From 2007 to 2015 I owned two different Rover 75s CDTIs, covering around 15,000 miles a year in them. since then I’ve been driving Mercedes E class but they are very expensive to maintain. Now semi retired and doing less than 6,000 miles a year, I need a more modest vehicle but the R75s are now almost 20 years old. How viable are they for daily motoring, reliability, and availability of spares?
grandtourer
I think they are still practical motors. I’ve a low mileage 1.8 ZT, which is good for home maintenance, economical for the 6-8k miles it does per year and compliant with my local ULEZs. Spares are available and as cheap as they get IMO. Unusual parts may be unavailable or expensive from Rimmers etc, but available from breakers. Diesels will need to pay in ULEZs, as will early V6’s and K’s, so worth checking out the VIN on the gov.uk site if ULEZ‘s will affect you. 
I have owned my 1999 Cowley built Rover 75 Classic SE 1.8 nasp for 16 months now and I use it daily having covered just over 7000 miles in that time. I am retired so it's not on a regular commuting cycle, mostly just visiting the family, friends and shops - with an occasional longer run at weekends. It has currently covered 78k miles.
I find it economical, reliable (the only failure I experienced was due to the transponder becoming dislodged in the key fob), and a pretty good investment at £800. I have of course spent more on it during that time on tyres, a replacement electric/heated leather interior, new (used) steering wheel, a replacement alloy throttle body, a new reversing light switch, OEM CD player, new drop links at the front and a new suspension strut (I damaged the original doing drop links - it hadn't failed due to age or wear). On the whole it is pretty corrosion free, and the Moonstone Green paint work has lasted well for 23 years plus.
If you live near a ULEZ then that might be a problem - it cost me £12.50 to drive into Belgravia to pick up my replacement seats one Sunday morning - but the 440 miles only cost me about £66 in fuel.
Around town I regularly get 28-32 mpg and approaching 40 mpg on a steady run at legal limits.
The main problem is finding a mechanic willing to work on such an old car - especially the diagnostic dependancy on T4... - and of course parts as last poster already said.
I find it economical, reliable (the only failure I experienced was due to the transponder becoming dislodged in the key fob), and a pretty good investment at £800. I have of course spent more on it during that time on tyres, a replacement electric/heated leather interior, new (used) steering wheel, a replacement alloy throttle body, a new reversing light switch, OEM CD player, new drop links at the front and a new suspension strut (I damaged the original doing drop links - it hadn't failed due to age or wear). On the whole it is pretty corrosion free, and the Moonstone Green paint work has lasted well for 23 years plus.
If you live near a ULEZ then that might be a problem - it cost me £12.50 to drive into Belgravia to pick up my replacement seats one Sunday morning - but the 440 miles only cost me about £66 in fuel.
Around town I regularly get 28-32 mpg and approaching 40 mpg on a steady run at legal limits.
The main problem is finding a mechanic willing to work on such an old car - especially the diagnostic dependancy on T4... - and of course parts as last poster already said.
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