The worst day of my life?

It's not as simple as a "5" series, the body is the 5 part but the saloon is different from coupe & massivly different to X5.  The rest is full of many variables in spec, trim, engine, g.box etc.

If you like what you have with the 5 you have been loaned, it means you & BMW get along, & that's not the case for everyone;  it's like Naim, some like, others do not, & like Naim you need to look into the models & options & then book a dealer demo.  

Get a Bentley - then you can have a Naim system!

I suspect it feels smooth in part because SLK's are known for their hard suspension. If you're tempted by a 5 series as a largish saloon, rather than your 2-seater convertible, you really need to compare it to the E-class and Audi A6 or, if non-German, a Jag XF. As Mike-B says, BMWs are a bit of an acquired taste. Some find their handling superb.  I like the looks but have always found their ride too hard for my taste and prefer the more forgiving Mercedes set-up.  If your SLK really is a write-off, and the damage looked severe enough, it's probably worth popping into a few dealerships and ask for a test drive.  With no part-exchange involved, you would be a very welcome customer. 

M

Try a Porsche Macan S Diesel 

I've had a couple of the current generation 5 series estates and think they are fantastic at fulfilling their design brief.  A very different brief from a two seat sports car where I think you'd find Porsche Boxster or Cayman very difficult to beat in the current market.  I suspect, similar to upgrading hi-fi, following your accident you'd be well served to take a deep breath and consider what you really require from a car.  If the answer is something as big as a 5 series I think they are the best of the segment but as noted already they have a massive range of variants in terms of engines, gearboxes, seats and any number of optional extras.  I went for diesel and have the 535d which packs quite a punch, but nowhere near the petrol M5 which is a bit of a monster. The 520d has reasonable performance and high fuel efficiency however I still belong to the flat 6 cylinder brigade for BMWs. Whichever engine you choose one thing worth having is the optional dynamic suspension which allows you to switch between a very soft ride quality through a range to a very stiff ride - it really makes a huge difference to the car.  Go on to the BMW website and check out the possible options including hifi. After 4 years of 5 series ownership not a single thing has gone wrong mechanically or electrically and they feel like they are built to out live me!

Peter

Would you want to wait a year for one? I did consider one of these as a replacement for our trusty Honda CR-V but went instead for the BMW X3 (we need 4 wd, and lots of room for dogs etc.). Leaving aside the long wait and the high price, the Macan's too small inside. The 3 litre X3 is pretty quick and with the adaptive suspension handles really well. Probably not as fast round a racetrack as the Macan but I don't drive round racetracks these days.

Hope the other fella's ok.

C.

I have just de-cluttered, reduced box count, put my sensible grown up hat on & bought an X1.  

Unlike young Minh, the main criteria for us aging old codgers was for 'erself to be able to get in & out without showing her knickers & needing a hoist, so it was all change for a high ride.  We looked at all the makes & having been BMW drivers for many years, like an addiction, we were drawn to the X series.  X5 was nice,  but way OTT for what we need in our dotage,  X3 was a serious contender, loved the ride & power, but found the X1 more fun & it fits our needs exactly. 

The funny thing is I actually drive it better,  the old 3 coupe was all go faster & I just wanted to race with it, the X1 with auto box (new for me in UK) just makes me drive like Captain Slow.

Bad luck Minh. Let's all hope there's not a third thing!

It happens....I have a three week old Audi driven into the back of by some careless individual in a 10 year old Volvo XC90. Wife was driving with daughter in the car and all OK but shaken. As the repair shop said the Audi did its job. We live to fight another day! He did at least admit liability.

Look after yourself Minh and enjoy all those Naim hours ahead of you.

I've never quite understood this: a diesel Porsche seems like an oxymoron to me.  Don't get me wrong, I quite like diesels. The one in my C-class is very economical if a bit rough and 3-litre V6 I had in my old E-class was superb and I still miss it.  But if you want and can afford a Porsche, why would you remotely want it with a diesel engine?l!!!!!

PS - Mr Dolan if you have one and I've upset you, sorry, but really. 

  Minh

Sorry to hear you have been pranged again - not good!

If you are looking for a more efficient car than the figures you quote for the SLK, I'd suggest an M5 may not be for you!  It's a 2 tonne car with a 550bhp twin turbo engine.  I'd love to have one for a couple of weeks but really, here in UK I could only envisage frustration and points on my license if I had one.  The 535d has just over 300bhp and 465 lb ft torque which, with the 8 speed auto box, works well and is capable of returning over 45mpg on a gentle run (not so much when you seriously press on!).

Peter

Try one 

I borrowed a M5 for 10 days in Dubai a few years ago,  I bought its owner 50% of a new set of tyres !!!! 

GREAT FUN   but driving such a car carefully is like a NAP500 driving a set of headphones.

At best they will normally only offer the lowest dealer trade-in price,  but if you feel the figure is too low, you are entitled to challenge it & try to negotiate a better deal.  

However before you go to war, you better arm yourself with some accurate marketplace values to support your case. Look up the value in Parker's and Glass's guides, you can get these online. But remember that you're looking at the trade-in value not a dealers forecourt price.

How can they only offer a trade in value. You aren't trading in but buying, so surely they need to cover the sale value. After all it's the other parties insurance that will have to pay. We get screwed at both ends. As you say unfair

Worth checking the details of your policy because there should be something in there about the replacement value in the event of write-off.  Unless there there is a specific clause which you (implicitly) accepted when taking the policy, the presumption for a comprehensive policy is the insurance company should look to replace your vehicle with something equivalent, less your excess.  That's not to say the price you paid of course, but replacement cost. Of course that still leaves room to haggle.  So, as Mike-B says, you need to arm yourself with some evidence of what a car in comparable condition to yours e.g. service history (full Mercedes?), mileage, body work, optional extras etc.  The insurance company may legitimately argue that the screen-price in car dealerships isn't the realistic value because people would expect to haggle etc. but no-one other than another dealer can expect to negotiate a trade price and it would be unreasonable for your insurance company to expect you to do so. But this is a negotiation.  Use their words from their policy back to them.  You've also got recourse to an ombudsman is case of dispute. Let them know you know that (politely). You'll probably have to be firm and persistent in this. 

Good luck

That's the way it crumbles. You can pay a premium to get like for like replacement,  but the premium for that will probably bring on more tears.  The intent is to give you the same price as you would get if you were trading in the car, the fact that you had not planned or budgeted for changing cars is another matter.