Parts are becoming very limited ! there are some specialist suppliers like x-part who have purchased old rover stock but there are considerable parts taht are simply no longer available for these hounds !

I would advise you to leave well alone.

I can't believe someone is saying the 75 diesel is unrefined and noisy and then goes on to recommend a 320d which......has exactly the same engine!

They're very nice cars which are nice to drive IMO but, they are getting old, and at the cheap end of the market you get what you pay for so can't expect perfection whether you buy a Rover, BMW or anything else.

They have some fairly common issues particularly around the clutch hydraulics but are overall way better than rubbish like a Laguna.

Buy on condition and whether it seems to have been looked after or neglected rather than picking private or a dealer. If the dealer has the right car go for that, equally if its private go for that. Your legal comeback on a dealer on a cheap car such as this will only be for a short period of time anyway.

Its not exactly the same engine, and in any case it is installed in a totally different manner and the BMW with a 2.0d is much more refined, and much more powerful than the Rover. On purpose by the way, remember who owned Rover at the time...

It is very, very similar. I've never noticed much in the way of refinement differences between the two - both are typical for early generation common rail 4-cylinders of the era. It is a decent engine for its age although way off the pace in power, refinement and economy compared to newer designs whether in a Rover or BMW.

The Rover is not as powerful although as they age that has some advantages as it does not have a variable vane turbo and also does not have the flaps in the intake manifold which can break off and be digested by the engine destroying it which can happen on the BMW. Apart from the turbo and intake manifold they are pretty much the same engine.

You can pick up decent 75 diesels for £1500 but any 320d for £1500 will probably have 200,000 miles on it and be barking very loudly.

Frankly - rather than buy a Rover 75, there are many more Mondeo estates around with far superior reliability and cheaper parts if and when needed.

Remember that at this end of the market condition is much more important than make / model.

This doesn't mean you should by an Alfa/Renault Laguna diesel just because you find an really nice one.

As regards refinement, if you often listen to music/radio in a car, IMHO refinement isn't as important as if you never have the radio on. :)

On the other hand, i had the pleasure, or rather not, of driving some of the company Mondeo and Focus Diesels over the last couple of years, one thing above all stood out, the engines are simply horrible stinking smoking lumps and i was underwhelmed by the cars in general, unless you apply lots of smoke laying power when pulling away they'll stall far too easily, in common with some other modern Diesels.

I saw a Mondeo Diesel accelerating on the motorway only a few days ago, not only did it smoke worse than a 50 year old bus but clumps of soot actaully came out the exahust pipe and were strewn up the road.

Not if you paid me would i entertain one.

Yes ID, it will be my driving i can't argue with that, over 20 years full time transporter driver i delivered i don't know how many thousands of new and used cars on transporters ranging from 9 to 11/12 car loads.

Over those years i noticed the trend of some modern Diesels to become increasingly easy to stall (especially TD's with too high first and reverse gears), being a delivery driver means doing ones best to be as sympathetic as possible with the vehicles whilst stacking them on the lorry at impossible angles, i have learned a thing or two about clutch control, balancing the minimum amount of power required to load the vehicles safely without incurring wheelspin or putting too much load on the clutch or transmission without stalling out

I can't help it if Fords highlighted themselves to me and others in my job as being too easy to stall, other makers showed weaknesses in that and other areas too, and don't get me started on satans dreadful fit for nothing automated manual gearbox designs.

I didn't mention Ford in this thread others did, i merely posted to balance the one sided condemnation of the underrated Rover with BMW Diesel lump, whilst making out Ford Mondeo as being some sort of totally reliable default choice.

Its my opinion only but i stand by it, admittedly my driving could do with some polishing up.