What car has the best interior?

Trotter

Im curious as to what the thoughts of the experts here are on this one. We always think about how the car looks on the outside, the MPG, the BHP etc.. but call me odd, the first thing (well one of the first!) I look at in a car is what the interior is like because thats the part I spend most time looking at!

What would you consider as the nicest car interior (steering wheel controls, material used, design etc) given a budget of say.. 12K.

Its a little challenge for ya

mike65

Proberly a second hand posh car, space, leather, wood, nice thick carpets, everything with solid tactile quality.

Mike.

Masada

new honda civic, no contest., although there are a lot of cars like BMWs and mercs that have very nice interiors the new civic has completly broke the mould and done everything different., i liked it so much im looking into getting the new civic type R jap model in january..,

Mr.Boots

12k will get you into a nice audi....realy well built interior if a bit boring

peasant

Most Saab's are pretty nice (depending on trim) ...the seats are fab in all.

Seth Brundle

mike65 wrote: »

Proberly a second hand posh car, space, leather, wood, nice thick carpets, everything with solid tactile quality.

Mike.

like my E39?

keefg

If anyone saw this beauty on Top Gear last night they would know there just isn't any competition!

Mmmmm......brown with brown velour interior.......mmmm....velour.

bazz26

Rover 75, if you like lots of chrome, leather and wood:

Trotter

keefg wrote: »

If anyone saw this beauty on Top Gear last night they would know there just isn't any competition!

Mmmmm......brown with brown velour interior.......mmmm....velour.

Is that the one where you get splinters off the dashboard?!


That new Honda does look the business doesn't it..

colm_mcm

You bought an Aygo didn't you Trotter?

Mailman

BMW built Rover 75 Connoisseur.
They de-speced them after BMW sold it off.
Wood Dash was replaced with wood effect. The carpets weren't deep pile on the later ones either. Radio changed to standard DIN sized radio after too.

Good interior counts for an awful lot when you are stuck in traffic going nowhere fast.

DJ Hafez

Alfas are respectable

Trotter

colm_mcm wrote: »

You bought an Aygo didn't you Trotter?

Yep! The interior is lovely although everything rattles.. especially that annoying back window that never stops rattling at all.. even after SIX trips to the local main dealer.

modm3

Hands down, Volvo S60 or a bargain Jag x300. Saabs are nice, Alfa's not bad, Mercs seats are too hard, Audi's are like VW's, BMW E39 is OK, but tired for 12k now. S60 is the most comfy, quiet, refined, intuitive - especially the light coloured interiors. Half decent 2.0's at 12K, have a T5 - which is stinky quick !

RoundyMooney

Trotter wrote: »

Yep! The interior is lovely although everything rattles.. especially that annoying back window that never stops rattling at all.. even after SIX trips to the local main dealer.

That's the French bit

unkel

mike65 wrote: »

Proberly a second hand posh car, space, leather, wood, nice thick carpets, everything with solid tactile quality.

That's a good general rule of thumb

@OP - depends a bit what you fancy. For a stylish interior it is hard to beat Audi (and then especially A6 and A8)

TychoCaine

modm3 wrote: »

Hands down, Volvo S60 or a bargain Jag x300. Saabs are nice, Alfa's not bad, Mercs seats are too hard, Audi's are like VW's, BMW E39 is OK, but tired for 12k now. S60 is the most comfy, quiet, refined, intuitive - especially the light coloured interiors. Half decent 2.0's at 12K, have a T5 - which is stinky quick !

When I was buying with a similar budget at the beginning of the year I looked at '03 Saab 9-3s (love the look, but they're not that big inside), BMW 3 series (poverty spec and/or geriatric), '02 Audi A4s (boring to drive), Merc C class (Didn't like the look of the w203).

I'd decided I'd get a Volvo S60, which are a bit rarer, and even the base model has a 180bhp engine, but then realised that the S80 was only slightly more expensive. It's a bit wider, a lot longer (huge leg room in the back), and has a nicer dash. It's the first car I've owned where I have to pull the seat forward! If you go for the S80 they're (almost) all fully loaded with leather interiors, heated seats, premium stereos, cruise control etc.

Lex Luthor

DJ Hafez wrote: »

Alfas are respectable

don't sell them short DJ....they are a lot more than respectable

colm_mcm

Lex Luthor wrote: »

don't sell them short DJ....they are a lot more than respectable

respectable AND badly built!

MercMad

Well I dont like ANY of the Jap interiors, that 75 does look nice and I agree about the E39 too, especially in light colours !

In fact, for me , it HAS to be light in colour, either sand beige or pale grey !

I find Audi'd too dull and boring, the new A5 is a total let down, and the quality of the current A4 is woeful !

The new 5 is just too unconventional for my liking, though quality is very good.

Anyone see the new Merc C-Class, the W204 !

What were they thinking ??

Quality may be good but the appreance is hideous, its like a 2004 Astra only 4 times the price !!!

To be honest I like leather and wood and hate shiny metallics, grey, silver, black, carbon look et....

I think I prefer older cars as a rule, where wood is wood !

woop

new civic is loverly, there just something about that steering wheel

the hand brake unsettles me a bit though

Trotter

RoundyMooney wrote: »

That's the French bit

Teehee.. I got thick with it last night and went out with a socket set in the rain and tightened up everything. The thing with the Aygo is that everything is bolted together so the bolts are easy enough to find!

Not a sound since

Any ideas of what I can put on a bolt to stop vibrations from loosening it?

Completely off topic I know.. sorry.

Im just glad to have my beast (The nickname for it ) back without rattles.
I love the Toyota interiors.. theres something.. I dunno.. solid and goodlooking about them.

Masada

Trotter wrote: »

Teehee.. I got thick with it last night and went out with a socket set in the rain and tightened up everything. The thing with the Aygo is that everything is bolted together so the bolts are easy enough to find!

Not a sound since

Any ideas of what I can put on a bolt to stop vibrations from loosening it?

Completely off topic I know.. sorry.

Im just glad to have my beast (The nickname for it ) back without rattles.
I love the Toyota interiors.. theres something.. I dunno.. solid and goodlooking about them.

thread lock., its like a glue you put on bolts.,

Silent Partner

For comfort I'd say a Jag XJ. You can get an older one for under €12k. Cream leather, wood trim, comfort and smooth.
There are a lot of older Mercedes & BMW's out there and while they're fine cars, the Jag will really make you stand out.
I do like the interior of the new Civic. Very space age.

lassykk

im extremely biased seen as i drive one but i love the interior of my car



its a peugeot 406 coupe and yes de steering wheel looks funny turned at that angle

choco_77

for me it has to be an alfa too. though this one is kind of nice also
http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=73847&r=s.php%3Fm%3D6%26amp%3Bg%3D0

JHMEG

Rover 75 interior is awful, as are most Saabs. In fact Saabs are probably the worst I've seen. 406 Coupe has lipstick coloured leather, and will always remind me of our last dog. Haven't seen new Civic in the flesh, and while I like the rev counter I think the split level dash is too much.

Alfas nice but plasticky and don't fit together right.

Some Mercs are quite nice, S-class for example. BMW seem to have terminally boring interiors, as do Audi, tho it's been a while since I was in one. VW ironically don't seem to be as boring. Agree with whoever said Jag, very nice, but dangerously close to boring. Current Accord quite nice too.

Lexus quite nice. In fact they probably have the nicest dials/clocks of any car on the market.

Now that I think of it the Civic IMA interior is quite nice.

colm_mcm

Trotter wrote: »

Teehee.. I got thick with it last night and went out with a socket set in the rain and tightened up everything. The thing with the Aygo is that everything is bolted together so the bolts are easy enough to find!

Not a sound since

Any ideas of what I can put on a bolt to stop vibrations from loosening it?

Completely off topic I know.. sorry.

Im just glad to have my beast (The nickname for it ) back without rattles.
I love the Toyota interiors.. theres something.. I .. solid and goodlooking about them.

What Toyota dealer missed the bolts all those times you went back with it (there are only 3 bolts on the window, and no real moving parts, only hinges and lock!) nylok nuts or a ruber washer would do the job, be careful not to tighten too much as the nut and bolt are going through the glass. Are you having any problems with the boot release button sticking?

Captain Slow IRL

modm3 wrote: »

Hands down, Volvo S60

Ditto, most comfy car I've ever been in (great supporting seats if you suffer from back pain!)

Trotter

colm_mcm wrote: »

What Toyota dealer missed the bolts all those times you went back with it (there are only 3 bolts on the window, and no real moving parts, only hinges and lock!) nylok nuts or a ruber washer would do the job, be careful not to tighten too much as the nut and bolt are going through the glass. Are you having any problems with the boot release button sticking?

Nope.. no hassle with the boot release catch. I've narrowed it down to the bolts holding the window on. I think the problem is that the nut keeps loosening with the vibrations. They tighten it and it loosens after a couple of weeks.

I wish they made an Aygo with a snazzier interior. I love the car in general but the interior is a bit on the sparce side!

su_dios

For that money.. alfa 147. Just try get one with leather and the right colour combo and your sorted! The pictures dont do it justice, but its also the same interior as the GT. My dad's got red leather and its beautiful.














Ok maybe the last one is a GTA ..but still