What 20 year old car would you choose as your daily drive?

[white_goodman]

I watched the first ever episode of Midsomer Murders with my wife on Netflix the other night and couldn't believe it was 20 years ago and that the show was still going! Questionable plot line aside, one of the things I enjoy most about watching old shows is seeing what cars the characters were driving back then. Barnaby and Troy were tooling around from murder scene to murder scene in a mk1 Mondeo, a once hugely popular car, although one that I haven't seen on the road for ages. This got me thinking. 1997 was a fairly interesting time on the roads with half of the newer designs being recognisably modern i.e. airbags, ABS, thicker doors due to crash protection structures etc and half older cars without any of these features, carburettors and cardboard-thin doors etc and yet not that many cars of this vintage survive. Are there any cars on sale new in 1997 that you would happily use as your daily driver today?

There are the obvious modern classics: Ferrari F355/550 Maranello, Porsche 993 Carrera, R129 Mercedes SL etc but these are all appreciating classics, so I'm not sure whether you would want to be piling commuter miles on them.

Peugeot had some pretty decent hot hatches around at the time: 106 GTi/Rallye/306 GTi-6 but having run a 205 GTi as my daily at 12 years old, I'm not sure whether a 20 year old Peugeot is the best choice. Quite a few 4-seat coupes and 2-seat roadsters available at the time but nothing really jumps out at me.

Which brings me on to luxury cars. I can kind of see people's obsession today with German cars if I look back 20 years, as there are some fairly modern, comfortable and handsome options and the perceived difference in build quality between a mass-market Ford/Vauxhall/Rover/Peugeot/Citroen/Peugeot really did exist back then. I'm thinking the then all-new C5 Audi A6 quattro, D2 Audi A8, E38 7-Series etc. The Jaguar XJ6/XJ8 X300/X308 and Lexus LS400 probably deserve a special mention too.

On balance though, I think that I would choose a BMW 528i SE in dark metallic blue/green, no real preference on transmission, a slightly predictable but good choice I think. Other than the original, I think it's the best looking 5, modern power, better fuel economy than the E34 and still with most of the comfort and convenience features and space of a modern car. It may even ride better too!



So, if you had to run a 20 year old car as a daily (so we're talking P/R-registration cars here), what would you pick?

[JS1500]

An early 996, much like the one I have but being a 1997/8 car it would have amber indicators!

[anonymous-user]

Jaguar X300

Or maybe a Citroën XM if I was in the right mood...

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 29th May 21:10

[SamPet]

This: https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Characterful, refined, fast, ride & handling, parts availability etc. etc.

[Swordman]

Assuming I'd be driving a similar sort of car to what I have today, I think I'd be driving a Nissan 200SX. Always wanted one of those. Preferably the Sileighty version.

[tog]

Saab 9000. I've just bought a 23 year old Aero to replace a 20 year old one that was crashed into. Prior to that one, it was a 1988 Mercedes 300SE, all as 15-16k/year daily drivers,

[RDMcG]

BMW 540i six speed..had one new and loved it.....

[Plate spinner]

A BMW e38 740i would be fine for 20k miles a year.

[Gunk]

Mercedes 300CE 24, still looks classy and chiselled from solid granite.

[slipstream 1985]

I use a cobination of a R reg bmw z3 and a X plate audi tt as my dailys. 20 and 17 years old.

[talksthetorque]

LS400 for me. Waft with your fingers slightly more loosely crossed than perhaps you would in other contemporary luxo barges.
But still crossed nonetheless.

[JamesRR]

Would have said a Sierra Sapphire but realised they're now closing in on 30 years old! Probably a Volvo 850 T5R.

[bullio]

I run a '98 C-class estate as a daily work donkey. Still drives great, but bodywork is a mess. Suits me perfectly though as my work cars get cosmetically ruined anyway (decorator). Then again my good car is a '99 e39.
I think the key to running old cars is to go for a n/a petrol engine (or basic old diesel) with a manual gearbox, by the mid-nineties most manufacturers had this pretty well sorted.

[m444ttb]

My daily is a BMW e36 323i touring so. It sure I get to choose! My 996 is only 5 years behind it too. It's an era of cars I really like.

[Heaveho]

talksthetorque said:

LS400 for me. Waft with your fingers slightly more loosely crossed than perhaps you would in other contemporary luxo barges.
But still crossed nonetheless.

Yep, although if it was only 20 years old, you could have the 430. If so, I'm in, great cars.

[talksthetorque]

Heaveho said:

Yep, although if it was only 20 years old, you could have the 430. If so, I'm in, great cars.

430 sounds like more than 400. I'm in!

[SidewaysSi]

This is my 1997 328i coupe which is the practical, family car.



It will be having upgraded Vibratechnics engine mounts and some new suspension fitted very soon.

Edited by SidewaysSi on Monday 29th May 21:53

[HustleRussell]

I've got a '96 525i touring (E34) which does everything. I chose it over lots of newer cars and have spent an amount on money sorting it which could've bought a 5-7 year old alternative, but the E34 has standout qualities which newer cars don't.

I depend on it to tow my Caterham race car and it doesn't let me down.

[Gunk]

m444ttb said:

My daily is a BMW e36 323i touring so. It sure I get to choose! My 996 is only 5 years behind it too. It's an era of cars I really like.

Me too, all the cars I really enjoyed owning were from the 1990's: Citroen ZX 16V, Golf VR6, BMW 325tds touring, Mercedes C240 sport estate, Audi 80 Cabriolet and Porsche 964 RS, they all felt special. I have a soft spot for motorcycles from that era as well, that's why I love my old Fireblade.

Edited by Gunk on Monday 29th May 22:16

[Wiccan of Darkness]

Any other criteria to consider, such as practicality or running costs?

My ideal would be a Rolls Royce Silver Seraph, dream luxury.

For build quality, probably a BMW, 525I with manual gearbox.

For all things considered, practicality, costs etc and keeping it real then for me it's a no brainer. Peugeot 306 HDi (R reg) or a P reg 306 D turbo sport. They were bullet proof cars, good power, comfortable and easy to drive.