The guys from the UK and Europe will know what I am talking about - Joe Ignorant and his followers in the Greens want us 4x4 owners taxed off the roads for reputedly being inefficient. Doubtless it is the same in other parts of the world. So here is your Christmas afternoon challenge:

The dreaded day has arrived when the Dept of Scams has increased the tax on 4x4 vehicles to the point where they are unaffordable. Fortunately you have been able to sell your RRS for a pretty handy sum so what would you consider as your replacement vehicle? There are only 2 conditions:
a) Your new car cannot cost any more than the 2007 list price your current RRS
b) You cannot buy any form of SUV or 4x4 pick-up/Utility.
Note that a 4x4 estate or saloon is OK, just SUV types are not permitted
Please state your choice (with options) and the full price.........................
Answers on a posting here, not before Christmas Night (pm on the 25th in case you don't know!) 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

ok.

Ok, so I have decided that I will go well down in size and have chosen the about to be launched Volvo C30 with the 2.0d engine with optional Autobox, in SE Lux trim with every option from the list and still will not have cracked £30k. I have researched all the 4WD estate cars I can think of but none really appeal to me so I've gone back to a FWD coupe with 4 seats that can tow my trailer loaded with windsurfing kit. Colour - Passion Red with Black leather interior. Thought about a TT Coupe but they are way too common and cannot fit a tow bar, then a Jaguar X Type but the 2.2D isn't available as either an automatic or with 4WD. Fancy the BMW 535d Touring but again no 4WD and VERY expensive and spartan standard equipment which would bust my budget to get it to the RRS SE spec, so I considered the 335d but then I thought,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, too many repmobile 3 series around so OUT. There's a huge choice out there but not much that isn't an SUV/4x4 that appeals to me or fits my needs!

Before I owned my 1st Disco V8 I ran a Volvo 480ES automatic - a great car but also unbelievably unreliable!

I suppose owning 2 Land Rovers I would have to sell the DEF too and that would give me a bigger budget, but the rules were after you have sold your RRS! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on Mon Dec 25 2006 8:59pm. Edited 1 time in total

BMW 750i
No 4x4, but still a great car atm.
Just 101.000 Euro. 2014 Mercedes-Benz S500
2014 Range Rover Autobiography, Causeway Gray, Ivory/Ebony
2013 BMW 530d
2008 Range Rover Supercharged Vogue S\E, Java Black, Ebony. SOLD
2006 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Java Black, Ebony. Arden body-kit. SOLD
2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 Buckingam blue, Ivory. - SOLD.

TF it would have to be a 2-3 year old used one in the UK, A new 750i here is well passed the price of an RRS TDv6 SE - like £65000 or more! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

I would go for a C class C320 Elegance estate, loaded with goodies comes to around £39k

Tim in Scotland wrote:

TF it would have to be a 2-3 year old used one in the UK, A new 750i here is well passed the price of an RRS TDv6 SE - like £65000 or more!

Audi RS4 Avant as it was my second choice after my RRS!

Options:

Door mirrors - auto dimming
Acoustic parking aid - rear only
Tyre pressure monitor
Auto-dimming rear view mirror with daytime running light pack
Heated front and rear seats
Front centre armrest
Cruise control
DVD based satellite navigation system.

For all round practicality and economy, i would go for a 535d Sport Estate with DMS chip upgrade up to 320 ish BHP.. best of all worlds then.
Fully loaded with vis/media pack and other bits for around mid-late 40's.

I have just driven back from VA's part of the island, and i can't believe how effortless the 335 d cruises at high speeds on the motorway.. and still returns 30mpg with foot flat down.. more comfortable at very high speeds (70mph obviously.. ok ok 75mph..) then even the RS4..!

kam100 wrote:

For all round practicality and economy, i would go for a 535d Sport Estate with DMS chip upgrade up to 320 ish BHP.. best of all worlds then.
Fully loaded with vis/media pack and other bits for around mid-late 40's.

I have just driven back from VA's part of the island, and i can't believe how effortless the 335 d cruises at high speeds on the motorway.. and still returns 30mpg with foot flat down.. more comfortable at very high speeds (70mph obviously.. ok ok 75mph..) then even the RS4..!

Never been into Germany Lux machines, so for me, its Jap crap, A Subaru Impreza STI Type 25 from Litchfield Imports and Power Engineering, yours for about 40K.. Must be the most expensive Scoob around. Still provides some limited offroad capability with its AWD system.

Test drove one 3 years ago.. Ian Litchfield believes its good to nearly 180MPH if he takes the limiters off, but the standard one is restricted to 155 mph.. If it is anything like my old Impreza, i would not expect anything more than 20MPG combined Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre

Zilch wrote:

Never been into Germany Lux machines, so for me, its Jap crap, A Subaru Impreza STI Type 25 from Litchfield Imports and Power Engineering, yours for about 40K.. Must be the most expensive Scoob around. Still provides some limited offroad capability with its AWD system.

Test drove one 3 years ago.. Ian Litchfield believes its good to nearly 180MPH if he takes the limiters off, but the standard one is restricted to 155 mph.. If it is anything like my old Impreza, i would not expect anything more than 20MPG combined

Scoobies always remind me of a kid's rattle  2014 Mercedes-Benz S500
2014 Range Rover Autobiography, Causeway Gray, Ivory/Ebony
2013 BMW 530d
2008 Range Rover Supercharged Vogue S\E, Java Black, Ebony. SOLD
2006 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Java Black, Ebony. Arden body-kit. SOLD
2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 Buckingam blue, Ivory. - SOLD.

tf9 wrote:

Scoobies always remind me of a kid's rattle

Went to the local Volvo dealer to take a look at the C30 early this morning - they didn't have one and aren't getting one for another few weeks! But out the back of the bodyshop where I parked was a selection of the holiday's wrecks............ a grey Mini special JCW edition with mud on the roof, all 4 corners bashed in, all 4 wheels horizontal (looks like it might have tried to fly and landed on the wheels then rolled down a slope!) and no front end bodyworkat all. A Honda S2000 with both the offside wheels detached and the offside sill has obviously been dragged along the road as has most of the front body kit A Mazda Rx8 that has no roof at all and looks like it might have tried to drive under an articulated trailer............. the local police mobile forensic lab was on the site and guys in paper boilersuits were crawling all over all 3 cars so I wonder if they had been stolen and driven to destruction......... at least 3 people have had a miserable Christmas this year. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on Wed Dec 27 2006 8:05pm. Edited 1 time in total

Tim, are the roads etc shown in your pics private or can Joe public just drive up to them ??

Saw on a Top Gear show over the holiday, a interview with Gordan Ramsey and Clarkson, Ramsey had a Bentley and was tapped on the window by Jordan in her Bentley !!! Ramsey replied that if that is what Bentleys have dropped to , time to go, he has sold his, and has bought as he says a Range Rover Super Sport !!!!!!!!!