75 or 406?

[Split_Pin]

75 Diesel Auto will do 35-40mpg, manual easily 45mpg plus. Tuning maps are available through the owners club which improves performance enormously.

Personally I found the cloth interior of the Classic I had was more comfortable than the leather of the Connoisseur but it had less toys. It still had all the important bits though like the wood effect dash and chrome parts.

Personally I'd avoid the petrols, the v6s are thirstier than you think and contrary to opinion, the V6s are not immune to HGF.

The 406 and the 75 aren't really comparable though so I'd try both.

[dozeydustman]

My brother had the 2.0 KV6 75 Connoisseur (saloon) a few years back. Yes it lacked torque and struggled a bit with hills when loaded up, however on a long journey with the cruise on it’d do 35-40mpg quite easily. Round the town it drank like George Best - low-mid 20s.

the 1.8T estate my aunt and uncle had was a manual, good load lugger but they had electrical issues as opposed. Again a pretty frugal car for its size, they used to push 45mpg on their frequent journeys between Kent and Germany.

[clayts450]

If you do go with the devil's juice powered 75 watch out for fucked fuel pumps (there are two). Refreshingly there's no DPF nonsense to worry about and the (yes I'll say it) 'bulletproof' BMW (M47 ?) engine is a chain not a belt so one less worry (and on the KV6 a wallet-raping 600 quid job unless your name is  Mr Reg Knackersack). As Mr Hubnut says, avoid the 2 litre KV6 at all costs.

[clayts450]

Meant to add, take some time to read this excellent buyers guide on the 75 Owners forum

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=75282

And learn all about the different spec flavours at

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=22249

And weep quietly as you read the Project Drive deletions

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=34369&highlight=project+drive

[sierraman]

I’d have thought the 2.0 KV6 would be practically unsaleable these days. Not that fast and thirsty. Some of the better ones are in the hands of enthusiasts but they’ll often want, and not get, the earth for them. 

[barefoot]

The 2.0 dizzler is £300 to tax, the 2.5 V6 is £325...

 

Is this likely to change dramatically?

Will old diesels be hit with a massive RFL hike, the second after I buy one?

[Split_Pin]

8 minutes ago, barefoot said:

The 2.0 dizzler is £300 to tax, the 2.5 V6 is £325...

 

Is this likely to change dramatically?

Will old diesels be hit with a massive RFL hike, the second after I buy one?

Likely be offset with how little they will sell for

[sierraman]

13 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Likely be offset with how little they will sell for

This is very true. Panic selling of old diesels mean values are on the floor. Even though an old diesel has the potential to be a money pit when they’re at throwaway money it’s less an issue. 

[wuvvum]

My diesel auto Tourer is currently averaging 43mpg on my commute.  I've seen up to 52 on a long steady motorway run.  The 1.8 Turbokettle would do 40+ on a run, the 2.5 V6 auto about 34.

[eddyramrod]

I've owned a 406 and a 75, both 2.0 manual saloon flavour.  I'd do either again, but the 75 in particular would HAVE to be auto, the manual is just hostile.  In estate form the 75 strikes me as the Shiter Buy.  Go for the 2.5V6.  I didn't find the 2.0 as underpowered as it's painted but maybe I simply don't expect a rocketship.  Interestingly, the 2.0 auto 800 Fastback I had after was a superb car, lighter and more powerful than its successor.  And with two fewer pots!  I had a very easy 115 out of that, on a private* test track of course.  My views on diesel are well-known.  Avoid, unless the vehicle's badges say Ford Cargo or some such.  That's where diesel belongs.

If comfort is important, find a 2.5 auto 75.  You won't regret it.

[iainrcz]

I fancied a 75 when I was younger and had my 400.
Got a lovely China blue 406 saloon instead.

And thus began the Peugeot fetish..

Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk

[Mally]

5 hours ago, barefoot said:

The 2.0 dizzler is £300 to tax, 

 

 

Don't know the ins and outs, must be different models? But mine is £195 for 12 months.

[jon.k]

I don’t understand the comments about 406 seats! I had one straight after an e39 and an “OMG Saab best seats ever” and it was much more comfy. Armrest, mega mpg hdi, decent stereo.... lets get repping!

[Ghosty]

I liked the idea of 75s until I sat in one. The interior felt dowdy and visibility was pants, it felt like sitting in a pillbox.

[wuvvum]

57 minutes ago, Mally said:

Don't know the ins and outs, must be different models? But mine is £195 for 12 months.

Automatics are more expensive than manuals.  Mine is £300 too.

[SRi05]

So to summarise the thread, you should go for a 75 or 406 ?

[Mally]

12 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Automatics are more expensive than manuals.  Mine is £300 too.

So I've saved £300 towards my clutch already .

[406V6]

My vote goes to the 406 (obviously). The V6 is a honey of an engine and the car shifts very well. Only real downside is the need for an expensive cambelt change, now reckoned to be every 8 years.

[EssDeeWon]

stick up the links for the potential cars on here Barefoot to any you like the look of

[loserone]

I like the sound of a 406 V6 a lot.  Can't see any for sale though

[Honey Badger]

IS300 sportcross, not quite as big as the other two but it will have all the bells and  whistles you need and the lovely Toyota six pot engine, you could go for the 2.0 six pot if you want a smaller engine, though the gain in mpg is minimal.

 

Rover 75s are like a reverse TARDIS, look big from the out side but the interior is cramped, claustrophobic and a bit twee, it wasn't a nice place to be. The 406 2.0 pez saloon I had was a lovely car and used to eat the miles up on the motorway with ease but I was glad it was a company car as it was constantly being fixed for a range of niggles over the 18 months I had it, given the choice I would still take the 406.

[pauldoubleyou]

Echoes of above really, ive had the 2.0 diesel auto and found it a bit thirsty. Maybe 35-40mpg. Build quality was alright but a bit 90s - all rounded corners. The thermostat is a horrendous price and was a horrendous fit so i ended up putting an inline one in on the top hose. The killer for 75s / zts is the rear trailing arms. the bushes and whatnot are all in with captive nuts which are welded to the subframe. When these rot the captive nuts spin and a two hour job turns into a very very expensive bush change. 

Handling was alright, boot space was alright too but you have to remove the rear lower bench in order to get the back seats fully flat. Due to project drive only some examples have fully dropping rear seats. BMW engine so BMW prices in some cases. I havent seen many with rust on that are pre-2003. project drive will kill off a lot of extras around that time. 

You can pickup some very optional heavy 75s for not a lot of pennies but i would hold out for the diesel. A kseries is a great engine but youd wish youd have paid a bit more when you have to drive everywhere with one eye on the temperature and coolant bottle level. Later models will have a coolant bottle alarm light on the dash. The kv6 is nice but stay away from that v6 2.0 - its a non engine. High mpg and servicing costs with a lack of power. The 2.5 is half decent on fuel, maybe 30-34 but can be a shit to work on. Again the thermostat on these is in the gallery of the V and needs the full inlet removed to be successful. Belts can be a pain too and pricy, as are clutches. 

[wuvvum]

Mine is fairly well optioned up.  Leather, climate control and electric / heated seats were standard on the Connoisseur SE, but mine also has half wood steering wheel, cruise control and sat nav.  Mine isn't too bad underneath rust-wise but I will be treating and rustproofing the rear trailing arms and subframe before next winter.

Top* tip - if you buy one with built-in sat nav, the later DVD-based system as used in the E46 is a plug & play upgrade, and updated maps are still being released for that system so it's nowhere near as useless as you would normally expect a 16-year-old sat nav to be.

[sierraman]

Wouldn’t worry too much about what might go wrong, buy with your eyes. Don’t pay a lot and run it till it stops. Something like a clutch or serious suspension work will mean it’s bean tins. Financially these things aren’t worth getting in deep with. 

[Steve79]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

Mine is fairly well optioned up.  Leather, climate control and electric / heated seats were standard on the Connoisseur SE, but mine also has half wood steering wheel, cruise control and sat nav.  Mine isn't too bad underneath rust-wise but I will be treating and rustproofing the rear trailing arms and subframe before next winter.

Top* tip - if you buy one with built-in sat nav, the later DVD-based system as used in the E46 is a plug & play upgrade, and updated maps are still being released for that system so it's nowhere near as useless as you would normally expect a 16-year-old sat nav to be.

Probably best to just sack the factory sat nav off and get one of the android ones designed for the 75. Latest ones with apple carplay are about £300 and use Google maps.

Precisely what I'm going to do with the Turbo Kettle. No one seems interested in buying it and I'm not going to give it away so I'm keeping it;

[wuvvum]

11 minutes ago, Steve79 said:

Probably best to just sack the factory sat nav off and get one of the android ones designed for the 75. Latest ones with apple carplay are about £300 and use Google maps.

The upgraded "standard" system I fitted to mine was about a quarter of that price...

[EssDeeWon]

Mine is the connie so pretty well loaded with some extra's, the problem though is that most of it doesn't actually work now, so heated electric seats and sunroofs are great things, apparently I wouldn't know.  I have plenty of buttons that don't do anything, my leccy mirrors also packed up.   If you are fussy about everything working then check 'everything' before buying.

Before you all say 'check your fuses' etc.. the sunroof for example has never worked or been opened ever!   The original owners who I tracked down a few years ago confirmed this to me. It honestly never worked from new but I don't care, and the leccy seats are set right for me so no need to move them anyway.

[wuvvum]

Everything works on mine. *smug*

[wuvvum]

Apart from the central locking on the front passenger door, which I had to disconnect as the microswitch for the interior light was shagged and kept turning the light on.

[wuvvum]

And the aircon, but that's because there's no belt on the compressor.  I'm sure* it'll work perfectly once I fit the new belt.

My electric seats do work though.  As do the seat heaters and the mirrors.