[mcbmw88]

I'm close to finalizing my X5 xDrive 40i purchase. I plan on opting for every kind of maintenance package I can for what makes sense for me, but the prices seem a little..high...

I'm in the Midwest US and plan on purchasing.

5 Year Wheel & Tire - $2,495
5 Yr/75k Warranty - $3,350
5 Yr/75k Maintenance - $2,850

I bought my current X3 around 5 years ago, so I am completely unaware of where these numbers fall on the 'normal' scale.

[Protocol_10]

Originally Posted by mcbmw88

I'm close to finalizing my X5 xDrive 40i purchase. I plan on opting for every kind of maintenance package I can for what makes sense for me, but the prices seem a little..high...

I'm in the Midwest US and plan on purchasing.

5 Year Wheel & Tire - $2,495
5 Yr/75k Warranty - $3,350
5 Yr/75k Maintenance - $2,850

I bought my current X3 around 5 years ago, so I am completely unaware of where these numbers fall on the 'normal' scale.

The 5-year wheel & tire coverage for $2,500 is eh. It's only valuable if you have had *multiple* tire/wheel issues on your previous car.

The 5-year/75k warranty is not reasonable. You already get 4 years/50k miles of warranty. You would be purchasing 1 extra year or 25k miles of warranty (whichever comes first) for $3400.

The 5yr/75k maintenance may be worth it only if it includes wearable items (brake pads, brake rotors, battery, wiper blades..etc). If it's just oil changes and tire rotations, then hell no.

I sell BMW's. Our Finance Managers are responsible for presenting these coverages. Unless these coverages would prove *extremely* useful, I would avoid them. Avoid the ceramic coatings & windshield protection at all costs.

[RgDawgs]

Originally Posted by jtrock97

The 5-year wheel & tire coverage for $2,500 is eh. It's only valuable if you have had *multiple* tire/wheel issues on your previous car.

The 5-year/75k warranty is not reasonable. You already get 4 years/50k miles of warranty. You would be purchasing 1 extra year or 25k miles of warranty (whichever comes first) for $3400.

The 5yr/75k maintenance may be worth it only if it includes wearable items (brake pads, brake rotors, battery, wiper blades..etc). If it's just oil changes and tire rotations, then hell no.

I sell BMW's. Our Finance Managers are responsible for presenting these coverages. Unless these coverages would prove *extremely* useful, I would avoid them. Avoid the ceramic coatings & windshield protection at all costs.

Can elaborate on avoiding ceramic coating? I was definitely going to do this. I assumed I’d use 3rd party. Are you talking it being offered by dealer? Or, avoid all together? Why? Thanks in advance.

[Protocol_10]

Originally Posted by RgDawgs

Can elaborate on avoiding ceramic coating? I was definitely going to do this. I assumed I’d use 3rd party. Are you talking it being offered by dealer? Or, avoid all together? Why? Thanks in advance.

Avoid the ceramic coating from the *dealer*. Generally, only a wax is applied from their 'detail department' (underpaid teens/young adults) & they give you a "kit" to repair any marks or streaks. The wax is worth $10, and the kit is worth $30. The dealer will likely charge you anywhere from $799-1199$.

Get your ceramic coating applied from a reputable detail shop.

[mcbmw88]

Originally Posted by jtrock97

The 5-year wheel & tire coverage for $2,500 is eh. It's only valuable if you have had *multiple* tire/wheel issues on your previous car.

The 5-year/75k warranty is not reasonable. You already get 4 years/50k miles of warranty. You would be purchasing 1 extra year or 25k miles of warranty (whichever comes first) for $3400.

The 5yr/75k maintenance may be worth it only if it includes wearable items (brake pads, brake rotors, battery, wiper blades..etc). If it's just oil changes and tire rotations, then hell no.

I sell BMW's. Our Finance Managers are responsible for presenting these coverages. Unless these coverages would prove *extremely* useful, I would avoid them. Avoid the ceramic coatings & windshield protection at all costs.

I appreciate the reply immensely. I agree that $3k+ for 1 additional year of warranty coverage is crazy after seeing it as text on a screen and not being fed 100 numbers at once.

I live in a newer neighborhood and have had 3 nails in my tire in the last 2 years, so I think the tire plan is fair for my personal use-case.

What incentive do the Finance Managers have for making these numbers up? Are they even negotiable?

I'd hate to turn down warranty coverage and fall victim to something down the road -- in that case, I'm guilty of being a little fearful of the unknown -- but what other options are there, really?

[Bearco]

Going off of my past new car buying experience, these items are negotiable.

[Protocol_10]

Originally Posted by mcbmw88

I appreciate the reply immensely. I agree that $3k+ for 1 additional year of warranty coverage is crazy after seeing it as text on a screen and not being fed 100 numbers at once.

I live in a newer neighborhood and have had 3 nails in my tire in the last 2 years, so I think the tire plan is fair for my personal use-case.

What incentive do the Finance Managers have for making these numbers up? Are they even negotiable?

I'd hate to turn down warranty coverage and fall victim to something down the road -- in that case, I'm guilty of being a little fearful of the unknown -- but what other options are there, really?

Finance Managers are the highest paid people in the dealership (Aside from the General Manager)

Nearly all of the optional coverages are designed to maximize profit for the dealership. Every coverage has a "cost" displayed on the Finance Manager's screen. This is the cost to the dealership. Each coverage is marked up anywhere from $500 to $2,000 above cost. The more it's marked up, the more the Finance Manager gets paid.

[mcbmw88]

Originally Posted by jtrock97

Finance Managers are the highest paid people in the dealership (Aside from the General Manager)

Nearly all of the optional coverages are designed to maximize profit for the dealership. Every coverage has a "cost" displayed on the Finance Manager's screen. This is the cost to the dealership. Each coverage is marked up anywhere from $500 to $2,000 above cost. The more it's marked up, the more the Finance Manager gets paid.

Understood - thanks again for the reply.

If the dealer chooses to mark them up, a customer could try to negotiate them, I suppose, but other than that is there no other way to secure extended warranty/maintenance for a reasonable amount?

Thanks again for the information. Excuse me if you think I'm asking the same thing -- I'm just trying to make an intelligent purchase.

[Protocol_10]

Originally Posted by mcbmw88

Understood - thanks again for the reply.

If the dealer chooses to mark them up, a customer could try to negotiate them, I suppose, but other than that is there no other way to secure extended warranty/maintenance for a reasonable amount?

Thanks again for the information. Excuse me if you think I'm asking the same thing -- I'm just trying to make an intelligent purchase.

No worries!

Just a tip: The BMW "extended warranty" is not actually through BMW. It's not even a warranty.. it's actually called a "Vehicle Service Contract" as it's run through a third party. The Finance Manager doing your paperwork will probably go out of his way to make sure he doesn't say "extended warranty" for liability reasons. In my area, the VSC is done through JM&A (Jim Moran and Associates).

You should call your insurance company and ask for a quote on a service contract. It could end up loads cheaper for the same coverage and term than the one offered by your dealer

[mcbmw88]

Originally Posted by jtrock97

No worries!

Just a tip: The BMW "extended warranty" is not actually through BMW. It's not even a warranty.. it's actually called a "Vehicle Service Contract" as it's run through a third party. The Finance Manager doing your paperwork will probably go out of his way to make sure he doesn't say "extended warranty" for liability reasons. In my area, the VSC is done through JM&A (Jim Moran and Associates).

You should call your insurance company and ask for a quote on a service contract. It could end up loads cheaper for the same coverage and term than the one offered by your dealer

Roger that, will do.

I have one last question if you are able to answer: What numbers have you seen on recent purchases for these service extensions?

[Protocol_10]

Originally Posted by mcbmw88

Roger that, will do.

I have one last question if you are able to answer: What numbers have you seen on recent purchases for these service extensions?

The price of each service contract is different.. i.e. term, mileage, level of coverage (bronze, gold, or platinum), model of the car (7 series & M models are most expensive), and if it's new/used

For a new 2021 X5, a 1-year VSC from the dealer costs about 3k (dealer cost is $1200-$1500). Definitely shop around, and make sure you inquire in depth about the level of coverage.

[Laura413]

I got the "Expanded Tire & Wheel Protection" for $850 for 5 years when I purchased my 2018 X5. It had run flats and it was definitely worth it. I'm picking up my new 2022 X5 tomorrow, curious what price they quote for this plan now.

[juancasala]

I learned a hard lesson from buying my last F15 CPO - I purchased it all:
- Extended Maintenance
- Extended “warranty”
- Tire & Wheel protection

Each of these could have value - depending on your situation - AND if you are going to keep the car yourself long term.

When I decided to sell my car, and the “extended” periods had not even begun - the refunds were a fraction of the original cost - and that was after begging the dealer to help me cancel some of these.

On my new 45e I opted for the “Maintenance Refresh” and I was told this adds the wearables (mainly I’m after brake pads/rotors) - that was $1,400 for the same, initial 3-year / 36K period.

Don’t know if I made the right choice, but time will tell…

[5pacey]

Originally Posted by Laura413

I got the "Expanded Tire & Wheel Protection" for $850 for 5 years when I purchased my 2018 X5. It had run flats and it was definitely worth it. I'm picking up my new 2022 X5 tomorrow, curious what price they quote for this plan now.

IME the wheel protection may be worth something because both I and my wife are notorious wheel destroyers. Wheels on my F15 look like Picasso had a field day w/them practicing sculpting. Had the wheel protection warranty on a MB S550 few years back and evey time I had a scrape I'd just tell the dealer to fix it next time I went in for something and it came back as new every time "for free" ... it was great. AFAIK it will cost me now $150-200 per wheel to fix them. And then every time I screw one up after that.

As for "tire protection", I am not sure what the fine print says, but I've been using the free tire insurance that comes with TireRack tires for nails and such... I've learned to love it. TR has really good protection, its for 2 years (most shops only have it for 1 yr), and they pay. The 3rd party they run it through is a bit wonky, and they don't always know what they are doing, but mostly, if you buy the new/replacement tires from TR its a smooth transaction. AND, the tires rarely last more than 2 years, IME, so the coverage fits the tire lifespan. SO... the BMW "tire protection" unless it covers 100% for life time of BMW tires or something w/no depreciation/prorating for tread wear etc, is a waste IMO.

[mcbmw88]

Originally Posted by 5pacey

IME the wheel protection may be worth something because both I and my wife are notorious wheel destroyers. Wheels on my F15 look like Picasso had a field day w/them practicing sculpting. Had the wheel protection warranty on a MB S550 few years back and evey time I had a scrape I'd just tell the dealer to fix it next time I went in for something and it came back as new every time "for free" ... it was great. AFAIK it will cost me now $150-200 per wheel to fix them. And then every time I screw one up after that.

As for "tire protection", I am not sure what the fine print says, but I've been using the free tire insurance that comes with TireRack tires for nails and such... I've learned to love it. TR has really good protection, its for 2 years (most shops only have it for 1 yr), and they pay. The 3rd party they run it through is a bit wonky, and they don't always know what they are doing, but mostly, if you buy the new/replacement tires from TR its a smooth transaction. AND, the tires rarely last more than 2 years, IME, so the coverage fits the tire lifespan. SO... the BMW "tire protection" unless it covers 100% for life time of BMW tires or something w/no depreciation/prorating for tread wear etc, is a waste IMO.

I believe the tire protection is

Provides replacement coverage if your wheels or tires are structurally damaged by road hazards like potholes, nails, or glass. Add Optional Cosmetic Coverage for cosmetic wheel repair.

I called around different insurance providers to see if they offered extended warranties -- some do and some don't.

I'm curious - how do you all keep your maintenance costs free or as low as possible? The BMW warranties seem great but the cost just doesn't seem appropriate.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by 5pacey

IME the wheel protection may be worth something because both I and my wife are notorious wheel destroyers.


As for "tire protection", I am not sure what the fine print says, but I've been using the free tire insurance that comes with TireRack tires for nails and such... I've learned to love it. TR has really good protection, its for 2 years (most shops only have it for 1 yr), and they pay. The 3rd party they run it through is a bit wonky, and they don't always know what they are doing, but mostly, if you buy the new/replacement tires from TR its a smooth transaction. AND, the tires rarely last more than 2 years, IME, so the coverage fits the tire lifespan. SO... the BMW "tire protection" unless it covers 100% for life time of BMW tires or something w/no depreciation/prorating for tread wear etc, is a waste IMO.

We got both wheel & tire protection for one simple reason: less hassle!

Since you already get BMW Roadside Assistance which tows you to a BMW dealership, if you have wheel & tire coverage then the dealership simply takes care of everything and the coverage is tracked via VIN, so if the vehicle travels a lot, any type of road incident far away from home is easy to recover from: call roadside, get a ride to a rental, pick up the vehicle when it's ready.

I could totally see where this isn't worth it for someone ...

And, my car has been on the road 2x with < 50 miles and I already have a deck screw sticking out of the side

[taek]

Originally Posted by mcbmw88

I'm curious - how do you all keep your maintenance costs free or as low as possible? The BMW warranties seem great but the cost just doesn't seem appropriate.

They're not really there to save you money. If on average BMW warranties paid out more than they cost, that would be a terrible product and discontinued immediately.

Wheel & Tire can be convenient. You don't have to worry about repair vs replace, you don't have to shop for tires, you don't have to even know anything. Just get to the dealer, get your car fixed and sip your provided latte.

A lot like ordering dinner through room service at an expensive hotel, don't expect this to be the cheapest way to find dinner. But it's probably the easiest and least hassle.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by taek

A lot like ordering dinner through room service at an expensive hotel, don't expect this to be the cheapest way to find dinner. But it's probably the easiest and least hassle.

exactly!

[MadameLV85]

Originally Posted by Laura413

I got the "Expanded Tire & Wheel Protection" for $850 for 5 years when I purchased my 2018 X5. It had run flats and it was definitely worth it. I'm picking up my new 2022 X5 tomorrow, curious what price they quote for this plan now.

Curious to know what pricing you got for it this time around

[Jagu]

Originally Posted by mcbmw88

I appreciate the reply immensely. I agree that $3k+ for 1 additional year of warranty coverage is crazy after seeing it as text on a screen and not being fed 100 numbers at once.

I live in a newer neighborhood and have had 3 nails in my tire in the last 2 years, so I think the tire plan is fair for my personal use-case.

What incentive do the Finance Managers have for making these numbers up? Are they even negotiable?

I'd hate to turn down warranty coverage and fall victim to something down the road -- in that case, I'm guilty of being a little fearful of the unknown -- but what other options are there, really?

If you have discount tires in your town, decline the dealership tire protection and purchase from discount tires instead. $50 a tire

[Laura413]

Originally Posted by MadameLV85

Curious to know what pricing you got for it this time around

It was $995 and included the cosmetic option, which I did not have on my 2018. Needed cosmetic option to cover those new 22” black glossy wheels.

[91Eunos]

So I'm fairly new to new BMWs (had a couple beaters from the Lemon lot when stationed in Germany)...wife had an E39 wagon back in the day, but we only had it a couple years and never even got to the end of the factory warranty.

I'm very familiar with extended warranties on domestic (US) vehicles and in fact there's a company that sells the exact same extended warranty as the Finance Manager's push at the point of sale for Ford...but far cheaper, like half price or lower... Flood Ford (name of the company is Flood, not like underwater) for anyone familiar. I bought the extended warranty on my Raptor through them and it cost me ~$600 vs the $1500+ the dealer wanted for the exact same coverage.

Is there a similar company specific to BMW? I know I can get extended coverage through my Insurance (USAA) or through various 3rd party vendors, but wondering if there's a BMW-specific vendor that is accepted at the dealership no questions asked like the coverage from Flood Ford w/all Ford dealers in NA.

Thanks in advance for any insights.