No Budget Reviews: 1999 Rover 25 1.4 iS - Lloyd Vehicle Consulting

[@4wheelsgood]

Loved the 25. Again my Dad had a 2.0 diesel 5 door brand new. I know we dont talk about diesels, but that thing shifted. Handled too. Remember an early drive over foggy Shropshire hills with my now wife and narrowly missing a sleeping sheep in the middle of the road!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Ah, yes! We certainly don't talk about those on the channel, but we acknowledge that some people may like them. The handling of the 25 was good as the chassis was based on the R3 200 Vi, but the MG ZR was even better, of course. That must have been a fun drive in Shropshire, it's a beautiful part of the world.

[@frothe42]

I really like this vehicle, it looks fresh and modern. I feel it has aged well, especially against much newer vehicles.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

It does look quite good, doesn't it? It's a very clever facelift of the earlier 214 R3 Jude also owns, and he likes it even more than the older car.

[@frothe42]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I like it very much! A shame about the sunroof; I wouldn't be surprised if the drains are blocked and the seals have weathered badly. Other than that, with its low mileage, it should be a wonderful vehicle! I don't remember if the shift boot is available, most likely Rover car club members would know. And seeing it drive away and back shows just how relevant this particular Rover is, its styling still looks brand new and modern.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@frothe42 , yes, sunroofs on old cars do tend to have problems, and this one looks like no exception. Rimmer Brothers, DMGRS or Brown and Gammons (the three specialists I could name in this country for Rovers of this era) probably do stock new gearlever gaiters, but I doubt most people who pay under £1000 for their Rover 25 will mind too much. It is a handsome design, isn't it?

[@frothe42]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting This design still looks current, modern and relevant, and I like it very much. It has aged, in most ways, gracefully. It is disheartening that as a vehicle ages, problems arise that affect vehicle reliability and enjoyment. And yes, to fix the sunroof would not bring back the investment if one was to sell the vehicle, but if this Rover is a keeper (and I feel that it is), that an investment to fix and repair problems would definitely improve living with the vehicle, and improve its value long-term. This is only my opinion, and I definitely hope its current owner cherishes this Rover, as it will give back. And in the UK 🇬🇧 you have a wonderful Rover ownership club that spans several decades of Rover vehicles up to its unfortunate demise.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@frothe42 , yes, Jude has a lot of Rovers, and this is his daily one at the moment, which he will be looking after for a while. I don't know if he would want to sell it, he really likes it! There are lots of Owners' Clubs in this country for all sorts of different Rovers, and as the numbers of these cars drop, they get ever more enthusiastic to preserve the ones which are left.

[@alansimpson835]

A good looking car. I always loved the shape of these and the 3 door I think was better looking than the 5. These were also my fave style of alloys on the 25 too. Great review and all the info about the gearboxes and keyfobs was really interesting. So glad my Mini has the Lucas one!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh yes, you don't want the Pektron remote, sir! The three door is a nice looking car, isn't it? The alloys do very much set it off. Yes, we go beyond other reviews to give all the information that everyone needs!

[@alansimpson835]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting and that passion for the details comes through and I for one love it. I think you like me were one of the boys who would turn to the back of their What Car? And look at all the specs. Loved it. I'd love to see you find a Streetwise. Loved that quirky offering from the MG Rover stable

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@alansimpson835 , yes, sir! I certainly did have a look at the back of What Car? for specifications back in the day. The more Rovers I review, the more relevant details I tend to put into the reviews. Yes, Streetwise, 800 and Metro/100 are the ones that I want to cover next.

[@roygardiner2229]

Although long in the tooth I am not a knowledgeable car buff so I really enjoyed your review. I am an ex-pat and have a patriotic fondness for Rover cars and sooner or later will buy one, after returning to England. I have subscribed and hope your other videos will be just as helpful and informative.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you very much indeed, Roy! We love Rovers on this channel, especially as we actually own one ourselves... If you look on the No Budget Reviews, Tweed Jacket Reviews and Sensible Secondhand Reviews/Classics playlists, then you may find some things to your advantage. We are having our 45 V6 serviced this week!

[@a11csc]

nice 25 remember seeing a prototype shell at longbridge

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh wonderful! Was that in around 1999?

[@iTheChampion]

Just bought my first car at age 25 (yeah, i waited a while) A lovely dark blue Rover 25 16v 1.4 with only 37,000 miles on it. Bargain at £790 too! Nice video mate

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you ever so much indeed for watching and commenting! A sensible first car, I do hope that you found the video useful.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Another retro Rover, and a rather iconic colour, we’re thinking you may just have a fondness for the former British car manufacturer.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh, whatever gave you that idea? Only had a few on the channel recently.... Yes, mine was this colour too!

[@PlanetautoUK]

@the Game, Review and Reallife Channel and what would you call it? Post modern 😆

[@PlanetautoUK]

@the Game, Review and Reallife Channel Oki doki then

[@mikikum1]

"We don't talk about diesels on this channel!" Man, I'm here for the first time and I already love this channel :) Subscribed! P.S: my close relative owns a 25 with this exact 1.4 76 kw engine and I always enjoy driving that car!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you ever so much indeed for watching, commenting and subscribing! I have well over 850 videos on the channel, and something like 250 of those are reviews, organised over five different review playlists, so there should be plenty to keep you entertained for a while. I have owned a few cars with the same engine myself, and they are most enjoyable to drive.

[@mikikum1]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting You are welcome, my friend. I've already bookmarked a few videos I'll watch next :)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@mikikum1 , enjoy the extensive archive!

[@mikikum1]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I sure will!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@mikikum1 , we may be covering another MG Rover era car soon.

[@seancooke4127]

An extremely smart facelift. Lights, indicators, grille and number plate surround. Apparently the GTI diesel turbo was a wee rocket and economical at the same time. Much better looking and sharper handling than the 200 which, incidentally, looked ok and handled well enough.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Ah yes, sir, but we can't talk about that on the channel, though, can we? The suspension in the 25 is based on the 200 vi, so they do handle well. When I covered Jude's R3 200, I was also surprised at how well that handled, but I do prefer this car due to its better driving dynamics and superior quality interior.

[@seancooke4127]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I do concede, I am on the wrong channel to talk of such things. My brother, I do have 4 brothers, so I probably mentioned my brother before. Anyway he picked up a 2008 Vauxhall Vectra SRI today. An extremely solid, sure footed, roomy and comfortable car. I have never driven one before but I was very impressed. These seemed to fall completely through the filter of time and be forgotten.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@seancooke4127 I actually sourced a Vectra C for a client a couple of years ago. He paid under £1000 for it. I would love to cover one on No Budget Reviews, especially as I owned an Astra H Twintop earlier this year. They are pretty decent cars for the money, especially the insane 3.2 V6! Thank you for your self censorship, by the way...

[@seancooke4127]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting how did know that the Vectra was a 1.9 CDTi? 😂😂

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@seancooke4127 , what!!! We don't talk about those on this channel, sir....

[@codinbatter]

The 25 is a great little car, I had the Commerce van version, it did 224k before being written off.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you ever so much indeed for watching, Ian! I did have a slightly later five door 25 than this with the Ford IB5 gearbox, and it was pretty good, although I don't particularly get on with the driving position in an R3 200/25/ZR/Commerce/Express/Streetwise. They certainly got their money's worth from this design! Would love to try a petrol Commerce at some point. We have had two R3 200s on No Budget Reviews as well, both belonging to Jude, one automatic and one manual. I drove the automatic only last week!

[@mattw8332]

I remember when the 25 first came out. This was around the same time as the "Rip Off Britain" campaign. Rover cut their prices of their cars and the base model 25 started at £7995. Mitsubishi did the same with the Colt too (also £7995)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, absolutely! The prices were lower than on the old 200 model. £8000 wouldn't be a bad price for one of these new these days, either!

[@David_H-73]

Sienna gold I think Joseph. Still a really nice looking car and quite posh compared to a Fiesta or Corsa of the same age. Your right about the 'wood' trim around the heater controls, it really does look fake! A Streetwise would be great ,even better if it were a four seat version.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, you are probably right about the colour. That fake wood trim is embarrassing, but otherwise compared with the Corsa B and the Mark III pre-facelift Polo, which would have been on sale at the same time as this one was registered in November 1999, it is not a bad car at all. I suppose it depends if someone offers me a Streetwise, doesn't it?

[@David_H-73]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting maybe you need to infiltrate the rover streetwise owners club ! Just don't try and hide your secret mission documents in the glovebox.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@David_H-73 , yes sir, got to be careful about where to hide those secret mission documents!

[@JustinGeorge-x9q]

Hi Joseph , Their was a 2006 3Dr 1.4 with low miles on FB marketplace for £350.00 with no MOT at the weekend , it had corrosion reported on its last mots , I did think about it , but now sold .

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

There's always a very brave person out there willing to take something like that on, sir.

[@petergouldbourn2312]

Good review. Pete 🇬🇧

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks Peter, glad you enjoyed it!

[@sammytheseal2307]

I don't see why and how "the media" could give these little things so much hate. They're quite low insurance group and just generally affordable all round. Head gaskets don't just fail, its only neglect that really causes it so they don't deserve the bad press they got :(

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The head gasket on my 2004 Rover 1.4 Club SE went twice, unfortunately, so it does happen. I kept it serviced and looked after it, but the job had been done poorly the first time before I bought it. Those that are left probably those which have been better maintained. This one was an excellent buy, definitely doesn't deserve the bad press these received when they were new.

[@sammytheseal2307]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Yes you're right, they'll last if they're done right

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@sammytheseal2307 , absolutely, sometimes you can significantly increase the power and economy of the engine if you are very good at doing them!

[@trabali5168]

6 months later..................Rover management:- we have no money, we are not making any profit and hav'nt been for some time, we need £5bn Mr Blair or there will be a lot of job loses, which you will have to subsidise! Mr Blair:- Ok. It was a real shock for me at the time because no one had any idea about rovers financial woes! Such a shame.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh yes, sir! The infamous story of MG Rover's birth. It was all going so well for BMW, or so they thought. Then the truth came out, and it was all worse than they imagined!

[@pedropablofernan]

Tienes algún vídeo del Rover 25 -1.4 , 84 CV, confort 3 p. Del 2002. Voy a compra uno ahora durante este mes

[@terrificspokesman7416]

Other than the head gasket these engines are very reliable

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Just got to change the cambelt at the right intervals, sir, and also change the oil regularly, and she should be fine.

[@mickles1975]

I dunno what the controversy about the colour is. I think it looks good.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Mine was an identical colour, I never was too keen on it, but for some reason this early three door does suit this period shade a bit better than my later five door.

[@CraigMGR]

Enjoyed your review once again. How does the 25 compare the 45? The 25 feels roomier in some respects. Does the 45 feels more sophisticated in terms of NVH and ride ?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thank you, Craig! I have owned a 25 and a 45 with the same engine and gearbox. They were both 1.4 K Series units with 103 bhp and the Ford IB5 five speed manual gearbox. The 45 is a more sophisticated car. The suspension system on the 25 is good, but the 45 has a better ride and also very good handling. The driving position and cabin materials in a 45 are also better. The rear room is a bit tight in both, the 45 surprisingly so, the 25 is good for the class. The 45 probably does have improved NVH.

[@CraigMGR]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Thank you for the reply. Yes , my feeling is that the HHR mouldings are just that little bit more substantial. The dash in particular is a nicely made item ( if you ignore the slapped on airbag!)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@CraigMGR, yes, you also need to avoid the facelifted dashboard, which looks more modern, but it does crack (unlike the original), and the airbag still feels a bit tacked on. I personally prefer the HH-Rs due to the better driving position over the R3s and 25s.

[@SynRoss]

I went Metro, Rover 100, Rover 200 and multiple 25s and I loved them all but no-one here is talking about the fatal flaw. The cylinder head gaskets were woefully inadequate.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Have a look at the Rover 25 GTi episode of No Budget Reviews which went up on the channel last month. We talk all about head gasket failure in that video.

[@graemetaylor629]

so what kind of cost is involved if you have to do the gasket ?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

There's a really good video on the furiousdriving channel of the head gasket being done on a K-Series engined Rover 200 (R3 model), which was the pre-facelift model of the 25. My mechanic is actually doing the work in it. As it is the VVC version of the engine, as also used in the 25 GTi, it is a bit more complicated than normal, but it gives you some idea. Some people are competent enough to do the job themselves, and I think the parts for a standard 1.4 K-Series (like the one in this car), including the timing belt and water pump, are around £100-120, assuming you use a decent quality head gasket. Garage labour on top of that, assuming they know what they are doing, is probably £300-400.

[@graemetaylor629]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I’m thinking of buying one for a retirement project for an interest and a usable everyday second car which model would you recommend? And is the honda deisel engine a none starter? Nice work on the channel by the way I’m looking forward to more content

[@terrificspokesman7416]

The radio looks exactly the same as my BMW Z3M roadster

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

It probably is the same one with a Rover badge, sir!

[@paul1153]

I can see why there was some controversy about the paint colour.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Absolutely! Some people do seem to really like it, though.

[@MylesHSG]

I had a red 3 door 1.4l as my first car. The engine decided to go kaboom on the M1 while I was in the inside lane doing 75. Thought fuck it lets try and get to work, cars screwed anyway. Engine seized in the middle of a roundabout. Had a new engine put in with an upgraded head gasket as I'd just spent a load on new tyres, brakes, radiator and air con compressor and the body and interior were mint. Sold it and bought a MK1 Toyota MR2.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh wow! Yes, it's always a bit sad when an engine seizes. Must have been a decent one if you had air conditioning, they do handle nicely, but do have to keep an eye on that engine. The MR2 must be a bit different!

[@MylesHSG]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Yeah, just dumped all its coolant on the M1 and 19 year old me was like screw it I ain't pulling over. The MR2 was great, that's been gone for a few years now and I've had 2 Subaru 284 pick ups, a Subaru SVX, Toyota Corolla T-Sport, BMW E30 touring. Now I'm in a 2.0 auto Ford Cmax, oh how the mighty have fallen lol.

[@MylesHSG]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting it was weirdly spec'd. Had air con and electric windows, but no front fogs, no sunroof and the lower power 1.4. actually it might have had front fogs, I can't remember if they fell out or whether that was on my Toyota Carina E 😂

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@MylesHSG , that is quite a car history! I actually sourced an automatic 2.0 Ford C-Max last year for a client, funnily enough. The Subaru SVX sounds intriguing...

[@MylesHSG]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting beautiful car and only about 50 left in the UK. It was a wonderful car, apart from 13 mpg in town. Lost about £5k in a year on that bugger though, and even after I sold it the fragile gear box went KaBOOM on its next owner. Luckily I know him via a Facebook group and he's got her fixed, but for a 25 year old Subaru it's had £10k+ spent on it in the last 4 years just keeping it on the road. I actually totted up all the money I've spent on these weird cars in the last 8 years it's something like 20 grand and all I have to show for that money is a 2008 Ford C-Max! Still the memories are amazing. Raced a MK1 MX-5 on the A41 for 20 miles in my MR2 that was epic. Drove the SVX to the south of France with the cruise control set well into 3 figures and it didn't skip a beat.

[@henntendo]

Was this prior to lockdown?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

As explained in the video, this was filmed on Tuesday 3rd November.

[@judecurrie8373]

Watch the video and you’ll see that it is 🙃

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@judecurrie8373 , indeed, sir!