The Rover 216 GTI is a fantasticly nippy car it is a modern classic and can keep up with any of the newer cars in looks and speed. There are a few shows to go to with your modern Rover but they are becoming more popular keep your eyes open for more events.

I love my gti, mrs hates it!!! i dont care about group 14 insurance, its a beast of a 1.6. go for dohc if at all poss, best engine out of the lot. Reliable, fast, mostly easy to repair. Rust (not on mine) and that apparently they used to put loctite on the cv joint are the only bad points.

The rover 216 gti mine being the 1990 H reg is one of the beast things rover produced but only with the help of the honda 1600cc DOHC engine in it. One day i would like the 220 turbo coupe as they are supposed to be better than the escort rs turbo!! but would settle for a turbo on the 1600 if some one made one for it? never buy i rover with a rover engine in they are not very good at all, stick with the honda engine if at all possible.
Hope this helps some of you out there to get your first rover 216 gti if you buy one u will never look back i never have, had this one now 4 years done 50,000 miles in these 4 years and replaced only 1 tyre and a track rod end altogether on all 4 mot's.passed everytime.
So have fun and take care of it ok.

Bought my Rover 216 GTI in 2001 for a grand with 67000 on the clock, one owner and full service history & now has 147000. Last year the water pump seized and snapped the cam belt. On recommendation from my best mate who happened to be a Rover mechanic said I probably bent at least 2 valves. Upon removing the head I had found there was no damage so while the head was off I lapped the valves back in which takes some time being a twin cam. To my surprise the bores were still in perfect condition with no lip at the top of the bore so the Honda engine is much better than the old days with the Ford Cortina and the like.

I bought one of these gems a few years back from an auction as it was cheap and I needed something that could still overtake. This is the worse review you'll find on this car as I bought the worst example possible, it had two spoilers and 16 inch curbed up rims. I got it for next to nothing though so it's not so bad, after I had unmodified it, it turned out to be a pretty sweet car, I had a spare Honda CRX engine in my garage for spares (from a previous purchase). This is the same unit I think it's a "d-series" Honda 16v 1.6. I was impressed with my CRX so this was just a cheaper version. It went pretty well, surprised a few people given how cheap I got it. My mate went tool for the job!

Still one of the best cars Rover have made in recent years.. Which explains why there is no Rover anymore.

I've been looking around for a newer car recently but haven't found anything to really compare to my Rover 216 GTI, for the £1500 I spent on this 5 years ago. This car has done everything I've ever asked. Brilliant 16v engine, still good for 135ish indicated even after 95k miles. It does leak water into interior and rear heated screen connector come adrift, though not bad considering some of the (newer) junk I've owned.

My Car is the 216 gti twincam honda engine in british racing green, full kit, still looks nice when parked up, but wind down the window, accelrate hard and listen to that beautiful sound coming from your exhaust, that's why i love my GTI, all the lads at work have got their souped up fiesta and seats, but they all say my car sounds awesome, i rest my case...

At the moment I own 18 Rover GTi,s single cams,2ltr.220 GTi,s and without doubt the 1600cc Honda twin cam is by far the best out of any of them. They are identical on 0-60mph as the 220GTi and only a couple of mph slower on top speed

Great little car. Cheap to run still has enough power to pass on the highways. I've had my Rover 216 GTI for over 2 years and it's been just about everywhere on 4wd drive tracks, to main roads. I have spent nothing on it in that time apart from the normal maintainance (tyres,etc). I have replaced the rear suspension with the CRX's style which fits straight in rides a bit harder on the road but you notice the extra control you have around corners. A+ car!

This is my second car. Previously I had a Peugeot 205 1.1L. I though that was good...then things happened to it...it became a rust bucket...and it was more expensive to repair than it was worth. Well, instead I upgraded to this Rover. I Love its looks, the spoiler compliments the car very nicely indeed. If you go for a 216GTi, make sure you go for the DOHC engine, as I have heard the SOHC engine lacks the power that makes this a great car, even though, the SOHC is still very fast. When it was released, it was the fastest 1.6L engine on the market. The only 1.6 faster now is the Civic VTI. The Rover is seriously quick, with a top speed of 130....I have heard it can go faster with a little tweeking;)
The accelleration is immense for a 1.6. The other reason why I admire the car so much is the sound of the engine. When foot is flat to floor, it roars!!! It is a very comfortable ride...in the front that is, however, it is a little cramped in the back, even more so if you have the 3 door Hatchback. It has a decent MPG if driven conservativly, but with a car like this, conservitave doesnt come into it. (haha)
The cooling system on this car it brilliant. I drove from Kent to North Yorkshire and the temperature guage was in the middle....not bad for an old car!!???

I would definatly recommend this car.
Buy it...
Now!

I have had mine for six years. Bought with 43K genuine on the clock. This is a lovely car that suits my lifestyle and I do not want it to get older!
Mechanics all recommend changing the oil every 6k miles.
Keep an eye on the rear wheel arches for rust forming.
Where does the water come from in the bottom of the boot?

Honda's involvement in the Rover 216 GTi makes it even better. A very good car in its day.

All in all I am very impressed by the performance of my "Rover 216 GTI old banger". I purchased it with a full MOT for less than £200 as most people who had looked at the car were scared off by the Rover reputation and the noisy gearbox which I replaced for £20 second hand.
It is very quick for a 1.6, and although I am over 50 now I cannot resist "burning off the local lads in there newer and supposedly quicker cars.
The Honda engine will run right round the rev counter. The gearbox seems to have closer than average ratios and a faily low top gear making the car very noisy at motorway speeds (80+). However the good top end output and the close gears and 195x55x15 tyres I have fitted endows it with rapid "country lane" performance. On the other side of the coin; get into town and the honda displays good flexibility at low revs. too. Should the occasion ever arise, I would buy another 216 GTi although as a family man it is a little on the small side. I feel that I will keep this one for as long as I can probably until it rots away! Its such fun car to drive!

I've had my Rover 216 GTI for nearly 2 years wouldn't change it to any other car. For that cheap price it's got great engine. With some adjustments to the engine I take on BMW328. Plus it's got the looks ;)

Main plus on the Rover 216 GTI has to be the honda 130bhp dohc engine. It keeps going relentlessly, and mine has been driven quick!

Sounds nice with a big bore exhaust although it can be too load if you want to listen to music properly, and can't fork out for sound proofing etc.

I definitely recommend a K&N 57i induction kit, made such a difference to the way mine picks up. Who are all these boys talking about 125mph top speed?? I hit got 145mph out of mine, hit the rev limiter at that point, so im sure thats all you will get!

Watch out for the handling though especially in the wet. Good tyres make a big difference. Depends what you like, I like the fact that it goes back-end first rather than front-end first, it does help you round corners, but in the wet you have to do something about it pretty quick when the back end comes out.

Don't buy a 220, I have driven both and the 216 DOHC GTI is the same, if not quicker and much more reliable.

I am now on to my third 216 GTi(my fault not the cars`) but I love these cars! The DOHC is quick although the SOHC is a great performer. The lightness of the car allows the 1.6 honda engine to give great acceleration even in 5th gear. And top speeds of 125mph! Its a comfortable ride and for an early 90`s car its exterior styling is great especially the 3 door hatch. Its also surprisingly spacious for a hatch including the boot. I love this car. Brought my first when I was 20 and never looked back. Worth the insurance premiums! Quick, unique and well built reliable engines.