For the audience
Is it still nice on the road in terms of sound? Nowadays it is often either three-cylinder rattle or EV buzz that you hear around you. Where have the days of the softly whirring six-cylinder gone? In this episode of Opzoek Naar we want to revive old times and portray three used cars with a six-cylinder under the hood. To not make it too easy, we work with a fairly tight budget: 5 grand. Because purchasing such a chic four-wheeler is one thing, taking optimal care of it is another. So we don’t want to spend everything on the purchase alone, but we also keep a fund on hand for (un)expected costs and – not least – fuel. Certainly not a crazy thought considering the origin, because we find two sedans from traditional English brands, Jaguar and Rover, and a Korean-American sedan.
Rover 75 2.0 V6 Club auto. – 2002 – 127,333 kilometers – €4,999
If there is one used car for which the adage ‘a lot of chic for little luxury’ applies, it is this Rover 75. Are you wary of its British origins? Then know that the sporty yet stately sedan rests on a chassis that BMW focused on during its development (the German brand was the owner of (Land) Rover and Mini at the time), but has been adapted to the wishes of the British. So sturdy/comfortable, with fairly smooth transverse stabilization. In faster corners it tends to lean quite a bit. Furthermore, the handling is neutral with slight understeer tendencies. Suspension and damping are nicely balanced, the brakes are easy to adjust. Only the steering feel is slightly out of tune: not as direct as we are used to from BMW. As a representative of the E-segment, it has sufficient living and luggage space (although it is not particularly generous in the rear).
The British aspect also translates into a generous use of chrome and wood, classic-looking dashboard clocks and an appearance that exudes chic. This Club version is missing leather. In any case, there isn’t much to it. For example, head airbags are missing, as is cruise control. The blue metallic 13-HV-BJ does have an alarm system on board, as well as automatic air conditioning (but not divided into zones) and a five-speed automatic transmission. This used car dates from January 2002 and, according to RDW data, comes from the first owner who has driven less than 130,000 kilometers with it in all those years. A caring owner, as is also evident from the immaculate condition inside and out. The provider will then dispose of it, including a six-month Bovag warranty (a full year costs an extra 500 euros). As one of the last representatives of old nobility on wheels, this 75 certainly deserves an equally loving second owner. Who dares to purchase a British automobile that is more than twenty years old? For him or her: off to Steenbergen in Brabant.
Signaling
Brand Robber
Type 75 2.0 V6 Club auto.
Construction year January 2002
Mileage 127,333
Asking price €4,999
Where to buy? Car company Van Oevelen, Steenbergen
Technical data
Engine V6, 1,991 cc
Max. assets 110 kW/150 hp at 6,500 rpm
Max. couple 185 Nm at 4,000 rpm
Luggage compartment 432 l
Max. trailer braked 1,450 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 out of 9.0
0-100 km/h 11.6 sec
Top speed 205 km/h
Jaguar X-Type 2.5 – 2007 – 143,863 kilometers – €4,950
We stay overseas and arrive at a maligned model: the Jaguar X-Type. While the Rover 75 above has BMW genes, the X-Type is mounted on the chassis of a Ford Mondeo. Objectively speaking, there is little wrong with that: the Mondeo was always a tight-steering car, and because it had front-wheel drive and Jaguar traditionally had the rear wheels driven, this was combined with the more powerful engines, creating four-wheel drive. For example, the X-Type competed with the quattro versions of the Audi A4 and BMW’s 3-series to which an x had been added. However, the public did not want it, so X-Types were significantly depreciated. This Jaguar X-Type shows that: much younger, more luxurious, more powerful, faster and less ‘uneconomical’ than the 75. Plus that four-wheel drive. Agreed, the mileage is slightly higher, the 60-XS-DF has had two owners instead of one and there is no mention of warranty, but still. By the way, such an X-Type can be found (much) cheaper, but then you are stuck with significantly more experienced used cars (with ditto maintenance costs, because it remains a Jag after all).
Inside we see a lot of wood, the furniture is a combination of fabric and leather (the front seats are electrically adjustable) and the automatic transmission lever is housed in the well-known J-gate – very few Fords have that. Although rear passengers cannot stretch their legs, they can enjoy a movie or something along the way (DVD screens built into the front headrests). There is nothing wrong with the performance and the car drives like on rails thanks to its four-wheel drive. In terms of safety and luxury (including navigation system, head airbags, cruise control) you can see that this Brit is more modern than his fellow countryman. The disadvantage is that the rear seat cannot be folded down, so the luggage compartment cannot be larger than 452 liters. For the rest, there is not much to complain about the X-Type, except – for many – its origins.
Signaling
Brand Jaguar
Type X Type 2.5
Construction year September 2007
Mileage 143,863
Asking price €4,950
Where to buy? Blieken Auto’s, Hardinxveld-Giessendam
Technical data
Engine V6, 2,495 cc
Max. assets 145 kW/194 hp at 6,800 rpm
Max. couple 244 Nm at 3,000 rpm
Luggage compartment 452 l
Max. trailer braked 1,500 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 9.7
0-100 km/h 8.9 sec
Top speed 220 km/h
Chevrolet Epica 2.5 Executive – 2007 – 84,461 kilometers – €4,499
If you care little about status, but are mainly concerned with six-cylinder comfort, luxury and low mileage, then this Chevrolet Epica could be an option. It could be as old (or young) as the
Just like the Much for little has always been the credo of the Americans and this American South Korean (the Epica is the successor to the Daewoo Evanda) is a good example of that. It is the largest car of this trio and therefore has the most interior space.
The 56-XH-NP also leads when it comes to luxury amenities. We note, among other things, heated seats front and rear, automatically folding exterior mirrors, windscreen heating, rain and parking sensors, leather upholstery, a (partially) folding rear seat (the British rear seat is fixed) and a sliding/tilting roof. However, a navigation system is missing, as is a fully adjustable steering wheel (which is only adjustable in height). The latter is a miss and shows, among other things, what the Epica is particularly lacking in: refinement. The materials used do not look rich (although the overall condition of this occasion is fine, except for a small parking dent on the left), the leather is smooth, the handling is neat, but uninspired – partly fueled by the slow automatic transmission. A car whose first owner could be a retiree rather than someone with an active lifestyle, as so enthusiastically portrayed in marketing terms. Anyone who doesn’t care about that simply buys a lot of car for not too much money. Less charisma than the British delegation, but a nice six-cylinder in-line engine.
Signaling
Brand Chevrolet
Type Epica 2.5 Executive
Construction year June 2007
Mileage 84,461
Asking price €4,499
Where to buy? Little Budget Cars, Tilburg
Technical data
Engine 6 cyl. in-line, 2,492 cc
Max. assets 115 kW/156 hp at 5,800 rpm
Max. couple 237 Nm at 4,000 rpm
Luggage compartment 480 l
Max. trailer braked 1,700 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 10.8
0-100 km/h 9.9 sec
Top speed 209 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Which six-cylinder would you like to tickle your ears and those of your bystanders with?
The starting point this time was a six-cylinder with few kilometers on a small budget. Then you quickly end up in the corner of outcasts (Jaguar X-Type), disappeared brands (Rover 75) and unknown models (Chevrolet Epica). Considering the mileage, these used cars will last a while, especially the Epica. But who would want to take care of one of this trio? And why? Or would you rather do something different – taking into account the same principles? We’d love to hear it again.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl