Meaty Cruiser - what is the perfect car sub £25k?
Meaty Cruiser - what is the perfect car sub £25k?
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Discussion

Pommy

Original Poster:

14,462 posts

245 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
I was driving to work today and was wondering what is the absolute perfect everyday car that ticks the following boxes:

- a meaty cruiser - something with serenity of a Lexus LS but the character of a Civic Type R

- sub £25k new or used because very few can afford the typical 5 star EVO car.

- enough space for a family but not so much you're lugging 2000kg around

- Sub 6 sec to 60 pace but MPG you can justify using it all day every day

- economy of a 4 cylinder but the sound of something much bigger

- an interior that's cosseting yet modern and not like an Uber

- running costs of a South Korea with the experience of an Italian



Krikkit

27,932 posts

210 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
What's a "Meaty Cruiser"? Sounds like something you go dogging in...

sherman

15,192 posts

244 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
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A mid size 250 bhp+ estate car should tick most boxes.

Pommy

Original Poster:

14,462 posts

245 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
What's a "Meaty Cruiser"? Sounds like something you go dogging in...
So you can lollop along in something relaxed but need a bit of substance, the meaty substance of big engine and big power.

Liamst

167 posts

144 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
I think most manufacturers make a car designed to do what your asking for.

Probably a 340i would be my choice. I see 320d all day every day so that with more performance but not too much sacrificed in terms of usability.

Easy 30+mpg
Sub 5 to 60
More space than most need.
Not as big or Juicy as an M5 which is probably the ultimate version of what your asking for.

Other options - Audi s4 / s5 although the newer (17+ turbo ones are still just above the budget at about 27/28k i think but are a great all rounder.

c300 / c43
Volvo s40/60

There are alot of options in this bracket.

Ultrafunkula

1,022 posts

134 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
That's pretty much the criteria I was looking at earlier this year. I found the new Focus ST to be all those things and it has not disappointed... The only issue is at £27k it falls slightly outside the price range, but there must be cheaper second hand ones around now.

Edited by Ultrafunkula on Wednesday 14th October 13:00

TheDrownedApe

1,760 posts

85 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
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it does get touted all too often (probably with good reason) but a 330/335D touring is all the car most would ever need

jdizz

403 posts

233 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
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Cupra ST

Martyn76

826 posts

146 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
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Lexus ISF?

Pommy

Original Poster:

14,462 posts

245 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
Some decent suggestions above but ultimately things running an 8 cylinder like the ISF and C63 aren't great for MPG, the Focus and Cupra are still small cylinder count cars with the noise, or rather lack of, to go with it along with interiors that are not exactly cosseting, they're both cars that there really isn't much difference between them and their bottom of the range counterparts and come under the 'like an Uber banner'. They're just not special enough inside, much like most quicker cars derived from the basic models.

Things like the E400 make a lot of sense, as well as the 340 so perhaps the starting point is a 6 cyl?


AlexNJ89

3,202 posts

108 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
This is where my money would be going:

BMW 540i
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010074...

ZX10R NIN

30,502 posts

154 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020
quotequote all
Pommy said:
Some decent suggestions above but ultimately things running an 8 cylinder like the ISF and C63 aren't great for MPG, the Focus and Cupra are still small cylinder count cars with the noise, or rather lack of, to go with it along with interiors that are not exactly cosseting, they're both cars that there really isn't much difference between them and their bottom of the range counterparts and come under the 'like an Uber banner'. They're just not special enough inside, much like most quicker cars derived from the basic models.

Things like the E400 make a lot of sense, as well as the 340 so perhaps the starting point is a 6 cyl?
They also put that engine in the CLS & remember this is the same engine that Mercedes decided to call the C/E43

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009043...

TheAlastair34

369 posts

157 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
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640d

jwilco

335 posts

77 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
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Krikkit said:
What's a "Meaty Cruiser"? Sounds like something you go dogging in...
Lol. Naughty.

Neil1323bolts

1,256 posts

135 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
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Porsche Cayenne diesel , V8 , or re map a 3.0d , fast reliable, handles surprisingly well , luxurious, plenty of space , actually pretty enjoyable to drive , doesn’t feel like a big SUV .

Jazzer77

1,533 posts

223 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
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AlexNJ89 said:
This is where my money would be going:

BMW 540i
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010074...
Great call, nice motor.

ahenners

621 posts

155 months

Thursday 15th October 2020
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530d unless diesel is a major no no, in which case the aforementioned 540i if the economy is acceptable.

Ratae

293 posts

130 months

Friday 16th October 2020
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Lexus IS-F ticks most of those boxes, if the interior isn't too dated

shopper150

1,583 posts

223 months

Saturday 17th October 2020
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AlexNJ89 said:
This is where my money would be going:

BMW 540i
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010074...
Nice car, but the interiors of most BMW's just look so cheap once they are a little aged. Especially in black.