Auto Express Driver Power 2011 : MG ZT and Rover 75 still in Top 15

Keith Adams

Rover 75 is still the 13th most popular car in the UK according to Auto Express readers
Rover 75 is still the 13th most popular car in the UK according to Auto Express readers

Six years on from the end of MG Rover as we knew it, the cars’ owners and enthusiasts seem as energised about their products as they ever did – and an excellent showing in the Auto Express Driver Power 2011 survey proves that. The overall results might have been a whitewash for Skoda, with the Superb topping the poll and two of the next three spots being taken by the Czech firm’s other models, but Rover, MG, MINI and Jaguar Land Rover all performed admirably well.

Top placing for AROnline’s fleet is the Jaguar XF, in third position, which continues its excellent performance in the Driver Power. It’s the third time the XF has finished in the top three in as many years and the Auto Express readers voted it number one for performance, braking and ease of driving – truly a impressive achievement given the strength of its opposition.

Next up, in 13th, is the Rover 75, down from seventh last year. Given that the 75’s been out of production for six years (discounting the MG7/Roewe 750 in China), this is an incredible performance, once again proving the longevity of the big-Brummie. It came first in the ‘Ride Quality’ and ‘Comfort’ categories (beating the Jaguar XF in both), with an overall approval rating of 87.84%.

Rounding out AROnline’s top three is the Land Rover Freelander, in 16th place overall. Given the frightful performance of the company’s products in the past, this is an excellent turn-round and one which bodes well for the Evoque during the months to come.

Honourable mention should also be given to the MINI, which rocketed up into third position in the handling category, falling in behind the Mazda MX-5 and RX-8 but beating the much-lauded Audi TT and Volkswagen Scirocco. The older R50 generation MINI also scored well in eighth position.

Overall, the Brits scored acceptably well, with Jaguar proving to be the highlight, but the Rover 75/MG ZT’s 13th position vindicates the view that its customer base is highly enthusiastic. According to recent results from the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) there are still nearly one million MG and Rover cars on the road in the UK. These figures demonstrate the longevity of MG Rover cars and the continued success of parts specialist XPart in keeping these highly regarded vehicles on the road.

Some models recorded a decline of just 1% from 2009 to 2010. XPart is proving extremely successful in enabling MG Rover owners to keep their cars on the road. With 92% part availability and programmes such as the write-off avoidance scheme Close Call, the company has provided MG Rover owners with the parts and servicing necessary to preserve their vehicles.

However, for AROnline readers, the main point of interest in future Auto Express Driver Power surveys will be how the MG6 and the other new MG models scheduled for launch during the next few years perform…

Auto Express Driver Power 2011

1 SKODA SUPERB NEW 92.06%
2 SKODA YETI 91.70%
3 JAGUAR XF 90.52%
4 SKODA OCTAVIA NEW 90.23%
5 NISSAN QASHQAI 89.91%
6 VAUXHALL INSIGNIA 89.02%
7 MERCEDES E-CLASS MKIV 88.99%
8 MERCEDES E-CLASS MKIII 88.54%
9 HYUNDAI I30 88.46%
10 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF MKVI 88.45%
11 VAUXHALL ASTRA MKVI 88.37%
12 HONDA JAZZ NEW 88.15%
13 ROVER/MG 75/ZT 87.84%
14 KIA CEE’D 87.77%
15 MERCEDES C-CLASS MKIII 87.73%
16 LAND ROVER FREELANDER NEW 87.49%
17 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO 87.48%
18 FORD S-MAX 87.44%
19 RENAULT LAGUNA MKIII 87.41%
20 SEAT LEON MKII 87.23%
21 MAZDA MX-5/RC MKIII 87.19%
22 AUDI TT/ROADSTER NEW 87.10%
23 SKODA FABIA NEW 87.08%
24 VOLVO V50 86.98%
25 FORD MONDEO MKIV 86.88%
26 SAAB 9-5 OLD 86.43%
27 JAGUAR S-TYPE 86.36%
28 HONDA JAZZ OLD 86.18%
29 HONDA CR-V MKIII 86.09%
30 MAZDA 6 NEW 86.09%
31 HONDA ACCORD MKVII 85.67%
32 NISSAN NOTE 85.66%
33 RENAULT MEGANE MKIII 85.50%
34 SEAT ALTEA 85.49%
35 BMW 3-SERIES MKIV 85.45%
36 AUDI A4 MKIV 85.39%
37 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF MKV 85.32%
38 AUDI A3 85.32%
39 AUDI A6 MKIII 85.29%
40 CITROEN C4 PICASSO 85.18%
41 VOLVO S60 85.12%
42 VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN 85.11%
43 BMW 5-SERIES MKV 85.08%
44 MERCEDES A-CLASS NEW 84.96%
45 HYUNDAI COUPE 84.95%
46 LEXUS IS NEW 84.92%
47 VAUXHALL ZAFIRA NEW 84.84%
48 AUDI A5 84.82%
49 JAGUAR X-TYPE 84.62%
50 FORD FIESTA MKVI 84.40%
Keith Adams

59 Comments

  1. It’s great to see that the 75 is doing so well. Round the corner from me are two 75s owned by next door neighbours… One’s a V6 75 and the other a ZT – I always want to ask who bought their’s first lol!

    Oh, and as AROnline’s resident Skoda Fan Boy, well done Skoda! 😉

  2. Brilliant news for what is still a great car. Even now, almost twelve years after the Rover 75 first went on sale, I still stop and admire well-cared for examples. I definitely plan to own an example of the Rover 75 one day.

  3. This just goes to show how great the 75 was in the first place – which makes MGR’s demise even more sad, when you think about it. The styling of the 75 hasn’t dated, either, which shows the skill which went into its design. I hope they stick around for much longer.

  4. Even six years on, I still get deeply depressed about MGR’s downfall and the final end of the Rover dynasty. However, it’s great to see that the 75/ZT are still performing so well.

    Let’s not forget that, back at the launch of its then halo car the Octavia in 1996, Skoda said that they wanted to become a rival for middle-market Rovers and it looks like they’ve done just that.

    The Driver Power results are also great news for Jaguar with its XF. It’s a real testament to the Designers and Engineers at JLR in Gaydon that they get it right every time. Audi, BMW and Mercedes can’t say that – Q7, X6 and C-Class Coupe anyone?!

  5. That is a stunning outcome for a car which has now been out of production for quite some time. How does this affect the debate that litters MGR forums regarding the reputation and possible future fate of the Rover marque?

    I’m constantly debating with myself the possibility of buying a nice, well-cared for 75. They are cheap as chips these days and, although not at all a practical decision, I simply can’t get the idea out of my head. The car still turns my head, just as much as it did in 1999, and a good example is still a fabulous looking motor, even 12 years on.

    The boys at The Firm finally managed to capture the essence of all that was good about Rover with the 75. They might even have reversed the slow decline of the name had circumstances been different.

    This survey demonstrates how close they came…

  6. It’s great news that the Rover 75 is still high in the ratings even though the car has now been out of production for some time – it’s the shame that MGR is not around these days. I hope to obtain a top spec example of a Rover 75 one day! I do fancy the Rover 75 4.6-litre – there’s one on eBay at the moment! It’s also nice that Jaguar XF is doing well too, but Land Rover is not doing too badly either.

  7. This Driver Power survey is good news for not only MG and Rover but also for Jaguar – not just with the XF but with the now dated X-TYPE and S-TYPE.

  8. I don’t think any of us should be surprised at this. I agree with WarrenL’s comments. Skoda have moved onto Rover’s territory. I think that the VW Group would have been a far better suitor for Rover than BMW.

    Maybe someone at Tata Motors is listening. Come on, try a Rover concept which sits below Jaguar…

  9. The Rover 75/MG ZT’s thirteenth place is pretty amazing given that they’ve been out of production for six years. However, on the other hand, this result isn’t in the least bit surprising given how impressive and totally right they are.

    I still can’t get over it – I drive a Rover 75 for the price of a normal car!! Just think what my £2500 could have bought…

  10. Well, as everyone else has said, the Rover 75 is just a superb car all round. The quality, the attention to detail, craftsmanship and, quite frankly, pedigree, will always give the Rover 75 an unfair advantage.

  11. Can I be the only one here to have a rubbish MG ZT?! Mine was bought new by me in 2005, has only done 56000 miles and been serviced every 6000 at a former Main Dealer. I’ve had to replace pretty much everything – the latest items were clouded over, worn out headlight perspex at £500 each and, 3000 miles ago, a head gasket. The list is endless: clutch, water pump, petrol pump, etc. Yet, very strangely, when the car works, I absolutely adore driving it – even though it’s the most badly made car I’ve ever owned.

  12. The point about the 75 is that it was totally faithful to the Rover heritage, giving it class and character apart from other cars. That’s why its still remembered here.

  13. 13th place? That’s a bit low for a 75…

    No BMWs anywhere above 35th place – haha!

  14. The Rover 75, which was first sold 12 years ago and ceased production 6 years ago, came 13th. The Ford Mondeo was first sold 3(?) years ago and is still in production but could not manage better than 25th.

    Ironically, last week, an Autocar columnist wondered why more people don’t but a Mondeos. I wonder why so many do!

  15. I have owned a 75 2.5 in the past and have just bought a MG ZT 190 – they’re superb in every respect. MG needs to get back some of the interior ambience with their new offerings – that’s something Rover did so well.

    I will keep this one for as long as is practical. Rover 75s and MG ZTs are so cheap at the moment that I would suggest any MG Rover fan buying one – under £2k in most cases. I prefer the pre-Project Drive models hence mine being a late 2003 model.

  16. @Simon
    Didn’t Project Drive start in 2001 though? Project Drive was where they started looking for seemingly insignificant bits they could get away with stripping out to reduce costs. I think you mean pre-facelift and, in that case, I’d agree they didn’t look so good from the MY04 models onwards.

  17. This is a great result and confirms what I have always thought – it’s possible to turn around the fortunes a marque with very low image with the right cars (Skoda) and that Rover is still a brand with a following.

    Let’s hope someone at Tata Motors considers these factors as well as the strong following across all age groups as evidenced at PoL last weekend. I reckon that, with the right car and a high quality Dealer Network, a relaunch of Rover should be just the right move – especially given the increasingly “naff image” of BMW.

  18. @David Dawson
    Well said! There are over 10,000 members signed up to the Rover 75 and MG ZT Owners Club forum and that clearly shows the popularity of these two models – if people want to avoid them and drive something mundane, then good luck to them. Even now, 12 years after I first sat in a Rover 75 as someone in my twenties, I still aspire to own one.

  19. Kevin Davis :
    Owners’ of the 75 seem to like them. Everyone else avoids them.

    Kev.

    I love them – but I can’t have a car more than 3 years old under the terms of my car allowance. Not quite “everyone else” then…

  20. This Driver Power survey just shows that Rover got it right originally and, even six years later, it’s still right. I reckon that, if MG Motor UK can repeat that result with the new MG6, then they could be on a winner.

  21. Take heed Mr Clarkson and the rest of those who talk nonsense about UK engineering and manufacturing. I hope a piano falls on him…

  22. This result is not really a surprise when you consider that many who buy these cars a generally enthusiasts of the marque. That said, despite Project Drive, the Rover 75 and MG ZT still had a great range of dynamic abilities and are still certainly two of the best cars from the era in terms of handling – especially the ZT (which is included in the 13th position).

    The MG6 has got a tough act to follow but, given that the company is essentially starting from scratch, we won’t really know what the results are going to be for the next couple of years.

    My only real concern is mechanical reliabilty and and customer service. Perceived quality, whilst an important aim, is far less important than reliability and customer service – in that order. Get reliability wrong and the company will never be forgiven – AT ALL!! Customer service can be fixed but this takes a while – reliability, though, is key to ensuring the brand stays alive and to slap the smirk of the doubters’ faces.

    Handling will be in the bag, even if performance isn’t – but the key is reliability, reliability, reliability!

  23. I’m wondering whether Skoda drivers aren’t just a little too easily pleased. I’ve never actually driven one, but they just look like re-badged Volkswagens to me!

  24. Mark Pitchford :

    Kevin Davis :Owners’ of the 75 seem to like them. Everyone else avoids them.
    Kev.

    I love them – but I can’t have a car more than 3 years old under the terms of my car allowance. Not quite “everyone else” then…

    Rover 75s and MG ZTs are falling into banger territory now, taking over where the 800 left off. They are good value for money, but the average buyer wants to take their car for servicing or get parts from their local dealer, not hunt around a breaker’s yard or a Rover parts specialist in the Midlands. That’s what puts buyers off. I see so many at auction, unwanted by anyone even when they are a few hundred quid.

  25. @Tim Collis
    No, probably not because, despite the fact that Skodas are cheap and cheerful, they simply work – not only that but it appears they seem to score on customer service and customer loyalty. The indications of an older target market, perhaps?

    I guess that, if you buy a SEAT with your heart, you’d buy a Skoda with your head and that’s what older people will tend to do. Well, except for the OAP I saw driving a white Nissan GTR in Coventry with his wife lol!

  26. I suppose that, as with all these Driver Power and JD Power surveys, you can take these results with a pinch of salt. The cars that win are always those that are likely to be privately owned by people of a certain age who will spend more time polishing than driving their cars. Pampered like this they won’t, of course, go wrong much! The BMWs, Fords and Vauxhalls which usually score a lower rating will be driven to within an inch of their lives and scored more objectively.

  27. I have owned five Skodas including a Favorit, a Felicia Fun and several Fabia TDIs. I choose them because they are individual, clever and have a genuine heritage. The later models have been a bit mainstream but the Superb 2 and Yeti still exhibit Skoda’s flair. The Yeti seems to be the modern, good quality equivalent of the original Freelander. Chosen carefully, Skodas are just so damn satisfying.

    Jon.

  28. It really warms the heart to see that the Rover 75 still goees from strength to strength but that makes the collapse of MG Rover even more sad…

    However, I am sure of one thing: there is no chance of Rover achieving such a result in a similar survey here in Israel!

    Rovers were always overpriced here and suffered from an importer who only cared for money – unlike in the UK there are no Dealers and when a company is chosen to represent a car manufacturer like Rover, that company becomes the sole importer and authorises all Rover outlets as well as being the only source for original spare parts.

    Nowadays, the former Rover importer still imports Land Rovers into Israel and controls the whole market. A water pump for a Discovery costs in the region of 300-400 NIS (New Israeli Shekels – £1.00 = 5.8 NIS) but the importer sells the part about 1400 to 1500 NIS and that doesn’t include the cost of the labour!

    Anyway, that’s why Rovers were always regarded as being “Honda’s poor cousin” in Israel. Sad, sad!!!

    However, it’s great to see good guys like Keith Adams and his friends at AROnline still writing about Austin, Rover and the other BMC>MG marques with such enthusiasm. Keep up the good work lads!!!

    Bless you,

    Itzhak Nissan,
    Israel

  29. @Jon
    I read somewhere the Yeti is so popular that it has a huge waiting list. Skoda has come a long way in people’s perception. I’ve always been a fan and have often fancied making an Estelle Rally Replica, a sort of poor man’s Gordini R8. The Octavia RS Estate looks like a neat tool and the Superb seems to be a lot of car for the right sort of money.

    I think that it’s a shame that a company like VAG didn’t buy MGR off BMW rather than sell it to those Four Carpetbaggers. Actually, if BAe had sold Rover Group to Honda rather than BMW in the first place, that would have been better still.

  30. @Kevin Davis
    I’ve had no real problem sourcing parts thus far. A local XPart agent once had difficulties but that was more down to their particular failings than a general parts supply problem. The former local MG Rover Dealer, Windsors of Wallasey, still has a fully stocked MG Rover parts warehouse.

    I don’t for a moment think the Rover 75 and MG ZT have entered the ‘banger’ market. Values may be low but the term banger implies wrecked whereas virtually all the Rover 75s and MG ZTs I see would better be described as cherished.

  31. I agree with the some of Kevin Davis’ comments about parts supply being an issue. I’ve just had to scrap my old 220GTi because parts are no longer available. SAIC Motor need to realise that the Rover owners of the past are the MG owners of the future. I am about to inherit my late father’s 75 Tourer so I hope that my local MG Dealer will be better equipped to look after it.

  32. @Simon Woodward
    Unfortunately, Honda never had any intention of buying Rover Group outright at any point of the two companies’ cooperation and VW already had too many brand names to handle.

    However, I’m sure Tata Motors and maybe even one of the big Korean car companies could have handled MG Rover better and would definitely have appreciated some well-known brand names in their portfolios.

  33. Craig Tetlow :
    @Simon Woodward

    Unfortunately, Honda never had any intention of buying Rover Group outright at any point of the two companies’ cooperation and VW already had too many brand names to handle.

    However, I’m sure Tata Motors and maybe even one of the big Korean car companies could have handled MG Rover better and would definitely have appreciated some well-known brand names in their portfolios.

    I am glad that you have pointed this out about Honda. Despite what was widely reported about the BMW deal to takeover the Rover Group, Honda had first refusal to up their stake in the Group to 51 percent, leaving the remaining stake to be purchased by Rover’s management. Honda simply dithered around and never came across as that committed in progressing from their first offer of 47 percent to 51 percent which would have given them outright control. They can only blame themselves, not BMW.

    Volkswagen would have been a interesting choice although, back in the early 1990s, the company was in financial trouble based on producing too many variations of platforms and other components across the Volkswagen Audi Group, thus resulting poor productivity and high costs. The Rover Group, particularly the cars, would have ultimately become like Skoda – a well-regarded name, although you wouldn’t have had to look that hard to see the heavy reliance on Volkswagen components through its body styling and use of prominant secondary components.

    This is why I am not a Skoda fan – because little of its own design flair and individuality is that evident beyond Volkswagen-influenced surface form and superficial styling cues such as the muscular bonnet and chrome radiator grille.

  34. Simon Woodward :
    @Jon

    I think that it’s a shame that a company like VAG didn’t buy MGR off BMW rather than sell it to those Four Carpetbaggers. Actually, if BAe had sold Rover Group to Honda rather than BMW in the first place, that would have been better still.

    The relationship between the Rover Group and Honda was not looking that rosy towards the end. Remember that Rover had become too reliant on either keeping old designs alive through facelifts (e.g. Metro and 800 Series) or signing up to Licensing Agreements with Honda for new models. Cars like the 600 Series and HHR 400 Series showed that Rover was ultimately restricted in what it could do to enhance and further develop these models based on what it knew its customers wanted.

    Honda had clearly been aware of how well Rover had used the R8 programme for launching a raft of new bodystyles and trim-related variants, some of which competed with some of Honda’s own models such as the CRX based on an entirely different platform design. Licensing Agreements for the 600 and HHR would clearly prevent Rover’s designers from achieving the same level of success, with Honda ultimately being in the position to determine what Rover could and could not do. Hence, why there was no 600 Series estate or HHR 400 Series estate. HHR may have had decent build quality and a great chassis design, but in terms of body styling, Honda clearly did not do Rover (or themselves) any favours and clearly put self-pride before sound design aethestics.

    The Rover Group, although a profit-making company, was not generating enough profit to fund new models for the Cars division and the increasing demands of Land Rover. With British Aerospace providing a pittance in investment in the Rover Group, despite having sold some of Rover Group’s property assets, Rover Cars was ultimately forced to either enter into Licensing Agreements with Honda or keep reheating old designs to remain competitive in the marketplace.

  35. I only ever drove a 75 once, on a test drive. I love the interior (coming from a classic cars background) and it’s aged well. The highlight of the drive was the panic on the face of the garage minion as I scooted it out onto a roundabout into a space I don’t think he would have tried in a thousand years – it’s amazing how driving Renault 25s and Mercs can give you a sense of what you can and can’t do…

    A Rover 75 has come up for just over a grand near me but, sadly, I can’t afford it – it’s the 1.8 Turbo version in that pale blue colour. I was surely tempted – but I think I am going to look at something like a Clio Baccara next – cheaper to run, rare and with all the luxury and gadgets…

  36. @Craig Tetlow
    That’s not surprising because there is still a gap in Tata Motors’ European portfolio for lower premium cars to compete with the likes of VW.

    However, any new Rovers would seriously need to shake off the retro image though. The problem for MG Rover was not the fact that everything was retro – it’s the fact that everything was retro for too long – the more you take design DNA down that route the more stagnated it becomes.

    Mind you, Rover is unlikely to come back in the next 15 years because Tata Motors is aiming to release its own brand cars in this sector and I guarantee you that at least half of the work on those new models will be done here in the West Midlands and the rest elsewhere including a fair amount in India.

  37. Kevin Davis :
    Any car over 10 years old is a banger these days.

    Thank you for that. I won’t bother to look at trying to preserve something interesting such as a Rover 200 BRM LE or an early Rover 75 but will, instead, have a nearly new Korean-built supermini as my main car, supporting Korean rather than former British manufacturing jobs in the process.

  38. Rover 75s just can’t be beaten. Mine is a 2001 1.8 Tourer with a gas conversion. I’ve had it from new and done 129,000 miles – in terms of reliability, it has never let me down and I’ve never had such a dependable car. It had a head gasket and cambelt at 62,000 but absolutely nothing else so, apart from tyres, one back box and one set of brake pads, that’s it! The rest is original except the battery which lasted nine years! I love it!

    It’s underpowered but will keep it until it will go no more. It’s also the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven – proof, if ever that was needed, that Rover got it right in the end!

  39. That’s a superb result, so many years after the 75 has been withdrawn!

    I’ve just bought a 2002 Jaguar S-Type V6 Sport which is the same age as my 75. I can’t get more than £1000 for her, so I’ll keep her – argue as much as you want, but the 75 is in banger category well and truly! Anyhow, the stalks and switchgear/dash binacle on the Jaguar are really cheap compared to the 75’s and the interior space is more limited despite a bigger body to say nothing of the boot shape/capacity! Did Jaguar re-launch the four-door coupe a decade before the Germans did with their Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Volkswagen Passat CC?

    I just wish I hadn’t buy my 75 with the K-Series engine (HGFs been dealt with) – it’s so harsh and agricultural compared to the silky 3.0-litre V6 in the Jaguar -that could have been mated with a 6-speed manual rather than just five! I would love to compare both an S-TYPE and a 75 with V6 engines…

  40. AROnline readers should also note that the 75 registered two No.1 spots in the survey too. My Auto Express (AE) is not to hand, but I seem to remember them being in the ‘Ride’ and ‘Comfort’ categories and, having taken a few runs to the Welsh coast and Hertfordshire over the last 2 weeks in my 75 Tourer, that was ever more so reinforced.

    I would not hesitate to pick up the newest 75 Tourer in the right spec in the right circumstances if one came up. I spent some time tracking mine down and, ironically, after a wide search, found it on my doorstep.

    I’m enlighted by this week’s AE reporting a replacement MG7 is on the cards and this might be something for the future for me. However, MG-Roewe haven’t had/don’t seem to have any interest in estates, which is a shame. Still, never say never? From small acorns…

  41. I bought my 2004 75 CDTi in 2005 – I was 28 at the time and I’ve often wondered if I was the youngest 75 owner!

    The fact that this car continues to score so highly is no surprise – as James May even acknowledged on Top Gear after MGR had gone bust, it is a truly great car. It still looks fantastic, goes like stink when overtaking, is surprisingly economical and even reasonably practical.

    My mate just bought a new Golf and, every time I get in it, I can’t believe how horribly plasticky it is (ditto most other cars). Whenever my wife and I take it to Italy it draws a lot of attention: a guy in an Alfa leant out of his window and looked admiringly at it – a couple of Italian schoolboys even shouted out “che bella Rover!” at me. It just seems to be in the UK that it doesn’t turn heads.

    I love my 75 to bits and I have no intention of ever getting rid of it.

  42. I have to agree, at least in part, with the banger comment – I think, though, it depends on the spec. Saloons with petrol engines and Club spec trim are very cheap and are certainly in banger territory price wise but, saying that, I can’t recall seeing a 75 on the road that I would describe as a banger i.e. bumpers bodged with gaffer tape, missing wheel trims etc.

    I just had a quick look on eBay at prices for Tourers with the diesel engine and, fully loaded with leather trim and all the toys, they still fetch £2.5k, pricing them out of disposable banger territory, for now. Admittedly though, like any car, they all eventually end up becoming bangers given time.

    This is probably because in top spec you get a whole lot of car for your money and, in estate form, there still aren’t that many cars around which offer the same level of luxury in an estate – we’re talking Merc C- Class (which has a tiny boot) or the Jaguar X-TYPE if you want a comparable estate.

  43. True, when I visited my mum last year, my friends asked me how I could afford a Jaguar! They are quite scarce over there, so few know what they actually are! Oh, and, yes, I love my 75 to bits…

  44. Surely this great and, to be honest, quite amazing news – a car which has been out of production for six years has some 13th in a Drivers’ Satisfaction Poll. This just goes to show how the Rover 75 has shone in its twilight years…

    Tata Motors should surely reignite the Rover brand and, in particular, the 75. The 99/00 models are still very fresh looking cars and I still think that the Rover brand name is much stronger on the world stage than MG…

  45. Still totally satisfied with my 75.

    From a practcal perspective – reliability, costs, etc – I can’t complain.

    From a car fanatic perspective, the novelty still hasn’t really worn off. I still enthuse about the car and just love the drive. Never before did I think wafting along in a sedate fashion could be so fun.

    Not just a satisfied owner but also an enthusiastic owner.

  46. @44
    ‘Any car over 10 years old is a banger these days’
    That will be why a 1964 250GTO is worth more than the average oxfordhire village then..

  47. I think all cars eventually hit rock bottom value, then plateau a while , then start climbing up again , 75s are on the slide still , with a wee bit to go before the true ‘banger’ territory , the 600 is now as low is it can go and the 800 is just about to start climbing in value after a while at rock bottom.

  48. I have a problem with trying to replace my red MG ZT (04)with all the goodies (dimming rear view mirror and other stuff). I have looked at a newish Freelander S and a Jaguar XF. Each time I have tried to part with the car the sales reps go on about how great my car looks and how good they are . They then tell me the pittance (£700) that I will get for my car against the £18000 and £16000 respectively for the Freelander and Jaguar. I’ve had the car for over 8 years- how long will I keep it? Can you imagine what new MG Rovers would have been like if they had stayed under British control. It would have been the same success story of Land Rover and Jaguar.

  49. Is it any wonder the car is still rated? because it is a superb car and a extremely strong structured car,apart from HGF which is almost a thing of the past with MLS gaskets and black inlet gaskets.

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