Looking for a boring family car!!

fireplace1982

Im looking for a boring, reliable, safe famly car like a 520D Touring or an A6 Avant, i have been told to head to the UK for the best prices, anyone any advice of good places to go to? Any advice at all would be handy as i dont really know what to look for.

Berty

Start here.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk Use the Postcode of a hotel in the town you will fly into. I normally pick Liverpool because its cheapest to get to and there are so many towns with big dealership nearby.

Get the Month the car was registered in from the dealer by e-mail/phone and then head here.

https://www.ros.ie/VRTEnquiryServlet/showCarCalculator

Use a calculator and get your TOTAL.

Add your flight and return ferry, price of number plates etc.

And BOOM you have your car.


For your own peace of mind consider this as well unless you are buying from a truly reputable dealership which will likely have this or similar done already.

http://www.rac.co.uk/products-services/vehicle-inspections/

colm_mcm

Approach some dealers in Ireland too and tell them what you're after. they may have contacts with something suitable.

meathstevie

Get in touch with dealers in places like Birmingham, Liverpool, Chester, Manchester etc. They're all within fairly easy reach of Holyhead and they should have some experience selling cars for export to Ireland.

colm_mcm

Mightn't be premium enough, but the Skoda Superb Estate might fall into budget as a new car.

It's no oil painting, but they are genuinely massive and with the right spec they live up to their ambitious name!

fireplace1982

Thats great, i will check this all out, i will also check out the Skoda but the wife once drove the 520 and is insistent on getting one but we will see. . .

Berty

fireplace1982 wrote: »

Thats great, i will check this all out, i will also check out the Skoda but the wife once drove the 520 and is insistent on getting one but we will see. .

A wife of good yet expensive tastes. Mine likes Pennys!

Gumbo

Berty wrote: »

A wife of good yet expensive tastes. Mine likes Pennys!

cant keep my bloody other half out of the place either!!!!! sorry off topic

Fishtits

fireplace1982 wrote: »

Im looking for a boring, reliable, safe famly car like a 520D Touring or an A6 Avant

I reckon your take on something exciting would be interesting...

fireplace1982

well i work as a helicopter pilot so my frame of reference might be a bit odd

colm_mcm

Thought you'd be looking at a Saab in that case!

Fishtits

fireplace1982 wrote: »

well i work as a helicopter pilot so my frame of reference might be a bit odd

So what would you consider interesting?

Bugger, I'm drifting again...:p

Geezer1000

In the very same boat meself. Wont be buyin new. Prob an 04-05. A6, X-type, 525 or a 93 is what i have it narrowed down to.

fireplace1982

saab do airplanes not helis, im not interested in things that cant hover!!! In the meantime a family estate with plenty of airbags will do, thankfully i get my thrills at work:)

colm_mcm

you wouldn't want to be relying on a Saab estate for them anyway

Fishtits

The obvious question is what is your budget?

fireplace1982

around 20-22 grand all in. However if i can get it for 18 i would be a happy man! up to 5 year old as long as the mileage isnt too big

bren2002

Check autoquake.co.uk

argosy2006

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mercedes-Benz/ML-Class/270-CDi-/200948196026464/advert?channel=CARS
boring enough

ninty9er

Any of these should fit the brief

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Citroen/C5/1.6-HDi/200946195822571/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Mondeo/ZETEC-2./200951196255267/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Volvo/V70/2.0T-SE-/200942195520511/advert?channel=CARS

Mr Benevolent

fireplace1982 wrote: »

saab do airplanes not helis, im not interested in things that cant hover!!! In the meantime a family estate with plenty of airbags will do, thankfully i get my thrills at work:)

Tell your wife that the 520D suffers badly from vortex ring state If you get your thrills at work you're doing it wrong

Terra

I found these good when buying a car from the UK. Slighty more expensive but they do all the hard work for you.

Just tell them what you like and they organise everything else.

http://www.dreamcars.ie/

Worth a try anyways and if you don't like the price then you can still get one yourself.

fireplace1982

Thanks for all the tips, a great help. I will keep an eye out for the old Vortex Ring on the BMW, the airbags might come in handy if i enter that on a country road!! Now i just have to convince my wife she really wants a Skoda and not a BMW. . .

veetwin

fireplace1982 wrote: »

Im looking for a boring, reliable, safe famly car like a 520D Touring or an A6 Avant, i have been told to head to the UK for the best prices, anyone any advice of good places to go to? Any advice at all would be handy as i dont really know what to look for.

It depends on how much you will be spending. Personally I don't think there is much point in going to the UK unles you are spending €20K or more. Any thing less and you will find just as good value at home without all the hassle. A good place to start is www.bmw.co.uk. It has all of the UK main dealers for BMW and you can refine the search so that you are not trawling for hours. Personally I wouldn't buy from anyone other than a main dealer in the UK if I was spending that kind of money. I don't know if Audi have a similar facility. I have been looking at 520D Tourings only.

congo_90

fireplace1982 wrote: »

saab do airplanes not helis, im not interested in things that cant hover!!! In the meantime a family estate with plenty of airbags will do, thankfully i get my thrills at work

Thats what she said...

on topic

What about an oul volvo? big estate. Safe and built like a tank? Can't posibly think of anything more.. *yawn* boring than a volvo

sk8board

congo_90 wrote: »

What about an oul volvo? big estate. Safe and built like a tank? Can't posibly think of anything more.. *yawn* boring than a volvo

should defo get a LOT of choice on high spec '08 new model diesels in the UK too with full service history etc etc

personally I really like the m-tec 5-series touring. fantastic looking car

fireplace1982

Thanks but my current jallopy is a volvo and i would not be in a hurry to get another, had a few problems and although i know i may have just been unlucky you know how it is when you form an opinion about a brand.

Thanks for the merc suggestion but im not keen on a SUV.