Another what car thread. Sorry!!!!

[MEL]

New job coming my way so why not new car coming my way too??

Criteria:
No BMWs
NO VWs (or VAG generally unless better built than my old Golf)
Estate
Ride comfort
£5k max budgetr but would prefer lower.
Will probably only do 6-7000 iles a year if that.

Initial thoughts were a Legacy or Forester. Damon has already suggested an Ovlov XC70 but I need to have a drive really.

There are a million E class mercs around but lots of toys generally means lots of chance for things to break. Guessing these are generally in mercs shite build quality period as well.

Hit me.

[Chriscooke]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/262052500824

[MEL]

Should've said, it's gotta be auto

[Chriscooke]

They do autos

[Si]

I've got a Saab 9-5 HOT Aero wagon, and I bloody love it. Way more than I should. Or thought I would. Well specced, feels solid, good turn of speed, inconspicuous, and its bloody vast inside! Best bit Is you can pick them up for so little, and they run for ages. 5k will easily get you a nice lowish mileage late Dame Edna one. 3k will get you one on around 100k or so. Hell, you can pick up an older one on about 150k for under a grand.

They're one of the last Saabs that's quite a bit Saab, rather than mostly GM.

Or you can buy our 140k e46 330i m sport with the patented beemer ticking time bomb autobox for £750

[MEL]

No beemers

[skyshack]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-X-T...item4aedcf3bb5

[DLowe]

As said you do well to find better than a d5 volvo be it xc70 for the 4wd or v70 for fwd, the power is superb as stock but with a remap it's very good, the auto box is very nice too and when in manual mode will change when you ask not wait etc.

My grandad had a lagacy gtb twin turbo for a couple of years, although nice it was the usual 90s jap interior solid but not all that special, comfy enough and we'll made but me. .. The swede is a lot comfyer and tbh not much difrence in speed after the remap, perhaps the volvo was actually a little faster.

I looked at mercedes e class and they seem to still suffer from rust, I was looking around 08 reg and quite a few had bubbles in the arches, there always the mazda 6, they seem good for the money, most are ex company cars so well specced and maintained.

[MEL]

Detouring slightly from an estate, Discoveries????

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classif...5000&logcode=p

Quite a few popping up in my price range, fancy one so I can fit in on those rare occasions I get to do the school run

[Chriscooke]

Don't do it unreliabe and slow.

[MEL]

Ok.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...dition/4645030

Would make an exception to the no VAG thing for something like this if you twisted my arm

[DLowe]

I have had 3 discovery's - the 3 worst cars I have ever owned.... The newer the worse they seemed to get, the td5 was hideous how much attention it needed with weekly breakdowns...

If your looking 4x4 proper you can't go wrong with a land cruiser, there's good reasons why they are the most popular in aus and the like, land rover are bottom of the pile in every country but ours

[DLowe]

My hilux surf has been properly good, in 4yrs it's never missed a beat and only required a wheel bearing and exhaust centre section (it's 22yrs old) everything works as intended and no rust other than the chrome on the bumpers

[Mikesx13]

Considered personal contract hire? It can work out the same or cheaper than the cost of running a 2nd hand car if you go for a contract with maintenance included and you get a brand new car. I've recently ordered a Skoda superb se business estate, good spec with sat nav, dab radio etc and it only works out at about £20 a month more than running an older car - that's on a 12000 mile a year contract, with your mileage it could come in surprisingly cheap.

[arry]

Have you considered a 911?

[MEL]

Considered personal contract hire? It can work out the same or cheaper than the cost of running a 2nd hand car if you go for a contract with maintenance included and you get a brand new car. I've recently ordered a Skoda superb se business estate, good spec with sat nav, dab radio etc and it only works out at about £20 a month more than running an older car - that's on a 12000 mile a year contract, with your mileage it could come in surprisingly cheap.

I've looked into this previously. Ideally I want a one off payment and I need the car for early October. The PC hire deals seem to have relatively long lead times before you actually get the car.

[MEL]

Have you considered a 911?

You know what, I haven't. I will have a look today!

[Si]

PCP type things depends on what you want. If you want something common from a large manufacturer then it's much quicker - we put a deposit down on a common 'white goods' hatch 2 weeks ago and it's due on Saturday. If you're flexible on spec and color then dealers in large groups likely have something in group stock. Leased stuff seems to take longer though. Bearing in mind it's a week and a bit until the end of a quarter, and a new reg month, there are some good deals around at the mo as everyone wants to hit targets.

It wasn't something I wanted to do, but to be honest I've had enough of posing about with two 100k plus mile cars, and personal circumstances meant I've got very little time to work on them, and that time I have got if rather spend with my family, or working on my toy
As a friend said to me, is a whole shift of mental attitude. Made sense for us though.

Have you considered a 911?

Yay

[Mikesx13]

Same conclusions I've come to Si and when I totted up the real cost of running 2nd hand cars over the last three years I couldn't believe it came out pretty much exactly the same as a much nicer car on personal contract hire with servicing, maintenance and tyres included. My lead time was long because the cars not even out yet but we ordered another for my wife in a model and colour that was in stock and it's going to be a few weeks.

[skyshack]

For it to be costing over £1200/pa (i10?) you must be doing it wrong.

2x 1993 (M reg 1994) 200SX S13 one bought 2008 other 2010, both for £1400. Now worth about £2K each. Well they are running and MOTed and not SORN "project".

3x oil changes/year. £20x24 = £480.
12x MOT £600
20 tyres £1400
1 engine (+gearbox) £450. Took a B/Hol to fit.
Brakes £400.
Welding £1000 (about £40-£80/patch).
Cam belts + water pumps £300.
2x battery £110.
Rear brake pipes on both £50. (including flaring tool + used a spare copper front line from the one I bought in 2000 £3K and scrapped in 2010).
Headlamp bulbs £20.
Fluids £100?

These are daily drivers, I've put about 90K miles on them. Can't see I've spent more than £6K running them over the last 7+5 years.