Rover 218 Diesels

I've had my 218SD (1.9 non turbo?) for 18 months and I even though it's my first diesel I'm quite impressed.

I bought it off a mate with 175k on the clock for £100 and have so far fitted a new cambelt, throttle cable and lower big steel water pipe (and a set of decent Avon tyres .. not the 'happy shopper's' it came with ..).

I have also sorted a leak on the PS, rebuilt the drivers door electric window mech, replaced the clock and radio lights. I also fitted a towbar to tow our folding caravan (that it can just manage if there are no hills of note) ;-)

55 mpg was a bonus (after ~25 from the 2L Sierra Est and for something than can still manage to cruise at 70 if you don't mind waiting a bit to get there and carry a fair bit of kit with the rear seats down) ;-)

Would I have one again .. if it carries on like this .. yes, especially as it has so far cost less to own and run than some cars depreciate in a day ..?

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. And I never had any 'street cred' to loose ;-)

>

None really; though the gearbox is the Rover PG1 which can shred diff bearings - mainly on higher torque engines though...

Darren

If you know the 214 then the 218 is a very similar car. I had a K-reg a few years ago when it was nearly new, and recently when I needed a cheap & economical runabout I bought another. The SLD (turbo model) is the one to go for, as it has more standard fittings in addition to the extra perfomance.

It's a Peugeot engine and as such is pretty well bulletproof, mine's done 178K now and there are plenty of cars that have done well over

200K. It is however a heavier engine than the petrol models, perhaps heavier than the suspension was designed for, and while it still handles fairly well and con be chucked around corners to an extent, the front tyres will break away first, especially if cheap tyres are fitted. For example I followed a Citroen van around a roundabout yesterday, not at breakneck speed, and my tyres were squealing. There is plenty of tread on them! They also wheelspin easily on slippery road surfaces, but that's more an issue with the cheap tyres the car came with than anything.

I find mine a touch sluggish off the line (well my last car was a Saab

9000!), but once the revs get up and the turbo kicks in it will match pretty well anything bar the exotic, and it will cruise happily at naughty speeds on the motorway ;-) It returns an average 45mpg (measured) even with my heavy foot.

There's nothing I dislike about the car, it gets me to work comfortably. It's not quite big enough to carry my kids' hockey kits - they fit but it's a struggle - which is the only reason I'm replacing it.

If you like the 200-series and the car looks good and genuine, go for it. As a guide I paid £400 for my M-reg SLD with 4 months t&t.