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Hi there, my son is wanting to buy his first car and spend up to $5000. He is considering a 1999 BMW 528i NZ new with just over 100k on the clock. In your opinion, is this a reliable car? We have been suggesting Japanese cars as they are cheaper to repair and look after, and have advised steering away from European cars, but would love any advice or suggestions you could provide. Many thanks, Bruce

Hi there,
A 22 year old European manufactured vehicle would not be classed as a reliable choice fit for a first time buyer unfortunately.
This car has a large engine and lots of electrics for a top of the line luxury vehicle when it was first new, which also means that there is a lot that would be old and could go wrong and I would think spare parts for one of these would be getting harder to find.
Although these cars would be fitted with advanced safety features and drive amazingly well for their age- you would be paying a premium to service and maintain such vehicles.
Japanese manufactured vehicles are ideal picks for first time buyers that are focused on reliability, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru.