Help me with my barge indicision

[blindswelledrat]

I am usually quite decisive but I wanted to buy myself and oldish barge to do motorway miles with and every day I change my mind.
I don't know very much about any of them but I like them all. None of them particularly excite
So which of the following would you buy and why?
(all about 2006-2007, and sub 100k miles)
1)VW Phaeton 3.0 tdi
2)Audi A8 3.0 tdi (possibly 4.2d if I can find one in budget but not likely)
3 BMW 730D

Help please!

[Huntsman]

Get the one with the biggest engine.

[CAPITAL]

I'd say audi

[blindswelledrat]

Huntsman said:

Get the one with the biggest engine.

THat was my first thought, but then I thought that being as most of my journeys my speed is restricted to 80/90 its utterly pointless and a waste of the high running costs that accompany it

[blindswelledrat]

CAPITAL said:

I'd say audi

WHy though? Sell it to me, damn you

[Huntsman]

blindswelledrat said:

its utterly pointless and a waste of the high running costs that accompany it

Sounds perfect.

[Grey Ghost]

blindswelledrat said:

its utterly pointless and a waste of the high running costs that accompany it

Please hand in your PH badge as you leave the forum

[hornetrider]

I'm a BMW guy in the main, however that generation of A8 is a marvellous machine and I'd have it over a contemporary 7 (just too ugly) all day long. They are amazing inside too.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Just look at it. Scandalous value.

[krisdelta]

That looks like it's worth 4 x more than the asking price, you'd be mad not to get the Audi. I *think* you need to watch for the injectors on these engines, they are not cheap to replace.

[d3llams]

In my opinion the Audi has the nicest interior and i always have to check if Jason Statham is behind the wheel since The Transporter. The Phaeton still has a bit of a bloated Passat look about it despite it being more like an Audi A8 then a Passat, I suppose some people can't look past the badge, but that will also come into an advantage as it will be more discreet than either of the other two. You should drive them and see which you think is best. How come you haven't considered a Jaguar XJ diesel, it will feel more special and looks classier than any of the others mentioned.

[BIRMA]

I've had a Phaeton for a few months now admittedly its a V10 twin turbo but I love it. I bought it to do the University run for my daughter. It's a 400 mile journey and I hired a series of expensive executive cars over the year and my secondhand Phaeton does it in more comfort and keeping to speed limits on motorways returns 35 MPG. It's silent and has a sound system to die for plus if you are lucky you may get one with cooled massaging seats.

[blindswelledrat]

d3llams said:

In my opinion the Audi has the nicest interior and i always have to check if Jason Statham is behind the wheel since The Transporter. The Phaeton still has a bit of a bloated Passat look about it despite it being more like an Audi A8 then a Passat, I suppose some people can't look past the badge, but that will also come into an advantage as it will be more discreet than either of the other two. You should drive them and see which you think is best. How come you haven't considered a Jaguar XJ diesel, it will feel more special and looks classier than any of the others mentioned.

Salient stuff and I have followed your thought process already. Re test drives: I just cant be bothered. I am not excited enough so test driving feels a bit like a chore (I feel a bit of a typing that but it's true).
I haven't considered an XJ purely because I absolutely love the new shape one and aspire to getting on when they are a bit cheaper, and the older shape XJ, whilst superb, would just feel like second-best to me.

[TurboHatchback]

I would go for the Audi as it looks the best and has the nicest interior. I'd look at a 4.2 FSI V8 not a diesel though, the difference in running costs is negligible, it's much faster and a luxury car should have a proper petrol engine!

[blindswelledrat]

BIRMA said:

I've had a Phaeton for a few months now admittedly its a V10 twin turbo but I love it. I bought it to do the University run for my daughter. It's a 400 mile journey and I hired a series of expensive executive cars over the year and my secondhand Phaeton does it in more comfort and keeping to speed limits on motorways returns 35 MPG. It's silent and has a sound system to die for plus if you are lucky you may get one with cooled massaging seats.

Good report. The Phaeton is the one I want to like most although I cant explain why.
What are the downsides to it?

[blindswelledrat]

TurboHatchback said:

I would go for the Audi as it looks the best and has the nicest interior. I'd look at a 4.2 FSI V8 not a diesel though, the difference in running costs is negligible, it's much faster and a luxury car should have a proper petrol engine!

I would have said exactly the same a couple of years ago. However the 4.2 diesel is quicker and infinitely more economical than the petrol and is rumoured to sound good as well. I am definitely leaning towards the opinion that for anything other than performance cars the petrol engine is done for.

[ILoveMondeo]

A8 but I'm biased.

That and the vw are of course pretty similar cars.

I may be talking out of my bottom but is the vw made of steel and the a8 aluminium? (The a8 is definitely all aluminium for sure) making the a8 a fair bit lighter for such a big car.

Take it for a good long test drive and check for cabin creaks and rattles, it's pretty quiet in there so if you've got an annoying noise you hear it all the time! Lovely place to be for a long drive.

If budget permits get the sport not he se, the sport has better seats. (Or just get an se that has the comfort seat option)

Only thing I would like to change on my car, standard seats are fine but the comfort ones are better.

Also, see if you can find one with a ski hole. Regardless of if you ski, it will take you five minutes until you've got a "long thing" that won't fit in the boot!

[celestequattro]

Buy an Abarth. Far more fun and cheaper to run.

[TurboHatchback]

blindswelledrat said:

TurboHatchback said:

I would go for the Audi as it looks the best and has the nicest interior. I'd look at a 4.2 FSI V8 not a diesel though, the difference in running costs is negligible, it's much faster and a luxury car should have a proper petrol engine!

I would have said exactly the same a couple of years ago. However the 4.2 diesel is quicker and infinitely more economical than the petrol and is rumoured to sound good as well. I am definitely leaning towards the opinion that for anything other than performance cars the petrol engine is done for.

The 4.2 TDI I'm sure is very good and would suit the car well but they are more expensive to buy and have so much more to go wrong than the petrol. The 4.0 TDI is cheaper to buy but slower, no cheaper to run than the 4.2 FSI and still has much more to go wrong. Swings and roundabouts really, I much prefer petrol in such an application but I guess it comes down to budget, personal preference and perceived reliability.

[luckystrike]

hornetrider said:

I'm a BMW guy in the main, however that generation of A8 is a marvellous machine and I'd have it over a contemporary 7 (just too ugly) all day long. They are amazing inside too.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Just look at it. Scandalous value.

Hot damn. That's an obscene amount of car for the money.

[anonymous-user]

Have you considered an LS? The absolute definition of comfort if that's what you want and bits won't fall off.