Am I Asking the Impossible for £7K

[Seeker UK]

The answer is possibly 'yes' but I'll ask the experts here.

And, er, sorry, it's a 'what car' thread.

I'm currently driving an 03 MB 320CDI A/G. Nice but dull as ditchwater to drive; I want something more fun to drive but won't break the bank to own.

Before the suggestions come in here are some cars I've had before which I've enjoyed which may give some idea of what I like and what I don't: BMW E34 525i Sport, E24M635csi, E30 325i M-Sport, Volvo S60 D5, Audi A6 2.7TDI and Saab 9000 Aero, A4 2.5TDI Quattro Estate. Cars I've had but hated (either dull or hurt my back - I have a chronic condition exacerbated by bad seats): Mercedes CLK320 Cab and CLK 270CDI, BMW E46 330CD (Cab and a Coupe).

So what I want is a car that's going to be fun to drive but a good motorway cruiser, must be manual and would prefer a coupe or an estate (not crucial) in preference to a saloon but definitely not a convertible. Car must have cruise control or is easily retrofitted. Unfortunately, the tight-wad in me doesn't want to spend more than £300 on car tax per year and it must return 40mpg+ on a run (real world, not manufacturer fairy story) and must cost < £7K.

So I've walked aimlessly around garages all day and I can;t find anything that floats my boat - I tried a Jag S Type Diesel but it was a bit 'meh'. I've totally run out of ideas.

So what do you think - all thoughts gratefully received.

[Grenoble]

I think these might meet your needs:

Audi A4 3.0tdi (a much pointier, more responsive drive than the A6); tiptronic rather than manual but a few manuals do exist.

Saab 9-3 estate, diesel manual - bargains these days and good for an estate Saab box?

[bakerstreet]

Grenoble said:

I think these might meet your needs:

Audi A4 3.0tdi (a much pointier, more responsive drive than the A6); tiptronic rather than manual but a few manuals do exist.

Saab 9-3 estate, diesel manual - bargains these days and good for an estate Saab box?

Saabs are also known to have excellent seats

[Grenoble]

bakerstreet said:

Saabs are also known to have excellent seats

Indeed. I remember driving a friends 9000 aero that was heavily modified by Abbott Racing - 300ish bhp. The seats were amazing; supportive but comfortable - not too firm, not too soft.

[Seeker UK]

Thanks - I had a 9-3 TDI (150) a while back. Nice engine, seats good but but (surprisingly I thought for a Saab) interior was shockingly bad and bits fell off.

Like the gear-knob. :-(

[Grenoble]

Sadly the later GM models were not as well screwed together. The GM900 was the last over-engineered model in my view.

[Clivey]

How about another BMW 5-Series (Either a tip top E39 or an early E60)? You might have to hunt around a bit for a manual but they appear to fit your parameters. - There are several versions that will do 40mpg on the motorway with a manual 'box e.g. This

[Seeker UK]

Clivey said:

How about another BMW 5-Series (Either a tip top E39 or an early E60)? You might have to hunt around a bit for a manual but they appear to fit your parameters. - There are several versions that will do 40mpg on the motorway with a manual 'box e.g. This

I thought about those and the E39 is an attractive proposition if I could find a manual diesel with a decent mileage. The E60? Well, I drove the 530d back-to-back to a Jag S-type diesel and thought the Jag was better in terms of 'feel' and, shockingly, the BMW seemed very noisy even for a straight six.

Edited by Seeker UK on Monday 1st October 08:27

[Seeker UK]

What about the Alfa Romeo 159? Either the 1.9 or 2.4 Sportwagon? They look quite nice and, in the case of the 1.9 an engine I know well (assuming it is the same as the one in a 9-3). Are they better in terms of reliability over the Alfas of old?

[Alfanatic]

Seeker UK said:

What about the Alfa Romeo 159? Either the 1.9 or 2.4 Sportwagon? They look quite nice and, in the case of the 1.9 an engine I know well (assuming it is the same as the one in a 9-3). Are they better in terms of reliability over the Alfas of old?

yes, they are more reliable now, and the 1.9 seems to be the engine of choice, but I am not sure why. they are not particularly economical cars so double check that the mpg hits your target.

[Seeker UK]

Alfanatic said:

yes, they are more reliable now, and the 1.9 seems to be the engine of choice, but I am not sure why. they are not particularly economical cars so double check that the mpg hits your target.

I got 55 out of the Saab so surely the 159 can't be that much heavier / worse?

[Blue Oval84]

Seeker UK said:

I thought about those and the E39 is an attractive proposition if I could find a manual diesel with a decent mileage. The E60? Well, I drove the 530d back-to-back to a Jag S-type diesel and thought the Jag was better in terms of 'feel' and, shockingly, the BMW seemed very noisy even for a straight.

If you find a 5 Series with the Comfort seats (the top of the backrest is adjustable) then you won't ever want to get out of it. I bought mine by accident not realising they were a special option, best accidental purchase I've ever made.

[Seeker UK]

Blue Oval84 said:

If you find a 5 Series with the Comfort seats (the top of the backrest is adjustable) then you won't ever want to get out of it.

Is that E39 or E60? And what do I look for on the seat - is there an extra knob or similar?

[CampDavid]

Seeker UK said:

Is that E39 or E60? And what do I look for on the seat - is there an extra knob or similar?

They look like this.

I have them in my E38 and they take ages to get comfy with. Good when you sort it though

[Seeker UK]

The Crack Fox said:

Volvo seats, especially in the V70, are a lovely place to park your bum.

They are (I have had a V70) but:

1 - Try finding a decent V70 for £7K that hasn't gone to the moon and back.

2 - Not exactly a grin-inducing steer though?

[CampDavid]

The Crack Fox said:

Volvo seats, especially in the V70, are a lovely place to park your bum.

Agreed.

The seat my Dad had in his 1995 Volvo 850 were about the best I'd come across. I find it amazing that BMW and Mercedes don't put seats in which are of the level Volvo and Saab were at 20 years ago.

[Alfanatic]

Seeker UK said:

Alfanatic said:

yes, they are more reliable now, and the 1.9 seems to be the engine of choice, but I am not sure why. they are not particularly economical cars so double check that the mpg hits your target.

I got 55 out of the Saab so surely the 159 can't be that much heavier / worse?

It might be that good, I just seem to recall figures below 40mpg being mentioned for the 2.4d, not sure how much better the 1.9 would be, or, to be fair, how representative that figure is for the 2.4 actually.

Anyway worth checking. The 159 is a heavy car, but if it is the same engine then the MPG shouldn't be that much worse. It is worth checking.

[schmalex]

730d with comfort seats?

[LuS1fer]

Haven't looked at prices but Subaru Legacy?

[BuzzLightyear]

Perhaps you would consider a Citroen C5? Seems to tick all of your boxes...?
Like this one: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...