balancerider

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/325i/listing/3278720378 looks reasonable too - on a full set of Bridgestones (albeit the RE050s are not great, but at least implies the owner hasn't skimped on maintenance) and has a BMW workshop plate surround. Look for blue (OEM) coolant rather than green. Probably 1 yr / 15k km is the sweet spot. One without any idrive is probably fine too, fit a Grom / Dension unit for Bluetooth.

Welcome @MaiaB! Good choice, E91 with a 6 cylinder is very much the sweet spot. Don't bother with a 4cyl, engines are nothing but trouble and not even much more economical than the 6. The pre-facelift ones (2005-2008) have the N52B25 which is a bit more robust than the N53 in the facelifted ones (which have trouble with coils / injectors / NOX sensor). Worth checking if waterpump / thermostat have been done on the N52.

Very nice @JonRP. Alpina Blue and Alpina Green are such special colours. The Japan spec bootlid and front plate mount are the only thing that I would change if it were mine but appreciate you may wish to preserve the originality. Cloth sport seats are cool. I must confess I've been looking at the touring versions of these but as they're all UK market cars they'll probably all be rusty by now (unlike this one I assume) https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2003-bmw-alpina-e39-b10-v8s-touring

I bet the North Koreans are driving one of these...

@Jacko Alpina don't make the iX 🤔

Clearly a foreign mission with taste...they've replaced it with an X6 🤮

Here you go @leichtbau... https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/335d/listing/3281156985?bof=Ioua1f5s (OK it's not an Edition model but otherwise looks pretty well specced, chrome line window trim is 'interesting' though and it needs the raised roof rails replaced with the flush mount ones) wbaux72000a494144-bimmer.work.pdf

just looked on bmw.co.uk, M340i (and M340d) touring aren't currently available on the new car configurator - but the 540i Xdrive Touring is up (57k GBP - 111k NZD) value proposition a bit better on that. I note the only private seller has his M340i Touring (Nardo Grey, 5 owners!) up for 10k more than the dealer had it listed for 3 months ago. 🤨

Just went onto BMW NZ configurator...Base M340i Touring is now 153k (up ~20k since I last looked). CPI is an absolute joke. Guess I'm not buying a new one any time soon.

Thanks @Olaf - nice to have options!

Wouldn’t count on it! @E28E30

Definitely a big gap in the market now that Auto 38 are gone. Sutherland Performance seem to have a reasonable rep although VAG-centric, have noticed a few local BMW's with their plate surrounds on. Sadly I think it means main dealer for me for the time being...

@Kees didn't spot this one on a cursory scan of the database. Low km Hong Kong import living in Wellington wbahe62040gf21296-bimmer.work.pdf

Red E30 4-door (NX2969) on Tinakori Rd. Carjam says it's a 318i. looked pretty clean

@NZ_InFerno really hoping you can have a period without anything breaking on this. Feels like you’ve replaced every engine ancillary now…

@Olaf Only recall I'm aware of is the EGR cooler on 2012-2017 N57-engined models (also common to N47). Not sure if the manifold may have been an issue on earlier ones. What car are you looking at? n=2 but both of the N47's in our family are >250k km without issue

@Olaf reports of N47 timing chain issues I think are a case of internet echo chamber magnifying what is a clear issue affecting a small number of a common engine. 30k km oil change interval is pretty unlikely to help...

that exhaust 👀 (might require a friendly WOF)

@Eagle N series petrols for sure N47/57 seem pretty sound.

The M5 just has that 'je ne sais quoi' - only RHD touring M car, RWD, even with all the bad bits pointed out above. If it's still unsold if / when AKL gets out of lockdown I'm going to fly up and look at it...

I wish I belonged in it @aja540i but sadly my life is too busy

The Venn diagram crossover between wagon owners and people who want to work on their car I think is smaller than for other body styles

@aja540i do you know if the E6x M5 was homologated for a towbar? It actually adds to the appeal for me (bikes / trailers etc) but would replace with the Westfalia detachable assuming it fits...

it's about 10k over what an equivalent nz new sedan goes for and would guess the touring market is pretty small

there is a 13k bill from the main dealer so either SMG clutch or bearings. i'm moderately interested but tripling the fuel bill might be a stretch. depreciation would be less though