martyyyn

I had similar thoughts last year, although in e90's. I went with an 08 320d msport with 6-speed manual and I don't regret it for a second. I've owned everything from 4 pot's to v12's, e30's to e38's to e53's, and this is in my top three. I can thrash the nuts off it all day long and still do over 1100kms on an $85 tank. Being a nanna has seen it close to 1300kms. I was overtaking Subaru's over the Remutakas last weekend and it's ability over the Paekok Hill is just staggering. I'm now looking for a 535d F10 for the wife. Diesel has me hooked.

I bought an 08 E90 320d msport with the 6-speed manual a few months ago as a daily. It had done 150k kms with a good service history and cost much less than that 325d on TM. I did just under 42k kms last year with my boys football so needed something frugal and I have to say it's one of the best cars I've ever driven. It's incredibly comfortable (I'm 6"5 and this is the lowest I've ever sat in a BMW with sports seats), the interior is immaculate and it's surprisingly quiet on the motorway. The best bit is it pulls like a freight train once it's rolling. You have to change gear a lot obviously but the torque is just intoxicating. Be wary of any advertised consumption figures as I've found they are well out on a combined journey. Having said that our E53 3.0 petrol did the same driving for two years and I would get around 750 kms on a full tank. This costs less than half the X5 to fill and I'm getting close to 1200kms before filling up again. I'm not taking it easy either. I did for the first week or two but when I saw how far I was going to get I thought, sod it., lets just have some fun. Performance is pretty reasonable too, I can get up and over the Paekok hill significantly quicker than I do in the E34. For a cheap daily I don't think they can be beaten to be honest and I'm now looking at 535d's to replace the X5. [e] N47 compared to your N57 I know, but significantly cheaper and why spend too much on a daily.

We bought our 2003 3.0l petrol three years ago this week. I got it from Bellars with a stack of service history for $9.5k We've done just over 80k kms, it averages 11.2l/100k and apart from oil servicing the only issues we've had were to replace a broken drivers door mechanism and the aircon condensor died. We've replaced some miscellaneous suspension bits, discs and pads all around and had the transmission serviced. Total servicing costs has been around $5000. It's half way through it's second set of Continental Cross Contacts with both sets coming from new cars which had been "upgraded" and they cost $800 each time. It does go through headlight bulbs fairly regularly but other than that, it's been absolutely faultless. Even with "just" a 3.0 petrol, with 5 of us in it and all the gear for a holiday it still moves pretty well.

Nice one Phil, congratulations.

For our e39 I did a combination of this Aux In for $2.50 and this E39 radio diagram to create my own aux-in cable which replaced the CD changer plug into the 'head unit'. I then bought a Kinivo BTC 450 with a Spigen Magnetic Mount and it worked flawlessly. Everything was hidden away with only the Spigen giving it away. I had another link showing the resisters and capacitors but I can't find it now. Think I spent about 80c at Jaycar for it all. The e34 original head unit has aux-in so I just have the Kinivo but the X5 came with a Dension Gateway kit costings $$$'s and I hate it. Regularly fails to connect when getting into the car, wont connect to my wife's Nexus5 at all and requires a number of buttons to be pressed to play music. When I get around to it, I'm going to rip it out and replace it with the Kinivo.

Thanks Allan, I knew I remembered something like that. As it was the X5 was returned today after only three days away. I'll have to take care of it another time and will just leave it on the driveway whilst the cluster is away.

The X5 is finally going in for new doors and front guard tomorrow and will be away for a week. I'd like to have the LCD in the dash cluster repaired whilst it's out of action and seem to remember you can drive the car for a limited amount of miles before the tamper light shows, can anyone confirm that ? From memory it was around 100 or 120 miles or something. If that's the case, who are we sending our dashes to these days ? It's been a long time since I had an E39 done and I don't even remember who did it.

This ^^^^ I do 40000 kms a year with my kids sport. At least 90% is cruising at 80-100kmh and the '07 2l Focus we ended up buying works out the same as an e46 320d using their factory figures (plus 15% to make it more realistic) when buying 95. If I buy 91 it's $200 a year cheaper but then the engine sounds like a babies rattle when pulling away at low revs

I look at this auction every day. I don't know why because I can't justify it at this time in my life (or more importantly to my wife who wants a new kitchen !) But an e34 M5 is the one car I would replace my 535is with and I would love to have one.

Just cars and was at low speed surprisingly. An old fella decided to reverse past a driveway as she was waiting to pull out of it onto the street. Not sure how he didn't see an whacking great X5 behind him but he was pretty shaken up. She took him back into the office for a cup of tea ! Kids sport takes care of our weekends. I'm out pretty much all weekend with my boys football. He trains 4/5 times a week and we've had one week off the last 18 months. If he has a day off I spend it re-acquainting myself with our two girls. The wife and I were in Napier last weekend (boy had a trip to New Plymouth). She insisted we take the X5 and not the 535is. The thought of Pahiatua one way and Saddle Road the other had me crying. In the end we were stuck behind cattle trucks anyway so I'm glad the old girl wasn't covered in the crap coming out of them. I thought there were rules about what they drop on the roads now. The stench was sickening. My wife is a barrister and specialises in family law. We have an agreement, if it should come to it, that I walk out with the clothes I'm wearing and the e34. She keeps everything else ! Just last week I told her we should trade up to an e70. She's not having any of it, she cant stand how often I change cars.

Not me, the wife....

For what it's worth the only regret I have for buying an X5 for our family of 5 is that I didn't buy one years ago. I'm 197cm, wife is 180, 16, 13 and 9yo are 180, 178 and 148. We struggled along in the e39 because I hate the idea of a Chelsea tractor. But we were just too big. I've done 6's, v8's and v12's, saloons and tourings, in e32's, e38's and e39's and in the end bought an e53 3.0l petrol X5 and I don't regret the decision at all. I have the 535is if I want to go for a fang, but when we are 5 up, filled to the brim to go away I want security and cruising ability. The X5 does it without breaking a sweat. As for tyres, you just need to know where to look. A got four brand new Continental CrossContact UHP in 18" for $800 all up. We've done about 30k mainly motorway driving and they still have 3-4 mm. I've thrown it over the Paekok hill plenty of times and never had any trouble in the corners, they have been excellent. It was serviced for the first time in our 18 months of ownership by Mike Page in Kapiti on Thursday. Full inspection II was just under 1k. Including new plugs, the odd belt, brake fluid, oil, all filters etc. I didn't think that was too bad. My budget was much lower than yours but the 3.0l petrol was still 2/3rds of the price of a diesel and they'd all done twice the mileage. Maybe I was missing in my sums something but I couldn't justify the initial price difference. I've just remembered your comments about the 3.0 being underpowered and thirty. We average 11.2 l/100k. I don't think that's bad at all, we don't drive it around town, but I don't remember getting anywhere near that my m62 e38. Perhaps the newer petrols you are looking at are far better. Cruising on the open road is easy as is overtaking. I appreciate your friend regretting it, but not me. I would have loved an e70 but given how cheap the e53 was, it meant I could keep the 535is for the weekends.

In case anyone is interested the head won and I went with a 2l, manual, 06 Ford Focus Zetec. After a couple of months it's doing around 6.2l/100km which means just over 800km to a tank costing $96. It's surprising nice to drive to be honest. Nothing special but it's comfortable (I'm 6'5) and can fit four large kids in easily enough.

Just noticed this damage on the drivers seat. Happy to take offers on them with that in mind.

Sold my e39 so I have a few things to clear the garage. 1: Black leather comfort seats. From an E38 but are the same as E39 I believe. They've been covered in the garage for a couple of years but the leather is in surprisingly good condition and would just need a clean. All the connecting plugs are there but I think they are missing one of the plastic bits on the drivers side and maybe a button. Brilliant seats to sit in and I have them in the X5. Looking for $250. 2: 16:9 screen which I think was from an e38 but it would fit an e39 obviously. Never got around to putting it in. It was working before I bought it and comes with the Jap dvd player and a few cables/wires. It's also sat in the garage and I can only assume it still works. Looking for $250 assuming it's still working but will consider offers. 3: E39 clear/celis rear lenses. The right one had an issue with corrosion so I replaced them both. Genuine Hella. Not sure what they are worth to be honest, maybe $100 for them both ? I'm an hour north of Wellington and an hour south of Palmerston North and am happy to meet someone halfway if necessary.

e39 530d are few and far between in NZ and those currently available are not worth anything near $10k IMO. e60 530d would be my perfect car, but it may be a good 12/18 months before they drop to $7-8k. Even then it's a hard sell to the wife. So far the options are: A3 2.0 FSI - Claims of ~5l/100km, but I know nothing other than horror stories about Audi servicing costs. e46 320d - see if I can get a high miler really cheap, do basic maintenance and drive it until it dies. e46 318i - as above. Dime a dozen but finding a non-molested manual might not be easy. Focus - great economy, but either a ~2001 manual petrol or ~2007 diesel wagon with high miles and just out of budget. Mondeo Td - as above. Pug 407 HDi - ~2007, 6l/100km seems easily achievable and can be had for ~$5k.

Ha, there is that ! Errrr, I did say I would have to save a little more money. I've seen the odd e39 sell for 5-6k in the last 12 months. But they aren't all that common over here. Yeah, perhaps 6l/100km is more realistic. It's the car I've wanted for a long time, but it may be another year before they drop into the 7-8k range.

My head has been saying this for a few years now, but my heart just isn't in it. We had an 01 Focus for 5 years. I hated the thought of it, but every time I drove it it surprised me and left me thinking 'thats not a bad car after all'. So avoid every 316i, 318i and Ti from 2003 onwards ? I've seen the bad press but surely they aren't all bad. My wife drives an e39 530i now and she gets 9.5 l/100km. But it 's a bog standard NZ new car with standard seats which I can't get comfortable in. I took it on the journey today and it returned 8.1 l/100km which isn't bad at all. But if I can find a 320d or even save a bit more for a 530d and get closer to 5 l/100km it would be and easy swap to make.

I've just used the prices on pricewatch.co.nz as a starting point. Currently petrol is 2.049 and diesel 1.209 in Wellington. Seeing as I only drive for 5 minutes from each end of the motorway journey I get much better than advertised figures. The X5 is currently at 11.5 l/100km after having done 15k in 6 months. So I'm taking the motorway figures to be what I'll actually get.

Yours is the inspiration to be honest. As much as I love driving the 535is or the X5 with it's comfort seats I cant justify them to travel 110km five times a week to my sons football academy. There was a 320D recently which went for $2500 but the wife still needed convincing ! I don't think you can go wrong with something that cheap. I'd prefer a non-Ti as this stage unless it was red and manual Cheers Paul, I've got my spreadsheet all sorted but haven't adjusted for the lower rego yet. Your 120d was great and over 25k kms at 5l/100km I reckon it would save me over 3k a year over the X5. But the diesel premium on the purchase price over a 118 is huge. I'd rather put 5k into the purchase and immediate servicing of an e46 320d and just drive it until it broke.

I have around 4-5K and want something to handle the 5-600km a week I do on the motorway with my kids sport. Both the X5 and 535is do this brilliantly but moving to something which can get 6-7 l/100km rather than the 11/12 they do would save me plenty over the year. Needs to be 2001+ and preferably not silver. High mileage doesn't worry me if it has a good history. There are plenty of e46 318i's for as low as 3k and the odd 118i comes in at 5k. Both seem to offer around 6-7km/100l. As it's all motorway driving I get a much better return than advertised combined averages. It just needs to comfortably handle cruising at 100kph. Doesn't have to a BMW, I'm looking at a Peugeot 407HDi this week. I could offer my wifes e39 530i if someone is looking to upsize.

I've got one I was going to wire into the e39 but it's been 6 months and it's still sitting in the garage. It has the Jap sat nav and another unit if those are needed as well. What are they worth ?

I've never picked you to be the kind of person who believes what's written on the internet Ron I read plenty of reports applauding the 3.0i and plenty to say it's fuel consumption was better than the v8. I guess we only see what we want to see. My heart was screaming for a v8 sportpac but my head was saying get a well looked after petrol. Our e39 is in the 9's and the X5 the 11's, so is it really that hard to believe ? We do however spend a good 90% of our driving on the open road so I would expect it to be different if we were stuck in traffic all day. You're right it doesn't have the kick of the diesel but that's no surprise either is it ? It's certainly got enough for what it is though and if I want to have some fun I take the 535is.

For what it's worth I went through this last year and I have to be honest I'm surprised at the canning the 3.0 petrol is getting. To be fair I have no intention of towing anything and I was on a pretty restrictive budget. We just needed something bigger for our family. I'm 6'5, my wife is 6' and you can guess how tall the kids are if we struggle to fit into an e39. I've owned e39 528's, 530's, 540's and an e38 740 and was only ever interested in the 3.0 petrol knowing what it costs to maintain an M62 and what it costs to fix if it goes wrong. I would have loved a diesel but the premium was too great. I picked up a mint 2003 with 180k kms and a folder full of service history for under 10k. Any diesel equivalents had done well over 300k kms and were closer to 15k. My 535is now sits in the garage, my wife drives the e39 to work and I drive the X5 on the 600km weekly motorway munching for the kids sport. You don't buy an X5 to drag others at the lights and the 3.0 petrol has more than enough grunt. We drove to Hastings and back from Otaki two weeks ago, with all five of us and the boot fully loaded and I could still overtake with ease. It's a brilliant cruiser. I've had it three months and it's returning 11.2l/100km. My e34 is in the 12's and the e39 the 9's. It's an absolute dream to drive and I only wish I'd bought one years ago.

I drove between Hastings and Woodville the other week and saw five marked cars, one unmarked van and one mufti. Every single one was sat at the end of a passing lane. I would say 95% of my driving is open road anywhere between Wellington and Palmerston North and since the threshold has been dropped there are more people driving at 80-90kph than ever. I've lost count of the number who hit 110kph on passing lanes. I now don't bother with passing lanes and just overtake where-ever I can. Just as we all did 20 years ago when we weren't made to feel ashamed to overtake people outside of passing lanes.