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[Doctor Gollum]

Considering a possible estate purchase... criteria are pretty simple and whilst I would consider newer, I would prefer pre '06, so upto '55, to avoid the car tax rip off... Budget is a hypothetical £7k.

Criteria:

1. Petrol ideally.
2. Of reasonable size, so no small family estates.
3. Leather would be nice.
4. Xenons.
5. Nav and Bluetooth.
5. Modest mileage for age, minimal previous owners.
6. 6+ cylinders.
7. Not a VAG product.
8. Needs to be durable.

My shortlist thus far consists of the following...

Volvo V70 T5 manual.
BMW E61 5 series, 530i+.
Vectra VXR.
BMW F11 530d manual plod from auction, (admittedly left field )

Any alternatives?

[tigers_gonads]

Omega estate 

[Doctor Gollum]

Omega estate 

Got that T shirt

[STEMO]

Mazda 6 

[Doctor Gollum]

Mazda 6 

No larger engines

[STEMO]

Large enough:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610208968581?onesearchad=Used&model=MAZDA6&make=MAZDA&sort=sponsored&advertising-location=at_cars&body-type=Estate&radius=100&fuel-type=Petrol&postcode=s728dw&page=1

[Doctor Gollum]

Not my cup of tea tbh

Thinking more...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-540i-SPORT-TOURING-AUTO-02-M-sport-bodykit-/142157244180?hash=item21193b6714:g:6ZUAAOSwUEVYC2oO

[Nick W]

How big will the dog be and why does it need a performance car?


Big dogs and nice cars are not a good mix. I would keep the nice car for me, and just have a snotter for carting the dog(and any other large/smelly/dirty stuff) around. If it had been a hatchback your Focus would have been perfect.


This way you get a car you actually want, not one you have compromised on. And having  a spare car that you don't care about can be very useful.

[Doctor Gollum]

Not that big. And I would like one.

In that order

The dog is more of an excuse tbh, but through loading ability would be nice... it's an option on the E39 saloons, and not that popular, so also justifies an estate.

I'm reasonably content with a 25mpg commute, so a late E39 525 tourer would tick most of the boxes, but more go would be nice... 

The two car idea is perfectly fine, but a practical car doesn't have to be a shed... and I don't particularly want to pay twice for everything. I'm biding my time for a weekend toy, (I know what this will be), but would like a nice practical car for everything else.

[JamesV6CDX]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

[Sir Tigger KC]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

Mine too!   

17 years old. 118k  miles.

[JamesV6CDX]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

Mine too!   

17 years old. 118k  miles.

Jealous of the mileage

Jobs worth doing -  swirl flap removal and replace all vacuum hoses Along with EGR removal

[STEMO]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

Mine too!   

17 years old. 118k  miles.

Jealous of the mileage

Jobs worth doing -  swirl flap removal and replace all vacuum hoses Along with EGR removal

My missus had that done last year.

[serek]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

[Doctor Gollum]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

[Sir Tigger KC]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

Mine too!   

17 years old. 118k  miles.

Jealous of the mileage

Jobs worth doing -  swirl flap removal and replace all vacuum hoses Along with EGR removal

My missus had that done last year.

Did it improve her performance? 

[JamesV6CDX]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

Mine too!   

17 years old. 118k  miles.

Jealous of the mileage

Jobs worth doing -  swirl flap removal and replace all vacuum hoses Along with EGR removal

My missus had that done last year.

Did it improve her performance? 

 

[serek]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

was thinking about diesel engines 

[Doctor Gollum]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

was thinking about diesel engines 

Does that include the current 530d?

Spotted this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-530-3-0-530d-SE-Touring-5dr-manual-1-OWNER-EX-POLICE-FSH-/222270896573 mileage is relatively low and price reflects it being a manual...

And figure that direct from auction, it would be well within budget even allowing for fresh interior and tidy up

[Doctor Gollum]

Also, seen this... http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201609207946161?radius=15&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&model=5%20SERIES&sort=price-asc&price-from=500&body-type=Estate&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=rh125ru&page=1

Price needs some work, as it's rather optimistic 

[serek]

I would ring BMW with car reg you planning to buy and check record of it , 9 times of 10 they will be happy to supply info
or visit local bmw dealer
think n57 are less problematic then N47 but they not as good as older one M57 with 231bhp

[Mr Gav]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

was thinking about diesel engines 

Does that include the current 530d?

Spotted this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-530-3-0-530d-SE-Touring-5dr-manual-1-OWNER-EX-POLICE-FSH-/222270896573 mileage is relatively low and price reflects it being a manual...

And figure that direct from auction, it would be well within budget even allowing for fresh interior and tidy up

From the front it looks like the bonnet`s not closed properly as the shut line is quite big but the shut lines down the wing look ok but still big at the front.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

What kind of performance dog do you have (whippet / greyhound / lurcher ?) and how far do you need to transport it ? 

 

[Crazycarzowner]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

was thinking about diesel engines 

Does that include the current 530d?

Spotted this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-530-3-0-530d-SE-Touring-5dr-manual-1-OWNER-EX-POLICE-FSH-/222270896573 mileage is relatively low and price reflects it being a manual...

And figure that direct from auction, it would be well within budget even allowing for fresh interior and tidy up

Sorry Dr Gollum, I would not touch an ex-police BMW 5 series of that year '12 onwards with a barge pole!!!!! The amount of grief we've had with em. Of that year we've had numerous DPF problems costing £1800 each time they have to be replaced (eventually BMW told us not to leave them idling when we were at RTC's, as we used to use run-lock and keep the engine running so the battery wouldn't go flat when all the lights were on) apparently this knackeres the DPF , rear suspension bushes are a yearly service item  clutches are strong in the manuals BUT once up to the 120.000 mark after the quick starts & stops again & again they start to slip. Latest one of ours '61 plate has just had over £10k of new engine fitted to it, why I don't know as its not worth anything near that.

They ARE an awesome car to drive when they are well,  I'll admit that but we've had so many problems with them.

And on a different topic the new 330d's are horrendous!!! 3 of the brand new ones one of which at our nick have engines go BANG at less than 10,000 miles. Been sat in BMW for over 3 months now with technicians scratching their heads as to why 

[biggriffin]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

was thinking about diesel engines 

Does that include the current 530d?

Spotted this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-530-3-0-530d-SE-Touring-5dr-manual-1-OWNER-EX-POLICE-FSH-/222270896573 mileage is relatively low and price reflects it being a manual...

And figure that direct from auction, it would be well within budget even allowing for fresh interior and tidy up

. 

After what Jasonm reports about them, and other regular pilots.

[Doctor Gollum]

Understood Jason 

Surrey's seem to be a bit better, but parts supply can be an issue... Does give me a degree of diagnostic support though

Brother has a '62 F30 335d and has had no issues whatsoever. His commute is about 75 miles each way though...

Albs, I suspect that one needs the front panel tweaking, but still a couple of grand cheaper than auto ones with another 50+K on them

My commute doesn't really warrant a diesel, especially not a DPF equipped one, only 23 miles door to door.

[Lazydocker]

BMW after 07 are crap, one with engine code start with Nxx chain at rear of engine , they just ask for trouble

N62B44 has the chain at the front... same as M62 as near as can tell..

was thinking about diesel engines 

Does that include the current 530d?

Spotted this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-530-3-0-530d-SE-Touring-5dr-manual-1-OWNER-EX-POLICE-FSH-/222270896573 mileage is relatively low and price reflects it being a manual...

And figure that direct from auction, it would be well within budget even allowing for fresh interior and tidy up

Sorry Dr Gollum, I would not touch an ex-police BMW 5 series of that year '12 onwards with a barge pole!!!!! The amount of grief we've had with em. Of that year we've had numerous DPF problems costing £1800 each time they have to be replaced (eventually BMW told us not to leave them idling when we were at RTC's, as we used to use run-lock and keep the engine running so the battery wouldn't go flat when all the lights were on) apparently this knaeckeres the DPF , rear suspension bushes are a yearly service item  clutches are strong in the manuals BUT once up to the 120.000 mark after the quick starts & stops again & again they start to slip. Latest one of ours '61 plate has just had over £10k of new engine fitted to it, why I don't know as its not worth anything near that.

They ARE an awesome car to drive when they are well,  I'll admit that but we've had so many problems with them.

And on a different topic the new 330d's are horrendous!!! 3 of the brand new ones one of which at our nick have engines go BANG at less than 10,000 miles. Been sat in BMW for over 3 months now with technicians scratching their heads as to why 

Not really sure why BMW are so sensitive... All my vans have been DPF equipped and left idling on run-locks to drive the equipment. Only thing I can think of is that they generally got a good hour plus run before and after idling for about an hour

[Andy B]

so a CLS350 estate shooting brake is out of the question ......

[Doctor Gollum]

so a CLS350 estate shooting brake is out of the question ......

Well out of budget, and I would prefer to be able to carry four passengers 

[Rods2]

My e39 530d tourer  is bloody brilliant

17years old 172k miles

Mine too!   

17 years old. 118k  miles.

Jealous of the mileage

Jobs worth doing -  swirl flap removal and replace all vacuum hoses Along with EGR removal

My missus had that done last year.

How is the bed, calico and egr valve removal going, this time?

Don't hold back of any full factual follow thoughts in your replies.

[aaronjb]

Surrey's seem to be a bit better, but parts supply can be an issue... Does give me a degree of diagnostic support though

Maybe the problem in the GMP cars are the loose nuts behind the wheel?

[Viral_Jim]

Not a dissimilar brief to my father's latest car purchase, to replace the C5 rs6 which was a total bag of spanners!

In the end he went with a Saab 9-5 aero - 260bhp, all the toys and could carry 2 lab-sized dogs in comfort. This is 2 cylinders short of your minimum but also half your prospective budget. He also looked at a scooby legacy but loathed the interior. Volvo T5 is nice but the mileages seem to all be akin to a space shuttle.

Manuals also escape the robbing bast@rd £500 tax.

Something like this?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610218997913

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Not a dissimilar brief to my father's latest car purchase, to replace the C5 rs6 which was a total bag of spanners!

In the end he went with a Saab 9-5 aero - 260bhp, all the toys and could carry 2 lab-sized dogs in comfort. This is 2 cylinders short of your minimum but also half your prospective budget. He also looked at a scooby legacy but loathed the interior. Volvo T5 is nice but the mileages seem to all be akin to a space shuttle.

Manuals also escape the robbing bast@rd £500 tax.

Something like this?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610218997913

I do like Saab. I would go for the 2.8 V6 instead though.

Also, before people are allowed to own a Saab they have to prove they are.....

1. An architect.

2. Wear thin metal rim glasses.

3. Live in Stockholm.

I'm not sure Al fits the criteria.

 

[Doctor Gollum]

Not a dissimilar brief to my father's latest car purchase, to replace the C5 rs6 which was a total bag of spanners!

In the end he went with a Saab 9-5 aero - 260bhp, all the toys and could carry 2 lab-sized dogs in comfort. This is 2 cylinders short of your minimum but also half your prospective budget. He also looked at a scooby legacy but loathed the interior. Volvo T5 is nice but the mileages seem to all be akin to a space shuttle.

Manuals also escape the robbing bast@rd £500 tax.

Something like this?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610218997913

I do like Saab. I would go for the 2.8 V6 instead though.

Also, before people are allowed to own a Saab they have to prove they are.....

1. An architect.

2. Wear thin metal rim glasses.

3. Live in Stockholm.

I'm not sure Al fits the criteria.

 

Fear not it's also wwd

The Vectra VXR has a certain hooligan appeal, but gets ruled out as I would quite like to get to work without changing tyres every week

[Sir Tigger KC]

There are some very good deals about with Saab's and a 9-5 Estate was high on my list when I was looking for an estate a few months ago.  I like them because they're kinda different! 

[Viral_Jim]

Fear not it's also wwd

The Vectra VXR has a certain hooligan appeal, but gets ruled out as I would quite like to get to work without changing tyres every week

Very true. 9-3 turbo X are AWD if that interests you - probably too small though. I've always thought the 2.8v6 elite insignia would be a nice sleeper, remap it and you have a VXR insignia without the stupid bling!

There are some very good deals about with Saab's and a 9-5 Estate was high on my list when I was looking for an estate a few months ago.  I like them because they're kinda different! 

Ive had 2 9-5 saloons, very impressed with both. I reckon they're about 50% of the cost of a like for like 5-series, and at least as much car, IMHO.

[hoody]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

[Viral_Jim]

I'll see your daft v8 and raise you the Rover 75 tourer/mg zt-t v8. Rare as hens teeth but meets all your other criteria .

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

Might as well have a badge on the back which reads - "I'm a drug dealer, but not a very successful one". 

[Doctor Gollum]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

Chap at work has a diesel one... likes it, but it's a bit like the Omega... there's always summat broken on it

If I were going American,  then one of theses...

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/vista-cruiser/1764305.html

... has a certain appeal

[Kevin Wood]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

Chap at work has a diesel one... likes it, but it's a bit like the Omega... there's always summat broken on it

If I were going American,  then one of theses...

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/vista-cruiser/1764305.html

... has a certain appeal

It 'ain't a real station wagon unless it's got sticky-back plastic wood on the side.

The single figure MPG might put me off.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

Chap at work has a diesel one... likes it, but it's a bit like the Omega... there's always summat broken on it

If I were going American,  then one of theses...

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/vista-cruiser/1764305.html

... has a certain appeal

It 'ain't a real station wagon unless it's got sticky-back plastic wood on the side.

The single figure MPG might put me off.

Is the Holden Kingswood the Aussie version of that Olds Vista?   

[aaronjb]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

Chap at work has a diesel one... likes it, but it's a bit like the Omega... there's always summat broken on it

If I were going American,  then one of theses...

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/vista-cruiser/1764305.html

... has a certain appeal

Do it.

Do it. Do it. Do it.

The Omega will suddenly seem like the best handling, fastest car in the universe (I know, it already does to TB).. but that is way cooler.

[Nick W]

Chrysler 300c,v8 available,no laughing I quite like the shape

Chap at work has a diesel one... likes it, but it's a bit like the Omega... there's always summat broken on it

If I were going American,  then one of theses...

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/oldsmobile/vista-cruiser/1764305.html

... has a certain appeal

It 'ain't a real station wagon unless it's got sticky-back plastic wood on the side.

The single figure MPG might put me off.

A newer, properly setup carb and some mapped ignition should easily bring it into the high teens/low twenties. It is only a 350 after all

[Kevin Wood]

A newer, properly setup carb and some mapped ignition should easily bring it into the high teens/low twenties. It is only a 350 after all

"Only a 350" said like it's a 998 A series.

I suppose, in American terms, it was!

Probably a good candidate for a megasquirt conversion.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

A newer, properly setup carb and some mapped ignition should easily bring it into the high teens/low twenties. It is only a 350 after all

"Only a 350" said like it's a 998 A series.

I suppose, in American terms, it was!

Probably a good candidate for a megasquirt conversion.

How much is 350 cubic inches in old money?

From memory we have about 60 cubic inches to the litre. So just short of six litres.

[Kevin Wood]

How much is 350 cubic inches in old money?

From memory we have about 60 cubic inches to the litre. So just short of six litres.

Yep, a modest 5.7 Litres.

[TheBoy]

(I know, it already does to TB)

Oi! My name ain't Imber

My problem is one of compromise, as I need a softish, luxury mile muncher, so it'll never be a sports car.

Obviously, if I had the money....    ...that sounds like a great thread starter...

[Lazydocker]

(I know, it already does to TB)

Oi! My name ain't Imber

My problem is one of compromise, as I need a softish, luxury mile muncher, so it'll never be a sports car.

Obviously, if I had the money....    ...that sounds like a great thread starter...

Well... You don't have children so

[aaronjb]

Well... You don't have children so

What do we think TB spends his money on? Other than (re)building garages..

* aaronjb does some significant ducking

[STEMO]

Well... You don't have children so

What do we think TB spends his money on? Other than (re)building garages..

* aaronjb does some significant ducking

Curry and beer and tyres.

[Doctor Gollum]

Well... You don't have children so

What do we think TB spends his money on? Other than (re)building garages..

* aaronjb does some significant ducking

Curry and beer and tyres and brake pads and fuel and man flu remedies

Fixed and in no particular order