£5k town car with nice engine

[Shaoxter]

Recently bought an E61 M5 to be the perfect all round car (which it is) but it's in such good condition and low mileage that I'm looking to get something else to do the town stuff.

So requirements are:
- £5k budget, not fixed but any more and I might have a hard time getting it signed off by the missus
- 4 seats minimum
- Petrol and NA, don't care about mpg as it's probably only doing 1-2k miles a year
- Auto, live in central London
- Not too big (3 series size max)
- Decent amount of equipment

I've had lots of BMWs in the past and I'm being drawn to E46 330Ci, 130i etc. but want to try something different!

[vsonix]

For that much money you could get a well-kept E38 750i

[ZX10R NIN]

Audi A3 S Line 3.2

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

CLK 280/350/500

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[IanCress]

Trying to think of small cars with interesting engines:

MK5 VW Golf R32
Volvo C30 T5 (or even the S40 or V50)
Audi A3 3.2
MK2 Ford Focus ST

edit: missed the 'Auto' requirement, which discounts the Focus

[ZX10R NIN]

Also missed the N/A requirement which discounts the Volvo too

[vsonix]

Phaeton? Some nice engines there... Also has the advantage of being quite anonymous and only cognoscenti picking it out as different from the norm.

Edit: Just had a browse on Autotrader - 5k will get you into a 2004 V10 5.0 TDi 4motion. No W12s listed unfortunately.

Edited by vsonix on Thursday 18th January 12:32

[Integroo]

IanCress said:

Trying to think of small cars with interesting engines:

MK5 VW Golf R32
Volvo C30 T5 (or even the S40 or V50)
Audi A3 3.2
MK2 Ford Focus ST

edit: missed the 'Auto' requirement, which discounts the Focus

I'd probably avoid hot hatches for round London, firm suspension and a rough ride would become tiresome uickly (though perhaps not the C30 T5, Volvo sensibilities).

If you didn't care about it being massive, and you don't care about mpg, you could get a Chrysler 300C with the 5.7l v8 hemi ... probably not a good city car though

Or a Lexus? GS 430, GS 300?

[kurt535]

Lexus IS300 Sportcross

[Shaoxter]

ZX10R NIN said:

Audi A3 S Line 3.2

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

CLK 280/350/500

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Thanks, those examples of A3s seem nice, they are on my list along with the 3.2 TT but the A3 seems a lot more practical albeit blander.

Those generation of Mercs have not aged well at all IMO though!

Don't want a barge even though they can generally been had for peanuts, want something easier to park and fits though a 6ft6 width restriction easily.

[vsonix]

shiz... I just saw the size requirement

when I saw "Town Car" I thought of big Lincolns and assumed you were after something stately - my bad!

[IanCress]

Alfa Brera 3.2. The interior may need to be glued back together at this price but it meets your requirements.

[j4ck100]

vsonix said:

Phaeton? Some nice engines there... Also has the advantage of being quite anonymous and only cognoscenti picking it out as different from the norm.

Edit: Just had a browse on Autotrader - 5k will get you into a 2004 V10 5.0 TDi 4motion. No W12s listed unfortunately.

Edited by vsonix on Thursday 18th January 12:32

Ah ah Phaeton. The perfect central London car!

[vsonix]

j4ck100 said:

vsonix said:

Phaeton? Some nice engines there... Also has the advantage of being quite anonymous and only cognoscenti picking it out as different from the norm.

Edit: Just had a browse on Autotrader - 5k will get you into a 2004 V10 5.0 TDi 4motion. No W12s listed unfortunately.

Edited by vsonix on Thursday 18th January 12:32

Ah ah Phaeton. The perfect central London car!

I've gotta say I'm curious about that V10d engine! Very unusual.

[vsonix]

[redacted]

[sinbaddio]

Mercedes C350 coupe? Plenty of change too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Shaoxter]

[redacted]

[mike9009]

Did a quick search too.

Slightly over budget (but do twin turbos appeal?)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or (complete box ticking - I think)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Shaoxter]

Quite a few mentions of Lexus and the IS250 really does tick every box.
Love the fact that so much stuff comes as standard. No idea how they drive or what it sounds like though, but there seem to be a few around so will go try one

[Willy Nilly]

What ever you get, only doing 2000 miles around town will hammer it. A Leaf would be the best tool for the job, but out of budget.

[ZX10R NIN]

The IS250 is very quiet but smooth & can get a move on if you want to press on, but adding a HKS replacement panel filter will add a bit of induction noise.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...