Big estate/SUV - opinions please!

chanjy

chanjy

chanjy

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Right... replacing my 3 series touring because with pram it's a little too small for holidays and we're doing a lot more UK/Europe stuff than we would before Covid so it's turned out more important that I'd thought.

Two key requirements are 1) 6 cyl engine with >300bhp so that I can enjoy it when I'm driving on my own, and 2) a big boot is a must, plus optionally but ideally pano roof and adaptive cruise for those long family trips.

I've narrowed it down to 3 options.. would be good to get some views, and any other options I've overlooked?

Merc E400d AMG line premium plus - £38k
https://www.mercedes-benzsouthwest.co.uk/approved-used/e-400-d-4matic-amg-line-estate-premium-plus/ < I've found one almost exactly like this but in 'Selenite Grey' and slightly lower mileage for £38k, won't have a white car.

+Most modern engine, most power (340hp straight six diesel) with power and economy
+Huge boot (I like big boots and I cannot lie)
+Multibeam LED lights
+2019 car, and 1 year approved used warranty as it's a franchised dealer sold car
+Love the interior, has the widescreen cockpit, pan roof and upgraded speakers plus the black wood looks great IMO. Am I a chav for loving the ambient lighting too? :D
+Surround camera

-Expensive (the older E350d v6 is nearly 100hp less powerful though)
-Seats aren't full leather - mixture of suede and fake leather
-No adaptive cruise (rare as hens teeth and too expensive)
-No HUD
-20 in wheels look great but not comfort might be suboptimal

BMW 540i xDrive - £35k-38k
eg. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112030190459

+Petrol, B58 engine is nice
+iDrive is probably the best infotainment
+This car has VDC and 19in wheels, should be nice and comfy, has active cruise (very rare for BMW), and the icon lights
+Bit cheaper than the Merc

-Smallest boot out of the 3, but still pretty huge tbh
-2018 car, already out of warranty plus from a small dealer
-No reversing cam on this car
-Already have a BMW, fancy a change (ok this is a poor reason)
-Worse MPG, should I really go petrol for a family car for holidays and long journeys and mainly motorway driving? 530d is nearly as expensive plus only 250ish hp.

Jaguar F Pace V6d S - £34k
eg. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201191530717

+Cheapest of the 3
+Best looking of the 3 (imo)
+Big boot
+Great spec - adaptive cruise, pano roof, upgraded speakers, HUD

-Jaguar - reliability could be suspect?
-Oldest of the 3, newer cars are silly money
-Engine is less modern, lowest power of the 3 - still reasonable economy though
Xenons on this one, not LEDs

I'm struggling to make up my mind. I just really like the way the F Pace looks, but feel like it would be a heart over head decision as I've heard some bad stories about Jaguar quality, plus it's a lot of money for a car that's coming up to 5 years old this year. The BMW is a year newer and the Merc 2 years newer.

I've test driven one and it's 'brisk' but not a super car by any means. The V6 Supercharged petrol is too thirsty for what the car would be used for, so I've ruled that out.
 
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Head says Merc, heart says BMW.

Nothing saying Jaaaaag to me….

Don’t get me wrong, I’d not be crying in my Coco Pops if I was in your situation with any of them tbh.

I think the only fly in the BMW’s ointment is the dealer selling it, if you want one, find one that’s an AUC from BMW, I really wouldn’t want to entertain one of these with a stereotypical dealers not worth the paper it’s written on type “warranty”….
 
Doesn’t meet the 6 cylinder criteria (although the fact that you’re considering a straight 6 diesel leaves me wondering why you’re so set on a 6 pot anyway) but a V90 T8 (The 400+hp hybrid one) looks to fit the budget at a similar age to the vehicles you’ve listed and can be got with a pano roof
 
a1ex2001 said:
I’d go with the BMW the jag is hideous and the Mercedes won’t be as nicer drive with it Diesel engine.
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Not much love for the Jag then :p

On paper the 540i ticks all the boxes. Just not sure why I don’t fancy it but I think it’s just the ‘grass is always greener somewhere else’ feeling which will probably lead to regrets later on if I go for the Jag. I’ve also heard the Mercedes COMAND system isn’t nearly as good as iDrive.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201111237797 This one could be worth a look at if I go for the 540i though, has a lot of options on it. Just can’t shake the feeling it’s big money for a 2017 car. The Mercedes is a 2019 one for only a bit more.

Scania said:
Head says Merc, heart says BMW.

Nothing saying Jaaaaag to me….

Don’t get me wrong, I’d not be crying in my Coco Pops if I was in your situation with any of them tbh.

I think the only fly in the BMW’s ointment is the dealer selling it, if you want one, find one that’s an AUC from BMW, I really wouldn’t want to entertain one of these with a stereotypical dealers not worth the paper it’s written on type “warranty”….
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AUC cars are really expensive. I made an enquiry on an AUC from Sytner a week or so ago which was £35k but it was already sold. Will keep an eye out though.

kaiowas said:
Doesn’t meet the 6 cylinder criteria (although the fact that you’re considering a straight 6 diesel leaves me wondering why you’re so set on a 6 pot anyway) but a V90 T8 (The 400+hp hybrid one) looks to fit the budget at a similar age to the vehicles you’ve listed and can be got with a pano roof
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Cheers. It’s something I had considered, but some reasons against the V90

-Smaller boot
-PHEV is a little unsuited for the typical journeys the car would be doing - lots of long trips to visit family/friends and also weekends/weeks away. You’d be carrying the batteries around most of the time and we have an EV for our local journeys already
-Infotainment is fiddly and not very user friendly

Just want a 6cyl to enjoy ICE cars while they last. They are a lot more refined than the 4 pot options. I’ve had straight 6 diesels before and they aren’t tractor like at all :)

HangTime said:
Audi A6 Avant/Allroad e.g. 68 plate for £28k: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201211611540
Crap photos but obviously you can look at other examples, there's a 2017 one with pan roof for example
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The A6 Avant is one I’ve ruled out mainly because of the situation around model/gen changeovers.

I might be tempted into a newer C8 but they are all very expensive (although the touchscreen for climate is something that puts me off). The one linked is a model that first came out in 2011 and looks very dated inside, probably why it’s so much cheaper than the equivalent BMW and Mercedes options. A newer 2019 BiTDI is nearer £40k unfortunately.

Thanks for the responses so far though. I am getting the sense the hive mind thinks the Jag might not be the most sensible idea…
 
I would go for the BMW.
My previous car was one of these and it was almost the perfect family car. The one you linked to has more power, more wheel drive and a great spec, so is even closer to perfect.
 
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SDK^ said:
I would go for the BMW.
My previous car was one of these and it was almost the perfect car. The one you linked to has more power, more wheel drive and a great spec, so is even closer to perfect.
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Thanks, I had an F11 and it was pretty close to ideal, only downsized because of parking issues which are no longer a factor. Maybe I should just get the BMW. Better the devil you know and all that…

Curveball: Maybe I could make an E43 estate work if I can negotiate a few quid off??
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111300099997
 
It will come as no surprise to find that I think the 5 Series is the best car you've asked about. The pre facelift E Class has fairly terrible navigation and infotainment (by contrast the facelift one is absolutely excellent as it was completely replaced by the excellent MBUX system) but that 400d engine will be very good. It is staggering that a 3 year old diesel E Class still costs 38k, mind you.

The biggest issue here is going to be engine choice. If we ignore fuel consumption for a moment the 540i is wonderful, it's smooth, refined and powerful and every bit as nice as you'd expect. BMW Straight Six to be. It sounds quite quiet in a 5 Series, though.

But we can't ignore fuel consumption. I got about 34mpg average over 1k miles in a 540i and 49mpg average over a similar journey profile in a 530d. This is a considerable difference, especially if as you note you'll be driving in Europe where petrol is often significantly more expensive than diesel. The 530d and 540i feel quite similar in terms of power delivery - the 540i being a bit quicker, so they are unlikely to feel like two different cars. This may make the consumption issue even more of a problem. Every 540i is also xDrive, which adds to the consumption.

The engine in the 540i is wonderful but I think personally I've come to the conclusion that it is the wrong engine for a 5 series, a car where you'll be less likey to find yourself doing the sort of driving where it shines. I'd therefore prefer it in something like an M340i, where its more special and more suited and is more tuned for 'driver'.
 
[TW]Fox said:
It will come as no surprise to find that I think the 5 Series is the best car you've asked about. The pre facelift E Class has fairly terrible navigation and infotainment (by contrast the facelift one is absolutely excellent as it was completely replaced by the excellent MBUX system) but that 400d engine will be very good. It is staggering that a 3 year old diesel E Class still costs 38k, mind you.

The biggest issue here is going to be engine choice. If we ignore fuel consumption for a moment the 540i is wonderful, it's smooth, refined and powerful and every bit as nice as you'd expect. BMW Straight Six to be. It sounds quite quiet in a 5 Series, though.

But we can't ignore fuel consumption. I got about 34mpg average over 1k miles in a 540i and 49mpg average over a similar journey profile in a 530d. This is a considerable difference, especially if as you note you'll be driving in Europe where petrol is often significantly more expensive than diesel. The 530d and 540i feel quite similar in terms of power delivery - the 540i being a bit quicker, so they are unlikely to feel like two different cars. This may make the consumption issue even more of a problem. Every 540i is also xDrive, which adds to the consumption.

The engine in the 540i is wonderful but I think personally I've come to the conclusion that it is the wrong engine for a 5 series, a car where you'll be less likey to find yourself doing the sort of driving where it shines. I'd therefore prefer it in something like an M340i, where its more special and more suited and is more tuned for 'driver'.
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Oh noes I feel myself being dragged back into the 530d lol

Soemthing like this? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201181499172

50k miles and 67 plate, but it is £6k cheaper than the 19 plate E400d... choices choices
 
530d Touring is the obvious choice as they didn’t make a 540d or M550d in RHD, although both are overkill.
Or just get a petrol but can’t help but think you’ll be paying more for fuel for no reason.

C7 A6 is hideously unreliable.
V90 T8 is a 4-pot lugging around batteries for no reason. Also the interior really isn’t up to par compared to the big Germans.

E has a bigger boot. Drive both and see which takes your fancy?
 
mjt said:
530d Touring is the obvious choice as they didn’t make a 540d or M550d in RHD, although both are overkill.
Or just get a petrol but can’t help but think you’ll be paying more for fuel for no reason.

C7 A6 is hideously unreliable.
V90 T8 is a 4-pot lugging around batteries for no reason. Also the interior really isn’t up to par compared to the big Germans.

E has a bigger boot. Drive both and see which takes your fancy?
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Getting the feeling that petrol doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense here, but if going with the black pump then I think the E400d would be my pick just because there's no 540d in the UK

Smokey26 said:
BMW by a country mile.
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Haha.. any particular reason?
 
The V90 might not have the best infotainment but the interior is brilliant, daft crazy comfy and build quality is top notch.

Ordinarily it would be straight shoot out between the 5'er and the E class, but I did a trip to Germany in a X5 and im a convert to the SUV way of life for long distance family drives.
 
Tinders said:
The V90 might not have the best infotainment but the interior is brilliant, daft crazy comfy and build quality is top notch.
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Disagree, sorry. The materials and build quality in the Volvo just isn't up to BMW & Audi standards. The plastic around the top of the transmission tunnel is naff and cheap and it flexes.
Tinders said:
Ordinarily it would be straight shoot out between the 5'er and the E class, but I did a trip to Germany in a X5 and im a convert to the SUV way of life for long distance family drives.
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Totally agree! Just picked up a Q7 and whilst it's ludicrously big for villages and town driving, on the open road it's just immense. So much more refined and relaxing than the (albeit 12-year-old) A6 Avant it replaces. And it doesn't even have double glazing.
 
Tinders said:
The V90 might not have the best infotainment but the interior is brilliant, daft crazy comfy and build quality is top notch.

Ordinarily it would be straight shoot out between the 5'er and the E class, but I did a trip to Germany in a X5 and im a convert to the SUV way of life for long distance family drives.
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Wife would like an SUV but doesn't like the X3 which is a shame, I'd have gone for the X3 M40d personally.

She likes the F Pace but ultimately she says I can get an estate as long as it has a pano roof!
 
mjt said:
Totally agree! Just picked up a Q7 and whilst it's ludicrously big for villages and town driving, on the open road it's just immense. So much more refined and relaxing than the (albeit 12-year-old) A6 Avant it replaces. And it doesn't even have double glazing
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But this is likely all to do with the fact the A6 was much older. I've done similar long trips in both the C8 A6 and the current Q7 and the Q7 was no more refined than the A6. If anything it was less so as there was more wind noise.
 
chanjy said:
Getting the feeling that petrol doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense here, but if going with the black pump then I think the E400d would be my pick just because there's no 540d in the UK


Haha.. any particular reason?
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If it is any help I have just got home after 130 mile drive from the Lakes fresh as a daisy in my 530D Touring. I changed from a 535D in 2020, like you wish they had done a 540D, but there isn't a huge difference in everyday performance. I had a look at the F Pace as well, just didn't like the cabin, its way off 5 series quality. Space - regularly travel with four of us, loads of room for all bags and 4 bikes on roof too, engine pulls just the same fully loaded up. Wish I had adaptive, pano roof and 19" not 20" wheels, thats about it.
 
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