Help me with my with my car choice......

[keith2874]

Hello all

I very recently bought an F10 BMW 528i 3.0 auto to replace my ageing e60 545i that I had had for a few years. The primary purpose of this car is to go to and from the airport and take my elderly parents from Poole up to Newcastle to see their grandchildren.

The e60 was really high spec, and I liked everything about it except it's auto box. When it started to cost a fortune to run I thought the logical step would be to replace it with a newer version - hence the 528i purchase. The (first world) problem is that the new car is something of a disappointment - the main problem is I thought that the 8 speed auto in the 528i would be a massive improvement, but find myself frustrated by it's reluctance to respond rapidly enough when I want to pull out of a junction or overtake.

I justified buying the 528i on the basis that I'd keep it for 10 years or so - since I have no love for it at all, that is simply not going to happen now. Hence I am trying to come up with an alternative option, the requirements of which are as follows:

Must be refined and quiet for long motorway runs
Petrol ideally with manual gearbox
Large enough to cart oap parents
Large boot
Reliable
£15k budget
Would consider any age, but ideally around 5 years old, as a decent depreciation/ reliability balance

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Keith