Rover 75 Tourer (2001 - to 2005)
5 petrol 2.0 diesel [Classic (SE), Connoisseur (SE), Club (SE)])
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
There are some cars that have a definite element of rightness about them of which the Rover 75 Tourer is one. Despite being launched a full two years after the 75 saloon, the 75s inherent genteel clubbiness seems to work even better as an estate than as a saloon. Produced during the most turbulent period in Rovers history - just as BMW were working out how to pull the plug youd be justified in expecting the 75s abilities to mirror the organisational fiasco that overwhelmed Rover, youd be quite wrong. As a used proposition, the 75 Tourer offers surprisingly affordable and wonderfully officer class motoring.
Like the four-door version, the 75 Tourer looks a class bigger than it really is which gives the car some driveway stature over rivals like BMWs 3 Series Touring, the Mercedes C-class estate and Alfa Romeos 156 Sportwagon. It should even swallow a little more luggage, thanks to boxy dimensions that disguise a slightly smaller 1222-litre capacity with the seats folded down. Dont go expecting to transport a grandfather clock mind you: theres only 45mm of extra rear overhang which means that the loadbay is restricted to 2060mm in length. Those who really need the space will prefer a big Volvo estate which is probably why self-levelling suspension costs extra. No Volvo estate ever looked as good as this however or made such good use of the space available. The tailgate houses a separately-opening rear window, so that you can get at small items say a sportsbag without actually having to lift the whole of the rear hatch.
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If you choose not to drop the rear seats, theres 400 litres of loadspace or 680 litres if you remove the standard retractable loadspace cover and fill the car up to the roof. Black roofrails are fitted to all models, as is a nice feature that engages the rear wash/wipe whenever you select reverse in the rain. There are also bigger windows for back seat passengers that let in more light and free up more headroom. Only a retractable load bay floor which slides out proud of the rear of the car to get luggage out and for tailgate picnics is missing.
This may be because BMW (who originally developed this car) wanted to restrict use of this feature to their own 5 Series Touring estate.
Prices start at £5,225 for a 2001 Y plated 1.8 Club SE Tourer with the thirstier 2.0-litre car reflecting its marginal additional desirability be being only £400 dearer, year for year. The 2.
5-litre cars performance justifies its costs and these are still in pretty heavy demand, prices opening at £6,850 for a 2001 Y plated Connoisseur SE. The CDT diesel attract a good deal of interest and youll need at least £6,225 to bag a Classic SE , with additional £500 increments landing you Club SE and Connoisseur SE trim variations. Insurance ranges between Groups 8 and 14.
The Rover 75 series as a whole has proved to be a reliable offering, and despite its executive pretensions has been bought by a large number of more mature customers. Given that this clientele are less likely to drive the 75 in the manner in which an Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon, a BMW 3 Series Touring or, indeed, an MG ZT-T are often driven, this is good news for the used buyer. One thing to check is that the specification sheet matches the date of first registration. There are continued rumours of large numbers of 75s that Rover pre-registered to artificially inflate sales figures.
These cars may have been standing in a field or car park for weeks on end, so check for water ingress, signs of surface corrosion on suspension parts. Youll also need to inspect the load bay for signs of damage by wannabe Lovejoys.
(approx. based on 75 Tourer 1.8) Nothing too scary here. For most parts the prices are quite reasonable and worth the money.
Expect to pay around £230 for a full clutch assembly, around £90 for a headlamp and about £195 for an alternator. Brake pads should cost about £55 for the front and £50 for the rear, whilst a starter motor is around £185.
Its hard to believe the 1.8-litre models share an engine with the Lotus Elise. Not that the Rover disgraces itself over a series of bends, just that in this guise, its noticeably more refined. It can still develop a useful 120bhp which means sixty in 10.
9s on the way to 121mph. Even the CDT diesel can manage the sprint from rest to sixty in 11.0 seconds en route to 120mph. With an achievable consumption average not far off 50mpg, its an impressive unit, as drivers of the similarly equipped BMW 320d have testified.
The 2.5-litre V6 cars manage sixty in 8.2s on the way to 137mph, and have an impressively relaxed nature, especially when mated to the automatic gearbox. On the road, that emphasis on luxury continues.
The Rover sails over surfaces that would, quite frankly, be unpleasant in equivalent BMWs and Audis. Its quieter too in every area save that of wind noise. True, a 3 Series or an Alfa 156 is more fun to drive on a twisting country road, but a well-driven 75 wouldnt be that far behind: in every other circumstance, its the car youd rather be in, capable yet undemanding. The Tourers rear suspension is a little stiffer than the 75 saloons in order to cope with a full load, and its worth bearing in mind if you drive unloaded. Theres the usual choice of five-speed manual or a new five-speed automatic transmission which curiously, given this Rovers Bavarian parentage, isnt available with the Steptronic self-shifter that works so well on rival BMWs. Even so, this is the one to choose, the shift quality of the manual box, though adequate, not being one of the Rovers strong points.
The Rover 75 Tourer is one of those rare sub-£30,000 cars that retains a genuine sense of occasion whenever you get behind the wheel. The retro clocks and the buttoned down rectitude of the detailing all contributes to a huge feel good factor. Fortunately, used examples tend to have worn in very nicely and its difficult to find poor examples. The 2.
0-litre V6 is probably the only weak link, Rover recognising this fact when they replaced it with the 1.8T version. The pick of the range is probably a late CDTi diesel, but theres something to be said for all of the other powerplants. A solid used buy in more ways than one.
