Rover 600 (1993 - 1999)

Models Covered: Saloon, 1.8, 2.0 113bhp, 2.0 129bhp, 2.

0 turbo, 2.3, 2.0 turbo diesel [i, iS, iL, Si, SLi, GSi, ti, Di, iLD, iSD, SDi, SLDi, GSDi]

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
Insurance
Performance
Styling
Value

This is the car Rover believed would challenge the BMW 3-series, back in the days when it was owned by British Aerospace. Following the 1994 BMW take-over, the Germans let Rover continue development of the 600 but this centred on making it more 'British'. Under the skin, the 600 was actually the same car as the British-built Honda Accord - a deal that was signed way before the BMW take-over of Rover and one that served both companies well. The 600, though only moderately successful, gave Rover a dependable mid-range model until the 75, with no Honda input, was released in 1999.

It would be a great complement to Honda to say you get a classier Accord. The 600 looks for all the world like a 1990s interpretation of some of those old Rovers from the Fifties and Sixties - and that's a credit to Rover's designers. Most models have a good dose of leather and walnut as standard, along with shiny-silver door handles and number plate surround. The overall effect is pleasant and nicely understated.

The 600 suffers higher depreciation than its target-competitor, the BMW 3-series. This is good news for the used buyer, as late-model high-spec cars can be picked up at good prices. The cheapest you'll find a 600 will be around £600 and that will be one of the first 620i. Aim instead for the higher spec and younger models. Something like a 1995 M-reg 620Si will be just over £900, a 1997 P-plate Si should be under £1,500 and a 99T Si about £1,800. Of the 2.

3s, the top-spec GSi can be picked up for as little as about £1,000 but a 95M-plate car is probably a better buy at around £1,500, while a 97P-plater will be about £1,700 and a 99V under £2,500. As for diesels, you'll need at least £1,000. For that amount, you'll be looking at the first 95M-plate SDis. A younger 97P will be about £1,450. The more luxurious GSDi with a 99V-plate will be about £2,350.

The 600 has been on the market long enough now for any weak spots to have surfaced. The Honda underpinnings are sound and the Rover modifications well engineered and built to last. Interiors wear well and the quality of the fittings is good, as is the standard of assembly. As for mechanicals, be sure that you check a service history if the car is spectacularly cheap - it may have more miles than the odometer says.

The engines are all strong and reliable but be careful of turbos; make sure any car you're interested in has been properly maintained by a main dealer, as these are more complicated than the other cars.

(Average prices across the range, exclusive of VAT) A clutch will cost about £165, while a full exhaust should be around £530. Brake pads front or rear are £60 a set and a starter motor will be about £140. Radiators vary between about £100 and £170 and an alternator is about £170.

The Accord's suspension is slightly unsuited to the kind of luxury car Rover believes the 600 should be. Therefore, the British engineers have installed an inherently sporty set-up with limited wheel travel which has been well disguised. The ride is good (even better on post-April 97 models) but some French rivals like the Peugeot 405 and 406 are better. Performance is good and road-holding equally so.

Just don't expect the 600 to respond like a BMW or an Audi A4; with the exception of the 620ti, the emphasis here is far more on luxury.

A sound design that managed to keep the Rover image moving upmarket. If you want British luxury and quality Japanese engineering, the 600 could be just your cup of Earl Grey. Many buyers are now realising what a bargain this combination of cultures represents. Try one and be surprised its better than you might think.