my 'other' car

Hi chaps, this i s driving me a bit insane (sorry for the pun) so I thought I'd turn to you lot to see if you have any ideas…

I do loads of outdoorsy things, so I'm after a spacious car for all my climbing gear, a load of mates, and would occasionally like ot be able to kip in it. I'm 6 foot big and so far have had a cramped night in the back of my old astra estate (never again!) and a Honda Jazz, which wierdly had more room?! I think it's more to do with clever seat-folding than anything else really…

So my question to you is, what estate-luxo-barge should I go try that drives nicely, does plenty mpgs, and has enough room for a kip. Preferably diesel. Also I want to spend 5-6k max.

So far choices seem to be:

Volvo V70 - apparently drives nasty?
Vauxhall Vectra Estate -  shoot me now
Saab 9-5 Estate
MG-T Tourer
Skoda Octavia Estate
VW Passat Estate
Ford Mondeo Estate

Any ideas chaps? Measuring tapes ready….

Dylan

?6k will just about buy you a current shape Vectra Estate (Vectra-C). It is by far the biggest car in your list due to the extended wheelbase over hatch versions so plenty of rear legroom and luggage space. 9-5 is tiny in comparison. Otherwise it would be the Octavia for me but not sure how roomy they are.

None…

I'd keep a look out for a good Volvo 850 T5s preferably in "Plod-terminator" spec….

Massively roomy and motorway plod quick!

The old style vectra's are very thirsty in the larger engines.VERY.

skoda octavia rs all the way dood

audi estate luv em sorry avant try this one

http://atsearch.autotr…l=CARS&id=200716280767652

If you're not too bothered about FWD then Passat, Audi, Skoda, would all be ok. Saab is quite reliable but a bit pricey on certain repair jobs; MG have a couple of reliability (and image?) issues; and Mondeo and Vectra are in a different class, in that they are volume selling cars which are less distinctive. I suppose Skoda and Passat are like that too, to a lesser extent.

My personal preference would be to go RWD and a little bigger, and buy a Mercedes E-Class (W124) estate.

I'd choose a BMW 5-series touring - really nice looking, reliable, quick, diesels are pretty economical and sort of sporty, and I reckon you could just about sleep in it.

They're not as expensive as you might think either…

HTH

Rich

passat or octavia 130 PD exellent car,ive got the passat se estate,ace car mate,good on derv and cooking oil  :wink:
bert

you could buy my passat estate,its a 20vt but regularly gets 40mpg up and down to shows




not with those wheels obv. but for 4000 you get a fsh,subtly modified multi mag featured show winning car that turns heads and goes pretty damn good

getting brand new merc reps (18")in a couple of weeks to sell it with

I can only vouch for cars I've owned and the Passat would be way down my list if you're after a even slightly sporty ride. I had a 1.8T Sport with the lowered suspension and that was still reluctant to go around corners. As for the Volvo, I have an S60 as a family car and it's brilliant. 2.0 T with everything on it. It's discreet and goes through the motorway like a hot knife through butter. Volvo are a well kept secret.

Tian :wink:

vwdeviant said

None…

I'd keep a look out for a good Volvo 850 T5s preferably in "Plod-terminator" spec….

Massively roomy and motorway plod quick!

"Terminator spec"? No such thing mate, police T5`s are the same spec as a standard T5 anyone can buy, save from a different ratio gearbox and diesel running gear and mountings, neither are they chipped played with or anything else you hear about "darn the pub" the cars are fast because the drivers are extremely well trained and use the full potential of the power in a methodical way using the police "system"
 i doubt you will find any ex police 850`s still kicking about, the last ones were fazed out after Y reg and the advent of the V70 which is on its 3rd generation and is a much better car except the turning circle!! which is ****
The Skoda octavia in all forms is a really good car too, heaps of room in the estate and the VRS is basically an Audi TT with a different shell!! they absolutely fly! and for al the police haters 8O  heres one i use on a regular basis :wink:
 

Buy a VW Bay Camper - Tin Top . Get a fast slammed one - with a big sound system..

Easy and cheep to run, Loads of cred, room and you will get a good one for 4k

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wagenswest.com/thumbnails/Slammed%252070bay%2520with%25205%2520inch%2520narrowed%2520beam%25202_jpg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wagenswest.com/oursleds.html&h=75&w=100&sz=3&hl=en&start=23&tbnid=de6_hte9aL12aM:&tbnh=62&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbay%2B%2Bslammed%26start%3D18%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN







 

slightly off topic, but could you explain why the grasshopper had a car park full to the brim with cop cars, the other morning? i'd have bibbed if i knew you were amongst them.

probably an RV point to go off and smash some peoples doors off :wink:  dunno i wasnt there, i was busy dodging missiles and police horses and dogs at Lydd Camp riot training  its great being petrol bombed! it lets you know your alive and 6 x 2 tonne horses running up behind you keeps you on your toes :roll: their brakes arent too good  bit like a mk1 :wink:

I have a 1997 LWB Shogun that i use to tow my RIB and carry all my dive gear around in. The price of the 2.8 TDis are now around the 5k mark, they are super reliable and will go anywhere.

Mine does about 500miles on a tank which is about ?75 to fill.

If you dont mind having a Jap import then the prices are cheaper, but the UK spec Shogun command better prices as the insurance is easier to obtain and cheaper.

hey everybody that's a lot of good advice :notworthy:

I must admit, I do like the idea of a TDI or VRS Octavia Estate, I could really do with finding out how the seats fold down and find out how much length it creates. Topoftherange, can you advise on this?

I've dropped the idea of the Saab and MG, and will still keep my eyes open for a decent deisel or T5 V70.

Also I found out that Modeo Estates  are mega roomy, so could do with having a look at one of those. Any opinions on these? OMG I can't believe I'm talking about buying a ford 8O

VW bay camper! That would be so sweet, but I've already got a beautiful project and wouldnt want to detract from the time i spend with her. Maybe one day though…

Manx_GTi, cheers for the suggestion of the Shogun, but I dont think I should go down the big 4x4 route, it does seem a bit excessive considering what I want it for. Although then I could buy a canadian canoe and have something to carry it on :wink:

Cheers for the infos chaps!

erm, speaking of police cars, what do you guys think of ex-police motors as a 2nd hand buy?

I'm thinking places like this:

http://www.expolicecar.co.uk/stock_special.asp

anyone ever bought something like this?

D

ioboy said

Manx_GTi, cheers for the suggestion of the Shogun, but I dont think I should go down the big 4x4 route, it does seem a bit excessive considering what I want it for. Although then I could buy a canadian canoe and have something to carry it on :wink:

A shogun could also drive you up the mountain to save you the effort of climbing it!  

ioboy said

erm, speaking of police cars, what do you guys think of ex-police motors as a 2nd hand buy?

I'm thinking places like this:

http://www.expolicecar.co.uk/stock_special.asp

anyone ever bought something like this?

D

   one of my sargeants just bought an ex Thames Valley 3.0 Omega, drivers seats a bit worn 8O  its white :?  and its done 130k but it is still an awesome motor, theres always ex police cars at the ADT auction in Colchester, old shape V70`s and the like go through for silly ? around ?1800, the one i watched 8O  thats a lot of car for such small outlay, only issues are with paint fade where the battenburg markings have been and the holes in the roof where lights go, sometimes they dont have them as the lamps are fitted to roof bars, but even if they have any decent body shop can lead fill them and re paint the roof, police cars dont have MOT`s as such as they are maintained by police workshops and the discs pads and almost everything gets examined & changed for new parts on a regular basis sometimes before a part even needs to be changed!! same with servicing, as for the rear of the Octavia VRS Estate they have a 60/40 split rear seat and once its down its huge!  their should be some ex police ones of them about soon too, some of ours have done 145k 8O  and they have stood up to the constant use and deliberate :wink:  accidents when people get TPAC`d very able cars that are almost as well built as a Dub or Audi, just the interior thats lesser qaulity really and thats not too bad with the 1/2 leather alcantara seats, especially in a patrol car