Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 14]

[tobinen]

The north-east E500 estate is indeed back on sale, looking much shinier and with trade mark-up.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-E500-AVANTGARD...

[RicksAlfas]

E65Ross said:

I quite like the E60 530i above, I like the interior colour combo, I don't mind the exterior (if a bit dull) but I'm not sure if they work too well together. I wouldn't say no, mind.

I'm still torn as to what car to save up for

I would kinda want something at least as refined and, if possible, as quick as the 745i was.....but the Lexus LS430 is probably as refined but not as quick, the LS460 most certainly will be but, according to someone else on here, may be a frequent wallet-rapist, and if that's the case, I'd rather get something that I think might feel more special, such as a W221 S500.....Decisions!

Is an LS460 worse than an S500 for potential borkage? I can't believe it is (through nothing more scientific than guessing).
Are there many independent Lexus specialists around, or is it all main dealers?

[4941cc]

McGee_22 said:

env said:

Its not as quick as you would think in comparison to more modern things. Its low. Speed bump, 2.5 mph, stopping other traffic behind you low. Despite this the ride is very comfortable and not firm at all. The gear throw is longer than you expect. It could do with a 6th gear on the motorway. It likes to rev. The seats are incredibly comfortable. The wheel lock design is too complicated and checking tyre pressures are a good 20 min job. Little things cheer you up like the build plate, strike through VIN, sticker saying 97 RON, blue dials etc... Everyone (everyone) calls it an Alpina which surprised me, I suppose it has Alpina written on every surface helps.

The B10 3.2 was 260bhp compared to the 286 of the E39 540i so fairly swift for its time, the later 3.3 being even closer with 280bhp - I have a B10 V8 Touring with a refreshed engine and I would agree that it still isn't quick compared to more modern things even with a 0-60 in the mid to low 5's and oodles of big V8 NA torque. The B10 V8S was officially only 0.1 seconds behind the E39 M5 and the B10 V8 another tenth back again so all quick for their time... but their time was the thick end of twenty years ago and time always moves on so nearly everything is quicker now. The B10 3.2 and 3.3 had near-as-damn-it 540i performance with far better economy - I believe they were marginally cheaper than a 540i as well which was their USP at that time.

They also retained the six cylinder cars rack and pinion steering rather than the V8's steering box set-up, so you had V8 performance (260 was comfortably more than the 235-245 of the 535i - the fairer comparison as a similar displacement NA engine) with the sharper steering. Not sure about noseweight as I think the ALPINA unit was still iron-blocked M50 based compared with all alloy V8s.

[SpeckledJim]

RicksAlfas said:

E65Ross said:

I quite like the E60 530i above, I like the interior colour combo, I don't mind the exterior (if a bit dull) but I'm not sure if they work too well together. I wouldn't say no, mind.

I'm still torn as to what car to save up for

I would kinda want something at least as refined and, if possible, as quick as the 745i was.....but the Lexus LS430 is probably as refined but not as quick, the LS460 most certainly will be but, according to someone else on here, may be a frequent wallet-rapist, and if that's the case, I'd rather get something that I think might feel more special, such as a W221 S500.....Decisions!

Is an LS460 worse than an S500 for potential borkage? I can't believe it is (through nothing more scientific than guessing).
Are there many independent Lexus specialists around, or is it all main dealers?

I would have thought an LS460 an easier car to own than an S500.

Not too many Lexus specialists around, I don't think, though you might have some joy with a Toyota specialists.

Relatively few Lexus cars around, they rarely break, the owners are the right sort to spend on maintenance, and Lexus dealers are generally very very good, so the opportunity for a Lexus specialist repairer is relatively small.

[E65Ross]

SpeckledJim said:

RicksAlfas said:

E65Ross said:

I quite like the E60 530i above, I like the interior colour combo, I don't mind the exterior (if a bit dull) but I'm not sure if they work too well together. I wouldn't say no, mind.

I'm still torn as to what car to save up for

I would kinda want something at least as refined and, if possible, as quick as the 745i was.....but the Lexus LS430 is probably as refined but not as quick, the LS460 most certainly will be but, according to someone else on here, may be a frequent wallet-rapist, and if that's the case, I'd rather get something that I think might feel more special, such as a W221 S500.....Decisions!

Is an LS460 worse than an S500 for potential borkage? I can't believe it is (through nothing more scientific than guessing).
Are there many independent Lexus specialists around, or is it all main dealers?

I would have thought an LS460 an easier car to own than an S500.

Not too many Lexus specialists around, I don't think, though you might have some joy with a Toyota specialists.

Relatively few Lexus cars around, they rarely break, the owners are the right sort to spend on maintenance, and Lexus dealers are generally very very good, so the opportunity for a Lexus specialist repairer is relatively small.

I have an Uncle who is very high up at a very large tyre and servicing company called Micheldever Tyres. I get most of my servicing done there.....trade price for parts and usually about £20-25/hour for labour. They can do most things and I didn't know he worked there for a lot of the time I had my E65! They're very good at general servicing and suspension stuff and a little on electrics but mainly servicing and general repairs and suspension stuff. I got a full service and an MOT on the Toyota in May for £100

[RicksAlfas]

E65Ross said:

I have an Uncle who is very high up at a very large tyre and servicing company called Micheldever Tyres. I get most of my servicing done there.....trade price for parts and usually about £20-25/hour for labour. They can do most things and I didn't know he worked there for a lot of the time I had my E65! They're very good at general servicing and suspension stuff and a little on electrics but mainly servicing and general repairs and suspension stuff. I got a full service and an MOT on the Toyota in May for £100

Well that's very handy!
Lexus.

[king arthur]

ReaperCushions said:

Etypephil said:

SpeckledJim said:

Etypephil said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Is a half-life the same as a Willoughby? The currency of this place confuses me sometimes.

Willoughby?

Step aside, lads, I've got this.

The Willoughby Scale is the universal measure of desirability. The highest possible reading is 1.0 Wby.

Holly Willoughby being, as we all know, the single most desirable object in the universe.

Nothing else except Jenna Coleman has ever scored over 0.7 Willoughbys. Very few cars have ever broached 0.2 Willoughbys.

If you've got a car that hits 0.1 Wby, you should talk to your insurance company, like they tell you to on Antiques Roadshow when Grandad's pants turn out to be made of gold.

Thank you. I was unfamiliar with that particular scale as she's far too old for me; my wife is younger, and far more desirable, imo (poor prevoius with blondes).

Edit: Actually upon checking, I find that she's not older than the wife, but she looks it.

Edited by Etypephil on Tuesday 15th October 15:23

I'm sorry Sir but with that kind of attitude, you won't be welcome around here. Please adhere to the Willoughby Scale at all times.

As you were.

Don't be too harsh on the chap, he may have been posting under duress (i.e. wife peering over shoulder).

[bolidemichael]

phil_cardiff said:

Mr Tidy said:

phil_cardiff said:

I like the spec on this 530i.

SE bodywork and sports seats plus manual gearbox which I prefer.

Shame it's the less reliable straight 6. Still tempted to buy it and spend a couple of grand on suspension from Birds.

I know the E60 is a hard sell on here but I think it's aging well and offers a good drive for the keener driver.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...

Looks good, but might a manual E90 330i SE in Sparkling Graphite with the more reliable N52 engine work?

Complete with split/fold rear seats, electric glass sunroof, power fold mirrors and DAB tuner.

Certainly on my list!

Decided I can't live without bluetooth audio for Spotify now so any future car will have to have that or the option to add it easily.

Had a hire car with Android auto the other day and by god it's good to have.

A previous owner disconnected the six-cd changer and routed the cable under the centre console. I have a lightning adapter for my phone and control deezer with an app on my apple watch. It's quote a good set up and stops me checking the phone whilst driving. Additionally, if waze is the app on screen, the speed camera alerts with interrupt the streaming which is helpful. The only downside is that I need another phone for waze on certain occassions.

[TurboHatchback]

ATM said:

phil_cardiff said:

Mr Tidy said:

phil_cardiff said:

I like the spec on this 530i.

SE bodywork and sports seats plus manual gearbox which I prefer.

Shame it's the less reliable straight 6. Still tempted to buy it and spend a couple of grand on suspension from Birds.

I know the E60 is a hard sell on here but I think it's aging well and offers a good drive for the keener driver.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2019...

Looks good, but might a manual E90 330i SE in Sparkling Graphite with the more reliable N52 engine work?

Complete with split/fold rear seats, electric glass sunroof, power fold mirrors and DAB tuner.

Certainly on my list!

Decided I can't live without bluetooth audio for Spotify now so any future car will have to have that or the option to add it easily.

Had a hire car with Android auto the other day and by god it's good to have.

I ran an e91 and e61 side by side. The e61 won for me based on the bigger more grown up seat and general size of the car. I bought the 3 series thinking a smaller car would be better for throwing around - and it is/was - but I realised I dont really throw cars around nowadays so whats the point. Then you are really only pottering around in the car and just getting from a to b. And therefore for me the bigger and better seat in the 5 was a big factor. I'm about 6 2 and feel a bit too big for a 3 series seat where as I think the 5 seat fits me much better. A 5 series just feels more grown up - maybe I'm getting old. Lets face it the 3 series is not really a barge is it?

Finally the newer stereo in the newer 3 was much much better. I just cant bring myself to pay to update the stereo in the 5 because lets face it that just a nice to have.

I really like the look of that though the sunroof would write it off for me sadly (I'm never buying another car with one). If they drive anything like as nicely as my E90 does then I could totally get on board with a slightly bigger 5 series to go with it though probably in auto format. My E90 is still advertised but given the lack of interest and how little it's apparently worth it will shortly be coming off sale, given some attention and kept.

[TeamBigfoot]

TurboHatchback said:

sunroof would write it off for me sadly (I'm never buying another car with one).

Just out of curiosity, why?

[JF87]

He's a vampire.

[Prinny]

TeamBigfoot said:

TurboHatchback said:

sunroof would write it off for me sadly (I'm never buying another car with one).

Just out of curiosity, why?

I’m of the same opinion. I’ve had many cars with them over the years, but basically;

• they add weight to the top of the car. I appreciate this is not a big deal in the 760, but it does affect dynamics.
• they’re very noisy when open.
• climate control makes them obsolete.
• they give water a path to the myriad electronics of the modern car, not a good thing.
• if I want the wind in my hair, I’ll drive a convertible.

Sunroof & black interior are my 2 no-no’s, obviously therefore I am looking at this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-LAND-ROVER-RANGE-R...

(sod the budget)

[Krikkit]

Prinny said:

I’m of the same opinion. I’ve had many cars with them over the years, but basically;

• they add weight to the top of the car. I appreciate this is not a big deal in the 760, but it does affect dynamics.
• they’re very noisy when open.
• climate control makes them obsolete.
• they give water a path to the myriad electronics of the modern car, not a good thing.
• if I want the wind in my hair, I’ll drive a convertible.

I'm not entirely sure about weight... Certainly in anything heavier than a 90s tin hatch I'd say you'd never tell the difference unless driving a pair back-to-back.

I like them for the extra light in the cabin - it often turns a dark interior into a lovely light one.

Which ones actually leak? I thought that was something cured 20 years ago?

[TurboHatchback]

Krikkit said:

Prinny said:

I’m of the same opinion. I’ve had many cars with them over the years, but basically;

• they add weight to the top of the car. I appreciate this is not a big deal in the 760, but it does affect dynamics.
• they’re very noisy when open.
• climate control makes them obsolete.
• they give water a path to the myriad electronics of the modern car, not a good thing.
• if I want the wind in my hair, I’ll drive a convertible.

I'm not entirely sure about weight... Certainly in anything heavier than a 90s tin hatch I'd say you'd never tell the difference unless driving a pair back-to-back.

I like them for the extra light in the cabin - it often turns a dark interior into a lovely light one.

Which ones actually leak? I thought that was something cured 20 years ago?

All of them leak, or at least eventually the drains clog up then the tray overflows and you have a car full of water. They also invariably jam (always open) at some point, get misaligned so create wind noise and are just generally an infernal idea which ruin perfectly good cars. I have owned many cars with sunroofs and every single one caused me problems (and rage), many enough to get rid of the car.

I think the weight up high is noticeable, also the reduction in headroom is certainly noticeable for taller types like myself. There is either a reduction in rigidity or the creaking just makes it more obvious but I hear them shifting around when the body is under stress.

[nobrakes]

4941cc said:

McGee_22 said:

env said:

Its not as quick as you would think in comparison to more modern things. Its low. Speed bump, 2.5 mph, stopping other traffic behind you low. Despite this the ride is very comfortable and not firm at all. The gear throw is longer than you expect. It could do with a 6th gear on the motorway. It likes to rev. The seats are incredibly comfortable. The wheel lock design is too complicated and checking tyre pressures are a good 20 min job. Little things cheer you up like the build plate, strike through VIN, sticker saying 97 RON, blue dials etc... Everyone (everyone) calls it an Alpina which surprised me, I suppose it has Alpina written on every surface helps.

The B10 3.2 was 260bhp compared to the 286 of the E39 540i so fairly swift for its time, the later 3.3 being even closer with 280bhp - I have a B10 V8 Touring with a refreshed engine and I would agree that it still isn't quick compared to more modern things even with a 0-60 in the mid to low 5's and oodles of big V8 NA torque. The B10 V8S was officially only 0.1 seconds behind the E39 M5 and the B10 V8 another tenth back again so all quick for their time... but their time was the thick end of twenty years ago and time always moves on so nearly everything is quicker now. The B10 3.2 and 3.3 had near-as-damn-it 540i performance with far better economy - I believe they were marginally cheaper than a 540i as well which was their USP at that time.

They also retained the six cylinder cars rack and pinion steering rather than the V8's steering box set-up, so you had V8 performance (260 was comfortably more than the 235-245 of the 535i - the fairer comparison as a similar displacement NA engine) with the sharper steering. Not sure about noseweight as I think the ALPINA unit was still iron-blocked M50 based compared with all alloy V8s.

Top collective thread beardage.

[Krikkit]

TurboHatchback said:

All of them leak, or at least eventually the drains clog up then the tray overflows and you have a car full of water. They also invariably jam (always open) at some point, get misaligned so create wind noise and are just generally an infernal idea which ruin perfectly good cars. I have owned many cars with sunroofs and every single one caused me problems (and rage), many enough to get rid of the car.

I think the weight up high is noticeable, also the reduction in headroom is certainly noticeable for taller types like myself. There is either a reduction in rigidity or the creaking just makes it more obvious but I hear them shifting around when the body is under stress.

Maybe they've all been rubbish ones? Maybe I've just been lucky.

I've had quite a few cars with them now and never had an issue, even on an absolute shed of a Mk.1 Punto. The one on my 211 was a bit slow to close, but a bit of fettling with some lithium grease sorted it.

Being a short stack I'm not likely to have headroom issues...

[NoNeed]

JF87 said:

He's a vampire.

[E65Ross]

Krikkit said:

Prinny said:

I’m of the same opinion. I’ve had many cars with them over the years, but basically;

• they add weight to the top of the car. I appreciate this is not a big deal in the 760, but it does affect dynamics.
• they’re very noisy when open.
• climate control makes them obsolete.
• they give water a path to the myriad electronics of the modern car, not a good thing.
• if I want the wind in my hair, I’ll drive a convertible.

I'm not entirely sure about weight... Certainly in anything heavier than a 90s tin hatch I'd say you'd never tell the difference unless driving a pair back-to-back.

I like them for the extra light in the cabin - it often turns a dark interior into a lovely light one.

Which ones actually leak? I thought that was something cured 20 years ago?

Eventually all of them will. I had to have the drains cleared on my E65 as I was getting water in the passenger side, if I remember correctly it was the front passenger. As the driver, I was nice and dry

[Etypephil]

TeamBigfoot said:

TurboHatchback said:

sunroof would write it off for me sadly (I'm never buying another car with one).

Just out of curiosity, why?

Me neither, all of the reasons mentioned above + council.

[W00DY]

A sunroof is one of the features I'm always pleased to have. Clearing drain tubes is necessary, but not usually too difficult.

No idea how they are considered council and nor do I give a fk.