Rover 45 1.8 iXL Road Test - The car your grandfather secretly fantasises about?

[www.MG-Rover.org]

Rover 45 1.8iXL. The Rover 45 has been referred to variously as ‘the car your grandfather secretly fantasises about’ and ‘an also-ran in a class where there is much excellence’. However, despite being an update of the Rover 400 which originally appeared in 1995 and being left in the shade by the much hyped MG ZS – the Rover 45 continues to appeal to a suprisingly large number of private buyers in particular. So where does the appeal lie?

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[JohnSwitzer]

Yeah you're right... no 45 has six airbags! Sorry, my mistake...duh!!

The original article I scribbled up on a flight to Jersey in February, after driving a 45 in England for a while... it took me five months to get it typed up!

Guess something must have got burried in the mists of time or I over-indulged on a combination of British Airways stewardesses, complimentary drinks and pretzels!!

I'll mail Steve later and ask him to correct it!

John

[Godalmighty83]

JohnSwitzer wrote:

I over-indulged on a combination of British Airways stewardesses, complimentary drinks and pretzels!!

John

hahaha.

- classic

[morrisminiminor]

An interesting read. Only thing you missed out on the large boot/hatch.
This was one of the reasons I bought the 45 - to ferry the siblings to Uni with everything (and almost felt like including the kitchen sink). The hatch can hold an extrordinary amount. Perhaps that was the problem. Had I a lesser car I might not have had so much junk to transport.
Only strange thing about the car is that although there is a tilting split seat, the bit where you park your bum is not split making the split part almost useless.

morrisminiminor

[< N I C K >]

The gearchange from the PG1 box somehow doesn’t seem as well oiled as in ZS guise – possibly due to the long (hollow?) lever inherited from the 75. However, changing gear is not a painful experience, even if it’s not a particularly pleasant one. Like the 25, ZR and ZS – the gearing in the 45 seems particularly low. And out on the motorway, that sensation of trying to select that imaginary 6th gear comes to the fore – as it does on almost every PG1 equipped MG or Rover. In short, there is nothing inherently wrong with the ratios on the 1.8 litre 45, as they ensure rapid progress – just the car requires and deserves an extra gear!

Hey, I thought only the MG ZS 180 and the VVC ZR's came with the PG 1 box and the rest of the lower K-series engines had the R65 manual?? The Rover 75 manuals have the GETRAP units.

But I am more than likely wrong...

[< N I C K >]

BTW John, that was nice writing. You had an even-handed approach to reviewing the 45, pointing out that the positives and the negatives. Some jurno seem to get stuck on the negatives and can't see past them. Nice one

[SteveChilds]

The 1.8 Ks have PG1 boxes, everything below that uses the Jatco / Getrag box (can never remember which one).

[< N I C K >]

Originally Posted by SteveChilds

The 1.8 Ks have PG1 boxes, everything below that uses the Jatco / Getrag box (can never remember which one).

I thought only the 75 had the GETRAG box. Anyway this is why I thought only the VVC and the ZS 180 had the PG1 box.

Rover 25 carries over the R65 manual 5 speed gearbox for the 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6 litre models and the PG1 manual 5 speed transmission for the 1.8 VVC and diesel models. The PG1 gearbox incorportates a reverse gear 'brake' mechanism to allow crash-free engagement of reverse.

That was taken from the Rover 25 press kit info. dated November 1999. I presumed that the same would apply for the 45, however things may have changed since then. I am pretty sure the MG ZS 180 has the PG1 box from info I have read off this site (curious because I thought it would have the GETRAG unit because of the KV6).

Anyway I welcome new information...

[< N I C K >]

Oh I see (reading my own post again) the 1.8 AND the VVC have the PG1 (the VVC is a 1.8 so I thought it was referring to just the VVC).

I am a believer, the 1.8 25/45/zs/zr all have the PG1 gear box.

[Dr Dave]

I'm sure [when I become a grandfather] I won't be fantasising about cars!!

[vord]

my grandmothers dead - how dare u!!