Interesting luxobarge/motorway muncher sub £8k?

[fossilfuelled]

Okay guys look listen. This is the deal. I need a new car. An absolute meat trombone wrote off my daily runabout GR Yaris in a head on, and now I want something interesting but significantly cheaper to replace it. I want something that can go up and down the motorway to Birmingham Airport from my house near High Wycombe on a weekly basis. I’ve got to drive there, go to work, come back five days later and drive home.

This car needs to be interesting. It needs to be a bit unusual and needs to have a little bit of something about it. At the moment, ideally I’m looking for deceased spec/estate sale or potentially an older person who has stopped driving and is moving on their pride and joy which is sitting in the garage gathering dust. You know the type, full dealer service history, low mileage. Looking at BMW E38 7 series, Lexus IS Sportcross, LS430, 90s Mercedes S class S280?, Toyota Century type stuff.

Sadly I don’t want spend too much money. With two kids and consequent school fees, gone are the days of shiny new cars and toys. Now I want to join the shed/waft barge club and spend somewhere between £4-8k. The kids will only occasionally go in this particular car.

Share your thoughts on what I should get? Ideas? thoughts? Questions? Comments? Links? Let me know! And no, it’s not half term, no it’s not a wind up. I really have gone from a garage full of random and interesting stuff (981 GT4, Bowler Defender, Caterham Academy Car, GR Yaris, Ioniq 5 and L405 Range Rover) to just one slightly boring but very competent Cayenne E Hybrid which is why I quite urgently need something else.

Thanks all.

[bigandclever]

There's a 2005 BMW 750Li on AT for £4990 in Peterboghorror.

MOT till next April, only ever failed in 2021 because of windscreen washer not working. 61k miles. Your fuel bills are not my concern

[Scootersp]

facebook 2003 BMW v12 760li £4,500 very low mileage Jap import?

[plynchy]

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Spend a few hours on here, it's amazing what turns up.

[JQ]

I've owned 2 Volvo XC70's. It's the type of car that's owned by the type of person who services on time every time at Volvo and makes sure tyres are Pirelli Scorpions (what the cars came out of the factory with). They are supremely comfortable, beautiful mile munchers and hide their age incredibly well. My first one had 250,000 miles and the seats, steering wheel and bodywork looked like it had done 30,000 miles.

The first one I had was the "interesting" one - 3.2 V6 petrol which was spritely, not fast. But 19 mpg around town and £700pa VED made it painful on the wallet. Changed for a D5 diesel, which was quicker, but still not fast and a lot cheaper to run. The D5 engine is a peach and can be chipped to be faster (Polestar upgrade). Get one post 2011 (215bhp and improved media system) in SE Lux trim and I don't think you can go far wrong. My D5 went to heaven after it was rear ended by a bus which smashed the rear light cluster and put some minor dents in the back, meanwhile the bus had a huge Volvo sized hole in the front of it, so pretty safe.

[sjc]

https://heeltoecars.com/cars/17910517767259997

[sjc]

Here you go !

https://oldcolonelcars.co.uk/listing/bmw-e65-7-ser...

[ZX10R NIN]

CL 500:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202609015...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202607104...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202606113...

5.0 XJ:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608285...

S600:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202606303...

Leftfield & well under budget is the 3.7 (370Z Drivetrain) Infiniti M:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608245...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608094...

[Bonefish Blues]

JQ said:

I've owned 2 Volvo XC70's. It's the type of car that's owned by the type of person who services on time every time at Volvo and makes sure tyres are Pirelli Scorpions (what the cars came out of the factory with). They are supremely comfortable, beautiful mile munchers and hide their age incredibly well. My first one had 250,000 miles and the seats, steering wheel and bodywork looked like it had done 30,000 miles.

The first one I had was the "interesting" one - 3.2 V6 petrol which was spritely, not fast. But 19 mpg around town and £700pa VED made it painful on the wallet. Changed for a D5 diesel, which was quicker, but still not fast and a lot cheaper to run. The D5 engine is a peach and can be chipped to be faster (Polestar upgrade). Get one post 2011 (215bhp and improved media system) in SE Lux trim and I don't think you can go far wrong. My D5 went to heaven after it was rear ended by a bus which smashed the rear light cluster and put some minor dents in the back, meanwhile the bus had a huge Volvo sized hole in the front of it, so pretty safe.

Just sold ours, 2012 D5 SE Lux @161K miles and still as tight as you'd hope. Great for this use case.

[flatso]

ZX10R NIN said:

CL 500:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202609015...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202607104...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202606113...

5.0 XJ:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608285...

S600:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202606303...

Leftfield & well under budget is the 3.7 (370Z Drivetrain) Infiniti M:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608245...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608094...

ZX coming in with the proper petrolhead recommendations! Good stuff with the CL!

[DRE7]

This is a nice problem to have.
Those CLs look fabulous.

[SchillingTwo]

I use a Range Rover Sport SVR for that sort of thing, and am just about to advertise the outgoing old one, a 2015 RR Sport Autobiography with 650bhp and in perfect mechanical condition for about £19,000…

[fossilfuelled]

Wow, thanks all for the links and recommendations. Going to have a think over the weekend and will update with decisions soon!

[castex]

That XJ is calling to me. It's just not the right moment.

[_Rodders_]

My first thought was Century but you've already mentioned it so I assume you've ruled it out.