2004 Rover 75 Reviews

Rover faced an uphill battle when it re-entered the market in 2001. While it had been a well-respected brand back in the 1950s and ’60s it had disappeared from the local landscape when the British motor industry began to implode in the 1970s and by the time it returned in 2001 the Japanese had hijacked the market.In its heyday Rover was a prestige brand positioned just below luxury makes like Jaguar. They were solid and reliable, but conservative cars, with lashings of leather and walnut. In their homeland they were known as the cars bought by bank managers and accountants.When the brand returned to the market those who remembered it from the good old days were either dead or had handed their license in. In effect Rover had to start all over again from scratch, never an easy thing to do.The market that history said should have been Rover’s had in its absence been taken by the likes of BMW, VW, Audi and Lexus.It was a very crowded market and in reality Rover had little to offer that the others didn’t, and ultimately there was little reason to buy it.In the end it was trouble at Rover’s British headquarters that caused its demise, but it had little chance of survival from the beginning.MODEL WATCH With a price tag in the $50-$60,000 bracket at launch the Rover 75 was in its natural environment, but instead of being a dominant player in the prestige segment it was trying to claw its way in after an absence of many years.In its absence the market had gone through a significant change and the prestige segment had become a particularly congested one with the likes of BMW, VW, Audi, Lexus, Saab, Jaguar, Volvo and ‘Benz all scrapping for a share. It didn’t matter how good the Rover 75 was it was always going to struggle.It went beyond the car itself. There were questions about the reliability and competence of the dealer network, the ability of the factory to supply parts, and there was the instability of the company back in its homeland.There were plenty ready to knock the Rover on its arrival. They were ready, even eager, to remind everyone that it was British, that the British industry had won a reputation for its inability to build quality cars, and that it was locked in a time warp.To gain the respect of the critics the 75 had to offer something the others didn’t, it had to be better.First impressions were that it wasn’t better than the class leaders, and in some respects it trailed them.The 75 was a conventional mid-sized front-wheel drive sedan or wagon with a cross-mounted V6 engine.It was a rather plump looking car with generously rounded proportions that made it look a little portly alongside its main rivals that all had finely chiseled lines.The critics quickly found a reason to criticize the 75 in its rather cramped interior, particularly in the rear. But there was also reason to like the interior with its club-like padded trim, generous use of leather, and the traditional wood grain dash and trim.Spend time with the 75 and there was every chance you would ultimately come to like it.The seats were quite shapely and supportive, and afforded a comfortable ride along with the convenience of power adjustment.Traditionally styled cream dials were a nice touch, and easy to read compared to many of the over-styled instruments in other contemporary cars.Under the bonnet lay a 2.5-litre double overhead camshaft V6, which was content to amble along at low speed, but which would burst into life when the driver’s foot was buried in the carpet.When the throttle was opened the 75 became quite an eager performer, able to reach 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds, and sprint 400 metres in 17.5 seconds.Rover offered the choice of five-speed auto and five-speed manual gearboxes and both were of a sporting mind to suit the spirited V6.Impressive body stiffness underpinned the 75’s handling provided a stable foundation for an agile and responsive chassis. When pressed it turned in accurately and maintained its line through corners with an impressive balance and poise.Even with the handling the 75 never forgot its roots and the ride was comfortable and absorbent, much as you would expect from a Rover.At launch it was the Club that provided the way in for prospective 75 owners. It came loaded with leather trim, adjustable steering column, walnut dash, a full array of dials, six-stacker CD sound system with eight speakers and steering wheel controls, air, cruise, alarm and remote central locking.Next step up for members was the Club SE, which also boasted sat-nav, rear parking sensors and wood trim on the steering wheel and shift knob.From there it was into the Connoisseur that had power front seats with heating and memory, power sunroof, chrome door handles and front fog lamps.The Connoisseur SE received special trim colours, CD-based sat-nav systems and walnut rimmed steering wheel and gearshift knob insert.A revamp to the range in 2003 saw the Club replaced by the Classic and the introduction of a 2.0-litre diesel engine.IN THE SHOP Despite the skepticism it was greeted with the Rover 75 arrived here with a higher level of build quality than expected and has proven to be quite reliable overall.They’re still relatively young in used car terms with the earliest ones around or approaching the 100,000 km mark so there is little to report on deep-seated problems.The engine has a belt driving the camshafts so look for records showing replacement if a car has exceeded 150,000 km. Otherwise look for confirmation of regular oil and filter changes.Make the usual checks for body damage that might indicate a crash some time in the past.Former Rover dealers are still carrying out servicing and know the cars intimately so there is knowledge of them in the trade even though the brand has left the market.Parts are also available locally and overseas if needed. If in doubt contact the Rover club for more information.IN A CRASH The 75 is fundamentally sound with an agile chassis and powerful four-wheel disc brakes aided by ABS antiskid stoppers.Front and side airbags provide protection in a crash.AT THE PUMP Road tests at the time of launch reported the 75 would return around 10.5 L/100 km, but owners suggest it’s a little better than that. Expect 9.5-10.5 L/100 km on average around town.OWNERS SAY Graeme Oxley bought a 2001 Rover 75 Connoisseur in 2005 with 77,000 km on the clock. It’s now done 142,000 km and in that time the only problem he’s had is a minor glitch with the traction control. He has had the car serviced as per the factory schedule and says parts are not a problem to get from England if they’re not available in Australia. As far as he’s concerned the Rover 75 is a stylish looker and fun to drive, and he would not hesitate to recommend it as a daily driver. It’s also quite economical with his average fuel consumption around 9.5 L/100 km.LOOK FOR • Plump styling• Cosy interior• Very British trim and fittings• Agile handling• Spirited performance• Parts still availableTHE BOTTOM LINE Gone but not forgotten, the 75 brought a touch of British class to the local market.RATING 70/100

One does not normally pull up at an eastern suburbs servo and fill up the luxury saloon with it.Well, that's been the perception in Australia for a long time.In fact probably for far too long.In Europe, diesel is far more widely accepted for use in a whole range of cars than it is here. For starters it's comparatively cheaper and the longer mileage range makes it an economic marvel.European car makers, principally BMW, Peugeot and Citroen, have been leading the way in diesel technology for years but now it has arrived in the stiff-upper-lipped British brands such as Rover.The new Rover 75 CDti, for instance, boasts a common-rail, turbo diesel, 16-valve two-litre engine.It's fair to say that people will either love or loathe a diesel but this one has the potential to swing a few decisions in its favour.Hiding behind the conservative-looking gentleman's club-style interior, with its traditional clock-face elliptical dials, wood-grained and leather themes, is a car with some striking features.Thanks to the modern diesel technology, the company claims fuel consumption figures of 6.7 litres per 100km for combined city and highway driving.On this test, principally around the city, figures of 9.4l/100km were returned.When the range-to-go meter showed there was 605km before you needed to refuel, you know fuel economy is a virtue of this car.The chatter of the diesel engine is noticeable under acceleration – but it is certainly not annoying.Instead, it helps to define the individual nature of the car.There is adequate power for city work with a 0-100km/h time of 11.4 seconds.That's nearly two seconds slower than the livelier 2.5-litre petrol version, but it is a very smooth transition up through the gears.The adaptive automatic transmission is smooth and steady.Flicking the gear lever switch to sports mode improves pick-up in the low range.The suspension is typically soft for a British car but the ride is still smooth over city bumps and potholes.Standard features include leather seats and armrest covers, leather steering wheel and a rear seat centre armrest and console.Missing is an automatic driver seat adjustment that is available in the higher spec petrol models.ABS brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and a host of driver and passenger airbags are standard.There's dual air-conditioning, automatic climate control and an engine immobiliser.Without doubt the most striking interior feature is the classic dashboard with its cultured dials.The digital trip display and the information display also includes an outside temperature reading.And as you would expect in a car of this class, cruise control, one-touch electric windows, electric operated and heated mirrors plus an array of delay and dimming lights are standard.The Rover sits on 16-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and it has a full-size alloy spare wheel.The 75's stylish exterior lines have won significant praise but its true test in Australia will be people accepting the car as a unique package.Just as with Warnie, there are plenty of tins of baked beans to pick from – it's just whether you want to try something different.

Several manufacturers have debuted diesel engined models in the past few weeks, no doubt with the same thought in mind.The latest is Motor Group Australia (MGA) that is offering a diesel version of its stylish and popular Rover 75 sedan.The good news is that it is a BMW-sourced engine and offers a good combination of power and economy.Rover 75 CDti carries a $4000 premium over the base model bringing the price of the car to $53,990 before on-road costs.But in addition to the diesel power plant it also comes with leather upholstery and a fully featured trip computer.It makes the car an interesting proposition if you take into account fuel savings and the extra durabilty offered by the diesel engine, making it an attractive long term investment – maybe even a nice retirement present?The 2.0-litre four cylinder DOHC turbocharged common rail diesel produces 96kW of power and 300Nm of torque from a low 1900rpm.The combination of low power and high torque output characterises a diesel engine.Ignore the power figure for the moment because it is the high torque output that we are more interested in – torque's the stuff that gets cars off the line quickly and makes easy work of the steepest hills.In this case, 300Nm is almost as much torque as produced by a six cylinder Commodore.To get the same amount of torque out of a petrol engine you have to step up to a much larger capacity power plant which in turn means the car is going to use more fuel.However, the Rover sips diesel at the dainty rate of just 7.5L/100km which when combined with a 65-litre fuel tank gives it a range of more than 800km from a single tank.That's fuel for thought isn't it?But it is not all about economy because a car has to look good and go well too or nobody is going to want to drive it.Although a little slow to respond to the throttle at times, the Rover scores well here too.It has strong low to mid-range acceleration, but with a typical turbo surge of power as the boost kicks in.This can be difficult to manage in stop-go city traffic, because if you are not careful you'll wind up breathing down the neck of the car in front.The diesel engine is mated to a five-speed, adaptive automatic transmission.But it really needs a sequential shift, something that you almost take for granted in a car of this price and calibre.Changes need to be performed accurately otherwise you could find yourself leap frogging gears.Keeping it in fourth works best for city driving.Other than that it's all good with plenty of old world style, beaded leather upholstery, light oak wood finish, dual zone airconditioning, front, side and roof airbags and steering wheel controls for cruise and audio.We should point out, however, that both the sound system and trip computer displays are almost invisible behind polarised sunglasses.