Buying an older (6-10 years) European luxury tank in Auckland How/why/where/etc!

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Buying an older (6-10 years) European luxury tank in Auckland How/why/where/etc!

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blakamin

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#1332829 28-Jun-2015 00:33

lchiu7:

I only turned it on and for the brief driving I did (all city/suburb) it got down to 20. Hope it goes lower. Presumably it's a moving average?

Mine is a 1994.

Even if you don't turn it on, it's an average since either the battery was disconnected or it was reset.

94 has the same auto as mine.

lchiu7

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#1332911 28-Jun-2015 12:04

Well it is slowly going down with a mixture of city and a little motorway. Got it down to 17.5.

According to this

http://fueleconomydb.com/specs/BMW/540i

if I can get 16.8ish I should be happy.

Going to take along drive next week (motorway) to blow some cobwebs out and see the economy is improved.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

Item

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#1337341 5-Jul-2015 16:58

So still chewing this through!

Very much a fan of the 2007-2009 BMW 335i Wagon in my price range, but still a little leery on the potential reliability/running costs.

Anyone got any experience with the AutoAssure warranties? (underwritten by Vero) Looks like this could take the potential sting out of any major issues.

Also!

As of today I am also considering the 2010+ Nissan Skyline 370GT Sedan (aka Infiniti everywhere else) - ticks all the boxes re: performance and toys, but might be more reliable than a Deutsche-wagon.

blakamin

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#1337479 5-Jul-2015 20:41

Reliability isn't an issue, maintaining a car is.
If it's looked after and serviced, it'll go forever.

I pulled the head off a 250,000+km BMW 6cyl and a rally engine builder mate asked how long since it was honed. It still had the original head gasket, so never. He was blown away. It was looked after until the new owner dude cooked it. His first BMW 6.

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#1337482 5-Jul-2015 20:44

What if it's looked after, serviced, but driven every mile like it's been stolen

blakamin

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#1337483 5-Jul-2015 20:45

Like mine? It's fine! :D

Regular oil changes, fluid checks, etc.

networkn

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#1337516 5-Jul-2015 23:37

Item: So still chewing this through!

Very much a fan of the 2007-2009 BMW 335i Wagon in my price range, but still a little leery on the potential reliability/running costs.

Anyone got any experience with the AutoAssure warranties? (underwritten by Vero) Looks like this could take the potential sting out of any major issues.

Also!

As of today I am also considering the 2010+ Nissan Skyline 370GT Sedan (aka Infiniti everywhere else) - ticks all the boxes re: performance and toys, but might be more reliable than a Deutsche-wagon.

The 335i is an amazing car, though too much power really for the drive train, so expect sustained loss of traction often :)

Buying again, I'd go Audi again! (I didn't, I bought a 335D but thats a whole other story).

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Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

lchiu7

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#1337603 6-Jul-2015 09:34

blakamin: Reliability isn't an issue, maintaining a car is.
If it's looked after and serviced, it'll go forever.

I pulled the head off a 250,000+km BMW 6cyl and a rally engine builder mate asked how long since it was honed. It still had the original head gasket, so never. He was blown away. It was looked after until the new owner dude cooked it. His first BMW 6.

Well my 20 year old 540i has 45K on the clock (previous owner church on Sunday once a month perhaps!) so assuming parts are still available, should last at least ten more years.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

blakamin

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#1337841 6-Jul-2015 13:23

lchiu7:

Well my 20 year old 540i has 45K on the clock (previous owner church on Sunday once a month perhaps!) so assuming parts are still available, should last at least ten more years.

Awesome!!!

I bought a trim piece for my door recently. From BMW. They had it in stock. And plastic headlight retainers for my previous e32. In stock.
Parts are definitely available.

lchiu7

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#1342377 13-Jul-2015 17:05

lchiu7:
blakamin:

The gauge is an instant reaction thing I'm sure BMW put there to fill in cluster space... the OBC tells it like it is... Mine is currently on 12.6ltrs/100kms. I daily it to work 40kms eacxh way through the adelaide hills, have a lead foot and my car is a fair bit heavier than yours (1995 7 series) ...
What year is yours?
It should have the same auto as mine, and it is adaptive. Mine is amazing, it's like it knows the roads and when to change down. Sport mode is even more fun!

I only turned it on and for the brief driving I did (all city/suburb) it got down to 20. Hope it goes lower. Presumably it's a moving average?

Mine is a 1994.

Just to update my post. Did a trip from Wellington to Martinborough through the Rimutaka's. The uphill is balanced by the downhill. Without a lead foot (never went over 105k) I got down to 10.5 which is pretty good. Of course I suspect at 105K the ending was doing under 2000rpm so fuel use was not that high. I revved it up once to show I could but then heading all the warnings about driving over the limit (not to mention the cost of super) I backed off.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

blakamin

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#1345085 16-Jul-2015 00:10

lchiu7:
lchiu7:
blakamin:

The gauge is an instant reaction thing I'm sure BMW put there to fill in cluster space... the OBC tells it like it is... Mine is currently on 12.6ltrs/100kms. I daily it to work 40kms eacxh way through the adelaide hills, have a lead foot and my car is a fair bit heavier than yours (1995 7 series) ...
What year is yours?
It should have the same auto as mine, and it is adaptive. Mine is amazing, it's like it knows the roads and when to change down. Sport mode is even more fun!

I only turned it on and for the brief driving I did (all city/suburb) it got down to 20. Hope it goes lower. Presumably it's a moving average?

Mine is a 1994.

Just to update my post. Did a trip from Wellington to Martinborough through the Rimutaka's. The uphill is balanced by the downhill. Without a lead foot (never went over 105k) I got down to 10.5 which is pretty good. Of course I suspect at 105K the ending was doing under 2000rpm so fuel use was not that high. I revved it up once to show I could but then heading all the warnings about driving over the limit (not to mention the cost of super) I backed off.

Mine sits at about 2050rpm at 110kph...

By lead foot, I mean I try to do 0-100 faster than the book says it will do.. Maybe every single time! :D
Have allegedly passed people doing 80 in a 100 zone and seen what she'll do from 80-1*0, but nobody has ever proven it, but it's allegedly quite quick.

Mine's a quick car, so yours should be quicker due to weight.

And then I use sport mode, because I live in the place where commodores are made and the like to accelerate but hate being beaten by an old car, allegedly.:D

lchiu7

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#1346517 17-Jul-2015 20:36

blakamin:

Mine sits at about 2050rpm at 110kph...

By lead foot, I mean I try to do 0-100 faster than the book says it will do.. Maybe every single time! :D
Have allegedly passed people doing 80 in a 100 zone and seen what she'll do from 80-1*0, but nobody has ever proven it, but it's allegedly quite quick.

Mine's a quick car, so yours should be quicker due to weight.

And then I use sport mode, because I live in the place where commodores are made and the like to accelerate but hate being beaten by an old car, allegedly.:D

I was going just under 2000rpm at 100kph so I guess that makes sense.

I didn't now what sport mode did so I read it up. Delayed gear changes to get more acceleration? But probably only makes sense if you hot foot which I haven't done yet (I fear for my tyres)!

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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