Vx220 vs e60 545i

[Benbay001]

My insurance expires on the 4th of next month, and my current car will be up for sale the very same day!

Unlike last year when i talked alot about saving for a new car, and not actually saving, i will have just over £8k to spend on a car and insurance.

I dont have a commute but will cover about 8k miles per year.
Running costs are no issue either as i have no outgoings.

Ive narrowed it down to the two in the title, but really cant decide between them, and, as im sure you have noticed they are chalk and cheese.

545i:
Pros : comfortable, fairly powerful, great v8 noise, relatively dynamic for its size and practical.
Cons : Costly if it goes pop, worry its a little too bland compared to the vx220

I just worry the 545i wont feel "special" enough.

VX220:
Pros : very few around, especially compared to the e60, near perfect driving dynamics.
Cons : Im already terribly bored of 4 pot noise.

No, i havnt driven either, and dont intend on doing so until i am in the position to buy.

Thanks for your time

[McHaggis]

That is the very definition of chalk and cheese.

[Benbay001]

McHaggis said:

That is the very definition of chalk and cheese.

They are the only two that float my boat at that price.

[McHaggis]

I'm getting old, I'd go for the 545i. I really like them. Power and waft.

[Benbay001]

McHaggis said:

I'm getting old, I'd go for the 545i. I really like them. Power and waft.

What if you were young again?

[McHaggis]

Are you sure there is nothing in here to tempt you?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

An Alpina perhaps?

[McHaggis]

Benbay001 said:

What if you were young again?

My shortlist remains from silly to sensible:

Caterham
Lotus Elise S1
Audi S4 (4.2) or 2.7 bi turbo
BMW 550i Avant

[Benbay001]

McHaggis said:

Are you sure there is nothing in here to tempt you?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

An Alpina perhaps?

The 545i is the only barge that tempts me (with my budget), with the exception of an XJ-s
But i dont want to get side tracked, VX or 545i..

[Targarama]

Young with no kids or goods to carry around - the VX 220
Older, need to carry st, bikes on the roof etc. - the BMW

But I'd probably plump for an early 645i then I wouldn't look like a sales rep.

[Benbay001]

Benbay001 said:

I just worry the 545i wont feel "special" enough.

Maybe i should have left it at that?
Would a 545i with an anti social exhaust feel special enough?

[rb5er]

Of course the BMW will not feel special. Can you not think of something inbetween those 2?

If you need practicality ever then the vx220 is not really an option.

Only you know what your requirements are unless you tell us but as the cars are so wildly different its useless to compare them as the differences are so obvious.

[Benbay001]

rb5er said:

Of course the BMW will not feel special.

More comments like this please or the opposite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESzmE8ZgYL0 (545i with exhaust)

[tommy vercetti]

Benbay001 said:

rb5er said:

Of course the BMW will not feel special.

More comments like this please or the opposite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESzmE8ZgYL0 (545i with exhaust)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW_iWgCjBx4

[Crook]

Buy the VX. If you don't like it you're unlikely to lose much, if anything on re-sale.
Then buy the 5.

However VX's are not that uncivilised so there is no reason not to have one as a daily unless you need to move anything more than yourself and one other person.
More importantly they're also very good fun.

[Andy_sx]

I thoroughly love my VX, and if yo pack accordingly, can do trips away quite easily (including camping)

Ive used it for the daily grind, hooning and travelling around the country

Only problem for me is practicality, having a dog means the weekends are usually spent in the OH's st box 206, so it only gets used for commuting now, and on the motorway daily i feel its not being used as it should be.

If you can, go for a VX, im seriously glad I have scratched the itch, and am gutted I will be selling it, but know its for the right reasons (and dont tell me otherwise, I need that rational to make it less painful!)

[rb5er]

Benbay001 said:

rb5er said:

Of course the BMW will not feel special.

More comments like this please or the opposite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESzmE8ZgYL0 (545i with exhaust)

Of course any v8 with an uprgraded exhaust will sound nice. Sounding nice does not equate to "feeling" special. The car is a 10 a penny wafter of which you will see another dozen if you go for a 20 minute drive.

The vx will "feel" special but sound bland, you never asked which sounds best.

[ewenm]

Of those two and as someone who enjoys the purity of driving a lightweight car I'd go for the VX220. You'll need to be able to put up with the impracticality of it at times though - this is a mindset thing rather than an absolute though.

[Benbay001]

Looks like most think the VX would be best.
Cheers

[Donatello]

While you are young and have no commitments, get something like the VX. I currently have a ST220 Estate as my daily drive but it could have been a VX if I didn't have dogs and a baby on the way.

[Benbay001]

I have come up with a compromise. One that i rather fancy. Jaguar S Type R.
Yes? No? :-/