Performance on a budget.

Scania said:
E39 540i? (or a 530i for that matter...)

Should tick your boxes.
Click to expand...

E39 540i's are depressingly hitting shed money. Webuyanycar are offering me £975 for mine!

They certainly tick the performance and comfort boxes, but unless the OP has a war-chest for spares, repairs and "random expensive thing" replacement I'd look for something less likely to dig deep holes in the bank.

On the other hand, if you do have a savings wedge to lean on - they make bloody fun motorway rockets.
 
xs2man said:
See, now none of the mentioned cars sprang to mind for me, lol.

My instant thought was a 4.2 V8 A8. Or, for something a bit more agile, a B5 Audi S4.

Mercedes S500's, Lexus LS430's and BMW 745's are coming in that budget too.

You want a performance motor for motorway driving and stuff, V8 or just get a diesel.
Click to expand...

Genuine question: Have you ever run any of the cars you've posted here?

I've ran the same cars/engines as some of the cars you've posted. Both a V8 S6 (same engine as in the 4.2 A8) and a V8 W220 S-Class.

Lets be completely clear at what I'm getting at here. These cars can be ruinously expensive to run. True, the W220 has calmed down a bit now that Airmatic is better understood but parts are ridiculous even for pattern parts. Indi garages that are willing to take on S-Class work are few and far between too for whatever reason. The electronics are all fibre-based and can cost the earth to repair too.

I don't think I had a single bill for my W220 that was under £1k, ever.

The S6 was more of the same. "Minor" stuff failing all the time like sensors and so on but all of them seemed to cost a fortune. My S6 cost an average of circa £300 a MONTH in maintenance or so for the time I ran one.

Someone with a budget of just £2800 to buy what is likely their only car just shouldn't ever be considering cars like these let alone being encouraged into them.
 
xs2man said:
The OP's requirements are more filled by my suggestions than others IMO. They are not, as you put it, massively OTT.
Click to expand...

Yeah, bang on. I mean when someone is that specific with a budget, looking for around 8 second 0-60 type performance and don't want something to breakdown immediately they're obviously looking for a 15 year old V8 BMW 7 series or a 5.0litre Mercedes S500 aren't they.

Outstanding suggestions.
 
xs2man said:
Sure, the big merc might be a bit expensive to fix, but the Lexus will be pretty reliable, and the S4 isn't hugely expensive on parts and stuff.
Click to expand...

:D genuinely made me lol. I *know* B5 S4's can be very expensive to run, especially if the turbos go because it is an engine out job and you won't be getting much change from around £4000 to repair that. Not to mention all of the other niggly bits costing hundreds at a time that will be undoubtedly present on a 15 year old 4wd Haldex Audi.

And the funny thing is, the S4 would *still* be the cheapest to run out of the suggestions you made.

xs2man said:
But sure, why not, Mondeo ST220 or Octavia VRS. There you go. A clone of almost every other suggestion.
Click to expand...

It's only because everyone else has mostly suggested sensible things? If you suggest sensible things, it doesn't make you a clone, it makes you a decent contributor?

BTW OP, you should definitely get an old Porsche 911. WHAT?! OMG! THAT IS SOOO A SENSIBLE SUGGESTION! FINE! I'LL JUST BE A CLONE THEN AND SUGGEST SOMETHING WHICH YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ASKING ABOUT!
 
R50 is the 1.6 Cooper engine IIRC, and the R53 is the SC'd Cooper S engine which is rated for 7.2s. R56 is the newer TC'd Cooper S wich is rated for 7s.
 
DRZ said:
Genuine question: Have you ever run any of the cars you've posted here?

I've ran the same cars/engines as some of the cars you've posted. Both a V8 S6 (same engine as in the 4.2 A8) and a V8 W220 S-Class.

Lets be completely clear at what I'm getting at here. These cars can be ruinously expensive to run. True, the W220 has calmed down a bit now that Airmatic is better understood but parts are ridiculous even for pattern parts. Indi garages that are willing to take on S-Class work are few and far between too for whatever reason. The electronics are all fibre-based and can cost the earth to repair too.

I don't think I had a single bill for my W220 that was under £1k, ever.

The S6 was more of the same. "Minor" stuff failing all the time like sensors and so on but all of them seemed to cost a fortune. My S6 cost an average of circa £300 a MONTH in maintenance or so for the time I ran one.

Someone with a budget of just £2800 to buy what is likely their only car just shouldn't ever be considering cars like these let alone being encouraged into them.
Click to expand...

I did have a B6 S4 before, roughly same engine as the A8. It wasn't too bad. I had to change a couple coil packs on it before Audi did their "campaign" where they changed the rest FOC.

Beyond that, servicing uses a bit more oil and a few more spark plugs. Discs and pads aren't subject to RS tax, so weren't that bad. You were perhaps unlucky, or I was very lucky. But mine did t cost me any more than that, and sailed through a couple MOT's in my 20 months ownership.

I have t owned the Merc or BMW though, but figured they were close to the competition of the A8.

A mate of mine has a b5 S4 too, and he does spend a fortune on it. But that is more because he is doing a B5 Saloon in WB RS4 spec (so RS4 turbos and other engine components, and genuine RS4 body kit). Other than that, he only really spends money on servicing.

The trick is buying a good one I guess.
 
Remember kids, if xs2man hasn't personally experienced an issue with a car he's owned it means nobody ever does and the risk doesn't matter. He got lucky with an S4 years ago so that means 15 year old ones today are a perfect buy.

Which is how we get Twin Turbo V6 S4's recommended to somebody who is on such a tight budget they narrowed it down to £2800 when all they really wanted was something that was a bit nippier than 8 seconds to 60 rather than bonkers fast.

He'll never back down, he'll never get why everyone else disagrees.

Might as well just give up until the next time, which will probably be a BMW 330d Auto recommendation to somebody who wants a cheap to run car for £1300 tops.

old S4's, V8 S Class Mercs etc are for people who have a pile of cash to blow on a cool iconic performance car from another decade to mess about with. Not for people seeking a primary method of transport on a tight budget.

The reason why this thread is full of people banging the same Mondeo V6 drum or whatever is because compared to something like an S4 they are reasonably simple and not bankrupt inducing to fix and most garages will be happy to work on them.
 
Last edited:
You'd easily get a facelift Leon mk. 1 Cupra for £2800. Hell I paid £2995 for my 54 plate three years ago on 67k miles. You might even get a Cupra R for that. I can get around 32-35 MPG from a tank of super but I do fairly long runs and not much in town driving.
 
[TW]Fox;29151729 said:
Remember kids, if xs2man hasn't personally experienced an issue with a car he's owned it means nobody ever does and the risk doesn't matter. He got lucky with an S4 years ago so that means 15 year old ones today are a perfect buy.

Which is how we get Twin Turbo V6 S4's recommended to somebody who is on such a tight budget they narrowed it down to £2800 when all they really wanted was something that was a bit nippier than 8 seconds to 60 rather than bonkers fast.

He'll never back down, he'll never get why everyone else disagrees.

Might as well just give up until the next time, which will probably be a BMW 330d Auto recommendation to somebody who wants a cheap to run car for £1300 tops.

old S4's, V8 S Class Mercs etc are for people who have a pile of cash to blow on a cool iconic performance car from another decade to mess about with. Not for people seeking a primary method of transport on a tight budget.

The reason why this thread is full of people banging the same Mondeo V6 drum or whatever is because compared to something like an S4 they are reasonably simple and not bankrupt inducing to fix and most garages will be happy to work on them.
Click to expand...

It's more the perception that huge bills are inevitable when they are not. I can only speak from my experience, not internet rhetoric.

My S4 was still 10 years old when I had it. Far from a new car. And cost me very little to run. Equally I know others who have had similar experiences. I'm sure others haven't had so muck luck, but as I said, I can only speak on my experiences.

My real suggestion was the 4.2 V8 A8 though. That was the car that initially came to mind, and the first one I suggested. Not the twin turbo v6 S4 that everyone seemed to got stuck on.

The OP asked for performance cars. Not hot hatches.

I do get why everyone disagrees. And I do see where they are coming from with at least some of their suggestions. I don't get why my suggestions, which do actually fulfill the OP's original requirements, are so jumped on. The purchase budget is tight, yes. But he did say the maintenance budget is not so.

You are also wrong with the 330d suggestion. At that budget, I'd be recommending a b5.5 Passat all day long. Have done many times before.

Also agree with the LCR suggestion if something more run of the mill is what is wanted. They look good and remap well.
 
xs2man said:
The OP asked for performance cars. Not hot hatches.
Click to expand...

A hot hatch is a performance car, besides, what he actually said was:

I'm looking for a quick(ish) car which isn't tiny that can be had for around 2,800. By quick I'm looking at a sub 8 second 0-60
Click to expand...

Nobody who really wants to take on a twin turbo nutter S4 would ever define 'quick(ish)' as 'sub 8 second 0-60'. They'd know from the off that what they really wanted was far more than that.
 
skyripper said:
E39 540i's are depressingly hitting shed money. Webuyanycar are offering me £975 for mine!

They certainly tick the performance and comfort boxes, but unless the OP has a war-chest for spares, repairs and "random expensive thing" replacement I'd look for something less likely to dig deep holes in the bank.

On the other hand, if you do have a savings wedge to lean on - they make bloody fun motorway rockets.
Click to expand...

I'm the owner of a £1500 530i, had it over a year now and thus far, its not bankrupted me(!)

yes, its got an annoying intermittent power loss issue which I can't find, that said, it seems to have stopped doing it recently, lord knows why!

I've done 11k since having it and its needed discs, pads, a caliper and some engine sensors (chasing above fault) and brake lines for the MOT, it excels on A roads & motorway runs, alas, I rarely do such runs :/

Assuming the OP finds a good one cheap enough he strikes me as the sort who isn't too bothered about fixing things on such a car, I'm sure he appreciates such jobs are inevitible no matter what you buy in this category at this money (give or take!)

He's nearly got twice my purchase price, I'm sure he'll get a better one than mine, that said, I love mine (when its behaving) its never once failed to start nor stranded me,despite the power loss gremlin,it returns ~24MPG and will happily cruise all day on the motorway.

Seems to me to be the perfect option for the OP, look for one advertised at around £2kish, offer £1800 cash, £1k in reserve for the inevitible stupid faults it'll undoubtedly have, job done. :)
 
Last edited:
I agree with Scania, get a nice e39 with decent history and you will have a nice motor for little outlay if you are prepared to do a bit of wrenching on it yourself.

Don't get a w220 S500, its not a money pit, its a money black hole!
 
Scania said:
yes, its got an annoying intermittent power loss issue which I can't find, that said, it seems to have stopped doing it recently, lord knows why!

[...]despite the power loss gremlin
Click to expand...

Sounds like mine. Radio and dash all goes off complete with stalling the engine when at low revs or braking (which often if coasting/slowing comes straight back to life). Just replaced the battery. Ignition switch is also touted as a regular failure point for it, so that's next on my list. Mine had stranded me frequently at roundabouts, junctions etc. but I'll see how the new battery goes. Saying that opening the door and slamming it always brought everything back to life!

When it works, (and most of the time it does) the 5 series is joy to drive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom