Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 22]

[tobinen]

I've always fancied an early petrol Allroad but I don't have the gonads. I watched a green one go through ACA this year for well over reserve.

[RUI488]

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong on mine.
Didn’t help that it replaced one of the best cars i’ve ever owned (M3 Evo, in Fern green).
In hindsight i should have just gone to a two car man at that point (big dog) and had a daily for Bruce and kept the M3 for good.

Tried selling the M3 (it was absolute immaculate, and properly immaculate, not like what 99% of people claim is immaculate) and i couldn’t even get £5k for it.
The guy i swapped it for the Audi with wrote it off 6 months later and got £8500 off the insurance company.

That little story sums me up; if it wasn’t for bad luck, i’d have none!

[donkmeister]

RUI488 said:

KPH isn’t a measurement of speed; Km/H is.
Kilometres per hour.

Km/H isn't kilometres per hour either, it's kilometres per henry. Km/h would be kilometres per hour.

Now, henries per metre is used when describing magnetic permeability, so maybe you would use Km/H to describe magnetic reluctivity? I dunno, that's not my... field (baddum tish).

Or... We could accept that kph is a widely used acceptable abbreviation, and that the vast majority of the world doesn't use SI units correctly.

(It used to make my teeth itch to see people use capital K to refer to thousands of pounds, and lower case m for millions of pounds, but I realised business types weren't PowerPointing about temperatures or thousandths of pounds so I could overlook it for my own sanity)

[phil_cardiff]

anotherswifty said:

phil_cardiff said:

…, 600+ litres boot capacity and a 400 mile range?

This version is not to my taste but I'd strongly consider a standard RS6 as my daily if I was wealthy enough.

Yes the RS6 is one of a select few ways to scare the bejeezus out of Fido. (I’m not up to speed there might be an E63 equivalent.)
They are mighty machines but quite shouty. For less wang waving the S6 fits the bill better for me. I had an A6 Avant 3.0 Tdi Quattro which felt like an express train but the usual VAG lack of longevity pushed me to sell, so I looked at the various models around. Of note was the 2.7T (twinT?) Allroad but was too old to realistically consider at the time.

I think the E63 has been dropped but you can get one second hand. The other option for me would be an Alpina, or a Jaguar F-pace SVR which is just about the only SUV I like the look of.

[donkmeister]

phil_cardiff said:

anotherswifty said:

phil_cardiff said:

…, 600+ litres boot capacity and a 400 mile range?

This version is not to my taste but I'd strongly consider a standard RS6 as my daily if I was wealthy enough.

Yes the RS6 is one of a select few ways to scare the bejeezus out of Fido. (I’m not up to speed there might be an E63 equivalent.)
They are mighty machines but quite shouty. For less wang waving the S6 fits the bill better for me. I had an A6 Avant 3.0 Tdi Quattro which felt like an express train but the usual VAG lack of longevity pushed me to sell, so I looked at the various models around. Of note was the 2.7T (twinT?) Allroad but was too old to realistically consider at the time.

I think the E63 has been dropped but you can get one second hand. The other option for me would be an Alpina, or a Jaguar F-pace SVR which is just about the only SUV I like the look of.

The thing that's always put me off AMG ownership is the propensity for fitting exotically-priced items as consumables, such as brake discs. Both from the selfish "I'd rather not spend £1k+ on each disc" point of view and the "can I trust the previous owner(s) has been keeping on top of maintenance and repairs or am I buying a car with an immediate multi-£k bill to bring up to scratch?" worry.

There is an argument to be made for buying one of the cheapest ones (assuming not ruined) and holding the difference between that and the highest priced ones as a maintenance and repairs fund. Even on the most expensive ones there will be SOMETHING to do very soon, and that can be disappointing if you have bought one for top money.

[RUI488]

donkmeister said:

There is an argument to be made for buying one of the cheapest ones (assuming not ruined) and holding the difference between that and the highest priced ones as a maintenance and repairs fund. Even on the most expensive ones there will be SOMETHING to do very soon, and that can be disappointing if you have bought one for top money.

9/10 it pays to buy the best example you can afford, not the worst.

[QBee]

I'm after some buying advice, and would welcome recommendations please.

I have had a 2005 diesel Nissan X Trail for a number of years now, originally bought as a tow vehicle for towing up to 2 tonnes and towing well.
It has selectable 4WD, which has before now, on one occasion in Wales, got me out of a steep exit from a grassy field with 1.5 tonnes attached.
So I am looking for a comfortable towing vehicle, either a diesel estate or a diesel 4x4. I have dogs as well as a caravan and trailer for track days.
I have no interest in going anywhere ULEZ in the forseeable future. I will probbaly do less than 10,000 miles a year in it.

Budget is up to £6,000.

The Nissan has developed several faults recently, and to me it makes more sense to scrap it than fix it.
Leaking injector, and an oil leak.
Strange misfire on occasions, though I have reduced that 90% by a combination of RedEx and super diesel.
A faulty ABS sensor which has now failed and also disabled the 4WD.
The airbag warning light has come on this morning.
Seats are splitting (cheap leather).
Rear wheel arches are rusty and the back bumper had an argument with a taxi.
The one key has stopped working remotely.
All things that suggest the scrap yard is the place for it.
It's a shame, because I like the car, but that's life.

Any recommendations please for something reliable, comfortable, ideally with heated seats (for the Mrs), and with reasonable economy, while being able to tow well.? I do uderstand that economy and towing don't sit easily together, but we don't tow that often.

I have looked so far at Jaguar XF estates in either 2 or 3 litre diesel from about 2014. If I wasn't buying a 4x4, that's an idea of the sort of car I like.
We presently have a pair of Saab 9-5 estates for daily (ab)use, but she to whom I am related by marriage has decreed that my 22 year old Saab has to be sold as part of the upgrade.

[tobinen]

S212 and decent all-season tyres

Edit; £5,500 pre-haggle. It's had it over a month. Maybe ask for a tow bar as part of a deal?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410135...

Edited by tobinen on Thursday 28th November 11:20

[Mammasaid]

Best XC70 you can find;

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411055...

[GlenMH]

tobinen said:

S212 and decent all-season tyres

Edit; £5,500 pre-haggle. It's had it over a month. Maybe ask for a tow bar as part of a deal?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410135...

Edited by tobinen on Thursday 28th November 11:20

Nice that it hasn't got the staggered sized 18s that mine has got.
I would be intrigued to know if it has had any fiddling to the ECU to sort EGR and other emissions control issues.
Bit of a shame they couldn't clean the steering wheel...

[RUI488]

Mammasaid said:

Best XC70 you can find;

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411055...

Not a bad shout.
I had just the V70 in a 2013 D4 and it was great.
Used to get 60 MPG on a 35 mile A road commute.

[ingenieur]

tobinen said:

S212 and decent all-season tyres

Edit; £5,500 pre-haggle. It's had it over a month. Maybe ask for a tow bar as part of a deal?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410135...

Edited by tobinen on Thursday 28th November 11:20

I think with that mileage and being poverty spec they are asking a bit much. I like that it isn't silver. Not sure what the rule is which states every Mercedes has to be silver. So bored of it now. I'm on my 4th silver Merc, my dad's merc is silver and my sister had a silver one until she gave up driving.

[nobrakes]

ingenieur said:

tobinen said:

S212 and decent all-season tyres

Edit; £5,500 pre-haggle. It's had it over a month. Maybe ask for a tow bar as part of a deal?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410135...

Edited by tobinen on Thursday 28th November 11:20

I think with that mileage and being poverty spec they are asking a bit much. I like that it isn't silver. Not sure what the rule is which states every Mercedes has to be silver. So bored of it now. I'm on my 4th silver Merc, my dad's merc is silver and my sister had a silver one until she gave up driving.

I reckon you could have it for 5 if you put it on their desk then walked when they laughed. See if you can make it to the gate before he runs after you.

That’s a lot of car.

[Rayny]

That's Ross' part of the country. I wonder if he knows what sort of reputation the dealer has..

[anotherswifty]

phil_cardiff said:

I think the E63 has been dropped but you can get one second hand. The other option for me would be an Alpina, or a Jaguar F-pace SVR which is just about the only SUV I like the look of.

Well said on Alpinas. Left enough of mainstream to be IYKYK.

[nobrakes]

macron said:

BenS94 said:

phil_cardiff said:

I think I'd be happy with this one. I like the colours and nice to see one without black wheels. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024102556...

I'm with you on that one - much nicer, and in a colour you don't see often (not that I'm biased).

It's nice but it's not hyacinth.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024103158...

Cup holders in both of these should be inoperable unless the cars are stationary. One blip of the throttle and your passengers will have coffee milk shake everywhere (think that kid on the front of the roller coaster on J*m’ll Fix It).

Edited by nobrakes on Friday 29th November 04:49

[tobinen]

Happy Friday losers.


Talbot-Lago £350,000

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1493018

[phil_cardiff]

tobinen said:

Happy Friday losers.


Talbot-Lago £350,000

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1493018

Never heard of it, instantly want it.

[Rayny]

Friday, with small wheels -
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/17558195

[donkmeister]

RUI488 said:

donkmeister said:

There is an argument to be made for buying one of the cheapest ones (assuming not ruined) and holding the difference between that and the highest priced ones as a maintenance and repairs fund. Even on the most expensive ones there will be SOMETHING to do very soon, and that can be disappointing if you have bought one for top money.

9/10 it pays to buy the best example you can afford, not the worst.

Define "afford" . If that best example comes with a load of work you have no budget for, then it's not a happy situation. There's only so much an inspection can reveal, and on the complex cars we fawn over the probability is that something will need attention in the first year of ownership.

I've always ensured adequate borkage allowance and never been disappointed, but I've known people to spend their entire budget on the car to get the best one they can afford, only to find they can't actually afford it.