New family do-it-all car - Estate or possibly SUV

[madmatteo]

nobrakes said:

One of the class estates.

Yes, you’ve finished with buggies etc, but will soon start sports kit bags, bikes etc. sure, the C class etc will do, but the E will be much more comfortable for it.

I expect the E43 might be a bit cheaper to run than a 63, but the 63 might be better in the depreciation stakes so overall there may not be anything in it.

(I have no experience of any of those listed!)

You have got me thinking - an E is a great family car. I just don't know whether we do need to go that big again.

The 508 is similar size to C class and it's been fine for week long UK family holidays which is why I was being drawn towards a C63 instead. Nonetheless, it was great having the E class and Golf R Estate (which is only a little smaller in the boot department) as you knew they would cope with almost anything that family life might throw at them.

[Alickadoo]

Have you thought about a Lexus RX?

Various versions available.

[madmatteo]

Alickadoo said:

Have you thought about a Lexus RX?

Various versions available.

I have. I can't argue that the 10 year warranty (if main dealer serviced) is attractive and also that the car what deal with family life easily. Maybe worth a closer look.

[FlyingPanda]

You mentioned that the BMW 340i Touring would be good but possibly just out of budget. I’d heartily recommend a 2016+ BMW 335d Touring. I did a bit of ‘downsizing’ last year and just got this as a practical workhorse, but I have been amazed just how much I enjoy driving it. It’s as fast as you’re ever likely to need in the UK, practical but not too huge for 1960’s Multi Storey Car Parks and averages over 35 mpg even with plenty of hooning.

Look for a post 2016 LCI model with a decent spec and you’ll have some budget left over.

[madmatteo]

FlyingPanda said:

You mentioned that the BMW 340i Touring would be good but possibly just out of budget. I’d heartily recommend a 2016+ BMW 335d Touring. I did a bit of ‘downsizing’ last year and just got this as a practical workhorse, but I have been amazed just how much I enjoy driving it. It’s as fast as you’re ever likely to need in the UK, practical but not too huge for 1960’s Multi Storey Car Parks and averages over 35 mpg even with plenty of hooning.

Look for a post 2016 LCI model with a decent spec and you’ll have some budget left over.

If my mileage was higher, I would definitely consider but, as it is, I think 340i or M340i would work better. Just wish the M340i touring would sneak into budget. It's very close but not quite close enough.

[PushedDover]

madmatteo said:

PushedDover said:

t'was the 4wd, and raising suspension that helps it cross over to the OP's threadtitle of 'SUV'.

Also a thought OP, is 'the car of choice' compatible with a tow bar installation ?
Useful options for the future - bike racks if nothing else.

Fair point albeit I have been putting bikes on the roof in recent years which seems to work fine. Perhaps worth considering with this next car though.

And when you get to E-bikes.... your gonna not put them on the roof, but on the towball...

[ZX10R NIN]

madmatteo said:

Thank you for this list.

Nice choices. Most already on my watch list. The CLS 63 is an interesting one though. That Edition 1 looks lovely.

Do you not rate the W205?

I like the W205 & they're a very good car but when it comes to a boosted Mercedes V8 I'm picking the 5.5 version everytime.

For me the N/A is the sweeter of the two but that's just my personal opinion.

[ninjag]

madmatteo said:

....snip...
11. Audi S4 (B9) Estate - Look good but many low spec and still quite expensive. Works practically and cost wise but not sure all that excited by one.
...

What about the B8.5 S4 Avant? I was in the same position and needed a do it all family car and ended up with this. If you go for the late 2014/15 it comes with the revised CREC engine. It ticked a lot of boxes for me:

Pretty quick and can be tuned to over 400bhp just from a remap plus lots of extra tuning options and upgrades
Standard running costs and good reliability with the B8.5
Reasonable fuel economy (mind that petrol is cheaper than diesel as well)
A little more special being supercharged (great whine if custom intake)
Brilliant rear bias AWD system with torque vectoring (even better with sports LSD)
B&O Sound system
Not glary but quads and small touches are enough to catch the eye

Going for about £20k now. I'm really happy with mine with the only alternative being the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, but finding one is crazy hard and they command quite the premium.

[NeoVR]

madmatteo said:

If my mileage was higher, I would definitely consider but, as it is, I think 340i or M340i would work better. Just wish the M340i touring would sneak into budget. It's very close but not quite close enough.

It’s annoying that there’s such a touring-tax on the m340i at the moment.
I’m in a similar boat to you and m340 is top of the list, but difficult to justify the cost. (It’ll be replacing a 5pot v70 T5 so has to sound good too!)

[madmatteo]

ninjag said:

What about the B8.5 S4 Avant? I was in the same position and needed a do it all family car and ended up with this. If you go for the late 2014/15 it comes with the revised CREC engine. It ticked a lot of boxes for me:

Pretty quick and can be tuned to over 400bhp just from a remap plus lots of extra tuning options and upgrades
Standard running costs and good reliability with the B8.5
Reasonable fuel economy (mind that petrol is cheaper than diesel as well)
A little more special being supercharged (great whine if custom intake)
Brilliant rear bias AWD system with torque vectoring (even better with sports LSD)
B&O Sound system
Not glary but quads and small touches are enough to catch the eye

Going for about £20k now. I'm really happy with mine with the only alternative being the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, but finding one is crazy hard and they command quite the premium.

Can't argue with the value compared with alternatives. Will have a look. Thanks.

[madmatteo]

NeoVR said:

It’s annoying that there’s such a touring-tax on the m340i at the moment.
I’m in a similar boat to you and m340 is top of the list, but difficult to justify the cost. (It’ll be replacing a 5pot v70 T5 so has to sound good too!)

If they had got down to 35-36ish, I would bite but £40k remains the realistic entry point. Just seems high to me still. Shame as looks a great car.

The facelift C43 is similar. I would be happy with either.

[madmatteo]

I know a lot of these topics never get updated with the eventual purchase made. So, I thought I would conclude mine with confirmation that heart won firmly over head as I have found and purchased a privately owned W204 C63 AMG Estate. I was originally fixed on getting one with the 19 inch multi-spoke wheels on but so many are cracked and re-welded now. However, the 18s also look great in person with far less chance of cracking etc so I decided not to be too picky about this.

It was the best value I could find for one which has been well looked after. Full MB service history. No failed MOTS. New matching tyres all around. New recent air con condensor. clean exterior and interior. Plus, it's a 2014 so the very end of the W204 C63s.

My mileage is very low right now so fuel costs etc not really an issue. Also, I thought that it was kind of a now or never with the W204. I didn't want to regret not doing it later on.

I am going to begin working through some preventative maintenance in the coming months and years but, otherwise, will continue to use and look after what feels like a mad family estate car.

Oh, and I ended up spending far less than my original max budget leaving plenty in the kitty for future servicing, and the odd bit of maintenance. Hopefully, the car will now look after me for a few years at least.

[ninjag]

Congratulations, a big V8 whilst you still can makes sense. Enjoy!

[AllyBee]

Congrats.

One of the cars on my short list as well. Been keeping an eye on the ads and there don't seem to be many for sale at the moment, so you did well with that one. Can I ask what preventive maintenance you're planning - might come in handy for me.

[madmatteo]

AllyBee said:

Congrats.

One of the cars on my short list as well. Been keeping an eye on the ads and there don't seem to be many for sale at the moment, so you did well with that one. Can I ask what preventive maintenance you're planning - might come in handy for me.

Good question. Initially, I intend to do a gearbox service since I think it must be good for the gearbox to do this (even though my seems to be working fine). Also, last one was about 5 years and 33,000 miles ago.

Then, I want to get the front suspension drop links checked since they are a weak point on W204s generally. Quite expensive on a C63 but, once done, should last me years.

Then, I'm going to get the injectors changed. It's about £300 (or so) to get this done but, again, should ensure they last for my tenure with the car. They may not need doing right now but, if they fail, it's catastrophic for the engine. So, worth a small initial outlay I think.

In the longer term, I will think about having the stronger cam adjuster plates put on the car with parts from a US company call 63motorsport. This is one of the more major weaknesses of the W204 C63 and once changed to stronger plates, it shouldn't repeat itself. That said, I don't currently have the start-up rattle like so many of the 63s of this era so will try to hold out for now since the job is expensive. Think £1,000 to £2,000 depending on where you go. Even more if you go to MB.

There are a few other things which I will discuss with my local Indy - i.e. PCV valve replacement and engine mount updates. However, hopefully I can hold out on these for now.

Otherwise, drive and enjoy. I went out at lunch today and the noise and wave of power/torque is an utter joy. Starting it up from cold will literally never get boring.

[AllyBee]

madmatteo said:

Good question. Initially, I intend to do a gearbox service since I think it must be good for the gearbox to do this (even though my seems to be working fine). Also, last one was about 5 years and 33,000 miles ago.

Then, I want to get the front suspension drop links checked since they are a weak point on W204s generally. Quite expensive on a C63 but, once done, should last me years.

Then, I'm going to get the injectors changed. It's about £300 (or so) to get this done but, again, should ensure they last for my tenure with the car. They may not need doing right now but, if they fail, it's catastrophic for the engine. So, worth a small initial outlay I think.

In the longer term, I will think about having the stronger cam adjuster plates put on the car with parts from a US company call 63motorsport. This is one of the more major weaknesses of the W204 C63 and once changed to stronger plates, it shouldn't repeat itself. That said, I don't currently have the start-up rattle like so many of the 63s of this era so will try to hold out for now since the job is expensive. Think £1,000 to £2,000 depending on where you go. Even more if you go to MB.

There are a few other things which I will discuss with my local Indy - i.e. PCV valve replacement and engine mount updates. However, hopefully I can hold out on these for now.

Otherwise, drive and enjoy. I went out at lunch today and the noise and wave of power/torque is an utter joy. Starting it up from cold will literally never get boring.

Thanks for that, some good info there. I'd heard about the injectors. Other thing I've heard is worth doing is replacing the serpentine belt belt and tensioners if not done already.

[madmatteo]

AllyBee said:

Thanks for that, some good info there. I'd heard about the injectors. Other thing I've heard is worth doing is replacing the serpentine belt belt and tensioners if not done already.

Fair point. Forgot about that. Will add to my list to discuss with the indy - cheers.

Good luck with your search though.

By the way, as soon as you start one up from cold, it will be extremely hard to not want one. It has to be one of, if not the best, sounding "normal(ish)" car ever.

[ZX10R NIN]

You picked the right 63 in my bias opinion the 6.2 is the sweet spot

[madmatteo]

ZX10R NIN said:

You picked the right 63 in my bias opinion the 6.2 is the sweet spot

Thanks ZX, I am genuinely pleased that it gets your stamp of approval.