Best motorway car?

[Stickyfinger]

TurboHatchback said:

Stickyfinger said:

Audi's shake your teeth out on anything more than dead smooth tarmac.

Drive a selection on various roads with comfort in mind.....you WILL choose the Citroen C5x7

No they don't (not all of them anyway). My SE spec A6 is very comfortable indeed though I've not tried the S-line version with brick springs and big wheels. I'm willing to believe a Citroen C5/C7 may well have a plusher ride but all things considered I'd rather have a large Audi (not that I have anything against Citroens).

Ever driven one ?

coppice said:

Or a Citroen C6- unlike the German brands it will mark you out as man of rare discernment and taste . So easy on the eye and none of the aggressive down the road graphic of the usual suspects .

Agree...if you can find one, those with taste have snapped them up which I would have but the need for an Estate was a top requirement sadly

[Scottie - NW]

I do similar mileage to original poster.

Best car I ever had for comfort was a CLK CDi Avantgarde (most sporty ones without sports suspension).

Remapped, and could do 60 mpg if careful, but averaged 55mpg for me. Pure comfort and practical...till my other half asked to have it she liked it so much.

Replaced with a 2nd option for you, the Mazda 6 Sport SL 185bhp 2.2 diesel. Every option, best 4 pot diesel I've tried, great power and economy and sporty handling. Timing chain so no belt to change like the Merc.

Both the Merc and the Mazda can cover huge mileages with no problems, the Merc more towards comfort the Mazda trades off for a sporty handling.

For sitting on a motorway lots not sure what would be a Merc for 7k.

[JaseB]

I do the same miles, 2007 Audi A6 Avant SE 2.7 TDI manual. Pretty civilised place to be and capable of 50mpg. Has no dpf or belt to change, given my time again I'd go 3.0 TDI quattro auto, bit more thirsty but the full ticket much along the line of the A8.

Mine was bought with 78k, now has 136k, three services, some tyres and brakes but that's it.

Or get the Phaeton obviously, drove one recently and am very tempted.

[mikey P 500]

Personally I would put the 7k budget,towards moving nearer to work, or finding a job nearer home, you must spend upwards of 10 hours a week in your car, or 500 hours a year.

[Patrick Bateman]

Stickyfinger said:

Audi's shake your teeth out on anything more than dead smooth tarmac.

Drive a selection on various roads with comfort in mind.....you WILL choose the Citroen C5x7.v6 with the Hydo-Active+3 (the same suspension as the C6 and has the Jag engine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXF0PcsQAo

It LAUGHS in the face of AirBags !

Edited by Stickyfinger on Monday 15th February 18:38

What's the likelihood/severity of bills regarding their suspension?

I quite like that shape of C5, especially compared to the previous generation. Shame that looking on autotrader turns up only one 2.7 diesel out of 353 cars.

I know they're not going to be the most popular compared to the smaller engines but fk me, it's not a V8 petrol.

[BrownBottle]

Patrick Bateman said:

What's the likelihood/severity of bills regarding their suspension?

I quite like that shape of C5, especially compared to the previous generation. Shame that looking on autotrader turns up only one 2.7 diesel out of 353 cars.

I know they're not going to be the most popular compared to the smaller engines but fk me, it's not a V8 petrol.

The suspension is very reliable on them, they've been using the same system for a very long time although it has been tweaked over the years.

The 2.7 has the high road tax so isn't that desirable at this price point for the type of car, the one you want is the 3L, superior engine and cheaper tax same units as found in the Jag XF.

[Patrick Bateman]

Are they really that rare?

[Stickyfinger]

BrownBottle said:

The suspension is very reliable on them, they've been using the same system for a very long time although it has been tweaked over the years.

The 2.7 has the high road tax so isn't that desirable at this price point for the type of car, the one you want is the 3L, superior engine and cheaper tax same units as found in the Jag XF.

This.

The "Oh its expensive" is only true if you abuse them/ allow a spanner head to hit them with a dirty mallet.

I have driven Citroen's for years....for a reason.
There are very very good specialists to provide for them and are always better (and much cheaper) than Dealers.

[BrownBottle]

Yes the 3L diesel C5's are pretty rare, last time I was checking regularly there was usually only one or two at a push on AT and they were going for a hefty premium.

3L 407 coupes seemed to be even rarer when I was looking.

[JD2329]

BMW 7s strike a great balance between comfort and involvement.
Good driving position, cabins and ventilation too.
On a lower budget, an E38 728i. Higher budget an E66 730d.
Slightly better economy with the E66 but you can still get high 30s mpg with the 728.

[knebworth01]

E Class Merc, no contest.
Nothing else comes close for comfort and general waft-ability. Any fuel type will do so long as its 3000cc or bigger.

[big_rob_sydney]

Lexus LS. World car of the year 2007.

I got 550 miles out of an 84 litre tank on a trip to Italy. Its not a diesel, so that's pretty good going out of a luxury car that weighed about 2.2 tonnes with the family and luggage.

Look at the US quality surveys; you'll find they're also among the most reliable cars on the road, and have won the JD Powers quality survey something like 15 years in a row.

If you want to waft around, the Lexus is about the best you'll get. I wont buy any other car to cart my family around in.

[ZX10R NIN]

If it's a motorway muncher that's going to be doing 25k a year it has to be low miles (60k or less) reliable & an auto, so here are my picks:

E320 Avantgarde
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

CLK 220 Avantgarde
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Saab 9-3
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Jaguar S Type
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Mondeo
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

[corcoran]

Audi A6 le mans - facelift, 3 litre diesel, quattro. Lovely.

Skoda Superb - estate form factor much prettier than saloon.

VW Phaeton. If you're not a badge snob. Audi A8, if you are.

5 Series BMW e60

[E46Rob]

Surely for doing 500 miles a week something sensible & frugal is required so ignore any of those saabs and citroens etc. A 520d SE Auto would be a fantastic cruiser, failing that the equivalent A6 2.0 TDi or E220 Benz

[Mike_C]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I couldn't see what you had suggested, as the link was dead - smart arse
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Stickyfinger said:

I'm amazed people don't read 3 page threads

I did, see above.

[ZX10R NIN]

So OP have you drawn up a shortlist yet?

[Lotusgone]

dme123 said:

Volvo S60 or S80 D5. Great seats, brilliant stereo, good economy, reliable and no real massively expensive faults. The S80 in particular is excellent for long distance runs, just make sure you get SE / SE Lux spec with 17" wheels.

You should be able to get a decent one with sensible miles and great history for £6-£7k. You'll get a far younger and lower mileage example for your money than with a BMW/Audi/Merc due to them being deeply unfashionable and having no chav prestige like a cheap old German car.

Edited by dme123 on Friday 12th February 16:21

Fair point, but also consider something German that's 3-4 years old with high mileage and good history. Check out the auctions and their websites. Also, my X-type 2.2D Jag has been pretty good in the 4 years and 56k miles of ownership.

[TIGA84]

Trophy Husband said:

A good friend of mine had one of these for a few years on a 54 plate. It was fantastic in every way. He could knock on the door of 30mpg's on a run. Every imaginable thing you could need in a car.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Agreed, a mate of mine had one nearly new a few years ago, was an ex-audi director car, 100 odd grand new, 6000 miles, he paid 42k. Had literally everything, the pop up bose stuff and the footrests in the back, was lovely.

[Theophany]

usuallysafedriver said:

Nice ride and comfort, large tank but fairly good economy. I've conceded that probably have to change tires twice a year.

In that case I'd suggest an E63 6 series based on my experience - book price is £6k for an average one, £7-8k for a very good one. It's wonderfully comfortable (just spent 35 hours over the last 9 days traveling between London and Aberdeen in mine) and driven sensibly on the motorways you'll get just shy of 30mpg, which is around 450-500 miles from a tank. Tyre wear is not heavy on a set of upper mid-range tyres as it's not a big old barge. Bloody cavernous boot too.

Icing on the cake is a 4.4/4.8 litre petrol V8 instead of the usual diesel fare for this application.

That being said, if you need rear seat room, it'll be no good as the rear seats are a token gesture!

Just make sure you get one with a cupholder.