I think you also may find a better deal shopping at some on line BMW dealers listed here and on other owner sites. I bought my X5 in April and am waiting 3 years. I too tend to hang on to cars but figure any price raise, if any, I can offset plus buy finding a better price away from the dealer I bought the car from. If not at least I know it is a fair price.

Have a look at Twin Kidney Grill - BMW dealer in ATL.

http://www.twinkidneygrill.com/Home.html


They seem to consistently have the best prices for OEM extended maintenance warranty

Will all BMW dealers honor BMW's Extended warranty and maintenance packages purchased from another dealer? I'm sure I could ask my dealer this, but I have a feeling they will just pursuade me to purchase it NOW from THEM.

I'm picking up my '08 X5, this Saturday, and have been debating whether to purchase the extended warranty and maintenance now or later. If I am able to shop around for the best price and all BMW dealers will honor the extended plans, then I would definitely want to opt and wait 2-3 years before deciding to purchase the extra protection.

I am, however, planning to purchase the Wheel/Tire insurance, which I think is a smart purchase at only $600. I purchased the wheel/tire insurance on my current Audi and, after having the tires/wheels serviced twice, it has paid for itself.

Any and all knowledgable feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't read the small print in the tire/wheel insurance so don't know what kind of exclusions/small print is there but I agree that with the replacement cost of runflats it makes more sense now than before. Don't pay sticker for it - everything is negotiable.

Yes, all dealers will honor OEM extended warranty/maintenance plan.

You are crazy paying out for extended maintenance/warrnty plans now IMHO. You have 4 yrs/50 with your new '08 - why give BMW more money now. You can add it anytime before OEM warranty expires. Who knows, after 4 years/50 you may want something different anyway.

Thanks for the heads up on the extended plans. If that's the case, then I certainly agree, the extended plan may be a better option later down the road.

The only thing is, I am not able to determine how much cheaper the extended warranty and service is at time of car purchase vs. at a later time. I've asked the finance manager for cost difference, but he gave me the run around stating it's substantially cheaper now... blah blah. Just to give you an idea, I was quoted $3700 for the extended warranty and $1800 for the service.

As for the tire\wheel combo, I negotiated the price down from 699 to 599. I know there's more room to wiggle, so I'll have to haggle a little more on Saturday.

Thanks again!!!

Don't forget to take into account your lost ROI on that money over 4 yrs

:iagree: Keep your money now and decide on extended warranty before the original warranty runs out. The price difference is not that great anyway. A $3K investment into a conservative 5% savings account can earn you roughly $600 in 4 years. You can decide before the warranty expires if you want to keep the car or not, then you're not screwed with cost of the warranty. A lot can happen in 4 years that could make you change your mind in keeping or getting a new X5. For me, lease for 36 months and get a new X5 in 2010. New warranty, new car smell.

There are too many factors in deciding on whether to get an extended warranty. For those who keep cars 5 or 6 years it's probably not worth it. If you plan on keeping it over 100K miles then look into it. And most extended warranties (I have one for 150K) are pro-rated and transferrable to the new owner so you don't "lose money" on it. If you have to worry about saving $600 by putting the money in a savings account now and getting the warranty later then you shouldn't be driving a BMW.

Still doesn't give a good reason to pony up the extended warranty money now when you have full coverage on a new car ;)

No one is disputing the value of an extended warranty if you are keeping the car.

Thank you to everyone for their valuable comments.

I agree with the general consensus, that I don't know where I'll be w/regards to keeping the car in 4-5 years, which reassures me with my original inkling to opt on the Extended plans at a later date.

BTW: I'm picking up an '08 space gray 3.0si, this Saturday 10/20, which I'll be sure to post pics of asap (espcially shots of the new chrome tailpipes that I believe everyone has been anticipating.)

Thanks again fellas!!!