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Pensioners off

We are two pensioners who have not bought a car for 15 years and are considering buying a new Audi A6 2.7 diesel or a used Jaguar XF 2.7 diesel to provide refined, reliable motoring with some style for ten years or so. We require room for five from time to time and drive 7,000 miles pa, of which half is in France and almost all is on motorways. Our selection has been directed by what we are familiar with. What should we consider in making our choice and what are we missing?

Asked on 6 February 2010 by G.G., Ashtead

Answered by Honest John
For 7,000 miles a year with a high proportion of short runs from cold starts a modern diesel will be more of a burden than a benefit, suffering EGR and DPF problems. Better to think petrol. Maybe a Toyota RAV-4 2.0 Valvematic Multidrive S CVT (lower CO2 and better economy than the RAV-4 diesel automatic), or a Honda CR-V 2.0i automatic, or, thinking bigger, a used Lexus 300h hybrid. If you prefer a saloon, then the Lexus GS450h. The A6 is currently on run-out at huge discounts because a new A6 is due soon.

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