automatic or manual

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xt40

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hi,
im looking to buy a new (2nd hand) car in the uk. a lot of the ones in the scec i want seem to be automatics. does anyone (who has actually had an auto) have an opinion about the pros/cons.

(its not really relevent to the query but the car in question will be a 03 old shape rover 75 cdti connoisseur)
 
I've a rover 75 2.5 V6 Auto connoiseur.

they use a good reliable old style auto box with 5 speeds
The auto box will knock 4MPG off the fuel economy and make it slightly slower but that's the price you pay for a more relaxed drive.
the auto box used is good but it needs it's fluid changed at 60,000 miles.
check for fan problems on the radiator as it is a common problem.

mg-rover.org is where you need to go for info.

As I cover about 12K per year buying the diesel makes no economic sense for me.
car might be a fleet car and have 100K covered in that time.

go for connoiseur se trim if you can for cruise control, better hi-fi and seat memory and parking sensors.
make sure it is a cdti rather than cdt otherwise you'll want to spend a few hundred more to chip the engine to 135bhp.
If you are trundling around in traffic and driving on motorways the 75 is perfect. if you are looking for a sporty drive look elsewhere.

Get it serviced in the UK before bringing it over if you have to because you won't find any decent dealers or rover mechanics over here.
 
thanks,
cdti se spec is definitely the way to go and ideally id love it with the hi-line nav/tv system.
 
Dipole said:
I've a rover 75 2.5 V6 Auto connoiseur.

Get it serviced in the UK before bringing it over if you have to because you won't find any decent dealers or rover mechanics over here.
Click to expand...


exactly ! so why would anyone buy a rover, worthless after a few years !
 
911, I label thee a troll.

Very happy with my 75, it's 15,000 mile service intervals and the unbelievably low price I paid for it.
 
Drove one of these 75 thingeys a while ago and couldn't get over the exceedingly low quality of the trim finish. Loads of plasticy looking 'wood' stuck on with airfix glue all over the place.

The drive was less than inspiring too.
 
Ancutza said:
Drove one of these 75 thingeys a while ago and couldn't get over the exceedingly low quality of the trim finish. Loads of plasticy looking 'wood' stuck on with airfix glue all over the place.

The drive was less than inspiring too.
Click to expand...

Nonesense, BMW spent more on the interior of the 75 than on the same generation of 3-series.
Handling was always intended to be soft to suit it's application.
BTW are you 911 decloaking?
 
Nothing so flash I'm afraid! A VW Golf. Whatever money BMW spent on it doesn't mean they got it right. The quality of the plastics used, particularly on the air vents is simply awful. LEGO wouldn't put its name to it.
 
as you are a golf driver, we will obviously respect you as a person who appreciates style and values exclusivity.
sorry, my sarcastic side came out there. but seriously, being a golf driver does mean that you spend a lot of time in a plastic environment so must be qualified to pass judgement in this case.
 
This is the tacky interior he is referring to:
[broken link removed]

I've been keeping my eye on the Rover 75 as a good secondhand buy since my father bought one new back in 2000.
I'm happy for people to critisize it without any foundation for their prejudice because it adds to the depreciation.
That's how I was able to get a luxurious 2.5V6 well built car in good condition stuffed to the gills with extras for less than the price of a Punto.

Keep up the good work lads; maybe I'll be able to pick up the V8 in three years time for similiar money to what I paid for this one.
 
Depends on what your looking for. Ignore the 'Rovers are xxx' nonsense and you'll find the 75 (especially the diesel) a fine car that will waft you along in fine style all the live long day. Get a well specced one and it's hard to go wrong.

However it is far from being a 'drivers' car in any way, shape or form. Poor handling and performance is the result of bmw not wanting it to be a serious 5-series competitor.

It's very underpriced for what you get today.

As for automatic versus manual i'd personally prefer the former. Try both though as it's a very personal choice. My better half hates autos whereas i find a good auto is very relaxing in traffic and (with a decent engine) delivers good performance on the motorway at the expence of economy.
 
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