I am looking for something with a bit of space and a bit faster than my Mondeo.

So current car.... Mondeo 2.5 V6 24v automatic. Good points, ultra low miles at 71k and there is nothing wrong with it, plus parts are cheap and very easy to source second hand....Bad points, not fast enough and economy is poor for the performance at 23mpg (country road/B road driving)

Been looking at the Lexus GS430 auto. Good performance figures and looks spacious with lots of creature comforts....But! Will it cost me a fortune to run in fuel and parts? I do mostly country lane/B road driving.

 

Keep the mondeo or even get a ST220.

I love my 2.5 v6 mk3. There defo not the fastest but it goes ok and is comfy. Also like you say the bits are cheap as chips.

 

Thanks Glenn

My Mondy has his MOT tomorrow so may ask them to put some good tyres on as all tyres are called 'Autogrip' which were on when I bought it 2 years ago, some budget things. Hopefully a good set of tyres may make a difference to handling around the country roads so I can enjoy my car a bit more. I have had loads of cars since I was 17 (am 42 now!) and the longest I have ever kept a car was just over a year which was a 205 GTI 1.9. So my Mondeo is the winner at 2 years of ownership......I keep looking at faster cars and getting advice on them but I think I would have a job selling my Mondeo as it does everything I want so well and has never let me down.

Seeing your Saph Cossie..... Do you still own it, what are they like to run cost wise compared to your Mondy 2.5 V6 as in fuel, insurance, parts etc.....One day I will buy one, just need about £12,000 spare as they fetch huge money these days!

 

Ive never been bothered about mpg. Ive never had a diesel. I hate the smelly horrible thing's.

I used to about 40 mile a day going to work and back in the cossie. This was about 10 years ago though lol.

Yeh i still have the cossie. Its part of the family now. Its not bad on fuel but you dont really buy a cossie for mpg lol. Tje insurance for the cossie is 280 quid a year. Sadly with cossies the parts are starting to go for silly money and the only people who buy the parts are either people with tooo much money or the concours perverts who just treat there cars like life size models.

 

Can always rely on an informative yet funny reply from yourself Glenn! Scooby Impezza's seem to be going cheap these days, they have good performance and I think parts would not be that bad as so many about, but would not have a clue how to work on the engine as they are kind of on the side!

I always put super unleaded in my V6 mate as only a few quid extra to fill up and meant to be good for the engine/performance?

Would I notice a difference as in a noticeable difference if I get some good tyres fitted compared to the Autogrip things that are on there?

 

I'm sure I read in the handbook for my mondeo that the higher octane fuel is no advantage on the v6 so not worth using as the 95 octane is fine

 

I've been looking at e36 bmws the last couple of days again for when my Nissan goes back to the dealers. Fancy another touring, parts are dead cheap and if I plump for the 318is then not bad on fuel and goes ok. Like the idea of another 6 cylinder but maybe too juicy for me this time round

 

I run my Mondeo on Morrisons finest. The cossie only gets the best,V power.

I think imprezas will be a bit harder to work on compared to a cossie.

 

Buy the wrong Impreza and it could cost you a fortune. Far too many owned by eejits, and even worse maintained ( or lack of ) by fucking incompetent morons.
And then it gets worse when even bigger idiots modify them or rebuild them !! lol

They can be very very good cars, but they need looked after by someone who knows what they're doing, otherwise they're a disaster.

I'd think the Lexus would be a fairly safe bet for a big cruiser, that or a nice big Volvo

 

I have done a fair bit of work on my Sons 2001 Impreza WRX and they are more complicated in all areas compared to my 2wd Saff. His is now 365 bhp and goes well. It has a 6 speed gearbox as well in place of the standard 5 speed one.We have done engine mods, exhaust mods,suspension and brake mods. MPG is pretty shit and I dont like the way it drives compared to my Saff. You are constantly changing gear, you cant hold it in the gears like you can in a Saff but its permanent 4 wheel dive system works well. No problems with it so far even though its modified.

 

Thanks greatly for the replies. Well looks like I will be sticking with my Mondeo for the time. Interesting about the Scooby's being a pig to work on, strange kind of engine they have, think its called a Boxer engine? Cozzynut2..... Love the look of your son's Scoob, that must go very well with 365 horses.....Not surprised the MPG is crap with that kind of power! I was offered a Jeep Cherokee 2001 4.0 earlier for next to nothing as the bloke is trying to get as much cash as he can to start his own business.....But looking into them the MPG is shocking, 14-15 around town, sod that!
gcfcos..... I had an E36 328i and I was surprised how good it was on fuel. What was strange was about a year later I had an E36 Compact 1.9 8v and my 328i was about the same MPG wise.
Stevieturbo.... I had an 850 T5 Volvo for a time, very comfy with loads of creature comforts and went very well, good for 145mph, but it was terrible on the twisties, other than that, great car.

 

Subarus arent complicated, it's just too many morons working at them...or trying to !! and failing miserably.

 

Just watched the Youtube link at the bottom of your reply......Shit that is fast! Title is Granada, what MK Granada is it?

So Scooby's are not that bad to work on, they look complicated though! I may get one next year as in my price range. I went in a classic one in 2002, it was an import STI WRX in white with gold wheels, think it was around 280bhp? It was very quick, got a good push in the seat on hard acceleration and this was a standard one so the ones running 300+ horses must be seriously fast. Always had a love for Cossies. My Dad had one when it was brand new in 1988, I was 15 at the time. Remember him doing just over 150mph in it, loved that car but it got stolen and used in a post office robbery.

 

I dont mind imprezas. I just hate the sound of them.

My 4wd saff handles ok. I think the 4wd system is good considering its an old design.

 

They do make a strange noise I must admit! What power is your Saph Glenn? My Dads one was a RWD and if memory serves me correctly the RWD Saph Cossies were 204bhp? I remember it being very quick, I was 15 at the time though in 1988, so may think differently now, although would hope not as great memories of that car!

 

I couldnt tell you what power it is cause ive never had it on a rolling road. Its got to be 300 easy. I remember once when i was coming round this corner a bit quick. The back end seem to slip a bit then it just gripped and straightened itself out.

 

going back to the lexus 430

a colleague at work just had his fail the mot, needs new exhaust and some other bits doing....over £3000 worth of parts

 

3k ha ha.