414i - lots of joys, few niggles (Rover 400)

Member Name: ruclick

Product:	Rover 400
Date:	25/10/02 (3257 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ride, Comfort, Chrome and wood

Disadvantages: Occasionally doesn't like wet weather

The 414i was the best we could affort on the company car scale back in 1997, so the decision was relatively straightforward. As it turned out, it was not a bad one, either...

Design/image
This car was the last to be engineered jointly with Honda and is therefore visually very similar to Honda's Civic model of the time. I always felt, however, that the Rover was the classier of the two. For example, it featured body-coloured bumpers, chrome grille and rear number plate surround and rosewood effect fascia inserts. Whilst the Honda now looks decidedly out of date, the 400 series still looks the part. This is obviously partly due to the fact that its overall shape lives on in the current Rover 45. Personally, I feel the 5-door hatchback has aged less than the 4-door saloon.


Reliability and Quality
Whilst I cannot fault the car for overall quality, we had one annoying and recurring feature in the form of starting problems in wet weather. It all began with a trip to Centre Parcs where the car was stationary for a couple of days after which it refused to start, despite ample battery power and an intact fuel supply. We managed to get going with some help and didn't give it more thought until... my wife could not get the car started one wet morning. The AA was called who diagnosed dampness inside the distributor and solved the problem with nothing more than a bit of WD40. The car was eventually taken to the dealer who resolved the problem to our satisfaction. Other than this, the car was reliable and did not give us any problems. In fact, we still get the occasional glimpse of our old car (it has obviously remained local), and it still looks as smart as it did back in '97...


Performance
The car is certainly not underpowered with the 1.4 16V engine (103 bhp/123Nm). Whilst not providing storming performance, the 103bhp are adequate in most situations, although it needs to be worked harder at times. Tr
y and get a 1.6 if you can - it will be worth the extra expense and will provide a more rounded performance profile.


Ease of driving
No problems here, mainly thanks to the standard power assisted steering which has a good balance between lightness and directness. Visibility is also good all round, and all instruments and controls are laid out tidily and easy to use.


Space
The car offers a more than adequate amount of space for all passengers and luggage. It can accommodate a small family with all belongings and a pram and other baby equipment comfortably. In terms of flexibility, we prefer the 5-door hatchback variant to the 4-door saloon; you can take better advantage of the 60/40 folding split rear seats.


Comfort
This is the area where the Rover 400 really excels. The ride was said to be the best in its class at the time, and certainly left a lasting impression with us. The atmosphere inside is enhanced by nice touches such as rosewood effect insets and chrome door levers. All passengers benefit from comfortable seating. Noice insulation is impressive and makes for relaxed long-distance travelling. The basic 414i did not offer many luxuries apart from electric front windows; this is one of the areas where the current 45 model outperforms its predecessor.


Economy and value for money
The Rover 400 is economical to run and maintain. The 1.4's fuel consumption is in line with what can be expected from an engine that size. £12,500 for a new 414i in 1997 now looks decidedly inflated - compare this with the £9,995 price tag for today's entry level 45 which offers far more safety and other features as standard. One case where you certainly can't complain about car prices...


Safety
Not much here - driver airbag only on the base model, and no ABS. The current Rover 45 offers driver, passenger and side airbags as well as ABS all as standard, even on the ent
ry models.


Summary
One of the best riding and (arguably) best looking small family cars at the time, and still not out of place next to the current Rover range. 416 16V the best compromise between performance and economy. Hatchback more practical than saloon. Highly recommendable.

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