XR4i or XR4i 4x4 were they ever any good?
Discussion
)ZeeTacoe said:
Not as good as the 1.6diesel,not enough torques as I remember
I thought early diesels were 2.3 (with a whole 53bhp!), and later on used 1.8 and 1.8 turbo engines, I didn't know they used 1.6.My dad had a Ghia X 2.9 4x4 Estate. He loved it, although by the time rust killed it in the French alpes it was doing less than 10mpg.
He thought it was fairly swift at the time...Clinton Baptiste said:
Slow, under powered and drank petrol like you wouldn't believe, i loved mine!
I sold one for a friend recently. Had it around me for a month or two.Lovely car. He totally refurbished this one. Felt very heavy though and quite slow. Not really nimble in any way.
It was a rare facelifted one.
Sold for £1900..
Dimski said:
ZeeTacoe said:
Not as good as the 1.6diesel,not enough torques as I remember
I thought early diesels were 2.3 (with a whole 53bhp!), and later on used 1.8 and 1.8 turbo engines, I didn't know they used 1.6.My dad had a Ghia X 2.9 4x4 Estate. He loved it, although by the time rust killed it in the French alpes it was doing less than 10mpg.
He thought it was fairly swift at the time...Bought mine in 1985,it was a 84 model, still got it today, it was used for traveling from Faslane, about 20 miles west of Glasgow, to Portsmouth regularly.
Slow?
it would take something special to out run it on the motorway in the mid eighties, it would CRUISE at 110mph all day, with the occasional flat out stint of c130+ and 20mpg, the top end of the A74/M6 was empty in those days, the most memorable journey was around 1986 i friend of mine had just bought a Sierra Cosworth, myself, and another "boatmate" who had a 82 Porsche 944 "convoyed" down to the north west at very high speed, a journey we reminisce about when ever we meet up
Great tourer? yes, not a sports car, fantastic car in its day.
Slow?
it would take something special to out run it on the motorway in the mid eighties, it would CRUISE at 110mph all day, with the occasional flat out stint of c130+ and 20mpg, the top end of the A74/M6 was empty in those days, the most memorable journey was around 1986 i friend of mine had just bought a Sierra Cosworth, myself, and another "boatmate" who had a 82 Porsche 944 "convoyed" down to the north west at very high speed, a journey we reminisce about when ever we meet up Great tourer? yes, not a sports car, fantastic car in its day.Welshbeef said:
Saw one of these still on the road this weekend did look in great original condition it was the basic XR4i
You're quite young, aren't you 
The XR4i wat a 3 door hatch, and the XR4x4 was a five door. They weren't 'base' and 'better' spec; they were two different models. The 4x4 replaced the 4i.
I had a Montego Turbo, which, it seems, was the UK's attempt to muscle in on the contemporary US market. By which I mean that it was jolly fast in a straight line, and completely hopeless at absolutely everything else.
I had a red Turbo Techniques tt xr4x4 a few years back,it was the car that I got banned for speeding in.
It was infinitely quicker than the cossies around at the time,as the traffic cop trying to catch me in one would testify
giving it the beans would see the fuel consumption drop easily into single figures.
It was infinitely quicker than the cossies around at the time,as the traffic cop trying to catch me in one would testify
giving it the beans would see the fuel consumption drop easily into single figures.
Welshbeef said:
Saw one of these still on the road this weekend did look in great original condition it was the basic XR4i.
How did they compare against their competition which in guessing was the Orion SRi130 or the Montaego Turbo Renault 21 turbo. Did it really cut the mustard
Think the XR4i was up against stuff like the Audi Coupe, E30 323i, GTV6 Alfa, Supra 2.8i and RX7 - at least, those are the cars often compared to it in mag tests of the time.How did they compare against their competition which in guessing was the Orion SRi130 or the Montaego Turbo Renault 21 turbo. Did it really cut the mustard
The later 5-dr XR4x4 was compared to stuff like the 90 quattro, 405 Mi16x4, 325iX, etc
I had two XR4i's in the early eighties and two XR 4X4 sierra's mid eighties.
The XR4i was a very quick car (for its time) in a straight line, Corners were a bit of a challenge. In the wet it was a real handful.
I really enjoyed the cars the 5th speed pull from 60 to 90 was like nothing else I had driven then. Very flexible from 20mph in 5th to 130 ish.
The XR 4X4's were just as quick but much better handling.
Wet or dry these were very quick and cornered extremely well.
However the fuel consumption on the 4x4's was diabolical often below 20MPG.
The XR4i was quite good on fuel.
I assume it was the drag on the four wheel drive. Same bodyshape.
Went onto V8 SD1's then.
The 3.5 Rover Vitesse SD1 was and remains one of the best long distance cruisers, workhorses and family barges I ever had.
Quality control was variable but the engine and handling was quite outstanding. Very comfortable trimmed in leather and a big hatchback to boot.
To this day. I would happily buy another.
The XR4i was a very quick car (for its time) in a straight line, Corners were a bit of a challenge. In the wet it was a real handful.
I really enjoyed the cars the 5th speed pull from 60 to 90 was like nothing else I had driven then. Very flexible from 20mph in 5th to 130 ish.
The XR 4X4's were just as quick but much better handling.
Wet or dry these were very quick and cornered extremely well.
However the fuel consumption on the 4x4's was diabolical often below 20MPG.
The XR4i was quite good on fuel.
I assume it was the drag on the four wheel drive. Same bodyshape.
Went onto V8 SD1's then.
The 3.5 Rover Vitesse SD1 was and remains one of the best long distance cruisers, workhorses and family barges I ever had.
Quality control was variable but the engine and handling was quite outstanding. Very comfortable trimmed in leather and a big hatchback to boot.
To this day. I would happily buy another.
Edited by Steffan on Sunday 20th November 22:52
falkster said:
Maybe not that quick but they sounded ace! Not as quick as an SRi 130.
I guess you're comparing to XR4x4 not the earlier 2wd XR4i .The 4i was at least as quick as the SRi 130 ( unless you're meaning the much later 2 litre XR4i 5-door ? )
Straight line performance of the 5-dr XR4x4 was slowed by the 4wd transmission
Edited by s m on Sunday 20th November 22:50
Dimski said:
I thought early diesels were 2.3 (with a whole 53bhp!)
Don't I know it. When I was a teenager, my mum inherited my dad's previous knackered repmobile that the company sold to him, and my brother and I push-started that f
king ing useless bd of a car everywhere.I wasn't sorry to see it go.
As for the XR4i... I lost my toy one aged 7 and I'm still distraught by it.
Steffan said:
I had two XR4i's in the early eighties and two XR 4X4 sierra's mid eighties.
The XR4i was quite good on fuel.
I ran a 4i and a 309GTi alongside each other in the mid 90s - used to use them both for the same B-road/dc journeys and there was very little in it mpg wise - both doing about 30 mpg but the XR much more relaxed on the faster sectionsThe XR4i was quite good on fuel.
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