gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 28, 2022 I have a new job. Role. Position.... Source of reimbursement for attending a place of work. I'm lucky enough that I get a car with this. Nothing fancy, no unlimited lease/hire budgets or similar, but I do have a nominal $10k to spend. Maintenance and running costs, and fuel, are covered by the company, but I'm obviously not about to take undue advantage of this - economy, practicality and presentation are critically important. From my perspective, it must also be comfortable (1 hour commute), and (as I thought to myself) put a smile on my face when I get home. I saw for sale a black E92 330d. Lovely-looking car, but (I think) sold now. A little over budget but with some negotiation it should have been financially possible. That car had the M57B30 engine. A slightly newer E92 with the N57 engine might be possible, but I think we're probably stretching the budget a fiar bit with that Certainly worth a look... If it is a better car. I've been having a read of @Driftit's post here. Aside from that, any other suggestions for something suitable? Not fussed if it is a coupe, saloon, estate, or SUV. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aja540i 1896 Report post Posted January 28, 2022 https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/x1/listing/3434046037?bof=JWOZbkQf You're welcome!! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 28, 2022 1 hour ago, aja540i said: https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/x1/listing/3434046037?bof=JWOZbkQf You're welcome!! It's an interesting option. 👍 I'm probably being over cautious, but 190000km is a few more than I'm keen on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
balancerider 702 Report post Posted January 28, 2022 (edited) good choice @gjm - the 3.0d is quite a bit rarer but i think worth holding out for especially as you're mainly doing long runs. Plenty of LCI E9x 320d's around at your budget but suspect the facelift 325d (has the N57 rather than the 2L diesel of the F3x) might be the sweetspot if you can find one. M57 is an old engine now. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/320d/listing/3378943297 This also might be close to budget - good k's and will ride a lot better than the E9x series, my E91 was way worse on SE suspension/17's than my F31 is on 19's Edited January 28, 2022 by balancerider 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coop 261 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 What about this Citroen C5 with the PSA Land Rover/Jag 3.0 V6 diesel. You'll struggle to get a better riding car. Nearly unbeatable on our sh*t roads. If this was a wagon I'd have bought it. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/citroen/c5/listing/3447643963?bof=JWOZbkQf 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 31 minutes ago, coop said: What about this Citroen C5 with the PSA Land Rover/Jag 3.0 V6 diesel. You'll struggle to get a better riding car. Nearly unbeatable on our sh*t roads. If this was a wagon I'd have bought it. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/citroen/c5/listing/3447643963?bof=JWOZbkQf I had briefly considered the engine in a Jag, but dismissed due to lack of personal knowledge, and image. It's a ridiculous situation - another forum member recounted how arriving in his cheapy bought X45, or the workshop Q7 hack (combined value perhaps less than $10k) got comments of "You're doing all right", "can I expect a discount", and so on. Roll up in a near-new Land Cruiser 90-series at $130k+ and no-one bats an eyelid. The Citroen I'd not considered. Yes, the wagon would be great! How good is the engine/gearbox? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coop 261 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 22 minutes ago, gjm said: I had briefly considered the engine in a Jag, but dismissed due to lack of personal knowledge, and image. It's a ridiculous situation - another forum member recounted how arriving in his cheapy bought X45, or the workshop Q7 hack (combined value perhaps less than $10k) got comments of "You're doing all right", "can I expect a discount", and so on. Roll up in a near-new Land Cruiser 90-series at $130k+ and no-one bats an eyelid. The Citroen I'd not considered. Yes, the wagon would be great! How good is the engine/gearbox? I haven't driven one, but at 180kw and 450nm I imagine it would make a decent highway cruiser. As for reliability, not too sure, might have to do a search if genuinely interested. I think the Peugeot 407 has the same drivetrain. Have seen several Disco 3 & 4 on TM with the same engine with snapped crankshafts. I stumbled on a YouTube vid of a mechanic in the UK who has some exposure with them. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palazzo 427 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/467991808238940/ without the crank snapping and lower kms. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 1 hour ago, Palazzo said: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/467991808238940/ without the crank snapping and lower kms. Excellent. It's had the Campbell done... I'll take another look at this tomorrow morning. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palazzo 427 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 4 minutes ago, gjm said: Excellent. It's had the Campbell done... I'll take another look at this tomorrow morning. Easily overlooked the Campbell. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 (edited) From wa-a-ay out in the left field comes this... The economy wouldn't be up there with a x57-engined vehicle of any kind, but it does have it's attractions. Actually, it's more economical than an X5 diesel on the open road, which is where it'll spend most of it's time. Edited January 29, 2022 by gjm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 29, 2022 Boss has serious (understandable) reservations about any Euro car. Cost of ownership, not just purchase or fuel is a huge worry for him. I don't have a frame of reference given I do most of any work on my cars, but a company car should be a different story. He is concerned that servicing and repairs for a Euro car will be considerably higher than for something Japanese. Also, he feels future resale (5-6 years) on a Euro is likely to be difficult, while something Japanese will sell easily. Again... I don't know. Not been there. Had a 280ZX a long time ago, and a Mk2 Celica before that, but that's about it. Are the comparative service costs so far apart? If not, where can I get some sensible indicative figures? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E30 325i Rag-Top 2915 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 I think that is a commonly held idea here in NZ. Having owned both a Subaru and BMWs here I wouldn’t say there is much difference. Labour rates and pricing for most franchised dealers are pretty much line ball, and genuine parts for Japanese parts can be up there as well. If it’s a used car, I guess the servicing would be at a reputable Indy garage, ring around and get some indicative pricing for him to compare? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lord_jagganath 421 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) they probably want you to turn up in this https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/honda/accord/listing/3409828742?bof=JWOZbkQf or the tourer https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/honda/accord/listing/3332452852?bof=JWOZbkQf Edited January 30, 2022 by lord_jagganath 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coop 261 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 The biggest worry with having a retail outlet servicing the (Euro) car is their interpretation of what needs replacing come service time, then forwarding your boss the quote of ‘required’ work complete with NZ marked up retail parts prices. What about Lexus - the GS V6 and V8 look ok. https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/lexus/auction-3440353061.htm Falcon good highway cars and sub 8l/100km on constant open road driving. https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/auction-3396996106.htm If possible you should take one of those diesel C5s for a spin and see what you think - the 4 cylinder diesels will return 5L/100km on the open road. I have a pre facelift and it’s one of the best cars I’ve owned. Satisfaction everytime I drive it (last year I had a 1000km/week commute) as they excel at ride quality/comfort and fuel economy, two characteristics you’ll encounter every time you drive it. But Christ, who worries about the 5 year resale on a $10k car that is on the books… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, lord_jagganath said: they probably want you to turn up in this or the tourer 59 minutes ago, coop said: What about Lexus - the GS V6 and V8 look ok. Falcon good highway cars and sub 8l/100km on constant open road driving. At the moment, the possibility of a Lexus IS350 is being investigated... Biggest issue is going to be the amount of use it gets. Upwards of 50k kms per year. Edited January 30, 2022 by gjm 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palazzo 427 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 Then grab one with a ppi by Lexus/Toyota that leads into a No Worries Warrantee, it means what it says. Full coverage to 150km and drivetrain thereafter, but iirc, if you had the car prior to 150km when the warranty was issued, full coverage is maintained. Just have it serviced there, they normally do a nice line in courtesy cars and servicing is competitive. Just avoid a Singapore import. Nz new first, then Japanese. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Young Thrash Driver 1020 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 We bought a second hand Mazda 6 wagon and until recently were putting 33K km a year on it. It cost us about 12K 5 years ago and is now at 288K km. It's 2.0 engine returns 8.1L/100km and servicing costs have been trivial. It required a replacement steering rack (apparently these do that) at 250K km but other than fuel tires and scheduled maintenance hasn't cost us anything. We both still like driving it, it's a very nice modest "just does the job" vehicle- and it isn't a Toyota. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 612 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) ^^ This! A mazda 6 sounds a like a good option - or alternatively, a Camry haha 🤣. IMO - Since the company is purchasing probably best to go with what they are ‘comfortable’ with rather than any personal preferences. Do hope you find something suitable, and acceptable, though. Edited January 30, 2022 by treone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodachrome 146 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 I had to double check the dates on this thread! So 2009. 😛 If fuel costs are covered, why are you getting a diesel? Apart from the fact you introduce swirl flaps, turbo issues etc, you also get an inferior sound and drive and dump toxins like NOx all over country. I think they have their uses, but this moderate, expenses paid commute doesnt seem like one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Driftit 1945 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 18 hours ago, gjm said: At the moment, the possibility of a Lexus IS350 is being investigated... Biggest issue is going to be the amount of use it gets. Upwards of 50k kms per year. Doing that many KM's I would put some effort into test driving a number of vehicles. Many cheap Jap cars have terrible seats and uncomfortable driving positions. Find something that suites your shape and size. Look for a car that will soak up NZ's trash roads. I am currently using my E87 130i as a commuter. It's getting 8.6L/100kms. However the suspension just doesn't suite the crap quality of SH2 and I am sick of bumping my way too and from work. So I am going to a F10 535i soon which was wonderful on the open road. And as mentioned above. Try and find a NZ new Lexus or you will have the exact same problems as any other Tokyo crawler. They are no more reliable and have the same shitty plastics. The 1UZ is long gone. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 I would definitely put ride comfort high on the list with 50k kms per year. the difference between say a 1 series and 5 series is huge as driftd pointed out above. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aja540i 1896 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 Get a Leaf? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3193 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 15 minutes ago, aja540i said: Get a Leaf? Have considerd a hybrid... 170km+ daily commute (85 each way), and site visits. How many kms do you get from a charge? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Driftit 1945 Report post Posted January 30, 2022 A Leaf would be able to handle those KM's if it is nice and healthy. You won't love being in one for that long each day though. At 10K you won't get a healthy one. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
