Motorway cruiser thats economic with a bit of luxury

MrHeisenberg

Hi All,

Looking for some of your advice on choice of car.

Annual mileage is 52000 km and 85% of this is on motorways.

Budget about €7500 but will stretch for the right car.

Want a very comfortable car which is economic around 45mpg.

What is important to me is a good motorway cruiser, automatic would be nice and a bit of technology to keep me interested on long drives.

I had a 2007 BMW 520d with M47 engine and loved it but car got hit and is a write off, is the newer N47 engine that bad or is it just an issue with a very popular car?

Look forward to your advice and thanks in advance.

Wailin

What about a 7 series Hard to get a better motorway cruiser than that, plus no issue with the 3 litre engine as you have with the 2 litre N 47.

Not sure what economy is though, probably late 30's maybe 40mpg at best.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/bmw/7-series/used-2008-bmw-7-series-730d-m-spo-meath-fpa-146041509397679

Idbatterim

there is one thing about a motorway cruiser, my 325ci 2003 is worse than my bros 530i on fuel at motorway speed. Also I bought a S500 yesterday and at 110 kmph it was sitting at 1,500 rpm a fair bit lower than the 325 would be.

Would a 530d be more efficient at motorway speeds than the 520d?

MrHeisenberg

I’d love a 7 series but surely it’d be thirsty. What about an A6 although it is boring to look at ðŸ˜. Jaguar XF is so nice inside but again must be very thirsty. Is the 3 litres in the 5 series ok?

acronym Chilli

Older car than you're looking for, but I've 5k miles done now on a 2004 Audi A6, 1.9tdi. So far it's averaging 5.9 l/100 km or about 48mpg.
Mostly motorway driving ( by km at least). Revs just about 2400 at 120km/h

Idbatterim

52000 a year?!!!! Are you paid for mileage or is it out of your pocket?!

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-s-class-s320-cdi-v6-only-145kms-new-nct/17426794

Very low mileage s class with nct. 6k

MrHeisenberg

Out of my own pocket its my commute to work, 108km each way for say 240 working days approx 52000km.

Ya I like the look of that. What is the real mpg and servicing costs like?

May also be tempted by an A5 or BMW 3 series coupe but what are they like for long drives?

Idbatterim

MrHeisenberg wrote: »

Out of my own pocket its my commute to work, 108km each way for say 240 working days approx 52000km.

Ya I like the look of that. What is the real mpg and servicing costs like?

May also be tempted by an A5 or BMW 3 series coupe but what are they like for long drives?

With the mileage you are doing. I'd be servicing myself.An e92 coupe might be ok, I wouldn't re ommens the e46 coupe for motorway trips. I've just parked mine up. The e92 meant to be more refined...

MrHeisenberg

Yes I'd be willing to carry out oil and filter change but i would say that would be my limit really
So is a 3.0 litre engine more economical on a motorway at 120 km/hr than a 2 litre engine? say a 530D over a 520D

Wailin

MrHeisenberg wrote: »

Yes I'd be willing to carry out oil and filter change but i would say that would be my limit really
So is a 3.0 litre engine more economical on a motorway at 120 km/hr than a 2 litre engine? say a 530D over a 520D

From my experience, no.

Idbatterim

in your case, the mileage is so high and its coming out of your pocket, hmm I dont know. Id be thinking long and hard about it. Id be looking at the cost of keeping something over 4-5 years, totalling the expected costs and going from there...

acronym Chilli

I was asking a similar question on this forum a few months ago. Also 100km each way, though not always 5 days a week so won't hit 50k annually, more like 35k-40k.

Anyway, the advice I got is what led me to the current diesel. I took advice to find a solid VAG car with AWX (1.9TDI 130bhp, 5 spd) diesel engine (Euro III emissions IIRC, so never had a DPF). A6 seemed to offer best used examples with that engine, and comfortable cabin. Spent €1000 on car (2004), €600 on timing belt and first service, €400 on set of tyres.

Time will tell whether it holds up regarding reliability, but if it runs for me then the bit of lost frugality is well offset by dodged depreciation, and it's comfortable to drive. However, there is an element of risk and it took a lot of hunting to find the car I bought.
(I think 166man bought another car I nearly bought (long story, but literally from under my nose... but if I'm right it was him I don't begrudge it as I'd used his time earlier to look at a car he was selling, which I didn't follow through on in the end), and that car also going well for him still)

Idbatterim

yeah the above post is the way to do it. THen in few years when ioniq and new leAf are available on used market and have suffered large depreciation, maybe move to them ...

There is an element of risk to buying any car. When you buy a car for 1k, it's the most risk free motoring you will get. You could have bought nEw with a warranty and lost several thousand the moment you left the forecourt!

acronym Chilli

Idbatterim wrote: »

yeah the above post is the way to do it. THen in few years when ioniq and new leAf are available on used market and have suffered large depreciation, maybe move to them ...

There is an element of risk to buying any car. When you buy a car for 1k, it's the most risk free motoring you will get. You could have bought nEw with a warranty and lost several thousand the moment you left the forecourt!

In fairness, while depreciation is the hidden cost of new, the hidden price of the 1k car is the risk it leaves you stranded, and the time it takes to find a decent 1k car.
That said, I enjoy the bargain hunting at that end of the market, so it's worked for me so far.