Used Executive Saloons For The Price Of A New Mondeo? - The Filter Blog

Earlier this month we brought you the top five new executive saloons for €50,000 and while we all like to dream, the fact of the matter is that only a small portion of the population can afford such luxuries. Or can they? As we all know, there's a lot of value in the second hand market, despite demand for good post-2008 diesel cars. If you've say €30,000 to spend and you're eyeing up a relatively entry-level family saloon like the new Ford Mondeo or Mazda 6, is it worth considering a second hand executive saloon instead?

A big portion of depreciation will already be taken care of, and you'll get more space and more prestige if you're willing to do without the appeal of a shiny new registration. It's a tempting proposition for sure, though it's worth taking the time to calculate the likely costs involved, as an older car will undoubtedly require more maintenance and servicing - and the premium brands aren't known for their low pricing. Note that the calculations below do not include the cost of fluids, such as oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, coolant and windscreen wash fluid, or labour costs, which will all rapidly add to the cost of running an older car - especially as many new ones come with deals that include a certain number of services. All prices include VAT and are correct at the time of publishing online. Audi A6

We found a few examples of the A6, in budget on Carzone.ie including the model below:

Model: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI SE - black, automatic, 177hp
Asking price: €29,935
Where: Murphy & Gunn, Dublin 6
Mileage: 55,000km Luxuries: satnav, leather heated seats, climate control, 17-inch alloys, parking sensors, Bluetooth, cruise control, electric windows all-round Depending on driving style, this A6 needs a service every 15,000- to 30,000km or once every year or two years. We'd recommend erring on the side of caution with more frequent oil changes so aim for every 15,000km or every year if you're a low mileage driver. When the oil is changed then the oil filter should be too. This costs €6.56 according to the MicksGarage parts database. The brake fluid should be completely flushed out and replaced after three years and then every two years after that. The transmission fluid should be replaced after 60,000km, so that's due soon after this car is bought. Audi also recommends that the timing belt is changed at 120,000km or, if that hasn't been reached in five years, it should be inspected so we'll include the cost of the part for reference. That's all the planned costs taken care of. Here's a summary of the potential servicing costs for the used Audi A6 over three years.

Parts summary:

Component	Cost	Estimated frequency over three years	Total cost over three years
Oil filter	€6.56	Three changes	€19.68
Timing belt kit	€169.82	Not unless 120,000km reached	€169.82
Air filter	€26.88	Three changes	€80.64
Brake discs	€60.80	Will depend on driving style, but possibly two front discs over three years	€60.80
Brake pads	€45.48	Probably just the front pads once in three years	€45.48
Fuel filter	€30.73	Twice	€61.46
Pollen filter	€28.73	Twice	€57.46
Shock absorbers	€84.21	Once - four on the car	€336.84
Water pump	€43.19	Not unless 120,000km reached	€43.19
Wheel bearing kit	€64.14	Likely that one of the wheels will need this	€64.14
Total			€939.51

BMW 5 Series

We found a few examples of the 5 Series, in budget on Carzone.ie including the model below:

Model: 2012 BMW 520d SE - grey, automatic, 186hp
Asking price: €29,895
Where: MT Services, Dublin 12
Mileage: 90,043km Luxuries: satnav, leather heated seats, climate control, 17-inch alloys, parking sensors, Bluetooth, cruise control, electric windows all-round Many examples of the BMW 5 Series would have been fitted with the company's 'Conditional Based Servicing system', which monitors the condition of the oil and other items and informs the owner when a service is next due. For the purposes of this research we'll assume that the car should be serviced at least once a year, though BMW reckons that it's more like 16 to 18 months and mileages of 26,000- to 28,000km. It's worth noting as well that over 90 per cent of buyers of new BMWs opt for a five-year/100,000km service pack. This 2.0-litre diesel engine doesn't have a timing belt though, so that's one less cost to worry about, as the chain is maintenance-free, though like most cars, the brake fluid should be completely replaced every three years.

Parts summary:

Component	Cost	Estimated frequency over three years	Total cost over three years
Timing belt	None fitted - 520d uses timing chain
Fuel filter	€30.36	Twice	€60.72
Air filter	€61.42	Twice	€122.84
Pollen filter	€27.61	Twice	€55.22
Oil Filter	€17.09	Twice	€34.18
Brake discs	€82.36	Will depend on driving style, but possibly two front discs over three years	€82.36
Brake pads	€46.23	Probably just the front pads once in three years	€46.23
Shock absorbers	€143.70	Once - four on the car	€574.80
Water pump	€39.20	Not likely to be needed
Wheel bearing kit	€78.26	Likely that one of the wheels will need this	€78.26
Total			€1,054.61

Jaguar XF

We found a few examples of the XF, in budget on Carzone.ie including the model below:

Model: 2012 Jaguar XF 2.2d Premium Luxury - green, automatic, 163hp
Asking price: €29,995
Where: Karl Goodwin Motors, Saggart
Mileage: 80,467km Luxuries: satnav, leather heated seats, climate control, alloy wheels, parking sensors, Bluetooth, cruise control, electric windows all-round Jaguar's service schedule for the XF means a service every year or 26,000km (whichever is first), but it has what are called A and B services that alternate with different items checked and changed as needs be. Along with the components listed in the tables below, there are regular costs, such as a full brake fluid flush and replenish every three years (the car featured here is therefore due to have that done) and replacement coolant every 10 years. The timing belt and its tensioner in the Jaguar are rated to 234,000km - or 10 years - so we'll not include the cost of that in our three-year schedule below.

Parts summary:

Component	Cost	Estimated frequency over three years	Total cost over three years
Oil filter	€4.78	Three changes	€14.34
Timing belt	No change needed until 234,000km
Air filter	€8.20	Two changes	€16.40
Brake discs	€68.63	Will depend on driving style, but possibly two front discs over three years	€68.63
Brake pads	€20.93	Probably just the front pads once in three years	€20.93
Fuel filter	€55.37	Twice	€110.74
Pollen filter	€12.79	Twice	€25.58
Shock absorbers	€175.24	Once - four on the car	€700.96
Water pump	No change needed until 234,000km
Wheel bearing kit	€60.04	Likely that one of the wheels will need this	€60.04
Total			€1,423.60

Lexus GS

We found a few examples of the 450h, in budget on Carzone.ie including the model below:

Model: 2009 Lexus GS 450h Executive - black, automatic, 340hp
Asking price: €23,900
Where: Lehane Motors, Cork
Mileage: 48,876km Luxuries: satnav, leather heated seats, climate control, alloy wheels, parking sensors, Bluetooth, cruise control, electric windows all-round This GS is a bit of a wild card here, as it's the only petrol version in the pack - and it's a hybrid to boot. Reflecting the trend of the Irish market, there aren't many of these in the classifieds for our €30,000 budget, so you'll note that this car is considerably cheaper than the others - but also older. Nonetheless, anecdotally, the Lexus hybrid system is rock solid in terms of reliability so it should cost no more than a regular petrol car to service and it has the advantage of no diesel particulate filter, so is perfectly suited to short journeys and low-mileage usage.

Like Jaguar, Lexus alternates services. Every 15,000km the service is just oil and filter replacement with an inspection. At 30,000km, same again while wiper blades, pollen filter, air filter and brake pads are all inspected and replaced if required. At around 100,000km the brake discs and brake fluid most likely may need to be replaced, but that depends on how the car is being driven. Sadly, because of its rarity, parts are not so widespread outside of the Lexus dealer network, which is why you'll find holes in our data below. We're assuming that this car has had one minor and one major service already and that over the next three years it will need two minor and one major. Parts summary:

Component	Cost	Estimated frequency over three years	Total cost over three years
Oil filter	€8.30	Three changes	€24.90
Timing belt	None
Air filter	€29.04	Once	€29.04
Brake discs	€459.97	Will depend on driving style, but possibly two front discs over three years	€459.97
Brake pads	€34.22	Once	€34.22
Fuel filter	€35.42	Once
Pollen filter	€9.01	Once	€9.01
Shock absorbers	Not listed
Water pump	Not listed
Wheel bearing kit	€99.27	Likely that one of the wheels will need this	€99.27
Total			€1,331.64

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

We found a few examples of the E-Class, in budget on Carzone.ie including the model below:

Model: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E 200 CDI - black, automatic, 136hp
Asking price: €29,959
Where: Donohoe Mercedes, Wexford
Mileage: 74,000km Luxuries: leather heated seats, 17-inch alloys, air conditioning, electric windows all-round In general, Mercedes-Benz recommends a service every year for the E-Class, or every 15,000 kilometres - whichever comes first. The car has a system to notify the driver of this and even counts down the days to the service as it draws near. A dealer then hooks up the car to the Daimler diagnostic machine to determine how it has been driven and what servicing items are required. We're assuming average usage and an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometres in the estimates below so three services.

Parts summary:

Component	Cost	Estimated frequency over three years	Total cost over three years
Oil filter	€7.83	Three	€23.49
Timing belt	None fitted - uses timing chain
Air filter	€35.97	Three	€107.91
Brake discs	€41.19	Will depend on driving style, but possibly two front discs over three years	€41.19
Brake pads	€23.52	Probably just the front pads once in three years	€23.52
Fuel filter	€32.47	Three	€97.41
Pollen filter	€29.65	Three	€88.95
Shock absorbers	€440.10	Once - four on the car	€440.10
Water pump	€71.81	Unlikely to be needed
Wheel bearing kit	€41.77	Likely that one of the wheels will need this	€41.77
Total			€1,588.65

So.......there's some food for thought! It's also worth bearing in mind that most of the cars above were also available for a lot less than our €30k budget, we just tried to stick close to this figure for the purpose of the exercise. With all that in mind do you see yourself cruising round in one of these 2nd hand luxo-barges or is the lure of the 'New Car Smell' and the 152 plate too much to pass up? Worth a bit more investigation perhaps?

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