Audi v BMW v Merc under £12k

wookie66

Have around £12k to spend on motor less than 6 years old. Have to have the following : petrol 2 litre or less with leather + cruise control and 60k miles max on clock. Shortlist down to following having trawled Autotrader n Cargiant websites:
Audi A3 5 door Sportback
BMW 318i or 320i coupe
Merc C180 Sports
VW Golf
Any pointers from owners of these models which to plump for?

gilbert_and_sullivan

If 'twer me i'd base my choice on two things.

1. do i want front or rear wheel drive.

2. where am i going for servicing/maintenance, if there's a good make specific indy workshops nearby (or even a rare main dealer of old fashioned values) that has loyal and grateful customers of many years then you could do worse than join them.

motorguy

wookie66 wrote: »

Have around £12k to spend on motor less than 6 years old. Have to have the following : petrol 2 litre or less with leather + cruise control and 60k miles max on clock. Shortlist down to following having trawled Autotrader n Cargiant websites:
Audi A3 5 door Sportback
BMW 318i or 320i coupe
Merc C180 Sports
VW Golf
Any pointers from owners of these models which to plump for?

Its going to be down to personal choice really - you've listed 5 door hatches, 3 door hatches and a coupe, so its going to be down to what suits your lifestyle best.

However, the C180 Sports (Hatch?) is dynamically average and relatively unloved by buyers (thus likely to be worth less come resale time), so i'd probably strike that off the list.

Golf GTI is a great car.

If you're going for the 3 series coupe, try to get the M Sport model.

BertTheRaccoon

I'd spend about £8k on a Golf Gti

Iceweasel

There's a few on the BMW AUC (Approved Used Car) website that seem to suit your needs for around/under £12K No M-Sports at that price though.

You should be able to get a discount on that of up to £1000 if no trade in.

12 month warranty and full European Ereakdown Cover included at any BMW dealer anywhere in UK or Europe.

I wouldn't consider any of the cars on your list without an official dealer warranty.

MSM78

BMW 3 Series Coupe is a great car however 320i engine is known to be problematic http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136258

Have you considered a diesel?

Mobeer

If you want cruise control then I expect you want to drive long distances on motorways. So I'd recommend a 320d SE.

CKhalvashi

I'd recommend a Jag XF.

I've had one for nearly 15 months, put 77000mi on it, and apart from a few minor issues, it's been a brilliant car.

Whether you'd get one with less than 60k miles for the money is another story, but we have the Discovery in the office, and first two ('54' and '05' plate) are now to 250k miles with little fuss. This is with the 2.7 TDV6 used in the Jag.

CK

jaydeeuk1

Agree with above, jag xf. Or you might just get a lexus ct in budget. With the lexus ignore mileage, it will outlive you.

uknick

CKhalvashi wrote: »

I've had one for nearly 15 months, put 77000mi on it, and apart from a few minor issues, it's been a brilliant car.

77,000 miles in 15 months; what's your job, taxi driver to the moon

CKhalvashi

uknick wrote: »

77,000 miles in 15 months; what's your job, taxi driver to the moon

I was a taxi driver, but not for about 4 years.

My work involves a lot of transcontinental trips across Europe (me and car are in Ukraine now, 22h drive, not a hint of backache)