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As long as you swear you're not a fat-cat capitalist trying to gain advantage of the system designed to provide a tax break to poor socialists scraping by on 1000km top-ups of their RUCs. If you're found to be "gaming the system" by the monitoring cabal Department of Approved Utes, they'll come after you for the savings you originally banked and bill you for the difference. Surely this insane system will cost more to implement and monitor/police than it will claw back for the govt coffers? https://www.newsroom.co.nz/government-relying-on-diesel-honesty I bought 15k RUCs for my little oil-burner soon after buying it. I think I've done a little over 5k kms in that time - diesel has gone from under $1.60/litre to over $2.30/litre in these ~6 months so the gubbermit has already increased their tax take from me dieseling my way around our fair land. I'm doing fewer kms than I had reasonably expected to, as we're still mired in Covid-land panic. Anyone rational will buy (anything they use regularly) in bulk to acheive a reasonable saving, given available funding and consideration of the opportunity cost. However this Transport Minister and his apparatchiks want to actively discourage responsible behaviour by vehicle operators, and reduce transactional efficiency (the operator's time and the licensing authority's) by forcing more frequent and smaller purchases of vehicle licensing. Let's not forget the LTNZ have recently proposed increasing charges for these very services. If I take advantage of the reduction in RUC price and buy another 10k kms now to cover the year's running, I risk a slap on the wrist if they perceive I had an ulterior motive and was not buying fairly and squarely. Is this New Zealand we're talking out, or am I in fact driving a Lada and drinking Vodka in a large northern hemisphere country in the 1980's? Scene: Interrogation Centre, Wellington, 2022. Olaf is getting a grilling about his RUC purchase. "why did you buy those RUCs?" "Because I expected to use them, did not want to risk running out. You put them on sale, I bought. Is that illegal?" "yes! you had plenty when you bought, you clearly didn't need more. Off to the gulag with you, fool! You cannot game our system." "I manage efficiently one transaction per year and not worrying about RUCs improves my productivity, provides more time for me to bill more and pay more tax! The project I bought the RUCs for was canned." "This is rubbish, we will change your behaviours through our clever controls. And while we're at it, that's not an approved ute. You are a BMW-driving capitalist! You really should drive Chinese - they're more proletarian, mate." "errr, your govt car is a BMW. Unless it's an Audi e-Tron. How did you sneak those in to the fleet?". "Room 101 for you!. And we're fining you $300 tax difference" "You've cost the country $7000 in lost productivity while you investigated this". /rant

Buyers Remorse can take many forms. This buyer should have bought a car they could afford to run, from a dealer, with a warranty. They're attempting to transfer their responsibility for a risky purchase decision to you, as the vendor. We're all here with a gambling addiction, running old BMWs, trying to improve our odds. Whether it's the Blackjack or Roulette table, occasionally a new player joins the game, tries their luck. They respond according to their risk appetite. Buying any 16 (or even 3-5) year old Euro is risky. We do our best to manage that risk down by getting expert inspections done by a specialist, buying a car that's clearly been well looked after. Be clear and concise. One discussion is all it should take. The more you talk with this person, the more you fuel their hopes that you will meet whatever irrational expectation they have of you. You met your obligations, misrepresented nothing, had the car serviced and provided reports and evidence or thorough maintenance. You're not a car expert. The buyer had ample opportunity to gain their own inspection. You have no control over use of the vehicle following the sale, and your obligation ceased at title transfer. Sorry to hear it hasn't met your expectations [insert appropriate pronoun] Purchaser, I enjoyed the car. Goodbye.

I tried to write a polite response which I emailed to him. It consisted of two sections as I'm hoping it can act as a way to conclude contact. I first gave some advice on what I would do in regards to diagnosing the severity of the leak. I made sure to explicitly state it was my personal opinion and I am not a mechanic, and to seek proper advice and opinion from Audi. I then reminded him of the service and inspection done the day before the deal was finalised. I stated I had no knowledge of the leak which is a fact he knows, I pointed to the fact Audi had inspected the car with no such leak noted, and concluded I do not accept responsibility for fixing the leak. I tried to phrase things as professionally as possible. I'm currently a third year law student so I tried to be as careful as possible in how I explained everything. Hoping the email I sent him can conclude contact, or at least allow for me to conclude it myself. I provided advice as to what he could hypothetically do in terms of sorting the car to a standard he is happy with, and confirmed where I feel my position stands on the matter. Have not had a reply yet.

I think you should keep it very simple. No real need or reason to give advice on how to remedy the issue. Just say what you already told us above - you disclosed all the information you had about the vehicle, had it serviced and wof'd, and it was sold in good faith. It has now been a month and a half and any issues he currently has is his own responsibility. You can say that are happy to give free verbal advice or recommendations on where to go for servicing/repairs since you are an enthusiast or knowledgeable about these cars but ultimately any cost of repairs is not your responsibility. No point trying to sugar coat it. Better to be clear and upfront but still be kind. (thank aunty Cindy for teaching me that)

Agree with everyone here, you've already gone above and beyond what most sellers would do. You're not a dealership that is required to help here, you're average joe, and they purchased the car as-is where-is. I sold my WRX last week, gave him all receipts/invoices etc. The next day he called about a knocking noise under the car. He brought it around, I found the gearbox mount had broken, organised another and replaced it all within an hour. I feel I've done more than necessary there, and I can't say I'd be willing to do any more in the future if there were any other issues. When you buy a used car from a civilian and not a business, you take the risk of no warranty, and risk finding issues the moment you drive away. It's unreasonable, especially in your situation, to expect a refund for repairs etc. In my opinion.

Unfortunately this gent is taking out his bad luck out on you. Politely decline his invitation to contribute.

Not an ideal situation but unless you're prepared to throw money at something you don't own, what are your options? Buying anything used comes with a degree of risk the buyer accepts, had the car blown up the day after you sold it it might be a different story (and you'd probably be having a chat to Continental Audi). I think you did everything you could before the sale, you have no obligation after the sale as long as you've been honest and it seems you have. Continental Audi effectively gave it a clean bill of health except for some minor items which a) you disclosed, b) the buyer accepted, and c) are reasonable for the age of the vehicle. As tough as it might seem this is a matter of caveat emptor, and in the ~45 days of ownership the buyer had ample opportunity to get a mechanical warranty and apparently chose not to.

Yesterday All my troubles seemed so far away Now it looks as though they’re here to stay Oh, I believe in yesterday Suddenly I’m not half the man I used to be There’s a shadow hanging over me Oh, yesterday came suddenly Don't worry son... Honest John's Car Sales use and recommended this product... Cheers...

I'd recommend against that unless you're a solicitor. As Kyu suggested above, say the minimum you can whilst remaining polite, any extra commentary just provides another vector for discussion or dispute that can obfuscate the fact that you are not responsible. The absolute most I would offer is to waive your right to privacy with respect to the most recent inspection by Continental Audi (that you paid for). This would allow the new owner to discuss that service directly with them and dispute the quality of their work if he wanted to dig in. But that has nothing to do with you, you just need to get out of the way. Hopefully the buyer sees reason though and accepts the reality of the situation he's in, tough as that might be.

My daily update of new BMW TradeMe listings has 3 x 320d Tourings on today, hardly ever see them come up.

Great spot @E28E30 - speed limiter only on this one. Ironic given the later Jap F3x’s often had adaptive cruise. @Sammo it’s not a particularly difficult retrofit, just need to buy the steering wheel buttons and get someone with ISTA to code

Side note, a while ago I bought a car sight unseen and transported to me. There were heaps of things I wasnt happy about that was not disclosed. Obvious things that I would have liked to know in advance. Things that I would have pointed out if I inspected and picked up the vehicle myself. Probably I would have tried to get the price down to compensate. Nevertheless I was still okay with it given the price and overall "deal" of the purchase. Anyway, I emailed the seller after I received the car about these issues and he just didnt reply, even though prior to completing the sale, every txt, email and call was responded to instantly. Ultimately, it was my own decision to buy the car in this manner so it is my own fault (read: responsibility).

All the stuff you wrote above regarding transparency, clear file worth of receipts, dealer fitted tyres, the price, the age, the price/value is basically irrelevant. You definitely went above and beyond a typical seller, presented the car accurately as possible and got it serviced (at your cost I assume). It is always buyers responsibility to do his own checks and not take your word or the audi's service report as the final word. If he decided to base his decision to buy on the information you provided him, that is his choice and also his consequence to face any potential issues down the line (1.5 months down the line).

There was an NZ local “Performance Edition” on F30 and IIRC F31 for a while, included a number of option upgrades plus the M Performance exterior dress up parts. The TradeMe one is an import though so probably just had the exterior parts added. NZ new would be xDrive and most likely have leather upholstery.

I love these wagons. That timing chain issue looks hectic, I looked up a DIY and the first minute was like “drop the trans to get access” ummm what!? Lolz

That one is nice @Sammo - MPerformance is dealer fit trim only (sill stickers, reasonably impractical front splitter and someone's changed the splash screen on the cluster) - has been in NZ virtually all its life. OEM towbar is a nice selling point. Think the front PDC is aftermarket.

also, shiny new parts....

Looking for a set of BBS RKs for my e34, preferably in 17" or 18". Don't know too much offset wise but whatever will work on my e34 would be nice. Cheers Quinn

With the coming apocalypse I think as a responsible v10 owner I should be applying for some green car rebates to invest into making the M5 more "green". https://www.motor1.com/news/25581/g-power-bmw-m5-hurricane-gs-the-worlds-fastest-lpg-vehicle/ You would have to burn through some huge distances to get any return on investment for your blown swamp gas conversion, but Jacinda would be happy so that's a win.......

Designed by me and printed on my big FDM printer! M54 conversion is all done and road legal! Just need a quieter exhaust and lower ratio diff and it will be perfect (lol, well, you know..).

Are the commercial RUCs being reduced as well? People moan about RUC on a car, but HT charges on truck AND trailer are enormous. I was involved in a court case where the RUC category was in question and the difference in charges was over $1 million for a year. Not the total RUC, just the difference from one class of HT to another.

then they take your advice seriously and get you into a hearing that you're then essentially obliged to attend, as no-shows don't fare well. I prefer the Keep It Simple, Stupid approach, and don't rely on not having your bluff called. Your mileage may vary, you may have a higher threshold for stupid. Me, I learned you can't argue with stupid, so why bother.

that's one where you have to buy the whole OEM cover, or use aftermarket bushings

This is absolutely mental. I buy mine 20k km at a time and I'm due for some more shortly. Actually I'm surprised they haven't fined me already for buying 20k last time at $68/1000 - I've clearly deprived them of $60 of extra tax

Let that haunt your nightmares

As pictured, I'm after the plastic top cowl from an E36 M3. cheers nath

Roger that. They were standard on the B3 3.2 but mine seems to have the 328i unit, perhaps from frontal damage.

Yeah I was surprised by that as well, thought at least basic cruise was factory standard - too used to NZ specs! Weird that it has no cruise but has the bigger screen Professional Navigation which is a much more expensive option…

100% this. Completely unreasonable for him to even expect anything considering all the steps you took to ensure full transparency when handing the car over. I've sold many cars over the years and yeah sure some have had issues post sale and the buyers got in touch but it was always just get advice since I knew the car best

Sounds as if you would be comfortable defending your position at a disputes tribunal hearing, so maybe put the acid back on the buyer by suggesting he start that process?

I've done a lot of driving in heaps of different G20s, All are firm riding, regardless of Adaptive suspension or not, and M Sport or not. Non Run flats also don't seem to make a difference either. is the car NZ new? as I'm pretty sure Adaptive M Suspension was standard.

Nope, I don't think I would ever personally guarantee a vehicle I'm selling. Have written him an email explaining I claim no responsibility for repairing the oil leak, if he comes back aggressively, I might send him the relevant provisions of the CGA.

Did you provide the purchaser with a written guarantee when you sold him the car? If you did then honor the terms of the guarantee. If you didn't then he has no right to come to you asking for money for repairs, UNLESS YOU DELIBERATELY MISLED HIM about the state of the vehicle, and I don't believe you did! Feel free to suggest he researches his rights under the consumer guarantees act.

Japan market BMWs up to this era often miss cruise. A transitionary period as some do and some don’t, particularly in 1 and 3 series.

Do you need cruise Sam @Sammo? Can’t see closely enough but it may not have it, just a speed limiter?

this thing is a beaut! I would be all over it! I just bought a m sport e90 320d because I'm a cheap ass though hahah

Good point, might as well try rip the band aid off as he's not going to be happy sugar coated or not so would be best to be straight to the point and very clear. Really appreciate the advice!!

Yup, that was over $930 alone! Yeah very true, I guess there's always risk when buying a used car, especially an older high spec European one, so the buyer has to mitigate their own risk how they see fit. Any ideas on how I handle things when I speak to him next? Do I just explain it doesn't really seem fair for me considering I did everything he asked, and was transparent about the car so I shouldn't be held responsible for how the car is now.

Good point! Not really fair and does seem off to ring me demanding money for something I had no knowledge of existing. I'll try get him to understand my perspective: I had no knowledge of the leak. The car was serviced and inspected the day before sale and collection. The service information is in the 30 pages of info in the clear file. I told you about what was noted on Audi's inspection report. I got the car a WOF and a year rego as you requested prior to sale and it was inspected by Audi. I did everything you asked and was transparent through the whole process.

Is M Performance a trim level or just a few extra cosmetic bits on top of Msport - trying to open her horizons to a white wagon (no doubt I will be charge of grooming) and I love the panoramic roof (unless they come with issues?): https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/320d/listing/3515579237?bof=6xkbZ74s

So far, so good! 2 bushes out with no drama. A little bit of heat and some gentle persuasion, and in the fluke of the decade I found a piece of aluminium from the leg of an old computer desk that was a perfect fit for the size of the bush and even had an indent in the center the correct size to push them out with!! I took the opportunity to remind my wife that I am a genius for keeping everything that " looks like it might be useful someday"

Don’t think I’ll ask for one of those as a company mobility solution!!

Low kms is overrated 🙄

Took one for a drive today, impressed with the Msport Alcantara interior and drive. loads of space too. Diesel was more refined than expected and plenty of poke low down for general driving. Very good ride too with the 18” run flats. Going to have a think and see if can do a deal, 120km but not sure it’s worth paying another $4-5k for meaningfully lower km on what will be a workhorse.

New battery, few more clicks of soft in the suspension and road trip ready...!

Turns out the diff bushings are dead as well - joys of cars

Threw an intake on the M135i on Saturday, no CEL thankfully, although thanks probably because of the MHD map that's on it. Went to go for a cruise to Gore with some mates, and on the way over the hill, the charge pipe finally gave up 🤦‍♂️. Parked it up at a mate's house, and have borrowed his E55 AMG in the meantime, until the charge pipe I conveniently ordered last week turns up. Also had a service last Friday, finally. But sadly have tints booked for Wednesday, so will need to reschedule that until after the charge pipe's replaced.