Rover 800 (1986 – 1999) Review

Rover 800 (1986 – 1999) At A Glance

3/5

+Good performance and economy in 827 form, very pleasant interior, 2.0-litre engines are surprisingly gutsy, excellent visibility

-Electrical gremlins, rust in structural places,

As a replacement for the Rover SD1, the 800 should have hit the spot perfectly as it was very much a produict of its time – it was sophisticated, powered by a range of multi-valve engines, and looked bang up to date. But those shiny new motors failed to deliver, and early build issues soon tarnished the car's reputation.

The 2.5-litre Honda V6 was soon replaced by a torquier 2.7, and that transformed the Sterling and its new Vitesse stablemate into fast and effortless sporting saloons. Smart examples of the Honda-engined cars are now going up in value, yet there's little upward movement for the smaller four-cylinder cars, while the newer KV6-powered cars are still too recent to attract a significant following. Coupes are probably the pick of the range, although they have other serious corrosion problems.

But all are cheap to buy - and the earlier pre-facelift XX model now looks sufficiently remote from contemporary cars to start being thought of in classic terms.

Ask Honest John

Is the engine in an MG ZT 2.5 the same as the engine in a Rover 825 Coupe?

"Is the engine in an MG ZT 2.5 the same as the engine in a Rover 825 Coupe?"
The Rover 825 used two versions of the Honda V6 but was fitted with the Rover KV6 after 1996. And it's the KV6 that's also used in the ZT.
Answered by Keith Moody
More Questions