Recommend a car for this lady please.

[bpsorrel]

If it didn't need to be a four door and leasing was an option, the E coupe (in petrol or diesel) is a nice car. Has the looks and quality and would be great for long motorway journeys. if not, another nod for the CLS either new on a lease or 320cdi at around 2007 ish..

 

[isleaiw]

With a 102 mile daily commute I can't see how a 3.2 litre engine (diesel or petrol) would make sense.

A diesel car of no more than 2 litres would seem a sensible choice. I'd start by looking at a nicely-specced VW Golf or Ford Focus.

Well I do more business and personal miles than that and my commute is alos all motorway - i tend to do about 800 or so a week (no point saying daily as some days I go both ways, some days only one way as stay over and some days i Work From Home!).

I was running a Volvo S60 2.4D. Great seats but not such good suspension. Did 125k miles in it in 3 and a bit years and it hardly missed a beat. averaged mid 40s in mainly motorway driving.

Swapped it for an E220CDi Estate (S212) - Auto, Avantgarde, 18 inch wheels. Seats not as comfortable but driving position is perfect for me and being an auto means i dont have to worry about a clutch (Volvo was manual). Suspension a great compromise between firm but comfortable so no queasiness but not back breaking. Averaging mid 40s in mostly motorway driving - a bit higher when weather is warmer (only had it since start of Feb so not too much chance to test that!). It was somewhat more than 12k though....

Base don my experience and depending on whether they want manual or auto, I would consider a Volvo but probably the S80. The auto isnt great and badly affects the fuel consumption but other than it is an absolute steal second hand - providing your friend is prepared to drive it in to the ground as residuals are poor.

Other than that, i may go Mondeo diesel if the budget will stretch to a 2.2. If I had a 12k budget doing that mileage, i probably wouldnt be buying a Merc - but that's the accountant in me.

Ian

 

[Charles Morgan]

These threads are entertaining but pointless. The buyer always ends up getting a company car or something completely random "because they liked the colour"

Nick Froome

It keeps us off the streets though...

 

[IanA2]

These threads are entertaining but pointless.

Nick Froome

If they are entertaining then they are not pointless

 

[Martyn_n]

When I had company cars in the past I always said if it was my own money I would get a 2ltr tdci mondeo as it does everything you could possibly want from a car. The previous square shaped ones handled better but the latest ones have a real quality car feel to the ride. Good economy to boot, as well as being rarer than the BMW / Merc alternatives.

As a footnote, when it actually came to spending my own money I went for the 124 so even I don't take my own advice!!

Edit, I forgot about the Alfa 159. Get one of the later ones as they were a completely different car to the first ones off the line. Amazing derv engines and always a real feelgood factor behind the wheel of any alfa.

 

[Howard]

You mean... like an A class?

Is the 168 French ?

 

[Simon_M]

With a 102 mile daily commute I can't see how a 3.2 litre engine (diesel or petrol) would make sense.

Oh, I missed the 102 mile daily commute bit.

Fek that - move house or get another job!

 

[E55BOF]

Almost any Mercedes will be over-priced for what it does (as opposed to how it looks and feels, and how it makes the driver feel...) because of the three-pointed star on the bonnet. If all she wants is a tool to do the job, she doesn't need a Mercedes (or a BMW, for that matter).

If reliability is the main consideration, it would have to be Far Eastern, probably a Lexus (IS250D?).

One out of left field could be a very late low-mileage Saab 9-5 (not 9-3 - too many electrical glitches) diesel auto - a "Dame Edna" diesel Aero auto. They sell for buttons now, so depreciation is not really an issue. They are incredibly well-equippped for the money. The seats are superbly comfortable. The 1.9 diesel (same as Fiat/Alfa/ numerous others) is a good engine, though there WILL be problems with the inlet manifold swirl flaps at some stage. With that much annual mileage, there should no problems with the DPF, and there's no DMF to break on an auto.

 

[m1br]

530d would be ideal, with some toys.
A4 for similar money, lots about.

As its got to be reliable, and shes accepted she will kill it in a couple of years, she would do better leasing.

The new E for 2years is only about £415 inc VAT per month at that mileage.

Steve

 

[Dieselman]

Oh, I missed the 102 mile daily commute bit.

Fek that - move house or get another job!

Oh, you London Boys. You think anything over 5 miles and you'll fall off the edge of the planet.

50 miles each way isn't an unusual distance to commute.

I would go for an E class with a small diesel engine and material seats.

As the mileage will be high, better to get one with a few miles on already, otherwise She will pay a premium for low miles, then kill the residual value. A late car with double or more, average mileage will have dropped like a stone already.

Don't knock French cars. One of our staff did 275,000 miles in a Peugeot...in three years.
I definitely wouldn't go for a Vauxhall, unless She wants to get friendly with a breakdown mechanic.

 

[W2--]

When I had company cars in the past I always said if it was my own money I would get a 2ltr tdci mondeo as it does everything you could possibly want from a car. The previous square shaped ones handled better but the latest ones have a real quality car feel to the ride. Good economy to boot, as well as being rarer than the BMW / Merc alternatives.

As a footnote, when it actually came to spending my own money I went for the 124 so even I don't take my own advice!!

Edit, I forgot about the Alfa 159. Get one of the later ones as they were a completely different car to the first ones off the line. Amazing derv engines and always a real feelgood factor behind the wheel of any alfa.

How could you forget the 159. One of the best looking saloon/estate car around.

This one hits all the requirement!

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifi...-159-jtdm-ti-qtronic-nav-sunroof-bose/1245296

 

[nick mercedes]

You mean... like an A class?

A-class are made in Germany, those funny little smart car things driven by old women and earth huggers are French.

OP's bird should consider a Vauxhall.

 

[nick mercedes]

What car, MB or non MB, would you recommend for her? Please give reasons.


TIA.

One of those cheepo Dacia 1.5 diesel things would be ideal, endless warrenty and you can throw it away afterwards.

 

[Howard]

One of our staff did 275,000 miles in a Peugeot...in three years..

She must have committed a most heinous crime to have a punishment like that.

 

[MOCAŠ]

One of those cheepo Dacia 1.5 diesel things would be ideal, endless warrenty and you can throw it away afterwards.

Taking into account this driver's mileage the warranty would expire after two years, and in any case it doesn't cover wear and tear - of which there'd probably quite a bit in that time.

 

[nick mercedes]

Taking into account this driver's mileage the warranty would expire after two years, and in any case it doesn't cover wear and tear - of which there'd probably quite a bit in that time.

Motorway mileage does cars no harm.

Better something newish and modern for the task, rather than something half worn out.

 

[Dieselman]

She must have committed a most heinous crime to have a punishment like that.

He did. He lived in Scotland.

 

[Dieselman]

A-class are made in Germany, those funny little smart car things driven by old women and earth huggers are French.

I got caught in the traffic jam being caused by one on the A45 the other day.

I couldn't work out whether it was the poor ride quality or the Brabus badge weighed so much is was slowing it down to 45mph on the dual carriageway.

The chap driving it looked way too smug.

 

[E55BOF]

"50 miles each way isn't an unusual distance to commute."

It would be for me...

 

[neilrr]

Well, today we went to BCA so she could look at pretty much everything under one roof.

Looked at W204 diesels, BMW diesels, Volvo diesels & a few Saabs, Hondas & even a couple of French cars.

Ranks of buyers seemed to thin out dramatically as the day wore on. Do any BCA regulars notice prices dropping the later in the day a car is auctioned? The whole place seemed to be running out of interest, energy & punters around 2 pm.