Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 22]

[Lord E38]

I just moved t'up North and I'm reunited with the mini-barge, I'll make a thread eventually. Too tired and starting a new job in the morning. zzzzzzzzzzzz

[markirl]

Fellow barge-ists, need some thoughts/advice.

Currently looking for a new barge as doing a 6 hour round trip to airport fortnightly, other than that really just normal second car duties but no city driving -mainly A & B roads. Car history includes e39/w211/E60/A8/GS450h/w212/XF/s-type and based on this I've come up with a slightly strange shortlist of:
- e39 528i/530i
- E60 530i with comfort seats
- x350 petrol

I've owned the 530i's in each flavour before so I know my way around them and also know what to expect (although they were much younger cars at the time)

I'm mainly looking for a nice place to be, comfortable seats & decent ride on our increasingly terrible roads and good steering - it looks to me like the x350 is an nteresting choice and easier to find in good condition but interested to hear thoughts?

[McGee_22]

markirl said:

Fellow barge-ists, need some thoughts/advice.

Currently looking for a new barge as doing a 6 hour round trip to airport fortnightly, other than that really just normal second car duties but no city driving -mainly A & B roads. Car history includes e39/w211/E60/A8/GS450h/w212/XF/s-type and based on this I've come up with a slightly strange shortlist of:
- e39 528i/530i
- E60 530i with comfort seats
- x350 petrol

I've owned the 530i's in each flavour before so I know my way around them and also know what to expect (although they were much younger cars at the time)

I'm mainly looking for a nice place to be, comfortable seats & decent ride on our increasingly terrible roads and good steering - it looks to me like the x350 is an nteresting choice and easier to find in good condition but interested to hear thoughts?

As a long term E39 owner I would advise against one - the electronic modules are frequently failing, spares are getting much harder to get hold of and they rust like buggery.

[GeniusOfLove]

How about a nice S Type with a manual gearbox?

Joking aside a 3.0 X350 would be lovely for this, and reasonable on fuel, and cheap although really nice ones are starting to get thin on the ground.

It looks like diesel is out for you?

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 11th August 11:33

[phil_cardiff]

markirl said:

Fellow barge-ists, need some thoughts/advice.

Currently looking for a new barge as doing a 6 hour round trip to airport fortnightly, other than that really just normal second car duties but no city driving -mainly A & B roads. Car history includes e39/w211/E60/A8/GS450h/w212/XF/s-type and based on this I've come up with a slightly strange shortlist of:
- e39 528i/530i
- E60 530i with comfort seats
- x350 petrol

I've owned the 530i's in each flavour before so I know my way around them and also know what to expect (although they were much younger cars at the time)

I'm mainly looking for a nice place to be, comfortable seats & decent ride on our increasingly terrible roads and good steering - it looks to me like the x350 is an nteresting choice and easier to find in good condition but interested to hear thoughts?

Is there a max budget?

[donkmeister]

markirl said:

Fellow barge-ists, need some thoughts/advice.

Currently looking for a new barge as doing a 6 hour round trip to airport fortnightly, other than that really just normal second car duties but no city driving -mainly A & B roads. Car history includes e39/w211/E60/A8/GS450h/w212/XF/s-type and based on this I've come up with a slightly strange shortlist of:
- e39 528i/530i
- E60 530i with comfort seats
- x350 petrol

I've owned the 530i's in each flavour before so I know my way around them and also know what to expect (although they were much younger cars at the time)

I'm mainly looking for a nice place to be, comfortable seats & decent ride on our increasingly terrible roads and good steering - it looks to me like the x350 is an nteresting choice and easier to find in good condition but interested to hear thoughts?

Surely if you are considering an X350 you should be looking at 7ers, not 5ers?

As you have had a GS, would you consider an LS? My 460 is certainly a lovely place to while away the miles... I'm one of the few people who finds EVs shockingly loud and unrefined when they issue them at work.

[Patrick Bateman]

3 litre X350 is a good shout if you can find one with a healthy suspension.

[Rusty Old-Banger]

donkmeister said:

markirl said:

Fellow barge-ists, need some thoughts/advice.

Currently looking for a new barge as doing a 6 hour round trip to airport fortnightly, other than that really just normal second car duties but no city driving -mainly A & B roads. Car history includes e39/w211/E60/A8/GS450h/w212/XF/s-type and based on this I've come up with a slightly strange shortlist of:
- e39 528i/530i
- E60 530i with comfort seats
- x350 petrol

I've owned the 530i's in each flavour before so I know my way around them and also know what to expect (although they were much younger cars at the time)

I'm mainly looking for a nice place to be, comfortable seats & decent ride on our increasingly terrible roads and good steering - it looks to me like the x350 is an nteresting choice and easier to find in good condition but interested to hear thoughts?

Surely if you are considering an X350 you should be looking at 7ers, not 5ers?

As you have had a GS, would you consider an LS? My 460 is certainly a lovely place to while away the miles... I'm one of the few people who finds EVs shockingly loud and unrefined when they issue them at work.

I was going to suggest an LS. I can't think of anything nicer to while away long slogs on uneventful roads.

[KadettE]

Bottom thread, all beige: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147496209578

[GeniusOfLove]

That's fabulous, and so cheap. The Cowley cars are the only ones you want too, I was at the motor show the year in launched on trade day and was really impressed at how well built they felt compared to an 800, but by the end in 2004 they felt like a particularly crap quality Proton.

Please someone buy it and let me borrow it for a week.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 11th August 16:57

[macron]

https://www.facebook.com/share/1923aZqRN7/

105k, massage seats, YKYWT.

[GeniusOfLove]

That reminds me, if anyone wants a set of genuine W221 roof bars PM me, I can't see me ever buying another one and they're just taking up room in my shed (along with loads of other parts for cars I no longer own).

[videomedic]

GeniusOfLove said:

That's fabulous, and so cheap. The Cowley cars are the only ones you want too, I was at the motor show the year in launched on trade day and was really impressed at how well built they felt compared to an 800, but by the end in 2004 they felt like a particularly crap quality Proton.

Please someone buy it and let me borrow it for a week.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 11th August 16:57

That does look good, and well priced. But why would you buy this instead of a certain Jag S-Type?

[TheWokeBlob]

macron said:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1923aZqRN7/

105k, massage seats, YKYWT.

This sold on BCA for £2200 last week.

So including fees and delivery, a ~100% mark up as presumably a "private seller". Nice work if you can get it.

Looked a nice clean car to be fair. AMG kit looks factory and is fairly rare, massage seats and some decent options but elephant skin plastics, eww. Id have probably given it a punt.

Edited by TheWokeBlob on Tuesday 11th August 19:20

[C Lee Farquar]

KadettE said:

Bottom thread, all beige: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147496209578

previous ad

[josh00mac]

markirl said:

Fellow barge-ists, need some thoughts/advice.

Currently looking for a new barge as doing a 6 hour round trip to airport fortnightly, other than that really just normal second car duties but no city driving -mainly A & B roads. Car history includes e39/w211/E60/A8/GS450h/w212/XF/s-type and based on this I've come up with a slightly strange shortlist of:
- e39 528i/530i
- E60 530i with comfort seats
- x350 petrol

I've owned the 530i's in each flavour before so I know my way around them and also know what to expect (although they were much younger cars at the time)

I'm mainly looking for a nice place to be, comfortable seats & decent ride on our increasingly terrible roads and good steering - it looks to me like the x350 is an nteresting choice and easier to find in good condition but interested to hear thoughts?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DUsQVPpsa/?mibextid=wwXIfr

[macron]

TheWokeBlob said:

This sold on BCA for £2200 last week.

So including fees and delivery, a ~100% mark up as presumably a "private seller". Nice work if you can get it.

Looked a nice clean car to be fair. AMG kit looks factory and is fairly rare, massage seats and some decent options but elephant skin plastics, eww. Id have probably given it a punt.

Edited by TheWokeBlob on Tuesday 11th August 19:20

That's just rude! Think at ~2.2 that would part out!

[markirl]

McGee_22 said:

As a long term E39 owner I would advise against one - the electronic modules are frequently failing, spares are getting much harder to get hold of and they rust like buggery.

This is my fear. My first one I owned when it was 4 years old and was an absolutely wonderful car. My second was when it was 11 years old but this was in Australia so zero rust. I also have a few classic cars and a 996 so not averse to a bit of spares hunting etc or rust but the e60/x350 appeals due to much less chance of rust.

GeniusOfLove said:

How about a nice S Type with a manual gearbox?

Joking aside a 3.0 X350 would be lovely for this, and reasonable on fuel, and cheap although really nice ones are starting to get thin on the ground.

It looks like diesel is out for you?

Really not a diesel fan, I've owned a few out of necessity because no decent alternative available at the time but would like to stick with petrol. Only exception to this would be a 4.2V8 TDI A8 but even then....
Agreed that good X350 are getting thin on the ground, thats why I'm open to V6 or V8.

phil_cardiff said:

Is there a max budget?

Generally as little as reasonably possible, I've been a bit spendy this year so would go to top thread for a good car but would like to be sub £3k, don't mind if I need to do a bit of work to the car as long as fundamentals are good.

donkmeister said:

Surely if you are considering an X350 you should be looking at 7ers, not 5ers?

As you have had a GS, would you consider an LS? My 460 is certainly a lovely place to while away the miles... I'm one of the few people who finds EVs shockingly loud and unrefined when they issue them at work.

Rusty Old-Banger said:

I was going to suggest an LS. I can't think of anything nicer to while away long slogs on uneventful roads.

I forgot I also had an 06 GS300 for a while as took it in part-ex. This was one of my most disliked cars ever, didn't like the interior and it just felt a bit cheap. So on that basis I'm not mad keen to go Lexus LS460 but I know in so many ways this is the smart choice - just lacking a bit of soul for me.

On the 7 series front, An e38 is in the mix (in the background really) but I have exclude the e65 as a little bloated nearly all are in diesel form and the V8s have a poor reputation. Perhaps I'm wrong?!

Patrick Bateman said:

3 litre X350 is a good shout if you can find one with a healthy suspension.

Looks like a common theme!

josh00mac said:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DUsQVPpsa/?mibex...

If I go e60, would have to be LCI. Have been considering a jap import one also with the N52 (although my N53 was great, I understand the internet disagrees!)

[martynr]

TheWokeBlob said:

macron said:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1923aZqRN7/

105k, massage seats, YKYWT.

This sold on BCA for £2200 last week.

So including fees and delivery, a ~100% mark up as presumably a "private seller". Nice work if you can get it.

Looked a nice clean car to be fair. AMG kit looks factory and is fairly rare, massage seats and some decent options but elephant skin plastics, eww. Id have probably given it a punt.

Edited by TheWokeBlob on Tuesday 11th August 19:20

If he is a dealer then he is unable to take pictures the car seems to be fully loaded knowing the BCA, I would not risk it with them...

He has a van for sale as well...


Also, going by his name, they like to celebrate in a street. Jubilee style...

Edited by martynr on Wednesday 12th August 14:36

[KadettE]

markirl said:

I forgot I also had an 06 GS300 for a while as took it in part-ex. This was one of my most disliked cars ever, didn't like the interior and it just felt a bit cheap. So on that basis I'm not mad keen to go Lexus LS460 but I know in so many ways this is the smart choice - just lacking a bit of soul for me.

Did you also not like the interior in your GS450h? Bit surprised, thought a Lexus would easily match the E60 in quality there.

Unrelated, here's a nice blue over cream CLS350: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227472670200