What would you choose? Luxo-barge

[Palmers]

Im in the position where fuel economy has no real choice in the car i drive. I have a stable career and will always work around where i live. I have averaged 707 miles a month over the past 12 months. This year only 600.

Im going to be throwing in the towel on my high mile diesel mondeo later this year. It was a temporary car thats ended up with me for 4 years and costs £127 a month to run covering 800 miles @ 35mpg.

Im looking for a luxo barge. I like big comfy cars and big engines.

Im also secretly an A8 guy. Ive owned two 4.2 tdis and a V8 S8. Both very unassuming and understated.

So far ive come across a D3 S8 (2007-2010) or a D4 A8 4.2 tdi (2011+) because of the simple reason i like audis.

Quattro being a big bonus too.

D3: Looks much better than the D4 exterior wise. Good sounding V10. Its an S model so carbon interior and little nichè touches.

D4 4.2 tdi: interior is nicer than the D3. Not saying that the D3 isnt a nice place to be. Lower tax and id say alot better fuel economy with the 8 speed box. Mapped they are 420bhp /950nm i think? It looks like a big A4 though which is a big pitfall imo.

Budget is around 10-15k


I did look at the E60 M5 but i dont like the inside.

I think a decent looking arnage may be stretching the budget. Not a fan of the early ones.

Anyone have any suggestions? Or experience with the D3 S8 or D4 4.2 tdi??

[WonkeyDonkey]

The Lexus LS600h's have always appealed to me as a barge. Especially if you ever get the chance to be driven around as a backseat passenger.

Not sure on the performance but is a V8 coupled with hybrid drive train so should be OK!

[ZX10R NIN]

Budget?

[PrinceRupert]

Left field option, Toyota Century with the v12.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-CENTURY-REDESIGN...

Preferably try and find (or import yourself) one with the wing mirrors and rear curtains ...

[ZX10R NIN]

Two leftfield options:

Hyundai Genesis:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101087...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101158...

Infiniti Q70 H

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010024...

3.7S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010064...

[Lozw86]

BMW 7 series, Mercedes S class, Jag XJ

[occasionalranter]

I also used to be an Audi man. I've had a couple of D3 A8s in the past, as well as similar era A6's. A8 was great in many ways but 2 things bugged me:
- road noise not as suppressed as it should be for the class (see Phaeton, S-class);
- dull lifeless steering.

I switched to BMW at that point, to an F10 535d. Imperial blue, cream leather, adaptive drive, comfort seats. HK stereo that I upgraded with Bavsound components.

Still had that expensive luxo-barge feeling, was at least as nice to drive as the A8's in every way, same level of refinement, but more chuckable when you were in the mood.

G30 5 series would be an even easier transition for an Audi fan, as there are so many xdrive cars around, and they're even more refined and solid feeling, but would be over budget