Ask an expert

I am looking at buying a new vehicle.

I need something that looks good as I am in the real estate industry. I have been thinking about a European car but don't really want to have the higher maintenance costs.

I wondered if BMW parts are now cheaper with so many of them being imported from Japan, but I suppose you still need to find the expertise to maintain them.

I want 5 seats. Originally I was looking at a convertible, bit of a pipe dream I know, but they all seem to have only 4 seats at a maximum.

What would you recommend for reliability, economical fuel consumption and low maintenance costs?

I have admired the Mazda 6 in the last few years, and have had a lot of Toyota's which have been great.

Melanie

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 14 December 2009

I am assuming the words 'new' mean updating to a newer used vehicle.

You don't mention your budget, but once again I assume the BMW should not be any more expensive to buy than say the Mazda6.

The huge influx of used BMW's into NZ has not helped their brand status or resale values in my view. There are so many of them around and from what I have heard and seen, they are not that easy to sell and their resale values are not that flash.

Different if you are buying off a BMW dealer as they will only stock good examples of their product but the problem is the brand has flooded the market via the used car industry in general in recent years.

Its all about risk when buying a second hand car, and for your type of job you need reliable wheels. The reality is BMW's are a higher risk than the other brands you mention. Most mechanical warranty insurances for example have a higher retail cost for European cars than the more mainstream brands because of the higher risk to the underwriter.

Normal servicing wise, I don't believe they are overly expensive in comparison to other brands, its when you get into the more general repairs that the costs can escalate.

The Mazda6 has been a fantastic vehicle for individuals and fleets over the years and certainly worth a long hard look.

The all new Mazda6 has just been released, so there will be a number of the previous models coming onto the used market from those trading up.