Hi all,
took my '93 BMW 530i lump for a service yesterday, to find out too
many bits are dropping off & it's now beyond economical repair (quoted
around £1200 to put it all right on a car that would be worth c £600
when right - I inspected the issues, and agree that they're BIG issues).
So..... this being the rainy day I've clearly been saving for I
now have a budget of £8k for a replacement. Still sad though, the
lump's a great drive, great refinement.
However there are prerequisites for the new wheels:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?
Must average (much) more than the 23.5 mpg I've been getting out of
the lump over the last 3 years I've owned it!

I've got ideas, sadly nothing particularly exciting as far as
motoring goes, as a result of last nights tinterweb searching, but
thought it might be interesting to see if anyone's got any particular
recommendations.
My SWMBO got excited by 4-year-old Jaguar X-types being down to
£7.5k now - til I pointed her at the fuel economy figures.....

Also, as I've never actually bought a car from a dealer before, if
a forecourt sticker says £8k, what do you think I should actually expect
to get a car for - and would no trade-in be a better bargaining
position?

My apologies if any of this appears like numpty stuff - I'm just a
newbie in this area.

Cheers,
Marlon

Marlon wrote:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?

Does it have to be one vehicle? If not, I'd suggest an old Land Rover
for the towing, leaving you more of a choice when it comes to the car.

Willy Eckerslyke wrote:
Marlon wrote:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?


Does it have to be one vehicle? If not, I'd suggest an old Land Rover
for the towing, leaving you more of a choice when it comes to the car.

Yes it does really - I already have a 1970 VW Karmann Ghia in the garage
for "playtime" really don't think my conscience would square owning
3 cars personally (again!).

Cheers,
Marlon

You could get quite a few at that price - newer BMW perhaps?

Rmember that large cars are being hammered from all sides so are getting
cheaper

Marlon wrote:

Does it have to be one vehicle? If not, I'd suggest an old Land Rover
for the towing, leaving you more of a choice when it comes to the car.

Yes it does really - I already have a 1970 VW Karmann Ghia in the garage
for "playtime" really don't think my conscience would square owning
3 cars personally (again!).

I know the feeling, but must have less will power than you!
Just to make it harder to resist, if you already have one classic, you
can probably add a tax exempt Landy to the same insurance policy for
about 25 quid a year. So an early Series 3 would only cost you an MOT
every year plus the £1000 or so to buy a half decent one.

"Marlon" wrote in message
...
Willy Eckerslyke wrote:
Marlon wrote:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?


Does it have to be one vehicle? If not, I'd suggest an old Land Rover for
the towing, leaving you more of a choice when it comes to the car.

Yes it does really - I already have a 1970 VW Karmann Ghia in the garage
for "playtime" really don't think my conscience would square owning
3 cars personally (again!).


Well don't forget to chuck the 530 on eBay, to be towed away of course, and
someone will come and buy it and drive it away hehe!

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"DanB" wrote in message
...
"Marlon" wrote in message
...
Willy Eckerslyke wrote:
Marlon wrote:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?


Does it have to be one vehicle? If not, I'd suggest an old Land Rover
for the towing, leaving you more of a choice when it comes to the car.

Yes it does really - I already have a 1970 VW Karmann Ghia in the garage
for "playtime" really don't think my conscience would square owning
3 cars personally (again!).


Well don't forget to chuck the 530 on eBay, to be towed away of course,
and someone will come and buy it and drive it away hehe!


Oh and the £8k car, probably some kind of large engined, turbo diesel
estate car - my parents have a 2002 Mondeo Ghia X estate (2.5 V6 petrol) and
it's cavernous inside - and my retreiver has PLENTY of room in the boot :-)
The 130bhp TDCi has plenty of torque as well so would do the job, on
Autotrader a quick glance shows me a 2005, 05 plate 2.0 TDCi Ghia estate,
with FFSH, 43k miles, all the toys like climate/cruise etc for £7,789 from a
place called Blackburn Motor Village. It's a kinda dark red colour.

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"Marlon" wrote in message
...

Hi all,
took my '93 BMW 530i lump for a service yesterday, to find out too
many bits are dropping off & it's now beyond economical repair (quoted
around £1200 to put it all right on a car that would be worth c £600
when right - I inspected the issues, and agree that they're BIG issues).
So..... this being the rainy day I've clearly been saving for I
now have a budget of £8k for a replacement. Still sad though, the
lump's a great drive, great refinement.
However there are prerequisites for the new wheels:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?
Must average (much) more than the 23.5 mpg I've been getting out of
the lump over the last 3 years I've owned it!

I've got ideas, sadly nothing particularly exciting as far as
motoring goes, as a result of last nights tinterweb searching, but
thought it might be interesting to see if anyone's got any particular
recommendations.
My SWMBO got excited by 4-year-old Jaguar X-types being down to
£7.5k now - til I pointed her at the fuel economy figures.....

Also, as I've never actually bought a car from a dealer before, if
a forecourt sticker says £8k, what do you think I should actually expect
to get a car for - and would no trade-in be a better bargaining
position?

My apologies if any of this appears like numpty stuff - I'm just a
newbie in this area.

5 series estate on LPG. I have a Derv FWD Estate (406). I'd not choose
another over an LPG proper car again. There's **** all chance of anything
that big and FWD handling as far as I can tell.

DanB wrote:

Oh and the £8k car, probably some kind of large engined, turbo diesel
estate car - my parents have a 2002 Mondeo Ghia X estate (2.5 V6 petrol) and
it's cavernous inside - and my retreiver has PLENTY of room in the boot :-)
The 130bhp TDCi has plenty of torque as well so would do the job, on
Autotrader a quick glance shows me a 2005, 05 plate 2.0 TDCi Ghia estate,
with FFSH, 43k miles, all the toys like climate/cruise etc for £7,789 from a
place called Blackburn Motor Village. It's a kinda dark red colour.

Isn't that likely to be worth about 50p in a couple of years time?

In message , Willy Eckerslyke
writes
DanB wrote:

Oh and the £8k car, probably some kind of large engined, turbo
diesel estate car - my parents have a 2002 Mondeo Ghia X estate (2.5
V6 petrol) and it's cavernous inside - and my retreiver has PLENTY of
room in the boot :-) The 130bhp TDCi has plenty of torque as well so
would do the job, on Autotrader a quick glance shows me a 2005, 05
plate 2.0 TDCi Ghia estate, with FFSH, 43k miles, all the toys like
climate/cruise etc for £7,789 from a place called Blackburn Motor
Village. It's a kinda dark red colour.

Isn't that likely to be worth about 50p in a couple of years time?

Not really. Its probably about 40% of its original list price so someone
else has taken the big depreciation hit already. Besides, the OP's
current car is a 93 plate which would indicate that he may keep his new
car a long time. Depreciation might not be his prime concern.

--
Paul Giverin

British Jet Engine Website:- www.britjet.co.uk

My photos:- www.pbase.com/vendee