BMW Extending Maintenance Plan, Picking Up Payments

Buying a BMW isn’t just an expensive proposition on the MSRP front, many first-time luxury-car shoppers worry about maintenance costs. For years now, BMW has offered free maintenance on new-car purchases; it picks up the tab for the first four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Now, the company is offering an extended plan of six years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, at an additional charge of between $1,395 and $2,995. The plan excludes the limited Alpina B7, but it does include all M performance models and diesels. Any current owners under the four-year/60,000-mile plan can add the service.BMW recommends service every 15,000 miles on new models.

If that offer didn’t grab potential Bimmer shoppers’ attention, the company’s latest incentives might: BMW is back to offering low financing of up to 0.9%, and will also pay the first two months of payments on select vehicles. Depending on how expensive a car is, those two payments should be worth well over $1,000. Models included in the offer can be found below.

The 0.9% financing rate and first two months’ payments offer are good through May 31.

Comments

What a great deal! I was happy with the 4/50k plan but this is even better as I can now hold onto my 5 Series even longer without any worries.

People who are stupid enough to pay 40K for a 1 series or 110K for a 7 series will certainly fall for this "deal."

Stupid? Have you ever driven a BMW?

Yes, and they drive great, like lots of less expensive cars. Stupid was too strong a word - it's a free country and people value different things in a car. But I resent the fact that BMW introduced the 1 series as an "entry level" BMW and then priced it like a 3 series, while they moved the 3 series up a notch in price. Obviously I won't be buying one because I consider them overpriced, and I don't see a correlation between what they charge and what you get. My brother just bought an Impala SS with the 5.3 liter V8. It cost him just over 20k and I can't believe how much power it has and how well GM worked out the suspension. BMW drivers who pull up next to the Impala SS should be cautious because they will be smoked if they challenge the Chevy. To top it off it has cylinder deactivation and gets 30 mpg on the highway. There's no way one 3 series BMW is worth 2 V8 Impalas.

I thought the Alpina B7 was gone with the predecessor 7 series.

+1 John
I use to be a Japanese fan boy. I thought I would never own anything else. That was until I drove a BMW. I agree they are not as reliable and more costly to maintain than their Japanese counter part. But it's a small price to pay for an "ultimate driving machine"

Dave,

Does the program cover the major ones (e.g., tune-up, timing belt)? Thanks!

Comparing the king of car rental Impala to a BMW - Now that's hilarious! As they say, if you have to ask then you can't afford it.

There is no comparison - the Impala SS does a 6 second 0 to 60 and a 14 second quarter mile, for half the price of the German taxi.

Correction: Car and Driver tested the Impala SS and achieved 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds, 0 to 100 in 13.9 seconds, the standing quarter mile in 14.2 at 101 mph and a top speed of 154 mph. Keep that in mind when you pull your wimpy BMW with its copy of the Chevy inline six up next to the real thing.

A feeble minded person focuses exclusively on 0-60 if that's all a car has to offer.

I dont think an Impala and BMW are really comparable but to call the Impala SS a "rental car" is pretty foolish. Funny how the people who think owning a certain brand makes them more sophisticated often know the least. Sorry, but owning a luxury car doesn't guarantee an increase to your IQ.

Since a BMW only needs 3 service visits within 50k miles I would estimate the "free" maintenance is worth about $300-$400 over that four year period. When you consider the high price of BMW models the maintenance plan is MORE than covered by the cost of the vehicle. Kudos to BMW for convincing people they are getting something for free. My understanding of these plans is that you wont get the free maintenance if you bring in your car too early or too late, it has to be when the car tells you service is due.

OS,

"Since a BMW only needs 3 service visits within 50k miles I would estimate the "free" maintenance is worth about $300-$400 over that four year period."

I agree. That's why I am curious if the extended coverage is going to cover costly work like timing belt replacement or not. These stuffs usually due after 60k miles.

A Mini dealer offers similar kind of extended programs to my friend. She didn't take it.

I would assume they will extend the terms of the maintenance deal you get with a new BMW. I can't see major repairs being included. BMW shouldnt even be using timing belts. I hope that isn't correct. You can get a timing chain in some economy cars and they dont need replacing.

DRRT,
It includes all scheduled maintenance including the larger tuneups yes.
Remember an oil change can run between $50-$150 depending on which dealer you go to.

As for the Alpina B7, the deal is offered as an extension to current owners as well, so current Alpina owners are out of luck.

I don't think BMW uses timing belts in any current model. The maintenance plan includes brakes and rotors, wiper blades, but not tires. The 15k oil change on the new twin-turbo engines will likely result in oil sludge.

Thank you for the info. I've owned 3 used cars with over 100k miles on each. So, this word, "Timing Belt", is always on my head...too scary if failed and costly to deal with. :)

A good deal for some but not on the newest and most popular models in their stable. (that being the 7 and 3 series respectively).

Poor, poor Red. Cars are far MORE than just straight-line power. Any car can go fast in a straight line and the Impala (from a company that may not exist for much longer) is a good example of a cheap car with a cheap but powerful engine. I think your ignorant comment about BMW copying GM on inline engines is a bit uninformed. BMW started making inline engines in the 1920's I believe for... can anyone guess? Airplane engines.

Personally I prefer my cars to have a little more character and things like, better resale value, proven reliability, gadgets and top-notch safety. As someone else mentioned the Impala is common on the rental lots. So are other fast cars like the G8 (I got the GT version from Avis recently), Maxima and even Infiniti's.

No one on here expects someone who buys Chevy's to understand BMW's or the people who buy them (unless you own both brands and the Chevy is your "beater" car). And rightfully so. People who buy Chevy/GM are not the same people who will generally buy a Kia. Conversely, people who buy Honda generally stick with Honda. That's the beauty of having different brands and models; you go out and buy something based on your own criteria. Some brands are just a little more exclusive than others.

I work for a Pharm Co and they recently added the 3 and 5 Series to our fleet list. I'm having a 535i delivered next month. Our fleet are actually cars run on two to three year leases and recently they've been making some changes as GM was dropped last year because the cars have such poor residual value. My Controller said that none of the banks will underwrite leases on GM cars anymore. Ford is the only Detroit brand still on our list which includes Subaru, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, and now BMW. Naturally the C-level can get MB's if they want but us lowly SVP's are relegated to the list.

James:

I see you are knee deep in BMW propoganda. I have a GM brand vehicle and I have driven plenty of BMWs so I know what they are all about. They are nice cars, but they should be for all that money. It always amazes me that people like yourself are presumptious enough to assume that any given driver cannot afford anything more expensive than what they drive. Let me ask you a question: Is the owner of a $50k Tahoe less sophisticated or educated than the owner of a $50k BMW? How do you know a person you see driving a Yukon or H3 doesn't own a BMW as well? The bottom line for a BMW fan/owner is that he believes the driving dynamics of the car are worth the high price of entry, the lack of standard features and the high maintenance/repair costs. Many of the "lower end" vehicles you seem to be disparaging manage to include bells and whistles as standard equipment while BMW charges extra even though their base prices are already high.

I now get it, Original Sheth is a valet driver as he owns a Red Tag Special...err I mean a GM car but yet has "...driven plenty of BMW's...".

WOW did James ever put you in your place. Now go crawl back into your hole where you belong.

Wow, that stereotype about BMW owners is really true!

H,

Exactly. Just one more reason I wouldn't own one. I wouldn't want to be associated with such arrogance.

For the record Alec I drove BMWs at BMW and Cadillac manufacturer events and the Drive for the Cure that BMW does for cancer research. I also drove a 528i that my cousin owns. See, even though I am ignorant and uneducated there are people in my family that can afford BMWs. Anyone who owns a car costing around $30k can easily afford a BMW lease. We all know that a significant portion of BMW drivers lease.

Original Sheth I didn't know a significant portion of BMW driver's lease. I'm on the board of BCCA and the ownership figures that are providing directly from BMW AG conflict with your statement. Please provide a link or equal evidence to support your statement.

I bet $100 dollars he won't be able to provide evidence as he always has diarrhea of the mouth. As another poster said somewhere on this board, Go back to buffing GM's balls as that's what you do in between swallowing sessions.

Excerpt from BusinessWeek article:

Most-Leased Car: BMW
"We are still very committed to the leasing business," said Daniel DeChristopher, vice-president for sales and marketing at BMW Group Financial Services. Four out of the top 10 most commonly leased vehicles in the U.S. auto industry are BMWs, according to J.D. Power & Associates' Power Information Network (PIN). (Like BusinessWeek.com, J.D. Power is a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP).)

Nevertheless, through Sept. 2, in addition to leases, BMW is offering 0.9% APR loans on almost its entire 2008 lineup, to make room for 2009 models.

"There's an amount of risk involved [in leases] where we see the used-car market. We're a little more exposed. We certainly remain committed to leasing, but we are trying to shift," DeChristopher said.

BMW is more than a little exposed to leasing. According to PIN data, the flagship BMW 7 Series sedan (BusinessWeek.com, 4/16/07) is No. 1 on the list of most leased vehicles, at 85.3% lease penetration. That is, 85.3% of the 7 Series customers from Jan. 1 through Aug. 10 leased their cars. The rest took out a loan or paid cash.

That's an extraordinarily high percentage of leasing, compared to industry standards. For the whole U.S. industry, leasing accounted for only about 19.7% of retail volume in July vs. 53.8% loans and 26.5% cash. The "cash" category includes all buyers who paid outright for their car. That includes some who may have gotten a loan someplace other than the dealership, like a credit union or a home equity loan.

BMWs have always had a high lease rate. And I think their move to low financing might change things, but CPO sales are still high so if they lease more, it helps fuel those sales too.

James, BMW has a history of copying General Motors and other products. The BMW 1600 and 2002 from the late sixties into the mid 70s stole their styling from the Chevrolet Corvair (overall body design and especially the greenhouse). The 1979 320i was a knockoff of the 1968 -73 Datsun 510, the much cheaper car that vanquished the beemers in the trans am series races. Chevrolet built an inline six for cars before BMW too, and if no one told you yet BMW powered planes lost a couple wars for Germany. Regarding your comments on rental cars, a friend who's from Germany tells me BMWs are considered a lower quality brand over there - well below Mercedes. My neighbor was really proud of his 3 series until the sunroof broke and it sat in the shop for six weeks waiting for parts. BMW's true talent is in marketing - getting people to spend up to 60K for a Honda Civic sized car that has many more problems than the Civic.

I did some research and couldn't find anything that supports sheth's post of, "We all know that a significant portion of BMW drivers lease". H's post only accounts for 1 model out of the entire line-up so I say Culver's challenge won't be met by sheth.

I love the look of the Impala SS. From the bland front end, to the 80's inspired rear wing, to the cheap leather seats surrounded by the Fisher Price inspired plastic interior. This Grand-Pa mobile comes with front-wheel drive too. Hurry on down to your local car rental center for a test drive!

We get your point Roger - you think the Impala is a crummy car. But lets look at facts - according to the NADA price guide, a 1957 Chevrolet Impala convertible with fuel injection is worth $297,000, while BMW's 1957 V8 507 is worth $24,000 in top condition. I guess your arrogant statements must be wrong, because the Chevy is worth more over the long run, isn't it? GM invented the performance game and BMW is late to the party. But even in its current distressed state, GM builds an Impala SS that can outperform any BMW up to the special models that cost nearly 3 times the price of the Impala. BMW builds V8s, but none of them feature the innovative and fuel-saving cylinder deactivation feature offered in the Chevy. I guess that puts BMW behind Chevy on the tech front too. Please don't make any more of your outlandish statements about Fisher Price, etc. Should you ever encounter an Impala SS in your cramped little BMW, you'll probably end up crying like a baby when it smokes your "hot wheels."

I see the GM kool-aid drinkers are so desperate they have to go all the way back to 1957. I do agree with you in that 1957 is the last year GM made a decent car. Stop being a sissy and admit it's time to own a Ford.

I've been amused watching the dribble being said on both sides of this topic over the last couple of days. I will end it here saying even my Toyota Camry V6 has run circles around the SS. I would take the slowest 5 Series over my Camry any day of the week, but then again I'm highly educated and understand that a car is about a lot more than just 0-60 mph. It's only the uneducated Detroit knuckle draggers who are unable to comprehend this.

I guess you can't afford a 5 series so you have to drive a Camry, right? Your statement that a Camry can outrun an Impala SS is an outright lie, and the statistics prove it, so try dealing in facts instead of name calling. I guess you consider two years in a community college highly educated, because anyone with a real degree can earn more than enough to afford a BMW. While brand image is very important to people like yourself, the rest of us look a value for the dollar. Chevrolet owners look at BMW drivers with pity, because they've heard about the $1,000 30,000 mile checkups and the multitude of reliability issues.

I didn't mean to write that a BMW has a $1,000 30,000 mile check-up as I forgot that BMW covers the first 4 yrs / 50k miles. I realized later when my Ma read me the article that's what it said. See I'm not very educated so my reading comprehension is not the best. Some day I hope to complete my G.E.D. but right now I'm saving up my checks to get new rims and my teeth fixed.

Those posts where not from me as I don't have any plans to get my GED or to have my teeth fixed but I will some day be gettin me some new dubs for my SS.

The previous two posts obviously weren't mine. It's nice to know that pointing out that BMWs are overpriced and poor cars when compared to the Chevy Impala SS has hit a nerve - the truth always hurts, doesn't it? The Chevy Impala is the most time honored name in the collector car world, and all you have to do is pick up a Hemmings to see numerous Impalas of all years priced in the six figures. But there's not one BMW in the current Hemmings that fetches anywhere near $100,000. It's because they are throwaway cars that have no real long term value. Meanwhile Chevys keep going up in value, and the current Impala SS will bring huge money in the years ahead. It's also interesting how my comments have been twisted by the cowardly and classless person using my name - apparently BMWs go to the junkyard at 48,000 miles, and there are no more 30,000 mile interval services, right? Please spare me any more of your inelegant comments - I've dope slapped you enough and won't be responding. Use whatever name you want, coward.

If somebody wants to compare a Toyota and a Chevrolet fine, but to compare either to a BMW is something only a putz would do. As the saying goes, If you have to ask, you can't afford, as it is the Ultimate Driving Machine.

Both Car & Driver and Edmunds say the Camry SE takes only 5.7 seconds to reach 60mph. The Impala SS needs 6.4 seconds. Score another win for Toyota.

BMWs are exclusive because not everyone can afford to maintain one. Unlike throw-away Chevy vehicles, BMWs are actually worth spending the extra money for maintenence on a car that will have timeless appeal. I have a 2001 740i AND A 2006 M3 and spend A LOT on maitenence. I would rather spend my money on repairs, than go buy 2 or 3 throw-away Chevys that will be junk as soon as they are driven off the lot. Chevy's are made to be disposed of after 5 years becuase it is GMs brilliant way of having people buy new ones to keep the cycle going. A properly maintained BMW over 10 years will cost less than 2 new Chevys, and have much better curb appeal and respect. And P.S. my M3 will outrun an Impala "WEEKEND RENT SPECIAL" SS anyday.

"Both Car & Driver and Edmunds say the Camry SE takes only 5.7 seconds to reach 60mph. The Impala SS needs 6.4 seconds. Score another win for Toyota."

Show a link for that. First of all, C&D has not road tested the V6 Camry recently. Secondly, Edmunds does NOT have a 5.7sec 0-60 time on record for the Camry V6. Stop fabricating information. The fastest time I've seen for the Camry V6 is about 6 secs flat while the fastest I've seen for Impala is 5.6secs.

Mike:

You sound bitter, ignorant and pompous in your last post. I hope your attitude isn't typical of BMW owners because that would be sad indeed. I find that many owners of luxury cars cannot survive without putting down people who own "lesser" cars. Your arrogant and haughty sentiments seem to be popular amongst BMW owners on the internet. Its pretty sad that you cannot be satisifed with your car (and the high maintenance bills) without bringing up other lower cost brands. Unless you are a fool you know that a modern Chevy can last as long as a modern BMW and it will cost you less to do so. The Impala is a FWD car that cost thousands less than a comparably sized BMW. It does not compete with BMWs but it is fast, affordable and well built. It will outrun any 3L I-6 equipped BMW without breaking a sweat and actually be able to carry more than two or three bags in the trunk while doing so. BMW makes nice cars but that doesn't mean there are no other nice vehicles on the market from lower end manufacturers.

Dave:

Are there any rules of conduct here? You aggressively monitor what I'm saying to make sure all of my facts are in order and yet others leave vulgar, immature posts on here with impunity. I guess you can say whatever you want as long as you don't mention any inaccurate specs in your post.

Brian:

How hard did you look? Not hard enough I suppose.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/01/leases-hurting-luxury-automakers-bmw-wants-you-to-buy/

I don't make things up. Most luxury brands have a high lease rate due to the costs of the vehicles. If you don't know much you shouldn't post much. The facts have nothing to do with me being "pro domestic" or any other such nonsense. Stop trying to dismiss what I'm saying because you perceive me to be against import manufacturers. I don't even have a problem with BMW products. I have a problem with journalists and ignorant BMW fanboys who pretend that no one else makes a good car. Many BMW owners are upper middle class AT BEST. Stop acting like driving a BMW signifies that one is hardworking or well educated.

One more note for the BMW fans who hate GM: GM supplies transmissions for certain BMW products and has done so for years. GM also initially developed the two mode hybrid system than BMW and MB will be using soon in their own vehicles. I am not aware of any BMW produced or engineered components that appear in one GM vehicle.

"BMW's true talent is in marketing - getting people to spend up to 60K for a Honda Civic sized car that has many more problems than the Civic. "

This man gets it. In Germany the "luxury" brans we worship also make taxis and police cars. Over there they are seen as full line domestic automakers. Sure Germans like their hometown brands, but they also know BMW makes rentals and fleet cars just as Chevy/Ford do in the US.

OS,
Over the weekend I don't monitor as much as I like to take a break.

Yeah, there's no way a V6 camry gets to 60 faster than an Impala SS> However, comparing an Impala SS to a BMW is also silly.

I think many posts we do these days get into these pointless back and forth bickering matches that really don't offer much help to anyone, car shopper or even casual fan.

We'll take a more hands off approach and let you guys monitor each other, but obviously if it's all just stupid and abused who knows what the consequences will be.

Dave,
Thanks for telling GM-boy to stop wasting everyone's time by comparing a GM with a BMW. If you subtract his dribble from this and other boards this site is pretty darn good. Unfortunately GM-boy posts so much dribble it's gotten to the point where the board becomes less interesting. Anything with "Red" or "OS" in it should instantly be flagged for quality reasons. Keep up the good work.

"Thanks for telling GM-boy to stop wasting everyone's time by comparing a GM with a BMW."

Frank:

I didn't make the comparison. DAve's comment was directed at someone else. Sorry to disappoint. You seem eager to join the legions of people who are adept at formulating lame insults and name calling but have trouble actually coming up with any logical response to those you disagree with. If your post doesn't qualify as "dribble" I'm not sure what would.

As Dave said comparing a BMW to a Impala is plain silly. That's the nice way of saying You So Stupid.

THE SAD PART ABOUT ALL DIS SHYT UR TALK'N IZ....I RARELY SEE DUDES GETT'N BYTCHES IN A BULLSHYT GM CAR....U MAD CUZ U CANT AFFORD A REAL WHIP...YEAH...I GOT MY G.E.D. NEW RIMZ AND GOLD TEETH BITCH.....GET UR $$ UP....