New old barge, splash the cash, LPG or hold?

[Cogcog]

Pondering options for change and would appreciate ideas on which models fall in these options and an opinion on the best option.

Currently I have an old 2005 Merc E class E320 Avantgarde auto with 120k on the clock, never missed a beat in the last 6 years. Runs fine, gives me 38mpg and 44 on a run in my 16,000 miles a year using summer/winter tyres. Most of my miles are A class and motorway but I live a mile off the main road so 4 x 4 would be better but the idea of rattling the other 15,000 miles in a basic 4 x 4 model does not appeal.

Option 1. Stick. Costing me nothing at the moment, nice comfortable car and the only drawback is no space for moving big stuff and in the snow/ice rurally. Pain swapping and storing tyres twice a year.

Option 2. Splash the cash, add £15K to the E Class for a decent newish 4x4 and live with the slightly lower MPG. (X5, M Class, Q5)

Option 3. Buy an older, decent quality 4 x 4 gas guzzler with lowish miles for les than £10K and add LPG and a warranty (Cayenne, Murano)

Option 4. Go for a cheaper but newer warranted 4x 4 (Rexton, Sportage, Jeep Compass, Suzuki)

[soad]

Option 4 will be dull, doing all those miles?

Older Cayenne Turbo seems very good value...

[tomsugden]

I bought a Mercedes ML320 for £2000 recently. It has clearly been cherished all its life, and wants for nothing. I had intended to convert it to LPG, but £80 will get me 300 miles on the motorway, so I'm not going to bother. You really don't need to spend anything like £10k for a luxurious useable 4x4, especially now winter is coming to an end.

[Cogcog]

Keep going, these are exactly the kind of things I need to hear if I am to get the Cayenne!!!

[iva cosworth]

Option #1.

Run your Merc for another 100K till it dies......

[Cogcog]

iva cosworth said:

Option #1.

Run your Merc for another 100K till it dies......

I am tempted. I washed it today and it looked as good as new. Looking at the reviews on the Cayenne I can expecta set of tyres a year rather than every 18-24 months as I do on the E class, £150 more on the insurance, more road tax and higher servicing costs. But this may not be a decisions entirely of the head.

[paintman]

Stick with what you've got.

[Welshjohn]

This
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...

Or this

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

Maybe

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

And the wild card

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

[wemorgan]

Option 1: Stick. It sounds like it's good for 95% of its use.

[Sir Humphrey]

If you're thinking of an LPG 4x4 why not convert the Merc to LPG and run it until it dies? On 16k miles a year you're spending 2k a year (44mpg all the time, £1.30 a litre), you'll make the money back in a couple of years and then halve your cost of fuel.