Daily driver replacement

[mr.tourette]

Hi Folks, just after a bit of hive mind advice, just last week I lost my beloved e350 to flood water.

I'm looking to replace it potentially with another e class but I'm not having much luck finding something just right and am wondering what other cars I may need to open up to.

Requirements

4 door saloon preferred, wouldn't completely rule out a 2 door coupe if it was spacious enough
diesel engine, I'm used to the 3.0 v6 turbo in the e class and would prefer something along those lines but wouldn't rule out a 4 pot completely if the engine was solid, powerful and refined.
Good reliability
I enjoy wafting in a comfortable and quiet car for my daily hence the big engine e class has been an absolute joy to own, I have the porker for weekend fun so dont need a sports car type daily.
sub £9k preferably sub 90k miles

I did see a 2014 e250 amg sport coupe the other day and thought the engine was actually ok but the ride comfort was compromised a bit by the amg sport package and a 6 series 640d which was rather nice but just ridiculously small in the back

Any suggestions of a car that may fit my criteria appreciated

Cheers

 

[Pondrew]

Audi A4 or A6?

 

[mr.tourette]

Audi A4 or A6?

I guess the a6 is a possibility not sure the a4 is my cup of tea, I've no experience of Audis either so I'm hoping to get real ownership experiences

I've ruled out the jag xf due to reliability concerns but I've no experience of the bmw brand as a daily

 

[Pondrew]

Audi A4 or A6?

I guess the a6 is a possibility not sure the a4 is my cup of tea, I've no experience of Audis either so I'm hoping to get real ownership experiences

I've ruled out the jag xf due to reliability concerns but I've no experience of the bmw brand as a daily

I had a 2013 E class diesel and an 2010 A6 diesel. The Merc was fine, so was the A6. Of the two I preferred the Audi, as the Merc nearly put me in a ditch once! I forgot it was very heavy and not made for B roads.
Audreys are better looking cars IMO and have the best interiors of any.
Horses for courses, depends what you want. Wafty and relaxed; Merc or Audi will do them both easily. Audi have better tech for a given age IME; ie sat nav is more advanced etc.

I have a friend who PXed a 2012 E 350D for a 2016 530D and hated the BM. Wished he had kept the Merc as his requirements (easy comfy relaxed cruiser) didn't suit the BM at all. Worth thinking about.

 

[mr.tourette]

Audi A4 or A6?

I guess the a6 is a possibility not sure the a4 is my cup of tea, I've no experience of Audis either so I'm hoping to get real ownership experiences

I've ruled out the jag xf due to reliability concerns but I've no experience of the bmw brand as a daily

I had a 2013 E class diesel and an 2010 A6 diesel. The Merc was fine, so was the A6. Of the two I preferred the Audi, as the Merc nearly put me in a ditch once! I forgot it was very heavy and not made for B roads.
Audreys are better looking cars IMO and have the best interiors of any.
Horses for courses, depends what you want. Wafty and relaxed; Merc or Audi will do them both easily. Audi have better tech for a given age IME; ie sat nav is more advanced etc.

I have a friend who PXed a 2012 E 350D for a 2016 530D and hated the BM. Wished he had kept the Merc as his requirements (easy comfy relaxed cruiser) didn't suit the BM at all. Worth thinking about.

Yup, finding a nice Merc thats got a full service history at this budget seem to be an issue , so far its seems I'm the only owner of an older e class that services it every year

 

[Pondrew]

Yup, finding a nice Merc thats got a full service history at this budget seem to be an issue , so far its seems I'm the only owner of an older e class that services it every year

Yeah, you don't get much for less than £10k these days.

I had a mate recently looking for a Merc estate for around £7k. He gave up in the end, as all he could find were knackered old nails.

 

[Mr Tidy]

As I've owned BMWs continuously since 2005 I'd be after a 530d, but ideally one without M-Sport suspension to meet the comfy requirement.

My daily is a 2005 330i and it's definitely a comfy relaxed cruiser as it is an SE so only has 17" wheels.

I don't know much about them but might a Jaguar XF fit the bill?

Good luck anyway and let us know what you get!

 

[Pondrew]

There is the 'elephant in the room', of course. Skoda Superb?
Same car as a Passat, but with lower residuals and (apparently) a lot more space inside. Only badge snobbery stands in the way IMO.
Don't think they offered a 6 pot diesel, but the VAG 4 pot diesels must account for about half the cars on the road today, in one guise or another so are very well tested.

I had an Octavia recently, which is a Golf in a frock, and thought it one of the best all round cars I have ever had. It was dirt cheap (leased) and had all the tech of a much more expensive VAG car. I should have bought it when the lease was up. Another regret.

 

[romanone]

Hey there, sorry to hear about your e350. Have you considered looking at the lexus gs range? They're pretty comfy and reliable, might be worth a shot.

 

[Dark Diggler]

Vw Phaeton, my dad had one. Awesome thing.
A quick look says 9k-ish will get you an amazing one that fits your criteria. Half that will get you a good one with a few more miles and less options, don't be put off by "less options" though they come with a massive spec as standard.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/16284980
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410084975430?sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_cars&make=Volkswagen&minimum-mileage=90000&model=Phaeton&page=2&postcode=Bd207ew&fromsra