1987 Sterling 825 SL | Retro Review

[@Motorweek]

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[@nickmotsarsky4382]

Isn't that what KZbin ad revenue is for?

[@chrisp679]

Public television show.

[@xnopyt13]

talldude123 yep, way better than the link they have now.

[@xnopyt13]

Nick Motsarsky these videos are probably too short to generate much.

[@JoeUrbanYYC]

Done!

[@spencerbrayall8678]

The optimism and hope in these retro reviews always gets me.

[@lucashenderson2775]

I love how his harshest criticism particularly in the 80s and 90s always seems to be the lack of an electrical or oil gauge on a car, but if he finds one like in this car, he loves it.

[@basshead.]

They still sugarcoat everything.

[@spencerbrayall8678]

@@basshead. especially if the car is American.

[@TheOzthewiz]

@@spencerbrayall8678 yeah they loved the Pontiac T-1000 (Chevette clone) even if it did 0-60 in 30 seconds because.......it's AMERICAN MADE!!!

[@jonathankleinow2073]

Just what every Honda needs: Lucas electrical systems.

[@Banom7a]

the most reliable rover or the most unreliable honda.

[@peter455sd]

Hahahaha

[@mrivera1]

You can’t have 100% reliability…gotta water it down a little bit…or a lot.

[@frankdenardo8684]

@@Banom7a Honda cars are always reliable.

[@Banom7a]

@@frankdenardo8684 British: we can make a honda unreliable, observe

[@dawge30]

Man, I miss seeing cars like this on the road. Virtually no one knows what a Sterling or a Merkur is anymore...

[@eddieg6436]

My aunt in Newport Beach, California had a Merkur XR4 ti !!

[@profoundgenius9726]

I remember seeing a sterling in San Francisco back in 2007 and thinking “what kind of Honda Accord is that?”

[@ralphpolo8612]

@Black Conservative Patriot these cars were popular in nj where i grew up..they even had a hatchback lookin sterling too

[@slimshadyjr9889]

Doug DeMuro should definitely review a Sterling and a Merkur. His most recent video is a review of a Geo Metro convertible

[@Nordwestkreuzer]

I thought I know every American car brand and every model that was sold in the US. But I never knew that Rover sold their cars in America (under the lable of Sterling) 😳

[@vwestlife]

Yes, John mistakenly said "burred walnut" instead of "burled walnut". The late '80s were a time of imports coming to the U.S. under weird names: Rovers badged as Sterling, German Fords badged as Merkur, Renaults badged as Eagle, Fiats badged as Bertone and Pininfarina, Citroëns badged as CX Auto, and even a Korean-built Daewoo copy of the German Opel Kadett badged as the Pontiac LeMans!

[@buggs9950]

Yep. Burled means the same thing in American English as Burred in English, erm, English. BTW in the UK we had Daewoo's badged as Cheverolet's. That was due to a corporate takeover but we get a lot of stuff re-badged for tax reasons; The VW Hilux for example..

[@Random-nf7qb]

@@buggs9950 The VW Taro wasn't UK-only. Tbh, I haven't seen one outside Greece

[@buggs9950]

@@Random-nf7qb Oh really? I didn't know that, thanks.

[@Embargoman]

And some Isuzu’s badged as Chevrolet, LUV, and Geo Storm and don’t forget about the Mitsubishi vehicles labeled as Dodge.

[@boss12]

The Mitsubishi Dodge Challenger Galant

[@matthewbowen5841]

The Motor Week theme song literally makes me reflexively smile. John and the crew have spent 35+ years making life a little more enjoyable, and that's even more true today. Here's hoping you guys never go out of style! Also pretty upset that "Anti-Skid System" lost out to "Antilock Braking System" as the preferred name for that tech. Imagine all of the millions of GMs with the ABS badges and center caps...

[@hellkitty1014]

😆😆😂😂😂😂 And on the trunklid.

[@compu85]

Anti-Skid is a better translation for the German name than Anti-Lock. Modern 4 wheel ABS was still quite new to the US market in 1987. Mercedes and BMW began offering it in 1978, but it wasn't available in the US market until 1984 for fear of lawsuits if people crashed (or that's the story I heard).

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@@compu85 - Yes, good drivers can stop faster than ABS, so it could be a liability...

[@mediocreman2]

"This car has the latest ASS brakes". 😄

[@robitcha]

Loved the 89 827SL I had in the early 90's. They fixed most of the issues by then. It was a Great Car while I owned it. Got more looks and comments of any car I have ever owned.

[@josephdominics5935]

I had a real jazzy high School French teacher who had one of these brand new. She had mad style back in the days with her brand new sterling. I hope she's doing well today.

[@googleuser3007]

My dad purchased a brand new ‘88 or ‘89 825 S w/ automatic transmission. It was this same silver color but had tan cloth seats. As a teenager, I wanted him to purchase the red Audi 4000 Turbo Quattro manual from the dealership next door, but he decided on the 825. I remember when he pulled up to the house in this thing all the neighbors came out to look at it. It was a beauty! It was so different than the majority of American cars that so many of them owned. However, two neighbors had the awesome looking boxy Maxima and Cressida and a third neighbor had an Audi 5000 Turbo (the unintended acceleration one). Sadly, electrical and transmission issues started almost immediately after he purchased it. It was a beautiful disaster! 😢

[@beb1527]

I recommended this car to someone who couldn’t get an Acura legend thinking it would be reliable. She hasn’t forgiven me yet.

[@keithjackson4985]

Lol 😆 lol 😆 hilarious. I love that

[@BuzzLOLOL]

It's embarrassing for Brits that they couldn't make reliable small cars... after making great WWII bombers/engines... and perfecting manufacture of the Buick/Rover/MG/Triumph/TVR/Morgan aluminum V8... and that V8 engine should have gone into the Sterling !!!

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@freepieanchipsgarage - Nope, Brits also ruined the Fords... and we didn't really even see those Ford models in the USA... too small, unreliable, and weak... I would never had known about 'English Fords' except my Dad had stopped in UK on his way to France in WWII and mentioned such things...

[@monkeydui7241]

@freepieanchipsgarage I’m guessing you’re British and you got a bit salty from that comment?

[@beb1527]

@freepieanchipsgarage My friend’s first car was a 14 year old 1969 Ford Cortina GT. It was a 4 speed manual, he used to bring me everywhere he went, as I was his starter. I remember one night coming out of a movie theatre, I pushed him out of the parking spot, and then pushed him up to about ten mph, he dropped the clutch in 1st gear and the engine started. We got such an applause from the rest of the crowd coming out of the theatre. Within a year, he bought a cortina wagon too. For parts. In my life, I only saw 3 cortina’s in the US and he owned 2 of them. Not saying unreliable as much as I’m saying that when something did break, there was nowhere to go for parts.

[@Jay-Kay-Em]

Oh my goodness! I never knew you guys got our Rover 800. I notice the very slightly different headlamps. The badge shape is identical to Rover. They were a common sight on British roads and many Police forces had them on their fleet after the SD1. Fantastic upload. All the best from the U.K. 🇬🇧

[@Nonamenever557]

Standard government ministerial car back in the day!

[@thomasw3285]

We didn't know we had it either. I think we had the SD1 too. It of course is best well known as the police car used at the end of The Great Muppet Caper.

[@IVR02]

Never knew we had them here either, at least until very recently. I know we had a very small number of SD1s exported here in the mid-70s, since you mentioned them.

[@RobJaskula]

Man, the SD1 is so cool. Give me a Vitesse in silver with a black interior

[@Bartonovich52]

You were workin' as a waitress in a cocktail bar When I met you I picked you out, I shook you up and turned you around Turned you into someone new Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet Success has been so easy for you But don't forget, it's me who put you where you are now And I can put you back down too

[@palebeachbum]

Unreliable or not, I really like 80's British cars. They have a certain charm about them that today's cars lack.

[@RichieRouge206]

There is a huge retro following now here in the UK, anything Rover or British Leyland is seriously cool now in car circles

[@BuzzLOLOL]

????? nothing interesting came to USA from UK after 1980... MGA, Austin Healy 3000, TR8, MG V8, etc... all gone... unreliable, but still fun...

[@ciello___8307]

Does "charm" mean parts that don't work like they are supposed to? haha

[@richardprice7763]

Yes that charm is so reassuring when it's died on the side of the road!

[@RT-ii8hb]

@@BuzzLOLOL Erm… one word… Delorian 😂

[@broderp]

"Anti-skid", that's an old school term. It's also interesting that "safety is subjective"... love the retro reviews. 👍

[@theKevronHarris]

I remember seeing a Sterling 825 or 827 traveling on the highway back in February 2010 as my high school agriculture teacher took our FFA group to Columbia, South Carolina state house to celebrate FFA week.

[@matthewbowen5841]

My gosh I can't imagine trying to keep one of these running that late, let alone now.

[@2turbo4u]

My father brought one in 1989 it was silver just like the one tested 825sl. It was very reliable he got rid of it in 2008 only because parts got harder to find and the one specialist was moving his shop to Pa from nyc.

[@viffer94]

I had an 87 Legend Coupe with the 2.7l engine. What a fantastic car, fun to drive, comfortable, revvy with plenty of power for daily driving and super reliable with a solid carved from granite feel. Can’t vouch for the Sterling though.

[@terryorcutt8739]

No typical British quirks, John? Lol. That comment didn't have well. I still vividly remember Automobile Magazine's long term test of a Sterling. It was an absolute electrical nightmare.

[@terryorcutt8739]

*age, not have

[@SolamenteVees]

Gotta love John's enunciation of "aut-ho matic" 2:40

[@12ealDealOfficial]

Nobody enunciates like John! Guy must've been raised by a pair linguistics experts.

[@fredaydaybae8450]

Gosh I had such a soft spot for these lovely cars back when I was a kid…ugh the want for an 827SLi Fastback still haunts me to this day. As much as ppl talk about it’s reliability, the last ones we saw here in the states (90-91) were relatively reliable but by then the damage had been done. Strangely I found one for sale here in Lancaster, SC last night but the seller wanted $2500 for it and it looked like it hadn’t run in years smh. By the time I’d gotten my license these were all but gone so good for me because I got my ass bit like a mofo in high school by having a Merkur Scorpio as my first car and an Alfa Romeo 164 as my second car and didn’t need a Sterling to make me hate more cars after all the punishment I’d gotten for those two haha. I’m a gluttons for punishment.

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

My family had a Merkur Scorpio when I got my driver's license. At that point it was about 12 years old and had some issues, but it was great to drive.

[@fredaydaybae8450]

@@lukerinderknecht2982 omg they were so GREAT to drive weren’t they?! I ended up having two and although not TOO many issues the transmissions (A4LD) were so problematic that it basically killed the car and experience with all its reliability problems. The cost of a tranny rebuild was astronomical but at the time it was worth it.

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

@@fredaydaybae8450 yeah we went through two flywheels, which were hard to source in our area at the time. I ended up bringing one back from Germany when I was on an exchange student program there.

[@jeremyanderson1139]

It has all the reliability of a great British sedan and all the charm of a Honda. Proof that what was left of British Leyland still didn’t make cars properly

[@fredaydaybae8450]

@@thirdstar9255 yep!

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

That finish panel at the back can also fit Brazilian / Australian License plates from US SPEC Sterling and Aussie Spec Rover.

[@rorymacve]

As a Brit, a car lover, and someone who despises seeing great potential go to waste, the story of the Sterling hits me hard.

[@BennysBenz]

Didn't fancy seeing you here! Your videos are very entertaining. As for Rover what a sad story indeed.

[@omostim2385]

Just saw one of these rolling around north Houston with paper tags. I exclaimed, “a Rover Sterling!” My dad who’s usually kind of foggy said oh yea Rover. They were around for a little while.

[@jameeledwards8836]

I used to watch this show religiously every weekend in the late 80's to the mid 90's. It feed my insatiable appetite and love for cars. Watching the detailed road test and specs was a joy. Mr. John kept me glued to the screen on his every word. I haven't watched MotorWeek in years! Is it still being broadcast?

[@justinsanto2458]

In high school, John wouldn't date a girl if she didn't have an oil pressure and volt gauge.

[@SataniaMcDowel]

Words to live by

[@stevedempsey527]

Or if she didn't have a low trunk sill for easy liftover.

[@SataniaMcDowel]

@@stevedempsey527 omfg lolololol

[@Bartonovich52]

Or halogen headlamps.

[@2majortwinz]

😂😂😭

[@rcrxjlb]

These things would show up on used car lots in the 1990's, right next to Eagle Premiere's ...

[@ericbritton9346]

I would love to have one of these sedan with the red paint, black interior, and the factory body kit with trunk spoiler to go with it. A Sterling Classic.

[@jriley1992]

I have NEVER seen one of these running.

[@kevinbarry71]

Neither has anybody else

[@Keiji1978]

Me neither I guess some of these were imported to Japan that I live but ...

[@johnroberts2905]

@@kevinbarry71 I have. Then again, I'm in the UK..... 🤣

[@TheOzthewiz]

I saw one at the back of a tow truck, it appeared to be smooth riding!

[@AnalogueKid2112]

I remember seeing one running...in 1992

[@ronjohnson5070]

A coworker of mine had one of these. It drove like a much bigger car in a good way. He had electrical issues constantly though and ditched it

[@albear972]

Those were some of the biggest lemon cars of the 1980's. It took Sterling/Rover to ruin a perfectly good Acura Legend.

[@1985toyotacamry]

At least the the actual legend is a good car overall

[@edwardautrey3671]

Honda cut ties with Rover quick!

[@rockhard9369]

@@1985toyotacamry Acura Legend was good looking car, Sterling look like nissan stanza, very cheap looking.

[@1985toyotacamry]

@@rockhard9369 I mean to be fair the Nissan Stanza is a good car but this car is like similar to a GM car that one didn't built a car correctly and GM is very confident

[@RobJaskula]

@@1985toyotacamry yep! Loved my '89 coupe with the 5-speed. Had it in the early 2000s and still remember it fondly

[@asdfghjqwertyu1858]

I prefer the more simple styling of the 80s versus some of the deformed aliens of some cars today.

[@palebeachbum]

Me too. I like the clean lines. Today's designs can be so overwrought.

[@richardsanders3750]

This was one of my favorite cars in the 80's...🙂.

[@AdamG1983]

I like how in the 80s, adjustable seat belt height and tilt steering wheels were selling features

[@palebeachbum]

My Dad bought a new Mitsubishi in 2019. Until last weekend, he didn't realize it has a telescopic steering wheel. He was very impressed when I showed him. :-)

[@gavinvalentino1313]

And those "backlit gauges," as if that hadn't been offered before.

[@Bartonovich52]

Backlit gauges were still pretty new at the time. There were the odd few vehicles that had them before.. but it wasn’t until the mid 80s that they became common and not until the mid 90s that they became exclusive. Heck.. my 1995 VW GTi still had front lit gauges. My 1985 Volvo 744 was the oldest car I owned that had backlit gauges.

[@palebeachbum]

@@Bartonovich52 The oldest car I've owned was my '85 Volvo 240, which had face lit gauges. My '88 Camry and '89 Lebaron convertible had backlit gauges.

[@WanderingAroundAZ]

And don’t forget radial tires!! 😂

[@FantomLightning]

I would love to own one of these. I just still cannot get over the fact they decided British electrics were the right thing to put in instead of just using the Honda parts.

[@henryovalles1163]

As a Milano / merkur xr4ti / Saab 9000 turbo owner I approve this video 🤣🤣

[@andydhillon1977]

Just curious.. Do you enjoy getting kicked in the nuts? Lol

[@monolith2001]

A 4-second difference between the auto and 5-speed to 60 mph is hilarious.

[@Bartonovich52]

I was guessing that the 0-60 was going to be 11.5 seconds at first... when I thought this car was just a dumpy 80s econobox like a Nissan Stanza at first. Then I realized it was Legend based, and a luxury car, with a V6. Then I was surprised that it was even worse than I thought.

[@brentaudi9354]

These were a very classy looking car for it's time. I drove a few when new and thought they drove much better than most cars at the time. I knew 3 people that bought one loaded with options. None of them made it past 60,000 miles without major issues that made the car not operational.

[@tkewrestler2662]

Oh the beautiful memory it gives me is of my Father’s departed law partner. Karl bought a brand new first or second year Sterling. It was dark green, had tan leather interior, and he had the windows darkly tinted at the dealership. It was an absolutely beautiful car. Sadly, he had nothing but problems with the car in particular there were numerous electrical issues. Eventually he sold the car and bought a new loaded Honda Accord. It was much more reliable, but it wasn’t nearly as pretty.

[@RobJaskula]

Oh man that sounds like a lovely car

[@tkewrestler2662]

@@RobJaskula it was beautiful! The paint was so deep and rich, and the wood inside was gorgeous. Yet, I believe he only owned the car three years, perhaps four at the longest.

[@qmto]

Saw one in this exact color parked next to a tennis court the other day. Had to snap a pic on my phone. Still in pretty good shape too. Shame it was the auto though, would love one in a manual.

[@fitfogey]

I had one of these. I stopped at a red light and when it turned green I put it in gear and the transmission broke from the transfer case and landed on the street. Fun times.

[@revvolutions]

How they took Honda's homework and managed to mess it up so bad I'll never understand.

[@SpitfireFortyFour]

​@@revvolutionsQuite easily. The management had them put it into production before the factory had it's full refresh to change over from SD1 production. That's why after 1990 they were very good. Unfortunately by that point its reputation was already tarnishes. The MK2 which sadly never made it to the States proved to be a big success in Europe for its quality and reliability. They even started building cars for Honda in the same factory!

[@adamselene9264]

I owned a 1987 Sterling 825SL for many years and it was great, fun, and very reliable. The negative comments are based on a false reputation, people who have not owned or driven one.

[@blakelip3]

Listening to this while I sleep

[@waywardboi]

I fell in love with this car when i first saw it.

[@dcanmore]

35,739 Sterlings were sold in the States with 317,306 Rover 800 series built in total. Honda/Austin Rover partnership began in 1979 until 1994 when BMW bought Rover (including MG, Land Rover and Mini).

[@dcanmore]

@freepieanchipsgarage yes that is correct, however Honda had no direct input and no updated technology was passed onto Rover after '94.

[@catjudo1]

I had a cat who whose behavior was questionable. His execution of commands was erratic at best and he would often break down for long periods of time in the middle of the floor. Furthermore he would make this loud buzzing when he slept, such that I would have to adjust the volume on the TV or stereo when he was near. He was beautiful and loveable, just kind of high maintenance. His name was Sterling. My screen name pays homage to him because I miss him.

[@djkenny1202]

I had a Turbo Sprint 1993-2015, and still own a 92 VW GTI 16v bought in 99. I like different cars, preferably hatch backs from pre 2000’s. Just bought a 2000 VW Cabrio last summer, so fun. Cars are not as fun now, and too expensive. Picked up a 15 Scion XB manual, needed a more reliable safe car with kids. Last cool quirky car out that fit my needs. These Sterlings seemed like a perfect combo of European style and Japanese Reliability. Too bad they were built nothing like the Legend.

[@HowardDaduk]

Sightings since 1990: Sasquatch = 4 Sterling 825 = 0

[@HeadTurnNet]

I test drove one back in the early 90s because I liked how it looks, but I blew the engine with just a few pedal-to-the-metal accelerations. The salesman almost wanted me to pay for it. From that point on, this car is on my black list.

[@billybellend1155]

Really as they were fitted with Honda v6’s?

[@HeadTurnNet]

@@billybellend1155 yes, even the most reliable engines could have been abused and failed. You never know how the previous owner took care of the car, maybe he always skipped an oil change or ignored all the tune up schedule, or drove really harsh from day one, who knows? Or, maybe the second hand car dealer already knew it was a junky car and tried to bait someone with little car knowledge to buy it. Anyways, it was a real experience and I just walked away although he claimed I damaged the engine. I said if an engine could be blown with just a few hard accelerations, it was a piece of junk. He was of course very pissed but what else he could do?

[@paulwlynch]

We had a Rover dealer close to our house when I was a kid and would regularly see Rover 800s at the dealer. Seeing the additional standard features the American Sterling version got made the Rover look positively poverty spec..

[@gavinvalentino1313]

Resale value, or rather, the shockingly pitiful *lack* of resale value, quickly killed the U.S. market for these. As a teenage son of a very successful used-auto wholesaler at the time, I got to experience all the quirky & squirrely cars of the time, including Sterling, Peugot, Alfa, Renault, TVR, Saab, Bitter, Merkur, et al, and it was always a real-world lesson in math to see first-hand how much one year and 10,000 miles could make original MSRP a laughing matter. Definitely made all of them much more within reach for anyone who wanted to feign wealth while sitting in traffic though.

[@Bartonovich52]

I doubt it. Reliability is what killed the market. Resale is another thing entirely. People concentrate so much on resale not really understanding what affects it and why it even matters. If you are going to be offloading a car after a mere one or two years of ownership, you don’t care about money. So it doesn’t matter if you are selling a Honda or Toyota because you are going to lose tens of thousands of dollars anyways. The value of car needs to be based on its intrinsic value. Its ability to get you too and from a place reliably. This is where this car failed. And then people selling them after one or two years flooded the used market and THAT is what caused them to depreciate. Depreciation is almost always a supply and demand equation. Like a Pontiac Grand Am. Great car. The last generation is one of the best cars GM ever built. Solid drivetrain, lots of power, excellent fuel economy. An overall excellent if a bit ostentatious design. Well.. nobody wanted to buy GM cars because they remembered the low quality duds they made in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. They needed to offer leases to move models. Unsold inventory went wholesale to car rental companies. Then all of the lease returns and auction vehicles flooded the market two or three years later and drove prices into the basement. Even more people are turned off of these cars because “they aren’t a good investment”. But 20 years later you still see so many of these on the road. They are $800 cars, a mere $400 repair bill away from being pushed over a cliff and set on fire... yet I don’t go a day without seeing one! So.. I bought a rental car myself barely over half sticker with 7500 miles and factory warranty. Depreciation works great for me, that car will last me a long time. Who cares what it’s worth? If I bought an equivalent Toyota I would have paid 50% more and it will only be worth $2000 more by the time I plan on selling it 15 years from now. Between taxes and interest on a higher amount, it will have lost so much money, I could afford to replace the engine and transmission in my car and still be ahead.

[@robertpsarudakis3474]

These were rare, but a niche market. I do remember seeing these and even as a kids was like... "What's that?"

[@303nitzubishi4]

Wow I remember seeing these on the road here and there back in the day. Never realized they were kin to the Legend but it makes total sense now

[@liverush24]

Many years ago, I was watching an episode of Seinfeld & I spotted one of these in the background, parked at the roadside in Manhattan. I remember being very surprised. I don't know if it was real Manhattan or a set, but the car was real.

[@danielponder690]

I believe that was filmed in a mall in Jersey City or the Newark area, they comment about the long drive from NYC to Jersey (if that's the same episode you're thinking of)

[@liverush24]

@@danielponder690 It could well be. I'll have to check it out again. It'll give me an excuse to rewatch the show. 👍 Thanks.

[@danielponder690]

@@liverush24 you're welcome but I stand corrected, it was all on a sound stage and was one of the most expensive episodes to produce, who knew!?

[@liverush24]

@@danielponder690 It certainly looked the part & I've learned something new. 👍 Cheers.

[@kz1000ps]

Almost all exterior shots where the cast is actually present were done in Los Angeles, so what you saw was a California car!

[@andrewsmactips]

John easily swayed by its oil pressure gauge and volt meter.

[@SolamenteVees]

And no mention of a chin-spoiler

[@gavinvalentino1313]

* *ITS* , genius. Ugh.

[@andrewsmactips]

@@gavinvalentino1313 Thanks for that. Normally, I’m the one correcting grammar.

[@bruschmidt9943]

One feature I always liked on high-end Japanese cars from the mid 1980s thru early 1990s was the factory bronze tinted glass on the windows. Models I noted starting in 1984+ were the Nissan 300ZX (with leather), 1985+ Maxima (with leather); it enhanced the beige, tan, black & red interiors, but worked against the blues & some bluish grays. That, plus it made the people inside looked tan, rather than blue when driving by. Yes, it was a very light shade of tinting & like all factory tints back then, did little to protect from solar heat & fading. They did this to make it more attractive. The Sterling Brand was derived from Rover in collaboration with Honda.

[@imbluz]

My sister gave me her used 1989 827SL in 1996.. The car had many problems, bad struts, no radiator. I sold it for pretty cheap to some young couple a year later for about $2,500.

[@corlion29]

My brother and a friend bought one of these. I loved them😂. That is til the electrical issues started. That thing was a nonstop problem. Acura wldnt touch it. To be honest, nobody wild touch it. That car is a no go

[@chrisb2844]

I haven't seen one of these in years, I forgot all about the Sterling!

[@dudley7540]

I used to be a Sterling tech........I'll never forget.

[@trucavalier]

I would have given a liver and a lung to get one of these back when I was 17 These cars look so bad ass back then

[@boss12]

I had the Matchbox car when I was a kid.

[@5KpGD]

3:17 That door window frame panel gap

[@bilalahmed2123]

It’s a beautiful car. European design, fit and finish with Japanese Honda reliability.

[@Wheelman1966]

55-0 in 100 feet is impressive today.. Especially for a four door sedan.

[@landyachtfan79]

0:40...........there's that AWESOME background music again!!!!!!

[@johnbehneman1546]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! A VERY BEAUTIFUL CAR.

[@waltereturner]

I worked with a guy many years ago who purchased one of these. It spent more time in the shop than it did with him. And from what I recall, none of the repairs were cheap either.

[@christopherconard2831]

A former boss had a Sterling, I forget the exact model. When it ran he loved it. Unfortunately the electronics, like ignition, would get wonky when wet. Perhaps if we lived in Arizona this wouldn't have been a problem. Unfortunately, living in Florida, this made the car a crapshoot to drive about 300 days a year.

[@davehayter312]

The VP of where I worked circa 1987 bought this car. I was like, damb, he must be rich! 😄

[@pxn748]

How many buttons are there on the dash?

[@michaeljohnson1877]

All of them

[@cardo1111]

Gotta love the retro reviews 👍🏽

[@fernandorocha8459]

nice car

[@RichieRouge206]

Ahhh the Rover 800! Very coveted here in the UK now. Shame when this was filmed they didn’t know what a failure it would be in the US

[@pigeonpoo1823]

And with the dominant status in US sales charts secured, Rover dumped the unreliable Honda association and took a majority stake in BMW, fixed the V8 valve seal issues. And the rest, as they say, is history. What an episode of Sliders that could have been

[@pigeonpoo1823]

@freepieanchipsgarage you do realise that was sarcasm?

[@MJorgy5]

Yes. Back when manuals outperformed the slush boxes.

[@soulstance]

Always had softspot for Sterlings, they weren't quite BMWs but seem very slick and luxurious. Didn't know they were this bad with reliability though 😂

[@sunilayya8948]

Was a looker in its day with a fine v6 and a great chassis. Sadly, it did not meet sales expectations.

[@TheTallMan50]

Good luck finding parts for one of these.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

When something breaks on a Brit car you just replace that part with a USA made part...

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Man that car is as rare as it can get! I don't think there's any left around here in the states!

[@coejbee]

Woah this thing looks incredible in and out. And powered by a Honda? If was around in 1986 I’d probably want this.

[@kellyvariste4831]

Man oh man! What a sweet ride im truly a sucker for an automotive equivalent of a one hit wonder lol! But unfortunately in this case it wasn't and it so sad because it had loads of potential just like Merkur, Renault, Eagle, Saab, Peugeot etc, but I guess America just wasn't ready for it. Give me all the above mentioned any day and I'll be a happy camper I love obscure unique unicorns like this. By the way speaking of obscure the whole time I was watching this Robbie Nevil's Cest' La Vie was playing in my head.😂😂😂

[@grunkohlaktionar7474]

93 galant review please!

[@TheLucidLuxray]

4:08 That engine note does indeed sound like a Honda. This makes sense considering that the engine is Honda sourced.

[@jhomrich89]

I would love to see Doug Demuro review one of these

[@josiahstearns9615]

Definitely can see a couple quirks and features on this one. Lol

[@r0cket_penguin]

Not me. That guy is a goof.

[@buggs9950]

I had the facelift Rover version of this with the Rover built 2.0l 16v turbo petrol motor and a manual box, Recaro interior and lower, stiffer suspension. I loved that car, especially as it looked like I'd borrowed off my dad but went like shit off a shovel.

[@carwrtr1]

I love the Sterling; it’s a beautiful car that should have done well in America. It was a different car than the Legend from Honda. I would gladly own one...

[@Paramount531]

At the time the Sterling hit the market, I owned a 1970 Rover 3500S. I was hoping the Sterling would be as good as the Acura Legend. I think my 1970 Rover was probably more reliable with a whole lot more charm.

[@mescko]

I've got a 1969 Rover 2000 TC that I drive in the summer. My fellow Americans don't know what it is.

[@Paramount531]

@@mescko I sure used to get a lot of stares when driving it and questions when I was stopped.

[@AdamG1983]

154 hp from a 2.5L V6 My '14 Corolla gets 142 from a 1.8L I-4 The 80s were truly a weird time

[@JerrytheVampire]

The 1970s were even weirder. For example, in 1972 you could buy a Ford with a 7.5-litre V8 that produced only 212 horsepower.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

A 2020 Subaru Legacy is only making like 170 from its 2.5..

[@vwaudiporsche11]

That's about accurate. The '87-'89 Camry V6 was 2.5L, 153 horses. 1990-91 Camrys had 156 horses. Honda Accord didn't come in V6 until 1994

[@johnroberts2905]

Amazing where 30 year of progress gets you!

[@kirbyswarp]

@@nickmotsarsky4382 Well Subaru also managed to only get 215 out of a 2.5 Turbo only 10-15 years ago, and still couldn't manage to make it reliable.

[@seinsmeld13]

I have one thing to say, thanks John!

[@mydsmber05]

These cars would have been a huge hit had they been reliable. It sounds like aside from that these were legitimately better cars than the Legend and at a similar price point

[@Simon-ui6db]

prefer the facelift 827 vitesse hatchback we had here in the uk. Was lovely wafting in that thing. Now on a Rover 75 diesel Auto (bmw engine) but would prefer another rover 800.

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

the us-market 827 hatch was nice looking, too

[@joskjj3625]

Wow I totally forgot about sterling cars aka rebadged rovers I remember my dad was going to buy one used but my uncle told him not too

[@mediocreman2]

I love how he says British-isms. In other words they were expecting a horrible dash and interior layout with quirky buttons, but they were surprised there weren't many.

[@MAINEiac06]

It was quite a handsome looking car, I remember them well.... but they weren’t built to last. Can’t remember the last time I saw one.

[@generaloranger6150]

My computer has electrical issue from seeing this video.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

4 seconds faster with a manual? Wow, that auto is awful..

[@cargueone1971]

Honda Automatics at the time were horrible.

[@questioner1596]

I have an 02 Accord V6 - it's not much faster with its 4 speed auto than the same era I4 manual.

[@Acc0rd79]

And yet all of these years later you still wish you had that Acura! LOL

[@905Speed]

2:20 those ape paws scared the hell outta me! lmao

[@andydhillon1977]

Lol!!!! I can't stop laughing!! Too funny!!

[@r0cket_penguin]

Do you need a hug?

[@mattwolf7698]

I never knew these were sold here.

[@futureboydesign1708]

"Sterling will shine like gold", how wrong were we, a real shame really because apart from a couple of major quality issues, the Sterling/ Rover 800 wasn't that bad a car, especially by Rover standards.

[@futureboydesign1708]

@freepieanchipsgarage Very True, the 75 was even better...

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

I always liked older Jeeps my 94 Wrangler and 98JGC 5.9 Limited both had oil pressure and volt meter.

[@sapphir8]

Low powered V6 and that kind of fuel economy? Crazy. Also, it’s amazing how terribly optimized an automatic is compared to the manual.