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Raised expectation

We're in our late 60s and not getting any more nimble. My 05 E46 BMW 320d Touring with 40k miles on the clock has always been dealer-serviced since new. We both find it less easy to get into such a low-slung car and are looking for a suitable 4/5-door alternative, preferably with more boot space than the 320d, with very comfortable non-leather front seats. Another key requirement is the ability to fit a top-end built-in touch-screen satnav. I fitted a Kenwood slide-out system in place of the radio in the BMW, but would like to upgrade to a later system that includes speed limits and speed cameras and can easily be kept up to date for UK and Europe. So far factory-fit units haven't been impressive and it has been remarkable how little salesmen seem to know about their factory-fit satnavs and demonstrations have been embarrassingly inept. Quiet comfortable cruising is a major requirement and I hate cars that roll significantly when cornering hard. I reckon So far the Nissan Qashqai and the Peugeot 3008 have made it onto my list for deeper study, but I'd still rather find an estate car with easier entry and exit to front seats than the 320. We wouldn't want anything significantly longer or wider than the BMW. Grateful for your advice on a vehicle with similar performance to the 320d, preferably costing not more than £20k after trade-in and with reasonable lifetime servicing costs, which will be suitable for keeping for a good few years at around 10-12k miles/year.

Asked on 29 May 2010 by DJ, Fleet

Answered by Honest John
What about a BMW X1? Doesn't need to be the 4WD version. Test and video here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/road-tests/bmw/bmw-x1-ro...t The extra height and much better ride comfort than normal 3 Series might do the job for you. As for the satnav, I can't help over custom-fitted systems. But the latest satnav info I have is here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/satnav-speed-trap-detecto...s
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