Sheep Off a Cliff

[Joloke]

Its an Invacar or a Dime Bar innit

P I N E A P L L E

 

[500tops]

Lexus LS400

[skattrd]

Lexus LS400

 

Close the thread, this one is answered.

[skattrd]

Don't worry, I'm sure Junkman will be along shortly to advise purchasing several gargantuan Yank automobiles.

[Guest Hooli]

Never cost me much to run a Xj40, until I twatted a lamp post & killed the poor thing

[cort16]

The problem with the luxobarges is the luxo bit means parts are usually expensive.

 

I've had a few

 

Audi A8 4.2

BMW  740i

Jaguar XJR

Mercedes CL500

 

I'd say the A8 was my favourite. Not cheap when they go wrong though and the quattro adds an extra level of potential spasm.

The 740i are cheap and there's plenty spares out there for them. Driving wise they just feel like a heavier E39 5 series and always seem to have that annoying wheel wobble.

[320touring]

e32 7series.

 

Have had 3 (no more than 140 a pop) all MAGIC!

[Spottedlaurel]

Obviously I’m going to say LS400. My Mk3 cost me £500 and I’ve got it through a couple of MoT’s without too much expense:

 

Lexus update by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Could’ve bought this Mk4 last year for £600, but the owner saw sense and decided to keep it:

 

1998 Lexus LS400 Mk4 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

GS300 would be a good alternative, and that’s probably what I’d have got if I hadn’t ended up with the 400, but why miss out on the V8?

 

Mk3/4 models like the above probably the best combination of rust resistance, toy count and reliability (although I prefer the leaner look of the early models). Later LS430 seems to be more complex and less reliable.

 

They’re popular for banger racing at present, so worth befriending local racers for bits. 

[Liggle]

Honda Legend gotta be a contender surely?

[willswitchengage]

I don't think they sold them this side of the pond, but Ludacris still drives his old Acura Legend:

 

[fatharris]

I've used my 728i daily for over two years, put 22000 miles on it and only had to change a couple of suspension arms and a few tires. Still going strong and passes its MOT every year first time with no advisories.

[Lukas]

 

 

So im throwing it over to you guys,whats the most reliable prestige Luxobarge and Cheapest Luxobarge chod to keep on the road?

 

Buick Park Avenue! Or the wonderful Volvo S80 Mk1. 

 

Not! 

 

I´d say forget about all the german and european luxobarges also, as they are very complex. If you read through buyers guides, often made from owner-club-members, it´s really frightening what can go wrong with Audi V8/A8, MB S-Class, BMW 7-series and Co. ...

 

Best bet would be japanese ones like the mentioned Lexus LS400 or GS300. Parts are expensive, of course. But they need them very rarely as they are very well made and reliable, despite the complexity. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

e32 7series.

 

Have had 3 (no more than 140 a pop) all MAGIC!

 

 

Indeed. One of them made it's way Daaahn Saaarf on an AA truck c/w buggered screen. The black leastherz and filleted wood trim lives on in my blue one. The V8 730i was a superb dive, much better than the straight six. Sensible economy as well.

 

It ended up with Tetleysmooth of this parish.

[conkerman]

Xedos 9?

[Lukas]

Rare, parts-problems, FWD. And not that luxurious, compared to the big three S-Class, 7 and A8 or Lexus LS. 

[cms206]

I'd love a Xedos 9 just to look at. Properly handsome things.

 

Were it my cash I'd be going for an Audi S8 or an E32 7-series, but most reliable... has to be the LS400 I'd reckon.

[Spottedlaurel]

I’m inclined to agree about FWD, not appropriate for a proper barge (miscellaneous Americana excepted, but they don’t really fulfil the brief here).

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

320touring/Reverend/Tetleysmooth 730i shitter. Had the catalysts cut open and gutted because they'd both collapsed inside. Sounded lovely afterwards. 

[Bren]

Out of leftfield - six pot galant?

[scdan4]

yes it's fwd.

 

but Camry.

 

 

"must have a decent engine sizeage,automatic transmission,and lots of reliable toys  ;-)"

 

yes, yes and yes.

 

and it's bloody comfy.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

Never cost me much to run a Xj40, until I twatted a lamp post & killed the poor thing

 

Providing it isn't terminally rusty, XJ40s are cheap cars to run. The mechanicals are especially robust and parts are cheap.

[gadgetgricey]

Defo an E38 7 series.  728i if you are a cheapskate with petrol as I am, or a 740/750i if your wallet can take it.

 

Owned mine for three years now, and apart from a spring going "pop" its been fantastic.

 

All mod cons including lights in the door handles which still make me smile when I come back to the car on an evening.

 

Parts are quite cheap as well.

[danthecapriman]

Anything american really, particularly the big 60's and 70's stuff. The Lincoln Continental would be my pick if you want all out luxury. Bullet proof mechanicals and dead easy to work on, most stuff is still available new and tends to be cheap too. The Americans have this part of the market licked easily! The driving experience and comfort on old yanks is far better than anything Europe or Japan could come up with, but the down side is the immense size of them and piss poor fuel economy!

 

Failing that, Jag xj40, slightly further down the food chain I'd say the Ford Granada or later Scorpio in Ghia or Ghia x spec.

[danthecapriman]

I'd say if you fancy an LS400 then now's the time to look for a good one and keep hold of it. I can't see them being cheaper than they seem at the moment, and the banger racers will finish most of them off over the coming years and then they'll start becoming harder to get.

I don't like them personally and enjoy seeing them get banger raced but everyone's different!

[egg]

Volvo 850? 960?

 

Nissan QX?

[Rocket88]

If you ignore the propensity to rust, Senators , and of course, my Omega

[forddeliveryboy]

Audi 100/A6. Galvanised, as simple as an old Polo and built when they were keen to up their reputation. 

[Lukas]

It´s getting smaller now. 

 

To me, a Camry/Audi 100/Omega/Volvo 850 etc. is not a luxobarge. It´s a middle-class-car with comfort. Nothing more. 

[xtriple]

There is only ONE choice of true 'luxobarge' and that is obviously, an SZ series Rolls Royce or Bentley. Bills are always small and reasonable, specialist on every street corner and a cheap one that has not been serviced or looked after will NOT bankrupt you.

 

I may have got that wrong....

 

Right, Lexus LS400 for definite. I had a mate (had - he got into a spot of bother over MOTing motorcycles that only existed in his own mind/in boxes/on paper) who was very well off and he had Lexus; for ever. His first (400 series four or five) had done 350 thousand miles by the time he traded it in for a 430 and it still looked perfect, drove brilliantly and never, ever failed him. Granted, he did service it regularly and gave it a wash and brush up on a weekly basis. He raved about the 430 at first, but it didn't last as long with him before it got chopped in for a 460.

 

Another guy I know, bought an absolutely HANGING 400 that looked like it had just done a season of banger racing. It was matt black and looked awful. However, the interior was still a splendid place to be and it drove beautifully. The miles on that poor old thing was galactic and it cost him pennies to buy and he ran it for about a year with nothing other than frequent trips to the petrol station. And when I say 'ran' I mean abused and ragged outrageously  and it shrugged off the worst he could throw at it. He replaced it was an 'S' class Merc.... that expired within weeksof ownership!

[gordonbennet]

Camry would be my first choice too.

 

Mercs are ok so long as you have an old school MB indy close by, and don't choose the highest spec of the model you want, and buy it after the OMGCHG they all do that sir has been fixed, and the wiring loom of doom replaced, oh wait..