Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[SpeckledJim]

Krikkit said:

olly755 said:

xcseventy said:

How about a GS450h:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Around £1500 too expensive I would say. There are better cars out there at similar money, including this one with full Lexus history and almost 100k miles less. And (Hooray!) a light interior, even if it is slip-on grey.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-56-LEXUS-GS-450H-3...f:0

Marvellous cars, but I don't ever recall a threadist owning an "h"?

I know it's miserable, and I don't like being negative on this thread... But I can't really see the point in the "h" outside a congestion charging zone.

The 300 is a fine steer, significantly cheaper (certainly enough to offset a hell of a lot of fuel), and more widely available. The 430 has a good slab more poke, although rare. The 450 isn't that much quicker, is heavier, and much more expensive.

I think probably it can't deploy it all simultaneously (would be delighted to be corrected) but I think it's got 292bhp on petrol, and something like 180bhp by electric motor.

I'd have one over a 'normal' 300 or 430 just for the novelty tbh, and because I like electric running (because silence AND because miser), and because it's really bloody surprisingly quick whilst looking pwoppa pwoppa boooring.

[SpeckledJim]

paulmachin said:

Mr Micawber said:

In completely different news, I have a friend who has been asked to sell a smart looking 54 plate (pre-ugly glasses) 1 doctor owner navy blue manual Saab 9-5 aero estate with 94,000 mile, full history and no obvious rust.

If I hadn’t just fallen for the Subaru I would have struggled not to be interested.

My question to the collective wisdom of this rather unique group...... how much should he be asking for it?

Edited by Mr Micawber on Tuesday 4th December 19:37

I've just bought something almost identical for £1990, but there are a few minor things broken, like parking sensors and passenger heated seat.

As a seller, trawling the sold prices on ebay is probably a depressing prospect – they routinely fetch less than a grand. I think the best your friend could do is pitch it direct to enthusiasts here or on the UKsaabs forum.

Agreed. Via the owners forums if it's very nice, otherwise it'll go for buttons. Small buttons at that. Mismatched ones. And pocket fluff.

[Krikkit]

SpeckledJim said:

Krikkit said:

I know it's miserable, and I don't like being negative on this thread... But I can't really see the point in the "h" outside a congestion charging zone.

The 300 is a fine steer, significantly cheaper (certainly enough to offset a hell of a lot of fuel), and more widely available. The 430 has a good slab more poke, although rare. The 450 isn't that much quicker, is heavier, and much more expensive.

I think probably it can't deploy it all simultaneously (would be delighted to be corrected) but I think it's got 292bhp on petrol, and something like 180bhp by electric motor.

I'd have one over a 'normal' 300 or 430 just for the novelty tbh, and because I like electric running (because silence AND because miser), and because it's really bloody surprisingly quick whilst looking pwoppa pwoppa boooring.

338hp combined peak apparently. I can see the attraction of the torque fill and slight economy boost... But a normal V6/V8, a less complex drivetrain and a fistful of cash is surely better for the cash-conscious bargeman?

Maybe I should go and drive one, I'll probably be a convert.

[olly755]

SpeckledJim said:

I'd have one over a 'normal' 300 or 430 just for the novelty tbh, and because I like electric running (because silence AND because miser), and because it's really bloody surprisingly quick whilst looking pwoppa pwoppa boooring.

Yes me too. I know it It would make no financial sense whatsoever, seeing as I average around 6 miles a week. But a while ago, I did a calculation that the "h" would get me to the pub on battery only, whereby the V8 would guzzle a gallon every two trips. Therefore the saving would yield a free pint on every second visit. Which is every reason in the world to get one bought. It's positive, warm glow thinking like this that gets me out of bed of a morning.

[SpeckledJim]

olly755 said:

SpeckledJim said:

I'd have one over a 'normal' 300 or 430 just for the novelty tbh, and because I like electric running (because silence AND because miser), and because it's really bloody surprisingly quick whilst looking pwoppa pwoppa boooring.

Yes me too. I know it It would make no financial sense whatsoever, seeing as I average around 6 miles a week. But a while ago, I did a calculation that the "h" would get me to the pub on battery only, whereby the V8 would guzzle a gallon every two trips. Therefore the saving would yield a free pint on every second visit. Which is every reason in the world to get one bought. It's positive, warm glow thinking like this that gets me out of bed of a morning.

If it was a 'plug-in' I'd certainly already have one.

As it is, whatever juice is in the battery has originally come out of the fuel tank, rather than out of your solar panels, so I'd agree the savings over a normal V6 would be pretty minimal.

[idiotgap]

JZZ30 said:

This xc90 is for sale about 10 miles away from me. I'm tempted, but at 207000 miles, I dont know.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I think that's likely a Jap import car, when I was looking I only ever saw the brown leather on those. Ad seems to have come down now so I couldn't dig further.

I wanted light leather with black lower trim/carpets to enjoy the brightness but with less mark showing capacity. Prefer that to gloomy black or the full beige which even has lighter carpet in the boot where I often sling a bike.

[SpeckledJim]

idiotgap said:

I think that's likely a Jap import car, when I was looking I only ever saw the brown leather on those. Ad seems to have come down now so I couldn't dig further.

I wanted light leather with black lower trim/carpets to enjoy the brightness but with less mark showing capacity. Prefer that to gloomy black or the full beige which even has lighter carpet in the boot where I often sling a bike.

This is nice. I like a two-tone, but the seats should always be a single colour, and accompanied by a matching panel in the door, and ideally the lower dash.

Two-tone seats are always a bit gauche, IMO. Jaguar R and Mercedes AMG or Designo are particular offenders.

Unless we're talking sporty numbers with tartan tweed. Love a tartan seat, me.

[anonymous-user]

SpeckledJim said:

This is nice. I like a two-tone, but the seats should always be a single colour, and accompanied by a matching panel in the door, and ideally the lower dash.

Two-tone seats are always a bit gauche, IMO. Jaguar R and Mercedes AMG or Designo are particular offenders.

Unless we're talking sporty numbers with tartan tweed. Love a tartan seat, me.

Agree with this. The XE/XF light seat options are all ugly two tone efforts now. Not that anyone buying a 2.0d rattler gets anything but black I suppose.

[Krikkit]

dme123 said:

SpeckledJim said:

This is nice. I like a two-tone, but the seats should always be a single colour, and accompanied by a matching panel in the door, and ideally the lower dash.

Two-tone seats are always a bit gauche, IMO. Jaguar R and Mercedes AMG or Designo are particular offenders.

Unless we're talking sporty numbers with tartan tweed. Love a tartan seat, me.

Agree with this. The XE/XF light seat options are all ugly two tone efforts now. Not that anyone buying a 2.0d rattler gets anything but black I suppose.

It's a terrible shame - the previous-gen XF interiors in light hues were available in all kinds of combos, the lightest of which were really lovely.

ETA: Found one - dark carpets, light seats, wood and a light headliner (key imho!)

[SpeckledJim]

last-but-one XF and current XJ are really cool interiors. Better to look at than to use, but the interior styling is great.

[Krikkit]

The only thing I thought let it down was the infotainment, everything else was fine. Nice to have physical controls for most of the important things too, the only exception being the heated/cooled seats. Roasting your plums while trying to find the right menu is a deeply unpleasant experience.

[SpeckledJim]

Krikkit said:

The only thing I thought let it down was the infotainment, everything else was fine. Nice to have physical controls for most of the important things too, the only exception being the heated/cooled seats. Roasting your plums while trying to find the right menu is a deeply unpleasant experience.

We should consider ourselves lucky to get heated seats at all in a used Jaguar. Stingy buggers.

[0a]

Krikkit said:

It's a terrible shame - the previous-gen XF interiors in light hues were available in all kinds of combos, the lightest of which were really lovely.

ETA: Found one - dark carpets, light seats, wood and a light headliner (key imho!)

The dash looks so cheap and dull though. Reminds me of the old vectra.

[Krikkit]

0a said:

The dash looks so cheap and dull though. Reminds me of the old vectra.

I think the w212 suffers from this as well:

[SpeckledJim]

Krikkit said:

0a said:

The dash looks so cheap and dull though. Reminds me of the old vectra.

I think the w212 suffers from this as well:

That semi-matte silver is a bit pants. Like my AIWA stereo. (3-Disc Changer! Dynamic Bass Boost! Auto Dubbing! Argos pp342, 1989)

Cover the three-pointed star on the W212 and there's nothing left that says 'I'm not an Astra'.

Very pants indeed.

[Patrick Bateman]

I know we all like our older stuff on here but I do wonder how much is with rose tinted glasses at times.

I've sat in a low spec XF of that vintage and comparing it to a Vectra in any way is well wide of the mark. Fantastic place to sit.

For any cars I've sat in it's probably only second to a fully kitted out 6 series with champagne leather in terms of what felt the most luxurious.

[harrykul]

Funny, I always found the xf interior gimmicky and naff, what with the gear selector and vents. At the time of launch, my first impression was "that'll be fun to fix in a few years."

Everyone's different I guess.... Nothing wrong with that of course.

[Krikkit]

harrykul said:

Funny, I always found the xf interior gimmicky and naff, what with the gear selector and vents. At the time of launch, my first impression was "that'll be fun to fix in a few years."

Everyone's different I guess.... Nothing wrong with that of course.

Maybe I don't belong, I quite like the vents and swishy knob. I like a swishy knob.

[Marty Funkhouser]

JZZ30 said:

This xc90 is for sale about 10 miles away from me. I'm tempted, but at 207000 miles, I dont know.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I can give the XC90 the thumbs up, but there are a couple of drawbacks (on the 56 plate oil burner I have):

- £500+ a year in tax
- mid 20's mpg
- the occasional £900 service to fix bits

On the plus side its been a reliable workhorse in the 4 years we've had it. Its a great motorway cruiser - we often have 3 adults and 2 kids in comfort. You can almost move house in it, its very safe and hasn't let us down.

That interior is vile.

[Croutons]

0a said:

Krikkit said:

It's a terrible shame - the previous-gen XF interiors in light hues were available in all kinds of combos, the lightest of which were really lovely.

ETA: Found one - dark carpets, light seats, wood and a light headliner (key imho!)

The dash looks so cheap and dull though. Reminds me of the old vectra.

Until the vents roll over and you think to yourself, "I am sitting in a Jaaaaag". And everyone lets you out at junctions, and all is well with the world.