New family car - what to try next?

[RSTurbo50]

Iv had diesel cars on and off for years. Don’t believe all the negativity that they are unreliable. Sure if you hardly use them and do seriously low mileage I.e. a round trip to the shops maybe a few days a week then I guess the DPF will clog up but if they are used as they should, as in used daily and given a decent run then I’d struggle to see why you’d have many issues unless the car was a dog in the first place. I’d go as far as saying my petrol cars have been more unreliable over the years….

 

[6cyl]

C220d (or E220d) would be a safe and sensible choice.
I've had one in the past, but in the naughtier 350d guise.
Doesn't tick the excitement box though.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Iv had diesel cars on and off for years. Don’t believe all the negativity that they are unreliable. Sure if you hardly use them and do seriously low mileage I.e. a round trip to the shops maybe a few days a week then I guess the DPF will clog up but if they are used as they should, as in used daily and given a decent run then I’d struggle to see why you’d have many issues unless the car was a dog in the first place. I’d go as far as saying my petrol cars have been more unreliable over the years….

If you had older dervs without AdBlue I'd probably agree.....but the new ones with it (mostly required to be Euro 6 or ULEZ compliant) are very poor reliability wise.....a quick search of this very forum will brings up dozens of AdBlue issues.....mostly very expensive ones too!....and it seems much the same whatever marque of car you look at. My current Euro 5 AdBlue free derv will be my last.........well to be fair, apart from my Grand Cherokee, it was my first two....out of about 35 to 40 cars!!! It has been super reliable and never let me down.......

 

[philnewmerc]

Just got myself a 65 plate C250d estate, does the lot.
Euro 6
£30 tax per year
17in wheel and comfy ride
Bags of room
Looks the part
£14k a snip
View attachment 143120

It is lovely, but the canal boat engine spoils the ambiance (joke! I like it)... but it is same for so many cars these days. Neighbour has a lovely Stelvio, looks a million dollars, then he starts it up and it sounds like he's going to have to wind the lock gates open before he leaves.

 

[BTB 500]

Iv had diesel cars on and off for years. Don’t believe all the negativity that they are unreliable. Sure if you hardly use them and do seriously low mileage I.e. a round trip to the shops maybe a few days a week then I guess the DPF will clog up but if they are used as they should, as in used daily and given a decent run then I’d struggle to see why you’d have many issues unless the car was a dog in the first place. I’d go as far as saying my petrol cars have been more unreliable over the years….

We had a 1996 Audi A4 TDi which was super reliable.

Our 2007 Vito (bought new and covering just under 10k miles per year) hasn't been. We've never had any issues with the DPF clogging as it doesn't get used for many short trips, but it's broken down (well, typically gone into limp mode) more often than any vehicle I've owned in 45 years of driving. Crankshaft position sensor, DPF pressure sensor, DPF temperature sensor, mass airflow sensor, EGR valve, fuel pressure sensor, delaminated exhaust manifolds leading to trashed turbo, countless glowplugs (those started failing at 38k miles), glowplug relay, glowplug circuit 'mega fuse', probably other things I've forgotten. Many of those are common issues among diesel owners here.

And that's a less complex EU4, without AdBlue. I wouldn't buy another diesel by choice (unfortunately there's no other realistic option for vans).

 

[Headhurts]

Go wild.......and live on the edge (at least as far as reliability and running cost are concerned!!). This makes a sound that makes an AMG 4.0 TT sound like an EV! Four seat and a decent boot too.


View attachment 143095

I blooming love these and very nearly purchased one a while ago but the niggles of reliability put me off and I do regret it now, I sometimes wish I was not so risk averse.

Robin

 

[ALFAitalia]

....and they have dropped the orchestral V8 for 2024.....just a blown V6.....

 

[6cyl]

Just a quick update on this thread.
I haven't pulled the trigger yet on the replacement. My 2009 CLS is still comfortable and working well, albeit the computer thinks the airmatic pump is slow (I'd renewed the compressor with a new piston ring, cleaned, lubed and dried the desiccant).

Used ICE car prices are still over-inflated IMO, from the rush out of EURO4/5 cars around London and other clean air zones. I'm a little wary of the reliability of modern E6 diesels, with the double whammy of inflated prices it doesn't make them particularly good value.

So what am I going to do?
Sit and monitor the market, as long as my current steed works, I'm not that inclined to change it, unless I come across a stonking deal.

What's in the running?
S212/213 E class estate
X218 CLS shooting brake
Some wild card ...

 

[JHS]

Some wild card ...

Honda Civic 1.6 d. EX. Or a 1.5 Prestige if you want petrol.
I will be upgrading to one of these next year.

 

[6cyl]

Some wild card ...

Honda Civic 1.6 d. EX. Or a 1.5 Prestige if you want petrol.
I will be upgrading to one of these next year.

Not so fanciful - I did have a Honda Legend years ago. Lovely car.

 

[jdrrco]

Just a quick update on this thread.
I haven't pulled the trigger yet on the replacement. My 2009 CLS is still comfortable and working well, albeit the computer thinks the airmatic pump is slow (I'd renewed the compressor with a new piston ring, cleaned, lubed and dried the desiccant).

Used ICE car prices are still over-inflated IMO, from the rush out of EURO4/5 cars around London and other clean air zones. I'm a little wary of the reliability of modern E6 diesels, with the double whammy of inflated prices it doesn't make them particularly good value.

So what am I going to do?
Sit and monitor the market, as long as my current steed works, I'm not that inclined to change it, unless I come across a stonking deal.

What's in the running?
S212/213 E class estate
X218 CLS shooting brake
Some wild card ...

Hold out for the right car. It took me months of daily searching until my CLS500SB appeared amd it was so worth the wait. If I'd settled for something else in the meantime and missed it, I'd have been gutted.

 

[6cyl]

Hold out for the right car. It took me months of daily searching until my CLS500SB appeared amd it was so worth the wait. If I'd settled for something else in the meantime and missed it, I'd have been gutted.

Absolutely.
Wait - I didn't even know MB made a CLS500 SB. That'll be interesting.
Care to share some details/info jdrrco?

 

[6cyl]

Found this video on YT
That boot floor, wow!
400ps V8, I like it very much.

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[jdrrco]

Absolutely.
Wait - I didn't even know MB made a CLS500 SB. That'll be interesting.
Care to share some details/info jdrrco?

This one is mine. Don't get too excited, though. There were only two sold in the UK, both originally registered to MB at Milton Keynes as staff cars.

That does mean there's one other out there somewhere...

https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/media/albums/the-beast.1217/

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I can’t remember whether you mentioned having an aversion to SUVs, but if you don’t, and you still fancy a V8 and/or an AMG, then the ML 63, GLE 63 or GLS 63 would be worth considering.

They are excellent do-everything cars for families, but they are Marmite though, as some people simply can’t stand the idea of an SUV, and some think that the idea of a fast SUV is even worse!

 

[6cyl]

jdrrco - that is splendid sir, beautiful colour too. To me it makes more sense than the 5.5 with the two windmills.
Reminds me of Goldilocks and the three bears.

Only two registered in the UK? and you have one of them.
There is one is Australia, but the colour is rather boring.

 

[6cyl]

Bobby Dazzler - I'm not a fan of towering 4 x 4 or SUVs, can't see the sport in them and I'd rather not clog up the roads with one. If I was more partial to them, I'd have many more cars to choose from. If I lived on a farm or towed trailers, then I'd consider one.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Bobby Dazzler - I'm not a fan of towering 4 x 4 or SUVs, can't see the sport in them and I'd rather not clog up the roads with one. If I was more partial to them, I'd have many more cars to choose from. If I lived on a farm or towed trailers, then I'd consider one.

I suspected that might be the case as there were none in your initial list. SUVs and especially very fast SUVs are very Marmite, personally I wouldn’t have one.

 

[jdrrco]

Have you seen this?

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www.autotrader.co.uk

 

[6cyl]

No I hadn't, thanks for letting me know.
That does look nice, beautiful colour, quite well specced with premium plus. Would benefit from the petrol V8, though it is an E6 car.