sorry me again - still looking for car advice
Discussion
Coming back to the mondeo. If the boot is so large then what is it about the car that makes it look so small compared to audis and bmws? Is the the small low bonnet rather than the long agressive front ends of the bmws? It must just be the styling and the fact they never tuck the wheels nicely into the arches like the premium brands do.
I keep coming back to the saabs. Many of the older ones for sale have done alot of miles though. Ill take a closer look and try and pick a couple out for comment.
The legacy is nice too. But its either the 3 litre r doing 250bhp or a smaller one doing 160. Where is the middle one at around 200bhp which is where i want to be.
I keep coming back to the saabs. Many of the older ones for sale have done alot of miles though. Ill take a closer look and try and pick a couple out for comment.
The legacy is nice too. But its either the 3 litre r doing 250bhp or a smaller one doing 160. Where is the middle one at around 200bhp which is where i want to be.
danlightbulb said:
Coming back to the mondeo. If the boot is so large then what is it about the car that makes it look so small compared to audis and bmws? Is the the small low bonnet rather than the long agressive front ends of the bmws? It must just be the styling and the fact they never tuck the wheels nicely into the arches like the premium brands do.
Mondeos are more often than not following at a safe distance, that's why BMWs and Audis look more aggressive. That's the only reason. Let's leave all of this talk of wheels 'tucked in' to arches to Stanceworks shall we?danlightbulb said:
Coming back to the mondeo. If the boot is so large then what is it about the car that makes it look so small compared to audis and bmws? Is the the small low bonnet rather than the long agressive front ends of the bmws? It must just be the styling and the fact they never tuck the wheels nicely into the arches like the premium brands do.
Don't know, but it is:2000-2007 Mondeo hatch: 4.731m
2004 3-Series (E46) Estate: 4.478m
2006 Audi A4 Estate: 4.586m
Add in the fact that both the Audi and BMW have the engine the other way round which tends to take up more space they are certainly smaller inside.
TheJimi said:
TheAngryDog said:
Bmw and audi or not "premium" any more. They stopped being premium when they turned up out side of council houses on the "never never"
As opposed to turning up outside "private" 3 bed semi's, on the never never.Makes sense
I own a BMW, it was premium back in the day, now its a 14 year old BMW.
I think you need to stop dreaming about a "premium car" for 3 grand. It's going to be a banger.
The best thing has already been said 500 times, but you insist on buying a car you a) can't afford to buy, and b) can't afford to run.
Have you even driven the ST220 before discounting it?
The Audi is the most uninspiring drive you can get. The Ford will be a peach.
But I expect you'll buy a 100k mile POS Audi, it will blow up after 3 weeks, and it will end up as salvage - with you looking on AT for a £500 Fiesta.
There is a reason people get into shedding. Stupid cars for less than £1k, which they throw away when they break. 250+ hp Saab's, Volvos, big Mercs, etc. When you get into 3-4 or 5k territory, it's too much money to throw away, but the danger is the same as the £1k shed. In your circumstances, either spend 10k+ and get a decent 3-5 year old car with a proper service history (if going German) or don't bother at all and get a £1k 5 series 540i shed you can chuck.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
The best thing has already been said 500 times, but you insist on buying a car you a) can't afford to buy, and b) can't afford to run.
Have you even driven the ST220 before discounting it?
The Audi is the most uninspiring drive you can get. The Ford will be a peach.
But I expect you'll buy a 100k mile POS Audi, it will blow up after 3 weeks, and it will end up as salvage - with you looking on AT for a £500 Fiesta.
There is a reason people get into shedding. Stupid cars for less than £1k, which they throw away when they break. 250+ hp Saab's, Volvos, big Mercs, etc. When you get into 3-4 or 5k territory, it's too much money to throw away, but the danger is the same as the £1k shed. In your circumstances, either spend 10k+ and get a decent 3-5 year old car with a proper service history (if going German) or don't bother at all and get a £1k 5 series 540i shed you can chuck.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Edited by stuart-b on Tuesday 13th October 19:18
stuart-b said:
The best thing has already been said 500 times, but you insist on buying a car you a) can't afford to buy, and b) can't afford to run.
You/we haven't said anything that he wants to hear.My ex was the same- if the answer wasn't suitable, ask the question again. (Like the SNP, really.)
You're wrong actually. I have listened to you all immensely. I may have dropped a bank loan and bought a 4x4 on a whim by now if it wasn't for the forum's advice.
I'm now saving up for it instead of having 5k on finance. I'm going to be keeping an emergency fund back for repairs which I've never had before as well.
Not quite sure, when you guys talk about what can be afforded, what you actually mean. Do you all have 10/20k in the bank to drop on a car when you feel like it? And £200 a month free cash in your budget to throw in fuel at 20mpg and get all those niggly repairs that are so common done every 2 months? Because that's the impression you give when you say I can't afford it. I can't afford to throw money away like a fool no, but neither am I on the breadline either. My cost of motoring is currently about the lowest it can possibly be, so anything is going to be an increase. I don't mind an increase in my cost of motoring to get a car I will enjoy owning. Unless I'm talking to millionaires on here then we'll all be in a similar position and have limitations on the family budget.
The problem I have is I see a car I like, and I come and ask about it here for example, and I end up disappointed. Because it seems like every car that has desirability to me has something wrong with its reliability or performance or costs too much or whatever.
Its frustrating because the cars I'm choosing, in my mind, are not cheap tat cars. These weren't cheap cars when they were new. They aren't like the Vauxhall Viva's my Dad used to own in the 70's. I see lots of people running these nice BMW's, Audis, Range Rovers etc. Where are they getting them from, whilst I'm scratting around for a £5k car.
I could go and get a brand new car through the salary sacrifice deal at work for £300-400 a month, all in. But it will be a bottom of the range piece of poo for that money. Boring, slow, bland, small. As Ive said before, if I can't get something I will thoroughly enjoy having I may as well run my mondeo for another 200k miles until it turns into a small pile of rust dust on the driveway.
I'm now saving up for it instead of having 5k on finance. I'm going to be keeping an emergency fund back for repairs which I've never had before as well.
Not quite sure, when you guys talk about what can be afforded, what you actually mean. Do you all have 10/20k in the bank to drop on a car when you feel like it? And £200 a month free cash in your budget to throw in fuel at 20mpg and get all those niggly repairs that are so common done every 2 months? Because that's the impression you give when you say I can't afford it. I can't afford to throw money away like a fool no, but neither am I on the breadline either. My cost of motoring is currently about the lowest it can possibly be, so anything is going to be an increase. I don't mind an increase in my cost of motoring to get a car I will enjoy owning. Unless I'm talking to millionaires on here then we'll all be in a similar position and have limitations on the family budget.
The problem I have is I see a car I like, and I come and ask about it here for example, and I end up disappointed. Because it seems like every car that has desirability to me has something wrong with its reliability or performance or costs too much or whatever.
Its frustrating because the cars I'm choosing, in my mind, are not cheap tat cars. These weren't cheap cars when they were new. They aren't like the Vauxhall Viva's my Dad used to own in the 70's. I see lots of people running these nice BMW's, Audis, Range Rovers etc. Where are they getting them from, whilst I'm scratting around for a £5k car.
I could go and get a brand new car through the salary sacrifice deal at work for £300-400 a month, all in. But it will be a bottom of the range piece of poo for that money. Boring, slow, bland, small. As Ive said before, if I can't get something I will thoroughly enjoy having I may as well run my mondeo for another 200k miles until it turns into a small pile of rust dust on the driveway.
Dan the problem is you're reading the opinions of dozens of conflicting people and you don't appear to be viewing or driving any cars. That's why people on here think you're just wasting time and that's why you have more questions than answers.
You're trying to decide based on figures and statistics which is pointless.
For the love of God please decide whether or not you want to change your car and do something about it.
You're trying to decide based on figures and statistics which is pointless.
For the love of God please decide whether or not you want to change your car and do something about it.
danlightbulb said:
Do you all have 10/20k in the bank to drop on a car when you feel like it? And £200 a month free cash in your budget to throw in fuel at 20mpg and get all those niggly repairs that are so common done every 2 months?
You need to get over this mpg thing. Obsessing about the difference between 25 and 30mpg is stupid for two reasons; one, it's dependent on driving style and distance (so I may get 30 and you may get 25 in the same car), and two, if fuel prices rise again 30mpg isn't what you thought it was anyway. Well it's still 30mpg but if a gallon costs £6 rather than £5 it's 20% added to your fuel cost.Petrol was £1.40odd not so long ago. Now at £1.06 is a big difference but if you plan on keeping it for years and it shoots back up you'll need to find the extra.
If you are set on a big 6 cylinder car you have to accept it's going to cost you to run it. Significantly more than a more run of the mill hatchback. More on fuel, VED, tyres etc etc.
danlightbulb said:
The problem I have is I see a car I like, and I come and ask about it here for example, and I end up disappointed. Because it seems like every car that has desirability to me has something wrong with its reliability or performance or costs too much or whatever.
Then stop asking and just go and buy the car that you want, if you dont like it, cant afford to run it or dont get on with it then sell it again.Who gives a monkeys what anybody else thinks, just buy what you want, the car that you like best, if you cant afford it just yet, then keep your Mondeo and save up some more money, just like you are doing at the moment.
Although I have test drove a 530i and a ST220, I'm not quite ready to buy yet because I'm now saving rather than having a loan for it. The more I save the less I want to risk that cash on an uncertain car when my current car is running ok at the moment, despite it being old and shabby. If my current car broke tomorrow I'd have to act then.
I do like to do my research though and get all options on paper before then exploring the short list.
Based on my 530i test drive, I could have easily bought that car. But the prevailing opinion is that it would have cost me, so these forums are important to me a source of information.
I do like to do my research though and get all options on paper before then exploring the short list.
Based on my 530i test drive, I could have easily bought that car. But the prevailing opinion is that it would have cost me, so these forums are important to me a source of information.
Get a car you like.
You like the 530i so get one.
You've fixed your budget, you've narrowed down to the car you actually want. Job done. Forget about what might happen.
A cheap one that you
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-530i-estate.-1-o...
At the top of your range
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-530i-msport-tour...
An LPG converted one
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-e39-530i-automat...
danlightbulb said:
You're wrong actually. I have listened to you all immensely. I may have dropped a bank loan and bought a 4x4 on a whim by now if it wasn't for the forum's advice.
I'm now saving up for it instead of having 5k on finance. I'm going to be keeping an emergency fund back for repairs which I've never had before as well.
Not quite sure, when you guys talk about what can be afforded, what you actually mean. Do you all have 10/20k in the bank to drop on a car when you feel like it? And £200 a month free cash in your budget to throw in fuel at 20mpg and get all those niggly repairs that are so common done every 2 months? Because that's the impression you give when you say I can't afford it. I can't afford to throw money away like a fool no, but neither am I on the breadline either. My cost of motoring is currently about the lowest it can possibly be, so anything is going to be an increase. I don't mind an increase in my cost of motoring to get a car I will enjoy owning. Unless I'm talking to millionaires on here then we'll all be in a similar position and have limitations on the family budget.
The problem I have is I see a car I like, and I come and ask about it here for example, and I end up disappointed. Because it seems like every car that has desirability to me has something wrong with its reliability or performance or costs too much or whatever.
Its frustrating because the cars I'm choosing, in my mind, are not cheap tat cars. These weren't cheap cars when they were new. They aren't like the Vauxhall Viva's my Dad used to own in the 70's. I see lots of people running these nice BMW's, Audis, Range Rovers etc. Where are they getting them from, whilst I'm scratting around for a £5k car.
I could go and get a brand new car through the salary sacrifice deal at work for £300-400 a month, all in. But it will be a bottom of the range piece of poo for that money. Boring, slow, bland, small. As Ive said before, if I can't get something I will thoroughly enjoy having I may as well run my mondeo for another 200k miles until it turns into a small pile of rust dust on the driveway.
Look most people on here have whatever they can afford to spend on a car, they then get the one that suits their needs best (in your case an ST220) then when they go wrong they work around it curse a bit then find the money to get the car sorted.I'm now saving up for it instead of having 5k on finance. I'm going to be keeping an emergency fund back for repairs which I've never had before as well.
Not quite sure, when you guys talk about what can be afforded, what you actually mean. Do you all have 10/20k in the bank to drop on a car when you feel like it? And £200 a month free cash in your budget to throw in fuel at 20mpg and get all those niggly repairs that are so common done every 2 months? Because that's the impression you give when you say I can't afford it. I can't afford to throw money away like a fool no, but neither am I on the breadline either. My cost of motoring is currently about the lowest it can possibly be, so anything is going to be an increase. I don't mind an increase in my cost of motoring to get a car I will enjoy owning. Unless I'm talking to millionaires on here then we'll all be in a similar position and have limitations on the family budget.
The problem I have is I see a car I like, and I come and ask about it here for example, and I end up disappointed. Because it seems like every car that has desirability to me has something wrong with its reliability or performance or costs too much or whatever.
Its frustrating because the cars I'm choosing, in my mind, are not cheap tat cars. These weren't cheap cars when they were new. They aren't like the Vauxhall Viva's my Dad used to own in the 70's. I see lots of people running these nice BMW's, Audis, Range Rovers etc. Where are they getting them from, whilst I'm scratting around for a £5k car.
I could go and get a brand new car through the salary sacrifice deal at work for £300-400 a month, all in. But it will be a bottom of the range piece of poo for that money. Boring, slow, bland, small. As Ive said before, if I can't get something I will thoroughly enjoy having I may as well run my mondeo for another 200k miles until it turns into a small pile of rust dust on the driveway.
Some people will spend more than you but that just means we're ready for even bigger bills, jesus if I told you some of the bills my SL55 has thrown at me you'd cry, I did
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