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Car choices...
phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 08:43 PM

So you have a choice between:

Subaru Impreza STi Spec-D - 4 years old, warranty for another year

Another self-owned car.

Or a brand new company car of the following:

Volvo S60 T6

Jaguar XF V6 DS

BMW 335i

BMW 335d

Audi S4

You've just turned 50 with 2 quite tall teenage kids, cover between 50 and 200 miles a day and also have a 'family' 4x4 and small economical runaround.

Discuss

GMPMotorsport - 10/9/10 at 08:51 PM

BMW 335d IMHO

AndyGT - 10/9/10 at 08:55 PM

wanting to say 335i but mpg is the big downer. so another 335d from me.... ....but only because it is RWD and spacious of course for the teenage kids!!!

StevieB - 10/9/10 at 08:56 PM

XF.

Most of my friends have had BM's recently, all new models and all of them have had problems with reliability. Don't believe the hype about their reliability.

I have an S60 (last model). It's a good car, but the D5 is the one to go for not the T6. Both engines will chew through front tyres in no time at all.

Audi is just an over-priced VW for me.

MakeEverything - 10/9/10 at 08:56 PM

Audi S4 please. When shall i expect delivery?

Mark Allanson - 10/9/10 at 08:58 PM

Adam, I know I got it wrong last time about your age, not at school but now at uni - but there is no way you are now 50 - lying toad!

phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 08:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Adam, I know I got it wrong last time about your age, not at school but now at uni - but there is no way you are now 50 - lying toad!


I'm just prepping for future situations Mark! I need to know what car i'll buy when i'm 50 and have two teenage kids

Mark Allanson - 10/9/10 at 09:00 PM

Not for your Dad then? I am 49 and have 2 kids rapidly approaching 30!!!

phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 09:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
XF.

Most of my friends have had BM's recently, all new models and all of them have had problems with reliability. Don't believe the hype about their reliability.

I have an S60 (last model). It's a good car, but the D5 is the one to go for not the T6. Both engines will chew through front tyres in no time at all.

Audi is just an over-priced VW for me.


Already had two D5 V70s, lovely engines. The person's wife is a power addict (hence the current Impreza STi) and the D5 just doesnt cut the mustard

pekwah1 - 10/9/10 at 09:01 PM

335d or the xf for me please!

phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 09:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Not for your Dad then? I am 49 and have 2 kids rapidly approaching 30!!!


Pah, give the game away! Yeh, for dad. Him, my mum and I all have different views of what to do, so I thought i'd consult you guys

pewe - 10/9/10 at 09:03 PM

SAAB 9-5 Saloon or Estate.
Low mileage second-hand ones give you lots of whistles and bells for not much money.
Currently good parts back-up and a fair few specialists.
Diesel options good for long distances - engine basically an Alfa unit and so needs to be driven like you stole it!
Surely own car is now a better option than paying tax on a company car?
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe

SixedUp - 10/9/10 at 09:07 PM

XF or 335d.

The XF will be easier to carry the family in, and more luxurious for longer journeys, while the 335d will be the more overtly sporty. Personally I'd have the XF & wallow in the luxury ... but I can see the case for a thrash in the 335d too.

I'd discount the other company cars on tax and/or fuel costs, and the Subaru seems a bit lowly when compared to the company car options ... but as always, it depends on the final costs vs your preferences.

You've got to drive it :-)

Edit: Ok, turns out it's your dad who has to drive it then!

[Edited on 10/9/2010 by SixedUp]

sonic - 10/9/10 at 09:16 PM

Wouldnt pick the Scooby bought and sold a few including Prodrive 350 Bhp ones and they are over rated to be honest.

BMW 335d would be my choice it would smoke the scooby and just about all the others in the real world,not a big fan of BMW's but that is a cracking engine

phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 09:23 PM

Ok, i'll let you know a bit more of the story. Just wanted to hear a bit of what you guys would do objectively if you were given that choice.

The Impreza is getting to the point where it could need money spending on it (going on the last one) and could start to become unreliable. Currently we're all using the Fiat 500 as much as possible, but my dad's just got a new job which requires him to do a lot more travelling around the country.

The Impreza and Discovery both struggle to get near 30mpg on the motorway at 70mph, and the 500 isn't exactly spacious or luxurious, plus I use it when im at home and my sister will be learning to drive in it pretty soon.

However, my mum likes a bit of power and something a bit interesting. She had an E36 BMW 328i (company car) before and wasnt overly happy with it so hasn't been to keen on beemers since, she did however love her Merc CLK 230k she had for a while. Favourite car so far has been the STi so to persuade her to sell it the car will have to tick all the boxes really.

My dad loves the Jag but my mum doesn't think its sporty enough, so the 335i and S4 appeal. I recon he should give the Volvo a go.

phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 09:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by sonic
Wouldnt pick the Scooby bought and sold a few including Prodrive 350 Bhp ones and they are over rated to be honest.


Impreza is already my mums, and its the 2nd one. If you want and out and out performance car then there are better ones, but as an all rounder no much beats it for the price!

Pitty about the running costs though...

eddie99 - 10/9/10 at 09:32 PM

S4 but thats because i have an s3

phelpsa - 10/9/10 at 09:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
S4 but thats because i have an s3


How in the name of all that's holy did you get insurance on an S3? :O

Have you sold your Puma?

morcus - 11/9/10 at 06:19 AM

Of the specific cars listed, Jag hands down. I know nothing about how company cars work so I couldn't comment on the choice between own car and company car though.

jeffw - 11/9/10 at 06:23 AM

I want to say the XF but the thought of a 4WD supercharged V6 makes me tick the box for a Nogaro Blue Audi S4 Avant with the sports diff. Thanks for buying it Quick remap should see it upto 370-380 BHP and the B8 platform has decent legroom in the back, very nice.

britishtrident - 11/9/10 at 07:21 AM

Has to be the XF it is just so gorgeous ---- OK a lot of it if Ford but who cares with those looks.

Post 1999 BMW seem to use a lot cheap proprietary parts that let them down reliability wise.

With Audi reliability has suffered because they every system so dammed complex.

eddie99 - 11/9/10 at 08:14 AM

quote:
Originally posted by phelpsa
quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
S4 but thats because i have an s3


How in the name of all that's holy did you get insurance on an S3? :O

Have you sold your Puma?


Ahh ha lol, Not yet its still in progress of being sold, i.e. trying to find a buyer...

I needed a tow car you see so we thought an s3 would do the job as well as a bit of fun otherwise

fesycresy - 11/9/10 at 08:15 AM

Looked at an S5 ?

Got to agree with Trident, my 525d hasn't been that good. It had £5k of warranty work just before the 3 year date

I'm just about to look for a new car and the 3 series hasn't much rear leg room with the seat back quite away (i am very tall).

I'm stumped. I've never considered the XF, I think I'll have a look.

Volvorsport - 11/9/10 at 08:18 AM

t6s arent that quick , you can remap the D5 for more poke , its the only one with nice engine sound !!
edit - if its a company car - does the budget stretch to an S80 v8 ?

[Edited on 11/9/10 by Volvorsport]

Stott - 11/9/10 at 09:00 AM

quote:
Originally posted by phelpsa
quote:
Originally posted by eddie99
S4 but thats because i have an s3


How in the name of all that's holy did you get insurance on an S3? :O

Have you sold your Puma?



My 1999 S3 was cheaper to insure than my 2004 Fabia vRS!!!

There's 5 years between them yeah, but the S3 was still worth more.


EDIT: I'd want the 335d for all round ability, but I'm not sure what it would really be like on fuel. I borrowed a 330d sport for a week once when my beemer was in for warranty work and I wore out the rear tyres and averaged 20mpg flat out everywhere in it. Granted that's good for the speed it was going but it still isn't good.

One more thing, the reliability, aren't BMWs statisticly the worst or 2nd worst car on the road according to RAC/AA call out data?

[Edited on 11/9/10 by Stott]

Dangle_kt - 11/9/10 at 09:02 AM

The xf, but check the tax bill first, last time I worked it out on one of them it was... A lot! I am so pleased the nhs doesn't have company cars...

speedyxjs - 11/9/10 at 02:14 PM

You dont really have to ask me