Opinions on choice of car

faceman

One of guys in the office is looking to get a car on limited budget. Any opinions please? Please dont reply with "get something else" or "X cars are shoite" (Unless you have something constructive to say! ) The chap is limited to these 2 choices. (Bloody foreigners! )

02 Seat Cordova - 60k (Miles)
01 Rover 75 connoisseur - 80k (Miles)

Which would you go for?

peasant

assuming that both cars are equally well sorted and have no issues, I'd go for the Rover ...it's just more "bang for your buck" .

faceman

He also has a choice of an alfa romeo (156) but i told him he was wasting his time asking about it here!

mickdw

faceman wrote: »

He also has a choice of an alfa romeo (156) but i told him he was wasting his time asking about it here!

Go for the alfa.

Hal1

The Seat looks alright, I'd feel like a git in the Rover. Alfa you say, Alfa it is!

Esel

Autobox in the R75 (Jatco) has given major problems.

S.I.R

neither.... if shoot myself before owning a rover/mg and seats arent much better either.... just because they have a german engine dont mean there as relyable as a golf.... a pleasant drive though.....

-Chris-

Alfa!!

Eoin

S.I.R wrote: »

neither.... if shoot myself before owning a rover/mg and seats arent much better either.... just because they have a german engine dont mean there as relyable as a golf.... a pleasant drive though.....

I wouldn't hold Golfs up as a shining beacon of reliability anyway.

Definitely the Alfa for me, the Rover 75 is just too pipe and slippers for me. I would have thought the the Cordoba was a class smaller than the other two. They look very dull.

colm_mcm

the Cordoba would be 2 classes smaller than the other 2. if you take Focus size stuff in the middle

abitdazed

Alfa 1st, then Seat. Just say no to the Rover. I bought a Rover 820 Vitesse 2.0L Turbo a month ago. Damn thing blew the head gasket before I could even pick it up. Got my €50 back though!

colm_mcm

abitdazed wrote: »

Alfa 1st, then Seat. Just say no to the Rover. I bought a Rover 820 Vitesse 2.0L Turbo a month ago. Damn thing blew the head gasket before I could even pick it up. Got my €50 back though!

How does a blown head gasket on a €50 Rover 820 make a Rover 75 a bad buy?

zero19

I'd go for the Alfa myself

Mailman

esel wrote: »

Autobox in the R75 (Jatco) has given major problems.

I disagree stongly! Autobox is not a major issue on this car. HGF failure on 1.8, radiator fans and clutch plates on manuals are items to watch for.

Mailman

abitdazed wrote: »

Alfa 1st, then Seat. Just say no to the Rover. I bought a Rover 820 Vitesse 2.0L Turbo a month ago. Damn thing blew the head gasket before I could even pick it up. Got my €50 back though!

That engine was never sold in the 75 so it's not relevant.

Bluefoam

Alfa

Mailman

Bluefoam wrote: »

Alfa

I've owned both Alfa 156 and Rover 75. The Rover 75 is the better car by a long stretch.

Bluefoam

Mailman wrote: »

I've owned both Alfa 156 and Rover 75. The Rover 75 is the better car by a long stretch.

ha ha

Mailman

Bluefoam wrote: »

Alfa

Bluefoam wrote: »

ha ha

two responses, 8 letters and a smiley!
That settles it. The OP need look no further for a answer. You've given him sound reasons to purchase one car over another.

colm_mcm

surely if it's down to a 156 or a 75, there are certain aspects of each car that will appeal to your friend. Personally, I think the 156 looks better, seems roomier, and will be nicer to drive than the Rover, on the other hand, the 75 is less likely to be ragged and may be more reliable. Unusual choice to have to make.

Mailman

colm_mcm wrote: »

surely if it's down to a 156 or a 75, there are certain aspects of each car that will appeal to your friend. Personally, I think the 156 looks better, seems roomier, and will be nicer to drive than the Rover, on the other hand, the 75 is less likely to be ragged and may be more reliable. Unusual choice to have to make.

Most 156s are abused because of the customer they attract. Most Rover 75s aren't. The rover 75 is much larger and wider inside. The boot in the 75 is absolutely huge. When polished up a Rover 75 is very attractive and is a much classier looking car than my Red 156 which was a pretty car.
Add in dual zone Automatic climate control, heated electric seats, heated mirrors, steering wheel controls, deep pile carpet, high quality leather and excellent construction there is absolutely no way a 156 can be compared to it.

Bluefoam

dual zone Automatic climate control, heated electric seats, heated mirrors, steering wheel controls, deep pile carpet, high quality leather

All all the above are available in the 156, except maybe the deep pile carpet, which I'm sure is not very suitable to a car... I think you are either drawn to the alfa or you're not. I think that if you are confused over which to get between those cars, then you are probably better off not going for the alfa.

Mailman

Bluefoam wrote: »

dual zone Automatic climate control, heated electric seats, heated mirrors, steering wheel controls, deep pile carpet, high quality leather

All all the above are available in the 156, except maybe the deep pile carpet, which I'm sure is not very suitable to a car... I think you are either drawn to the alfa or you're not. I think that if you are confused over which to get between those cars, then you are probably better off not going for the alfa.

You just don't know these cars. All the features I mentioned come as standard on a Rover 75 Connisseur. I had a 156 SP3 and the air con wasn't dual zone, the seats were manual and clad in a very poor quality leather, it had no steering wheel radio controls and the carpet was the same quality as you would find in a Punto.
The materials in use throughout the cabin were very poor too.

colm_mcm

Mailman wrote: »

Add in dual zone Automatic climate control, heated electric seats, heated mirrors, steering wheel controls, deep pile carpet, high quality leather and excellent construction there is absolutely no way a 156 can be compared to it.

This isn't standard equipment though.

By "Ragged" I meant the past tense of to "Rag" as in some one had ragged it around, as opposed to being unkempt. If he's looking for a comfy cruiser, then the Rover will obviously appeal. I didn't think the 75 was bigger inside than the 156, you'll know better than most though.

Mailman

colm_mcm wrote: »

This isn't standard equipment though.

It is standard equipment. Get a Conn. Se and you get even more toys thrown in. These cars were very well specified.

colm_mcm

but a Classic model has hardly any equipment

Mailman

colm_mcm wrote: »

but a Classic model has hardly any equipment

OP mentions connoisseur

colm_mcm

Mailman wrote: »

OP mentions connoisseur

so he does. I quite like the blue leather in them, we took in a connisseur diesel with it last year. 156 unlikely to match it spec wise.

Bluefoam

Mailman wrote: »

You just don't know these cars. All the features I mentioned come as standard on a Rover 75 Connisseur. I had a 156 SP3 and the air con wasn't dual zone, the seats were manual and clad in a very poor quality leather, it had no steering wheel radio controls and the carpet was the same quality as you would find in a Punto.
The materials in use throughout the cabin were very poor too.

I know the Alfa very well, its a fantastic interior, and the build quality on those I have driven have been no worse than most other cars. What is a Rover 75 Connisseur - sounds like a particular model with an upgraded spec...???

The Alfa is a drivers car, the Rover is not. I'm not sure those two cars are aimed at a similar demographic.

I don't know much about the Rover because it just doesn't do anything for me & I find it disinteresting. Thats not to say that it shouldn't appeal to others...
The usual stereo types apply, Alfas can be a bit more expensive to run, when buying make sure timing belts have been done at correct service intervals, spark plug changes are more expensive due to the twin spark engine etc...
Rovers have a bad reputation for build quality and dated engineering.

You may find the Rover more comfortable because it was designed to be a loungey car, the Alfa is more dynamic & the interior is designed to be more supportive and sports orientated, I certainly wouldn't say the Alfa leather is poor - quite the opposite.

Sounds like you judge your cars on a different set of criteria than me.

You just don't know these cars.

& BTW, enough with the patronising comments

Mailman

Bluefoam wrote: »

I know the Alfa very well, its a fantastic interior, and the build quality on those I have driven have been no worse than most other cars. What is a Rover 75 Connisseur - sounds like a particular model with an upgraded spec...???

The Alfa is a drivers car, the Rover is not. I'm not sure those two cars are aimed at a similar demographic.

I don't know much about the Rover because it just doesn't do anything for me & I find it disinteresting. Thats not to say that it shouldn't appeal to others...
The usual stereo types apply, Alfas can be a bit more expensive to run, when buying make sure timing belts have been done at correct service intervals, spark plug changes are more expensive due to the twin spark engine etc...
Rovers have a bad reputation for build quality and dated engineering.

You may find the Rover more comfortable because it was designed to be a loungey car, the Alfa is more dynamic & the interior is designed to be more supportive and sports orientated, I certainly wouldn't say the Alfa leather is poor - quite the opposite.

Sounds like you judge your cars on a different set of criteria than me.

You just don't know these cars.

& BTW, enough with the patronising comments

sorry you don't know these cars. I ran both for 2 years. The Alfa is a sportier car but you end up paying for it in increased running costs, repair and suspension rebuilds.
The leather on any moderate milage Alfa 156 I'd seen including my own was dull and flaking especially around the seat bolsters and seat base.
The Rover 75 is still current technology and because it was designed to sell at the same price point as a 3-series BMW from it takes suspension design and switchgear it is a superior car to the Alfa 156 which was built as a high end competitor to the Mondeo and Vectra. The interior on the Alfa 156 is very low rent in comparission to the Rover 75.

Bluefoam