If this is any help, I have been driving Rover Group (or constituent companies) built cars for thirty years. Only two of the vehicles I have owned have not been Austin, Morris or Rover - one was a Chrysler Sunbeam (heavily overengineered) and a Talbot Alpine - the only car I have kept for less than twelve months (intentionally).

No - please don't laugh! I know the Group have been slammed over the years, mainly over quality - especially during the seventies (the Red Robbo years), but the best thing that happened to them was the partnership with Honda. I bought my first 200 series in 1987, and the last one I kept for eight years. It was a brilliant car! Towards the end, it developed one or two problems - I had the gearbox rebuilt, and the only reason for parting with it was that by then it was twelve years old, had done 130K miles and was going to start getting expensive with things going wrong. We bought a 414 five years ago (replacing a mini!), and have been very pleased with it - apart from tyres and exhausts, we had one manifold gasket go a year ago or so, and that is it (touch wood).

I plan to keep my current 416 for several years - and replace it eventually with another Rover.

epn