Used car advice - big, fast, slick, £3k

xs2man said:
To be fair, the tax cost is the least of your worries when looking at this budget. I don't get why some people rule cars out for around £60p per day in tax. If the car is nice, then it is probably worth it. It may well be cheaper too as most everyone else is put off by the, essentially tiny, tax premium.

When you are talking up around the £4k range, you can break into A4 2.0T Quattro Avant territory. That should fulfill your requirements, but I realise VAG motors aren't for everyone.

Or A6 Avant? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-05-A...ate-6-Speed-/131618597421?hash=item1ea5146a2d

Not the most economical, and I don't consider them fast, but then nothing you have been looking at I consider fast either. It's probably about average for power vs economy compared to what you're looking at. With ~250 BHP and mid to late 20's on MPG, on average (I hold no regard for the "on a run" figures, as they are essentially useless when talking about actual fuel costs.

Or you could go a bit older, and get the 2.7 twin turbo engine that was in the old S4... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-AUDI...ULL-HISTORY-/111793459702?hash=item1a0768d1f6
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See your point about fast, but I'm fairly sure I can't afford a 400bhp monster. So obviously Im looking at cars which are above average power but still generally family cars. Won't either of those Audis at that age, be equally as garage bound as the 530i? The VAGs look a bit bland too don't they.

MissChief said:
Just had a thought while I was taking the kids back. Rover ZT-T V8?
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Very rare, and very thirsty. Mustang engine I believe. All in a car that looks like i need to be retired to own it.

I don't know what it is about looks. I just have this particular 'style' in mind which fits with the way the 530 looks. I think growing up in the 80's/90's and being interested in cars around 1998 or so, thats the look I am used to seeing and respecting.
 
danlightbulb said:
I did have a 5k budget but was advised to spend less and have some in the bank for repairs and maintenance. I could save for a little longer and go to 4k. What could I get then? The real issue here is spending more will get me a newer car, but that newer car is approaching the point in its life where it needs major repairs, not just niggly things fixing. Older cars will have most of these major things done and the niggly bits are left yes but they are cheaper to do.



Great suggestion - but the ones ive seen for sale have are in the highest tax bracket. Plus mpg is in the low 20's combined. Think will be too costly to run.
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danlightbulb said:
See your point about fast, but I'm fairly sure I can't afford a 400bhp monster. So obviously Im looking at cars which are above average power but still generally family cars. Won't either of those Audis at that age, be equally as garage bound as the 530i? The VAGs look a bit bland too don't they.



Very rare, and very thirsty. Mustang engine I believe. All in a car that looks like i need to be retired to own it.

I don't know what it is about looks. I just have this particular 'style' in mind which fits with the way the 530 looks. I think growing up in the 80's/90's and being interested in cars around 1998 or so, thats the look I am used to seeing and respecting.
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The 2.0T A4's and that 3.2 A6 (circa 2005/06) are both at least a generation newer than the E39 (you'd be looking around 02/03 I guess, but the E39 came out in '95), so not "quite" as old. They will be no worse than anything else you look at with your budget really.

As I said, VAG's aren't everyones cup of tea. So if you find them bland, fair enough. But there isn't a HUGE amount of choice out there meeting your requirements / budget.

I was looking at the mk4 mondeo myself too though. You should manage to get a 2.5T titanium estate at around the £4k mark. But then there is your aversion to slightly higher VED.
 
I'd really struggle to ignore the value of the 9-5 for this requirement, yes they're a 4 pot but up to 260bhp, really well equipped and very reliable
 
I only have an aversion to the maximum tax bracket, the £490/£505. I don't mind the £290 bracket.

I have looked at the Mondeo mk4 2.5T. Take a look at the engine bay:

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I can't do anything with that ****. Its horrible. Cramped.

Take a look at the 530 engine bay, much more likely I'll be able to do some stuff myself, and actually be motivated to go near it:

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So your buying a car based on how the engine bay is :eek: how many things can u actually fix yourself though? The 530 will cost way more to run and for parts.
Doubt u will get a mk4 2.5T Mondeo for 4K anyway most charge silly money for them as there rare.
 
Dav4 said:
So your buying a car based on how the engine bay is :eek: how many things can u actually fix yourself though? The 530 will cost way more to run and for parts.
Doubt u will get a mk4 2.5T Mondeo for 4K anyway most charge silly money for them as there rare.
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I'd have to save a little longer for a mk4 mondeo yes, but the prices of those models aren't that high really.

Re the engine. I want a car that will feel special to me. The layout of the BMW engine there is truly a work of art in my eyes. I would be motivated to do some spannering myself because I'd feel things were accessible. Ive been told that many things in those 6's can be maintained with some basic knowledge and a socket set. I wouldn't want to go near that mk4 mondeo engine.
 
An odd conclusion to come to based on a few photographs though. I doubt there is any real difference in terms of DIY ability - the Mondeo has a plastic cover which comes off.
 
Think u would be best spending a weekend going for a few test drives of the cars u like as it's all well people advising but it's down to personal preferences.
Look on AT and EBay for any local or trade and just go have a look and drive. There's a good few ST220's for 3-3.5k on AT with around 70k miles on at the moment or if you up your budget then your looking at the 530 which u seem to prefer or the mk4 Mondeo. As a few people have said also check the Saab 9-5's out.
 
Shock as transversely mounted 5-cyl takes up more space in a FWD engine bay than a longitudinally mounted 6-cyl in a RWD engine bay.
 
Blackhawk47 said:
Then you'll have to up the budget to something decent.
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If I had a 10k budget, what could I get then?


mjt said:
Shock as transversely mounted 5-cyl takes up more space in a FWD engine bay than a longitudinally mounted 6-cyl in a RWD engine bay.
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I know the reason but that doesn't change the conclusion. It is more likely the BMW engine will be easier to work on than the more complex T5. It has a turbo and intercooler for a start. And its newer, so probably more junk on it.


Dav4 said:
Think u would be best spending a weekend going for a few test drives of the cars u like as it's all well people advising but it's down to personal preferences.
Look on AT and EBay for any local or trade and just go have a look and drive. There's a good few ST220's for 3-3.5k on AT with around 70k miles on at the moment or if you up your budget then your looking at the 530 which u seem to prefer or the mk4 Mondeo. As a few people have said also check the Saab 9-5's out.
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I have already test drove the 530i. Really liked it. So refined compared to what I'm used to. Can tell its an older class of car inside though. I should drive the Saab yes, not fair to label it a thrasher without driving one. But a 6 N/A is still more desirable than a 4 cyl turbo.
 
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Go with a 530i Touring then. Engine is an absolute peach, but you'll be forever plagued with small niggles that'll eat into your wallet and waste your time.
That is, if you can find a good one that works in your budget. Which you probably won't, as has been said above.

Honestly, have a serious look at Saab 9-5 Aeros. 260+bhp for not much money is pretty damn good. So what if it's a 4-cyl? I don't think you have the budget to go for the smooth 6-cyls you're craving.
As long as the Saab's oil is changed regularly, the engine is extremely reliable.

Or find a 9-5 Griffin with the GM 3.0 V6 :p

Having said that, why not get an Omega MV6?
 
iaind said:
I'd really struggle to ignore the value of the 9-5 for this requirement, yes they're a 4 pot but up to 260bhp, really well equipped and very reliable
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This is pretty much what I had in mind. Wanted fast, less than 3k and comfortable estate. Really was nothing the wrong side of 6k that came close. They are also really reliable, they do have their niggles but the fundamental mechanics are strong. You see plenty of 200k+ Aero's about.

The 4 cylinder 2.3 in the Saab is fantastic. Equally as good as the straight six in the 530i. 2.3 means there is a lot of torque and quick turbo spool low down. Put your foot down in 5th and it will quite effortlessly overtake on a NSL.
 
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3 of those cars are close to, or over, 100k miles. Will they really be more reliable than the car I'm keen on? I don't get why they would be. At 100k miles, won't they be just as likely to need suspension bits doing, or exhaust bits, or cambelts, or PAS pumps etc etc the list goes on. Alpina very nice (BMWs really do look top notch), but a 2007 diesel so lots of things to go bump on that.
 
adam cool dude said:
This is pretty much what I had in mind. Wanted fast, less than 3k and comfortable estate. Really was nothing the wrong side of 6k that came close. They are also really reliable, they do have their niggles but the fundamental mechanics are strong. You see plenty of 200k+ Aero's about.

The 4 cylinder 2.3 in the Saab is fantastic. Equally as good as the straight six in the 530i. 2.3 means there is a lot of torque and quick turbo spool low down. Put your foot down in 5th and it will quite effortlessly overtake on a NSL.
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Are you referring to the 2.3 T Aero model or the 2.3 T HOT model?

They look nicer in the old trim than the new imo. In fact I'd say its very similar looking to the E39 5 tourer. Hard to get a low mileage one though, very hard. This one is £1500 and 138k miles.

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And how far do you want to be away from 100k? £10k isn't really even a budget that gets you a WHOLE load more than your £3-4k budget. Any 530i you go looking at will likely be over 100k too. If you want to be looking at lower mileage, then you sacrifice on the engine really. So you could no doubt go for a 2.0 petrol Mondeo and get a 2010/2011 model for 10k, but that's not going to be fun or anything.

You're basically looking at 100k motors, so these "issues" stand an equal chance on being on any motor you're considering regardless of budget.

Everybody harps on about how expensive diesels are, I don't get it personally. Never seen it being that much more expensive on the maintenance side. But if your mileage doesn't warrant it, then no need to look at diesels. I suspect you do reasonable mileage though having had a 12 year old car for 9 years of it's life, and with 190k on it. 15k+ a year I suspect? Which would really make any of the cars you are considering fuel bills far worse than any VED increases. And any fuel savings from driving a diesel more than pay for any perceived increased maintenance costs.

Anyway, that list was tounge in cheek, as I'm sure you are not looking at £10k budgets anyway. And if you were, 500 BHP Mercs probably aren't the way to go if you're worried about the difference in costs between SMF's and DMF's, or 60p per day in VED.

SAAB 9-5 Aero is where you should be looking. Unless you do up the budget to £4k, in which case, that A6 3.2 I linked to earlier looks like it'd be a good shout. An old 530i will have too many issues for you by the sounds of it.
 
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