How to Choose the Right BMW Maintenance Package
BMW maintenance costs an average of $19,312 during the first ten years of service. In fact, this is one of the highest maintenance costs for luxury car brands, as the amount is about $7,268 more than the average maintenance cost in the car industry.
There are many advantages of owning a BMW that can make this cost worth it for you however. As a high-performance vehicle with advanced technology, dynamic capabilities, and so much more, maintaining this luxury vehicle is a must. Fortunately, there's a great way to save on car maintenance through a prepaid car maintenance plan.
To get the best deal and service, you will want to choose the right BMW prepaid maintenance plan for your needs. Below we review how to do this.
What Is a Prepaid Car Maintenance Plan?
A prepaid car maintenance plan is similar to a warranty plan. By purchasing either, you can protect yourself from having to pay more to maintain your car's (mal)functions later.
The main difference between the two plans is what they cover. Typical vehicle warranties cover major repairs due to issues such as malfunctioning parts. Car maintenance plans will only cover the parts and service of a manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedule.
Services that you can expect a maintenance plan to include are oil changes, filter changes, tire rotations, and other similar services. Repairs and part replacements from accident damage probably won't be a part of this. The specific maintenance costs covered vary from plan to plan, though.
You can purchase a car maintenance plan from either the auto dealership or the vehicle manufacturer. If you have a monthly loan payment, the cost of a maintenance plan is usually added to it. How much you'll pay for the plan depends on how long it lasts in terms of time and mileage.
Ways to Choose the Best BMW Maintenance Plan
If you research BMW maintenance plans online, you'll probably see the names "BMW Ultimate Care" and "BMW Ultimate Service". Fortunately, these aren't the only maintenance plans that you can choose. There are also plenty of other plans that cover more or less than these do.
All these choices can quickly make you feel overwhelmed as you're learning about them. The best thing you can do is grab a notebook and write down some steps.
Calculate How Much Maintenance Will Cost You
You need to know which prepaid car maintenance plan will save you the most money. The first step to learning this is to calculate how much you'd regularly pay for BMW maintenance.
It can be tricky to get an exact price, but a close estimate should be enough. Look up the types of maintenance services that your BMW will need in the next few years. Use a price calculator to find out the average costs.
If you want a more exact price, look up the places where you could get your maintenance service done locally. Call these places up and ask for some price quotes or look at the price information they offer online.
Keep in mind that you probably don't just want the lowest price possible. You need to also check the reviews and collective experience level of the auto mechanic. Once you've chosen a service with reasonable prices and reviews, you'll have a better idea of what you may pay for maintenance.
Decide if You Want to Get Service at the Dealership or Not
There's often one major caveat to getting a prepaid car maintenance plan from your local dealership. If you get it, you'll often be forced to get your maintenance services at the dealership that sold you the plan as well.
This can be all right if the dealership maintenance service is high quality and convenient for you to visit. However, if you travel long distances in your car often, it can be highly inconvenient to get the necessary maintenance that you need. You probably also want to avoid the dealership maintenance service if you learn that these services are subpar.
Do your research and consider your regular movements. If it's risky and/or inconvenient to limit yourself to dealership maintenance services, strongly consider getting a maintenance plan from BMW itself instead.
Consider How Long You're Going to Be Driving Your Car
Barring any major accidents, how long do you foresee yourself owning and driving your car? If you're the kind of person who likes to get a new car every four or five years, it wouldn't make any sense to get a seven-year warranty plan. It also wouldn't make sense to get a 125,000-mile plan if you may only drive your car for 50,000 to 100,000 miles.
On the other hand, you may see yourself driving and keeping your car for longer than seven years and/or 125,000 miles. If this is a possibility, you may want to consider getting a maintenance plan that offers an extension should you need it. You don't want to commit yourself to a plan and be unable to use it once your car becomes too old.
If You're Selling the Car At Some Point, Consider Maintenance Plan Transfers
For some car maintenance plans, you can transfer the plan to another person when you sell the car. It can be useful to have this if you plan on selling the car before the plan expires. Having this can increase the car's resale value as well.
Plan transfer can also be useful if you plan on giving the car to someone in the future. Your friend, family member, etc. will be able to take advantage of the plan this way.
We Provide High-Quality Aftermarket BMW Parts to Keep Your Vehicle Functional
In sum, a prepaid BMW maintenance plan can be a great way to save money on maintaining your high-performance vehicle. However, you want to make sure that you don't end up paying for those savings by experiencing inconveniences. You also want to make sure that you don't end up paying more by accident.
One other way that you can keep your BMW performing effectively is to purchase aftermarket BMW performance parts. We provide you with the best European aftermarket parts at the lowest prices. Check out our selection of BMW parts on this page.
