New car/bike bus advice

[kaiser]

After I've got my house back in order I'm going to start looking for a new car. It needs to be a big bike bus and with relative luxury. I'm not a brand snob so will listen to most if it represent good value.


Sooo needs to be

Big
Reliable
Relatively cheap to run
Comfortable


Doesn't particularly need to be

Fast
Flash
Branded

Even though I say this I thought a 5 series estate would represent a reasonable car, not too much££ for what you get, and with a fairly reputable build quality. Reckon I will have around 5-7K , I also keep cars a fair amount of time and don't rack up mega mileage. Also should I fear high milage? I'm still part of the generation where 100K was a celebration.

 

[silverclaws]

A diesel van, or even a motorhome based on a transit or similar.

 

[cannondale king]

audi a4

 

[chrisv40]

Volvo V70 D5, huge boot, fast, reasonably economical and loaded with toys

My next car if I ever have any money :roll:

 

[john]

Mondeo estate.

 

[KeepItSteel]

Skoda Octavia Estate, choice of cracking (VW) diesel engines, cheaper service costs, and go on forever.

My mate has put 100k on his in just over 3 years and only changed the tyres, pads & clutch (after getting stuck on a steep incline in wales and revving its nuts off!).

I like the 5 series Beemers, but they have lots of electrical toys and as they age and get older, the problems become more exspensive. Lamda sensors etc cost hundreds to sort.

If I had 7k burning a hole, for serious biking duties, id also have to consider a Landy or a VW bus/type 4.

 

[kaiser]

Should say its not solely for biking duties, expanding family wagon too!

 

[silverclaws]

Ok then, sorted, get a campervan, that way you can take the family with you, at your destination go off on a ride, when you come back the maud can have your dinner ready. Modern vans even have showers so you don't have to flake mud whilst eating your dinner

 

[jonnyboy666]

i bought a VW T5 van, for 7 grand you should be able to get one aswel, lovely to drive, mine's the 1.9 TDI, not the fastest but not slow enough to be annoying, only slows up on long motorway uphills. with that money you could get a slightly older T4 with a higher spec, there's loads of choice available on options, maybe the caravelle option would suit you.

 

[silverclaws]

I would love a VW again, but not air cooled this time, they are good, but the heating really sucks, had a type 2 bay for ten years and drove it every day as the only car in the household, ice on the inside of the windscreen and all.

But when I said campervan, I was meaning something more like the lwb Transit or Iveco based vans, something with a rear loading door and for a family, a VW is a bit cosy. My old saracen would only fit in through the sliding side door and with rear wheel up aginst the rock and roll bed, the front wheel was between the front seats, so not really big enough for transporting bikes and the family at the same time inside.

Mind, one could get a rear rack and put the family outside.