Barge/mini-barge - £5-10k

[Beanbob]

I'm beginning to consider my next choice of gentleman's chariot. Luckily I have a good amount of time to choose!

I would like something barge/barge-like, petrol and 3.0 or greater (I'd perhaps consider smaller displacement with a turbo, but I prefer NA engines). I'd like it to be automatic, the body style isn't important (saloon, hatch, estate, 4x4, coupe) and neither is the age of the vehicle - within reason - although to draw a line in the sand, I'd like something with less than 100k on the clock. Most importantly, it needs to have a reasonable turn of speed (approximately 250-300hp or greater).

It also needs to have OEM nav (I can't stand aftermarket or nav on phones) and now having got used to LED headlights on my current car, I'd want xenon headlights rather than halogen.

Popping the above requirements into Autotrader, having removed some vehicles I'd never consider, I end up with the following:

Audi A5 3.2
Audi A8 4.2
Audi S4 (4.2 V8)
Audi S6 (5.2 V10)
BMW 3-Series (330i, 335i)
BMW 5-Series (530i, 545i and 550i)
BMW 6-Series (630i)
Jaguar XF 3.0
Jaguar S-Type 4.2 R
Jaguar XJ 3.0, 4.2)
Range Rover FF (4.4 or 4.2 Supercharged)
MB E-Class (E350)
MB S-Class (S500)
Saab 9-3 Aero 2.8 T
VW Golf R32
VW Passat R36

I'll have a proper read up on all of the above and start whittling down my choices to a more manageable shortlist of between three and five, but I thought I'd see if I'd missed any obvious choices at this early stage.

[Shiv_P]

Lexus IS250/GS

IS250 only has 200bhp though

[Valgar]

Do you have the money to keep a lot of these going come repair time?

[Beanbob]

Shiv_P said:

Lexus IS250/GS

IS250 only has 200bhp though

Hmm. Good looking car, but there's something about the Lexus interior that puts me right off. For an exec (or compact exec) class car, it seems terribly plasticky. Granted, I've not been in one so I'm going on pictures alone. I probably should look at them.

md4776 said:

I was looking at a lexus GS 450h online recently. 3.5l v6 petrol with 300bhp plus an electric motor, apparently good for 0-60 in 5.9 secs. Lexus originally claimed the power output was similiar to having a v8 4.5l petrol.

Never driven one but it was reviewed well in its day

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

As above - the car looks good, the figures look good. In fact, if it wasn't for that interior it'd be close to the perfect package! I should really broaden my view though and at least go and see one, so I'll add it to my list!

Valgar said:

Do you have the money to keep a lot of these going come repair time?

In short - yes. That said, whether I'd want to spend the readies on some of the more scary propositions is a different matter. I don't mind the odd large four-figure bill - that is to be expected - but the prospect of a potential five-figure bill is a bit different.

The ones on my list in particular that give me 'The Fear' are the Audi S6 and the Range Rover.

[ZX10R NIN]

If you're going to barge then you have to look at the S500L:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or the more complex but no less intriguing S8

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Dolf Stoppard]

I'd definitely say go and look at a GS450H. Get it on the Lexus Approved Used Warranty - it really is very good and covers things the likes of MB, BMW etc would laugh at. There's a great thread on Detailing World showing just how good the Lexus warranty can be.

[Beanbob]

md4776 said:

Yeah the interior doesn't shine in photographs the way others do, alot of japanese cars of this era werent nice to look at inside but they are very highly specc'd (however I'm not sure about your desire for sat nav, I have sat nav in a 2005 car with a map update for 2013, the quality of it is rubbish).

Plus - id be quietly more confident in a lexus' reliability when buying something 10+ years old against the vast majority of rivals in this sort of class/price bracket. Might be unfounded or irrational !

I think I have an OEM sat nav fetish. I know a phone app is vastly more up-to-date and superior, but I much prefer an OEM nav even if it is a bit clunky and if out of date shows me driving over fields when I'm clearly on a dual carriageway! I prefer the clean look and a phone mounted to the dash, however neatly done, just doesn't do it for me and really upsets my OCD! Plus, on a practical level I have an iPhone SE with a tiny screen!

I hear what you're saying with the reliability.