Woohoo - another pick a car post

Perhaps a Mondeo V6?

Aren't you kind of missing the point about these sorts of posts? You should have replied Clio V6 :-)

cheers, clive

This is true... Although auto and not too appauling MPG might be a bit of an issue... And saloon...

I saw the title and thought to myself - What your brother needs is an MX-5

Mmm, nearly.

Available

No problem

Torque at low revs could be an issue but the 1.8 is quite tractable and once above about 4000rpm it's not woeful.

Only available as petrol.

I get between 30 and 38mpg over every tank.

Bugger I've snipped the bit about prices but £6000 shouldn't be a problem.

It won't tow the Sylva though.

The auto-boxes in Mondeos are actually made of cheese...

I forgot to mention - no Fords.

I don't honestly know why, but apart from a a Crapi in 1984 none of us have ever had a Ford. Well, there's a xflow in my Sylva, but that's about it.

dull

interesting

french

Good choice

why?

full MB maintained W210s with all recalls done won't be rusty. I know where there's an S80T6 going for much less than that money and it fits the criteria.

Two suggestions from opposite ends of the park:

Alfa 166 3lt V6 Sportronic (kind of the Alfa take on Tiptronic - doesn't have any reliability issues that I'm aware of, other than it being a V6

Skoda Superb 2.5TDI with Tiptronic. A former boss had the Passat version (B5.5 2.5TDI Tip) with leather and all the toys. Good, it was.

Personally, I'd want the 166.

And they have no torque- well not under 4500rpm- especially when drained by the auto box.

You either want something TD-ish, or a low blow petrol turbo of decent capacity.

Tim. .

T6 could be abit juicy!!

The 530d would be easily the best choice, though it would be of Inter-stella-mileage at £6k. (and some BMW boxes have shown themselves to be made of chocolate)

Tim..

LS400? out of your list i'd take the GS300 but in import Aristo form with the supra 3litre TT from the supra :) and what bout a BMW 330i petrol? or Jaguar S type? or if feeling stupid C36 AMG?

The 2.0 8 valve is rubbish in a Passat, why would it be any better in a bigger, heavier one. My own vote would be for a 2.5 V6 TDI with an autobox behind it.

For me a 530D is the one, but I'm not my Brother.

Dull, underpowered harsh, noisy.

I had it in the Octavia.

He's a self confessed old git, an MX5 has insufficient lounging space. (Although we do occasionally talk about halfing in on a MK1 in red with fake Lotus Gold Leaf bumpers.)

Shouldn't drop below 20 overall though, will definitely hit 30 kept within speed limits. single figures possible on autobahn though! I love the way it feels like you hit the brakes when it hits 155 though.

From that list the 530d sounds good to me. Few quid more might get you into an S320cdi...

C36 - that's the supercharged V6 isn't it. Forget 20mpg in that.

But, strangely, a better choice than the 1.8 20v non-turbo - which had all the economy of the turbo with the performance of the 2.0....

We actually looked at a C36 AMG at the weekend, but it had that intangible scariness about it. That feeling that you would regret it eventually.

This one was a W202 ( I had to look that up on Wikipedia, I don't 'do' Mercedes model types apart from W123...)

No, straight 6 of 3.6 liter NA mayhem but and only with autobox.

You can get 20 mpg in it but then the pedal is not touched with your foot, only blown over it. All C-AMG's (diesel or petrol) are a very capable cars and superbly understated.

The (small) supercharged Merc engines go easy on fuel, that is if you don't engage the supercharger (has for fuel economy a magnetic clutch)

A part from massive depreciation ( 2000 Merc S500 (306 HP): 15000 Eur), gasguzzling (and in mainland Europe extreme high taxes on the engines) the big petrol engines of Merc are "pantzer"-quality just like the rest of the car.

A 2000 S500 with 200.000 km feels and drives like it was build yesterday. On the downside: "pantzer"-heavy and when you need a dealer the invoices are ... yeah you know.

I am not yett old, big nor fat enough for one of those.

Tom De Moor