MB gives you a choice. BMW makes you buy prepaid maintenance. Nothing is free in this world. Incidentally, they include it as a way of avoiding overcharging for maintenance by their dealers, a lesson the OP is learning.

That N20 four cylinder is pretty nice. Drove it in the X1. I'd take it over the 328 six cylinder that was available previously.

It takes 15 minutes to a person who knows what is doing.I include computer start-up and coffee time in this estimate ;)

nothing is free indeed... i prefer when my minutes are unlimited for a fixed price... err... maintenance is included for a fixed price, even when that price is rolled in package deals...

years ago i bought 2 michelins for rear on 4.6 for over a $1000... only bmw dealer in whole country, nobody has that size, ordering APO takes forever... long story short - the dealer wanted $20 to mount, balance and install them... i went ballistic on them - i am already paying out the ass for super inflated price without saying much, don't take me for a fool... quote me $1100 and i will pay for it, but i expect you to give me service for that price...

same here, maintenance is already rolled into the first 4 years, so i like it... like having unlimited minutes - i still am not going to use too many minutes but i like the idea of having them...

all is mental, all is mental

Of course not, the actual job runs probably 0.05 secs, and charging 2 hrs. is borderline criminal. But at the same time shops have to recover overhead costs, so I'd say say 1/2 ... 1 hr would be fair if it also includes physical battery replacement. For DIY you have to have the cable, laptop and spend some time installing, configuring and learning, so it's all relative.

heh, seems similar to my ~disagreement~ in cost when my Indy started charging like a dealership. X hrs for LCM programming, etc, etc

oil change
 

47.00 dollar oil change. 40.00 oil castrol synthetic at wal mart 7.00 mann oil filter amazon. Maybe 20 minutes and take my time.

Have always had better luck with an Indy for post warranty work (maintenance and repairs). In Portland they wanted $120 for oil change and scope and the indy was $79 on our '06 325i.

FWIW - In comparison to the Portland dealer I had been going to for warranty work and service on my X5 35d to today with the San Diego dealer there is light years difference between the attitude and attention paid to the customer...that is it was more impersonal here and I felt like a number. And I should be happy I got a loaner but a Camry?! If my car was out of warranty I would certainly seek out a indy.

I think a little due diligence and help from members here can give Govol's a direction to finding a great indy that will take care of his X5 and not drain the bank in the process.

What a load of you know what. :rofl:

All though i get what you're saying imo your analogy is a bit off. Instead of not using too much of the maintaince program I used the warranty to the hilt getting everything that made the slightest squeak taken care of, and I mean everything. I liked the idea of having it and there wasn't anything mental about it. It was a reality. :rofl:

OBTW tires are not included, and $20.00 to mount and balance (Unless i'm missing something) seems fine to me.

To echo what many others have already said, a $500 oil change should be a crime and pains me to hear about. Sterling BMW is not a bad dealership, but like any business transaction it's important to be educated and have an understanding of what is going on to avoid getting ripped off.

This type of misinformation and negative feedback also damages the brand and furthers the negative perception of BMW cost of maintenance and reliability concerns.