[Crypto2k3]

Hi,

I'm picking up an X3 m40i this weekend (first BMW ever). I tend to keep my cars for 7+ years and have the intent to do it with this one as well. My last car was a Subaru WRX which I drove daily and did all of my own maintenance. Super cheap / easy car to maintain and cost me very little money. I only drive about 5k - 10k miles a year.

I'm fully expecting to get the full court press from the finance manager on extended warranties, dealer warranties, ultimate care, etc. when I go to pick it up this weekend. I've been trolling the forums looking for advice on what to get (if any) and most folks seem to be against any warranties and those that bought them tend to regret doing so (especially for low mileage driving). Knowing I plan on keeping this 7+ years is there anything that I should absolutely consider getting on Saturday? Also, can I make this decision after I get the BMW (like weeks later) or do I need to do it at purchase time?

Any help/guidance is appreciated! Thanks.

[nvestr]

Anecdotal evidence probably won't give you any real or useful data to make a decision. What I can say is think about the math. If they are charging you a certain amount for the warranty, say $2000, realize that the dealer or finance manager gets a cut of that (probably a large one, but not overly sure). Let's say that after compensation to sales is paid, $1600 goes into the pot to pay for future claims against this warranty. BMW has done their math and they know that statistically speaking, it will not cost them $1600 (on average among all buyers of the warranty) per vehicle to fix warranty-able issues. You have a strong mathematical chance of putting that $2000 aside, investing it and ending up ahead.

That being said, you can be the outlier of the group and end up having a $6000 repair that would have been covered under the extended warranty. It's a numbers game. Statistically you're better off without, but buying it for piece of mind can also be beneficial.

[X3M40i_Nev]

Originally Posted by Crypto2k3

Hi,

I'm picking up an X3 m40i this weekend (first BMW ever). I tend to keep my cars for 7+ years and have the intent to do it with this one as well. My last car was a Subaru WRX which I drove daily and did all of my own maintenance. Super cheap / easy car to maintain and cost me very little money. I only drive about 5k - 10k miles a year.

I'm fully expecting to get the full court press from the finance manager on extended warranties, dealer warranties, ultimate care, etc. when I go to pick it up this weekend. I've been trolling the forums looking for advice on what to get (if any) and most folks seem to be against any warranties and those that bought them tend to regret doing so (especially for low mileage driving). Knowing I plan on keeping this 7+ years is there anything that I should absolutely consider getting on Saturday? Also, can I make this decision after I get the BMW (like weeks later) or do I need to do it at purchase time?

Any help/guidance is appreciated! Thanks.

Worth checking, as certainly in the UK, you can purchase an extended warranty at any point (before current manufacturer warranty expires).

I would suggest getting pricing now ahead of pickup to then guage what they offer on collection day...they usually allow you to take up service, warranty, alloy, tyre cover x days (60 in UK) after collection.

Enjoy, and post some pics. What is the colour and spec?

[Barrancos]

Be careful, at least in Spain extended warranty is not covered by BMW itself, but another company. Usually it covers less than the original one.

[Score04]

No extended warranty needs to be bought up front. If you're buying new, enjoy the car and 1-3 months before the 4 year marker or 1-3K miles before the 50K miles make the decision of possibly an external warranty. By then you should have a good feeling for your experience with the vehicle and any warranty work you may have experienced.

[MADBMWX5MC]

^That's what I am doing. Ok, let me share a story not directly related to a new car, but for down the road. So, here's my true story on an external warranty I bought for an used 2005 X3, which I got back in 2011. Since it was an used X3 and had no warranty left, I got a reasonable quote from Carchex. I got their top of the line policy and let me tell you...glad I did. Within 60 days of getting it...my transfer case went out. I paid the $100 deductible and happy I went. After the transfer case, the valve covers started leaking...yup, covered by extended warranty. I drove this thing until the extended warranty expired, then got rid of it. So, when the time comes for my 2019--I will consider BMW or aftermarket. Plenty of choices out there.

[Score04]

^A perfect example of wanting a peace of mind and getting your money worth. I paid $1045 for 4 year 48K mile warranty on my RSX when it had 49,000 miles and at 93,000 miles I had some axle/suspension work done that had a cost of $1,100 but my deductible was $0 and got more than I wanted out of my extended warranty.

[jondreads]

I didn't get a warranty on my wife's X5 and it cost me an arm and a leg.

After that, I got a warranty on my m135i and never needed it. Sod's law!

[Crypto2k3]

Thanks everyone! Appreciate all the replies

[Desi2k4]

I thought about the warranty on my x3 m40i as well. But i decided to just go with Geico Insurance (you need to have insurance with them) that has option to add Mechanical Breakdown Insurance that covers up to seven years or 100,000 miles ($250 deductible). I pay around $8-9 a month. This is available for new or leased cars that are less than 15 months old and with less than 15,000 miles

You can google Geico MBI and also see some feedback from few members on other forums talking about it.

[Crypto2k3]

I assume the warranty's the dealer offers are negotiable, right? I know my Subaru one started out at like $2500 and I ended at $800. Is BMW the same way? If yes, what's a reasonable discount to leave with? 30-40%?

[BabyBMW]

I believe piece of mind is important when a new bmw owner buys a car. There’s a big misconception that German cars are not reliable but as the years go by that doesn’t seem the case anymore ( I would still get extended warranty)

Piece of mind is important 😂

[sbt007]

Originally Posted by Score04

No extended warranty needs to be bought up front. If you're buying new, enjoy the car and 1-3 months before the 4 year marker or 1-3K miles before the 50K miles make the decision of possibly an external warranty. By then you should have a good feeling for your experience with the vehicle and any warranty work you may have experienced.

I would suggest this strategy as well.

[Jen4BMW]

Why fund your dealerships profit center?

[rosemont83]

Every time I get a warranty, it has always paid for itself. Every time. Last carmax warranty I had, it cost 2500 or so, but they paid out over 18k over the course of 3 years until I sold the car, and then I even received a refund of $1100 for not using all of the term of the contract lol