Confused. Long journeys, lots of space, economy, luxury?

[mr_spock]

Ok, I'm suffering from analysis paralysis now (yay, I can be a victim of something!).

Requirements:

• With my new home, I am doing silly miles up and down the A1 between Huntingdon and London. Lots of speed cameras, average speed zones and so on. I'm keeping to the speed limits. In the last 9 days I've covered over 900 miles, although I hope this is exceptional. I'm reckoning on averaging 15K a year or so for the next couple of years.
• I have a bad back and right foot (motorbike accident) so comfort and cruise control, preferably adaptive cruise, is helpful.
• Doing up the house and playing in bands means I need load space, so an estate, large hatchback or 4x4 work.
• I need 45+ MPG average, don't care about petrol or diesel really. I'm getting 44mpg from the rental Vauxhall Corsa I have now.

I don't want to commit to anything I can't exit from for too long, so have set myself a choice of

• lease for 2 years
• buy, with a loan if I need, over 4 years but I can sell up if required. I understand I'll take a loss, but I may be able to pay off early.

I have up to £10K I can use as a lease deposit (but won't need to) or cash + loan.

So far, I've narrowed my choices down to (all numbers including petrol, tax, insurance, servicing etc):

• Volvo V90, 2 year lease, total over 2 years is about £19K, so £38K for 4 years for budget purposes
• Porsche Panamera diesel (£31K with sensible miles, could go cheaper), £47K over 4 years but I'll own it so maybe £15K back when I sell.
• Audi A7 diesel, £32K with a guess of £6K when sold

The other option is a Tesla Model S, but that's a 4 year PCP which worries me. £41K over 4 years.

What have I missed? Am I over-thinking this? Other car suggestions - large hatch or estate - maybe a 5 series or A6?

Aargh!
(or keep the Range Rover until it dies and live with filling up with gas every 2 journeys, £26K over 4 years assuming 1K or unexpected broken stuff every year)

Edited by mr_spock on Thursday 19th October 19:14

[mr_spock]

Thanks for all the ideas! To answer some points:

Yes, all my cost calculations include everything except tyres. I do understand that the lease is just a sunk cost!

It's not commuting funnily enough, I work from home! It's seeing my family, friends, doing gigs, socialising. I'm finding that I'm avoiding the journey as it's either inconvenient (filling the Range Rover every 2 trips), costly at 30MPG, or painful in the Corsa.

3 series and C class are too small. Pug 508 looks OK but I'd go for the E class first. The Mazda6 is interesting, albeit a bit ugly to my eyes. Then again, I like the Panamera, so who am I to judge?

Skoda Superb is great value, I did try one but the seats are too short in the leg for me. Same with the V90, but the R-Design has extending seat cushions.

I'm not going to get something as old as a 2005 Volvo, I have enough old cars to fix. I'd like something that will at least bring a bit of a smile, and make me not dread the journey. Stuff like DAB, Bluetooth or CarPlay, heated everything etc, make it bearable.

I'll have a look for a local(ish) E class, but I can't get the Panamera out of my head. They're around for 25K - if I can sell for 15K after 4 years it's about 7K a year with everything included, which isn't too bad.

[mr_spock]

I found a local E300 hybrid estate, 67MPG and some reasonable performance. £19K, might be worth it, total cost over 4 years is £31K and should be worth 10K at the end. If it's comfy, we have a winner by a huge margin!


Not a Porsche though. And I see there's no love for the Audi A7

Edited by mr_spock on Thursday 19th October 23:33

[mr_spock]

Pica-Pica said:

Back to basic financials, the cheapest car to run is the one you already own.

It actually isn't in this case. Over 4 years, including everything from tax, insurance, fuel, resale value and so on the Range Rover will cost £27K whereas the E-class (at a budgetary 55MPG) would be about £22K. There's almost a £180 a month difference in fuel alone - not to mention the hassle of filling up more frequently. Even the Panamera is about the same as the Range Rover, assuming 50% depreciation in 4 years.

[mr_spock]

AndrewCrown said:

Mr S

My suggestions... keep the Range Rover..

Buy this.

W221 Mercedes Benz S-Class.. any engine...2007-2009.. Very safe, enormously comfortable Find a well looked after one.. Not the limo/ LWB version..

That would appear to be the worst of both worlds! I will be averaging 1500 miles a month - I've done over 1000 in 7 days this month, but I think that's exceptional. So getting a car that won't carry my stuff and will still burn large amounts of fuel and require constant refilling and fixing makes no sense.

I'm going to try a couple of E class estates, and may have a go in a Panamera just to see what it's like.

[mr_spock]

Would a Jag XF Sportbrake be an option do you think? Maybe a 2.2 with a remap?

[mr_spock]

Much of the time when I'm driving I'm either taking the dog, music gear or DIY-related stuff, so it would just sit on the drive. Also I don't want 2x insurance, tax, servicing, hassle - and I already have 2 "project" cars!

[mr_spock]

I've just spotted the BMW GT... lots of car for the money, helpfully depreciating, and seems to meet all the needs, although the economy is only in the 40s on a cruise...

[mr_spock]

I think i have an answer! Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake, probably an E250.

[mr_spock]

Thought I'd update this with my conclusion. I went to see a 5 series GT, but they had a 2014 520D M-sport Touring. 93K miles but just 3 years old, so presumably motorway miles, and absolutely immaculate. Drove like a new car. About 13K, less my crappy part-ex to get rid of my Range Rover. Which just failed its MOT on a corroded brake pipe.

Hope to get it next week.

[mr_spock]

I found the seats to be very good, the driving position is about perfect from what I could tell. It's not on run-flats, so the ride seems fine, certainly better than my ex's B-class and not far off my X350 Jag on 19s. I may have to buy the (expensive) space saver spare kit.