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I too have a V60 (D4 auto). It's fast and comfortable, solid, so far reliable and seems to be built to last. My head says keep it long-term; but my heart is bored with the heavy steering and stodgy handling, not to mention the unintuitive infotainment system and the infuriating electronic brake which Volvo has elected to position down by the driver's right knee. And depite being a diesel, it's less economical than SWMBO's petrol Audi A1.
With the 3 -series I think it depends on whch type of suspension you have; some are firmer than others. The same goes for the A4 S-line, where I think you can and should delete the sports suspension for the no-cost option of standard suspension.
If the C-class is too small there's always the E. The 2.1 dlesel is an old nail, and a petrol option might be better.
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Just over two years ago I paid £20,000 for a four year old, 21,000 mile E350 CDi estate with full dealer history. A very large estate, with capability for starship mileage and very long journeys without a murmur. You can probably buy a similar car now from 2013 rather than 2011.
If the 3.0l V6 is too big you can always buy the E250CDi which is faster and equally economical than the E220.
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Vignale? Come on, it's a Mondeo!
Ford make bread & butter cars, sold in huge volumes to fleet buyers, hire firms, as minicabs and so on. We all appreciate that the concept of a 'premium' motor is subjective, but someone needs to have a word and point out to Ford that they can't have both ends of the market with the same car. At least the Japanese have the decency to invent a new brand and some new models when they decide to go upmarket, sticking a silly name and some cheap bling on a taxi and pitching it against Jag and the Germans is a little insulting, frankly. Go away, Ford, and come back when you've done it properly!
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Well Ford in the US are seriously considering the (Mondeo) Fusion's future.
www.carscoops.com/2018/01/ford-cancelled-planned-r...l
We'll be sorry when it is SUVs, SUVs and SUVs.
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Vignale? Come on, it's a Mondeo!
Ford make bread & butter cars, sold in huge volumes to fleet buyers, hire firms, as minicabs and so on. We all appreciate that the concept of a 'premium' motor is subjective, but someone needs to have a word and point out to Ford that they can't have both ends of the market with the same car. At least the Japanese have the decency to invent a new brand and some new models when they decide to go upmarket, sticking a silly name and some cheap bling on a taxi and pitching it against Jag and the Germans is a little insulting, frankly. Go away, Ford, and come back when you've done it properly!
Looking down the other end of the telescope, a 'premium' brand is just a Ford with a badge in which a lot of marketing spend has been invested to achieve higher prices. The Japanese have spotted this too.
The expensive performance versions are primarily there to create a halo for the run of the mill products.
From time to time I get it into my head that one of these highly regarded marques might really be worth paying for. I drive them, look at the reliability and buy another Honda/Mitsubishi.
The clearest illustration that this is about marketing is Audis, which are made from the same parts as all the other VAG cars.
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"The clearest illustration that this is about marketing is Audis, which are made from the same parts as all the other VAG cars."
That's certainly true - but marketing in turn is all about recognising customer perception.....and positive customer perception leads to better retention of value.
SWMBO has an A1 partly because, unlike the Polo, Fabia and Ibiza it could be had with the 1.4 TFSI engine when we were looking at the end of last year. (The new-model Polo and Ibiza now can come as 1.4s.)
But it was also because we could get a good PCP deal on the A1 because it holds its value. I wouldn't pay cash for a new Audi but if you're going for a PCP it's well worth considering. And the A1 has turned out to be the best small car she's had by a comfortable margin.
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There must be a reason why Mercedes taxis are common while BMW and Audi are not.
Some people say passenger comfort is better in Mercedes. Personally I can't feel the difference but then I can't differentiate between Coke and Pepsi either.
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Simple reason - space, comfort and reliability. Having tried A6, 5-series and E-class, the E-class is simply far superior for someone wanting comfort and reliability over other considerations of performance, sportiness and image.
Coke and Pepsi - try them - there is a clear difference and you will almost certianly prefer Pepsi, and Pepsi Max is a Mercedes compared to Diet Coke Ford.
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Simple reason - space, comfort and reliability. Having tried A6, 5-series and E-class, the E-class is simply far superior for someone wanting comfort and reliability over other considerations of performance, sportiness and image.
Coke and Pepsi - try them - there is a clear difference and you will almost certianly prefer Pepsi, and Pepsi Max is a Mercedes compared to Diet Coke Ford.
"having tried" implies short term, a loan or hire car. If that is the case it is hardly conclusive evidence of the merc being more reliable than the equivalent audi or BMW. As for the ride, all 3 manufacturers have cars that ride well and cars that ride poorly. If you favour ride over handling then you pick a car without the huge wheels, ultra low profile tyres and sport suspension.
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Simple reason - space, comfort and reliability. Having tried A6, 5-series and E-class, the E-class is simply far superior for someone wanting comfort and reliability over other considerations of performance, sportiness and image.
Coke and Pepsi - try them - there is a clear difference and you will almost certianly prefer Pepsi, and Pepsi Max is a Mercedes compared to Diet Coke Ford.
"having tried" implies short term, a loan or hire car. If that is the case it is hardly conclusive evidence of the merc being more reliable than the equivalent audi or BMW. As for the ride, all 3 manufacturers have cars that ride well and cars that ride poorly. If you favour ride over handling then you pick a car without the huge wheels, ultra low profile tyres and sport suspension.
Yep - many makes (though mainly from the non-oriental [including ones controlled by such firms] main brands) have variable build quality across their ranges, and as you say, can vary significantly in terms of ride quality, especially after a few months/5k miles of use when using low and higher profile tyres. I've been in work colleagues cars, both new and older ones, and the difference betwen the ride quality is quite marked. Quite often, owners cannot afford to keep replacing springs, dampers and other expensive suspension items every few years (as well as tyres, which they have to, which cost a fortune by themselves) because they effectively wear far quicker when combined with low profile tyres.
God knows how little an ex-taxi from a 'premium' make actually gets when traded in/handed back after its done its 3-5 years/250k+ miles work - an ex-colleague's Mondeo was worth peanuts after just 3 or 4 years, and that was after 'just' 100-150k miles on the clock. The deprecaitaion on higher-mileage luxury barges must be astonishing!
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“God knows how little an ex-taxi from a 'premium' make actually gets when traded in/handed back after its done its 3-5 years/250k+ miles work - an ex-colleague's Mondeo was worth peanuts after just 3 or 4 years, and that was after 'just' 100-150k miles on the clock. The deprecaitaion on higher-mileage luxury barges must be astonishing!”
Yes, but it’s all tax deductible since it’s a working vehicle so it’s not as bad as you’d first think. I still wouldn’t run a premium brand as a taxi however, mostly because none of them are particularly robust these days. It’s about gadgets and image more than quality today. The Mercs of old (123/124 series E classes) that could weather a million miles or more on their normally asperated diesel motors are a distant memory and BMW have never made a particularly robust diesel. Audi A6 1.9’s could run to massive mileages but then so could a much cheaper and arguably more comfortable Passat of the same vintage or a vastly cheaper Octavia all on the same basic running gear.
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