Search for a Bargain Barge

So - what is this blog about?

It's the culmination of an unsuppressible urge to run a big, expensive-to-run, heavy luxury car.

Minimum requirements:

- More than four cylinders 

- Auto gearbox

- Leather

- Heated seats

- Cruise control

Any other luxury items are a welcome addition.

Of course, I could have chosen a typical D-segment (Mondeo size) car in top trim level, but for the full barge experience it's got to be bigger than that and more expensive - at least in terms of its original list price.

So, what made the shortlist?

- Audi A8

Pros: Big, lots of gadgets, some are 4wd.

Cons: Complicated, unreliable (from what I've heard), difficult to fix, too many nice things were optional (eg electric seats)

- BMW 7 Series

Pros: Lovely to drive, rear wheel drive, look great

Cons: Scary Nicasil-lined V8s, drug-dealer image, lots of really tatty ones around with seven owners (now in prison)

- Citroen CX

Pros: Designed by Martians, look great, 80s-futuristic

Cons: Rust, unreliable, low std equipment count, rare

- Ford Scorpio (1995-98)

Pros: I had a 1991 Scorp and loved it, simple mechanicals, cheap bits

Cons: Can't seem to find any good ones left, 'fugly' (fucking ugly), not many in V6 spec

- Lexus GS

Pros: I secretly love the way the Mk1 looks, but the Mk2 is uglier (and therefore cheap)
Cons: Expensive bits, lots of gold-badged tatty ones around

- Nissan [Maxima] QX

Pros: Reliable, well equipped

Cons: Front wheel drive, 2.0-litre V6 is slow, zero image (but plenty of comedy value)

- Vauxhall Omega

Pros: Cheap

Cons: Lots of low spec ones around, can't seem to find a good one (see Ford Scorpio), notoriously unreliable

- Volvo S80

Pros: Some high-spec ones around. V6 twin turbo is nearly 300bhp...
Cons: Front wheel drive, scary packaging, a bit unreliable

- Volvo V70

Pros: Estate luggage capacity
Cons: Front wheel drive, scary packaging, some dodgy ones around, clunky handling

- Volvo S/V90

Pros: Big, rear-drive, funeral director image
Cons: State of the Ark (ie dated), boxy looks, funeral director image

So - what did I choose? Read on...