Daily hack for sub £5000

[M.F.D]

With my Impreza gone, I'm on the hunt for a daily. This'll run beside whatever track car I get. Needs to be...

- Entertaining/decent turn of pace
- Reliable
- practical for family duties

Budget of £5k max, but would be much happier spending half that (more money for the toy).

Current thinking is V70 or S60 T5 but struggling to find a manual.

[georgeyboy12345]

I don't think you'll find a nice manual V70 or S60 for under 5 grand. A leggy knackered one maybe.

What about this Ford Mondeo that has the same engine?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109227...


Mazda 6 2.5 for £3000
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110238...


Honda Accord 2.4 i-VTEC for £4000
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110198...


Renault Laguna 2.0 GT Turbo
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109257...


Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110198...

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Sunday 24th October 12:04

[Stick Legs]

BMW 3 Series 30d Touring is the default answer surely?

Manual.
Sensible miles.
Under budget.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-330d-Touring-SE-200...

Edited by Stick Legs on Sunday 24th October 12:11

[ZX10R NIN]

georgeyboy12345 said:

I don't think you'll find a nice manual V70 or S60 for under 5 grand. A leggy knackered one maybe.

What about this Ford Mondeo that has the same engine?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109227...


Mazda 6 2.5 for £3000
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110238...


Honda Accord 2.4 i-VTEC for £4000
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110198...


Renault Laguna 2.0 GT Turbo
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109257...


Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110198...

The Laguna is the pick out of those & a good one too, the 2.5T Mondeo is a good pick but I'd go for this one:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109247...

With the Insignia 2.0T SRI 220 being another good family car that has decent lick of pace & you'll get one with sensible miles on the clock too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104261...

Auto

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110168...

If you plan on towing the Track car this BiTDI Insignia 190 with it's extra torque could be the pick:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109067...

E350cdi

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110118...

[Glasgowrob]

pick of the bunch there is the E350 cdi if you dont mind a bit extra in fuel costs over a 4 pot diesel

cheeky map will give you 300bhp and nigh on 500lbs/ft of torque auto comfy will tow well will go well whats not to like

[RoVoFob]

M.F.D said:

With my Impreza gone, I'm on the hunt for a daily. This'll run beside whatever track car I get. Needs to be...

- Entertaining/decent turn of pace
- Reliable
- practical for family duties

Budget of £5k max, but would be much happier spending half that (more money for the toy).

Current thinking is V70 or S60 T5 but struggling to find a manual.

I sold my facelift 2004 S60 T5 SE six-speed manual for £2,999 three weeks back. It was relatively high mileage and some of the paintwork was a bit flat, but it was rapid and drove beautifully.

S60 T5s are rare, but they’re not expensive. Mine had covered 156k miles but mechanically was in good condition with £1,000’s worth of recent service at a Volvo specialist, four new Goodyear tyres and alignment and a few other bits and bobs.

I had a 2006 V70 2.5T manual before that, which was far more practical but didn’t drive anywhere near as well…

Do your family duties require Isofix child seat mounts? Neither of my Volvos had them, hence why I sold the S60 and bought an A6 Avant 4.2 V8, which covers two of your parameters, but isn’t the most reliable model and was a little over your budget.

If you’re moving from a Subaru, you might not like the limited traction of the Volvos and their awful turning circles. Small things maybe, but they’re two of the things I notice most now I have the Audi.

[RoVoFob]

georgeyboy12345 said:

I don't think you'll find a nice manual V70 or S60 for under 5 grand. A leggy knackered one maybe.

What about this Ford Mondeo that has the same engine?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109227...

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Sunday 24th October 12:04

As above, I sold my S60 T5 manual for £2,999 three weeks back. That was towards the top of the market value wise and definitely didn’t drive like a knackered car.

The Mondeo doesn’t have the same engine - that is only branded as a ‘T5’ in the S40/V50. In the S60/V70 it is the ‘2.5T’. The 2.5T has 210hp and 236lb ft and the 2.4 T5 has 260hp and 258lb ft - it is much more potent and feels completely different.

My S60 had the 2.4 T5 motor and was rapid, pulled very hard but had more turbo lag and was a little flat below 2,000rpm. The 2.5T in my V70, meanwhile, pulled well from 1,500rpm, had less lag, but nowhere near the same punch when you worked it hard.

I bumbled around in the 2.5T, because it suited that kind of driving, whereas the 2.4 T5 engine really encouraged you to accelerate quickly and make the most of the torque and power.

[georgeyboy12345]

Ok ok, Mr Pedantic, they are SIMILAR engines - they are both 2.5 I5s. Also, 156,000 miles is rather leggy by most normal people’s standards. I maintain you will not find a good manual one for under £5000.

[RoVoFob]

georgeyboy12345 said:

Ok ok, Mr Pedantic, they are SIMILAR engines - they are both 2.5 I5s. Also, 156,000 miles is rather leggy by most normal people’s standards. I maintain you will not find a good manual one for under £5000.

I’m not being pedantic. They’re not both 2.5s - they’re different engine blocks, one of which is far tougher than the other -and there’s a 50hp difference, with a completely different power delivery, due to one of them being a low-pressure turbo prioritised for maximum torque and the other being a high-pressure turbo that provides much more power at higher revs.

That’s pretty significant and seems very relevant to share with the OP on a motoring forum. I never said mine wasn’t leggy, but I did say it drove very well. You’re welcome to maintain what you like, but I maintain that you can find a good manual one for under £5,000, having done just that.

So OP, don’t be dissuaded. If you’re willing to wait a while for a good one, you should be able to find a decent S60 T5 for less than your budget.

[Jiebo]

ZX10R NIN said:

The Laguna is the pick out of those & a good one too, the 2.5T Mondeo is a good pick but I'd go for this one:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109247...

With the Insignia 2.0T SRI 220 being another good family car that has decent lick of pace & you'll get one with sensible miles on the clock too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104261...

Auto

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110168...

If you plan on towing the Track car this BiTDI Insignia 190 with it's extra torque could be the pick:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109067...

E350cdi

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110118...

That E350 CDI will be a ULEZ casualty. Someone clearly didn’t realise that their car isn’t compliant, and is shifting it at below market value. It will be sold by now, as traders are all over private sales as they can’t get supply elsewhere.

[M.F.D]

Ended up with a XC70 D5, which will suit my needs with the dogs/family. P2 platform, so proper Volvo and should serve me well. Thanks all for your input.