gjm

No worries - thanks for responding. Sometimes there'll be someone heading this way.

Anyone got anything? Ours had a teensy tiny little leak which of course has become a little larger. WoF time next month... Not sure if it'll weld but thought I'd ask if anyone has something first. Not after anything fancy. Just solid.

I used to service the car I was loaned. Even got a couple of tyres changed once, although the garage did pay for them. I just did the leg work.

535i. Saloon or Touring - your call.

We've driven a Range Rover Sport which handled like a good, large sportscar. I suspect the difference between the RR Sport and it's less sporty brethren would be similar to that imparted by an MSport X5. The LR Discovery Sport was another thing entirely. Seemed to bring the best of all worlds into a single package. We can't afford one, but it's good to know these things.

Running costs for an X5 - fuel and servicing - needn't be prohibitively expensive and could easily be comparable to a 5-series wagon. Tyres is something I was thinking about this morning. A Michelin for an X5 in a stock size (255/55-18) runs to over $600 a corner, and would likely need replacing more often than they would on a 5-series. 19" tyres are over $700 and I stopped looking at that point. (20s and 21s are available if you want them.) I had a quick look at prices (same site, etc) for an E61. The 'vanilla' size for a 530i comes in at around $300 a corner - half the price of an X5 - and may last longer. They are a 16" tyre and a more likely appropriate 17" tyre (as found on the 530d) is around $350. Even a 245/40-18 Pilot 4 (no idea how good they are) is little more than $350.

Mercs with larger engines don't actually accelerate. They reach out, and drag the horizon towards you.

We're DD'ing the 500SE... (Or were until the bottom tank of the rad sprung a leak! Should be sorted tomorrow.) Can't be much worse on consumption? That said, we spend very little time sitting in traffic or driving around town.

Just had a quick look at Japan... More than 250 BMW 5-series E60/61... And not one diesel. At least, not that the search filter picked up. 525i, 530i, 540i, 545i, 550i... Sedan or Touring.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EUaPlGlSIk

I'm not a fan of the X5... But that's quite possibly just me. I'd hold out for a Touring. Missed by a couple of days - I know that feeling. Been looking at a car recently, trying to get to see it but the seller was always busy or away. (Saw it once - I know it exists!) Finally got hold of him again this evening after calling and speaking to him most evenings last week and... He sold it yesterday. "Nah mate, it's gone."

I've reduced the car count hereabouts a little, having sold the white coupe shell to someone who is going to fit a V8. It was originally a nimble little 4-pot. The remaining E30 coupe, the black one, will get the engine from the white one and I'm very happy with that. But pretty much everyone else wants a 6-pot E30. M20 stroker kits are everywhere, M52s are being dropped in by seemingly everyone. Tell anyone you're deliberately putting a M10 into a coupe shell and people ask "Why?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We really like our Mercedes W201 (190E) with it's 6-cylinder engine. It started as a 2.6, and now has a 3.0 bottom end, so I've gone down the BMW-lovers bigger-6-is-better-6 route. However, whenever you talk to anyone about a 190E, all anyone wants is a 4-pot 16v, 2.3 or 2.5. The 6-cylinder cars aren't exactly frowned on, but people look confused when I try to discuss tuning a 6-cylinder engine. Oh well. I always wanted to be different.

This. Far too sensible for today's economy-driven production, though.

Aye. Concours gets nuts. How you park the car, with the (matching) tyres all lined up so the writing reads the manufacturers name at the top of the tyre, and all the valves are in the same position. Ever seen someone cleaning the inside of the tailpipe with a cotton wool bud? And whatever you do - don't polish something that shouldn't be polished! It might look nice, but it'll lose points.

1st Sunday of the month, Gt South Road... May as well be given how clean some of the cars are!

Really? You can get a new cover - not a mat - for $3-400. To restore to original condition may be a different story, but I don't know of anyone doing that commercially. I'm keen to know if anyone is doing that. The $700 price was based on someone selling a mint condition dash, and the amount they felt they might have to spend to find another in similar condition.

I was going to say that they're HUGE, but looking at specs suggests they are no more than 10mm longer. It's probably the roofline and flat back that makes them look big. The Stagea is typically reliable but the engines do have some annoying quirks, and they are a mission to work on. Something to consider. The Infiniti EX / Nisan Skyline Crossover looks interesting too, but the same old $$$ issue applies.

A voice of experience? My brother can tell a similar story about something in an Audi A4 Avant... Having looked a littl emore, your story follows a fairly common theme. Having owned a Legacy wagon or an Outback, a lot of people buy another one. And another one... We'd be looking at a late Gen3 or early Gen4. I'm not interested in the optional fancy lane departure warning and similar kit that is available on the later Gen4 and the Gen5 (and they're too expensive for us anyway).

It's something we have to ask... Is it big enough? Probably... Stick a towbar on it and the carrying capacity becomes less of an issue. I have looked at goo-net with regard to a self import. Some real bargains could be had there, compared to normal NZ prices... Assuming they are good cars, of course. Never having gone down that road I'd be asking for guidance and suchlike from someone who has imported before and has knowledge of such things.

A little light research into H6-equipped reliability... This from 2003: "I am a Subaru mechanic, since the 3.0L came out I haven't had 1 problem. [This would have been in 3 years from launch of the 3.0 H6.] The 2.5L engine has timing belt tensioner problems, crappy Champion stock spark plugs that misfire, oil leaks. I would rather have a 3.0L engine any day over the 2.5L. I like the valve in the intake mainifold and the muffler that open at around 4,000 rpm for better flow. Plus the 3.0L has platinum plugs and coil on plug ignition, instead of the 1 coil and wires on the 2.5L." The writer now drives a 2006 Subaru Legacy with the 3.0 H6 engine. Comparing to the Volvo 4wd wagon: "I feel that the engine is as smooth as they come once warmed up, it provides good acceleration, and is pretty quiet. I also feel that the all-wheel-drive is superior to that used on the Volvo (or anybody else's for that matter). The drivetrain is laid out in a simplistic pattern, which is less complicated, and thus more reliable than other setups. I have heard that Volvo reliability is not what it used to be since they have become a Ford company. The H6 also benefits from better fuel economy." There are reports of issues with the 3.0 H6 engine, but they are typically with engines that have clocked up more than 250k miles. I have read the word 'bulletproof' many times in connection with the H6.

Thankfully we're not in a hurry to change! The Subaru option is becoming more thought about. If we did go for a Legacy or an Outback, it'd be with the 3.0 H6 (EZ30D) engine, in a car produced between 2000 and 2005, encompassing the late 3rd generation and early 4th generation cars. The later (larger) engines are too new and prices too high at present, and the 2.5, while a good engine, has well documented 'issues'. The 3.0... Not so much. That does rather leave the question of Legacy vs Outback. (It'd be a wagon we'd look for.) Neither is an out-and-out offroader, of course, but that little extra ability from a slightly raised ground clearance may be useful. The Outback is a little taller and that may be good for Mrs M. I suspect the question is a similar one to the Audi A6 Quattro Avant vs the Audi Allroad - neither is necessarily better and it is just a case of which do we actually need. The Legacy is likely to be slightly more economical and handle slightly better than the Outback. (Apologies for thinking out loud here!)

The 140-series really doesn't do much for me. Extraordinary cars to drive or ride in, but the looks... Meh. It's known hereabouts that I'm a fan of the W126, but I also like the W220 and (especially!) the 215 coupes. Things got really serious in those cars, with some standard engines delivering 450+kW and torque restricted to 1000Nm. I'm sure maintenance would be a headache, but I hope one day to park something similar in the garage. Not that I have anything against the E31! I had an 840; my brother had an 850. It was an interesting counterpoint to the Mercedes W126 560SEC I had, while he had a 500SEC.

Fitted new cupholders and a coin tray to the 320d. It used to have a small cubby with the sliding/retracting lid, but it was getting difficult to clean, and the lid had broken. The cupholders might be useful one day (I very rarely have a drink in the car) and my wallet and phone will fit in them just as easily as in the tray.

LHD cars have a lot of kudos in Japan. It's a status thing - the driver can pull up to their favourite restaurant/club, and get out of the car on the kerb side so they don't have to walk around the car to get to their destination.

Found this. Don't know if it'll help - I've not had time to read it yet. E36 central locking.pdf