What car? CLS AMG, Panamera, Continental GT etc £45,000

[ol]

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new (to me) car to replace the Jaguar XKR (2008 4.2) that I currently own.

I need something with a little more room in the back for occasional family outings (I have a tall wife and a 1 year old), and ideally I would like something quicker or on a par with the XKR.

Luckily, work pay for my fuel so mpg not an issue, and I like a good exhaust noise (I have a Milltek on the XKR and it sounds great).

I do about 30-50k miles per year, with a mix of motorway and country roads, and I go to the Nurburging every year and do Euro trips. I will be change car every year so will be looking to buy a car with under 50k miles and move it on before it hits 100k.

Budget is anywhere from £25 - 45,000

Currently thinking about:

- Bentley Continental GT

- Mercedes CLS AMG

- Porsche Panamera 4S (or maybe a cheaper turbo)

I've also considered Maserati Gran Turismo (back end looks a bit dated now) Aston DB9 (no bigger inside than the XKR) Jaguar XJ or XFR.

For work I need to be leaving the car in some pretty dodgy areas, (think the roughest council estates around Glasgow) so I don't want something that people will instantly dislike and want to key (ie 911) Personally I'm not a BMW / Audi fan (until the new shape RS6 comes down in price!)

I like to be quite discrete (I understand that sounds idiotic given the list of cars above) but I spend a lot of time in the car so I want something that is nice to drive and a nice place to sit). I also have a Land Rover Discovery for most of the family duties, and a bike engined kit car for weekend fun.

Any suggestions of cars I may not have thought of? Or opinions / things to look out for with the cars I've suggested?

Thanks in advance

Edited by ol on Saturday 28th February 16:55

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Thanks for all the input.

I considered an M6 when I bought the Jaguar. Its a fantastic engine, but personally I think it's just not 'me' - plus I like to be let out at junctions occasionally

The Jaguar XFR is a great car. I have never actually driven one, but was a passenger recently in a modified car running around 600bhp. It was fast, but felt a bit 'numb' to be honest, and didn't excite me as much as I had expected it would. I'm also considering the XJ V8 (probably couldn't stretch to an XJR) but it's a massive car for my needs really. It's just me in the car 99% of the time, so seems a bit excessive.

swisstoni said:

Could get a current shape Merc CL for this sort of money. CLS is looking a bit old IMHO.

ZX10R NIN said:

I think a Mercedes CL63AMG BiTurbo could be the car for you to look at, I've just sold my GranTurismo it was a cracking car I'm 6'7 & felt comfortable in it as did our 9 year old when we went out, Epic exhaust(especially with the Larini system I had fitted) note great drive just loved it. My dad changed his CL63 from the 6.2 to the Biturbo & loves it.

It's the reason I sold the Maser because it's now what I'm looking to buy great comfort speed lots interior space big boot & great engine note what's not to like.

I dont really know the difference between the CL and the CLS to be honest, except for the fact I thought the CLS looked more modern than the CL. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong shape CL but they seem very dated, especially the steering wheel... I'm new to the Mercedes range never having looked at them before, so I'm still trying to compare their models to the BMW equivalents of which I am more familiar.

TheBroker said:

Having driven the Bentley and Panamera, I would recommend the Bentley, although the Pan is good. If you want to be subtle then I guess the Merc is your best bet, but with 4wd the Bentley is capable. All down to taste tbh. Shame you don't like Audi as the rs5 could have been an option with a capristo exhaust.

Yes I drove the Continental and love the power delivery. The Panamera appeals as it's more modern, and de-badged I don't think most people (who aren't petrolheads) would know what it was, but I think it will depreciate a lot over the next 12 months compared to the Bentley. Also the Bentley is a bit ostentatious - I live in a little village in the middle of nowhere and can already imagine what people would say. (I know i shouldn't care what other people think when picking a car, but I don't like the idea of everybody automatically thinking I'm a bellend or footballer). The RS5 is a good shout, but in a similar vain to the M6, it just doesn't 'do it' for me.

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swisstoni said:

Especially if parked on the hardest council estates in Glasgow. I really think the OP needs to get an economical comfortable barge and forget the exotics for this task.

Not at all! I'm going in with my eyes open. I used to have a Golf R32, I've had the Jaguar XKR for the last year or so with no problems. My colleagues who do the same job drive things like new M5, New Range Rover Sport, C63 AMG etc. I'd hardly call a Panamera or CLS an 'exotic'!!! Why would I get an economical barge when I get my fuel paid for me and I love driving? I spend most of my day in the car.

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sjj84 said:

Of the cars you've listed it'd be a tough call between the panamera and CLS for me. Both look great and would effortlessly cover the miles.

Thanks, and I agree. These are the two at the top of my list at the moment, but would be open to alternatives in case I have missed something.

swisstoni said:

Why mention to "dodgy" areas in the first place then? Also I'd class a Bentley Continental GT or a Panamera fairly exotic.

Because thats part and parcel of my work and a consideration when picking a car. If it wasn't then I would probably be looking at a 911. It's more that some cars have an image that doesn't go down too well in those kind of areas, and it would get tedious to keep having bricks put through my windows. A debadged grey Panamera would blend in far more than a 911 turbo. I see plenty of Continentals in those kind of areas, probably owned by the local money lenders doing the collection rounds

[ol]

Very nice; thanks for the photos.

I think I prefer the look of the CLS. How do they both 'sit' in the Mercedes range? Ie what are the main differences between the CL and CLS? I'm more familiar with the BMW range, so what are their comparable BMW equivalents?

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Just to bring some closure to this thread, last week I bought a Panamera Turbo. I had to up the budget a bit, and I fully appreciate they are widely disliked (usually by people who haven't been in one / driven one) but it is one of the most competent cars I have come across. Its roomy inside (and outside!) fast as hell and is very nice to drive and sit in. Here are some gratuitous photos I took at the weekend. Thanks to everybody who contributed / gave me advice

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I also plasti-dipped the rear badges black so that it doesn't stand out as much. I think I'll remove the Porsche lettering, as I want to make it 'blend in' as much as possible for use for work (as much as a big black 4 door Porsche CAN blend in...)

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Martin_M said:

Loads of these on the rough council estates of Glasgow...nobody will notice

Enjoy, looks lovely!

Haha thanks. A week into ownership and it's not been keyed yet, so I think I'll be alright! It definitely draws less attention than the Jaguar did, and people don't notice it as much. When it's parked up in a line of cars you don't notice it, whereas the Jaguars shape made it stand out like a sore thumb.

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To someone who doesn't know about cars I have convinced myself that they will see it as being no different to this




See..? Barely any difference.

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d3llams said:

Good choice Sir! Any chance of some pictures of the interior?

Thanks. I haven't got any handy but will willingly oblige this weekend. It's a really nice place to be and very comfy.

Blib said:

How about a Maserati GranTurismo?

Keep up at the back! Thread already resolved - see above. I did consider the Maserati, but the interior felt dated and the rear end hasn't aged well in my opinion. The front looks great and it sounds amazing though.