Wafting, large boot, sub-5 sec 0-60, £80k?
Wafting, large boot, sub-5 sec 0-60, £80k?
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px1980

Original Poster:

427 posts

81 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
Current "family" car is Macan Turbo, which I love but (1) it's noisy inside (2) it's not the smoothest ride especially on London's speed bumps (3) Bose sound system isn't great.

I used to think I need the family car to be sporty, too, now that I have MX5 and Cayman for track and B-road fun I "just" need it to drive smoothly & have lovely interior - we drive around the UK a fair bit so it has to be a nice place to sit in, and be able to have a conversation at 70+ mph on a motorway, which in the Macan isn't quite the case. For this price I'd like *very* quiet interior (double glazing, ideally), great stereo, massage seats ideally. I wouldn't want to give up on the acceleration, in fact it'd be great if there was a bit more torque at lower revs which the Macan occassionally lacks. Large boot is a must.
Car needs to be 2018 or newer.

My thinking,
A8/S8, S-class, 740/750 - would be *perfect*, 2/3 year old premium sedans are a steal IMO, you get so much car for the money. BUT, they lack the large boot.
Range Rover - I know this will come up, personally I'm not a fan but I agree it's a very obvious choice
SQ7 - massive to drive around London, but another strong contender
Bentayga - out of budget
RS6 - out of budget
E63 - ride will be harsh. E53 could just be the right choice here?
BMW 5 series touring - shame M550d or 540d aren't available in the UK.


Have I missed anything?



Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 18:27

russy01

4,823 posts

209 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
I think the car you are after doesn’t really exist?

You want <5s 0-60, but also want super quiet and non bumpy with mega space.

Any of the cars in that performance bracket are likely to run on 20in wheels, be stiffly sprung and not be super quiet as you’ve realised.

If you reduce the performance requirement then there are a lot of big diesel cruisers - however they’re generally massive saloons (not enough boot space) or SUVs (which you say are too big for London)

I’d be tempted to drop the mega acceleration requirement, buy a lovely luxurious 300-400hp estate or SUV and enjoy the effortless mid range and be comfy. It will also make you appreciate the GTS when you get it out...

I run a 991 daily and my wife a 2018 X5 40d. Most weekends we drag the kids about in the X5 and I love the contrast, I.e armchair seats, banging stereo, hot hatch performance (0-60 5.8) and acres of space.

It also makes the 991 feel like a rocket ship when I get back in her.

px1980

Original Poster:

427 posts

81 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
russy01 said:
I think the car you are after doesn’t really exist?
Bentayga is possibly that car, but too expensive and let's say subjectively attractive looks-wise..

russy01 said:
If you reduce the performance requirement then there are a lot of big diesel cruisers - however they’re generally massive saloons (not enough boot space) or SUVs (which you say are too big for London)
SQ7 is massive, but so is Range Rover, and Bentayga for that matter. I'd prefer an estate which will be narrower (it's the width that's normally the issue) but SUV is an option, too

russy01 said:
I’d be tempted to drop the mega acceleration requirement,
With hindsight I should have used "lots of torque" instead of specific 0-60 figures in the title.

So what would be your recommendations on that basis?


Sofa

682 posts

120 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
An Alpina B5/D5? The tourings are a bit out of budget at the moment but if a used one comes up it should be affordable. Or save a lot of cash and go for a 540i- 5.3 seconds to 60 so not exactly a slow car...

How big a boot do you need if a 5 Series or 7 Series is too small though? A Continental Flying Spur is just about in-range but will probably fall afoul of your boot space requirements if a 7 Series isn't big enough.

Edited by Sofa on Thursday 6th May 18:55

px1980

Original Poster:

427 posts

81 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
Sofa said:
An Alpina B5/D5? The tourings are a bit out of budget at the moment but if a used one comes up it should be affordable.

How big a boot do you need if a 5 Series or 7 Series is too small though?
5 series/E53/etc was always going to be an estate. I think 5 series touring boot is much bigger than 7 series sedan?
Apina great shout, I did look at those, they're out of budget at the moment though. Maybe in a year's time.

Sofa

682 posts

120 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
px1980 said:
5 series/E53/etc was always going to be an estate. I think 5 series touring boot is much bigger than 7 series sedan?
Yeah the touring will give you more space, just surprising a 7 Series boot isn't big enough.

You beat my edit but I'm guessing a Flying Spur doesn't meet the boot requirement? Old shape though and pushing the age a bit.

jodypress

2,102 posts

302 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
Have you considered a Volvo XC60 T8 Inscription Pro. I had a T5 and it really is a very nice place to be. Plenty of space in the back (there's the XC90 if you need larger) and drives around London absolutely fine. Speed bumps and width restrictions are fine.
You can switch it to Dynamic mode and it's quite enjoyable to drive a bit faster.

popeyewhite

23,008 posts

148 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
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The Audi S8 fits all your criteria I think. It's a big car, with a huge boot. Very comfortable, whisper quiet, very quick and more enjoyable to drive than a RR. Better seats than an RR as well.

How u doing

28,896 posts

211 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
Probably best to not be so fixated on 0-60.

cs174

1,271 posts

248 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
px1980 said:
Large boot is a must.
Car needs to be 2018 or newer.

My thinking,
RS6 - out of budget
2018 RS6's are well within budget. The most expensive ones in the PH Classifieds are £63k. The C7 model seems to be holding its value better than the C8 model too. Fantastic cars.

Also, for wafting, the S8 would be my choice having previously owned an A8. The only thing to be aware of is that the rear seats don't go down.


Edited by cs174 on Thursday 6th May 19:25

anonymous-user

82 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
F Pace SVR.

px1980

Original Poster:

427 posts

81 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
popeyewhite said:
The Audi S8 fits all your criteria I think. It's a big car, with a huge boot. Very comfortable, whisper quiet, very quick and more enjoyable to drive than a RR. Better seats than an RR as well.
We need enough space for a family of 4, with luggage, a pram, child’s bike etc. This happens occasionally, but still. That said, a friend had A8 and used it for exactly these kind of trips no problem.
I must say it’s a very very tempting option. Buy 2/3 year old luxury sedan, 50% of depreciation has happened already, and it’s still pretty much the same flagship Audi/BMW model as current.

Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 20:00


Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 20:39

BishBosh

523 posts

252 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
BMW X5 45E.
0-60 @ 5.2
50 Mile all electric range, can. charge up on the go if needed.
All have air suspension so very comfortable ride
Big
Great for London congestion charge
If needed very low Bik.
Superb 6 cyl petrol engine.
Have a look on Harrys Garage YouTube site.

I am biased as have ordered one.

anonymous-user

82 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
45E is a very good car. But hybrids won't be exempt from the CC soon. And they don't feel very special IMO.

BlackTails

3,727 posts

83 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
px1980 said:
popeyewhite said:
The Audi S8 fits all your criteria I think. It's a big car, with a huge boot. Very comfortable, whisper quiet, very quick and more enjoyable to drive than a RR. Better seats than an RR as well.
We need enough space for a family of 4, with luggage, a pram, child’s bike etc. This happens occasionally, but still. That said, a friend had A8 and used it for exactly these kind of trips no problem.
I must say it’s a very very tempting option. Buy 2/3 year old luxury sedan, 50% of depreciation has happened already, and it’s still pretty much the same flagship Audi/BMW model as current.

Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 20:00


Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 20:39
An S8’s boot is about the same size as a Macan’s (500l). But as with all saloons the boot can’t be made bigger.

px1980

Original Poster:

427 posts

81 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
Thanks all for replies. Some good points were made and good recommendations given. I think I may need to consider dropping the 0-60 requirement and just focus on the comfort/cruising aspect. Maybe go down one step from the top-performance trims of each model eg Panamera 4S (estate) instead of Turbo or GTS, or if I go down the luxury saloon route something like S450 instead of S63, etc. S8 is also super tempting, I will check out the boot size in person. Or indeed get a powerful diesel estate.




Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 22:14


Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 22:15


Edited by px1980 on Thursday 6th May 22:16

px1980

Original Poster:

427 posts

81 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
Of these, Panamera Granturismo is probably closest to what I had in mind. Maybe in 4S trim rather than GTS, I think GTS ride will be harsher.

anonymous-user

82 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
A velar p400e may fit the bill. Similar in size to the Macan. 5ish seconds to sixty. Decent ride. Quiet. Lovely interior.

My missus' HSE, which is supposed to arrive this month, with all the bits was approx 75k list. You can get 10% off no problem, probably 15.

fflump

3,448 posts

66 months

Thursday 6th May 2021
quotequote all
£80k gets you at lot of Bentley Flying Spur, which are cheaper like-for-like than the uglier Bentayga.