Apex

So. A Mazda 6 in Manual would be ideal? Best all round, looks and performance. You will pay a few thousand more for a Mazda 6 initially but if you were to keep it for 3-5 years its low maintenance would cover the savings had on a Mondeo or similar? Do the Mazda 6 have a cam belt or are they chain driven, that could save you a $1000 over time. These Toyota Altezza wagons have always interested me, I had a Lexus IS200 back in day with the same FE engine and it was very economical on fuel, managed 700km to Taupo and back on one 40L tank. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-637313722.htm

All Mazda's are built in the same factory though

Ha, yep they were sh*t, to be honest I think anything non Japanese pre 2000 is going to be falling apart. Come to think about it all cars older than 5 years that are not Toyota or Mazda will fall apart and cost money, in fact even then you could get a bad one. I would give up and by a Subaru Legacy or Forester non turbo, most reliable and practical car you could buy for the money. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-636873725.htm

You are right, I parked next to a 2011 Mazda 6 yesterday and was amazed at how destroyed the car was, mags looked like scoria, all four corners of the bumpers were scuffed to heck, it looked like it had never been cleaned the interior looked like a crap... to top it off the car was double parked and the sales rep or merchandiser was smoking in it. Unfortunately in New Zealand this market segment is 90% second hand company vehicles so its hard to avoid. And I would not say its just french cars that have the odd lemon, the top three worst cars I have owned were: 1996 E39 BMW 528i. By a long shot worst car ever, litterally fell apart. 1989 E30 BMW 320i. Over engineered my ars, simultaneously replaced entire cars worth of components. 1992 Nissan Primera UK GT. Gearbox died on me, chassis was made of cardboard.

Funny because I have several friends with 406's who's cars millage is well over 300,000km are still running well with no unusual problems, if you look on Trademe most of the 406's have massive millage and are in good condition, they are a great drive too There are bad cars though, I have owned a couple of rotten apple cars before and know what it is like.

As said the 2.0 Mondeo is thirsty, even the new petrol 4 cylinder Fords are thirsty, I am driving a brand 2013 Ford Focus Sport at the moment and was shocked at how fast it drank its tank. Space and economy, diesel is the only way to go I would be looking at something like these, personal choice would be the Peugeot: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-637915186.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-637269258.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-630967557.htm

How much for your lawn mower?

Solid plans, should look nice. As said taillights look a bit dated, rear euro sized plate holder would look nice also.

Targa use them (2.0L) as safety cars, have driven them fully loaded with gear and they handle well, we actually managed to go faster than some Targa cars on stages fully loaded with three people on board. Also, for the money you will not buy a safer family wagon, well bar a Renault Laguna but I would not recommend one of those as the automatic transmissions grenade. I like the ST variety, they are properly good.

BMW's are assembled all over the world in many factories, X3, X5, X6, X5M and X6M are built in America for example. Some Japanese imports will have market specific features fitted but will come from the same factory as a NZ new car, your E39 is built in the same factory as a NZ new car. At the old age your car is now I would not be concerned about where it was built but how it has been maintained, when they were putting it together for Japan 15 years ago they were most likely not thinking about how the boot catch would be working in NZ many years later.

Wow, that car is awesome, have not seen one in many years, my aunt had one on Black and Green, could never find an image of it in a thousand Googles. Check out this compelling advertisment for them, I think I want one.

Its a practicality thing, four doors are more appealing in the second hand market. I will have the same when I sell my current car (2011 Megane RS250) vs a VW Golf GTI, they cost the same new (60k) but the Golf will be worth more after 3 years because its and Automatic with 5 Doors vs my car being a Manual 3-Door.

911's do hold good value after a few years here. I remember a mates dad brought a $230,000 750iL new back in the day, his standing joke was "I brought it on BMW's 3rd now, 3rd next year and a 3rd the year after and by the time I made the third payment it was greater than what the car was worth as a trade" Was the OP looking for a good used Japanese import and wanted advice on what to buy?

Ah, not quite that old.. my first car was 85 Corolla GT and I paid $5,800, or just over $100 a week, that was a lot when I was on $5.00 an hour. In contrast, my old man had a new E39 at the time and that cost $126,000. Ironically today both cars would be worth about the same, perhaps the Corolla would actually sell for more than a E39 528i.

Classics don't depreciate. If we are talking new cars, apparently Holden Commodore Utes have the lowest depreciation rate from new. Hiaces and Hiluxes seem to do well too. Actually no, the Lexus versions depreciate the most from new and are the least desirable being petrol and un economical, they are a lot cheaper than the toyota versions. Lexus in general depreciate heavily, as do any luxury cars.

Was it a turbo, mean street cred back in the 90's if ou had a DOCH TURBO..or VR4 for that mater. Can almost tell peoples ages looking at first cars

Actually spotted this auction last night when window shopping. I think he has a P habit or some real disability? I know people who have gone off the rails on P and adopted a similar attitude.

Oh true, never new that, must have missed it or not cool/clicky enough Why not come down to the one next week in the M325i and show it off, maybe we could get some nice photo's.

Nice one, my Opa and then Dad had a Yellow Simca 1000 too, had a lot of character.

NZ assembled Corolla GT, was a fast car when I was 15, late 90's.... had it for years and years and one day rolled it 6 times down a mountain.

Was that the one without Nicotine? Was reading the herald article on the weekend and it was referring to the ones with Nicotine. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article....jectid=11121305 If Cigarettes had no nicotine in them we would not smoke them either, no one smokes for the flavor... and I can see you would keep puffing, chasing the dragon, if there was no Nicotine. I do think these things will replace cigarettes over the next few years and seeing the tobacco companies are buying them up these will be the new money making addiction trap for them.

Hey Rob, I heard you liked meets so we put a meet in the events section for you dog: http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....t=0#entry498984

Good work, its tough. I am pathetic. Have stopped and started twice in the last few years, went onto cigars, and have been quit a few weeks again now.. never smoked much though, one or two a day. Must say, food is a lot better as a non smoker, you can actually enjoy the taste and appreciate the food and you no longer spend the meal waiting for it to be over so you can have a cigarette. Unlike you I have managed to actually loose near 30kg over the last year or so and am very fit now, running, weight training and boot camping etc. After a few years I still very much grave, its a bastard drug and I do think some people are stronger than others, I find it easier to tell myself to go for a 20k run than I do resisting a Cigar with a beer, looking at one of those E-Cigarettes if I get hooked again.

Welcome Rob, Peugeot looks mint, bet its fast as. Good garage you have there, two of the best 80's classics.

Brave. Crazy driving, looked like people could drive back in the day. Imagine that in Auckland, would be like, 100kph from shore, 70-90 over bridge all the way to Khyber pass, speed up to 100 for 5 seconds, brake to 85, overtake on inside, pull out and accelerate to 110 for another 5 seconds, get stuck behind Toyota at 85 in passing lane from Elerslie past Mount Wellington, floor it to 100 and get stuck behind cars all the way to Manukau, speed up before Manurewa and get done by a speed camera doing 112, get stuck in a cluster f**k all the way to Bombay hills get pulled over for doing 140 down Bombay hills and have car impounded for 28 days. Walk home