Engines are rougher, lack steerng feel and input, suck fuel, noisy, wallowy handling I drive a new merc, have had older mercs both E and C class, and none even got close to the 5 series models I had. Only merc I'd but would be an older s class, and just for the comfort Am tempted by an XC60 or the new 90 hybrid, compant car tax looks good on the new hybrid
I bought my Leon as a stop gap car prior to an impending Porsche 911 purchase, following problems getting hold of parts for my Honda Accord, nearly three years ago. When the time came to go Porsche shopping I came to the realisation that while the Leon isn't especially quick (1.8 20v non turbo automatic) the damned thing had been so completely hassle free and generally easy to live with that the 911 didn't seem an especially astute way to blow £15k. Given that I was just milling up and down the motorway every day I decided to keep the Leon, buy the Benelli, and put the change in the bank. Looking back it was undoubtedly the right decision - I've done 61,000 miles in the leon (now at 132,000 miles) and its still completely reliable, clean, tidy and usable, but without the associated paranoia that parking a 911 in a Tesco car park brings. Its been a great car, its still main dealer serviced (who offer great fixed price servicing) and will be with me until its no longer viable - i have a feeling i may have it a while. I have driven it down to Southern Spain (as far as Cartagena) and as far as Brittany in Western France and Düsseldorf in Germany. What more can you ask for a £1250 stop gap car?
I have a 2.4 iV-Tec EX Accord tourer... Plenty of "go" for upsetting chavs in kevved-up warm hatches. Comfortable. Pretty economic on the motorway. Big enough boot for dogs, bits of bike, furniture or whatever... This is my third (should have only had two, if the myopic Vauxhall driver had actually seen the scond one...) - would be very hard to persuade me to have anything other than Honda...
I had the previous shape accord, the car was absolutely fantastic but I had the 2.3 vtec, for which some parts are completely unobtainable. I needed the pipe which runs between the thermostat and water pump. The part was discontinued in 2005 (mine was 2002) and none available second hand or after market. It came down to two options - importing a used one from Russia or buying a complete second hand engine. The attitude from Honda uk was absolutely appalling and they couldn't care less. It was a real shame, in terms of the car itself I'd have another in a heartbeat but the spares situation is very poor for some less common parts. The fiasco came at a time when a car was utterly essential for me as I was fresh from surgery and movement was extremely restricted. I explained to Honda uk that the cost of the part was irrelevant- I'd have paid £500 for the pipe if need be. I still fail to believe that Honda could not have done something, the car was built in Swindon but they were utterly disinterested in the situation. They directly pushed me to VW group who are far more supportive of older vehicles which to me shows more confidence in the product. Oddly, Honda bike division couldn't be more different and every part is still listed for bikes 20+ years old.
Hmmm... Conversely, I have always found Honda easy to deal with and helpful. Having said that, apart from routine consumables, the only parts I have needed to buy from them was for repairing damag caused by hitting a fox on the motorway. The loop of pipe that acts as the cooling for the power steering hydraulics is a pretty obscure part, but they had no problem sourcing it. I have always said that I don't care how expensive Honda parts are - the cars are so well made that I never need to buy any parts any way. After over 350,000 miles as an Accord owner, and 175,000 miles as an HRV owner before that, I stand by that statement. Having had the clutch cable pull through the bulkhead on two different VW's (one Golf and one Polo) that's not something I would say about VW's any more. They are definitely not built to the standard that they used to be...
I tend to agree on Volkswagen group build quality, my 59 plate leon tdi warped its head at 55k miles... The engine in my 02 plate 3 series is unopened and runs like new, it also has no rattles or squeaks at all, unlike the Seat.
ether or.. one way or another your gonna lose some weight. and some teeth maybe even some nose cavity, deffo your mind after a while.
I"m biased, but I think the RS4 is the best estate car you can buy Older shape ones go for somewhere between 17-20, which suits your budget Not bike fast, but plenty fast enough for a car designed for carrying kids and mountain bikes
I have new track fairings for my track bike, so may go for a red/light grey colour scheme for that My van's blue though
Avoid Merc. I didn't and got stung big time. Noisy, mechanically inferior, and a dealer network that couldn't give a monkey's. on my second Audi A6, and loving it. previous experience of Honda would encourage me to buy from them (reliable, efficient, comfortable, etc). Realistically, it sounds as if you have a more than decent car there that is worth holding on to for a few more years, it owes you nowt, and while it may depreciate, the rate of depreciation will have already been through its worst phase.
Also - you pay s**t-loads for "extras" on mercs - things that come as standard on any decent spec-ed Honda...
