Comfy, reliable mile muncher?

Sobanek

Hey guys... so looks like the time might be coming to sell my totally uneconomical V12 BMW because it looks like I might be changing jobs soon.

Upsides, more money.

Downsides, much much more miles a week.

450 miles a week to be precise.


At 23.5k miles a year, it might be time to go DAYSUL

I'd love to keep the V12, I could buy a 1.0 Polo or something like that, but I cannot take so much pain. After all, a ridiculous econobox is something I'd spend most of the time in.


Sooo... Potentially, I'm looking for a mid-class saloon/estate with up to a 3.0 litre diesel engine. Something that will do 35mpg on the motorway and will cost less than €6,000.

Potential candidates are:
- 2004 BMW E60 525d (remapped these make as much power as the 530d, yet 2.5 tax is there)
- 2004 Mercedes-Benz E270 CDI (these are quite comfy, I like them)
- 2007 Saab 9-3/9-5 1.9 TiD
- 2006 Volvo S60 D5
- 2005 Audi A6 (C6) 3.0 TDI

---

LPG might be acceptable, but I'd rather stick to diesel, come resale time.

PS. LPG on the V12 won't work. The conversion is €3.5k alone.

CountingCrows

Sobanek wrote: »

sell my totally uneconomical V12 BMW

:eek: Any links to pics?

Toyotafanboi

given your criteria, 450 miles a week and wanting to keep above 35mpg, petrol engines are still well within your grasp. i do 600 miles a week in my 190bhp celica, i'd easily do 35mpg across a tank of fuel, takes around 2 tanks a week, between €90-110 a week.

only saying that because your money will probably buy more in a petrol car and given you have a v12 7er, you probably enjoy them.

i mean what would you save petrol vs diesel per week? €20-30?

Sobanek

I'll stick to the V12 for now and worry about the car later on.
There is always the train :pac:

Toyotafanboi

i reckon most of these would tackle 35mpg on a run... reliable, i dunno :P
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz-e-class-kompressor-2003/9193469
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a6-taxed-nct-d/9266429
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-octavia-vrs/9215311
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-320i-e90/9272362

browniepoints

For 23k miles a year I wouldn't swap out a v12 for some four banger even in diesel

BHP comes from explosions in the engine each part of fuel that goes to each cylinder and friction in engine .
A 3 liter four banger has to typically do 2000 RPM to do 120MPH
A 5 liter v8 will often do 120kph at 1200 Rpm
Not sure what v12 will do but it must be on tick over sub 1000RPM at 120KPH

Same amount of explosions per minute but just spread over more cylinders so there is overhead of extra fuel to overcome the friction from three times as many pistons .that overhead is less at steady speeds as the pistons are worked less with so many and the time between each explosion is shorter so better mechanical advantages

so if you go easy on the right foot I suspect you should be easy able to get 15 MPG at steady 120KPH

American BMW V12 owners sites claim they get 25MPG highway at 120KPH

Correct me if I am wrong I know some V12 are in the less than 5MPG particularity the pre 1980s versions and some the V12 BMW say act the idiot can go as low as 5 to 8MPG

if fuel consumption is 15 MPG I calculate in fuel for 24000 miles @1.50 a liter its about 45 cents per mile or slightly less than €11,000 a year and thats worst case
probably on high ways at 120KPH the car will steady speed get 25MPG or cost about 30 cents a mile

Even if you got 35MPG with slightly cheaper diesel @1.40 liter your still going to spend €0.185 cents per mile .
Thats if you get the 35 MPG as many 3 liters diesel automatics I heard of are more like 30MPG and its only manual that gets the 35MPg .

I would run the V12 BMW for few months to see the costs .Hard to beat that kinda car and if you want the best comfort its up there .

Big engine like that isn't stressed so maintenance costs might not be so big per mile as other 4 or 6 bangers working twice as fast for the same work.

Its like many Merc owners who keep their cars say .Yes they paid high to buy it new and 3 liter diesel uses more fuel .However over ten years the car cost the same to run as getting eco car replacing the eco car every few years and the maintenance .In the mean time they got to use a Merc for ten years instead to drive a eco car .
These top end cars often are not so expensive as people think to run if you dont get hit with dreaded electronic gremlins that modern cars have .

A lot depends on what type of road you will drive to get to new work .Motorways should be no problem .Heavy traffic country lanes with lots of stop start will drop the MPG to less than 10 MPG so maybe netter to change car .

Jed

pablo128

Another 7 series perhaps? http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-730d/9365635?offset=1

RyanMGF

Given what you're looking for I think you couldn't really go all that wrong with a 5-Series, E-Class or A6 to be honest. In my experience I found the E270 a bit rough in comparison to the E320 CDI, which imho is a much nicer engine and the tax isn't that much more.

Though those A6 3.0 TDIs when remapped can have close to 300bhp and around 600Nm of torque and they are rather bloody quick... Quattro and all that torque means they will show most things a clean pair of heels from a standing start.