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[Markie]

Opinions and recommendations required - based on you having been in one or driven one.

The criteria.....

Got to be BMW 3 series or larger in physical size.

Really want it to be a "Top Marque" Fords, Fiats etc need not apply.

Want at least the MV6 performance & will considor something like a BMW 530d - in fact diesel may be preference.

Will considor lpg.

Budget ideally £8000 - £10000 although will spend more/ less if need be. Mileage and year to fit with this must be under 80k and 2000plated on.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

[TheBoy]

330d goes well, handles OK.  Depends if you can put up with the rest of the driving community thinking your a knob

If the 3.0d is based on the 2.5tds m51 engine, perhaps not a good idea  

[TheBoy]

on subject of 3 series, chap I sit next to has an M3.  Now thats a proper beemer

[Markie]

on subject of 3 series, chap I sit next to has an M3.  Now thats a proper beemer

Now that is a car...   ...part of the reason for the change...

1. Im sick of looking at the door rust on the mv6
2. Im just about to use the car for daily commute...so 10000miles a year

if it wasnt the mileage( and subsequent petrol cost) id be having the m3 or m5.

Guess the alternative is to buy an m5 and a 1.7d corsa for commute  

[TheBoy]

on subject of 3 series, chap I sit next to has an M3.  Now thats a proper beemer

Now that is a car...   ...part of the reason for the change...

1. Im sick of looking at the door rust on the mv6
2. Im just about to use the car for daily commute...so 10000miles a year

if it wasnt the mileage( and subsequent petrol cost) id be having the m3 or m5.

Guess the alternative is to buy an m5 and a 1.7d corsa for commute  

I think someone near you is selling an LPG'd MV6

[Kevin Wood]

Hmm. I reckon a late Omega is your best bet (then again, I would, because it's a decision I fairly recently made myself). You could get one of the last tidy ones for well inside that budget, whereas it'll only get you a fairly rough beemer at the top end of the budget. Why pay double what you have to AND suffer the shame of having "that badge" on the bonnet?

Whilst the latest large diesels are much improved, their prices are holding up strongly, those that give decent performance also have a fair thirst, IME, and with the price of diesel being higher in the first place they don't do that much more than to make up the difference IMO.

If it's going to be a small, gutless runabout a diesel is a no-brainer. If it's going to be more of a barge, get a dual fuel.

Kevin

[Danny]

hmmmmmm am i a step closer to getting those MV6 alloys off you??!

[Markie]

on subject of 3 series, chap I sit next to has an M3.  Now thats a proper beemer

Now that is a car...   ...part of the reason for the change...

1. Im sick of looking at the door rust on the mv6
2. Im just about to use the car for daily commute...so 10000miles a year

if it wasnt the mileage( and subsequent petrol cost) id be having the m3 or m5.

Guess the alternative is to buy an m5 and a 1.7d corsa for commute  

I think someone near you is selling an LPG'd MV6

Aye but mine is newer and less than half the mileage i`d be as well lpg`ing mine....

time for a change. 3 Years with the same (main) car is a record to me and testimony to the MV6 !

[Jay w]

Opinions and recommendations required - based on you having been in one or driven one.

The criteria.....

Got to be BMW 3 series or larger in physical size.

Really want it to be a "Top Marque" Fords, Fiats etc need not apply.

Want at least the MV6 performance & will considor something like a BMW 530d - in fact diesel may be preference.

Will considor lpg.

Budget ideally £8000 - £10000 although will spend more/ less if need be. Mileage and year to fit with this must be under 80k and 2000plated on.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Yes.....but......

Now that is a car...    ...part of the reason for the change...

1. Im sick of looking at the door rust on the mv6
2. Im just about to use the car for daily commute...so 10000miles a year

if it wasnt the mileage( and subsequent petrol cost) id be having the m3 or m5.

Guess the alternative is to buy an m5 and a 1.7d corsa for commute  

This may sound like a really backward suggestion but...........

Why not have the rust on the door done properly, LPG the MV6 and save yourself 6000-8000k?

I do 25,000 in my elite, it is totally reliable, the only issues that areise are through normal wear and tear, it has 150,000 miles on it and in the corperate car park still holds its own.

Plus the depreciation on anything large will be an issue.

[TheBoy]

Hmm. I reckon a late Omega is your best bet (then again, I would, because it's a decision I fairly recently made myself). You could get one of the last tidy ones for well inside that budget, whereas it'll only get you a fairly rough beemer at the top end of the budget. Why pay double what you have to AND suffer the shame of having "that badge" on the bonnet?

Whilst the latest large diesels are much improved, their prices are holding up strongly, those that give decent performance also have a fair thirst, IME, and with the price of diesel being higher in the first place they don't do that much more than to make up the difference IMO.

If it's going to be a small, gutless runabout a diesel is a no-brainer. If it's going to be more of a barge, get a dual fuel.

Kevin

As well as more expensive fuel, you have more expensive servicing

[Paul M]

The M5 is a fantastic car, I've driven one of the old shape ones and it's a car that does it all -- performance, handling, fun to drive, yet it still seats 5 in comfort and has plenty of boot space. Not sure I'd want to use one for commuting though, it's perfectly comfortable and will do the job well, but such a waste and based on the fact it's a similar engine to mine (with extra 0.5L capacity and M treatment like 8 individual throttle bodies) as well as the same gearbox, you're looking at around 18 MPG average.

Personally I'd rather have a shed for the commute, as it's no fun in any car and you don't get the opportunity to use the car properly anyway as it's generally too busy.

PS Any update on that courier mate? Cheers.

[Kevin Wood]

As well as more expensive fuel, you have more expensive servicing

.. and on a car at 10K plus value, that you may be moving on in 3 years or less, I'd be inclined to keep the service history up to date, which means no more popping out for some Semi synth with the TC card.

An Omega is depreciating fast enough that you don't lose out by servicing it yourself.

Kevin

[tunnie]

Jaguar XJR -  4.0 Supercharged V8

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/JAGUAR+XJ/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146,N-23-85-4294963311-4294967071/advert.action?R=200801301134873&distance=53&postcode=nn13+6er&channel=CARS&make=JAGUAR&model=XJ&min_pr=6000&max_pr=9000&max_mileage=

 

[Markie]

okay some good stuff coming out here  

New car doesnt have to be a BMW .....can be anything that meets the opening criteria.


Kevin - ive spent about 9 months looking for that ideal newer 3.2 omega to no avail....i wont spend Roger Budden prices on it..my preference would be a 52 onwards 3.2  

Jay W Paint and LPG, thats also an option i have considorered....but spend months looking for ideal replacement doors or 4 brand new doors to no avail, seems to be that rust on the doors will come back pretty soon unless the doors are replaced. And its an eyesore on all 4 doors ( at the top) I dont want to spend some £1000 - £1200 on a respray for the rust to re appear ( and lets face it if im getting all 4 doors done i may as well get whole car done.

Now if anyone knows where that late model omega is or where there are 4 new doors then were in a different conversation  

[Paul M]

The depreciation is the thing that gets me. If I spend decent money on a car I prefer to buy something a bit more exciting and exclusive, and if you buy wisely it'll hold its value. But hammering on loads of miles by commuting soon scuppers that idea. Hence why a low value car is preferable for such boring journeys as it costs far less in the big picture. Fuel costs are the thing everyone thinks about first, but it's one piece of the overall ownership cost