Advice/help needed for buying premium car

NutmegGirl

I’m looking for advice from people who know about cars, I have only a superficial interest as does my husband
I’m driving a golf that I changed to a few years back to get two of my children to pass driving test. One has just a few months of “N” driving left and then over summer/autumn I plan to upgrade, back to automatic
I’m not sure yet whether I’ll trade in the golf or keep it for them, one has emigrated so not in the equation and I have my youngest needing to learn in a couple of years so leaning towards keeping it, so there will just be me on insurance of new car
Happy to buy brand new or 1/2 years old if low mileage and got a good deal, would be keeping it for 5/6 years minimum
I’m looking for a estate or SUV as I have a large dog and a large musical
instrument to occasionally carry around , I do mainly city driving with the occasional journey to cork to visit elderly parents, this will become more frequent again when COVID restrictions are lifted, maybe monthly, and the occasional other long journeys, so am assuming diesel wouldn’t be necessary
If I won the lottery I’d love a BMW X5 or VolvoXC90 but it’s just me and my youngest mainly in car so can’t justify either
I had an XC90 and a Lexus R450 when kids were younger, not really bothered about electric/hybrid as would need to know I could drive to Cork immediately if I had to and don’t feel they’re at that stage/range of reliability yet
What I have on shortlist is Volvo XC60/40, V 90, BmwX3 or 5 series estate, Mercedes E class estate or GLC
Read on some motoring column that the XC40 is too expensive for what it is, don’t know if this is true or not
Am I missing anything else, didn’t love the Lexus so not really interested in those, never drove an Audi so I know nothing about them, maybe a Q5
Any help would be greatly appreciated

ELM327

Those "Volvo XC60/40, V 90, BmwX3 or 5 series estate, Mercedes E class estate or GLC " are a very diverse list of cars to have on the same shortlist.

If it were me looking for an SUV I'd prefer an X5 to the equivalent mercedes or volvo. They are all great cars and come to personal brand preference. In non covid times I'd be saying go test drive them all and decide

mickdw

NutmegGirl wrote: »

I’m looking for advice from people who know about cars, I have only a superficial interest as does my husband
I’m driving a golf that I changed to a few years back to get two of my children to pass driving test. One has just a few months of “N” driving left and then over summer/autumn I plan to upgrade, back to automatic
I’m not sure yet whether I’ll trade in the golf or keep it for them, one has emigrated so not in the equation and I have my youngest needing to learn in a couple of years so leaning towards keeping it, so there will just be me on insurance of new car
Happy to buy brand new or 1/2 years old if low mileage and got a good deal, would be keeping it for 5/6 years minimum
I’m looking for a estate or SUV as I have a large dog and a large musical
instrument to occasionally carry around , I do mainly city driving with the occasional journey to cork to visit elderly parents, this will become more frequent again when COVID restrictions are lifted, maybe monthly, and the occasional other long journeys, so am assuming diesel wouldn’t be necessary
If I won the lottery I’d love a BMW X5 or VolvoXC90 but it’s just me and my youngest mainly in car so can’t justify either
I had an XC90 and a Lexus R450 when kids were younger, not really bothered about electric/hybrid as would need to know I could drive to Cork immediately if I had to and don’t feel they’re at that stage/range of reliability yet
What I have on shortlist is Volvo XC60/40, V 90, BmwX3 or 5 series estate, Mercedes E class estate or GLC
Read on some motoring column that the XC40 is too expensive for what it is, don’t know if this is true or not
Am I missing anything else, didn’t love the Lexus so not really interested in those, never drove an Audi so I know nothing about them, maybe a Q5
Any help would be greatly appreciated

What kind is of price range are you thinking will of?
Imo you will get far far more car for your money going the estate car route versus suv.
All these mid sizes suv are overpriced imo for what you get.

NutmegGirl

To be honest, I’m not sure? 40/50k? I was prob going to pick the car then look at the money which prob doesn’t make much sense
Just don’t want to test drive too many, if I had it narrowed down to 1 or 2 but don’t want up miss a better one either
It’ll be most likely the base model I’d pick, I want something with more power than the 1L I have atm but wouldn’t be interested in top of the range 3 or 4L engines or turbo charged anything like that
That’s the kind of info I’m looking for, that the estates are better value, thanks

Buddy Bubs

I'd go BMW/Audi/Merc/Volvo 5 series touring/A6 Avant/E class estate/V90 ahead of the likes of X5, Q5, GLC, XC

All nice cars but you don't need the size and bulk of the SUVs and like for like, spec for spec, they are dearer than estate cars.

Guy in work changed a 2014 A6 Avant for a new Q5 last year and cant fit as much in lengthways, A6 actually has more room even though it doesn't look it

As for which brand, its probably up to you, we all have our favourites, mine is currently Audi followed by Merc then BMW and Volvo but I used to be mad about BMWs and bought 6 in a row and they still have a huge amount of fans around here.
Up to you if you want to go SUV or estate too.....personal preference really, they'll all do a grand job. I could make do with a much smaller cheaper car than I have but I choose not to.

drunkmonkey

Porsche Macan, highly desirable, rock solid resale values, reliable, powerful with great handling.

2015 Porsche Macan
HUGE SPECIFICATION // LOW MILES
€47,950 - 38,500 m / 61,958 km
3.0 Diesel

http://www.carsireland.ie/2735347

Padre_Pio

NutmegGirl wrote: »

To be honest, I’m not sure? 40/50k? I was prob going to pick the car then look at the money which prob doesn’t make much sense
Just don’t want to test drive too many, if I had it narrowed down to 1 or 2 but don’t want up miss a better one either
It’ll be most likely the base model I’d pick, I want something with more power than the 1L I have atm but wouldn’t be interested in top of the range 3 or 4L engines or turbo charged anything like that
That’s the kind of info I’m looking for, that the estates are better value, thanks

If you're spending 50k on a car, why would you buy the base model?

Get a decent spec, leather seats, nice alloys, get the msport spec on a BMW at least. Much better looking and will hold its value better.