HELP me choose what to buy? M3, M5, AMG, XFR?

[tomvcarter]

Hi, im not sure what to go for, i have a budget of c£35000 and am selling my E92 M3.
I need something with 4 doors due to expanding family, but cant make up my mind what to go for next, I have narrowed my options to:

C63 AMG Estate - Used start at c£40,000 is it worth the extra £5k plus for the power and sound?

Jaguar XFR - Not the best looker but stunning review and beautiful interior, again used start at c£40,000 is it worth the extra?

M5 Touring - Used start c£30,000, so a saving... but its the outgoing (gone) model, not a looker, but then it has That V10... High running costs, and maybe im bored of BMW having been with M3s for the past 4 years...

Others... E63 AMG estate old shape (hate the old lights), RS4 Avant (4wd, no wow factor)?

HELP!!! what should I do?!!!!! (nice dilemma though)

[WhoseGeneration]

Erm, you go look at each and properly test drive each.
"Properly test drive" includes all road types and ensuring load spaces meet your family's needs, you and any other driver are comfortable with the seats and stuff like how you respond to the interior and the controls.
Try before you buy, it really is that simple.

[scottdav]

If i had a family and was to regularly use the car :

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2138330.htm

Out of your list it'd be the XFR. I used to love the RS4 until i drove one, pulls like a train and has great seats but thats where it ended for me based on it's purpose. Opinions vary on all cars though so test drives with the family are essential.

[greggy50]

Passenger an M5 and an XFR and for me personally would say the XFR every day of the week it was a very special car indeed. Acceleration in the thing was relentless as well for the size of the car it seriously shifted. The M5 was arguably just as fast but the jag seemed more accessible and from my arse’s point of view the ride seemed a lot better and I thought it was generally a nicer place to sit. Really an amazing car can be thrashed round a b road quite happily and yet on the motorway it settled down and was quite calm and relaxing albeit with rather savage acceleration way it pulled from 60 – 130/140 leptons on the M6 Toll amazed me at the time.

[Debaser]

Get a C63 - it sounds amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH2TIEmt87Q&fea...

[XJSJohn]

how about something from The General's boys down under?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2269232.htm

[fatboy b]

As BMW don't make a half-decent looking car anymore, that's two out. Merc's have inherited Jag "old-man-motor" reputation, so that's out. So on many counts - it's the XFR. Best looking of the 4 by miles. Once they bring out a 2-door version, then my A5 will be traded.

[ortontom]

Family car has to be the C63, lovely bit of extra in gear bite over the E92 M3 - that anyone is sure to like......having driven them back to back in Italy...C63 every time - especially when you go through concrete underpasses...the noise wakes the dead...

Not driven the XFR but its suppose to be good....

[ludicrous speed]

I reckon it would have to be the xfr but it's a close call between that and the m5.

[300bhp/ton]

tomvcarter said:

Hi, im not sure what to go for, i have a budget of c£35000 and am selling my E92 M3.
I need something with 4 doors due to expanding family, but cant make up my mind what to go for next, I have narrowed my options to:

C63 AMG Estate - Used start at c£40,000 is it worth the extra £5k plus for the power and sound?

Jaguar XFR - Not the best looker but stunning review and beautiful interior, again used start at c£40,000 is it worth the extra?

M5 Touring - Used start c£30,000, so a saving... but its the outgoing (gone) model, not a looker, but then it has That V10... High running costs, and maybe im bored of BMW having been with M3s for the past 4 years...

Others... E63 AMG estate old shape (hate the old lights), RS4 Avant (4wd, no wow factor)?

HELP!!! what should I do?!!!!! (nice dilemma though)

I'm a Jag man, so out of your list XFR would be what I'd look at, although if you are happy with your M3 then the 4 door one might make sense, although to me would not seem the effort in changing if all you gain is 2 doors and exactly the same car otherwise.

In truth I think I'd probably go and test drive a V8 turbo Porsche Cayenne.

[ortontom]

Now thats a drinker the porker - Ive got 3 friends (yes just 3 ) that for some reason within about six months all had bought the just the S and quickly sold them due to 14-15 mpg ave.....god knows what the turbo must do....

And yes they sold at a massive loss....

[F1GTRUeno]

Not as quick as anything there, but oh so much cooler...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2289291.htm

[Greg_D]

F1GTRUeno said:

Not as quick as anything there, but oh so much cooler...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2289291.htm

having neither driven nor been a passenger in any of them.

magazine consensus is XFR-AMG-M5

So out of the top 2 it would come down to a test drive, i would be aware that the 'C' is one rung down the size ladder from the XF, for a true comparison, you would be looking at the E63. And on that basis, i would likely go for the XFR, but that engine really is supposed to be something else on the C63

Try them!!!!!

Greg

[anonymous-user]

S8.

[tomvcarter]

F1GTRUeno said:

Not as quick as anything there, but oh so much cooler...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2289291.htm

Hmmm it's pretty but bit to oldman for me at the moment, C63 AMG wins in coolness for me. But worried that the facelift in the new year of the C class will cause the value of the current C to dive...

[tomvcarter]

F1GTRUeno said:

Not as quick as anything there, but oh so much cooler...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2289291.htm

Hmmm it's pretty but bit to oldman for me at the moment, C63 AMG wins in coolness for me. But worried that the facelift in the new year of the C class will cause the value of the current C to dive...

[ortontom]

S8 is lacking the out and out "wop bang what a picture" the others offer...C63 is shove-tastic, if you look at evo this month its ingear figures at certain points is almost twice as quick as the RS5....

...heres a little vid of myself driving a C63...owner in the passenger seat...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg7IVzCCjgQ

[anonymous-user]

ortontom said:

S8 is lacking the out and out "wop bang what a picture" the others offer...C63 is shove-tastic, if you look at evo this month its ingear figures at certain points is almost twice as quick as the RS5....

Yeah, I accept that the S8 would be off the pace a bit in that company. However, if the brief is to accommodate an expanding family, I'd forget the RS4 and and C63 straight away. One of the most expensive car purchases I made was to buy a four door three series when 66 junior #1 came along. Found out in about three months that it is a very small car. Sold it for an A8 4.2 Sport. Never looked back - it's not the most obvious of family cars, but it does a good job of it nevertheless. Our current S4 is Ok for short trips, and the kids are a bit older so have less junk following them around, which helps, but they put up with the back seat there because the roof goes down, not because it's a roomy place to be.

Not that keen on the C63 for a separate reasonI have a mate who has an RS4 avant, and is keen on a C63. He says (paraphrasing) it's great because you can drive it like a total dobber and the traction control will keep you on the road and make it all look tidy. Sounds a bit like a video game to me, and a bit like the SL55 I played with once at Mercedes Benz World in Weybridge - the driver aids were a bit intrusive.

The M5 touring would be a better practical (haha) bet from those, but I'm not a big fan of estates and I'm no fan of Bangle. The Jag - dunno. Not that keen on its aesthetics. Looks to me a bit Ford-ish, but can't quite pinpoint how/where.

I have to admit to having a strong desire to get an S8, so that shapes my answer quite a bit.

[silver16v]

If you can stretch the budget there's an rs6 avant in the classifieds for £45k...

[ortontom]

I think an S8 is even more removed from the action to be honest - lovely engine and all but its better in a lighter car - torq is a little down for a large barge to make it interesting - as you say about the c63, its 4x4 and has very little driving involvement - my friend has the 4.2 TDI A8 and its a great car and he loves it - Ive been in it and it does crusing very well. Just a little bland in some instances. Agree 3 series are tiny but i think people end up buying those silly prams with 3 wheels that dont fit anywhere...wife and I use an E46 M3 and our little one loves it...quite a nice size boot - it even did a family xmas run...

C63 even in the saloon format Im sure isnt far off the A8 boot size...

heres the figures...

475 litres merc saloon, 500 audi A8, estate merc - 485 (seats up) 1500 seats down....

Also the S8 looses money like there is no tomorrow, and at the moment the AMG C63 is holding well...honestly have ago in one before long its one of the true greats....just get the LSD, power upgrade, and cerm brakes as options.....;)