18 month review (Rover 216 Si)

Member Name: dith

Product:	Rover 216 Si
Date:	20/04/01 (1887 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good looks, fine engine, economical.

Disadvantages: Suspension doesn't compliment good performance, sub-standard interior build.

I bought my P reg 216 Si 3dr in August 1999. I had to trade in my old car for something more reliable as I do 15-20k miles per year. I had previously owned two older Rover 200s, an H reg and a B reg. My main reason for choosing the new 216 Si was its economy to performance ratio, it will do 42 MPG and take me to 60 MPH in 9.3 secs. My options were a Megane, Astra or Fiesta but the Rover felt and looked like it was in a different class both from the inside and outside. Once behind the wheel the first thing you notice is the chunky steering wheel. The interior is quite luxurious looking compared with other cars in this class and the standard stereo and speakers are very good. The dash is reasonably well laid out but the opposite end of the speedo needle obscures the tripometer when cruising on the motorway. This is a trivial but flawed design fault, and not the only one. The window rim which stops dirt going into the door when a window is opened doesn’t even touch the glass, so when the windows have morning dew on them and you roll them down and back up to clear them, it has no effect! Also, the protective rubber on the sides of the car are placed on the pit of the bowl-shaped doors and offer no protection at all in car parks, in this case looks topped practicality - the 200 does look great, especially with the optional 15” alloys. However, its manners are not as sporty as the looks suggest. At first I was disappointed with the soft ride and spongy handling as I was used to my previous car - an Astra GTE 16v. There is quite a lot of body roll in the corners, this is a shame as the engine has plenty of power which can’t always be used because of the soft suspension. Running costs over 18 months have been excellent with group 7 insurance and good MPG. The car had a new cat fitted when I bought it at 23,000 miles. At 40,000 miles I bought two new tyres and at 56,000 it needed a new exhaust and backbox. The gearbox sometimes has problems getting into fi
rst or reverse, I have to declutch and when it's cold, the dashboard rattles like it's loose. Apart from that lot it's just had routine servicing. Apparently a lot of the design flaws from the 200 have been rectified in the Rover 25. One of the main areas of improvement on the 25 has been the suspension, which is now stuffer on even the base model than it was on the sporty 200 Vi.

Summary: