If I'd ten grand for a luxobarge?

Stheno

Lads,

Down with the OH's parents yesterday, and his Dad announced he's looking for a new car.

Budget: 10k with a bit of flexibility
Mileage he will do per year: Less than 6k miles
Preferences: Big, leather interior, comfortable, black outside with cream leather interior
Must haves: Automatic.

He lives between here and four other countries and until recently was in Ireland three months a year. Circumstances have changed so he will be based here 90% of the time.

To give an idea of his ideal car, in another country he has a 2.5 petrol automatic x type in cherry red.

We'd a browse yesterday and he previously thought it was 2006 the cheaper tax came in. I explained it was 2008 and there is a massive premium on those cars as a result.

So we'd a browse, and looked at, E Class Merc, S class merc, S80 Volvo, IS Lexus, GLS Lexus, CLS Merc and Honda Accord.

Fairly diverse bunch, he saw a CLS and LOVED it and tbh was a bit limited in his thinking.

After a bit of a chat and chewing the fat over price versus tax, he's essentially looking for a luxobarge for less than ten k with a bit of flexibility and willing to take the hit on the yearly tax, the car will be incredibly well looked after (current needs must car is a punto with firestone tyres!)

Any suggestions? There is no rush, so plenty of time to find the right car, his preference is to find a good solid car in Dublin or Cork, with a good history and take it from there.

I know what I'm leaning towards, but I'd love your help guys!

Thanks!

MrDerp

Chrysler 300C? You'll pick up an 06/07 for your money.

Chuck_Norris

MrDerp wrote: »

Chrysler 300C? You'll pick up an 06/07 for your money.

With the Hemi engine?? Now that'd be nice.

Stheno

MrDerp wrote: »

Chrysler 300C? You'll pick up an 06/07 for your money.

You would get a CLS of 2006 vintage if you've time to wait for it, personally I think the 300C is vulgar, didn't even show it to the (for want of a better word) father in law, as he'd recoil at the sight of it.

There are several Lexus GLS 350s in that price range that he loved, to me, the 300C is just ostentation gone mad.

Jimbob 83

06 BMW 520d Msport

Eric Cartman

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3547656

the price is right with everything except the cream interior

Chuck_Norris

A8 or S8? Perhaps a Phaeton? Rare enough down here, but I've seen some cracking examples whilst travelling up North.

Granted, doesn't fit the criteria of Dublin/ Cork, but maybe worth a look?

Eric Cartman

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3501333 id say youd get it for 11 and it has tax for atleast 6 months on it

Right colour and interior trim but €3000 over budget

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Jaguar/Xj/3.5...V8/213227281050810/advert?channel=CARS

Popoutman

S320 diesel with lots of toys, well inside the budget for a 2004/2005 one in good nick?

Stheno

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

06 BMW 520d Msport

No to BMWs from him

Eric Cartman wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3547656

the price is right with everything except the cream interior

Year is wrong must be min. 2006

Chuck_Norris wrote: »

A8 or S8? Perhaps a Phaeton? Rare enough down here, but I've seen some cracking examples whilst travelling up North.

Granted, doesn't fit the criteria of Dublin/ Cork, but maybe worth a look?

Didn't think of either of those, will add to the wishlist.

Eric Cartman wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3501333 id say youd get it for 11 and it has tax for atleast 6 months on it

Wicked mileage, this is a conservative person in their seventies who thinks more than 10k miles per year is excessive

RoverJames wrote: »

Right colour and interior trim but €3000 over budget

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Jaguar/Xj/3.5...V8/213227281050810/advert?channel=CARS

Not right colour or interior for a Jag given his cherry red Jag in another country.

Should I have mentioned this is not an easy search?

I've found five CLSs that match his needs, but there is a reluctance to travel too.

I'm second string here but I'll travel to test the right car

Have to thank you all for your help:)

Chavways

What about a nice old 7 series BMW from the late 90's. Beautiful car with everything you could need.

staker

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3342527

Probably looking for 10k.

I'd prefer an older 730d myself

Jimbob 83

My dream luxobarge is a 850i or 840i tbh

Stheno

staker wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3342527

Probably looking for 10k.

I'd prefer an older 730d myself

This is a man in his seventies, who is looking to treat himself to a car he could never ever afford new, happy to pay high tax and wanting a bit of prestige.

I've sent him this ad, but he has kinda decided he wants me to give a dig out and go with him on test drives etc and do the research

I do think it's what he's looking for but he is wary of private sellers.

staker

Hope I'll be doing the same thing in my seventies,fair play to him!

Best of luck with it and enjoy the testing:D

Stheno

We are under no time pressure at all, which makes it a real pleasure.

He's very much of the mindset that the more he can get for his money regardless of tax, he will take

He's very taken by the V80, GLS 350, and the CLS

bazz26

Lexus GS300:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=13113395917675580

axeox

Would he consider importing from the uk? The choice of cars in that segment is so much bigger than over here. I know the VRT would be a pain in the ass but he could also look at some really nice classics. Possibly fit them with a few modern gizmos and gadgets to improve the reliability.

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/daimler/other-models/jaguar-xj-xj8-3-2-4dr-auto/472484

VRT would be €1278 some car for less than 4k!

http://www.revenue.ie/en/online/vrt-calculator.html

colm_mcm

I'd imagine you'd get jags for less here than in the uk






(woop, 21000 posts)

Alanstrainor

colm_mcm wrote: »

I'd imagine you'd get jags for less here than in the uk






(woop, 21000 posts)

noob

Chuck_Norris

@Bazz. It might be just me man, but the colour matched "Walnut" is horrendous on the interior of that. Looks extremely cheap IMO.

unkel

If he likes a CLS, get him a CLS. Try and get a V8 petrol (CLS500) rather than a V6 (CLS350) though.

You mentioning he reckons a Honda Accord or a Lexus IS are luxobarges made me chuckle though. He must be some character

166man

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3550236



This was a dream car for me when they came out. I really think the styling is just spot on with these cars.

G'won you know you want to...:D

Matt Simis

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

My dream luxobarge is a 850i or 840i tbh

Luxobarges should be big enough to carry people and easy to get in and out of. The E31 is neither of these!

For OP, CLS sounds like a solid bet.

Lex Luthor

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=18413410499886760

Duiske

http://www.cbg.ie/car_detail.aspx?ID=5117448

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3562411(Sold)

A bit of haggling and you should be well able to knock a grand off the price of either of these.

Stallingrad

5.0 litre V12 anyone?

http://www.ultimate7.co.uk/S276%20MCF/S276%20MCF.html

galwaytt

.....I'd imagine someone like OP's buyer wants something he will never have to do anything other than put petrol in. Service it, mind it, certainly.

For this reason I'd be avoiding anything with a plethora of electronics. Unfortunately, BMW's, Audi's, Merc's - one bill - could hammer you.

So, GS300/GS450h, LS430 (even if older), would be a shoe-in, for me. The fact that they'd be even cheaper is an even bigger plus - several year's tax-worth (3yrs + ) in fact...........forget the reg, buy the spec.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Lexus/LS430/4.3-PETR/5113301786291030/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Lexus/LS430/150000-N/2813287831680620/advert?channel=CARS

Tabnabs

S80 lux model, all the extras. A lot of car and the right colour schemes.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3195205

smash

With change... http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/6-Series/645-645C/201228209052709/advert?channel=CARS



*May not be considered a barge

Tea 1000

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Lexus/GS300/EXECUTIV/6813370924724230/advert?channel=CARS
That one has black leather interior, but in general the GS300 will be hard to beat in terms of reliability. In fact, it won't be beaten.
That Volvo S80 posted above is actually a bargain too.
The GS450h are too expensive really, but are also a lot of car for the money, and many of the bigger LS's out there for buttons too, like this:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Lexus/LS430/HIGH-SPE/5613324199790200/advert?channel=CARS&featuredListingClickThru=true
But they're not great looking, and the newer LS is still too dear.

No new Legends on carzone, but this old one seems very clean and small money, will be utterly reliable too:
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Legend/***CLEAR/713234183086300/advert?channel=CARS

I'd be a bit weary of a 6 or 7 year old Merc to be honest, it was really only the last 3 or 4 years that they started to regain their previously lost reliability.

coolisin

The S80 would be a good buy surely, but id agree you cant go too wrong with the lexus with reliability.

Stheno

unkel wrote: »

If he likes a CLS, get him a CLS. Try and get a V8 petrol (CLS500) rather than a V6 (CLS350) though.

You mentioning he reckons a Honda Accord or a Lexus IS are luxobarges made me chuckle though. He must be some character

Thanks guys The CLS and Lexus GS are top of the list.

That was me unkel, I was showing him different options, as initially he was just thinking of the CLS, and I was showing him different cars.

Definitely has a gra for a big big car.

He's a very good owner, and takes extremely good care of his cars.

Definitely some options to suggest here, that Volvo looks great!

Eoin

smash wrote: »

With change... http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/6-Series/645-645C/201228209052709/advert?channel=CARS



*May not be considered a barge

Holy crap, I'd no idea they had gotten so cheap.

Eoin

Eoin wrote: »

Holy crap, I'd no idea they had gotten so cheap.

Was my reaction too when I saw it.

Matt Simis

Eoin wrote: »

Holy crap, I'd no idea they had gotten so cheap.

One car isnt a trend!

unkel

RoverJames wrote: »

Was my reaction too when I saw it.

Yep same here too. Unbelievable car for the money.

Eoin

Matt Simis wrote: »

One car isnt a trend!

It could well start one though. A quick search shows another coupe and a vert going for under 11K.

Stheno

unkel wrote: »

Yep same here too. Unbelievable car for the money.

Same here as well, couldn't believe that!

I do like those cars, but it won't be me buying

I'd happily have that for me, and feck the tax! (If I could afford it!) Is it a case that people can no longer afford to run the bigger engined cars and/or are trying to raise cash? I've noticed a lot of the 2.5l+ cars are languishing for a while before being sold.

Been a great thread, the OH is looking for a new car next year, and takes after his father, and has been drooling at some of the links!

galwaytt

...tbh, whilst being able to afford the car tax is def a factor, there is also a huge 'won't pay' such big tax factor (even if they do have the money...).

You can file it right up there along with the same responses to HH tax, Septic tax, etc etc.