What Car <£3k

[richardthestag]

Another one of these boring threads.

My Bro has just about killed his 95 Omega 2.0 estate. It is just about to hit 200k and has plagued him with problems over the last year. Now the ECU has started playing up.

enough is enough he says.

He is looking for a large comfy car, ideally estate must be at least 4 doors (he has 3 young kiddies), he prefers auto.

His budget is £3k maximum, less the better

The car needs to be cheap to insure, service, run.

He likes the idea of a diesel

It has got to be reliable and something that his "man under the arches" can fix for him.

He is angling for another Omega 2.5"BMW" diesel but asked me what else he should be looking at.

Apart from Mondeo / 407 what else can you lot suggest

Thanks

[Vitesse39]

the BMW 5 series is good, maybe the Alfa 156 has a bit more interest about it ?

having a BMW 5 and not liking it much (snore mobile), i'd be very tempted to seriously look at the Alfa

[Pot Bellied Fool]

5 series Touring? Bit heavy on juice around town but silky smooth on the the M-Way. Well built but often short on gadgets. I had a K plate one last year that cost me just over £2k.

How about a Volvo V70/850? Good for the family and they can actually be made to move quickly if you've some ability to read traffic & the road.

Running an 850 on an M at the moment - cost me a mere £800 and I've just saved about £300 by self diagnosing & fixing a little problem (says he smugly).

But any of the ex-fleet exec level motors are likely to be worth a look. Often heavily loaded with goodies, higher quality than the run-of-the-mill models (well, sometimes!) and all the depreciation is long since over & done with. Since they've often got big engines, often understressed yet expensive for Kevin the teenager to insure so quite low forecourt prices.

[richardthestag]

Thanks

How reliable is the alfa likely to be, I have this "mis" conception that they break down all the time.

Like the idea about the 5 series what are parts prices like.

I always said to bro that the Volvo is the ideal car for him but then he threatened never to speak to me again if I mentioned it once more.. More fool him I say

[liszt]

I am biased but I got an LPG converted Range rover Classic for £2750 in April. All the toys, auto, loads of space and can be serviced with a hammer.

Parts are relatively cheap and in good supply.

[richardthestag]

liszt said:

I am biased but I got an LPG converted Range rover Classic for £2750 in April. All the toys, auto, loads of space and can be serviced with a hammer. Parts are relatively cheap and in good supply.

I bought my £2.7k classic in Nov 03 still going strong 25,000 miles later

Kin great car, bro has had one b4 and wants another but he is hopeless with the spanners. Garages take him for a ride thinking he is loaded

How big is your hammer, I just traded my claw hammer in for a 3lb lump hammer

[liszt]

richardthestag said:

liszt said: I am biased but I got an LPG converted Range rover Classic for £2750 in April. All the toys, auto, loads of space and can be serviced with a hammer. Parts are relatively cheap and in good supply. I bought my £2.7k classic in Nov 03 still going strong 25,000 miles later Kin great car, bro has had one b4 and wants another but he is hopeless with the spanners. Garages take him for a ride thinking he is loaded How big is your hammer, I just traded my claw hammer in for a 3lb lump hammer

2lb for a minor service, 4lb for a major.

[Tank Slapper]

Late model Scorpio if you can live with the looks?

My old man has a Cosworth one which is v comfy, but a bit juicy. Diesel version might be OK.