With respect to BMW's break-in and maintenance recommendations, BMW is in the business of selling you NEW cars every few years. They do not make money by you keeping your bimmer running great for 10 years, nor by you selling it for a premium. The reason for their very attractive 3 year leasing terms is to facilitate selling more units to loyal repeat customers. Their longer term financing is not nearly as attractive.

If you are only keeping your car 3 years, BMW's recommendations are OK - except you may lose a little HP. If you are into keeping you prized toy for many years, I recommend a proper break-in and exceeding their oil change recommendation schedule.