[Closed] Sorry - what car for £10k

retains value

That's tricky on any car of that value. If you are genuinely planning on keeping it 6 months, I'd go bangernomics. Something like a Honda Accord or Vauxhall Insignia/Vectra estate.

Ta. Retains value as in, won't lose half of it in 6 months I guess. Mileage will be low over that time, I anticipate no more than £2 max.

As you want to carry a bike some sort of German estate if you require creature comforts.
Otherwise a nv200 7seat or equivalent (they seem to retain value for milage as are a bit specialist).

Something with a big engine imo. so a 335i or larger estate

russian bob - I have a Merc E class estate to move on; 320CDI, 2003 plate, 223k miles, MOT to 8 Oct, avantgarde spec.
Full leather.
In Lincoln.
Never towed, unburstable 3.2 ltr diesel engine. Audio 10 radio/cd with single slot cd; boot mounted 6 cd changer; Merc roof bars; unused bike carrier.
2 new tyres, front bearings adjusted, front camber bolts freed off & wheel alignment in March; new heavy duty battery in February; covered 1,800 miles since.
Tyre replacements & bearings adjustment were based on MOT advisories; 2 other advisories - front number plate slightly deteriorated but not likely to be misread and exhaust slightly deteriorated.
Some rust and digital clock has pixel failure so unreadable.
Cheap as chips at £500.

Spending £10k on a car you're going to keep for 6 months, but you want it to retain its value, and it must be big and practical family car too... Sorry, that does not compute!

If you know you're getting rid in 6 months, then go bangernomics... There are £10k cars out there that are fairly good financial investments (as in they'll retain most of their value in 6 months time), but none of them will have all the other things that you require!

I'd spend £1k or so on an old Passat Estate 1.9Tdi in decent condition. As long as you buy one that's been looked after, it won't cost much to run at all, and you'll get your money back in 6 months. Any £10k family estate car that you buy now, is likely to lose £1.5-2k over 6 months IMO so would not be a wise investment!

for 6 months, why not just sign up to one of the short-term car subscriptions? not the cheapest (£500 a month ish) but zero hassle

Passat R36 estate if you can find one or some biggish engined E91 BMW 3-series. All hold their values incredibly well albeit appealing to a smallish market.

Are the kids in child seats?  If so, pretty much any estate is out due to the shape and belt positioning on the rear bench seat..

I'd agree that if you're only intending to keep for 6 months I'd go cheaper.   A boring ford MPV  would fit the bill.  Or something like a zafira for much cheapness. Though you can't fit a child seat in the middle position in zafiras, according to the manual...

For 6 months, I'd definitely be thinking hard on frankconway's offer. Max depreciation is £500, you might even make a bit at the end of your ownership!

Cheap Volvo V70 with FVSH if you spend £1000 and bin it after a year it's still a lot cheaper than spending £10k now and accepting a 20% depreciation.

Volvo XC70 D5

Will do it all so well you'll likely keep it after the 6 months. It won't lose much in that time anyway.

Buy a sprinter and some seats now?

I'd go for frankconway's E-Class.

A 3 series/a4/c-class isn't really big enough for 3 in the back.

I'd consider A6 Avant or a 520/530D F11 BMW estate.

I'd also (for 6 months) consider a something like an XC90 or E70 X5 3.0d or 4.4 v8, so long as your milage isn't huge.

Link to eBay X5

My focus with a dodgy turbo, gearbox and alternator is yours for 10k, now initially this might not sound appealing but it has a dent, from a stack of ladders falling on to it, on the drivers side rear door that looks like vagina. PM me.

For 6 months I'd have the £500 Merc mentioned above, or thestabiliser's sexy Focus.

biggish wife, 3 kids, dog some journeys, me and bike other times

Take it your wife isn’t on here 😀

I'll go against the grain and say I wouldn't touch the Merc - I'd end up concerned it wouldn't make the journey.

robowns - it gets a good blast every week; will cruise at 70 all day; take your eye off the speedo and you're at 100 with no sensation of speed.
If you knew anything about the 3.2 diesel engine...
They regularly get to 400,000 miles.

robowns - russian bob wants a car for 6 months; why spend £10k and see the value (possibly) fall by £1k?
My old Merc is surplus to requirements but think about the facts
- £500 so cheap as chips
- proven and highly reliable engine
- never towed or been heavily loaded
- advisories from last MOT have been sorted except for 'exhaust slight deterioration'
- Merc roof bars and unused bike carrier have re-sale value
- Merc 6cd multi changer in boot can be removed and has resale value
- car will have re-sale or scrap value after 6 months
- it has some rust; so what for a short term requirement
- it's probably at least as reliable as yours

If it wasn't surplus, I would keep it as a load lugger; with the back seats folded down you can fit a full size coffin in there - not a great selling point, I know, but...

Can't disagree with what you've written Frank, but for me, my commentary remains. Would also say that just because an engine can run to 400k miles, it doesn't mean the car doesn't have issues in the process.

I have a low tolerance for potentially sitting at the side of the road, so wouldn't entertain bangernomics at all. Not your target audience to be fair.

£500 plus £100 for breakdown cover?

I had cause to ring the AA at the start of the year for of all things a puncture, because despite my instructions to the contrary Honda gave me a can of Badger's Finest rather than a spare wheel. They said they'd be with me in half and hour, were here inside of ten minutes and had fixed it and were on their way in another ten. Outside my house, on a Saturday. I was astounded.

If it wasn’t surplus, I would keep it as a load lugger; with the back seats folded down you can fit a full size coffin in there – not a great selling point, I know, but…

You should repaint it as ECTO-1.

rob, I bought the car from the original owner at 3 years old and 36k miles.
Since then I have had two occasions to call for roadside assistance:
1. ran out of fuel - stupid me
2. return fuel pump failed in early 2019; replaced at cost of £715.

Cars of any age can have issues - even brand new straight off the forecourt.
I'm looking at this as an opportunity for the OP to fill his (very) short term requirement at minimal/zero net cost.
Are you familiar with the gnusmobile thread?

cougar, what's the relevance of your breakdown comment? That sort of cover is entirely at the owner's discretion.

I've replaced the Merc with an Audi A8L in 4.2tdi quattro format; if that's as reliable I'll be very happy.

ECTO-1...arf arf but wrong shape.

Left field but hear me out. Honda Odyssey, Nissan Elgrande, or one of the other weird and wacky Japanese 3 litre V6 7-8 seater fun buses. Ticks the £10k box, the fun/unusual box, the carrying 2 full size and 3 small humans plus a dog box, will take many bikes, and if you can find a buyer in 6 months then you'll sell it for what you paid.

The sales pitch is real Frank

If you were that confident in it Frank you'd bung a fresh MOT on it and get twice the price. MOT running out in a week would put me off straight away.

Are you planning on buying from a garage? After 6 months are you planning to part ex or sell private? If the answer is yes be prepared to lose a good 3 to 4k.

Get a t5, you wont loose anything on it in 6-12 months

something like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vw-t5-camper-van-swb/373245721874?hash=item56e72dbd12:g:J3kAAOSwZmpfdMPe

ten grand ? I'm driving a 33,000 mile car with no rust that cost me £600

Link to 530d on autotrader.