Drift Tax

I've found quite a good document that was put out on the BMW dealer network which details all the changes made for the E60 LCI. I've attached it here in case anyone else finds it useful. E60_LCI_Changes.pdf

Ah gotcha, thanks for clarifying that. Sounds like a fair mix of real world conditions and probably not too dissimilar to my daily drive. I think (at least some models) have the real time fuel consumption gauge - have never driven a car with that so would make for some interesting observations / comparisons (most optimum gear to be in for different situations etc). I can also totally appreciate how the desire to rev that lovely engine would often outweigh your desire to achieve maximum fuel efficiency! Haven't driven one yet, but from all that I've heard it's hugely impressive what the BMW engineers managed to get out of a (not small) chassis. Will keep you guys posted, for sure.

Good advice, I think at this stage I probably will focus my efforts on those E60 powertrains. In the perfect world (i.e if finances allowed it) I'd have both a comfy larger 5 and the smaller nimble 1 series.

Hi Olaf, thanks for your reply... some good advice in there. I actually just finished 545i showroom thread, great read! ? I agree that Nissan makes some really good cars (I've owned an S14 turbo, 350Z and Stagea myself), but looking forward to driving something a bit more "refined". Interesting to get some real world fuel consumption figures. Could you please clarify what you mean by extra urban... is that mostly open road or a mix of both?

Hi everyone, thanks again for all your advice. At this stage I think I'm leaning towards the E60, however it might be prudent to drive the 1 and 3 series chassis too. I have managed to convince the wife to get a (smaller) station wagon - so we will be using that should we need to cart two kids + a whole heap of gear (holidays or whatever). In saying that, given the E60s generous boot I may get to enjoy taking this on long trips instead ☺️ That linked 550i does look like great value. Unfortunately the money I'll be using to buy the car isn't available until a few more weeks (settlement date - long process) and looks like the guy is going to trade it in a week, should it not sell. I'm also tossing up between the a 540i LCI (and possibly M Sport), or a 550i (non-LCI - these are out of my price range). Obviously, the 550i has a whole lot more power and the official fuel consumption difference appears to only be 10% more... although I'm not sure if it's that marginal in practise? My understanding is the LCI involved a number of enhancements including Efficient Dynamics, an improved iDrive and better automatic transmission. The motor also received a technical update (N62TU) as well. Has anyone hear driven or know much about the LCI and non-LCI to comment on the differences?

Hi Kyu, thanks for your reply and insight. You are right, I do need to drive both the E90 and E60 to see which one I prefer. I'm used to driving a fairly large, heavy car (my Stagea wagon), so I think even the E60 will feel light and nimble in comparison. I hadn't considered the 130i - I must admit that I'm not usually into hatchbacks, but they look OK with the M Sport kit. I will add to my "to drive" list. What makes them more fun than the sedan...their additional peppiness due to the lighter weight? I would probably find the E91 325i a bit slow, plus after coming from a wagon I'm keen to get a sedan (+ have managed to convince the wife to get a wagon, should, we need to haul anything). While a diesel is probably a very sensible / practical choice, given my commute, I think I'm dead set on experiencing a free-revving BMW I6 / V8 petrol engine :-) One thing that I need to consider is maintenance costs. I'm under no illusion that neither an E60 LCI 540i or E90 335i will be cheap to run, but would one be significantly more than the other? That will be something for me to consider, given the miles I'll be putting on it.

Hi everyone, Looking to buy my first BMW which I will use primarily as a daily driver to and from work (60 km round trip 5 days a week). I also have a 2 year old son and 2nd on the way, so need to be able to get at least one car seat in the back. I have been doing a lot of research (on both here and some overseas forums), and think I've narrowed it down to three models which I'd appreciate people's opinions on. Maximum budget is $15,000. I haven't had a chance to drive any yet, but in order of my most preffered first: E60 540i LCI / 550i pre-LCI E90 335i E90 330i (the "sensible" choice). Was just seeking a bit more information on the following: 1) E60: Probably my first preference as a comfortable daily commuter (New Lynn to Albany - involves a mixture of full speed motorway cruising and bumper to bumper crawling) and spacious family car. Within my budget I'm probably looking at either a non-LCI 550i or a LCI 540i. The 550i is obviously quite a bit quicker, but I've read that BMW made quite a lot of improvements with the LCI update? I would never have considered commuting that distance in a v8, until I saw that they're ~20% more fuel efficient than my current Nissan 3.5L V6 (according to the official figures, anyway). 2) E90: I was very tempted by the 335i but was initially put off by all the horror stories regarding the HPFP. From reading a bit more here, I understand that NZ new / Jap imports aren't as susceptible to this due to less sulphur in the petrol? In saying that, they're obviously a very complex bit of engineering. Everything else equal, how would the predicted reliability / maintenance costs compare to the E60 V8 (I understand they have valve stem issues which can be expensive too)? 3) MBI / Dealer Warranty: I understand that getting an MBI is well advised (especially for the 540 and 335). Are the mechanical warranties offered by the 2nd hand car dealers any different than me taking out my own MBI policy? Who are the best providers? I read Autosure was good - any others to consider? 4) Any other considerations? I will make sure I get a PPI done by a BMW specialist Obviously a service history is highly desired, but as most on the market are imports from Japan would these usually even have any kind of useful history? Another thing that concerns me is the number of KMs that I do every year (~18,000). Say I buy one @ around 80,000 kms, am I just asking for trouble putting that kind of mileage on a car like these? Any guidance / opinions would be greatly received. Cheers guys! Nick