Rover 200 Coupe 220 2d (1995/N) Owner Review
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Economy
Value
A lot of car for the money but hard to sell on and not so cost effective when components start to fail
Costs
Day to day- Petrol, in large quantities! Oddly the mpg doesn't vary much whether you potter about all day or give the car death... A major gripe I do have though is Rover's ridiculous over pricing of spare parts. Cheaper to get Honda parts!
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On the road
Driving
Very nice car to drive, comfy when you want to chill, and just right when you want to be aggressive. Very poor rear visibility though, I've had this car 1 year and I still can't tell how long the boot is!
Performance
Outright performance is lame for a 2L 16v motor. Too much added to it that chokes its output. These engines fly when all the gubbins is thrown away (e.g. Kit Cars). However the handling in this car is spot on, once you throw the soft springs away.
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Living with it
Reliability
Has had the characteristic head gasket failure at 80k, and the warped brakes and the dissintegrating radiator and alarm probs/electrics probs, starter and its impossible to set tracking accurately. But I'm cynical. Its ok so long as its well maintained.
Image
Does not look like a cheap VFM car. Aided by the fact that it doesn't really look like a Rover. More like a Honda at first glance. Impractical but it looks the part.
Comfort
Is by far the most comfortable car in this kind of price range that I have driven.
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Security and Service
Security
This is an easy car to gain access to and the alarm/immobiliser system fitted to <'95 cars is a joke. Later system is big improvement.
Service
Customer service are clueless. Couln't find thier rears eith both hands and a map. And genuine Rover spare parts are priced too high. Like in the region of ""Daylight Robbery"".
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Problems and Ownership
Problems
Engine
Reliable if well maintained and well damp-proofed. If you want performance ignore this model and go for the turbo as that is a flier. If you want to cruise, this model is a good bet.
Other
Over all this is a good car to own. They do have a few niggly issues but that is the reason they depreciated so much initially, and hence why its such a lot of car for the money. Full service history is essential so as to avoid the bad ones.
Ownership
Did you buy the car new?
Used
Would you buy the same model again?
No
Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?
No