cheap "executive" cars

[Major_Grooves]

Seeing as I'm getting sick of riding the bike in Winter, and my job is changing a bit soon, I'd quite like to get a car towards the end of Summer.

Problem is I know nothing about cars so I don't even know what models I should be looking for.

Also, because I know nothing about cars I basically go on looks.

My budget is about £9000. I have 0 NCB on cars so I will probably use one of the few insurance companies that allow you to transfer bike NCB to a car policy.

my number 1 car is a post-2001 Merceded Benz 200/230 SLK in black. I also quite like the MB C class sports couple.

Some other cars I like the styling of include some of the SEATs, the new Honda Civic R type, the new Golf.

Seems I can't afford a lot of what I like the look of.

Seeing as my first problem is not knowing what cars to look at, can anyone make any more recommendations?
____________________
About me|@Major_Grooves|My company|Digg|Flickr

[neatbik]

Skoda Superb? Basically a longer version of an octavia, but lots of toys and very comfy.
Ive driven a lot of mercs and bmw's and im not convinced they are all that 'executive' really, apart from maybe the 7 series and e class.
Another good one is the Audi A8 - comfy, big, all the toys, reliable and not that common either - they also dont have the stigma of BMW's

[iCraig]

Mercedes/BMW these days are dire for quality.

If I were you I'd be looking at a Lexus IS220, or an Audi A4. Both well built, the Lexus has an unblemished reliability record and an air of individuality too. And the Audi is just an Audi, need say no more.

Also on the side of insurance, ecarinsurance do the bike NCB to Car NCB, but are only good in the first year. I did it and come renewal they were higher than insurers just using the 1 years NCB I had in my car, needless to say I've lost 3 years Bike NCB thanks to them!

[Major_Grooves]

[iCraig]

[Robby]

I am ashamed to say that craig is correct about something - Merc did indeed have a bad patch with some quite shocking quality of cars being built, from around 1998 to 2005 ish. Around 2005 they said they would put a lot more work into making cars good again. Its too early to tell if they managed to stop them rusting.

I haven't heard anything bad about BMW though. They do suffer from the "wanker in a BMW" image, but they are also very rewarding cars to drive. More so than the equivalent merc in general.

Audis are good up to a point, then they very quickly stop being economically viable to keep on the road - around the 120-150k mark the front wishbone bushes need replacing. You can't get the bushes on their own, so its a whole double wishbone setup from audi, at around £700 per side. This is on top of everything else that needs sorting on any car between 100-150k.
However, for £9k you'll get a decent, low mileage, A4 or A3. The turbo quattros will tempt you, but your analytical mind will tell you to get a diseasel.

I don't know a lot about Honda civic type R, as for a golf, its a generic hatchback. Binge bought one, from what I can tell he bought a brand new generic hatchback, and I thought he was at least slightly car savvy.

Whatever you do, don't end up with a vauxhall or a rover.

[iCraig]

[Kickstart]

[cagiva gezzer]

[Robby]

I was going to warn against Volvos, but I assumed that the right honourable major wouldn't even consider such a travesty.

No matter how good they may be, its a volvo. It has an advert where the car has to brake for you because the guy behind the wheel is too dozy and stupid to watch the road and leave a reasonable braking distance.

I wasn't aware of BMW having problems with electrical gremlins, but it makes sense. Had to happen to them sooner or later.

I'm trying to think of a car which isn't german, and appeals to me as anything but dull transport. Only thing I'm coming up with is an alfa.

Modern alfas are good, as keith will no doubt tell us shortly. My brother has an alfa GT (with the 1.7 diesel engine, sucker) and he loves it. Had an audi A4 previously, and the alfa is much better.
They depreciate like an alfa too, so a 2 or 3 year old one will represent a decent car for good money, and its pretty.
Wendy will approve. My little chinese girl likes shiny red things, and they all seem fairly similar in viewpoint.

[iCraig]

[trevoriv]

Personally speaking for that money i'd go for a 2005 Celica, a friend of mine got the Premium Red version and it's lovely, granted it's not an SLK but for the money it aint half bad and the Toyota aftersales have been great
____________________
Past: '96 Thundercat, '02 ZX636R (A1P), '58 KTM 690 SM LC4 Current: '06 ZX636R (C6F)
Mudskipper wrote: Someone just has to sig that...

[NSR Mick]

Passat W8.

Leather Seats
Climate Control
Sat Nav
Heated Seats all round
6 CD Changer
Cruise Control
Xenon Headlights
4.0 W8 Engine
6 Speed Box
Walnut trim
Auto Wipers
0-60 5.9 Seconds
Top Speed 155mph (limited)

All yours for between 6 and 8k
____________________
If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[ash t]

What about a Saab?

https://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/SAAB+9-3/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146-236,N-23-240-4294966871-4294967116/advert.action?R=200806303280653&distance=214&postcode=st4+4pj&channel=CARS&make=SAAB&model=9-3&min_pr=&max_pr=9000&max_mileage=
____________________
When You're Starting To Choke, Take Some Pills With Your Coke, Its Hyserical

[Keir]

[NSR Mick]

[Graham88]

Skoda Fabia VRS! About 7k

[NSR Mick]

[Graham88]

Pah, executive is boring

How about the Octavia VRS, very nice interior

[Keir]

[.Chris.]

Rover P6 3500 V8.

https://www.gbclassiccars.co.uk/rover_p6_3500.html

You can get a mint one for less than £5k and acceptable ones for half that, early ones are tax exempt, classic insurance is cheap and if you keep it in good nick it won't depreciate a penny.
____________________
Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[neatbik]

Yeah, i forgot about a lexus. I've driven a few and they are really nice, comfy, very well built and reliable.
You can also get the arse end out nicely on roundabouts

[Major_Grooves]

Thanks! Some good suggestions there.

I had thought about the Alphas as they look like nice cars, but had kind of ruled them out because I assumed they would be unreliable then expensive to service and get parts (being Italian - I still remember my Cagiva!). Are they ok that way?

I am currently leaning towards the MB C-class coupe - mainly because I like the looks :S . I didn't realise their bad patch was so long. I knew that the paintworks were very bad pre-2001 but hoped that was it.

I guess all cars have their problems. Things is, when you look in car forums, people don't rush to log-in and say "hey, my car has had no problems for 2 years", they log-in to tell you what has gone wrong. It certainly can make very negative reading.
____________________
About me|@Major_Grooves|My company|Digg|Flickr

[Robby]

Alfa, not Alpha. Keith won't like it when you get that wrong.

They are as reliable as any other car these days, and servicing is pretty straightforward too. They are meant to have a pretty awful dealer network, but a lot of very dedicated specialists. So you can get it serviced by someone decent, for reasonable money.

You don't need a main dealer service history to maintain a warranty any more either, as long as its done by someone competent (pretty much any garage) using genuine parts. You won't find them honouring any out of warranty goodwill help though.

Give one a test drive, you may rather like it.

The C class coupe is pretty, and being a merc it will hold its value, but I don't know what its like for reliability. However, my dad has a '98 E300TD. It needed a new engine at around 80k/5 years, after the steering column abraded its way through an oil line. No goodwill help from mercedes, despite full merc service history. It's now 9 years old, and has been steadily rusting since it was 7. The anti corrosion warranty is only honoured if you have full merc service history, and it only counts if it has rusted all the way through a panel. I think its an 8 year warranty.
So the cars rust, and the dealers are a shower of shit.

Some good opinions of the lexus IS200/220 here. I've never driven one, but I know Toyota reliability is very good. A bit like the legendary Honda build quality, except its actually real, not just a legend, or myth.

Saabs... My boss has a saab, its done about 90k, is a 99ish model. Had a head gasket done at around 75k, had a new turbo a couple of month ago. The old ones are meant to be tough, I get a feeling that the new ones are just expensive turbocharged vauxhalls.

[Cillit-BANG]

Executive.

We just bought a Lexus LS430 for £5k. It was a £55k luxury car 8 years ago and even now it is pretty special. It has done 120k but it still is genuinly like new. We are talking seriously executive here. Gorgeous leather, electric everything, fridge in back, air-conditioned seats, 5m long. Effortless 4.3L V8 auto is rediculously quiet and quick enough. 0-60 well under 6s and limited to 155.

You also don't see many of them about.

We absolutely love ours and driving is now a joy. The Mark Levinson sound system is unreal, boosted by the living-room type environment you waft around in.

We usually get 28mpg from it which is about the same as the IS200 which my mother in law drives.