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BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh

Can be automatic or manual

I will be getting 6k / year car allowance, so maybe around £500/month to spend on getting the car, i can finance myself if needed rather than through trader....

Annual Milleage likely to be no more than 25k. (maybe allow 30k for peace of mind, it's a car afterall and should be driven!)

I currently drive a Fiesta Zetec 62 plate 1.25 petrol manual, worth (imho) £8k (well looked after, only me driving, av. 49.7mpg, 63k miles (motorway driving)). I will get around £5k part ex.

I'm a sucker for low mileage and newer the better (no older than 5 years) - the last three cars have been brand new (Corsa, then Fiesta, then another Fiesta) and i have lost a lot through depreciation - but, i know there is nothing wrong at all with my current car - but it is small (for teenage son and daughter) and not very flashy looking.

I was thinking around the £15k mark - my main worry is repair costs. I don't mind servicing as thats got to be done and is planned, but one off problems I hate with a passion - so reliability is key. Hearing horror stories with turbos etc puts me off (it just annoys me) but I guess thats over certain mileage?

I could not see me keeping any car for more than 4 years.

I would like a good MPG, over 50 in the real world ideally - so low running costs. A bit of a status sysmbol given new job role.

The cars I looked at have been Modeo, 3 Series saloon and also Coupe (V Nice), C Class, CLA and CLS - there are probably better options for my situations than the latter two.

Hope thats specific but no too wordy!

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - RobJP

If you've got an allowance of £500 per month, and are doing quite a bit of mileage, then I'd seriously consider a BMW520d in 'Luxury' spec. Far more comfortable than a 3 series.

The current 5 series is now pretty much a run-out model, you'll probably be able to get a brand new one for your monthly budget.

Here's one for you to look at : www.contracthireandleasing.com/car-leasing-compani.../

That's costing £1162 (3 months) up front, and then £388 per month including VAT, for 25k miles a year for 3 years.

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh

great advice thank you. i always thought owning rather the leasing was better...

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - 72 dudes

I'm sure you've already realised, but don't forget that the £6k car allowance is a P11D 'benefit' and therefore subject to tax at the full rate you pay on your salary.

So if you are a 40% tax payer, you will actually only get £300 per month.

This may alter some of your opinions and choices!

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh

Good point 72 dudes, still better than I get at the moment and depending on what the company allows me to have would any of these be achievable? I would be happy to to up £150 quid if needed to sit what I said in my original post, I think I would like to finance myself rather than PCP type of stuff

Edited by shaunh on 10/06/2016 at 19:38

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - Avant

If you really want a BMW or a Mercedes, a Mondeo isn't going to do it for you. But it's worth test driving the cars on your shortlist: a 2.0 TDCI Mondeo may pleasantly surprise you (as would a Focus estate if the Mondeo is bigger than you need).

Also bear in mind that you'll get a newer Ford for your £15k than you will a BMW or Mercedes: that could be a major factor given that you're going to do a high mileage.

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh
Yeah I will deffo test drive them. We previously found focus too small (no difference to the fiesta).

But this is what worries me about BMWs around £15k, a lot of money granted, but are they going to just end up being money sappers?

Mondeo £19k
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160316201...9

320 coupe £16k
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160322220...0

320 saloon £14k
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160520415...2

I mean, omg at that saloon price...surely a winner (obviously test drive etc needed) but am I missing something belatedly obviously wrong?

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh
I also realise I've contradicted myself on size of car required, well the kids are in their late teens so will be able to chauffeur themselves ;)
BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - 72 dudes

H'mm, that white 320ED looks suspiciously cheap and with a suspiciously low mileage too, unless its a typo and has done 69k. Avoid and keep looking.

Edited by 72 dudes on 11/06/2016 at 14:59

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh
Yeah weird, others are closer to 15k, and I guess that is more like it. I've looked through parkers and a bit of Google and found some issues with BMWs namely run flats are tempormental and should be changed, engine oil thing needed changing at a cost of around £2k, brake pads likely to need changing.... I've not seen much else at the moment but I'm leaning towards 320d saloon as economical and practical against all of the other options, with a slight nod better than mondeo.
I'm thinking around £15k for a used one is close to the mark? Not overly bothered about extras so long as Bluetooth stuff and usb
BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - Mike H

If you search for reviews on that dealer, you might get some insight into why it's cheap!

BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh
www.carbuyingadvisor.co.uk/car-dealer-reviews/penn...e

Ouch!
BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh
Having done some searching on a lot of the companies that are selling cars on auto trader there are an alarming amount of negative reviews....now I remember why I started buying brand new 8 years ago :(
BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - catsdad
In my company car days, up to a couple of years ago, I had a very wide choice. Among other cars, I had 3 'Mondeos (2.0 and 2.5 petrol and 2.0 diesel) but only one 318 petrol. This was a fairly typical pattern among colleagues in that, despite the choice, a lot of us had multiple Mondeos, often coming back having been tempted away.

Sure the BMW had more cachet (despite actually being more common than the Mondeo at that time) but in terms of practicality and comfort the Ford beat it hands down.

Both your suggestions are good cars and I am sure the current diesel 3 series is a better car than my old petrol one.. But as a spacious, long term mile muncher the Mondeo is hard to beat. If image is important to you (and I am not knocking you it if it is) then I agree with Avant that the Mondeo won't do it for you.
BMW 320d ED 4dr vs Mondeo Titanium - New job, new car = Mondeo or 3 Series - shaunh
What's the deal with the n47 engines and chain belt thing? Looking at Wikipedia I see the 2012 f30 3 series uses this engine...so is this a possible fault? And if so is there any advice, because let's be honest, who on earth wants to buy a time bomb???? Apart from that the 320d seems perfect for my needs