What to get - £10k?

[junglie]

Hi,

I have just sold my F11 535d M Sport Touring and now need to get another estate!

I am looking at 2 different options:

Number 1 - get a nice estate and perhaps a cheaper daily.

Number 2 - get a ‘nice’ non estate and a cheaper estate.

Context - need something to cart around a family of 4 and all the stuff that comes with it. I also have a commute that is 60 miles a day on motorway. However, that will go down to 25 mins of single lane back roads shortly.

Estate - 2011 E350 cdi seems the best candidate but diesel ‘horror’ stories worry me but little in the way of big estates in petrol form (must be RWD / 4WD and 5+ cylinders).

‘Nice’ car - anything from Infiniti Q50s hybrid to BMW 6 series to Lexus LS460.

Wildcard - have seen a nice Volvo S80 V8 plus C350 petrol estate.

Really not sure which route to take.

[PrinceRupert]

I don't really understand why you would want two big cars.

Why not get an estate for load lugging / family duties and a sports car?

[junglie]

Sorry, should have added that I have a convertible already.

I think the point I am trying to make is I need one ‘big’ car and one ‘other’ car for the daily grind. I don’t think a big diesel will take overly kindly to the sort of short, slow commute that is inbound.

The convertible is most certainly for high days and holidays so don’t want to use that.

I know, first world problems!

[Lozw86]

Why did you get rid of the BMW? It would be absolutely fine for a 25 minute journey

[anonymous-user]

Just get one nice big car, 25 mile commute is plenty, I use mine for a 5 mile commute (ML350 so 3.0) doesn’t even get warmed up.

It gets a run at the weekend or whatever and I’ve never had any issues.

[ZX10R NIN]

It sounds like you sold the car you need.

[junglie]

ZX10 - yes in many respects. However, it had a bad condensation leak on both headlights, had a buckled alloy and needed engine and gearbox mounts doing which were annoying me. Probably £2000 - 2500 to fix (new headlights, even non OEM, are hideously expensive) and then does anything else go wrong?

My gut is to get a nice estate for family business and a petrol commuter for the single track, bumpy, muddy commute.

What are your thoughts on Infiniti? Specifically the Q50 S hybrid or G37?

Edited by junglie on Wednesday 20th January 21:37

[ZX10R NIN]

junglie said:

ZX10 - yes in many respects. However, it had a bad condensation leak on both headlights, had a buckled alloy and needed engine and gearbox mounts doing which were annoying me. Probably £2000 - 2500 to fix (new headlights, even non OEM, are hideously expensive) and then does anything else go wrong?

My gut is to get a nice estate for family business and a petrol commuter for the single track, bumpy, muddy commute.

What are your thoughts on Infiniti? Specifically the Q50 S hybrid or G37?

Edited by junglie on Wednesday 20th January 21:37

I now have 3 family members with Q50's one with the 3.0TT & two with the 3.5h the 3.5h is a very good unit giving good fuel numbers with good performance when you want to press on, all three have been 100% reliable over (one of my uncles has a 5.0 FX SUV too) the years.

The good thing about Infiniti pulling out of Europe is that you can get them serviced by Nissan which gives you much more choice of where you get it worked on.

The G/M37's are well proven & will serve you well on daily basis.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012127...

You can also get the M in 3.5h form too

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Infiniti-M-3-5-GT-...

G37

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INFINITI-G37X-Saloon-ca...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011166...

Q50 3,5h

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101127...

[junglie]

The last link you posted, an ice blue Q50s hybrid, is the one I am interested in and doing a live video walk round of it today.

I am hoping it is the AWD version but no way of telling by looking at it? I know the dealer will be able to confirm.

[chungasarnies]

junglie said:

ZX10 - yes in many respects. However, it had a bad condensation leak on both headlights, had a buckled alloy and needed engine and gearbox mounts doing which were annoying me. Probably £2000 - 2500 to fix (new headlights, even non OEM, are hideously expensive) and then does anything else go wrong?

Selling it and buying an entire new car fo these reasons is baffling to me - and will certainly cost you more than 2 grand??

[junglie]

Not really.

Money from selling car + £2000 ish for repairs = new car.

There is probably an element of man maths but that is PH also!

[ZX10R NIN]

junglie said:

The last link you posted, an ice blue Q50s hybrid, is the one I am interested in and doing a live video walk round of it today.

I am hoping it is the AWD version but no way of telling by looking at it? I know the dealer will be able to confirm.

I think it's RWD the early cars were mainly RWD I think they added AWD as an option in 2015. How did the walk around go?

[junglie]

That’s a shame - I really like the idea of AWD.

The walk around went well, the chap was nice, and it essentially looked just like it does on the photos.

I really like it but not sure if it is ‘special’ enough.

There is a G37 for about half the price which is AWD and a similar spec.

‘Short’ list is LS460, V70 T6, E350, G37, Q50, FX and Outback / Legacy. Obviously a mixture of estates and salons there.

[ZX10R NIN]

junglie said:

That’s a shame - I really like the idea of AWD.

The walk around went well, the chap was nice, and it essentially looked just like it does on the photos.

I really like it but not sure if it is ‘special’ enough.

There is a G37 for about half the price which is AWD and a similar spec.

‘Short’ list is LS460, V70 T6, E350, G37, Q50, FX and Outback / Legacy. Obviously a mixture of estates and salons there.

Didn't the dealer confirm?

The Q50 would be the most fun option out of your list BUT there's a cracking FX on sale for your budget & they're a great wagon loaded with more kit than you can shake at & the 5.0 V8 is only 2-3mpg worse on fuel in real world.

I'm sure you've seen it but there's a 5.0 for sale:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101137...

Not quite the top spec but pretty loaded.

[junglie]

Like a plum it was the one question I forgot to ask!

I had a look at that FX but it says FX37S on the back so assumed it was the 3.7 not 5.0?

[ZX10R NIN]

I thought so to but Autotrader has it as a 5.0 so maybe worth a look is it is a 3.7 then the other FX GT may be the better bet if they decide to show some photos.

[m4ktt]

Have you considered a Mercedes CLS Shooting brake?

circa 10-14k budget. A variation of the E class basically. AMG sport model is achievable, however the AMG line raises the budget.