Rover 45 - Insanity or good value

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 12:03
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Still looking for a decent used car.

One candidate is a 2005 Rover 45 SE Auto 1.8

Price is nice for a car of this spec but is it not maybe a very bad idea to buy a rover given the known issues with cylinder head gaskets and potential parts shortages?

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 16:40
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - BrianTheLion

I've been having the same dilemma recently. I've always liked rovers but the old K-Series Head Gasket issue is still putting me off. Im still scruitinising service history before I take the plunge.

From what I read the other day the HGF can sometimes be avoided depending on the model and engine combo. For example a 1.8 Rover 45 puts less strain on the engine than the same engine in a Rover 75 for example.

Im not sure to what extent this is true but it does kind of make sense.

If you think the car is good value then i'd maybe give it a chance. Ive seen K-Series cars doing well over the 100k mark, and they all didnt get their by luck did they? and I bet they all havent had their head gaskets done either..

As far as parts are concerned they must still be reasonably easy to come by because my local private hire company has loads of diesel 45's in their fleet.

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 17:11
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - 659FBE

I'm not a Rover expert or admirer - BUT:

I think the auto versions of these cars all had Honda engines - in which case buy it, if all else is OK. Honda engines are fit for purpose.

Buying anything with a K series engine is sheer madness. A flawed design which will bring misery to its user.

659.

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 17:25
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - Collos25

There is nothing complicated in changing a head gasget on a K series engine and it is a lot cheaper than many other jobs.Parts are plentiful both new and used and looking on the bright side you may never have a head problem.

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 18:19
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - sb10

AFAIK the head problems were on the earlier versions, on or after 02 the gaskets were modified,also the new version of the engine is used in the new Mg,Now the N series with reworked head,kinda proves the bottom end was bullet proof as you never hear of problems with it

The car is a bargain now as they dont sell because people worry about them,though the bubble 200 series and 25 are becoming rust buckets some with sunroof problems that have become expensive to fix otherwise a real good car

I would buy one they are worth it IMO

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 17:12
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - Doc

Still looking for a decent used car.

One candidate is a 2005 Rover 45 SE Auto 1.8

Price is nice for a car of this spec but is it not maybe a very bad idea to buy a rover given the known issues with cylinder head gaskets and potential parts shortages?

X PART have access to 50,000 MG Rover parts:

http://tinyurl.com/clfga8


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Mon 25 Apr 2011 17:51
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - bonzo dog

Always seemed to me that the problem appears where the 1.8 engine has been put under strain. Thus I wouldn't touch a Freelander, an MGF or a MG badged Rover 25 / 45 / 75.

The Rover 75 1.8 I would consider provided I knew it's ownership & didn't feel it had been flogged or used to tow.

The 25 or 45 however, provided they are cheap enough, are probably as safe a bet as most other mass produced european cars in that price range.

But I'm no engineer, so if anyone better qualified wants to contradict my views, please feel free.

Good luck

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 18:09
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - memyself-aye

I thought my 03 Rover 25 would escape the dreaded HGF issue until two weeks ago at 74,000 miles it happened.

£700 to repair using the lastest land rover gasket 'fix'. Having said that it did give me 4 years trouble free and cheap motoring.

The 45 is a bit 'old fashioned (says he:)) and at 1.8 a bit stretched for a 'K' series but if you get it cheap enough you could still factor in a potential HGF failure and come out on top.

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 18:50
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - BrianTheLion

apart from the Head Gasket issue is there anything else to worry about? Ive seen a few 2000 on models sub £1000 with less than 70k on the clock...

Do you reckon these would be worth a punt? and if so are any of the engine variants better than others? 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, etc....

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 20:19
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - tanvir

If you can stretch to a 2.0 TD I would consider it. They're old school turbodiesels, so tough as old boots, but not slow with 105hp and 50mpg+. They can be a bit tractorish but I enjoyed driving a 620SDi when I borrowed one for a week

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Mon 25 Apr 2011 22:29
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - SteveLee

Rover 45s were near top of their class for reliability, a relatively old design (chassis-wise) with all the bugs ironed out. The K-series (used in all variants including automatics) is reliable if looked after in low-stress applications. The engine was never expected to tow 2 tonnes of 4WD SUV. They can be an absolute bargain. They are very fuel efficient and you will not find a car that warms up quicker in the winter. Go for it.

Keep on top of coolant leaks and don't thrash it cold you shouldn't have problems.

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 00:18
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - bathtub tom

>>Keep on top of coolant leaks and don't thrash it cold you shouldn't have problems.

And refresh the coolant/corrosion inhibitor every few years.

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 01:00
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - 659FBE

Does anyone know if I'm right concerning the auto models being fitted with Honda engines?

If I am, it will save endless debate - and eventual heartache...

659.

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 09:47
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - RT

It was certainly true at one stage, for all Honda/Rover models because Rover only had access to Honda autoboxes - I believe later that Rover engines were used with VW autoboxes..

It's obvious looking under the bonnet as the engine is on the other side on a Honda because they rotate the opposite direction - so if the engine is on the right (left looking backwards) it's a Rover, if it's on the left (right looking backwards) it's a Honda.

Edited by RT on 26/04/2011 at 09:48

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 18:17
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - sb10

Not sure about 45 but some 1.6 Honda engines were fitted to the wedge shape rover manual as well as autos to my surprise

If you can find a rover with the Honda Unit, its the best one to get

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 19:28
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - SteveLee

Does anyone know if I'm right concerning the auto models being fitted with Honda engines?

If I am, it will save endless debate - and eventual heartache...

659.

The 400 autos were indeed Honda powered, I belive the Honda engine/gearbox combo was dropped for the 45 being replaced with a K-series and CVT.

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 15:48
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - oldroverboy

One candidate is a 2005 Rover 45 SE Auto 1.8,Price is nice for a car of this spec but is it not maybe a very bad idea to buy a rover given the known issues with cylinder head gaskets and potential parts shortages?

As someone who has seen both sides of the equation, yes, it could be a good buy, check service history, check coolant when buying, if looks new/fresh beware! sorry to say fell into this trap with a 1.8 auto myself even with my experience., but liked the car, was lucky enough problems occurred in the week i bought it so rejected it. dealer was honourable and refunded me (fordthorne cardiff) Personally would hesitate with the 1.8 auto version. If you were talking about the rover diesel variant, go for it, or the 1.4.

Parts availability is excellent. By the way, you can check this, there were 2million + k series engines built and 70% approx still on the road.............. not bad for a make that's been dead for 6 years. Other thing is if you do go for it and change the head gasket, refer to caterpillar for warranty conditions if you change head gasket/water pump/cam belt kit and do oil rail modification you will get the x part warranty on the work.

would buy the mg6 if finance permitted. (modified k series)

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Tue 26 Apr 2011 19:05
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Thanks all. Will go look it over tomorrow. Insurance is suprisingly high though so will have to conside it carefully.

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Wed 27 Apr 2011 19:54
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Took it out for a drive today, seems like a nice car.

Dealer said it had a CVT box. Not 100% sure this is correct but if it is, is this something to be wary of?

Thanks.

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Wed 27 Apr 2011 20:03
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - 659FBE

CVT gearbox - avoid at all costs irrespective of maker. You can't drive through lubricated surfaces and if they're not lubricated they won't survive. Flawed concept.

If the CVT cars had K series engines, then double trouble. Run, don't walk.

659.

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Wed 27 Apr 2011 20:29
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jamie745

Didnt Rover have so many problems with them boxes they sent them back?

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 13:38
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - SteveLee

If the CVT cars had K series engines, then double trouble. Run, don't walk.

659.

659FBE, isn't that the whole point of this thread? Take a chance and grab a bargain - if the K-Series was that bad there'd be no Rover 25s or 45s left on the road - I still see hundreds. Stick to the 1.6 or smaller, chances are they'll be fine. Rover 25 and 45s warm up quickly and sip fuel. If you want a performance bargain you can buy the Rover 25 VVT for peanuts - it'll out-grunt a Golf VR6 (which blows head gaskets for fun like the VVT) and put a smile on your face whilst doing so - yes it'll probably blow up but it'll be fun while it lasts!

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Wed 27 Apr 2011 21:31
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Oh well, off to look at a Mondeo friday.....

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Wed 27 Apr 2011 23:13
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - pd

All cars have their weak spots, for example auto Mondeo's are generally hopeless with complete auto gearbox failure not uncommon at 60k....yet I've seen auto 4-speed Mondeo's with 150k on driving perfectly on the original 'box.

If we're talking cheap disposable cars for the price of a couple of peak time train tickets (which I suspect we are with a Rover 45) then any major failure on any type of car will write it off and could happen any time. How the car is performing at the point of sale is the only real judgement you can make and you might get anythying from 400 miles to 40,000 miles or more before it goes bang and become uneconomical to repair.

The 45 did use a CVT and it hasn't a great reputation. However if one was cheap enough and had a sensible mileage and works OK then it may well last long enough to still represent good value.

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 13:28
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - SteveLee

Well said pd, if any car being purchased for around a grand lasts a year you've got a bargain - 3 years and you've had practically free motoring!

How a car is looked after matters most although it is worth hunting after cars with (sometimes unearned) poor reputations to pick up real bargains. Searching on autotrader shows many Citroen C5s with 60-80K on the clock for around a grand.

The CVTs on the 45 can cause trouble - on the other hand a friend of mine has one with 130K miles on the clock - but then he drives like a vicar!

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 16:06
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jamie745

Theres a lovely Ford Scorpio 2.3 on Auto Trader at the moment for £695

*Grins*

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 17:37
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Well its not that cheap!

An 05 reg with 10,000 miles and FSH. Dealer wants £3k for it.

TBH one the most important things to me in a car is low maintanance costs and no breakdowns. I dont think a K series/CVT match up will tick this box.

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 20:12
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - primeradriver

I'd be more worried about the low mileage in all honesty. It's getting old enough now for all those cold starts/short journeys to start catching up with it.

For reference I bought an 07 Focus, admittedly with 70K, for £3500 last year. This car simply isn't cheap enough.

Given the status of the manufacturer and the reliability problems associated with this particular model, it's worth no more than a bargain-basement Korean motor. That you can get a similarly-aged Lacetti for £1500 tells you all you need to know.

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 21:01
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - unthrottled

I'd be more worried about the low mileage in all honesty. It's getting old enough now for all those cold starts/short journeys to start catching up with it.

Quite. For some reason people can't be made to understand that engine wear is not linearly dependent on mileage. If I were car that had only done 5000 miles pa I'd be clocking it upwards. Best thing to do with an odometer is to tape over it.

A friend was wringing his hands because his car had a wopping 57,000 miles on the clock and he wanted to trade it in for exactly the same model but with fewer miles...

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Thu 28 Apr 2011 22:25
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - outlier

Quite. For some reason people can't be made to understand that engine wear is not linearly dependent on mileage. If I were car that had only done 5000 miles pa I'd be clocking it upwards. Best thing to do with an odometer is to tape over it.

People can only decide on the data they have. Mileage and history can be fiddled, age and condition cannot. Problem is how can you measure condition of internal engine parts..? Answer maybe a compression test/leak down test but I never heard anyone doing that (it seems it is not even on some of the inspection services which are like basic house surveys, i.e. seem to charge you a lot to tell you mostly useless information you can easily check yourself). And even if you did that kind of test you need to know what values you should expect, an expert who can do the test properly, as well as maybe statistical data to compare with. Rather than get involved with all that you might well decide to suck your teeth and use "instinct". Personally I have greatest distrust of nearly new cars because their prices seem similar (or higher) than discounted new cars, the potential gains from fraud are probably higher and longer service intervals probably increase the scope for fiddling.

So there you go: never buy a car less than 8 years old, check it is good condition as far as possible and take the mileage figure with a pinch of salt (or consider high mileage = more credible and lowers the price). It may break down, but if it does you can always buy another.

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Sat 30 Apr 2011 12:53
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - SteveLee

That's nowhere near cheap enough, add another grand and you can get a early Kia Cee'd with some manufacturer's warranty left!

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Fri 29 Apr 2011 14:18
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Well, thats that.

Put down a deposit for an 07 reg MkIII mondeo.

Chuffed to bits!

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Fri 29 Apr 2011 14:35
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jamie745

Good motors the mk3 Mondeo, i rented one last year for 3 days, i liked it.

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Fri 29 Apr 2011 14:53
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jonewer

Blech! sorry meant a Mk2. Must have been one of the last off the line.

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Sat 30 Apr 2011 12:55
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - SteveLee

I've driven loads of Mondeos of all ages and types - can't think of anything bad to say about them - cracking cars good luck.

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Sat 30 Apr 2011 15:53
Rover 45 - Insanity or good value - jamie745

Oh the Mk2? Even better! Thats still my favourite of all the ones they've made. My parents had three of them (two Ghia's and one Ghia X V6) and they never had any complaints with them.

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