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Post by Humph on Jun 19, 2019 9:15:23 GMT
Just musing really, but I found myself asking the question of myself as to what car I'd go and buy today if I simply had to get one.
If, for some reason, my current main car was no longer available to me, and I just needed a new one, what would it be?
Now, to be clear, fortunately, that is a hypothetical scenario !
However, if it wasn't, what would I be looking for?
In my case, as has been previously well documented, it's a rather narrow field. I'd want a large, spacious, reliable, economical and comfortable vehicle, preferably with an automatic gearbox. I'd not want a sitty uppy thing and an EV wouldn't yet work for me.
So, in my case I'd probably end up with something very similar to what I have. It'd almost certainly be a large diesel estate car.
But, for those of you who have a wider scope of choices, perhaps driven more by your preferences than needs, what would you buy this afternoon, if you simply had to get yourself a car to replace your daily driver, and why?
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Post by dixinormus on Jun 19, 2019 14:46:07 GMT
I’d probably get hold of a demo or ex-rental Corolla or Focus. Ubiquitous, anonymous, big enough and nippy enough. If I had a bit more time and money I think I would hunt down a Civic turbo, and if I were cash-strapped a Kia Rio would do the job I need it to. All pretty boring, but it’s just a tool for work at the end of the day. And at this end of the market they are all more or less the same!
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Post by Humph on Jun 19, 2019 16:29:15 GMT
My shopping list ( even with my own money ) in order of preference would be...
Another E class estate
A BMW 5 series Touring
A Superb estate
An Audi A6 estate
A Mondeo estate
The first two with an auto box, the latter 3 with a manual.
I think I'd be happy with any of those.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 19, 2019 20:59:15 GMT
Of course, if you really needed a car today, you’d struggle to get hold of a worth-a-damn example of any of those. Dodgy cash-in-hand Mondeo from a backstreet lot would be more like it.
I’d have another CLS. I bloody love mine. Off to the Vaucluse next week to give its legs a proper stretch. Little bit of Germany (and Luxembourg, and Belgium) on the way home too.
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Jun 19, 2019 22:24:14 GMT
If we take a bit of trouble in choosing our car (and I enjoy the process), we may reasonably hope to get it right. Like Humph and WDB, I'd have another one of what I've got, i.e. 2.0 petrol Audi Q2.
I like, and try to acheve each time, the combination of mid-sized car and biggish engine. Small enough not to be an embarrassment in our rural Dorset lanes, but fast and comfortable enough for regular trips up and down the undulating A303, and capable of conversion into a good van.
Audis, BMWs and Mercedes are much reviled, usually by people who don't drive them, but the ultimate compliment to these brands is that most of those who do drive them don't wish they were in something else.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2019 8:05:57 GMT
Of course, if you really needed a car today, you’d struggle to get hold of a worth-a-damn example of any of those. Dodgy cash-in-hand Mondeo from a backstreet lot would be more like it. I’d have another CLS. I bloody love mine. Off to the Vaucluse next week to give its legs a proper stretch. Little bit of Germany (and Luxembourg, and Belgium) on the way home too. Remind me again WDB, what model and spec is yours? CLS250 or something? I saw someone with one in a car park the other day, with the boot open, and I must say it looked like quite an awkward opening and compromised load area compared to an E. Don't think I'd be tempted, having a dog with its cage to get in and out every now and again.
I don't think I can answer the original question really, it would depend on which aspect of my life I needed the car for - i.e. my local running about, commuting, school runs etc, or the rarer long range, fully loaded stuff. I suppose If I had to have only one car, it would have to be the latter type, and in those circumstances I'd be in vey much the same boat as Humph, and, despite all my musings in other threads about what I could possibly replace my E with, I'm really not coming up with anything which satisfies so many requirements as the E. I don't really want (italics) an E, it just seems they're the most suitable thing (with a large diesel engine and auto gearbox). What I want is a SAAB 9-5 estate, but they're all too old, too thirsty, or too unreliable and flawed now. I wish they'd stayed in business. I could still be tempted by an absolutely immaculate, fully loaded 9-5 Aero estate, but I know I'd end up regretting it. Or a Tesla Model X. But I can't afford one by a country mile.
In my dreams, I drive a Ferrari FF. But I can't imagine I'd ever really like one in reality.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2019 14:19:17 GMT
I love my E350 and I was only discussing with my FD yesterday the question of should I replace it now it almost eight years old, but has only done 53,500 miles. Decision is to keep it and run it for at least another two years.
However, 99% of my time in the car (not the same as distance) is spent in and around Greater Manchester and I could easily cope with almost anything that was comfortable and reliable. Ideally I would have a 2005 Subaru Forester 2.5XT auto. Fast but not too fast, sort of anonymous but the nod from the cognoscenti, spacious enough for the five of us and the dog for a day trip or to go to the airport (without the dog) and a superb driving position.
If it had to be a new car, I think I might just seriously consider electric as with a winter range of 200 miles I really could do 99% of my driving time without range anxiety.
Daily drivers of course. If it wasn't it would be an ..... Espada III..
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 20, 2019 15:31:28 GMT
Remind me again WDB, what model and spec is yours? CLS250 or something? I saw someone with one in a car park the other day, with the boot open, and I must say it looked like quite an awkward opening and compromised load area compared to an E. Don't think I'd be tempted, having a dog with its cage to get in and out every now and again. It’s a CLS 350 (the CLS 350 gets a space where an E350 or S350 doesn’t.) And it gives away far less in practicality to the E than its looks would suggest — and it’s actually superior in the back seat, provided there’s no sunroof. It wouldn’t have taken the 2.1m teak dining table that I got home in the old E, but that’s one load in seven years of Mercedes ownership. It takes three full-size cricket bags lengthwise, and swallowed our holiday clobber last year without recourse to a roofbox. In fact, the sloping tailgate is an advantage, as it clears the bikes without having to slide them back on their rails. Yes, if you really need to carry wardrobe-shaped objects, you’ll want something boxier. The CLS isn’t for everybody — which is part of what I like about it. 🤠 |
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Jun 20, 2019 18:18:32 GMT
I'd probably get an Audi A5 Sportback (petrol). Although I like the idea of a plugin hybrid still so maybe a Skoda Superb again but the plugin hybrid when available or wait to see if VW make a hybrid Arteon.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 20, 2019 20:00:23 GMT
Incidentally, Vić, let me know if you ever see someone successfully thread a CLS through the chicanes to the pickup area outside Reading station (on the Big Escalators side.) I occasionally collect a person there and the i3 copes fine, but some day it might be multiple persons and all those kerbs would give me the willies in such a wide car. Worse than Marlow Bridge, where at least I get to take them in a straight line.
Perhaps I should ask Road God Humph to do it for me. He’d never damage a wheel against a kerb, would he?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2019 7:51:29 GMT
Incidentally, Vić, let me know if you ever see someone successfully thread a CLS through the chicanes to the pickup area outside Reading station (on the Big Escalators side.) I occasionally collect a person there and the i3 copes fine, but some day it might be multiple persons and all those kerbs would give me the willies in such a wide car. Worse than Marlow Bridge, where at least I get to take them in a straight line. Perhaps I should ask Road God Humph to do it for me. He’d never damage a wheel against a kerb, would he? If you mean the south side of the station near the Rail Air stops, then I never use that. I always collect/drop off on the North side on the ground floor of the main car park. Recommend you use that if you've got doubts. Also, there are drop off bays on the West side which are 'en pleine aire' so to speak, and accessible for vehicles of all sizes. It's always amusing watching Mums in Land Cruisers and the like fretting about the height of the entrance on the North side though. Not a problem for a Lounge Lizard, of course. ;-) |
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Jun 21, 2019 22:20:50 GMT
A local road to us has width restrictions now that a new road to the M60 has been constructed. My car fits fine but when driving down it you do wonder if you'll get a scrape.  Used to get lorries down the road but they are not allowed now.... waiting for one to turn down and find they can no longer get down under the railway bridge which used to mean middle of the road was used. And the new road - causing more congestion than the older local roads.... progress then. Still think I'd get an A5 Sportback 2.0T DSG. Rather get a clapped out car in Greece and live there mind. I saw on t'uther site someone asking what you'd do if you had £175k.... well that's not a lot of money is it. I'd not waste that on cars, holidays, etc. I can already afford those. I'd do something more interesting and life changing. |
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Post by dixinormus on Jun 23, 2019 10:51:01 GMT
Rob’s point strikes a chord with me: a lovely A5 on our crap roads or a cheapo runaround in Greece? The roads in NZ are arguably worse than many in Greece (no EU funding?!) and seeing as I only drive anywhere about 3 days a week and invariably on my own an A5 would be a waste. I really want to like the A2 (like Avant’s) but am just not sure about the Ssangyong Tivoli ripoff styling... And the fact that they are priced around 60% higher than mainstream hatchbacks. Guess I must be getting old 😳
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Jun 23, 2019 16:29:05 GMT
The list price of a Q2 seems expensive, but if you get one on a PCP or leasing deal it's no more expensive then the equivalent Skoda, good as that is. I don't know if that's also the case in NZ.
But if you don't need an SUV, an A3 will do just as well. We were in NZ ten years ago: I don't remember the roads being any worse than in the UK, but the universal 100 kph speed limit was very boring, even in a hired Corolla. But otherwise NZ was wonderful.
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Post by Humph on Jun 23, 2019 17:58:34 GMT
For a few years, we used to fairly regularly go to Cyprus and stayed in a place close to the Akamas peninsula. That is a conservation area, but you can drive into and through it on rough tracks on an off road motorbike or in a 4x4. Wonderful scenery, deserted beaches and unspoilt forest and mountains.
Many of the hire companies won't let you take their vehicles in there as it really is full on rough in places, but we found a local guy who would rent us an old trailie when we had no kids and later, an old, tatty, but mechanically sound, Suzuki Vitara convertible and he wasn't too worried about them getting dirty or the odd ding.
We had the same bike a couple of times, and the same car three times on separate visits.
Some of the best holidays we've ever had. Swimming off empty beaches with turtles etc.
Good days.
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Used to get lorries down the road but they are not allowed now.... waiting for one to turn down and find they can no longer get down under the railway bridge which used to mean middle of the road was used.