AndrewH

Thanks for the replies. The car has actually been sold already- hope the buyer got a good price as the mileage with it was the big problem- pretty much forces MBI which amounts to paying almost quarter the price of the car again! I'd rather not have to need that. I bought the scooter brand-new to use while getting a degree (4 years) and it had just passed 61,000km when it was stolen. I do alot of driving (Other-Peoples cars for the 4 years!?). I estimate I'll do around 25- 30,000km per year once I have a car of my own again. The reason I'm looking at buying BMW is that I want a car that makes me feel good, not a Japanese car- I understand they are just as reliable, fuel efficient etc...... but I would rather buy a nice car. Diesels are supposedly 15-20% more efficient but I'll be happy with a petrol. It'll be a hatchback that'll I buy $5-9,000- any suggestions on possible problems that are experienced with those?

Hello, I recently had my motor-scooter stolen, so it's prompted me to buy a car. I'm asking for advice on a BMW. I'm looking at a: New Zealand New- 2005 BMW 120D E87 2.0, Diesel. Automatic, two wheel drive. Odometer is 207,281 km. Rego expires 19 October 2018. WOF expires 2 May 2019. It is from an auction house and the 'vendor is in trade'. They have $6,990 on it. People I know have said: -"offer $4,000 and don't go over $5,000 because it's probably from a dealership trade-in and they just want their discount-money back". -"The km are border-line high for a BMW and if anything happens outside the Mechanical Breakdown Insurance it costs an excessive amount and you won't be able to afford it". To describe what I see of the car Exterior: It has small paint chips (say 40) across the front edge area of the bonnet- the biggest is about half the size of a matchhead, the majority are smaller down to just-visual spots. There don't appear to be any real scrapes on the plastic underneath the car (although it's hard to see properly) but there is a small ding in the mudguard area of the front left wheel. Interior: There is an obvious stain-outline down the side of the front passenger seat (wing? part of the seat, on the window side), a quarter of it. Also another stain on the center side of the front passenger seat - total area of that one would be the size of an A4 sheet of paper - in the shape of an upside-down L and some on the front door armrests- both sides. I assume either spilt drinks, and/or rain spreading has left the stain outlines. There are also three stains on the back seats, each the size of a deck of cards or less . Of the two cup holders, the forward has one of the four tabs pushed in and it is stuck inside the mold. Under the boot floor panel, forward from the electrical boxes, are two molded areas but nothing is in them. There is a pouch with a screw-in tow ring and a small screwdriver. Other: The BMW booklets are all there and have services and wof paperwork in a pouch. They are continuous (10-15,000 km services) for the first 111,000 km finishing in 2011. There is no paperwork after that, for the next 96,000km? (But then, also not that many km's either for 7 years). Aside from all that, as far as I know about cars, it looks very tidy for the rest of the interior, exterior and visually, under the bonnet. A pre-purchase vehicle inspection check from a BMW service centre will cost $267. From a long-term established independant garage, would be $69. The auction house says they have done a pre-purchase check already? The questions (3) I would like advice on are: 1- Should I get a pre-purchase check done and does the garage really matter that much- independant; BMW; or European-Cars garage? 2- Mechanical Breakdown Insurance has the condition of services every 10,000km and can't be renewed when the car is over 299,000 km (but will continue for the time the policy has left regardless of km over that). It costs $1,000 one year or, $1,500 two year or, $1,700 three year; it pays the first $6,000 on repairs to parts of the vehicle that are not expected to wear out. It's a big chunk of money. Is it worth it? 3-What view do you have on the price the auction house is asking?