Rover 45 Hatchback 2000-2004

The Rover 45 is based upon the same chassis as the old Rover 400 from the 1990’s and as a result, it looks and feels dated compared to its rivals. It is a lot more cramped than most of other cars in the class, with very little legroom at the back. Considering the seats are comfortable, people with shorter legs might find the car agreeable. There is a good range of engines available, but with the entry level petrol engines being too weak and the diesels unrefined and noisy, the range is narrowed down to just the 1.8i and V6 engines which are at least fairly good and easy to live with.

Pros and Cons:

• There is a good range of engines and all are reliable
  It is fairly cheap to run

• The interior is cramped both at the back and front
  The trim feels outdated

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Exterior and Interior

The interior is finished to a very high standard and only quality materials are used throughout, but compared to some of its rivals, such as the Ford Mondeo, the interior is cramped especially at the back. The seats of a Rover 45 are comfortable, though, and the boots are a good size, but the driving position is poor and overall the cabin feels outdated.

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Engines

There are five engines available with both hatchback and saloon models, there is also one engine that is unique to each modification. The hatchback comes with a 101bhp 1.4-litre, a 107bhp 1.6-litre and a 1.8-litre 115bhp petrol engines and two 2.0-litre turbo diesels that produce 110bhp and 113bhp respectively.

The saloon shares the same engines apart from the 1.4-litre unit, which was dropped altogether and a 2.0-litre V6 petrol engine that is replaced with a 150bhp version.

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Performance and Economy

The 1.4-litre that kicks off the petrol range in the Rover 45 hatchback version is smooth. However, it lacks the power needed to make it a good drive. The 1.6-litre improves things being just under a second quicker than the 1.4-litre going from 0-60mph in 10.3 seconds. It is just as economical as the smaller engine achieving 40mpg. It is noisy and unrefined, though. The 1.8-litre is the engine to go for in both models. It is a second faster than the 1.6-litre unit, reaching 60mph in 9.3 seconds and is only marginally less economical at 38mpg and it is smooth, responsive and revs well. The 2.0-litre V6 that is found in the saloon model is very refined and smooth, but it isn’t as fast as the 1.8-litre at 9.5 seconds from 0-60mph and is a lot less economical only managing 28mpg.

The turbo diesel engines offer a good blend of performance and fuel efficiency. The entry level 100bhp unit travels from 0-60mph in 10.6 seconds and has an official reading of 52mpg. The more powerful 113bhp unit is just under a second quicker at 9.8 seconds to 60mph and records a respectable 50mpg. Both of them are extremely noisy and unrefined so if you prefer a quiet drive, go for either the 1.8-litre or V6 petrol engines instead.

It’s not particularly cheap to insure either with the cheapest being the 1.4-litre that falls into group 7.

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What it's like to Drive

The Rover 45 is an improvement on the old Rover 400. Its suspension absorbs most of the bumps in the road, it handles corners fairly well and it is a decent cruiser too. However, in town and at lower speeds the ride is harsh and the drive is never going to thrill you. The Rover 45 is a car that is built for comfort, and in places it succeeds well, but space is limited in the back and this means that only half of the passengers will ever be comfortable.

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Faults and Repairs

The Rover 45 was never as bad as most people seem to think it was, however, there were some problems with it. The suspension was one of them, as were the electrics and some of the trim which works its way loose over time. Other faults include blown head gaskets on the 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrol engines. This problem can often be seen as there will be a white substance around the oil cap and sometimes even on the dipstick.

Service costs shouldn’t set you back too much as you can now take them to a standard mechanic rather than the dealerships and as a result it shouldn’t work out as being any more expensive than a Ford Focus or similar used car.

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