I ama brand new (3 days ago) 2013 328i owner . The dealer is trying to sell me a bunch of add ons which of course they did not mention until the day of pick up : 1. Extended warranty to 7 yr/100k miles - $2985 - nah 2. Extended maintenance- pays everything except tires for 100k/6 years - $2095 - seems worth it - dealer says brakes alone practically pays for it 3. 5 year appearance package - interior/exterior protection - finish/leather/carpets- $595 - maybe 4. Tire policy - $2164 - seems expensive 5. Scotchguard - film that protects front of car from chips - $1195 - might be worth it What are the thoughts of all your veterans out there - I've always heard BMW repairs are expensive and I do want to protect finish as I expect to keep this car for 10 years or more Thanks Marty Towson MD
If the tire policy covers wheels, you might want to consider that - find out how much your wheels cost. If you don't have much tire sidewall (aspect ratio of 55%, 50%, or less), you might want to consider it - think about your driving, your area's road conditions, etc., and judge how likely it is you might hit a pothole and suffer bent rims, or worse. Factory rims typically are _not_ cheap to replace. Since you're apparently going in for the long-haul and expect keeping it for the next 10 year, that might be worth it - typically we wouldn't expect major component failures, but there's enough knick-knacks, gew-gaws, electronics, automated functions, etc. that down the road, fixing that type of stuff can get annoying, and expensive. Any feedback here from current 3-series owners may help make a judgment. Of course, if you drive 50k miles per year, that warranty's gonna be used up in 2 years anyway - but most drive 10-15k/yr. The maintenance might be worth it, but double-check that "everything" claim - I would tend to think the extended maintenance is the wear and tear items, not necessarily everything. If you have no intention of lifting a wrench, ok; If you're mechanically inclined and want to throw some money at tools and have the time, there's any number of relatively simple tasks one can tackle, including changing pads and rotors, in most instances. I'm not familiar enough with the current model to comment on whether there's something unusual about the braking system, or something that might require some sort of oddball proprietary tool. For a 3-series, I'm guessing likely not. I'd quiz more on the appearance package - if it won't replace the interior due to, oh, flooding, or your dog's sudden onset of bowel incontinence... would depend in what circumstances that would kick in. Scotchguard film - you'll have to make that judgment call; consider again ownership longevity and type of driving, and your long-term aesthetic intentions for the vehicle. If you need to have a car looking nigh perfect, perhaps that's a no-brainer. But, I have no idea if it lives up to its protection claims.
When Party A bought her 335i in 2006, she had the plastic film done. I wasn't willing to spend the money on the roadster in 2008. Now the nose of the roadster could really use a day in the paint shop, while the 335i has no paint chips. It DOES have occasional gouges in the plastic film which would have been horrendous rock chips. And after six years on an Alpine White car, the film is definitely yellowing slightly. Still, touching up the nose of my car will be far cheaper than covering it in Saran Wrap!
