Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2002
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- 18,252
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PMKeates is comedy. 
80 mile a day commuting car for £2-3k?
- Thread starter ChrisD.
- Start date
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201302205424443/
One owner (for 13 years!), FSH 530d SE automatic touring for £2100.
It will be a bit worn, but honest and probably quite well maintained, after all, they'd have paid £40,000 for it back in 2000. The OP should buy this car, set £900 aside for some maintenance, and put his dog in the back.
Permabanned
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- 27 Feb 2013
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- 61
All these BMW suggestions are ridiculous.
Low spec knackered old beemers that will cost a fortune to fix.
Ive already mentioned, the ZT CDti, it wins in every category apart from the "badge".
Low spec knackered old beemers that will cost a fortune to fix.
Ive already mentioned, the ZT CDti, it wins in every category apart from the "badge".
Remind me, during which years was the ZT the segment leader?
Saloon.. granted
Comfortable.. not really. Crashy suspension, fairly basic seats, not well insulated. A bog standard Mondeo is more comfortable.
Reasonable cruiser.. I guess reasonable is the word.
BMW diesel engine.. well, it's a decent enough engine, but not spectacular and a bit underpowered. Other cars were fitted with better engines shortly after the M47R was available in the ZT.
50mpg+.. 48 MPG combined according to the official figures.
Cheap to fix.. maybe, but BMWs, broadly speaking, are not expensive to fix. New OEM parts are actually quite cheap, lots of aftermarket options, and used parts are in abundance. They are simple and designed for easy repair jobs, anybody can work on them.
Reliable... no idea, I'd hope so being as they have nothing on them.
Looks reasonable... looks OK, though I could move in to the panel gaps.
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So in conclusion, fits almost all the criteria, even when you're trying not to like it?
Eh? I want to sell my ATR and buy a car to drive to work and back with, I don't want to spend more than what I get on the ATR because I don't see the point? I'd rather put it away in a savings account. If money was an issue I certainly wouldn't own an Evo 9 and look to buy a second car.
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I think saying it meets the 'comfort' criteria is marginal. I don't think it's particularly comfortable.So in conclusion, fits almost all the criteria, even when you're trying not to like it?
That said, please turn that
in to a 
- lots of cars meet the criteria, important are the best of those. I don't think the ZT is amongst the best of those.Eh? I want to sell my ATR and buy a car to drive to work and back with, I don't want to spend more than what I get on the ATR because I don't see the point? I'd rather put it away in a savings account. If money was an issue I certainly wouldn't own an Evo 9 and look to buy a second car.
I think you misunderstood me. I'm not saying that you're some kind of pauper, you wouldn't own an Evo IX otherwise. Money is an issue in the sense that you have better things to do with it than fix a dodgy BMW. I should have perhaps said financially shrewd purchase or something along those lines. I completely understand your situation and totally agree with how you're going about it. What I don't understand is the fascination with cheap nasty BMWs when what you want seems to be simple and reliable.
No upset at all mate, I wouldn't worry. I'm very extremely indecisive, something I want one minute will change to something else. I keep looking at different cars... still not 100% sure but I still keep coming back to the Golf TDI PD130.
What about a Passat instead? More car for your money and it'll be more practical and comfortable.
Firstly, old does not equal cheap and nasty. They are just old. All cars for £2-3k will be old. The better cars will be older, but then they are better cars. They will ride better, drive better, have better performance and have better equipment levels than newer cars from lower segments. A well maintained 13 year old 5 Series (which do exist) will drive better than a brand new Golf, let alone a 9 year old one.
Secondly, these older big cars (some 7/S-Class material excluded) are nothing other than simple; there are no complex or unusual computers or suspension systems, no special braking systems, nothing unusual in the steering or engines or anything. They are very well proven, and even the most basic of independents will be able to work on them.
Thirdly, the proposition for any £2-3k car is not going be one of perfect reliability, zero wear to any suspension parts etc. They are all going to be very well used, and getting towards the end of their useful life. The difference between e.g. a 5 and a Golf is that a 5 is engineered to a level that makes it really quite capable of being used and not falling apart.
As an example, two friends of mine and I have owned an E39 for 7 years and covered getting on for 100,000 miles between us in that time, bringing it up to 200,000 miles today. In that time it has needed around £1500 of repairs - including a bill for a torque converter. It is really quite common for E39s to go on without any major or significant repair work, other than the odd radiator and some sensors. All of the work can be carried out by any mechanic, and they tend to like working on them because the jobs don't require you to be a contortionist and remove half the front end to change a headlamp etc.
Today, that E39 is fully working, in use (doing lots of short journeys - not ideal) and no gremlins are appearing.
I sold the E39 2 years ago for less than £3k - show me the Golf, Focus, Passat, whatever, that is 'more decent' than it. Finding a nice one isn't easy, and they aren't the best cars in the world, but it will forever be a better and more decent car than the likes the basic hatchbacks churned out by mainstream manufacturers.
