Rolls Royce of small cars

[TheInternet]

Zwolf said:

Some characteristics are inherent to the basic design of given vehicles. A small hatchback is about as good at being a luxury saloon is at motorway cruising, as the barge is at being nippy around town, easy to park and cheap to run.

So strike a compromise in the middle with a 5 Series diesel auto, in SE spec on standard wheels (16" for six cylinders) without the optional sports suspension and swap the runflats for regular tyres.

It is admirable that your idea of compromising is to not compromise at all.

[Atmospheric]

Zwolf said:

Some characteristics are inherent to the basic design of given vehicles. A small hatchback is about as good at being a luxury saloon is at motorway cruising, as the barge is at being nippy around town, easy to park and cheap to run.

So strike a compromise in the middle with a 5 Series diesel auto, in SE spec on standard wheels (16" for six cylinders) without the optional sports suspension and swap the runflats for regular tyres.

An excellent summary.

Long wheelbase for refinement. As an alternative, I would suggest an airport spec late W211 Avantgarde. Minimum 6 cylinders, however.

(12 cylinders if doing it properly, although that's available in the W221)

[Arquettes]

What you need is a Renault Modus Initiale , compact yet roomy , excellent big car ride quality and leather , cruise etc

[Arquettes]

What you need is a Renault Modus Initiale , compact yet roomy , excellent big car ride quality and leather , cruise etc

[kambites]

IroningMan said:

Same floorpan as Golf/A3 etc, isn't it?

Not anymore. The mk1 and mk2 shared wheelbases with the Golf, etc. built on the same platform but the mk3 has a longer wheelbase. It still feels very much more Golf sized than Mondeo sized, though.

[red_slr]

Renault Aventime.

[Matt UK]

kambites said:

You can't really make a short wheelbase car waft properly. They're just too susceptible to pitch over bumps.

Having searched for this type of car before, I would agree with this.

You just can't 'waft small' or 'hustle big' particularly well.

[hondansx]

The MINI is probably the most customisation small car you can get these days; pretty sure it is the smallest car to have such available luxuries as heated seats, etc.

So, I would recommend an early laden Cooper S and source a set of the rare standard alloys (on normal tyres, not runflats).

[northwest monkey]

keith2.2 said:

If you insist on small and economical - how about a Clio Bacarra. They touted it as a mini limousine.

For comfortable and wafty without costing a fortune, people have correctly gone French..but nobody has yet suggested a top spec laguna (RXE or V6).

Good call. A neighbour has the Clio & it's very plush inside.

[Zwolf]

TheInternet said:

Zwolf said:

So strike a compromise in the middle with a 5 Series diesel auto, in SE spec on standard wheels (16" for six cylinders) without the optional sports suspension and swap the runflats for regular tyres.

It is admirable that your idea of compromising is to not compromise at all.

That's a huge compromise from the Phaeton W12 that the OP actually wants, or 760Li that I'd otherwise have suggested as the budget Flying Spur and Phantom respctively...

[TheInternet]

kambites said:

You can't really make a short wheelbase car waft properly. They're just too susceptible to pitch over bumps.

The wheelbase of a 190 Merc is not far off that of a modern Golf yet everyone seems to think the old Merc is a much better choice.

[dfen5]

New shape Prius. Full auto, reasonable economy. Never breakdown. Comfy, smooth, near silent in traffic & safe. Haters have never driven one.
Doubt you'd get a Lexus CT for £10k

[Matt UK]

hondansx said:

The MINI is probably the most customisation small car you can get these days; pretty sure it is the smallest car to have such available luxuries as heated seats, etc.

So, I would recommend an early laden Cooper S and source a set of the rare standard alloys (on normal tyres, not runflats).

I've got an R53 MCS.
The ride is not great even on 15's/winter tyres - fabulous for attacking a b-road, bouncy on the motorway.
And the MPG is not great, I average about 30mpg.

[anonymous-user]

dfen5 said:

New shape Prius. Full auto, reasonable economy. Never breakdown. Comfy, smooth, near silent in traffic & safe. Haters have never driven one.
Doubt you'd get a Lexus CT for £10k

Comfy, really? The one I drove had some of the worst I have ever sat in. Clever things without a doubt but feel very cheap IMO.

[kambites]

TheInternet said:

kambites said:

You can't really make a short wheelbase car waft properly. They're just too susceptible to pitch over bumps.

The wheelbase of a 190 Merc is not far off that of a modern Golf yet everyone seems to think the old Merc is a much better choice.

Indeed they're almost identical, but the Golf isn't a particularly amall car and whilst it's a very long time since I've been in one, I rather suspect the Merc doesn't ride especially well by modern standards.

[sjc]

Just because you load a small car with kit and leather seats doesn't mean it's gonna be any good at wafting. A Rover 75 is only slightly bigger than a 3 series, you'll get a V6 low mileage corker for 2 grand and get 34/35 mpg on the motorway.Eight grand is a lot if petrol saved on the purchase price and you'llalso remind yourself how utterly crap all modern cars ride, let alone the small ones suggested.

Edited by sjc on Monday 1st September 21:27

[Uncle John]

Check out the interior on my Alfa 147!



Heated leather, leather doors, climate control, thick carpets, it's like a 70's Maserati. A lovely place to be and with modest 15inch wheels it rides nicely and takes everything in its stride. I'm very happy with it.

[GeordieInExile]

Get one of these and stick leather seats, a walnut dash and an aircon system in it.

Best ride quality you're going to get in a car that small.

[Decoy]

VW Jetta?

[gonzales_turbo]

nipsips said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

All I know is its based on a Fiat Brava/Alfa Guiletta.

May be worth a shout though.

I drive that! It's a good car, but it's not wafting as a Rolls-Royce would. If you can find one of the 50 "Limited" you'll get leather that's as good as it gets in smallish cars, sliding and reclining seats in the rear for you to be driven in by the chauffeur, but I doubt many, if any, were sold with the reactive suspension that would be the only one providing a comfort greater than the opposition.
And it's not really small, either.

Very unusually, the review from the daily mail is fair enough and sums up well pros and cons.