E38 740i/750i vs D2 A8 4.2 vs W140 S500

polan

Shtory lads, well, life's been going pretty well for me so far this year

Got some money saved up, and I wanna buy a different holiday car to replace the Almera, so I've decided it might be time for another luxobarge!

As the title suggests, I'm thinking about one of those three:

- BMW E38 740/750i
- Audi A8 D2 4.2 Quattro
- Mercedes W140 500SE/S500

I already had a 750i, so I kind of know what to expect with these, but since life is short, should I really buy a car that I once have owned?

Which one would be the best to choose for comfy cruising?

These three are all similarly priced.

Nuw

If cruising I'd go with the Merc meself, the S-Class is just something else, and the V8 is just the one to go for. Give it a good test run, I'm pretty certain you'll love it  

Another one that might be nice to look at would the Lexus LS.

polan

I like the way the LS drives, but I'm not a huge fan of its interior unfortunately.

The Merc sure is a wafty cruiser, but I'm having my doubts. This really is an old person's car. I'm only 23 myself :pac:

Nuw

Think of it this way, if you go for the merc, you'll save on insurance which in turn will buy some petrol to get to wherever you wish to go. The auto trans in them is also part of the joy. I reckon, if you can arrange to drive one after the other, on the same day, I'm pretty certain you'll make your mind up in minutes.

Nuw

But I agree, from the outside the 7-series of that era just wins. it's just gorgeous.

bazz26

VW Phaeton v12?

polan

bazz26 wrote: »

VW Phaeton v12?

Nah, it's over budget.

Nuw

Did you get a chance to drive 'em both? If yes, what did you think of the Merc?

landmarkjohn

If you search youtube for "old top gear xxxx" you will find the tests and comparisons for these cars, might help you decide.

For "comfy cruising" the Merc might edge it when new but at this age I would be making the decision on the best ride/condition of the particular car today. Enjoy.

Red Kev

Buy the Merc.

Prices are rising on good W140's, so you can still get one while they are reasonably priced and you stand to make a couple of quid on resale if prices keep going up. Easy to sell on as well.

Prices for the E38 are a bit behind the W140 and the A8 is another bit behind them, so you could feasibly buy the Merc, sell it in a couple of years at no depreciation, then buy the E38, sell it after a couple of years at no depreciation and get the A8.

MojoMaker

Check insurance first - you can't register it in someone else's name and drive it on 3rd party extension, neither can you generally get classic insurance at 23 so definitely worth avoiding future pain of an uninsurable car.

TimeToShine

How in the name of jaysus are you gonna get insured on those wagons at age 23?

Red Kev

TimeToShine wrote: »

How in the name of jaysus are you gonna get insured on those wagons at age 23?

I think Polan leaves the car in Poland and drives in when he's there.

Or maybe I'm confusing him with somebody else.

Nuw

TimeToShine wrote: »

How in the name of jaysus are you gonna get insured on those wagons at age 23?

These cars are actually easier to insure than you think (at least last I checked, 2-3 years ago), as the usual drivers for these cars are very low risk for insurance. These cars (especially the Merc) are actually cheaper to insure than their entry-level diesel equivalent (at least it was to me).

polan

Nuw wrote: »

Did you get a chance to drive 'em both? If yes, what did you think of the Merc?

It was a very comfortable experience in the W140 (albeit an S320). Very quiet and refined.

Red Kev wrote: »

I think Polan leaves the car in Poland and drives in when he's there.

Or maybe I'm confusing him with somebody else.

That is correct.

TimeToShine wrote: »

How in the name of jaysus are you gonna get insured on those wagons at age 23?

I had an E38 750i insured here in my own name at age 21. Switching to an E39 520i was actually more expensive.