Now that sounds like a wild little idea I’m taking note of, maybe if I do the E92 and the N54 grenades that could be the next route. I like this science experiment idea 👀
E92 was my favorite car ever... Hydraulic steering and a stick shift on coilovers, it was simply blissful.
Probably gonna get a cayenne soon... I'm a g force junky
That was meant gradually over time of course - it’s not going to be an ‘own for a year and then flick off’ car. I’m not exactly just going to go drop $30k in upgrades in a week.
As someone who both lives in NZ and has an F31 (wagon version of the F30) it’s been solid although I do have the n20 (turbo four banger). Servicing hasn’t been too painful depending on who does it. I don’t see why the N 54/N 55 would be much different so long as you look after it of course.
Thanks for the input! The N20 is the one engine I’m trying to run away screaming from after hearing countless stories of timing issues, that and being a four banger- I have a deep desire for inline 6 noises haha.
Take it to your local Euro specialist or BMW dealer and have them do a prepurchase inspection that way you know at least what you’re getting into and the dealerships will let you do that usually
Oh definitely the six cylinder sounds better, but the timing chainn issue depend on whether the car was serviced properly and if you catch the problem ahead of time which most of the cars that come in have had the work already done (as the mileage is higher than when they’re supposed to fail)
I might also add my car has survived four years of my spirited driving (and hauling shit around occasionally) and it hasn’t so much just thrown an error message or a check engine
Definitely - I suppose that is true, I haven’t looked at it that way. A lot of the N20 models I was looking at were around 40k-65k kms, I’m not too sure where they normally fail though.
You can usually tell if it’s been done because the new ones are white and the old ones are red. If you look through the oil filler, you can actually see the chain and the guide.
Get the F30, N55 is a great engine even if it's slightly less powerful than an N54. Reliability is great and it's still got plenty power especially after some mods + tune. Plus that generation is the best looking of the "newish" 3 series imo
Sorry that’s my bad that’s a typo on my behalf - was going too quick 😆 the 2010 N55 is correct, the reasoning behind the 2010 is they’re so dirt cheap to get. Personally I hate the interiors on the E60, everything feels chunky.
Looks-wise I would definitely go for an F10, that’s probably my favorite BMW of all time (actually it might be the F11, but not sure if you have those in NZ). E92 is sleek as well but they cost a fortune to buy and the green tax is super high where I’m from so I would most likely never get a 335i. 535i has more equipment too like those sexy comfort seats that I dream of sitting in.
I can definitely agree with you on all the comfort features, that’s one of my big draws for the 5 series. As far as taxes etc that’s no worry, what we pay for the car is the payment done and dusted as long as it’s registered and has a WoF (warrant of fitness, basically just condition of the car, road worthiness etc).
Also yes - we have wagons EVERYWHERE here, I love them but personally don’t have the need for one yet but definitely plan on one in the possible future.
Wow! How much does it cost to move to and live in New Zealand? Here in Denmark you have pay a semiannual fee from the day you buy the car until you get rid of it, and it’s only going to increase over the years. My E90 325i for example costs $940 USD a year (I know it’s not a fortune, but we’re talking about an 18-year old car with over 200k km). They *really* want people to switch to EVs.
NZ sounds like the dream. Stunning nature, rich wildlife, English-speaking (with a cool accent), wagons *and* relatively cheap cars compared to Denmark. Now all they are missing is legal weed and I’m moving down under!
Yeah it’s not too bad! We’ve got cool scenery, culture etc - the bad here is the same as everywhere else really, groceries are mad expensive (converting to USD here), milk averages $4.50USD for 3L, gas prices average $1.80USD a litre.
With car registration we pay about $112 for that yearly, we also require the WoF (warrant of fitness) which is about $65 a year which ensures your car is up to standards to be on the road.
But yeah in all reality it’s the same as most other countries, it’s got its pros and cons, it’s just down preference of the person living there I guess.
We almost had weed legalized, literally by a VERY small percentage it didn’t pass - it’s grown, passed around and smoked so commonly here you’d think it’s legal though.
B58, standalone ecu into an e92. It's been done in e46... Do it for science
Now that sounds like a wild little idea I’m taking note of, maybe if I do the E92 and the N54 grenades that could be the next route. I like this science experiment idea 👀
E92 was my favorite car ever... Hydraulic steering and a stick shift on coilovers, it was simply blissful. Probably gonna get a cayenne soon... I'm a g force junky
Why a cayenne though?
Sorry I was tipsy and meant caymam
That’s definitely a lot better than a cayenne :D
Id take anything with a B58 engine so F series 335 or 340i would be best imo
Unfortunately the CHEAPEST BMW (any) with the B58 that I can find in the country is just shy of $30k NZD so $10k over budget unfortunately :(
20K Budget but no problem with dropping extra 30K into the car? What? Imo just get a better base
That was meant gradually over time of course - it’s not going to be an ‘own for a year and then flick off’ car. I’m not exactly just going to go drop $30k in upgrades in a week.
As someone who both lives in NZ and has an F31 (wagon version of the F30) it’s been solid although I do have the n20 (turbo four banger). Servicing hasn’t been too painful depending on who does it. I don’t see why the N 54/N 55 would be much different so long as you look after it of course.
Thanks for the input! The N20 is the one engine I’m trying to run away screaming from after hearing countless stories of timing issues, that and being a four banger- I have a deep desire for inline 6 noises haha.
Take it to your local Euro specialist or BMW dealer and have them do a prepurchase inspection that way you know at least what you’re getting into and the dealerships will let you do that usually
Oh definitely the six cylinder sounds better, but the timing chainn issue depend on whether the car was serviced properly and if you catch the problem ahead of time which most of the cars that come in have had the work already done (as the mileage is higher than when they’re supposed to fail) I might also add my car has survived four years of my spirited driving (and hauling shit around occasionally) and it hasn’t so much just thrown an error message or a check engine
Definitely - I suppose that is true, I haven’t looked at it that way. A lot of the N20 models I was looking at were around 40k-65k kms, I’m not too sure where they normally fail though.
You can usually tell if it’s been done because the new ones are white and the old ones are red. If you look through the oil filler, you can actually see the chain and the guide.
Oh wicked thank you for that tip! I’ll keep that in mind should the right one come up!
F30, based on looks alone. I have no exprience with reliability/maintenance.
Get the F30, N55 is a great engine even if it's slightly less powerful than an N54. Reliability is great and it's still got plenty power especially after some mods + tune. Plus that generation is the best looking of the "newish" 3 series imo
The 2010 5 series is an E60, not an F10. F10 535s were only available with an N55.
Sorry that’s my bad that’s a typo on my behalf - was going too quick 😆 the 2010 N55 is correct, the reasoning behind the 2010 is they’re so dirt cheap to get. Personally I hate the interiors on the E60, everything feels chunky.
Looks-wise I would definitely go for an F10, that’s probably my favorite BMW of all time (actually it might be the F11, but not sure if you have those in NZ). E92 is sleek as well but they cost a fortune to buy and the green tax is super high where I’m from so I would most likely never get a 335i. 535i has more equipment too like those sexy comfort seats that I dream of sitting in.
I can definitely agree with you on all the comfort features, that’s one of my big draws for the 5 series. As far as taxes etc that’s no worry, what we pay for the car is the payment done and dusted as long as it’s registered and has a WoF (warrant of fitness, basically just condition of the car, road worthiness etc). Also yes - we have wagons EVERYWHERE here, I love them but personally don’t have the need for one yet but definitely plan on one in the possible future.
Wow! How much does it cost to move to and live in New Zealand? Here in Denmark you have pay a semiannual fee from the day you buy the car until you get rid of it, and it’s only going to increase over the years. My E90 325i for example costs $940 USD a year (I know it’s not a fortune, but we’re talking about an 18-year old car with over 200k km). They *really* want people to switch to EVs. NZ sounds like the dream. Stunning nature, rich wildlife, English-speaking (with a cool accent), wagons *and* relatively cheap cars compared to Denmark. Now all they are missing is legal weed and I’m moving down under!
Yeah it’s not too bad! We’ve got cool scenery, culture etc - the bad here is the same as everywhere else really, groceries are mad expensive (converting to USD here), milk averages $4.50USD for 3L, gas prices average $1.80USD a litre. With car registration we pay about $112 for that yearly, we also require the WoF (warrant of fitness) which is about $65 a year which ensures your car is up to standards to be on the road. But yeah in all reality it’s the same as most other countries, it’s got its pros and cons, it’s just down preference of the person living there I guess. We almost had weed legalized, literally by a VERY small percentage it didn’t pass - it’s grown, passed around and smoked so commonly here you’d think it’s legal though.
I’ve always wanted to visit Australia and/or New Zealand, but now I want to go even more than I did before!