First option is to buy my Allroad off the lease company if they give me a price of around £25k. However, I have already budgeted the funds to doing two new bathrooms and a new kitchen, so that is not going to be for long term ownership; and if I keep it until 2019 then I bet I'll have lost another £5k in depreciation so that's one bathroom down already
Hence thinking of something cheaper. Ideally I'd get an X70 BMW X5 LCI 40d in SE trim with lots of options; that is going to be £15k-16k so realistically not much of a saving over buying the Allroad - not enough for two bathrooms and a kitchen anyway. Still a possibility if I found a bargain but having really enjoyed my old E39 and E61 5-series Tourings which cost just over £5k, I'd like something closer to that sort of price.
Current ideas are a late original shape CLS (compromise is that it's not an estate); I'd go for a CLS350 CDI Grand Edition for the nice alloys and more powerful engine. Seen these for £7-8k (2010ish) and at this sort of age, it's not that hard to find a one-owner cherished car. Always like the original shape CLS so if I'm ever going to have one, now seems to be the time.
Alternatively a Volvo V60 D5 - this ticks more of the boxes (4wd version is available, and the estate shape is more useful to me but it's not particularly big). This is the head over heart option.
Any other interesting suggestions for up to, say, £8k? I've really gone off the W212 E-class estate after going to see two; they just don't grab me at all. I'd like the moon on a stick, please... actually, not quite that but something with no more than ~120k miles, 2009 onwards, low number of owners, estate or SUV, auto, 4wd, 250+bhp and not £500 per year to tax.
