Next week I reach what would have been my "Normal Retirement Age" but of course are still obliged to work that little bit longer before accquring our State Pension and I believe the highly coveted Bus Pass.
From my childhood, I have lived with cars, as my Dad owned a garage and one of my brothers became a mechanic.
I enjoyed owning/driving numerous cars, including the Mk 1 RS2000, Mexico, 1600E, Talbot Sunbeam Sport, Hillman Minx and a Ford Popular, which I rolled while on our Honeymoon, just put it back on its wheels and carried on driving!
Of course that was in the days that you could carryout your own DIY, improvements and servicing without the computers shutting the car down.
In later years, I enjoyed driving Audi 4&6, BMW 3&5 Volvo's which were great solid cars and for a short period an EV, but after owning it, decided that a must was a drive to park it while charging.
My current car is a BMW 530D from 2012, which has some incredible options like Night Vision, Rear wheels that steer - Integral Steering, HUD, Adaptive Cruise and lighting.
Now under normal circumstances that would be the finish.
But one item on my "Bucket List" is to own/drive one of the big three luxury cars, to me anyway.
And they are - in alphabetical, Audi A8, BMW Series 7 and Mercedes S Class.
LWB or SWB I am undecided about.
Maximum age 9 years, engine 3-4 litre, diesel or petrol, automatic, spec to include a few extras of course, price range no more than £19,000
My first priorities are comfort, smoothness and as little cabin noise as possible, overall condition.
So, I am seeking members thoughts and for those who have or still own one of these cars their input is very important.
Thank you.
well been the owner of one of your old cars, and still own one 1600E, how about something left field rarer than any two a penny merc or audi :-) a late model Volkswagen Phaeton, you want quiet i seem to recollect the brief from the boss of vw at the time said i dont want any wind noise at 180 ( W12 engine )
3.6 V6 FSI 2010–2015 six speed automatic
4.2 V8 2010–2016 six speed automatic
6.0 W12 2010–2011 five speed automatic
Diesel engines
Model Years Types
3.0 V6 TDI 2010–2016 six speed automatic
I've driven A8s and 7-Series as part of the company fleet, and very much liked them.
The fact that I owned three S-Class models tells you which ones I prefer. I had two CDI models (W221 320 and W222 350) and an S500 (W221 4.7l version). My choice would be the W222 S350d, in SWB form - loads of speed, amazing range, virtually silent at any speed you care to think of.
You should be able to find a 15 plate, well-specced, sub-100k mile S350d for about £15-17k; the hard bit will be finding an SWB version. The LWB is absolutely fine to drive, but parking's a bit more of a pain.
Have to say I don`t share the OPs enthusiasm for a car that size, congested roads and pitifully small car parking spaces make owning something large a pain. 12 years ago I fancied a big car, I`ve always liked Jaguars and considered an XJ6 (Arthur Daley syndrome, I had ambitions to be a watch dealer too) but bought a Jag XF instead, a car I still own. At a tad over 16' it isn`t small, but I really wouldn't want anything bigger or wider.
If I was the OP I`d be tempted to hang on to the current car, my Jag's coming up to 13 years old and it still ticks enough boxes for me.
Why not buy a classic car as a toy instead and keep the present car as an everyday driver? It works for me, a 1970 MGB Roadster with uprated engine is fun on a sunny day and I can take it apart when required, all part of the hobby. OP's got 'previous' with older cars and DIY, maybe a classic is the way to go?
Problem is finding a good classic at sensible money thesedays, and you do have to be prepared to get the tools out on a frequent basis.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Mitch, not really looking at a 4x4 style car, though I did briefly look at the Bentley, but 6 ltr and nearly £700 VED was just too much.
Paul, you did make me smile, as your reply was to be expected, that said in good nature. Though I did look at the XJ as always liked the look of the Sovereign or Supercharger. But they are now getting on and a bit dated, and I am not looking to tinker around with any of the Classic cars. Though the XF, is. certainly worth looking at.
At the moment, I am still able reverse quite well, especially after 20 years driving artics etc and of course the three that I mentioned can be spec with very good cameras and sensors.
Though, I have no doubt that time will come, when anything bigger than a "Bubble Car" for those who are old enough to remember will be too big! LOL
The Phaeton isn’t a 4x4 style car mind. It shares its underpinnings with the original Bentley that came after VW bought them.Originally Posted by Topcat30093
It’s massively over engineered and by all accounts a really smooth drive.
I have a desire to own an S Class before I end up in a wooden box so that'd get my vote here...
Or ride in the box?
I’d go with an S class, it’s just a bit more special than the Audi or BMW IMHO.
There is also the current model Jaguar XJ worth considering or maybe even a Maserati Quatroporte.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the rear seats of these cars being taken to & from the airport a few times a month (in the old days!) and to be honest I think that is the place to be with them, wafted about in comfort to a venue.
I have always been a fan of the 7 out of them all, but I guess I’ve always been a BMW fan vs the others; some of Merc’s interiors since their glory days have been rather tacky for me & I just never felt the Audi love.
None of them are going to be bad cars, at this level of the range, it just doesn’t happen; so go for the one that makes you smile & are most comfortable in.
I had night vision on a company car 5 series of the same generation, it really is awesome! No idea if they still offer it today, or how much more advanced it has become.
There's a lot of truth in this, though for me one of the great things about the S-Class is that, AMG models aside, there's no attempt to be 'sporty', which is not the case with the A8 and 7-Series. As a driver's car, the S-Class isn't as good as the Audi or BMW, if carving through corners is your thing. If, however, doing anything up to 1000 miles in a day and getting out feeling fresh is what you're looking for, the S-Class is the place to be, either as a driver or a passenger.
Once again thanks for all the replies.
My thoughts are S Class, 7 Series than A8.
Now could it be that I have never owned/driven a Mercedes, used to hate where they located the parking brake in the older models.
BMW was always and still advertised as the Drivers Car.
But nowadays I look more towards comfort and a comfortable ride over a Sport Suspension.
Of course threads are boring with out photos, so please show me yours :-)
Of those 3, it would have to be the S Class.
It is the one which sets the benchmark for the others.
Got to be a diesel then?
Not ruled out any of the manufacturers.
Though the S Class is the one that I am looking more at, as it has the smoother ride. The 7 series is a good option as long as it has the air suspension or pro control fitted.
But finding either one which hasn’t been battered. Has not been as easy to find.
I don’t mind the high mileage as these marques tend to have, as long as they have an excellent service history.
So the hunt continues.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by Topcat30093; 17th October 2023 at 06:56. Reason: Correct writing mistake
I am just reaching the 60 mark and decided on one last blast, car wise before I get something that is small and doesn't eat money, Range Rover 2.2SD4 Evoque Dynamic........... go on, you wont regret it, ;-)
"my Dad owned a garage and one of my brothers became a mechanic"
Surely the first bit of advice they would give you is to test drive the big three yourself.
Nothing anyone can say to you online is going to match sitting in the seat of these cars for a few miles each.
Have a look at High Peak Autos on You Tube. He loves expensive cars and recently featured a £1500 S class that took him to Scotland. Some of these cars he may have talked about or had in stock.
https://youtu.be/Vbf6ctYFIhw?si=ch3DpTlaBz5tSPSV
Also has an A8 review
Sensible advice, the width can be a pain in the bum too. I suspect the difference between an e class and s class on refinement is going to be really marginal as the driver. I'd look at a CLS to get something mega refined, but interesting.
Totally agree with you, but reality is there are no many of any of them in Devon, unless you are prepared to travel a hundred or plus miles, which I am happy to do for the right car.
Which would be the best spec E Class?
From research is seems that the car should have Air Body Control, so its ride is similar to the S Class.
Check out the Jaguar XJL Autobiography if you can. I ran one last year, £25k for a 2016 model with circa 30/40k miles on the clock. £100k car when new, immense 3.0tdi, every conceivable luxury you can think of this car has got it. Every review raves about the drive. I absolutely loved the interior. Quilted seats like the Bentleys, heated/cooled seats/steering wheel. Massage seats. TVs in the rear. Electric blinds. A truly luxurious car for dare I say it a fraction of its original price. It would be my shout over the many many S class, 7 series and Audis on the road.
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Great car…terrible engine, cranks made of cheese.
If I have learned anything from your wise posts, it is to avoid anything JLR like the plague.
Seems like you have earned a good life out of the sh1teness of JLR cars. I mean that in a nice way.
Sadly i don't make a penny out of rebuilding 3.0ltr engines, JLR in their wisdom don't sell major engine components in the UK and only the States and Spain. Not only that they've never release technical data so we don't touch them.
However yes good old Land Rover have kept us very busy over the years…..no offence taken.
Seems to get a decent review on the jaguar forums. They seem to think preventative maintenance is a good move in keeping the car roadworthy and I must say I really enjoyed the engine/drive. Albeit I didn’t have it long enough to encounter any issues.
I’d echo this. Years ago I bought a Jag XJR - the one previous to the last model.
I then realised that at the time it was the largest standard car on the UK market. It was slightly longer and wider than an S-Class.
Frankly it was too big for Britain. Multi storey car parks were a bit of a nightmare as it just didn’t have the turning circle to negotiate them - especially if they had a tight entrance. Once parked you could barely get out of the door, and if you had a passenger they had no chance. It was forever getting bumped by other drivers doors as it didn’t leave them adequate room to get out either.
Personally if I were the OP I would go for a physically smaller model but absolute top spec.
So clever my foot fell off.
Same here.
I just sold my M123d as I have had enough of diesel to last a lifetime. I normally go for larger cars (the 1 I consider as a small car) and was looking at a Mondeo-sized car or larger.
Then the Citroén DS3 caught my eye. Nippy, fun, great interior, a complete Tardis - small on the outside, huge space inside (within reason).
I went for the 1.6 naturally aspirated petrol. Did a bit of tuning on it, and now it's a perfect little car. It's zips all over the place, sounds like it's doing 150mph when doing far less, and has everything I need and nothing I don't. Plus it's cheap to own; servicing is simple, mechanicals are simple, and there's space under the bonnet to get to everything.
Done with big, fat, expensive cars for a few years.
Still searching, though missed out on a couple.
Just created a further thread asking whether this advert is a scam.
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