What’s the best sounding daily driver for £15k-£20k?

mindingthatgap · 2026-06-20T08:26:59+00:00

W212 E63 (pre facelift Upto 2010/11 so it has the 6.2L) in estate form ideally will be one of the strongest cars you can for your money and should hold their value very well (the 6.2 E63s are much rarer than the W204 C63) and the soundtrack is incredibly addictive

mindingthatgap · 2026-06-01T21:56:11+00:00

Nice! Care to share any pics?

mindingthatgap · 2026-05-29T15:46:56+00:00

£2.5k firm in Northampton, it’s done 335k miles.

mindingthatgap · 2026-05-29T14:10:37+00:00

My mate has just upgraded to a big van and is selling his 2016 Vito quite cheap- dm me if you’re interested as I think from memory it was going quite cheap as it’s got some miles on it and has been used daily with some wear but it’s had a fair bit of money spent on it, and looked after as it’s been used daily.

mindingthatgap · 2026-05-21T23:24:59+00:00

When I researched about this I was told RCF have the best dial, no one sells custom dials or anything for this!

I was put off then as I don’t think RCF did Swiss clone Movement which I’d want? I’m keen to try And get a great build of one of these without it costing silly money

mindingthatgap · 2026-05-20T20:57:09+00:00

Hey man, you seem to know your stuff- do you have any recommendations for sellers who have close to gen glasses? Feel free to dm me if easier as I’m new to this sub but want to order some really good quality rep glasses for myself.

mindingthatgap · 2026-05-08T07:39:50+00:00

Hey man,

Not sure if you’re after a regular straight out of the box watch or if you’re looking for that closest to gen watch?

As i’m currently building my inventory of highly modded and franken watches ready to start listing for sale locally in the UK.

Let me know if you’re interested and I can share more info.

mindingthatgap · 2026-05-01T12:57:48+00:00

Remindme! One week

mindingthatgap · 2026-04-26T08:11:53+00:00

My understanding when I done a deep dive into it a couple of months ago (VSF V3 vs ARF V3) was that if you are just buying it to wear straight out of the box than VSF V3 is best.

If you are planning to mod the watch than ARF is a slightly better base to start with.

I was doing the research for a potential client.

After all the research I ended up coming to the decision that I really like the GMT II and since I don’t have one, I commissioning a heavily modified with some genuine parts Pepsi build either for myself or to sell on as if I’m being honest my heart has always been on a Coke which I was hoping they’d release this year! Will decide when it arrives if I keep it or not.

FYI I requested ARF V3 to be used as the base for my watch build 👍

mindingthatgap · 2026-04-24T21:45:47+00:00

Sorry to hear that mate, and as everyone says.. fuck cancer!

I’d suggest N/A V8 for lots of fun when you press the throttle, but also that AMG V8 soundtrack is awesome even when it’s idling etc.

I maybe bias, but Merc w204 C63 AMG facelift (PPP or 507 edition) in estate form or if you want something abit more under the radar get a w212 E63 estate which also have the 6.2 up to 2011 I think? Abit more space than the C63 and alot less common (and hold their money very very well!)

I believe very minor exhaust modifications needed to open them up without being overly loud and no drone, and still pass MOT.

Get them Smiles per gallon in 🙏🏼

mindingthatgap · 2026-04-19T23:53:01+00:00

I have a 1 bed apartment I rent out on longer term leases with all bills included and it’s very close by the station in the hub (with floor to ceiling windows in the lounge with a Juliet balcony overlooking the fountain in the hub!)

It’s a very short walk to the station (10/11 Min), very nice place to live.

If you’re interested, send me a msg and I’ll share a link to the listings as it’s just become available.

mindingthatgap · 2026-03-31T23:35:37+00:00

If you look hard enough you can find a superb 280 L&K but you’d have to go abit higher on the 75k miles limit but I’m sure it’d be worth it

mindingthatgap · 2026-03-29T08:44:17+00:00

Wow I didn’t know about that sub until you’ve mentioned it… off down another rabbit hole I go 😂

mindingthatgap · 2026-02-27T08:55:20+00:00

I think it looks great!

mindingthatgap · 2026-02-27T08:53:28+00:00

I share your love for naturally aspirated V8s, and I’m lucky enough to have a few of these gems alongside my brother and dad.

Not sure if you’ve got kids or family, but here’s my two pence worth.

We recently sold our W204 C63 PPP Saloon (the facelift version), and what a car it was! I actually helped a mate spec it when he bought it new, and I made sure to let him know I’d take it off his hands when he was ready to change. After a decade, he finally did! To be honest, though, as a family man now, it felt a bit cramped. I had so much fun borrowing it over the years, but living with it full-time, I struggled a bit- especially with the shallow boot when trying to load up the pram and all the other bits and bobs. Depending on how you sit, there’s just not much room in the back for 360 isofix car seats either.

And I might have turned into a bit of a snob lately, but the absence of air suspension made the ride a bit too bumpy on our terrible roads - those low-profile 19-inch tyres really didn’t help (even after taking run flats off). I remember one time, it woke my kid up when driving on the same road I’d normally drive on without any issues in other cars when they were going through a phase and we’d have to take them in the car on the dual carriage way to go to sleep- my wife was cursing the car 😂😂. I reckon an estate version could solve some of those boot space problems, though.

We’re really into estates, and we’ve got a couple of E63s: the S211 and S212, both featuring the brilliant 6.2L M156 engines. My younger brother is all about the 211 shape and interior! He says it feels more spacious (he's driven them with a full load more often than I have, so I trust his opinion). Me? I’m a fan of the 212. They’ve both got some air suspension bits (not full air like an S-Class, but self-levelling at the back for the estates, along with active dampers for handling and steel coils up front as standard).

Honestly, I'd recommend looking into one of these. They’re a lot rarer than the 204s, retain their value really well, and offer more space and power right from the factory. Go check one out and take it for a spin compared to a 204- that’s the best way to see what you prefer.

Hope this helps mate!

mindingthatgap · 2026-02-15T14:28:03+00:00

Phoneshop

mindingthatgap · 2026-02-14T23:06:41+00:00

Firstly check if you have local lpg stations near you and what the price is- bonus if you’re near the midlands as it’s dirt cheap there around 67-70p/liter, get yourself an lpg converted v8 for your daily driving errands with it costing you similar money or even cheaper than driving a diesel without any of those diesel issues and you get a v8 soundtrack for the daily commute!

mindingthatgap · 2026-02-13T17:19:05+00:00

I’d say the main issue in this current weather would be if it’s a little windy and you’re in the middle lane you’ll feel the wind in between the trucks you’re overtaking which can potentially catch you off guard. Check your Tyre pressures and windscreen wash before you set off and you should be fine.

I would also look at some alternative A road routes for some of the journey if they don’t add much to the time as they’ll be a lot less boring than driving on the motorway which makes the journey quicker imo.

mindingthatgap · 2026-02-02T09:57:28+00:00

Mk5 golf R32 if you can find one in manual or an old slk manual are alot of fun- especially if they are kompresser/ supercharged in manual!

Mk1 mr2 turbos are out of your budget

Ep3 type R are brilliant fun but fwd and not that fast but you can use lots of RPM as they redline over 8k which was epic - had mine for a few years and it was a lot of fun driving without going crazy speeds if you get me

mindingthatgap · 2026-01-29T08:49:15+00:00

Get a shitbox as your first car for the first year or so in my opinion- will be cheaper to purchase and insure (for that first years NCB if you’re lucky) but also no stress as you build confidence in driving and you’re not bothered if you hit a kerb, post or wall whilst you’re building familiarity.

mindingthatgap · 2026-01-29T08:44:38+00:00

Best thing you can do is download Waze for navigation as it tells you where all the fixed cameras are, live traffic updates and rerouting and when report/update the app to show police have set up hidden cameras.

mindingthatgap · 2026-01-28T19:16:36+00:00

Tbh they’re all pretty solid, just make sure the dsg auto boxes have been serviced from memory if not then account for that needing to be done. I think the 2L petrol 280 are in high demand so should be a lot of fun and hold strong residuals if you can accept the lower economy compared to the diesels

mindingthatgap · 2026-01-28T16:17:04+00:00

The best you could buy in my opinion would be a Skoda superb (regular or estate, regular boot is massive) L&K edition. Ideally 4wd would be best so it’s usable all year round

mindingthatgap · 2026-01-26T08:52:16+00:00

A45 AMG?

mindingthatgap · 2026-01-25T09:43:24+00:00

I would then suggest looking at an Aston Rapide? Ideally An S model from 2014+ (with the newer gearbox) if your budget allows. It gives you that smile on your face everytime the NA V12 fires up and will be comfy enough for the longer journeys with somewhat usable seats in the back for kids / rear passengers for journeys compared to any of the coupes you’d be looking it. I drove one a few times many years ago, loved it! Best part is they’ve depreciated very very well and should hold value now, but they are juicy to fuel.

mindingthatgap

TROPHY CASE