New car thread. Please help as I'm out of inspiration
Discussion
Folks,
I'm going to have to buy a new car pretty quickly in the next week or so.
I'll be spending £12.5k tops
The non-negotiable bits are:
1. Seats 4 (2 +2 is fine)
2. Practical for everyday commuting (90 mile round trip)
3. Comfortable for long journeys
4. Quick. 7's to 60, but more important is 30 - 90
5. c 30mpg (ish)
6. Leather, aircon, nav, heated seats etc
7. Reliable
8. Auto
9. No more than 8 years old
9. Not a 3 series (nothing wrong with them, but my wife's just ordered one and I don't want two of them)
The negotiables:
1: petrol or diesel
2: colour
3: Brand
Any suggestions are welcome, as I'm just not inspired by anything I see on A/T, it seems
I'm going to have to buy a new car pretty quickly in the next week or so.
I'll be spending £12.5k tops
The non-negotiable bits are:
1. Seats 4 (2 +2 is fine)
2. Practical for everyday commuting (90 mile round trip)
3. Comfortable for long journeys
4. Quick. 7's to 60, but more important is 30 - 90
5. c 30mpg (ish)
6. Leather, aircon, nav, heated seats etc
7. Reliable
8. Auto
9. No more than 8 years old
9. Not a 3 series (nothing wrong with them, but my wife's just ordered one and I don't want two of them)
The negotiables:
1: petrol or diesel
2: colour
3: Brand
Any suggestions are welcome, as I'm just not inspired by anything I see on A/T, it seems
Easy. Jaguar XK8. Just.
Or, if you are willing to flex age, price, running costs, reliability and mpg by just a little bit, I present to you:
A Mercedes CL (215) CL600 2004 AMG V12 Bi TURBO (2004)
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Non-negotiable rules are only fun if you lean on them a little
1. Seats 4 (2 +2 is fine) - Yes
2. Practical for everyday commuting (90 mile round trip) - very much so
3. Comfortable for long journeys - certainly, probably nothing better
4. Quick. 7's to 60, but more important is 30 - 90 - oh it will haul alright
5. c 30mpg (ish) wink - I wink back at you
6. Leather, aircon, nav, heated seats etc - and more
7. Reliable - errr, seeing as it's your money we're spending, I'll say 'a good one will look after you, a bad one will leave you hurting on the inside for days"
8. Auto - Yup
9. No more than 8 years old - give or take
9. Not a 3 series - Good Lord no, but if you wish to tell passers by that your head gardener's new help has one, then nobody will bat an eyelid - a perfectly good car for an ambitious young prole.
Or, if you are willing to flex age, price, running costs, reliability and mpg by just a little bit, I present to you:
A Mercedes CL (215) CL600 2004 AMG V12 Bi TURBO (2004)
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Non-negotiable rules are only fun if you lean on them a little
1. Seats 4 (2 +2 is fine) - Yes
2. Practical for everyday commuting (90 mile round trip) - very much so
3. Comfortable for long journeys - certainly, probably nothing better
4. Quick. 7's to 60, but more important is 30 - 90 - oh it will haul alright
5. c 30mpg (ish) wink - I wink back at you
6. Leather, aircon, nav, heated seats etc - and more
7. Reliable - errr, seeing as it's your money we're spending, I'll say 'a good one will look after you, a bad one will leave you hurting on the inside for days"
8. Auto - Yup
9. No more than 8 years old - give or take
9. Not a 3 series - Good Lord no, but if you wish to tell passers by that your head gardener's new help has one, then nobody will bat an eyelid - a perfectly good car for an ambitious young prole.
Edited by Matt UK on Wednesday 25th September 20:14
Do you know, I had been toying with the idea of a CL600.
I may have an opportunity to change role soon, bringing the commute down to 20 miles each day, meaning that fuel becomes irrelevant.
SWMBO loved my old CLK500, so it isn't a huge leap from there...
However, in case that doesn't come off and I need to schlep up and down the M3 every day, there must be more options, as a CL isn't overly fuel efficient
I may have an opportunity to change role soon, bringing the commute down to 20 miles each day, meaning that fuel becomes irrelevant.
SWMBO loved my old CLK500, so it isn't a huge leap from there...
However, in case that doesn't come off and I need to schlep up and down the M3 every day, there must be more options, as a CL isn't overly fuel efficient
griffin dai said:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Then here for a cheeky remap
http://www.jzwtuning.com/products.shtml
Hmmm. Not thought of those to be honest. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
Then here for a cheeky remap
http://www.jzwtuning.com/products.shtml
Couple of questions.
As Saab are now defunct (although, I notice they are re-starting production), are these not going to be depreciation
disasters?
Are they nice to drive, or a little stodgy feeling? They're based on the Vectra floorpan, aren't they?
Is there still a decent network of service agents?
That remap. How much does it change the character of the car?
schmalex said:
Hmmm. Not thought of those to be honest.
Couple of questions.
As Saab are now defunct (although, I notice they are re-starting production), are these not going to be depreciation
disasters?
Are they nice to drive, or a little stodgy feeling? They're based on the Vectra floorpan, aren't they?
Is there still a decent network of service agents?
That remap. How much does it change the character of the car?
I've got the v6 Aero which has the same engine but fwd. There's a couple different firms who can remap it, biggest ones are Maptun & Hirsch, then there's Vtuner and JZW (mines got he stage 1 JZW 'aggressive' map on it) completely transformed the car. A friend of mine has the TX (turbox) with JZW stage 1 and that can really shift...Couple of questions.
As Saab are now defunct (although, I notice they are re-starting production), are these not going to be depreciation
disasters?
Are they nice to drive, or a little stodgy feeling? They're based on the Vectra floorpan, aren't they?
Is there still a decent network of service agents?
That remap. How much does it change the character of the car?
Yep Vectra floor plan but I wouldn't let that put you off, the TX handles really well, even the Aero is pretty good with decent tyres a and uprated springs/dampers. I'm happy with mine
The old Saabs gone but they've started production again with another firm (so much confusion there I've just ignored it tbh!!) parts are still easy to get through online places like Parts For Saabs and Neo Brothers, plus a few others but these are the main ones I use.
Being a TurboX I can't see it depreciating that much as its a pretty rare car, the Aero on the other hand depreciates a fair bit but makes them a cracking used buy. You can pick up a really nice 2007 Aero for £5-6k, I paid just over £2k for my 2006 Aero but they seem to go for around £3.5 usually.
Tax on these is expensive though so might put you off at £400+ a year....another reason I went for a 2006 Aero! I'm really happy with mine though, especially since the remap. The engines really under stressed as standard so the remap gives it a lot more poke, goes from around 250 ft/lbs to a tad over 400 just off a remap alone! Mid range cloud is really impressive
griffin dai said:
I've got the v6 Aero which has the same engine but fwd. There's a couple different firms who can remap it, biggest ones are Maptun & Hirsch, then there's Vtuner and JZW (mines got he stage 1 JZW 'aggressive' map on it) completely transformed the car. A friend of mine has the TX (turbox) with JZW stage 1 and that can really shift...
Yep Vectra floor plan but I wouldn't let that put you off, the TX handles really well, even the Aero is pretty good with decent tyres a and uprated springs/dampers. I'm happy with mine
The old Saabs gone but they've started production again with another firm (so much confusion there I've just ignored it tbh!!) parts are still easy to get through online places like Parts For Saabs and Neo Brothers, plus a few others but these are the main ones I use.
Being a TurboX I can't see it depreciating that much as its a pretty rare car, the Aero on the other hand depreciates a fair bit but makes them a cracking used buy. You can pick up a really nice 2007 Aero for £5-6k, I paid just over £2k for my 2006 Aero but they seem to go for around £3.5 usually.
Tax on these is expensive though so might put you off at £400+ a year....another reason I went for a 2006 Aero! I'm really happy with mine though, especially since the remap. The engines really under stressed as standard so the remap gives it a lot more poke, goes from around 250 ft/lbs to a tad over 400 just off a remap alone! Mid range cloud is really impressive
My interest is most definitely piqued.Yep Vectra floor plan but I wouldn't let that put you off, the TX handles really well, even the Aero is pretty good with decent tyres a and uprated springs/dampers. I'm happy with mine
The old Saabs gone but they've started production again with another firm (so much confusion there I've just ignored it tbh!!) parts are still easy to get through online places like Parts For Saabs and Neo Brothers, plus a few others but these are the main ones I use.
Being a TurboX I can't see it depreciating that much as its a pretty rare car, the Aero on the other hand depreciates a fair bit but makes them a cracking used buy. You can pick up a really nice 2007 Aero for £5-6k, I paid just over £2k for my 2006 Aero but they seem to go for around £3.5 usually.
Tax on these is expensive though so might put you off at £400+ a year....another reason I went for a 2006 Aero! I'm really happy with mine though, especially since the remap. The engines really under stressed as standard so the remap gives it a lot more poke, goes from around 250 ft/lbs to a tad over 400 just off a remap alone! Mid range cloud is really impressive
Are they pretty quiet in "cruise home after a s
tty day at work" mode? When rolling along the motorway?Im assuming the mid range, on even a standard map, is pretty impressive?
Do any of the remap's have a detrimental effect on engine longevity?
What things must I look forward when testing one (the turbo)?
A Lexus GS450h would do the job nicely and is a slightly left field choice, so it might appeal if you are bored by the usual suspects.
12.5K will get you a very decent one.
1) Seats 4 in comfort (or 5 if one of them doesn't mind straddling the transmission tunnel)
2) Good for a 90 mile commute
3) Very comfortable on long journeys
4) 0-60 time is 5.9 seconds (yes really) and it pulls strongly in the midrange due to the torque from the electric motor
5) Combined economy of 35.8mpg
6) All the features you list and more
7) Very reliable
8) Auto. Well, technically it doesn't have a gearbox, but let's not go there again
9) You can get an 08 model for your budget
10) It's not a 3 series (and in fact is closer in size to a 5 series)
Main downsides are:
12.5K will get you a very decent one.
1) Seats 4 in comfort (or 5 if one of them doesn't mind straddling the transmission tunnel)
2) Good for a 90 mile commute
3) Very comfortable on long journeys
4) 0-60 time is 5.9 seconds (yes really) and it pulls strongly in the midrange due to the torque from the electric motor
5) Combined economy of 35.8mpg
6) All the features you list and more
7) Very reliable
8) Auto. Well, technically it doesn't have a gearbox, but let's not go there again
9) You can get an 08 model for your budget
10) It's not a 3 series (and in fact is closer in size to a 5 series)
Main downsides are:
- Boot is not very big (due to the space taken up by the battery)
- It is not sporty at all; the emphasis is on comfort rather than on-the-limit handling
- The looks are divisive
Audi A6 3.0tdi quattro SE
or
Audi A6 3.2 quattro SE
Avant or Saloon.
Former will give you good mpg. Latter less so but will sound better. Both run better on 17" or 18" for UK roads. SE spec or at a push Le Mans, but downgraded from 19" wheels.
Very comfy, continent eating ride, and awesome in the winter.
or
Audi A6 3.2 quattro SE
Avant or Saloon.
Former will give you good mpg. Latter less so but will sound better. Both run better on 17" or 18" for UK roads. SE spec or at a push Le Mans, but downgraded from 19" wheels.
Very comfy, continent eating ride, and awesome in the winter.
BMW 645Ci
This for £10k with BMW warranty seems a good deal
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Or a slightly leggy 650i?
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
It is very much a 2+2 though.
This for £10k with BMW warranty seems a good deal
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Or a slightly leggy 650i?
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
It is very much a 2+2 though.
What about a C320?
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Edited by Tonto on Wednesday 25th September 22:46
It was a 630 that I have just rejected back to the trader due to a continuing issue with it that we could couldn't resolve, despite numerous visits back to get it repaired.
I like the 6 series a lot. I may enquire about that 645, as it seems a good spec (although, I'm in Hampshire, so it's a bloody long way away!).
The c320CDI is also interesting, as they have been on my radar for a while, albeit in estate guise.
Great ideas chaps. I'm starting to feel my inspiration returning!
I like the 6 series a lot. I may enquire about that 645, as it seems a good spec (although, I'm in Hampshire, so it's a bloody long way away!).
The c320CDI is also interesting, as they have been on my radar for a while, albeit in estate guise.
Great ideas chaps. I'm starting to feel my inspiration returning!
Your budget will buy you a CLS 320 cdi, or CLS500. You might also find a CLS 320cdi grand edition which has the Brabus remap from the factory.
I looked at a CLS at £12.5k and it was lovely but potential bills/running costs scared me a bit, I then looked at an E90 330i but the SE could have been a cheap 318i when it wasn't being pressed and the interior was drab. I settled on a mint S60 D which isn't really in the same performance league as the other two but was a chunk less money and is a lovely place to sit.
I looked at a CLS at £12.5k and it was lovely but potential bills/running costs scared me a bit, I then looked at an E90 330i but the SE could have been a cheap 318i when it wasn't being pressed and the interior was drab. I settled on a mint S60 D which isn't really in the same performance league as the other two but was a chunk less money and is a lovely place to sit.
Edited by chrisw666 on Wednesday 25th September 22:54
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