RE: Rover 214 SEI: Reader's Car of the Week
Discussion
DuraAce said:
300bhp/ton said:
sidesauce said:
Unlike the poster above I think this is a horrible car.
My dad had a (continually fading) red example for a long time and in my teens I actually drove it for a while before I bought my first car - eventually it was mercifully written off when someone hit it; it was a hateful thing and is everything I dislike about the British car industry of the time. Tinny, woefully underpowered and just generally cheap and nasty even though it tried to give off an air of comfort and class. Glad to see the back of this entire era. Out of all the cars he owned I would say this was by far the worst one he ever had!
What are you comparing it too? They were miles ahead of anything Ford/Vauxhall of the time. And of course this was a joint venture with Honda. So right in par with them. My dad had a (continually fading) red example for a long time and in my teens I actually drove it for a while before I bought my first car - eventually it was mercifully written off when someone hit it; it was a hateful thing and is everything I dislike about the British car industry of the time. Tinny, woefully underpowered and just generally cheap and nasty even though it tried to give off an air of comfort and class. Glad to see the back of this entire era. Out of all the cars he owned I would say this was by far the worst one he ever had!
Are you trying to tell me a mk4 Escort was a better car for example? No way was that CVH powered skip better than the Rover!
I took a MK4 Escort in PX, similar age, a 1.3 basic sort of spec in a dowdy Maroon colour, it was horrific, the Rovers were in a different league, it was gutless and rattly despite not having a high mileage, the steering and suspension felt weird. Am sure a higher spec would be better but the MK4 Escort was a rubbish car, the Rover was better in every way, not a high bar granted but they did have a bit of an upmarket feel for the price and era.
K series engine gets slagged but thats for the HG issue, that aside they made good power and revved very nicely, there is a reason they ended up in the Elise, 10 sec ish to sixty, borderline Hot Hatch performance back then.
Lovely to see someone putting the time into keeping these around. Then again, I am an unashamed longship fancier.
Went to have a look at a very nice nightfire red 216 recently-ish, but it'd gone by the time I got to the garage. Hope whoever picked it up is enjoying it as much as the OP.
Went to have a look at a very nice nightfire red 216 recently-ish, but it'd gone by the time I got to the garage. Hope whoever picked it up is enjoying it as much as the OP.
At the time, they were class leading. They didn't rust, the handling was pretty good.. The free revving K series was a revelation at the time, the way it responded instantly to blips on the throttle and the MEMs system was way ahead of its time. Comparing them to the Astra and Escort of the time is the needed comparison.
The problem with these rovers, like the mini before it, and the 200 after it, was that they then stayed in the market way too long.
This means polarised opinions, as you get people who remember them when they were new, and in their segment a good car, and people who remember them still in production 10 years too late and with thousands of knackered examples on the road.
The problem with these rovers, like the mini before it, and the 200 after it, was that they then stayed in the market way too long.
This means polarised opinions, as you get people who remember them when they were new, and in their segment a good car, and people who remember them still in production 10 years too late and with thousands of knackered examples on the road.
ExPat2B said:
At the time, they were class leading. They didn't rust, the handling was pretty good.. The free revving K series was a revelation at the time, the way it responded instantly to blips on the throttle and the MEMs system was way ahead of its time. Comparing them to the Astra and Escort of the time is the needed comparison.
The problem with these rovers, like the mini before it, and the 200 after it, was that they then stayed in the market way too long.
This means polarised opinions, as you get people who remember them when they were new, and in their segment a good car, and people who remember them still in production 10 years too late and with thousands of knackered examples on the road.
Very much this ^The problem with these rovers, like the mini before it, and the 200 after it, was that they then stayed in the market way too long.
This means polarised opinions, as you get people who remember them when they were new, and in their segment a good car, and people who remember them still in production 10 years too late and with thousands of knackered examples on the road.
For many old cars reviewed today
ExPat2B said:
The problem with these rovers, like the mini before it, and the 200 after it, was that they then stayed in the market way too long.
That's probably the one thing you can't say about the R8 200/400 (excepting the coupe). It was only in production from 1989-1995. To put this in perspective, the current Golf 7 has already been in production for longer than that.
Admittedly though, the front half of the R8 lived until 2005 as the R3 200 and 25/ZR.
Twig62 said:
What a load of crap written above ! Obviously written by someone who has no idea of what they are talking about ! These Rovers were a league above just about everything else in their class at the time and were the exact opposite of underpowered, tinny and cheap and nasty.
Luckily, I don't care if you think what I've said is a load of crap - I drove that car extensively and it was not a car I rated at all. Furthmore, it's my opinion and I still stand by it - I hated that car with the passion of a thousand suns and yes, I think it was tinny and nasty. sidesauce said:
uckily, I don't care if you think what I've said is a load of crap - I drove that car extensively and it was not a car I rated at all. Furthmore, it's my opinion and I still stand by it - I hated that car with the passion of a thousand suns and yes, I think it was tinny and nasty.
Well.... Opinions are like a
holes... everybody has one..
R8's were leagues ahead of the opposition at the time, probably the high point of Rover imo in recent decades... Im a massive Rover fan, but unfortunately it all went south from there... The 75 was never going to be the car to save the company... A decent successor to R8 may well have been
holes... everybody has one..R8's were leagues ahead of the opposition at the time, probably the high point of Rover imo in recent decades... Im a massive Rover fan, but unfortunately it all went south from there... The 75 was never going to be the car to save the company... A decent successor to R8 may well have been
I've got two R8s, a 214 SLi with the old skool front end and a 420 SLi (NA T-series) which the PO added GSi seats and door cards to.
The former is a project and barely runs, the 420 is rapidly superceding my R3 Streetwise as my daily as it's just a hoot to drive (mmm, torquey).
That's a really good find - you must be chuffed
Does it still have the Rover smell ?
The former is a project and barely runs, the 420 is rapidly superceding my R3 Streetwise as my daily as it's just a hoot to drive (mmm, torquey).
That's a really good find - you must be chuffed
Does it still have the Rover smell ?
sidesauce said:
Unlike the poster above I think this is a horrible car.
My dad had a (continually fading) red example for a long time and in my teens I actually drove it for a while before I bought my first car - eventually it was mercifully written off when someone hit it; it was a hateful thing and is everything I dislike about the British car industry of the time. Tinny, woefully underpowered and just generally cheap and nasty even though it tried to give off an air of comfort and class. Glad to see the back of this entire era. Out of all the cars he owned I would say this was by far the worst one he ever had!
Compared with what, a Bentley? I'd assumed that the 200-400 was why Ford made the Focus a decent car instead of continuing with the Escort.My dad had a (continually fading) red example for a long time and in my teens I actually drove it for a while before I bought my first car - eventually it was mercifully written off when someone hit it; it was a hateful thing and is everything I dislike about the British car industry of the time. Tinny, woefully underpowered and just generally cheap and nasty even though it tried to give off an air of comfort and class. Glad to see the back of this entire era. Out of all the cars he owned I would say this was by far the worst one he ever had!
Very fond memories of the metallic green over grey M reg 216SLi that myself and ex wife owned from circa 2001 to about 2007. It had probably the slickest / rifle bolt gear change I've ever experienced. It would cruise all day @ 115 in Europe.
Would have looked So much better without the grey lower half though.
Would have looked So much better without the grey lower half though.
My Dad had the non-turbo'd 218D (N831 WOJ) around the time I passed my test. Hatefully slow and virtually impossible to overtake anything on an a/b road, but in BRG it looked ok and was a comfy family car.
He did 100k in it with nothing other than oil/filters, brakes and tyres, and traded it in for about £800 from memory.
Spotted about a year later in its new life as a taxi in Edinburgh!
He did 100k in it with nothing other than oil/filters, brakes and tyres, and traded it in for about £800 from memory.
Spotted about a year later in its new life as a taxi in Edinburgh!
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