match made in heaven for the car. Most of the modern day cars are no match.

If you drive at highway speed, the engine is lively and smooth, and the kickdown response is sensational.

The fuel consumption is not really a subject on a hobby car, but for whoever is interested, 1 liter per 10 kilometer on average, but it also depends on your right foot.

In Holland, the car is very rare, and you catch the eyes of everybody, young and old, man or woman.

The car is steel grey on the outside and mink brown on the inside. The combination is perfect; sporty but chic on the outside, and a slice of old England on the inside.

The reason I bought the car was my father; he owned a 2600 SD1 mk1 in the early 80's. The response of my brother was to buy a targa red Vitesse SDI 1985 model.

Because I was only 15 at the time, I had to wait, but meanwhile my father bought a 827 Si 1993 saloon in black with creme leather interior.

I was in love with the 800 series.

And finally the day arrives that you have your licence, and you can spend your hard earned cash on something you love.

If you are looking for a reliable classic that will turn heads, look no further.

Now I am 21 years old, and I'm not planning to sell her ever!!!

Summary:
Forget the Vectra, buy one of these for 10 grand

Faults:
Exhaust rattle, paintwork finish not brilliant, that's it.

General Comments:
This is the car for anyone doing high miles, it's so cheap to buy & run for its class.

On the motorway it will do 40MPG, the annual Rover service is about £200, business class insurance £350.

Torquey rather than quick, will pull in 5th from 1000 RPM.

Very comfortable to drive, I'm 6'6" tall and have no problems.

This is how a Rover should be, it's like the 1976 V8 P6 Rover I used to have.

Summary:
Probably good if you get a good one and not a

Faults:
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???

Summary:
A Rolls Royce at Mondeo money!

Faults:
No faults to date!

General Comments:
Well the interior is just fantastic, you feel so at home when you are sitting in the car.

And it's very well built - not one squeak or rattle after 94k!

It's all made of hard wearing materials. To look at it you would not think that the car had done so many miles!

The dashboard is very well thought out. All the dials are easy to read night or day, all the switch gear is at your finger tips, and simple to use with a nice feel.

There are enough toys and gadgets on this car to keep you amused for hours, like the most amazing on board computer that tells you every thing from when your window washer is low to exactly what light bulb has blown!

But the best toy of them all is the electric rear blind! (Lovely when people behind are looking at you)

Just shutting the doors you get a satisfying clunk! And you know that you are driving a quality car!

The drive of the car is super, quiet and smooth, and I'm yet to drive another car that has a better ride!

After nearly 5 years I don't feel let down by this car!

About to get my next brand new Rover 75 in the next month!

And I'm sure that the new Rover will please me as much as much as the current car has done!

The Rover 75 does show that Rover is back and is still making brilliant cars!

Summary:
Terrible cars, avoid at all costs!!

Faults:
ECU, caused by drainage problems.

Cooling fan, regular fault with these cars costs about £700 to put right.

Head gasket, the consequence of failed cooling fan.

Rear springs, no idea why just corroded away.

Air con compressor, another fault caused by cooling fan.

Front lights, blow bulbs regularly a complete ass to change.

Rear lights, intermittently fail with no known cause.

Power steering, pipes come loose regularly.

Temperature switch, controls cooling fan and fails.

Boot lock, opens and closes boots as it feels like it. Clutch, slips in the wet first lasted 49k

Air bag light, comes on as when it feels like. Anyones guess if the bag would work.

Temperature gauge, totally useless gauge that doesn't tell you when engine is cooking. Battery, gave up like most of the car.

Alternator, showered in ATF then failed.

Handbrake, works so so and releases so so.

Gearbox, whines and is notchy, grinds in third occasionally.

MAF, last about 30k. 40k if you're lucky.

General Comments:
I purchased two of these cars as runarounds for my business. One 2000 model and one 2002. The faults above are just on one car, not both, however the other has a similar list of faults that are as long as a grocery shopping list.

The car is fairly interesting to look at but dull to drive. The BMW M47 engine is supplied in a pathetic 113bhp, which is underpowered and damn right lethal if you need to overtake. This can be cured by a tuning box for about £160 that takes it up to 140+bhp.

Unfortunately these cars are woefully unreliable, and that's coming from a previous Alfa 156 owner! They seem incapable of lasting a week without a repair pitstop. Mechanical parts are readily available, but are ludicrously priced. The cooling fan costs £360+VAT and is about 4.5 hours to change. Body panels are virtually non existent making a simple knock a write off.

Garages are unwilling to work on these vehicles on the whole and they are practically impossible to P/X. There are still forums with a dedicated membership of diehard Rover fanatics ready to help, which you will need plenty of if you buy one of these.

Best advice is walk away from them if you see them for sale, unless you have a euro-millions jackpot to spend on keeping it running.

The faults above are all very common, and the petrols are apparently even worse!!!

Even changing a headlight bulb is near enough impossible, as you have to get at it through the front inner wing, and be done by touch and feel.

AVOID!!!

Summary:
A really pleasant place to be

Faults:
Nothing.

General Comments:
This is my second Rover 75.

The last one was a Connoisseur without SE pack, and hadn't been particularly well cared for by its previous owners.

I ran it for over 3 years and 30000 miles with little incident.

If it had been tidier, I wouldn't have bought this one.

I saw this low mileage car with full service history and all the extras I'd ever want, so I bought it.

With the automatic transmission, they're a nice big powerful car, which are very pleasant to drive around the city and on the open road.

The handling is good, but not sporting.

Exceptionally comfortable and refined.

The V6 pulls willingly all the way to the red line, and is never harsh.

They look of the car is understated, but very classy in comparison to other cars in the same class, which are trying to be too Germanic.

The cream interior is very tasteful. The wood is real. I spend a lot of time stationary in traffic or on motorways, and I like the cabin. The uprated audio is also excellent.

I get 25 mpg out of the car. My two 75s have proven to be reliable and hard wearing. It isn't a flashy car, and I can go about my business quietly.

I find the car suits my needs very well.

The very low purchase price is a consideration. These cars are absurdly cheap when you consider what you get; often not found in other cars for similar money.

Electric heated seats with memory

Dual zone climate control

Electric rear blind

Parking sensors

Harmon Kardon 6 disc CD

Headlamp washers

Glass sunroof

Cruise control

Steering wheel controls

Silky smooth V6 engine

Quality 5 speed auto box

Self dimming mirror

Real wood and high quality leather

As with any secondhand car, take your time, look around, get a well specified one which has been well cared for, and you've got a great car for small money.

Summary:
Up there with the best of the European cars

Faults:
SRS warning light remained on.

Leak from heater.

Rattle at idle from the inlet manifold.

General Comments:
This was a purchase from the heart not the head - a Rover 75 with cream Connolly hide upholstery, pseudo-wood dash in British Racing Green for the price of a Toyota.

There were a couple of mechanical issues, which I think disillusioned the seller, but neither were major to fix. The heater core required NZD800 to replace; the SRS air-bag warning light required cleaning the connectors under the front passenger seat, and the manifold rattle at idle I have learned to live with (caused by wear in the butterfly valves).

Comfort and ride are excellent. The seats and seating positions are a class above. The quality of finish is top notch - even the hidden body surfaces are fully painted and properly finished. Rattle-free. I wash and dry the car weekly, and it comes up better than most brand new cars.

What I use to consider a "poor man's Jaguar" I now consider a "poor man's Bentley".

Parts are still available via the mechanic's network. For example the new heater core was shipped in within a week from Australia at a cost of AUD200.

Performance is not great. Excellent at high speed (quiet, glides along like plane at 150km/hr) but it takes a long time to get there. Likewise on hills or with a full compliment of passengers - use the gears or it will struggle.

The gearbox is very good. At 3,000 rpm the supercharger kicks in (that's what it feels like anyway), so by working the gears you can make the car go respectably fast.

Petrol is typically 11l/100km (25mpg) for a 50km commute. Around town 12l/100km (23mpg).

I think I'll hang onto this for a while longer. I rather like it.

Summary:
Totally underrated, smooth operator

Faults:
New radiator, previous one was holed by a stone.

Couple of rear brake light bulbs, one reverse light.

New brake pads, automatics eat them apparently.

General Comments:
A smooth, pleasant driving car, largely ignored at the lights until they see your exhaust!

Inside, it's so-so, comfortable chairs and a good driving position. Huge boot, can drive 4 people and luggage easily. Not bad economy, cheap-ish servicing and consumables.

A real motorway cruiser that eats up the miles. Around town, the ride is only average and stay away from pot-holes!

A classy alternative saloon for not many pounds.

Summary:
A fantastic first car!

Faults:
Complicated cam belt change.

General Comments:
This is my first car and it is brilliant. It accelerates quickly, but it still has reasonable insurance.

It's comfortable and the controls are within easy reach of the driver.

The gearbox is very smooth and precise.

When I'm driving it I get far more respect than a 17 year old normally gets on the road from other drivers.

For a first it perhaps is not very appropriate, but it's quick, handles nicely and looks very impressive parked outside school!

Summary:
It's done 135,000 miles and is still going strong

Faults:
Engine blew at 110k miles, this cost me £1300 to have the engine re-built, and three attempts by the garage to fix it. Beware the cost of re-building these engines; piston rings cost £350 per set, gaskets cost another £300, crankshaft re-grind cost another £300. If this happens try to find another engine. In total the car was off the road for nine months and the engine has never been quite the same since.

General Comments:
Other than the engine problem, I have had no other faults with the car.

Tyres are expensive. When I bought the car it had Pirelli's but I changed them for Goodyear F1s. The Goodyear F1s are £145 each but well worth it (especially as I knew someone at Goodyear and got a 45% discount!). On the Goodyear F1s the car handled beautifully (and the tread pattern is so sexy). When they wore out I changed to Bridgestones, which are a good all-round tyre and handles well in all conditions, but it just is not the same as with the Goodyear F1s.

The Rover 620 Ti will upset people with shiny new sports cars, which I do on a regular basis. I just love to see the look of horror on their faces as I pull away from them.

Overtaking is not a problem, and it loves motorways.

Summary:
Reliable and comfortable, but the automatic model needs better acceleration

Faults:
ABS failed within a few weeks of getting the car. Very expensive to replace (approx.$4000 Singaporean). I didn't have it replaced.

Left front headlight failed every few months (I used to carry a few spares with me).

Brake problems. Leaking radiator hoses. Oil leaks.

General Comments:
Although I didn't want this car originally, my company had several Rovers (620s and 820s) and I was strongly advised to get one as my company car. I must say that I'm glad they did. A very reliable and comfortable car.

The car was very good for driving around Singapore although I took some time to get used to the large turning circle (this was my first front wheel drive car). Acceleration was a bit average. First gear was geared too high and the engine struggled until the revs came up.

On long trips to Kuala Lumpur it was excellent. Effortless highway cruising. On one occasion when I let it rip, it passed 190kmh.

The brake problems, oil and radiator leaks mentioned above were due to completely inept service personnel. On three occasions, after being serviced at the Authorised Rover Dealer, the car had to be taken to an independent service agent to have fixed properly. The Dealer would usually suggest that parts such as C.V. joints, water pump, alternator, battery, starter motor etc. needed replacing each time the car was taken in for service. I had none of these replaced and the car still ran perfectly for 4 years.

Summary:
Unfairly underestimated, to the bargain hunters advantage!

Faults:
The brake lights have needed replacing on a few occasions.

The exhaust fell off and obviously needed to be replaced.

The electric aerial never really worked so I bought a new one.

The central locking is currently broken and it needs to be fixed. Strangely this has resulted in my car doors unlocking themselves on occasion. I checked this with my dealer and they confirmed this as a problem with a micro chip on the drivers door.

General Comments:
On the positive side the car is extremely comfortable. The leather seats are great, and the electrics have been very reliable.

I know I will never have a problem overtaking with this car as the acceleration is excellent.

Anyone that has travelled with me in the car has been impressed with it's interior comfort and smooth road handling.

Summary:
Undercover sports car

Faults:
Steering rack has went recently after 116000 miles

Anti-roll bar bushes on the drivers side went which made a loud and embarrassing noise when turning. Although they weren't too expensive to replace.

Drivers side central locking device has gone which means I always have to use the key to open and lock the car.

Rear wheel arch on both sides have started to corrode.

General Comments:
My previous car was a seriously modified XR2i which had about 180bhp, but this car is superb in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

My recorded time of 0-60 is 7.2 seconds, but it can go quicker.

I'm only 18 and have had four seriously fast cars before this one, but I have to say that for comfort, speed and looks this is the best.

A good top speed of 139mph gets anyone going.

Cream leather is the bomb.

This car goes round the Ti in circles in terms of interior.

Braking is excellent.

Engine noise is excellent.

Does anyone know how much bhp a rover 620 GSi has?.

Summary:
Fairly reliable, economical, and comfortable, but some quality concerns

Faults:
Recurring starter motor/bendix noise and failures.

Driver's door window fell into the car twice when in motion, glass fixed to the metal support using "super-glue".

Cylinder head gasket failure at 75,000 miles, despite full Rover main dealer service history.

Lots of clonks and squeaks from the rear suspension for quite a while now.

Frequent failures of the headlight dipped beam bulbs, which seem expensive to replace.

General Comments:
Overall, reliable and economical, but let down by build quality or perhaps some cheap components.

Quite comfortable, interior is well finished.

Performance quite good for a 1.4 litre.

Summary:
Apart from the engine, a dream on wheels

Faults:
The car doesn't always start on a wet day. But once it starts, it will run smoothly.

From the early beginning there have been problems with the engine. The engine stalls when driving on a wet road. After waiting 15-30 minutes, the engine will start again. Our dealer has looked into it, but failed to cure this problem.

When I checked the oil on 55,000 kilometers, I saw the dip-stick was dry. When observing this, I noticed the oil is gone after +/- 10,000 kilometers. At this point there are no visible oil leaks, nor did the dealer find anything that could cause this problem.

General Comments:
The car handles great, and has an extraordinary suspension system.

The 1.4l K-series engine is more than powerful enough for such a 'small' car. Too bad it isn't very reliable.

The cabin is trimmed as one could expect from Rover.

The boot is quite spacious.

Summary:
Good equipment and ride. Otherwise mediocre

Faults:
The bulb for clock and radio display stopped working soon after purchasing the car. It was rather expensive to buy (Main dealer only!) and was extremely awkward to fit.

Starter motor packed up. Rover UK quoted £150.00+ for the part alone! I used a non-manufacturer's starter motor in the end, at half the price...

Gearbox was replaced.

Head gasket went pop. Typical fault of all K-series engines. I should have bought a diesel.

General Comments:
The car is lovely to drive and the drive is unbelievably comfortable.

Steering feel is a bit remote, but I soon got used to it. Handling is confident, but rather floaty.

Seats are a bit small, the old Rover 200/Honda Concerto were far superior.

Interior quality is rather mediocre.

The car has excellent standard spec for the year, including ABS, electric sunroof and remote central locking.

Rear seat space is cramped, despite the car's size.

Rover should have marketed the car as an Escort/Golf competitor. It would have fared much better. Instead, Rover decided to chase Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 406. Mad!

Summary:
Cheap, reliable, comfortable

Faults:
Exhaust rusted at 66000 miles.

General Comments:
For it's second hand price,£600 I paid, it was the best car I've ever been driving.

Reasonable to run, £10 for 120 miles. On the highway, when speed hits to 90mph I used to fell all noise inside.

Also corner handling wasn't so good. I remember some scary moment with my car even if I'm not a fast driver.

It's quite spacious in the car, even if it doesn't drive perfect, it's really so comfortable if you don't drive in high speeds.

Wind screen is larger than usual and I think that's the best part of the car. You see the road and front of the car so clearly. Specially for new drivers, it's so helpful to drive in the city.

Interior is simple and clean, nothing to be confused of, seats are large enough, there's also enough leg space in front and back seats.

If you're looking for a cheap, reliable, comfortable car, I think this is one of the best you can find.

Summary:
Rovers are good cars, if well maintained

Faults:
My head gasket blew at 55,000 km.

My brake discs had to be replaced at 70000 km.

The air conditioned doesn't work... The gas goes somewhere. Have to find the leak.

The car was totally abandoned by previous owner, and seems that dogs had slept inside of it... The interior was full washed several times to reach its brightness.

The varnish is getting out, because it seems that the previous owner had the idea that not washing the car keeps it OK...

Some plastics lost its colour due to intense sunlight exposure.

General Comments:
The car is very comfortable. I can do hundreds of km without stopping.

The engine is very nice. After being in the right temperature, revving it to 4000-5000 rpm is a pleasure. However, you can use it from 2000 up, and it has enough torque.

Doesn't handles like a sports car, but it is nice to use it in any road. Engine response doesn't get you embarrassed in any way.

Immobilizer/alarm is very good, for a 14 year old car.

Electric sunroof is nice in winter.

Its exterior lines are beautiful, even after 14 years passed from its release (but that's just my opinion).

How much you spend in petrol depends on your driving. I can do from 6l/100km to 10l/100km. The more you rev, the more you pay. However, it is not difficult to make 7l/100km.

Brakes could be better, but if you change the disks to vented ones, it brakes better.

Interiors are nice, but driver seat could go lower than it does.

It is a good car, sometimes unfairly underrated.

Its engine is a bit sensible, mostly when driven cold. Be sure to warm it properly before revving it up. Avoid more than 3000rpm before it is in good temp.

Keep an eye in fluid levels and check water and oil at least once a week.

If you experience head gasket failure, find someone who do the job well done and change all kit: Gaskets and head bolts.

Summary:
A pleasurable drive ruined by expensive running costs

Faults:
Recently failed its MOT on the usual Rover problems.

Driver and passenger sills excessively corroded.

Rear suspension mountings severely deteriorated.

Anti roll bar showing signs of deterioration, resulting in excessive movement.

Warped brake disk, resulting in steering judder.

Exhaust back box corroded and rattling from the catalytic converter.

General Comments:
This car has more good points than bad ones. Rover were never renowned for their build quality, but a few good ones did come off the production line, just not the one I owned.

The car drove beautifully on the motorways and was surprisingly comfortable, however high running costs and parts don't come cheap with these cars, and when the faults start cropping up, you are in for an expensive wallet denting experience.

As for fuel economy and performance, the twin cam 16 valve Honda engine gives some serious grunt and pulling power, however you are torn between listening to that beautiful 16 valve engine grunting at you, and watching the fuel gauge start to slide down to the red. Even though you are still looking at a good 30 mpg, with petrol prices being so high in the UK, you may feel a smaller engine would be a better option.

To summarise, if you want a good reliable motorway runner, but are not worried about the running costs, then this is your car of choice. If you are looking for economy, you are better off looking for a smaller engine 1.4, which is just as good and gives that bit better MPG.

Finally, be aware that these are not cheap to insure, and these cars still have the stigma of being a pensioner's car, and boy racers just shouldn't buy one of these at all.

1991 Rover - Austin 400 414 SLi 1.4 from UK and Ireland
Summary:
I would have another

Faults:
General day to day running costs + a water pump. The gearbox was rebuilt a few weeks before I got it, this was the second time apparently.

A bit finnicky in the damp and the front windows are seized.

General Comments:
Just keeps going, my dad had it before at 125,000. Burns no oil, 40+ mpg. Quite nippy as well, although a bit loud when pushed.

Summary:
An underrated car

Faults:
Nothing major mechanically in the time I have had it, other than, when under warranty, the fuel pump seized, but it was repaired by the garage. Since then nothing significant has gone wrong.

I have serviced it once a year since I have had it anyway. The smaller things which have been a problem have just been wear and tear things like the interior, the seats have become untidy in appearance and the stitching on seats has come away.

General Comments:
This car makes a brilliant first warm-hatch alternative, probably much better in manual form, but an automatic is an easy to drive kind of car.

My example was packed with more gadgets than a Safrane. 4 x electric windows, electric roof, mirrors, alloy wheels, full leather interior, what more do you need, ABS and air con maybe!!!

Summary:
An underrated car

Faults:
Nothing major mechanically in the time I have had it, other than, when under warranty, the fuel pump seized, but it was repaired by the garage. Since then nothing significant has gone wrong.

I have serviced it once a year since I have had it anyway. The smaller things which have been a problem have just been wear and tear things like the interior, the seats have become untidy in appearance and the stitching on seats has come away.

General Comments:
This car makes a brilliant first warm-hatch alternative, probably much better in manual form, but an automatic is an easy to drive kind of car.

My example was packed with more gadgets than a Safrane. 4 x electric windows, electric roof, mirrors, alloy wheels, full leather interior, what more do you need, ABS and air con maybe!!!

Summary:
Above average quality performance

Faults:
Throttle appears to be sticky, but I am told that It's due to fair wear and tear on the carb. Difficult to make a smooth gear change.

The sun roof has developed a serious leak, which somehow runs under the lining and down by the door rubber and onto the floor pan.

The heater fan has started making all sorts of weird shrill noises when switched on - seems to play a tune of its own.

The CV joints are making that unwelcome knocking noise when cornering.

General Comments:
The car is old, but has been serviced regularly and is still a comfortable ride. The engine generally behaves itself, but occasionally won't start on a hot engine, that's harsh in a busy car wash!

Summary:
A reliable, fast, simple to maintain diesel car

Faults:
Alternator failed at 125000 miles.

Driver's window very slow to wind up, and sometimes jams.

Oil pipe blew from cooler to engine, resulting in sump being dumped - No damage to engine however.

Power Steering fluid pipe leak.

Metal water-cooling pipe went rotten behind offside wing.

Headlight relay fried.

Trailing arms needed replacing at 113000.

CV joints needed to be replaced at 133000.

Trailing arm bushes replaced at 148000.

General Comments:
This car is not to be under estimated. OK, it's not a 0-60 drag racer; standing starts are not this cars strong point so don't buy one to race away from the lights. The torque available however as soon as the turbo gets up to speed is inspiring. Overtaking at speeds over 50mph is breeze in fourth. The handling is superb; with anti roll bars front and rear, it makes twisty B roads a joy. This car will put to shame a lot of much more modern cars in terms of performance, handling and the excellent high specification equipment. Even with the mileage of my car, the emissions are still as low as they were at it's first MOT, there is very little exhaust smoke and will only consume half a litre of oil every 6000 - 8000 miles. The cabin has very little wear even after such high mileage, although this is helped enormously by the full leather interior. Economy is superb; I get about 45 - 50 mpg and only need to fill the 55-litre tank once every 500 miles. The only negative issue I have with this car is the excessive noise of the engine entering the cabin, especially at idle speed.

This car has been tried and tested to the extreme and has proved to be very reliable.

Summary:
Cheap, cheerful and fun to drive!

Faults:
Manifold gasket is holed and blowing.

Rear Bumper has come adrift on right hand side and hangs down slightly.

Gearbox bearings getting a little rumbly on occasions.

General Comments:
I bought this car a month ago for £150 and it is great! Despite the problems noted above, it starts on the first turn of the key every time, and gives me no other worries!

I am also impressed with the performance, especially when I accelerated past an XR3i on the M1 the other day!

My only gripe is that it lacks PAS!

Summary:
Cheap, cheerful and fun to drive!

Faults:
Manifold gasket is holed and blowing.

Rear Bumper has come adrift on right hand side and hangs down slightly.

Gearbox bearings getting a little rumbly on occasions.

General Comments:
I bought this car a month ago for £150 and it is great! Despite the problems noted above, it starts on the first turn of the key every time, and gives me no other worries!

I am also impressed with the performance, especially when I accelerated past an XR3i on the M1 the other day!

My only gripe is that it lacks PAS!

Summary:
A fun car for not much money

Faults:
The ignition key/starter locked & I couldn't use the car until I wrecked the lock, so the key was jammed in the lock. This was an arm and a leg to replace from the main dealer... so I got one from a breaker, still not cheap.. I must state it's secondhand (old) & could pack up any time like the other one. This is sad.

More recently it's had starting problems. Once running, it's hard to believe there was a problem. I once had a motorbike like that, but at least you could run along & jump start it.

General Comments:
My main coment is to praise the econonmy. I first got the car & was getting the same mileage from this 1.6 that I was getting from my previous Vauxhall Carlton.. About 25 - 30 MPG.

I wasn't very impressed. But a little while later I found the mileage had jumped up. In fact in a good week I can get over 60 miles for a fivers woth of petrol.. that's twice what I was getting!!! It's stunning.. but you can almost see the fuel gauge drop to empty if you start to floor it. It's a shame as you may as well own a bigger car, cause once you get to 60mph, the poor engine's thrashing away like nothing. Oh & the economy at higher speeds is hopeless too.. so on a run I get less MPG!!

5th gear is OK, but it's not really a motorway gear. They should have stuck six gears in the box. I reckon it would have beat everything hands down with a 6th gear. It would have taken everything from a standing start.. & cruised with the best at 85mph.

Generally I'm very impressed. From the outside you get the impression that it's flimsy. When you drive it, it feels like it's being pushed to the ground.. not like it's sitting on tyres.. it's a bit like if you could imagine there's a big weight on top of the car.. it must be something to do with the centre of gravity.. The ride is soft.. not so good for cornering.. but not a problem.. due to a wide wheelbase..

In fact it feels more like a bigger car than it is. Very comfy.

The radio is crap. It's a factory radio & needs constant attention.. it won't stay where it was last left & wants to "search" all the time when you first start the car. It's OK once locked. It winds me up. I also replaced the factory rear shelf speakers for 2x8ins & the sound is big & fat, even from the standard radio. This is a good feature of a saloon.. I've owned a couple of hatches, & the sound was hopeless from those flimsy cardboard shelves. A neat car.

Summary:
A reliable yet powerful and fun to drive underrated motoring gem

Faults:
Water pump at 126,000 miles, which weakened the head gasket causing it to blow at 176,000 miles, after what the garage said was a tiny hole that gradually increased in size until it caused a problem.

Both Out CV joints have gone, both around 150,000 miles.

The rear suspension bushes required replacement at 165,000 miles.

General Comments:
Overall a very capable yet very underrated car. The 1.6 liter Honda Engine is very reliable, always starts on the turn of the key, and incredibly powerful at higher revs for its size.

The automatic gearbox is very response, and the kick down feature works wonders for overtaking. It does, however, jolt at times when changing up at around 3,000 revs, but this has yet to cause a problem.

This car has done a remarkable mileage, and with this considered very little has gone wrong with it. The engine still goes like it was built yesterday, burns absolutely no oil, and sounds beautiful at higher revs, if a little like a diesel when it idles.

This car, is however, a Honda beneath the skin, and is remarkably similar to the Concerto, meaning the interior is a little boring and Japanese, the original stereo and speakers are completely hopeless to listen to anything however the lower lumbar support seats and the racing steering wheel in this model do make up for the faults mentioned.

This car has the single camshaft engine, which is good. However I am told that the twin-cam version fitted to the G-T-i is more free revving, and more fun as it is lifted straight from the Honda C-R-X which is more of a hot hatch than family saloon. I would like a 420 G-S-i Turbo however these are nowhere near as reliable as the 416 since the engine is made by Rover, so the head gaskets can go like clockwork.

Overall a great car, and now they can be bought for a real bargain, I would recommend one to anyone, even high milers, but service history is essential if this is the case.

Summary:
Cheap running and well above average

Faults:
In just over 103,000 miles its had only 1 fault which was with the air con system, it just wouldn't work at all, a visit back to the dealer 3 days after purchase had it fixed within 5 hours, the culprit being a dodgy switch.

The only thing this car has had to have replaced are usual service parts such as pads, wiper blades etc...

General Comments:
Starting off with the body work, after 103,000 miles its pretty good, the odd stone chip on the bonnet, but no visible rust.

Its very comftable to drive around town and on short journeys although the seats do lack any form of decent lumbar support on long distance journeys, anything over 2 hours or so and your back starts to ache.

The interior although dull looking is functional and instruments are set out to be rather handy.

Driving position is above average when you play around with the seat height adjust and steering adjust, I say this as its not a car you can just get in and feel at home.

Rear leg room is very good for a car of this size, easily seating 3 adults in the rear in comfort.

Boot space is also not bad for a car of this size, easily swallowing a few suitcases or a pushchair and a trolley full of shopping in my case.

On the road the car is quite nippy, its the 103ps model and therefore alittle quicker than the usual 1.4 unit. This is mostly noticed in acceleration which takes you from 0-60 in just over 10 seconds.

When driven hard the engine can be quite noisy, but the power is there and its very rare that you feel the car struggles. Road noise is acceptable although this does get more noticeable on motorway driving at anything over 70mph.

Handling is much better than the old Rover 200, its very precise in country lanes with no trouble at all and almost no hint at loss of traction.

As for fuel consumption this car runs on the tears of squirrels!

Around town I get about 36mpg and on a long drive I get about 48mpg!

Why people hate Rover and this model is beyond me, unless I have just been lucky, but for me this car has served me very well and has now been passed on to my wife to replace her Metro.

The only reason I have changed vehicle is due to an ever growing family, I now have a Mondeo TD-Di.

So to sum up... cheap running, cheap insurance, great handling, above average ride and comfort and mainly no major repair issues, in my opinion you can't go far wrong in regards to reliability, although high depreciation costs may be a factor to consider if you don't keep your cars long.

Summary:
Frustrating - generally good, but with the one serious fault

Faults:
Replacements done under warranty:

Power steering pump failure - shrieking within an hour of installation!

Air flow meter - twice.

Clutch - 3 replacements, now shuddering again after 1500 miles.

Door mirrors didn't heat.

General Comments:
The car has been reliable in so much as it hasn't broken down! It is astonishingly quick, with 52 MPG around and about avalable, (not when driven quickly!) Road holding is very good, ride a touch jiggly p'raps.

The clutch judder is a serious problem, only occurring when cold and into warm-up; bad enough to shake the whole car, things on the seat next to me jump up and down. When hot, it is perfectly well behaved.

Air - con works well, cold toes! Disadvantage of on/off system instead of climate control.

Summary:
Feisty and fun

Faults:
The ECU had to be re-programmed as the car when I bought it had been running with a perforated exhaust which "confused" it.

The alternator was replaced at 47000.

The ABS ring had to be replaced at 63000.

The resistor pack for the heater blower motor went at 65000.

General Comments:
You need to stoke the revs to over 4000 rpm to make the car shift, but please do it as it really flies. It also makes a great sound at these revs! below 4000 though the engine especially in the higher gears is a bit flaccid, due to the lack of torque.

Fuel economy is excellent though. I managed on my journey to my holiday destination of 400 miles, travelling on the motorways at 85 - 90 mph and loaded to the gun-whales 42 mpg!

The handling through fast sweepers and through left / right flicks is excellent. Motorway stability is good. However on sharp bends it does understeer on the wide 15" wheels. The ride on the large wheels is stiff, but I like that.

The steering is possibly the best aspect of the car. The feel for a powered system is good, but the turn in is superb.

The interior is OK although I am glad that my wife and I are only 5' 7". I consider the cabin to be snug, but if I was any taller it would be a bit tight. The dash itself is a bit shiny by modern (VW) standards, but everything is laid out well and nothing has fell off or rattled. No air con though is a bit of a pain in the summer.

My wife thinks the seats are very uncomfortable after my previous Citroen ZX. The seats are a bit thin and cheap, but it is not the most uncomfortable car I have been in. Why Rover didn't fit the seats from the previous generation Rover 200 (R8) though I will never know.

The ABS backed brakes are awful and easily the worst aspect of the car. They are spongy, lacking in feel and the ABS cuts in too easily, especially if you hit a pot-hole / man-hole cover when braking.

The paint is prone to scratches and stone-chips, but there has been no rust. The tailgate lock mechanism did seize due to corrosion (causing the tailgate to pop open which is an "interesting" experience when on a motorway.

Overall though an excellent car and one I would recommend, though I would go for the MG version for a bit more excitement.

Summary:
Could be great

Faults:
The car won't stop cutting out and if its not cutting out the rev's are going up and down or sometimes just going up resulting in me having to switch the engine up, I've had the car looked at by several garages including land rover which use the same engine in the free-lander, I've had it on the diagnostics machine where they found some faults and corrected them, but nothing has helped.

General Comments:
If it wasn't for the problems it would be a great car its quick and handles very well and also quite good on fuel and insurance.

Maybe I've bought a bad one who knows!

Maybe this sort of thing is common in all cars, but I'm so used to Honda reliability where you don't have to think of breaking down!! I should have bought a civic vti!!

Summary:
Cheap, quick, reliable car

Faults:
Had to have a new clutch fitted when I purchased the car - not great after only 28,000 miles, but I think this was more down to the previous owners driving style!!

One of the ABS sensors had to be replaced.

Aside from these things, I have not had any problems at all with the car.

General Comments:
This is the third Rover that I have owned and I have been really pleased with the 25.

For the money, you get far more car than you do with an equivalent Golf or Focus, for example.

It comes with electric windows and an electric sunroof, ABS and remote central locking.

The 1.6 engine is terrific too - really quick to 70/80mph, but does begin to struggle above that. Engine needs to be revved to get the best from it, but it's actually good fun to drive.

People complain about the radios, but I don't think it's that bad actually! The volume and channel controls on the steering wheel are a useful feature too.

OK, so the interior is starting to look a bit dated, but it's comfortable and well laid out.

All in all, this is a great car. It was cheap to buy, it's cheap to insure, very reliable, quick, economical (40mpg on long trips) and looks good with the iS alloys. Would certainly recommend this car to anyone.

Summary:
A fast, reliable, bargain that puts newer cars to shame in its practicality

Faults:
- The rear wiper jet wash has stopped working

- Had to replace the contacts on the solenoid

- Replace brake master cylinder (my fault during brake fluid change)

- Boot stopped shutting (turned out to just be seized wire/catch, so spray with WD40 has solved that)

General Comments:
This car, and any Rover with the L-series is fantastic. The engine is about as reliable as engines get, not for a Rover, but for any car. I would put this alongside any VAG diesel engine in terms of reliability.

The car is very quick for a diesel, 0-60 in 9.7 seconds, which is faster than a Citroen Saxo VTR and a Fiesta Zetec S (both 10 seconds or just over), and it has mid range pull of an 8 second car due to the 178ft lbs of torque.

Fuel consumption is ALWAYS above 45mpg, even when I drive her hard. Parts are plentiful and cheap, but generally these engines require very little attention. Insurance group 7 for a car this fast is pretty low; as a 19 year old man it is very reasonable.

The interior is dated and the seats aren't anything special, if you are after appearance just opt for the MG ZR version with an L series engine and that problem is solved.

Possibly the strongest point for the car is the price; a used example with low miles can be found easily for under £3000, and an early model (W reg) with under a 100,000 miles should cost no more than £1500. These cars are perfect for a low cost low hassle option, and depreciation isn't a problem as they are so cheap to find and easy to get rid of due to well known reliability in these engines.

They are not the refined cars, the engine is noisy at idle (quiet on the move) and the car does feel heavy (clutch, gears etc) and jerky when moving about town. It is suited perfectly to motorway driving, where the mpg is very high and the car picks up well in 5th gear, from 50/60mph to whatever speed you need to do.

All in all, the car is not going to turn heads, but it does offer one of the best cars in terms of value for money about.

Summary:
I loved owning this car until the known gasket issue caught up with me

Faults:
Rear bulbs went a few times in the 4 years, but easy to change at £2 per bulb.

Head gasket at 48,000 miles = £500.

Front tyres wore quicker than rear; probably quite normal.

Driver's electric window went at 47,000 miles = £70 parts.

Boot would not open easy with key.

Lost acceleration power temporarily when I after changing down at high revs once, but after taking it slow, it righted itself.

General Comments:
Same BHP as the more expensive MG version.

Drove well through lanes and motorways.

Braking good.

Good style design was first reason why car appealed to me.

Love the cockpit layout / design was why I bought this over a Renault Megane.

Nearly slid when cornering on roundabout in first week, but have cornered great since, so put that down to learning the car.