Hi everyone!

I like my 2005 4.2 S/C a lot. So much so that I was thinking of chopping it in for a 5.0 S/C and getting more of the same. Trying to find a nice one is a bit of a task, but there's no rush.

Anyway, a local Kia dealer has taken a 5.0 S/C in part ex and is selling it on for just over £21k. It's a 59-plated car, green Autobiography with an orangey-brown interior that looks evil in their photos but it might look quite nice in real life. Mileage is 66.5k. It has, supposedly, a full S/H but not all LR services.

What do you think? Would I be mad to walk away from my reasonably well-sorted 4.2 for an unknown car for that money, or is the price reasonable? Anything I should be looking for on the later model that I haven't already replaced on my 4.2?

Thanks for any info you have.

It's simple, you look at what you're going to gain against what you'll lose. You'll lose a well sorted and reliable (I assume) motor that you obviously like, you'll lose money, you'll lose confidence in your motor (at least short term). And you'll gain what exactly ???

You can only decide once you've looked at the 5.0.

It's an emotive subject and not completely logical. If you like the car and have the funds and want to change, then why not?

Do your research on the 5.0 from this forum and go armed with what to look out for and the market price.

You may find the Kia dealer just wants the thing gone and may be looking to sell it into the trade, so a cheeky offer at that level or thereabouts may get you a relative bargain IF you really want the car.

Are you mad? No more than the rest of us. We'd all be driving something far more mundane and cheaper to run if we were sane... Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

Thanks for your replies!

I had a good think about it last night, and you're right to suggest that I should look at what I'd gain. So this is what I came up with:

A 5.0l engine!
Cooled seats
A heated driver's seat that works...
Terrain Response
Deployable side steps
I think it has a USB port, doesn't it? Or is 2009 a bit early for that kind of thing?
An interior that Elton John might consider "a bit bright"

What I'll lose:

Rear seat entertainment (it was a must when I bought this one, but the iPad is more fun, apparently so it doesn't really matter any more)
My A-frame! (I love my A-frame. I didn't like it at first, but it allows me to find my car in amongst a dozen black RRs and the spotlights are great!)

Admittedly, none of these things alone would swing it. But in combination it's all the things I've wished I had on my car - although in all honesty I'd prefer a slightly newer car. Not that I have anything against an older car (I wouldn't drive mine if I did...), it's just that I've been looking round for a nice 2011+ 5.0 S/C for ages now and they're almost always way out of budget (and I don't want an L405 anyway). Could be because I've only been looking at LR dealers though. This one is from a dealer, just not an LR dealer. Either way, if they don't offer me a decent PX price then I won't bother anyway. The tradeup isn't big enough or different enough for me to give away my car for peanuts.

In all honesty, I've not found my 4.2 to be hideously expensive to run. Okay, I'd like a bit more than 13mpg if possible, but the day-to-day running isn't terrible, especially with Rovertune on the doorstep. Normally I just save up a set of tiny niggles and get them to fix everything at the service, and apart from that they see me at most once a year with something a bit more exciting. (This year's was the alternator and MAF sensor, one directly after the other!) But on the whole things don't seem to break on this car. Doesn't mean they won't though!

Anyway, I'm off to see it and give it a drive this morning. And then I'll probably shop round for a newer one, unless this one is perfect (which I'm sure it won't be!). Of course, if they offer me 15k for my car then I'll bite their hands off and learn how to get into the car with my eyes closed.

To my mind, but bear in mind I'm an old fart, this would be my view.



A 5.0l engine! Smile Really, in the UK with a 70mph maximum limit
Cooled seats In the UK ??
heated driver's seat that works... Yep, can see that
Terrain Response Do you trial it then ?
Deployable side steps just how short are you ?
I think it has a USB port, doesn't it? Or is 2009 a bit early for that kind of thing? I would never use it anyway
An interior that Elton John might consider "a bit bright" Shocked Hmm ??

Thanks for your reply, Rod!

I tried the car this morning. In all honesty, "going fast" isn't the appeal (although I do go over to Germany regularly, so it's nice to be able to keep up on the Autobahn...). I liked the response, but I was less keen on the steering assistance - it seems a bit over-assisted, or is it just me? I like to be able to feel the road, I don't need feather-light steering. But anyway, I liked the engine a lot. More than the 4.2. I just like an engine that gives power as soon as you ask, not half a second later!

Cooled/heated seats - not sure they work. I tried the heated seat and my bum didn't feel any warmer. I need to have another look at the electrics anyway, I didn't get chance to play much and it's an expensive mistake to make if they don't work.

I'm 5'3". Tall enough to get in, but it's a bit of a stretch unless the suspension is on its lowest setting. I quite fancied deployable side steps a couple of years ago, but not enough to retrofit them. And I really don't care about them either way.

I'd certainly use the USB port. For my dashcam if nothing else. The old iPod port might be useful too, although I don't really use my iPods any more.

The interior isn't orange at all, it's kind of a chocolatey brown. Not my thing. I could live with it if I had to I suppose.

The thing that bothers me about this car is that I always know within minutes whether I like a car enough to buy it. I don't know why, i just do. And i liked this car, but it wasn't an instant "yep, this one". There are a couple of gaps in the service history, the rear bumper has been dislodged at some point and it's got a few scratches, but it's an 8-year-old car so that's no surprise.

I'll sleep on it. I do like the 5.0l engine though. It's whether the rest of the package is worth losing my beloved A frame for!

I know what you mean about "just liking" a particular motor, when I bought mine I had no intention of buying one until I happened to notice it. Didn't even realise it was for sale at first but walked past it thinking "I like that, I like the colour, I like the model, and it's quite tidy". So when I was told it was for sale it was a forgone I was having it

It's good when that happens, isn't it? You just know it's meant to be.

There is a very sensible, reliable and practical SUV available at that Kia dealership, at a fraction of the price of a FFRR. It's called a Sportage

Squirrel wrote:

It's good when that happens, isn't it? You just know it's meant to be.

Let's hope so.

themule wrote:

There is a very sensible, reliable and practical SUV available at that Kia dealership, at a fraction of the price of a FFRR. It's called a Sportage

Er. Righto, thanks. Can't imagine going from an RR to a Sportage!

FD wrote:

Themule is right, the Sportage is an excellent car, but when we go out as a family we always take the RR, even though it uses more fuel and has less gadgets than the basic Sportage offers!!

Cheers, the comparison is handy to have! No competition. I don't want a million gadgets, I just want certain things. And the RR I saw has all of them. Except maybe an engine that does 60 to the gallon.

p.s. Anyone know the cost to retrofit an A-frame?!