Well, after years of driving tasty motors, living in London again after a year away has made me realise that there is no point in owning a fast, compromised manual car. I also can't fit my mountain bike easily into the M3 so, it may be time for a change.

I have a number of ideas, but am wondering what you guys think. What I want is a fun to drive, fast estate, preferably an auto for around town, and which I can fit my bike in without taking the front wheel off (ideally). I haven't decided on price yet, but just to make it interesting, lets say, from 2k-8k. That way, at the cheap end, I can get something fun for the weekend too.. I would even consider a fast diesel. Only real requirement is that I don't lose a packet in depreciation, that the car will not take an age to resell, and that it be reliable. Fuel consumption is not a huge problem as it won't do that many miles.

On my list at present:

Audi A4
BMW 328-540 touring (prev. shapes)
Volvo T5
Legacy GTB/B4
Gallant VR4
Outside option - an Impreza

So, anyone have any opinions on the above, or any other suggestions? Also, if anybody has such a car, and fancies PXing it against an immaculate M3 Evo, let me know .

Thanks all

 

A4 and 3 series are more difficult and expensive to find initially but will sell much easier if you get bored.

 

Not sure about the budget but have you thought of Merc C280 Sport Estate, or Alfa 156 Touring Selespeed (adv of auto during the week and man for the weekend). Also, you could do a lot worse than a Mondeo ST200/220. Spent a week in a ST220 on a memorable skiing holiday - 4 chaps, luggage/snowboards plus beer and groceries all doing nigh on 150 on the autorou... I mean the private road all the way down to Chamonix.

 

BMW 540i ?

These start at about £4000 for a decent one.

4.0 V8 32v
286 Bhp,
295 lb/ft
5 speed adaptive auto or six speed manual
155 mph limited top end
0 - 60: 6.4 seconds (auto)
Standing qtr (auto) 15.3 seconds






Come with M tech suspension, M5 brakes (vented discs front and rear)

Comes with:
Air conditioning (most)
Cruise control
Auto dipping interior mirror
Leather
Immobiliser
Excellent trip computer (including additional switchable keypad immobiliser)
Speed sensitive power steering
Switchable Active stability control (manual)

Loads more


Good fun comfortable fast car.

 

Hi Steve

Yep, that is on my list mate. Could you let me know where I could find a good buyers guide, or other info? I seem to remember that this first incarnation of the V8 (the 4.0 rather than 4.4) suffers from a design flaw. Do you know much about this? Know anybody selling one who fancies an M3 by any chance?

Cheers

Mike

 

Nikasil can occasionally be an issue on these engines, as it was for the 2.0, 2.5 & 2.8 M52 engines produced from 1995 to 1998, but most vehicles that were going to suffer will already have been sorted, as the high silphur fuel that caused the problem was withdrawn over 5 years ago.

Mine has 128,000 on it and is all orginal and runs perfectly.

http://www.bmwe34.net

[Edited by Steve V8 - 10/21/2003 1:59:47 PM]

 

If you want something a bit newer with less miles and not too bothered about image can I suggest an Omega 3.2V6.

A friend has one and it's quick for such a big car, 150mph and all the toys, RWD based on 5 series chassis when Vauxhall and BMW had a tie up in the early 90's. His was two year old with 40000 miles and he paid just over £8k. Not bad to say it was £32k new.
You'll probably have to keep it though.

Lee

 

Saab 9000 Hatch? Not an estate but a fookin big hatch. 2.3 Full Pressure Turbo Auto's are 200BHP as standard. Loads from £2k and upwards. You may just be able to afford a Saab 9-5 2.3 LPT Estate (170BHP ish) for £8k - but not much fun unless you spend a couple of bob on upgrades.

I'd second the BM 540 estate - that one above is gorgeous

Vulvoid T5 Estate?

 

Ooops - you've already mentioned a T5

 

I was wrong about the Saab 9-5 2.3 Auto's too - just found one on Autotrader for £4750.

 

The 5 series and the Omega have no chassis parts in common whatsoever. The Omega is based on a modified Carlton platform.
The only part that was shared from the Omega to the BMW was the six cylinder 2.5 turbo diesel engine which Vauxhall used under contract, albeit in downtuned form,until the contract expired in 2000, . From then on the Omega used the four cylinder 2.2 DTi unit from the Vectra.

 

What about an E-class Merc? Having had a 5-series estate, and evaluated a Volvo T-5 and a scooby, I ended up with an E280, and have never regretted it whatsoever.

K

 

As if the username doesn't give it away

Not sure the BG versions are triptronic, but the B4 is.

All will be Jap spec.

HTH

Mark

 

Steve - quite like the look of a 540i tourer as fancy flogging the scoob and sticking some cash away.... any other info on them - do they all come with the M5 suspension and brakes? Is aircon an option on all - are all the tourers auto? Any other thoughts/tips/good sites...had a look on the web, but apart from the e34.net not much info around about them...
cheers
Jon

 

It doesn't have M5 suspension, but it does have M-tech sports suspension.
Most are autos, & a/c & leather became standard from MY94 onwards.
Great cars if the engine is ok. If the car u're looking has had a new block on or after 1997, then it should not suffer from Nikasil wear, as BMW changed to Alusil on all their M60 blocks then.
If the car is still on it's original engine, & runs fine (as well as passing BMW's leakdown test), then it's likely it won't suffer from wear in the future either. This is cos Sulphur content in fuel nowadays have drastically reduced, & it seems that not many cars with M60 engine suffered from bore wear in mainland Europe, where Sulphur is always low.

 

BG Legacies does not have tiptronic.

 

As above really. Leather was standard on 540's from 1992 with a no cost delete option.
Most 540's are automatic, but in late 1994 the six speed manual from the 840 became an option. Both boxes are good, horses for courses really. (The auto from late 1994 was the adaptive unit like mine which learns how you are driving. It holds on to gears if you suddenly let off the throttle while cornering hard and changes down it it detects the car is running away, such as brakes on; car not slowing down, it will downchange. The pre 1994 ones had a standard 5 speed unit. The way to tell is adaptive ones have A & S on the button by the gearstick; the earlier ones M & S.)

One thing; if it has the double sunroof as fitted to some make sure it works perfectly, as these are very expensive to fix if they go wrong. (Mine has no sunroof.)

There are two types of A/C: normal air con and climate control. Was an option on all cars, but was fitted to the vast majority. If it doesn't have it either walk away, or knock the price down.

 

As mentioned the double sun roof is a major problem (and a very stupid idea)..When they go it costs a looooooot of money

 

I would go for the Galant VR4
Then I would bias opinion

fast and very comfy
I have the estate version (Legnum)Auto box (Tiptronic)
2500cc V6 twin turbo 280 bhp
Only issue is servicing its every 4500 miles



[Edited by Nicks VR4 - 10/23/2003 7:39:22 PM]

 

540i is the mutts danglies, very torquey motor but it's gonna be heavy on the juice if your right foot is made of lead

 

what - unlike the scoob?

Av fuel consumption seems to be about 25 mpg - but with all the money I'm saving if I can get one for £6,500k (top price I've seen for a 94/95 tourer) and flogging my '02 I could afford to run it on SUL hand pumped by Fiona Bruce (older totty-tastic BBC newsreader) in a bikini from my own personal gold-plated fuel pump.