qube

Haha yep. I was with the big bunch of my asian friends taking a million photos by the lighthouse. It was indeed a fun drive. I got 12L/100km on my trip. You?

Tried on some new wheels today

Took the wagon up on a 1000km round trip to bay of islands and cape reinga. Friend took a few snaps thought id share them here

Bbs rgs sold

Mechanical insurance is rubbish imo. It forces u to get trans fluid changed, regular oil changes at reputable service centres only and this alone costs about $1.5k over 3 years. Add that to the cost of the warranty $2k thats $3.5k either in your pocket (less oil changes) so approx $3k to spend on maintenance. With a $500 excess and 1 componant per claim, you lose out unless you have some major issues with engine or trans but a ppi should give you a heads up on this. Mechanical warranty is a no in my books for this kind of car. A 335i with twin turbos? Diff story.

Welcome to the forum. I have to say, there are a lot of new posts from new members asking about E90's in general nowadays. They have certainly come down in price and are an attractive model for those getting into the BMW/European car experience. few notes regarding the car above: - price is quite fair for what it is - what it is, is a poverty spec nothing special e90 sedan with no options. it is a base model, not msport so doesnt have the nicer bodykit, m suspension or steering wheel, factory wheels, etc. - the good thing is it is relatively love kms for a 2005 model (first year of production) and does not have iDrive (which can be a negative for those who want the screen but otherwise its less to go wrong) - seems like decent service history but it is a Jap import not NZ new which is a minus (reflects in the price and doesnt necessarily mean its bad) - keep in mind that these cars do and will need maintenance around the 100k kms mark, things like water pump, cooling system components such as thermostat, possibly radiator, hoses, drive belt, ac belt, tensioners, pulleys, power steering reservoir, power steering lines, maybe brake pads and rotors, suspension componants etc etc. At the end of the day, if you have a budget of say 10k or there abouts, this could be a really nice car for you to buy, and slowly spend some money on. What you will get is a nice reliable european vehicle with great 3L NA power, nice (but soft-ish) suspension/ride unless you decide to upgrade springs/shocks/wheels and it still has the nice leather seats! But dont think that you will get away without spending a bit on maintenance stuff, the car will treat you as well as you treat it! and they like to be pampered. You wont be able to abuse it and neglect on this service work otherwise your car will give up on you and you will be crying in a ditch somewhere. Final note: if you have a bigger budget, it sometimes pays to spend a bit more to get one that ticks more options such as msport (completely different car to a non msport base model such as this) and you can also find ones that are possibly NZ new and have a sunroof etc because afterall, you dont want to 'settle' for something because it seems cheap at first. It may cost you more in the long run than forking out a bit more initially and end up with a nice/better spec'd example. (I should really start a NZ specific E90 buying guide, seems like I am repeating myself too many times lately..)

yes they will

highly recommend also, goes by the name SJ on the forum here, username EUROHO

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E38 on M-Pars spotted at the end of the vid!

dont think we are doing any new potential bmw owners any favors with such a massive and scary list..

Why wud u get that 325 over my 530 though? seriously..

Forum member count -1

Search this and other forums... way too much info to list..

There is nothing wrong with a 325i E90. I actually have a 325i wagon E91 and its awesome. But it cost me about 18k a year ago for a good low kms one and its still worth 14k ish today. Imagine what condition it would be in if you buy one for 6-7k now? no service history and abused to death? not a huge difference between 325i and 330i in my opinion. both great cars with good engines unlike the 2L 4cylinder. All cars are different and you might have a bad one but in general, E46 and E39s are simple, easy to repair and source parts for, and overall reliable cars that dont have critical failures (except for the 540i timing chain guide issue). Replacing the cooling system at around 100-120km is a MUST on almost any bmw and nothing out of the ordinary. Suspension components failing is also nothing out of the ordinary for any 15 year old BMW on these NZ roads.. But after you replace them, what an amazing car it becomes, unlike any other Japanese alternative. My advice is look for one that is and was owned by an enthusiast (especially if looking at E46/E39) and if you are set on buying a E90 for 7k, make sure you put aside about $2000 for emergency repairs and be ready for random brakedowns or to do preventative maintenance/servicing. I dont recommend it though because even after spending this money, your car might still be in poor condition if it has had a hard life. (buy my E39 530i lol - shameless advertising)

was it originally calypso red and repainted? (can see a hint of red in the engine bay)

if your budget is $6-7k, I would stay away from the E90 series (2005 onwards shape) and go for something like an E46 325i/330i or an E39 530i. No matter what you do, dont buy a 4 cylinder BMW such as a 2006 320i. You will regret it.

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I have an E91 325i wagon (6cyl) and it has given me trouble free motoring for a year. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend one as a daily driver as long as its well looked after (or buy mine! I want to drive my older, less comfortable 5 series and spend more money on maintenance!)

took my like 8 months to get my address updated on my broadband plan and after 2 years still havnt been able to get my internet username changed from the previous account holder's - i gave up trying. at least it still works..

nothing wrong with going for 18x8 and 18x9 with relatively normal offsets. and also would be fine to run 225/235-40-18 front 255/265-35-18 rear on a 335i.

you definitely want some wider tyres for the rear!

its a great engine