Why A 20 Year Old Student's Perfect Car Is.... A Rover 75 Automatic!? (Cheap Car Review) 

Thanks James for featuring my car hopefully I get a V8 at some point !

I think these Rovers are gorgeous cars. It's no wonder to me that the Italians named it 'the most beautiful car in the world' when it was launched.

Would love more videos on older second hand type cars. As much as I love the videos on the supercars, this was awesome.

Finally there is a decent fair review on these cars

I'm not going to lie, the old man in me wants the diesel estate rover 75

I absolutely adore the shape of this car!

I was in my 20s when I got my rover 75. And still stands as one of my favourite cars, next to my jags. It made me realise that comfy big cars were for me. I only had the simple Club SE version and 1.8. Still miss it.

I'm a 23 yo student and I own a 2l v6 manual rover 75! In Spain thought, which is even weirder.

I had a 75 CDTi, I loved driving that and it could do one thing none of my cars did or do now. You could get in and just drive and keep driving without getting tired. Best run was Cornwall from West London, 270 miles in (ahem) 3 1/2 hours non-stop, A-roads, motorways, twisties, and I got out without an ache or pain. Did Liverpool and back in a day, 540miles, same again, no bother at all. I bought it at 32 and kept it 13 years, a fabulous car that everyone liked, even my mates.

Great video, completely underrated car. Love mine to bits, one owner from new, 2004 2.5 V6 Connoisseur in British Racing Green on Beige, 50.000 miles. Cheers from Chile 🇨🇱.

Had my 75 for just over 2 years now, was 17 when I bought my 2.0 Diesel saloon. Its never let me down and is comfier than anything else for the money.

Not going to lie I have a soft spot for the 75 and im in my 20s

I've got one. It's kept in the garage and gets taken out during the summer it's also the V6 Coinniseur SE 2.5 . Slightly higher spec than the one your driving. If you want performance then you have got to get it on the Motorway. Above 70 mph the acceleration is very good and I have had it up past 137 mph on 2 occasions with no problem and on one of those occasions I burned a new Jag XJ 2.7 diesel who was astonished at just how quickly I dispensed of him 😀. But they are meant to be long distance cruisers and will waft along all day at 80 mph without breaking sweat. I can also report that on the Motorway on a trip to Edinburgh from Plymouth I averaged 39 mpg and that's normal for them. However about town they are more likely to return 22 mpg or less. Get them serviced properly and you will rarely ever have a problem with them and keep an eye on the oil and water because the engine always runs hot as normal so top up regularly and they are fine. Thanks for a great review 👍

I’ve got a MG ZT 190, owned it for almost three years now. Used it everyday. I’ve owned a lot of expensive cars over the years but this is one of my favourite cars. It’s on eBay if anyone is interested...! Fantastic cars!! Rover Group spent a fortune developing the 75.

They are very well built...!!! 👍 Comfortable, a bargain...!!! 😉

I actually have the 2.0 engine in mine. It also makes a lot of sound, but doesn't go anywhere. Also, as 75 I owner started to appreciate, almost enjoy fixing the problems this car has with water when the drains clog up. 13:55 there's water sloshing about inside the fog light.

I bought a blue Rover 75 Connoisseur CDT (diesel) when I was 19 for £620. Lovely car. I have a Volvo S80 now, at 21, which is even better.

i have a CDTi tourer Connie SE and its by far the best car I've owned in 30 years. Needs a fair bit of maintenance to keep on the road but still way cheaper than a new rental eurobox!! :)

This was the last car my father brought before he passed. The 13 year old me was also mortified he would never choose another car brand but now I find myself regularly enjoying all Rover reviews especially the p5b, P6 and SD1

My 1994 Rover 820 Viteese Turbo was seen as a cool Q-car when I owned it back in 1997, bought with a massive discount through BAE employee and family discount. With a free flow stainless exhaust, cone filter, some lowering springs, and an adjustable mechanical (homemade) boost controller, it would keep up with Sapphire 4x4 Cossies, yet attract non of the bad attention! It had leather Recaros, all the goodies, and a DIY built in 12v CarPC with 7"touchscreen SatNav and massive MP3 & movie library., OBDII style engine monitoring etc.. years before S-Class Merc's had that kit from factory.... I could go on...

Thanks for this vid reviving the Rover 75 name. I once had a petrol V6 75 in royal blue with black upholstery and absolutely loved it. The colour offset against the chrome and alloys looked so good. Bought it second hand (12 years old) because it was a whole lot of car for the money compared to say a Merc, Audi or BMW at that time. There were a few problems and I would say it was a concept on the right track but not quite perfected. Effortless driving, great cruising and on any journey you could arrive feeling the same as when you departed. Sport mode didn't pin you to back of the seat but the engine and its rumble exuded torquey confidence, even with a full complement of passengers. Yes, as the vid states the fuel consumption was high, especially around town but no problem, it was not a daily driver. I've driven modern luxury cars and, yes they too are like magic carpets but, I've never felt they were any better. Maybe because of their bloated size they don't have that sense of regal sportiness!

Great video, 22yo architecture student with a Rover 75 CDTi.

Oh my goodness me, Mr Martin! I absolutely love it. KV6 engine, automatic gearbox, beige leather interior, Connoisseur SE specification, possibly even on MG Rover fleet plates, it is brilliant!

I was given this model 75 to use as a work vehicle for 4 months in my early twenties and to date I still say it is the nicest car I've ever driven. Here today watching this as I'm seriously considering buying one as a secondary 'treat'.

Love it, even the water in the front fog light is Rover.

I love all these, MGZTs, Rover 75's, 2,5 V6s , the V8s.,,,,even the Turbo Diesels. I love them all, and the Estates are so handsome. Looking at a V8 but then I say that about every car. If only I had an empty warehouse . . . .

Brought up with these cars OH THE NOSTALGIA ❤

Had Rover 25 as my first car cost me 300 and 900 insurance for my first year, was a bucket of fun. Avoided any headgasket issues. Got my 1 years NCB and got an audi a3 1.8t. I rate rover alot I never see them about and they're fairly cheap to run. Good video as always

My grand-daughter was in mine once and asked if it was a Rolls Royce? I told her "No, it's better, it's a Rover 75!"

First time I’ve seen this channel. Really enjoyed it, very professional presentation. Subscribed.

It's no good me denying it! I've got to get me one of those. But then, I am 54 next month... Seriously though, I liked them from when they were new. Great styling, wood and leather: you look at it and it makes no pretence about what it is: Comfy, mildly luxurious gentle transport.

I was still in my 20's when I had a Saab Aero Estate.

The 75 with the BMW Diesel genuinely is a good car and can be got for nothing! Neighbors had two of them, Dad and son and the son drove his hard for years and years and years and had very little issues and they eventually sold the both of them and both were still running perfect when they traded them in. Really understated car good to see it getting attention.

Always had a soft spot for these

I have a blue manual v6 petrol engine 2.0 Rover 75 car I bought in 2010. A world class prestigiuos car.. Thank you all the classic car owners for appreciating something good.

This is still my favourite type of content. To add to my Fleet a cheap daily was narrowed down to this and an e46 320d. In the end I found a bmw that was too good to refuse but I absolutely loved the rover. Just a brilliant budget like muncher

There is something to be said for big Rovers, a friend of mine had (late '80's) an 3500i Vitesse, though not as quick as my car, when we had to take a road trip it was ALWAYS in the Rover.

I had a base model zt diesel that was superchipped to 160bhp. Loved that car and would have definitely have another.

Glad to see a good review on the 75. I had a 2.0 Connie Diesel for 5 years.....and it was a brilliant car....and much more reliable than most of my friends German cars. Would have kept it if it was a auto.

Excellent review!! It feels brilliant to drive, it hugs the road and relaxes the souls ha I love this car, faults n all

I drove one of these when they were new…..loved it.

We had two Connoisseurs, the second one being delivered about a month before Rover went bust. They were wonderful cars. The second one did 76,000 miles and needed none of the usual replacements - battery, exhaust, etc.

I wouldn't say that they are more prestigious than bmws over here in Greece, however you see them rather rarely, which might contribute to them being a bit more special. They are nice looking sedans, so that also helps as well.

Exactly this. I purchased a 1.8 Club 6 years ago. OK, head gasket needed doing - no surprise there but since then sweet as a nut. Passed its MOT this week with no advisories and the longer I have it the more I enjoy it. Relatively easy to do DIY stuff on and good forum support and parts availability. It turns heads and plenty of car park conversations to be had. Cheap insurance and road tax and LEZ compliant across the UK. What's not to like.

Love this video :) I'm quite amused by the water you see sloshing in the front light housing when you get a shot from the side of the front bumper. I say this as someone that's going to get in to a different British car tomorrow that's almost certainly got a puddle in the footwell...

Shame how rover met their end, I live in Ireland and have seen about 5 rovers maybe in the past 6 months I think, very rare

Just bought a 99-V 2.5 Connoisseur with 61k miles and a full service history. Really enjoyed this video, thanks.

This was the first car I bought with my late dad had to give up driving now as im losing my sight. But Truly this car was like a cruise ship on the M4, It went from wales to the hospitals in london like a dream. The ride is amazing, If you can find out and it checks out dive on it. they are amazing, It still has one of the best rides ever. Went in a BMW once and the seats were like you find at the doctors surgery. We had a Gold one it was bloody amazing

I had what is known as a 'dealer launch' car, these were a special batch which was all Wedgwood blue and connoisseur spec 2.5 suto V6 cars, in some ways higher spec than the SE. They were built to be on display at the dealers on the day of the launch and so had every imaginable option that was available, only the folding mirrors, reversing sensors and automatic rear view mirror (allegedly the parts had yet to be delivered to the factory when they were built so they went out without them). A wonderful car, it did what was needed of it very well when I was doing 30K a year.

Just bought one of these. I'm nearly 40 and needed it as a town car for my mum. My first car for a few years and feels good compared to the S-Type 3.0 and XJ6 that I previously owned for the same reason, and was a consideration this time too. Although on fuel econonmy, my 35 year old 2.8 Capri (V6) is also capable of over 30mpg regularly, so a youngster of a 20-year old car with a smaller engine should be able to match it. I like the vintage style dials and interior.

My ZT 190 is sadly on deaths door, but they are bloody excellent to drive. Used mine for a commute to Gloucester to Swindon daily and it always put a smile on my face.....until the radiator exploded

Owned one of these (estate) for half a decade. Fantastic car.

MY first car was a rover 45 1.4 which I still have, second car was a rover 45 1.8 now I've got a rover 75 1.8, my dad and granddad always had rovers. I love them, apart from from the horrible 200 box thing that came out in the 80's. Can't fault my 75.

missing my rover 75 cdt every single day now. what a car, there is not many that can even compare...

Still great cars these. So much so we became a Specialist for them in 2005 #Jules75ZT We've owned our same ZT and a 75 since 2005 and drive them daily. They have a couple of design flaws and many idiosyncrasies, many of which are very cheap or free to fix (just time) Main 2 are to keep the plenum drains clear and add a JULES75ZT leaf guard. The radiator cooling fan has a very short life for which we introduced a Revotec upgrade kit. (See Owners Club for details) Great vid for great cars BTW. Maybe do a review on the ZT190 or V8 260 soon. You'll love it!!

My dad worked for Rover and he had a Rover 75 which he passed on to me when he could no longer get down into it. I LOVED it, the problem was that I am now taking him to hospital more now and obviously he still struggled to get into it so I had to change it for a Nissan Juke that I definitely don't love. It handled impeccably, the engine ran as smooth as can be and together with the low slung suspension gave a great ride. The clutch failed at 120K and as a result the slave cylinder and dual weight fly wheel had to be replaced, it was an expensive job as the gear box had to be removed to do the work. One of the guys at my local garage bought it as they were aware of its history, originally just as a run around until he could get the parts to repair his Jeep, but he fell in love with it too. They used to call it the silver beast and so when I sold it to him I wished him many happy adventures making the silver beast purr, he said 'nah, I'm going to make the beast ROAR'. So I told him that I could easily get 85mph out of it and he looked really surprised, next time I saw him he had done just that and said that he thought that my claim was BS and was absolutely delighted with its performance. If I win the lottery, I will be buying one again.

Would I be wrong to think you'd better buy a 2003 Rover 75 than any 2003 Jaguar? Lovely interior too.

Why? Because is a high quality car, with a gorgeous engine sound, faster than many cars nowadays. It's faster than my MX-5, which is a sports car. And imho the Estate version looks better :D You can get the Diesel if you cannot afford the real deal...

@JayEmm on Cars I love the Rover 75. My first one was the Same 2.5 V6 auto that my parents paid only 200£. We took it to France and to Serbia. Our second and current Rover 75 is the facelift 2.0 M47 diesel and its brilliant. It isn't fully loaded like the V6 but its still a great car. We paid that car 300£. So 2 Rover 75 for 500£.

Such an underrated car in so many way. I’d much rather have this and be different from the endless muppets in BMWs and Audis on the UK roads. Great video

Your opinion of the Rovers suspension being as good as the Audi A8 is spot on! The best suspension that gave a smooth ride and great road holding at the same time was a Rover forte' I had the 214 & it proved miles better than any of the Fords/Vauxhalls I have had! It was the motoring press that was very anti-British products from the late 70s on that basically killed the UK car companies

I must say I really like these cars even though they are a old mans car. Very quiet and comfy on long runs, and got some punch if you need to overtake another car on the freeway.

I owned a 75 many years ago and it was a great experience. Yes, ist was the 2 liter and it was thursty but ist delivered great jaguarish sound, especially in a Tunnel........

A close friend has a rare long wheel base version...he loves it and often takes it to shows.

The diesel engine is the pick of the bunch for the 75's. My second car was a Rover 75 Connoisseur Manual CDT I put 55k miles on it in a couple of years and it cost me next to nothing. 50 mpg was a given no matter how you drove it. Very comfy car, with a lovely soft suspension. Only got rid of it as I wanted more power and a sportier drive.

I still believe the 75 was the best luxury car of its time. While everyone was trying to get more sporty the 75 focused on comfort and quality.

Been in this very car and indeed the noise didn't come through on camera. It sounds very unique in person and also subtly crackles and pops on overrun.

Old but gold 👍

That shirt has got to be the most technologically advanced thing in that car!

I bought my Rover 414i 9 years ago for £450 But I had the chance to buy a navy blue Rover 75 for £1500. A beautiful car but went for the Rover 414i (96 P) I still have it today & I'm treating it as a potential classic car.

Very capable car, still good looking and a nice interior, what’s not to like? The only thing that puts people off these is the old duffer, pipe and slippers image.

These are definitely my guilty pleasure car 👍

I have the Rover 75 conni SE. Beautiful car...reliable...no issues. I love it. I had a merc before. I spent more time under the hood than i did inside.....Cost me a fortune.

I love these cars so much. My father bought one for my mother back in 2000, a 75 Connoisseur « línea personal » with that same V6. It was actually a former press car and one of the first ones to ever arrive in Mexico, it was a very pretty light blue on the outside and it had an also unusual blue leather interior. It was a very exotic car back then, as you never really saw them in large numbers, much like Saabs or Alfa Romeos were here (this was back when large American cars were still considered a status symbol and luxury European cars had only been sold for about eight years, and were significantly more expensive) and it was the only one on the neighborhood. However, when the brand disappeared, there really wasn’t any dealer network left (which, as they were first launched by an independent importer, prior to being sold by MG Mexico, wasn’t very strong to begin with) and some of the issues which were already starting to surface, could not be addressed by the former dealer anymore and BMW never really sold them in the first place, so they could never service them at all. The car was then fixed and regularly serviced by an independent mechanic and was driven for at least seven or eight more years, when symptoms of a head gasket failure made us sell it for a huge loss to a shady dealer lot. My parents then bought a Buick Lacrosse, which they still own to this day without any problem. I showed them this video and it brought us back a lot of memories. Thank you for such a good video, keep up the great work!

Not a bad car. However people liked the jaguar S type more which made to 75 rarer. Great video and great review on this rover

had one as a courtesy car while my 400 was being fixed. I loved it

Always liked these as well!

My 75 Great 2.0 CDTI 136 CV 2003 Engi BMW love this car bye from Portugal ✌️

God I love Rover. I hope JLR revive it one day. Maybe a competitor to Rolls and Bentley as Rover was at the beginning.

Have this model . Am living in Ireland but got this from England. Still gets good looks

More of this content please J, top stuff and very informative. Nice to see an old dog still playing a trick.

If it's 2003 then it's well into the Project Drive cost cutting scheme, it's the top spec model and yet they deleted something as cheap as the grab handle above the drivers door. In 15-20 years time people will be fawning over the 75 / MG-ZT in the same way middle aged men today wax lyrical and pay silly money for the Ford RS and XR models of the 80's.

This is a cracking motor that you can pick up for peanuts these days. The best car that Rover had produced for years.

We had one back in the day. A brand new 1st gen 52 plate. Loved it and I want another plus it could balance out the swift sport.

Lovely car, the 75. I always liked the 800 when they were current, and thought the 75 looked a bit stodgy and uninspired when it came out. 20 years on and I think they have aged beautifully and, the pre Project Drive cars at least, feel beautifully built and engineered. Wonderful cars to drive, in V6 flavour, with ride quality to rival a Rolls-Royce, according to one contemporary road test. I am just about to get a pre Project Drive 75 and I can't wait.

6:25 Now that's what I call timeless 😍

Nice interesting watch, some real in depth knowledge there. Cheers 👍 Jack

I must admit that I had a green Diesel Rover 75 as Company Car back in the days. I also admit: I liked it and it worked fine for 2 years I had it.

Bimble, what a lovely word

First of all: Great channel - I really enjoy your videos and comments. Regarding that Rover - I had it once for a few days as a rental after someone crashed my car. When I picked it up from nearby rental, the woman behind the counter said "Sorry!" as she gave me the keys. And yes - it was by far the worst car I've eben been in. And that includes the 1978 VW Polo - my 1st car ;) But it was fun - it was so horrible that I had to laugh all the time ;)

I recently sold my 14 year old Saab 93 Aero which was starting to rust and bought a 16 year old Rover 75 Connoisseur, which isn't. I don't drive it much but I do love to look at it. So much so that I bought the registration AR05 VER. Oh, and I've got a bus pass.

Have to say Rover did a great design job on these given their limited budgets and resources at the time. The ZT variant is a good steer too.

the more i learn about rover the more i like them (as a fellow 20 year old student). This and the 200 coupe that Matt has both seem like excellent cars. Stuff like the 827 vitesse and SD1 are obviously before my time but also very cool. it just seems a shame to me that the only way to get a luxury saloon these days is to go to the german manufacturers.

Am a 20 y/o student which my dad keeps trying to get me to buy his 75 which is identical to the one in the photo 😂

I've driven quite a few of these in the land down under. I've always liked them. Enough power to get along, Great handling (for what it is) and a comfortable interior. Love the look from the front end too. It's only real downside is the 'old man' look that it has, It was clear who they wanted to buy these cars back in the day.

I'm 24 and own an mg ztt 190+ and absolutely love it! P.S your more than welcome to take it for a drive Jayemm. gives you a good comparison then ;)

I've actually always liked these cars, I find them charming. It's just a shame Rover and MG no longer exist.

Great video had one of these with lpg conversion most comfortable car for long journeys. More responsive than Alfa V6 in real world.

One of the best cars ive ever owned was a MG ZT-T , wasn't the best thing for long distance as I found my Peugeot 206 more comfortable on my 350 mile trips to Cornwall. But for short trips it was the best. The trim pad clips would break all the time though.

I’ve always loved the 75 over the years I have owned four. I do have a 30,000 mile one owner car on my drive SORN no idea what I’ll ever do with it but can’t bring myself to ditch it 😩