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Welcome, Amrit. Pete has pretty much summed it up, above. My additional comments re e60 V8: PPI esstential: DO NOT BUY without a PPI from either a BMW Dealership or a known BMW Independent specialist. Anyone else just will not know enough about these cars to make the $150-200 you spend worthwhile. Acceleration: the 550i will give you the punch in the back you're accustomed to in your WRX, it just does it in a different way... it subtly propels you to 100 in the range of 5.4 to 5.7 seconds; I think that falls into the "quick enough" category. Info: If you can't find info on the web, you're just not googling hard enough! There's a bunch of fans of the e60 in the USA. There's a pdf from one of the forums that is frequently updated called "so you've bought an e60" (or similar), it gives you plenty of what you need to know about these cars. (I see Pete has provided linkage). DO Continue to ask here though; we're a welcoming community and all are happy to share knowlege and experience. an e60 - particularly a V8 - will not reward you for scrimping on maintenance. You're buying a $150-180k car at around 12cents in the dollar; there's a reason it was pricey, and a reason it's depreciated. Bangernomics does not apply here! Be prepared to open your wallet along with your heart, as the e60 V8 charms the pants off you and cries out for parts. MBI recommended. As Pete says, you should consider a comprehensive MBI from a reputable provider. There's no dissent amongst our ranks that the Vero-backed policies are preferred. You'll read about valve stem seals and the 550i. 5er vs 3er: As for the comment re preferring a 3-series, the 5 series is a far more sophisticated car; you'll be surprised about how capable the 'big' saloon is. True 50:50 weight distribution in the e60. And yes, I'm hugely impressed with the active anti-roll system Dynamic Drive. You should try both a Motorsport and a standard (with DD) and then choose what your butt needs. The 5er is remarkably capable in the bends. Try them both (3er and 5er). Transmission. It's the 6-speed ZF trans, it's a BEAUTY. What it isn't, is lifetime fill as per BMW advertised servicing. at 100k kms you should spend the money, have the trans serviced by a specialist... this requires new pan/filter, new bolts (x21), mechatronics sleeve, and the correct ATF for this trans. Do not f$%k around with the ZF6HP series, they'll bite you if ignored. Do read up on this, it's pretty straightforward - ZF has recommended service periods. Living with it - every time I drive it, it puts a smile on my face. Great brakes, amazing drivetrain package, 50:50 weight distribution, more power than I need, and reasonable fuel economy on a trip. The active steering is superb. People bag the origninal iDrive; I drove a brand new Commodore SV6 for the last two days and although the latest Holden equivalent has continued to improve, it's still nearly impossible to use while driving, in contrast to iDrive. There are a variety of interior finishes to choose from; take your pick. In summary: They're a comfortable, capable, spacious vehicle with excellent safety and a spacious boot. I call mine an SS Commodore in a German suit. They're not cheap to keep on the road, though they do reward. You can hunt out my thread in the showroom that I generally update with maintenance.

v8 goodness

Be warned, after your first V8, you won't go back . The E60 is a very well balanced and practical car, I'm sure when you find the right one for you, you will not be disappointed. And don't be put off by the opinion of others regarding the E60's looks (the Bangle thing), it looks pretty good when you're sitting in the drivers seat Oh - and welcome!

FYI there's a guy tucked in a garage behind CCV , down the driveway running alongside CCV building, that does grooming. A few months ago I went to CCV to get a quote, and saw his sign when I was turning around in the driveway. I thought why not try him, I like to support small business. It cost me only $80 for a hand wax/polish to outside of my black car, was so impressed - I didn't ask for price for interior too. Not a swirl mark on it - looked like new. Treated all the rubber etc. too. This wasn't some carwash cafe bullshit, this was like 2+ hours of careful hand polishing. Wont get prices like that anywhere else. He gave me a bunch of business cards and I since lost them, it seems he has no website or anything, but I highly recommend heading down that driveway if your in need of a groom. You'll see the sign. (don't bother complementing me on my photoshop skills, being a graphic designer by trade I'm used to it)

Hey Amrit and welcome to BimmerSport! Bit of a old Subby fan myself but now a Bimmer guy I think you should look at something like this: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1439430561.htm modernised LCI variant (arrived in 2007 - you can tell by the gearshift) optional 19"s Alu interior trim is the nicest looking Features Dynamic Drive - this is a big help with handling on these big cars @Olaf has driven and compared E60s with and without Dynamic Drive and there's a noticeable difference Hifi Pro - very good sound system Bluetooth phone interface HUD - this rocks - love it in my M5 looks like it has aftermarket exhaust tips Includes balance of a mech warranty In terms of an E60 sedan but not an M5 this is about as good as it gets. When looking at the exact spec, put the rego into Carjam to get the VIN, and then put the last 7 characters into www.bimmer.work/ to get full detail. The 550i has 270KW which is a good stack of power so I don't think you'll be disappointed. This one also looks great: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-1395272527.htm - very similar but in Akld and $2K less ..... but with std 18"s and wood trim. It's with a dealer so definitely take it for a test drive. Costs/risk ... Don't expect lower service costs, and in my experience (admittedly with older/higher kms BMWs than these) with age the plastics and rubbers deteriorate and can require costly repairs - not so much parts as labour. My advice is always get a warranty/mech breakdown insurance (Autosure/DPL is brilliant)- and keep some $$ in reserve. NEVER spend all of your budget on the vehicle. The biggest things to be aware of is valve guide seals - and make sure your sunroof drains aren't clogged or you can soak your car interior (yes really). Cars with detailed service history are strongly preferable always get an expert pre-purchase inspection done There is a very useful guide to E60s attached. All the best with your shopping process!!! I think they're fantastic cars. So You Just Bought an E60 (V3.0).pdf

This came up in a facebook adverstisment for the grooming company and man it looks good in their photos. Might have to send my E34 their way for a birthday. Pretty good before and afters also. https://www.facebook.com/CCVGrooming/?hc_ref=ARRBC-BKQgbrWjNNMiAJ647dkIm7Feb_QCMcJ5Jr3liDrp444BhKpzmYMtUDROKWwBg

I've had a few dealings with 3 members on here recently. I couldn't see anywhere where you could give feedback or recommend people - there are a few comments made on some posts in the "For sale" section but thought I'd prefer to give feedback on all three because they were so good to deal with. @Scrambler - pedal box turned up today, thank you. Great communication from him regarding delays (hope you're feeling better now). @OP6 - have dealt with him both here and on TradeMe, both times were hassle free and great communication. @fizzychicken - another great one to deal with, super fast to pay, great communication. I would recommend all 3 of these guys with any dealings.

nope, they all have the ZF 6HPxx trans. the V8's have the 6HP26, the sixes have the 6HP19 (from memory). It's totally sublime the way it shifts. They have a sports mode (aka tiptronic in other marques) - sharpens the shifts, holds gears longer, kicks down sooner etc, plus you can manual shift it.

haha people at work also recommended the 335i, i don't blame em cos looking at the specs, it does meet that description i put up. i researched it a bit and its a really nice sport car but i think im pretty set on going for the 550 for now just to see what all the fuss about v8s is about. on paper the 335 looks absolutely amazing though, the fact that it hits a very good peak torque at only 1300 rpm then holds it til about 5000, thats something i'll have to test drive at some point to figure out

Nothing wrong with your photoshop(ing). You should see mine...when I try to draw a straight line, it looks like an ant that walked across the screen! Pity this guy is in Chch. My recently acquired E30 sedan needs a proper grooming. Oh wait...my son is a groomer at BMW, maybe he'll groom my E30!

hey everyone thank you so much for being so welcoming and providing so much information. i'm definately a lot less scared to approach the bimmer market now and i'm coming much closer to decide on a car (90% decided i want e60 550i). about the options - i have a lot to learn, recently discovered bimmer.works site so i will check the options there when i find one. also thanks for linking those TM suggestions. there is an amazing looking 540i in white with black leather, that's pretty much exactly what i want except i want its bigger brother the 550i.. https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1439618447 now i'm being a bit picky but i'm going to keep looking until i find the 'perfect' one in white/with black leather. also agreed with the point about getting a professional to check it, to be honest it would be my first auto car ever in my life so i would have no idea while test driving how to determine whether something is just normal or if it is indeed faulty. it is interesting to read about that transmission, is this the standard 'auto' transmission (zf6) or do i have to look for one with a certain package to get it? i do get the whole thing about falling in love with the car and embracing that it'll be pricey, my subaru is kind of like that in the way that i feel like i need to regularly modify it and in a way by going for a nice comfortable and powerful bmw i was hoping to curb that temptation (i most likely will, as i'd be too scared to modify bmw which would probably void any mechanical warranties i purchase). are there any common items in this regard that people do which void such mechanical warranties? for example i would quite religiously maintain it but certainly not via an official bmw dealer, i would likely change oil/filter myself or take to local mechanic at a relatively low cost. this 550i really is a beautiful car and though i'm still very much in love with my current car, i'm falling more and more in love with getting one of these too! for now i'm just looking within auckland but if i don't find my ideal car within a couple months i may look out of town. it sounds like i may not escape the 'sports car money sink' phase but at least i'll be driving in comfort , and dare i say, in something that better suits my age

I’d love to see good info on this topic. Everything on The nzta site about imports suggests the cars need to meet the emissions standards on export from foreign country.

And one last thing! Don't know if everyone likes the style but I think it adds a little pop to it. I'll be putting up some propper ride photos up once my new wheels arrive. Add it to the bimmersport community officially!

Hmm. M54B30 engine and associated gearbox and wiring, lift and shift into a touring?

There are a few of the Protection Limos in NZ, very cool piece of kit, I would love to drive one, but I think they will suck the gas a bit with a V12 pushing 3.5tonnes around. The windows are the actual bullet proof glass (not what the clowns on TardMe call the comfort glass) and are about 3 inches thick, hence the different window frames. The flashing lights hidden behind the grilles are the best part, I would so love to use those when I'm stuck in traffic..

You might prefer the 3 series. Handling will be closer to what you're used to. 3 series lean closer towards sport while 5 series are more luxury. A 335i would definitely meet your 'early torque' requirement. Even a 135i if you want something small. I think you should expect higher service and repair costs than the Suburu. It helps to use an independent BMW specialist rather than a dealer, sometimes you can save by going to wreckers for used parts or buying stuff from international online stores rather than locally.

I loves my facades, I've actually decided to put a m40b16 auto in it but do it up to look like an m3 with papier-mâché body kit and Ali express m3 badges then hit the streets with my windows down and the system up :-D

Replaced the plugs and coils tonight, apparently if one goes then the others aren't far behind, plugs looked in good condition so happy to see that. Test drive felt like a little more power and less hesitation, a couple of hills where it would normally start to lumber and change down it keep the same gear which was interesting. Easy job, 45mins.

Hmmm agreed LHD isn't ideal

Hey Pete, I know this car, yes it is a Jap import, I did full groom on it for the owner, I am not surprised it is for sale, as they have quite a few cars & he purchased this after seeing my M535i & had serious car envy!! It is a really good solid car, only downside is it left hand drive

Clutch bearing would be my guess.