Luxury Barge for £10k

[Mr.Nobody]

I am looking for a car for a family member, they are after a large barge. Some they have considered are the

BMW 7 Series
Audi A8
Mercedes S Class
Lexus LS430/460
Jaguar XF

As they only do around 4k a year, would anyone be able to recommend some engines and models? They have seen a 760li but I have tried to persuade them that it would be quite expensive to maintain. Another one that I have seen is a Passat W8, from what I can tell they are quite rare, I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of them?

[Mr.Nobody]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

I'll ask the obvious question, why do they need a barge for just 4000 miles a year? They are probably just asking for huge maintenance bills for little actual benefit.

They just fancy a large car.

[Mr.Nobody]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

Fair enough, its their cash. What is the budget and maximum mileage/age that they would consider?

They have a budget of £10k but would stretch to £12k for the right car. Age and mileage are not an issue. They are more concerned about the history of the car and the previous maintenance.

[Mr.Nobody]

Mo28 said:

Instead of the XF they should consider the XJ, that's more of a barge. Also there's the VW Phaeton if they're after something different and come with a W12 variant.

The XJ would be an option. The VW Phaeton looks very good.

[Mr.Nobody]

AC43 said:

The 5.5 V8 in the S500 is pretty good. 380+ bhp and the same in torque. Bullet proof. I've got it in my 4,000 mile a year E Class. Also available in the CLS & CL.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105273...

Edited by AC43 on Wednesday 2nd June 11:38

That looks excellent.

[Mr.Nobody]

Jamescrs said:

XF does not appear to sit in the rest of the line up particularly well.

I have recently been in a friends A8 albeit the diesel version whcih is probably not appropriate in this case but it was a very nice place to be. I would probably go for the Audi in this case as I feel it it quite understated compared tot he BMW and S Class although the Sclass would also be up there for me with the BMW then the Lexus behind them

I agree about the A8 they are a bit under the radar and do look very nice on the inside. I will see if I can find a nice Petrol version.

[Mr.Nobody]

What do we think: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104302...

[Mr.Nobody]

leef44 said:

Are they petrolheads in the sense that they care about the size of the engine and the number of cylinders?

If not then the more pragmatic option might be to go for a smaller engine in the top of the range e.g. S350 MB rather than S500. V6 Phaeton instead of W12.

If they can find a petrol version it would be better than a diesel for the small annual mileage.

They would consider a smaller engine but a top of the range model. I would imagine a smaller engine but a top spec would hold its value somewhat and be easier to sell on. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Mr.Nobody]

I’ve seen this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106013...

[Mr.Nobody]

Over over under steer said:

Run away from that generation 7 series, though I've not owned one three friends have and each was a very very poor experience - regular trips to the garage and big bills. Buying an older one would be even worse.

That S500 is a more sensible shout, still able to throw a big bill at you, but much lower risk. You could consider a Lexus LS, great reliability, comfy, luxurious, and mechanically in a different league.

If they are only paying £10k for that car I am working on the assumption that an entirely possible bill at half the value of the car would not be easy to digest.

I will avoid them then. They are quite rare, but I can imagine the big bills to be eye watering. I do like that S Class.

[Mr.Nobody]

Pulse00 said:

At ~£12k I think the XJ wins this one. The only car that still looks relatively modern out of the list

What spec and engine would you go for out of interest?

[Mr.Nobody]

ZX10R NIN said:

The XJ only wins if the OP's family member isn't anywhere near a CAZ/ULEZ area as you'll only be getting a diesel version of the XJ for 12k, at which point it has to be a LWB Portfolio:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104151...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106023...

They don’t live near a CAZ/ULEZ area. They are lovely those Jags. Do you think they would be okay running one on such low mileage per year?

[Mr.Nobody]

Jag_NE said:

Im going to make the assumption that they aren’t that into cars if they have tasked you with finding it, and a bigger assumption that they aren’t dripping in cash if they have a 10k budget.
On that basis, the class down (A6/5er etc) are pretty massive and barge like in themselves, especially with the 6 cylinders. The maintenance on something like an E vs S class will also be more palatable.

They have never had a luxury car. Just because they have £10k to spend doesn’t mean they don’t have money. That’s a poor assumption. They are open to other cars.

[Mr.Nobody]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd say show them the cars below all are loaded with kit, have nice leather interiors & have the benefit of not costing the earth to run with a low borkage potential too:

FX 5.0 S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104281...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104171...

I don’t know much about Infiniti, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. They do look okay though, what are they like in terms of reliability, parts and servicing. Are there any major issues with them?

[Mr.Nobody]

One suggestion that was mentioned when speaking to a mate of mine was possibly a Coupe. Something like a CLK320 or 500. Any advice on those?

[Mr.Nobody]

ZX10R NIN said:

Mr.Nobody said:

One suggestion that was mentioned when speaking to a mate of mine was possibly a Coupe. Something like a CLK320 or 500. Any advice on those?

The CLK's are great well built (I have one & have had a few) cars but they're really holding their money well & they're getting harder to find & with their budget in mind I'd be looking at either the newer E350 Coupe:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102219...

But if they want luxury the the 5.5 CL500 ticks their boxes:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103180...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103180...

Thanks for that I will show them the CL they do look nice. On the older CLK is there many issues to worry about, what about parts and serving? Also the same with the newer E350.

[Mr.Nobody]

ZX10R NIN said:

The CLK doesn't have any major issues but on the older cars check for rust because of their age.

If they can live with a saloon then the E500 is a great pick.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184885111120?hash=item2...

That’s good to know. I will remember to ask about rust. Are parts for them quite reasonable? I just don’t want to recommend one and they become a money pit. That E500 looks great also.

[Mr.Nobody]

BroadsRS6 said:

Phaeton V10.

I would imagine them to be quite expensive to maintain. Plus they are quite rare.

[Mr.Nobody]

I’ve seen these two:

CL

https://www.ccspecialistcars.co.uk/used-mercedes-b...

CLK

https://www.northwestautomobilesltd.co.uk/used-car...

E500:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106103...

[Mr.Nobody]

AC43 said:

I can vouch for the E500. I had the earlier one previously (the 211) and now have a 212 like that one. They are very quiet and smooth when you want to waft. The Airmatic suspension can be left in Comfort mode or switched to Sport which tightens things up.

It's a more mainstream car than an S Class and there's less chance of serious bills. Although the rear air springs seem to spring a leak at around 10 years old. I just had mine done at 11 years/74k miles. Other than that it's run like clockwork in the four years I've had it.

Thanks for that, it does sound excellent, it’s one I will recommend. Is there any known issues with the Airmatic suspension? Have you had any issues with either models in your ownership?