NeW Car - UK?

[PressX]

I had my car stolen a couple of months back (99 V40 T5) I have just had the cheque through and have about 5k to spend on car. Any hints or tips. I am looking at:


ALFA ROMEO SPORTWAGON 2.5 lusso
V70
7 series BMW (older)
5 series touring
Voyager (hmmm grown up car)

Must have: Leather, a/c and dog/child room.

Any thoughts?

[bothered]

I was looking at BMW 5(2.3) series a month or two back, for anything with decent mileage you're looking at over 10k. I decided to keep the Camry (2000, 2.2L) a while longer. Camrys are very nice and cheap , I got mine at 2 years old, 32,000 miles, for £8000. When it was new it was over £23,000. You get a lot of car for your money.

[PressX]

Don't mind high milage... Esp on the BMW/SAAB/VOLVO with 2L + engines etc

[Geeky1]

You knew it was coming, right? :D :p

I know gas prices are awful over there, but if you're looking at a 7... I'd look at the Mercedes S class and SELs. I love my 560SEL to death, although you might want to look at something like a 300SEL... unless you don't mind paying for gas at the rate of 11 miles per gallon... :eek:

The E Class is also very good, as is the C class... :D

[PressX]

I know gas prices are awful over there, but if you're looking at a 7... I'd look at the Mercedes S class and SELs. I love my 560SEL to death, although you might want to look at something like a 300SEL... unless you don't mind paying for gas at the rate of 11 miles per gallon... :eek:

I have a 4.0 Jeep so thirsty I can deal with... (Although I am trying to get something a little more economical than the Cherokee)

[Al_Capown]

A C-Class is a very good car? WTF.

Biggest waste of money for a name ever. Oh god, those little hatchbacks are so f-ing ugly. For just $33,000 you could get a C-class with 168HP... or for just $33,000 you could get a 300C with 340HP, a better engine, more room, and the looks of a bentley. Mercedes? Pssh I laugh at you

[Geeky1]

Al, they do in fact make C class sedans. ;) BTW, you realize that a lot of the parts in the 300C are off an E Class, right? ;)

I was actually thinking used cars, but if he's going to spend $33k on a new car, and the 300C is available over there, that's probably what I'd get. :)

PressX, if you don't mind it being a gas hog, you can't really go wrong with one of the big Mercedes- as long as its been well maintained, and you continue to do so- do not get one that's in disrepair, or let one you do buy fall into that state, or you'll be looking at a very, very nasty repair bill. I took my 560 in to the shop the other day, and they had a '92-'99 S420 there; the owner had let the entire wiring harness fry, and basically drove it until the engine management system died. Said owner is now looking at $10,000 worth of computers alone- for a $15,000 car. :eek:

So yeah, take care of it, and a S420, S430, S500, S600, 500SEL, 560SEL, or 600SEL would be perfect. :)

[PressX]

A C-Class is a very good car? WTF.

Biggest waste of money for a name ever. Oh god, those little hatchbacks are so f-ing ugly. For just $33,000 you could get a C-class with 168HP... or for just $33,000 you could get a 300C with 340HP, a better engine, more room, and the looks of a bentley. Mercedes? Pssh I laugh at you


LOL - However:

a| out of buget
b| not available in the UK
c| I don't want to deal with another Chrysler dealership

[PressX]

So yeah, take care of it, and a S420, S430, S500, S600, 500SEL, 560SEL, or 600SEL would be perfect. :)

As the current Mrs PressX says "Get your self a fat ass Merc pimp daddy!" What she means by that I'll never know but I think she would like one (A Merc).

Marcus

[289Mustang]

Mercedes = crap in the car repair biz if you are the owner. They are good if you are the mechanic because of the steady business you get :D

[Geeky1]

ROFL. ;D They aren't as good as they used to be (they're now ranked 6th with JD Power) but they're hardly unreliable, and the old ones are built like tanks.

[PressX]

Banger or not? (http://www.greattradecentre.co.uk/cars/search3.asp?Id=207025)

Anyone know anything about these. How does it compare to my Cherokee? Seems low price for what I am getting....

[Jimborae]

Ford Explorer = A piece of sh!t.

They dont handle well on road, let alone off road. Mechanically unreliable, poorly built and depreciation is not all that good either. Basically stay away from them unless you are a masochist, thats the view of a AA mechanic friend of mine when we were discussing 4x4's. However you do get a lot of car for the money when buying second hand.

Thats why its a low price.

[PressX]

Thanks. Not a fan then? I was not really looking for a 4x4 (My Jeep does what I need - I have had it for eight years and it is in it's tenth) it just seemded a lot for the money. However, there is always a reason...

[GnomeWizardd]

I know a guy who got a new 2003 F-150 for like 13 K new great looking truck. Id get a truck cause once you get a truck you will NEVER go back to a car

[Jimborae]

Thanks. Not a fan then? I was not really looking for a 4x4 (My Jeep does what I need - I have had it for eight years and it is in it's tenth) it just seemded a lot for the money. However, there is always a reason...


Not a fan of 4x4 full stop, not just Fords. I don't see the point in them unless you live in farming country.

[PressX]

Not a fan of 4x4 full stop, not just Fords. I don't see the point in them unless you live in farming country.

True! Spent the last three years in farming country. I get mine dirty. It's not for the wife just to do the school run in. This is reflected in it's condition and value. :bawling:

[Geeky1]

Gnome, I don't know what you're talking about. I've driven my mother's Yukon XL Denali, as well as my grandparents' Range Rover, and their Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

The Yukon and the Range Rover are pieces of sh*t, and given that they're very similar to most other SUVs and trucks in design and construction, I would expect that most other SUVs and trucks are crap too. The only SUVs worth even considering (for normal use) are the BMW X3, the X5, the Mercedes MLs, the Cayenne, the VW version of it, the Touareg, and maybe the Lexus RX and Acura MDX (altho I have no experience with those two). The only trucks worth test driving (if you use them for what most of them are used for) are the Ford Lightning and the Dodge SRT-10.

ANY SUV or truck that drives like one is a turd, period.

[celcho]

ha, geeky. you and your wussy onroad car-based suv's. if you actually go offroading, then a real suv is worth it. if you want to impress people because you have a hundred thousand dollar car, get a cayenne turbo, but you might as well get a car worthy of the engine. x5, x3, ml, cayenne, rx, and mdx are all tall cars that handle somewhere between real suv's and cars. the touareg is actually pretty solid. It's much more suv than the cayenne, though the cayenne is relatively closer to suv than car compared to most of the others i mentioned. it's very heavy, but with the tires it comes with, offroading might not go so well. plus, if you were to mess up those wheels/tires, you'd probably just end up driving the car and yourself off the nearest cliff rather than buying a replacement.

[Geeky1]

If you actually go offroading, then yes, it makes sense to have something like a Landcruiser or a Gelandewagen. But everything that makes them good off-road makes them godawful on-road. Oh, and for the record, with proper off-roading tires, the Cayenne is nothing to laugh at off road.

[celcho]

of course, it doesn't come with good offroading tires, now does it? and it would look terrible with them.

[289Mustang]

If you actually go offroading, then yes, it makes sense to have something like a Landcruiser or a Gelandewagen. But everything that makes them good off-road makes them godawful on-road. Oh, and for the record, with proper off-roading tires, the Cayenne is nothing to laugh at off road.

I disagree, it still would be something to laugh at just like if you took a Jeep Cherokee, slapped some road racing wheels and sticky tires and took it to the road course. It might work ok but people will look at you and think wtf are you doing here in that thing.

Just get the right vehicle for what you will be doing with it and you will be fine. Granted most people don't do this and buy and SUV be a soccer mom. :rant:

[PressX]

The BMW X3, the X5, the Mercedes MLs, the Cayenne, the VW version of it, the Touareg, the Lexus RX and Acura MDX. All very Nice exec SUV 4x4's etc. However, they are not in most peoples budget. I run my own company and refuse to run a company car - mainly because of the crap tax we have to pay on it. So the alternative is buy my own (as apposed to my company buying or leasing it). I have a budget of about 5k. I like big cars but I don't like big price tags. I could easily spend 30/40k on a car but I would rather put that sort of money into a buy to let or improving my home. So as much as the "exec" SUV's are OK they are not for me. I have had a Cherokee for years and it has done what I need it to do. I have towed/off-road everywhere and everything. It has taken E Type Jags to Spa in Belgium. It has carried 150 pheasants 5 dogs 5 guns and five ppl over mountains and rivers... ;D I think you get the idea. I paid £14,000 in 1997 and It owes me very little.

Todays choice is a 98 Volvo v70 T5 CD auto - Just under £5000 - Leather a/c etc. Perfect for family/dogs/work/comfort/journeys... and I keep the jeep to carry on getting it mucky!

I think this is where I may be putting my money... But don't let me stop you guys suggesting realistic alternatives :thumbsup:

Marcus

[Geeky1]

Volvo makes good cars; they're reliable and safe, if nothing else. I'm not sure about the performance on the V70 tho- you'll have to get one of our resident Volvo nuts to answer that. PERSONALLY, I'd go with a 'Benz (duh), but the Volvo should be a good car too.

[PressX]

The car that was stolen was the v40 tT4 the V70 T5 is the bigger one. They are fast enough. Not sports cars but hey it's a Volvo.
Performance: top speed manual/auto 139/136mph (155/149mph). 0-62mph manual/auto in 7.9/8.3sec (7.1/7.5sec). EC Urban fuel consumption manual/auto 22.7/19.9mpg (21.7/19.6mpg).

[Jimborae]

Well I racked up a few miles in a c70 T5 at work & I gotta say for long journeys it was superb. Fast, comfortable and pleasant on the motorway. I don't think you could go to far wrong with a V70 T5. And this is coming from an Alfa & VW nut. :)

[PressX]

I am now the proud owner of a 98 V70 T5 CD...

[GnomeWizardd]

go with the volvo

[PressX]

go with the volvo


I did... :confused: :confused2 ;D

[Thrax]

<s>shagwagon!</s>

Nice lookin' wagon there, mate.

[Geeky1]

Very nice :D Only one problem... it appears you bought a defective one; the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car. ;) ;D ;D

[Thrax]

Car nerd jokes. :rolleyes:

[PressX]

Very nice :D Only one problem... it appears you bought a defective one; the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car. ;) ;D ;D


It's OK I can fix that....

[Geeky1]

lol ;D

[Jimborae]

good choice i dont think you'll be disappointed