I love them - though they are not very spacious (Rover 114)

Member Name: rachelkanga

Product:	Rover 114
Date:	14/03/05 (1433 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small and Compact, Reliable runaround

Disadvantages: Not good for large families

My first ever car was a an Austin Metro - called Esmerelda. It was red and had a go faster stripe down the side. I was 18 at the time and spent my life savings of £999 on it. It was great, not many of my friends could drive so I was suddenly popular as I could take them out and about and it was easy to run and cheap.

Unfortunately I was young and thrashing the car to its limits soon took its toll and I had to get rid of it. I sold it amazingly but later discovered that it had been used for a ramraid in Brighton whilst still in my name - fortunately I did have the proof that I had sold it on at this stage.

I had various small cars - Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf since those days but when Austin sold the company to Rover and the old metro received a facelift it was only a matter of time before I was going to find myself behind the wheel of one again.

At first glance the cars themselves have not really changed that much in appearance - many still mistake them for Metro's and deep down they still are. On the front you now have the new grill which all Rover cars possess and they are still the same box shape but the colours are now more interesting - mine is Platinum and with a 1.4 litre engine these little cars can go from 0 - 60 in 10.7 seconds not that there is a lot of scope for such speed on the roads of Kings Lynn.

Although small the car copes amazingly well on motorways although it does not have the oomph of the larger sporty models. Around town it is cheap to run, comfotrable to travel in whether in the back or front although there is not a great deal of room if carrying puschairs etc in the boot. I was seldom able to go shopping with the children as I could not get both the pushchair and the shopping in the boot at the same time. If you have large pushchairs or double then you lose the parcel shelf altogether or you can not shut the door. Despite the small amount of room I have travelled with pushchair, travel cots, luggage, changing boxes, 3 children and toys on a 300 mile round trip more than once and it was not too bad though you could not have got anything else in.

A drawback with the seating is that the central seat in the back is only a lap belt which is OK but not really suitable for children in booster seats as the belts are too loose over their laps when they are on the seat, remove the seat and they are not that secure, I have had to travel with my eldest in the front which is not really that practical and an adult in teh central seat in the back which is uncomfortable when you have to childrens seat in place either side, which you have to clamber over to get to your seat in the first place.

The car comes fitted with an immobiliser which has been more problems than it is worth, as I am unable to shop at locations throughout the town because the immoboliser locks me out of the car and ceases to work. I did purchase another immoboliser at a cost of £90.00 fitted and the same problem occured. Something to do with Telephone masts!!!

The car also comes with central locking which many cars these days does but I am unable to use mine as only the boot now locks with the immoboliser leaving the car unsecure. This could probably be rectified but as all 4 doors do not lock I think it would be cheaper to purchase a new car.

As a small car for somebody on their own these are great. Cheap and cheerful however when the family grows and the amount of items that you need to take with you grows you would need to consider a larger car.

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