While the Rover 75 Tourer was in my possession, a friend jokingly asked what I was doing driving an old person's car. After all, the Connoisseur version tested was equipped with polished chrome capped door mirrors, accompanied by a chrome-finished grille, waist and sill finishers and door handles. There is even more chrome on the rear number plate lighting plinth, and on the windows. When you discover that the exterior colour is known as "Royal Blue pearlescent", you begin to get the idea that the average teenager will not be looking too closely as you waft past.
There is an MG version of the same car (the ZT-T) for buyers with less traditional tastes, but the Rover is unquestionably the classier choice, and a welcome return to how Rovers of old used to be perceived. We have already tested the
75 saloon and I was impressed with how well executed the 75 is. The estate version manages to be even better. Open the chunky doors and you are greeted by what first of all appears to be a traditional 'cow and tree' interior. Sit into the cream leather chair though and your eye is caught by the distinctive ovular dials in front of you and the swooping curves of the door cappings and dashboard. The shape is shared with the
MG ZT, but the textures and materials are different. I'm not a huge fan of wood (fake or otherwise) in a car, but the Rover dashboard manages to impress, perhaps because of its more contemporary shape.
Rovers of old, such as the P4 and P5 were very much gentlemen's cars, and the 75 Tourer somehow recaptures some of that. The wood and leather helps of course. So does the driving position - you sit on the seats (perhaps "chairs" would be more appropriate) rather than in them, yet the soft leather cossets. The in-built heaters and electric adjustment are not too shabby either. Most controls are suitably tactile, and very much up to date. The dual-zone climate control works a treat, with
vents for the rear passengers as well.
Indeed, all passengers are well catered for, with regards to comfort and space. The Tourer is certainly not lacking in the latter. The boot is huge. The 400 litre figure quoted in the technical specifications doesn't really tell the story. That figure was for space up to the windows only. The loading floor is flat, and there is further storage under the floor. The rear seats are a cinch to drop, and create a massive flat luggage area. It also happens to be trimmed in a piece of nice beige carpet.
Once on your way, the 75 is a pleasant car to drive, especially when fitted with the 2.5-litre Rover KV6 engine. This engine is getting long in the tooth now, but it emits a wonderful noise when being pressed on. In this application, it remains silent at cruising speeds. The automatic transmission gets on famously with the engine, providing smooth shifts between ratios. There is even a 'sport' mode, which speeds up changes. This comes in useful when having to overtake slow traffic, and the shift quality does not suffer too badly. The Tourer is fitted with a manual gearbox as standard, but the auto' suits the character of the car better, at a cost of £1,200.
A manual gearbox may make twisty roads more enjoyable, but that is not the Tourer's forte in any case. The chassis is quite capable, and sure-footed, but the weight eventually overcomes the front tyres, causing understeer. Where it matters (motorway and sweeping A-roads) the 75 is stable and confidence inspiring. The brakes maintain your confidence in the car's ability with a solid pedal and impressive retardation. As this car is rated for towing up to 1600 kg of (braked) trailer, that's a comforting feeling. The manual 'box may be preferable if you plan on towing a caravan. Not that I am saying that is what the buyer of this car would do...
Looking at the market, there is currently a raft of estate cars available around the £20,000 - £25,000 mark. Options that stand out include the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy, though they do not have a V6 engine option. The Mondeo, Vectra and Passat are just a little bit too predictable, though very good cars. The other executive options (BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar) are all either more expensive, or a lot smaller. It is beginning to look like Rover have managed to find a niche with the 75 Tourer - classy, distinguished, a tad traditional, but with contemporary dynamics. Who said anything about being old?
