Car help please. Merc BMW Volvo

[JABB]

Having sold an e class estate due to needing some money, I have £6000 ish for a new car. Looking at BMW 3 series, Merc C class and Volvo V50.
Like the thought of the 330D BMW, had a C class before and it is OK. Volvo sport looks good but I fear it may cost too much to run and maintain.
Any one got any opinions?
Looking for Diesel.

[Jimbo.]

Why would a V50 cost more to run and maintain than, say, a 3-Series or C-Class?

[Vladimir]

At £6k, a 330d would be a leggyish E46 - decent but might be getting a bit old for you?
A mate is getting rid of his V50 estate with a HUGE list of things gone wrong, some of them very common; avoid IMO.
Merc will also be leggy - maybe a C220CDI or similar? Well made but a bit dull.

[JABB]

The main contender in V50 is the 2.0D.
DPF is the problem mainly, but parkers do a comparison where you enter car details and it give you a running cost for each car. The Volvo is streets ahead in cost over the BMW

[Six Fiend]

Go potty and check out an X-Type

[SBN]

Audi a4 avant? Most were the 1.9tdi but there were a few 2.5tdi made.