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      12-07-2019, 08:09 AM   #1
roblaw
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Ultimate Care +

So I know this has been discussed and dismissed but I am still going back and forth. I will pick up my new 540 on Monday. It will be a 3yr 36k lease. I will likely use all of those miles. Since the residual is 59%, if I pay $600 for the +, over 36 months I will pay approx. $250.00 for the insurance against worn brakes (and wiper blades), or about $7.00 per month with the bonus that if brakes are needed my dealer does pick up and delivery and provides a BMW loaner for free. Am I missing something in how I am calculating the true cost in my situation?

I drive a mix of city and suburban driving in a high congestion area. While I am a careful driver I do go a bit above the speed limit and regularly have to brake firmly to deal with less careful drivers on their phones or simply not paying attention.

This will be my third BMW. I had a 2016 328 XDrive and did not need brakes in the 32k I had it. I purchased a 2016 535 XDrive CPO last Sept. which had 16k and was in mint condition but had warped front rotors at 30k and had the front brakes replaced and the rotors machined for free (interesting as most on these forums suggest rotors should be replaced but maybe BMW is cheaping out).

Have others found high brake wear in the G30 5 series? My previous cars were 3 Honda's in a row (significant brake wear/replacement cycle) from the early and mid 2000s and a 2012 Hyundai Genesis that still had good pads at 42k when I traded on the 328.

Most on the forums advise against the extra cost but on the lease it seems like cheap insurance to me given the possibility of it paying off.

I appreciate your advice.
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      12-07-2019, 09:26 AM   #2
claykin
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The entire cost of Ultimate Care + is charged to you. It is not residualized and can't be because it's not on the window sticker.

Without UC+ expect 2-3 charges for wiper insert replacements (or do it yourself). Also, possibly the cost of (more likely) rear brake replacement which will likely be as costly as the + coverage.

To me UC+ is a worthwhile addon for everyone except the lessee who does 10K or less leases.

Also be aware that if you choose UC+ at lease signing, you can extend it if necessary. If you don't buy UC+ you cannot add it or extend later during your lease.
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      12-07-2019, 01:01 PM   #3
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Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
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      12-07-2019, 03:29 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
I'm curious how MB residualizes the maintenance plan. Are you sure they aren't just financing it over the term and possibly telling you a story? The only thing I've ever heard of from MB is in certain situations and certain models they will bump up the residual 1 point if you buy the maintenance package at lease inception and finance it over the term. This is likely because they're charging you interest on the maintenance plan financed.
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      12-08-2019, 07:13 AM   #5
roblaw
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I cannot answer the question as to how they do it. But we just leased our third MB for my wife and in each case they charged up front for the service package and included it in the lease. If you go to build an MB on their site it gives you the option to add prepaid maintenance to the price of the vehicle. Now maybe they played with the numbers and simply had me pay it up front and then discounted the car by that amount so my out of pocket was the same (I only paid tags and BM finance fee out of pocket) but the result for me was the same. The salesman discussed is as if it was being added to the lease and being residualized. And this was the case with a previous dealer as well. I believe Audi will add 1% to the residual for Audicare. The effect is similar; if you purchase the service, the value of the lease is increased. I would guess this way they know you are going to perform the recommended service and therefore the car will be returned in better condition.

For me the maintenance is less about the cost and more about the service. While most of us who purchase these vehicles tend to be management or business owners (and therefore can assign some financial value to their time), in my profession the value of time is more clearly tracked so it is easier to me to justify the use of the dealer service department since they will pick up and deliver the vehicle and provide a free loaner. Those time savings (and the ability to have a vehicle so I can see clients, etc), in my case, make the service a financial benefit since the lost time driving up and back, sitting waiting to speak to a SA, etc. make the overall cost below zero, particularly when we are speaking about two vehicles (my wife has never dealt with her service) that need to be serviced for whatever reason.

So, if you ever got to the dark side (MB), you can residualize the service in the lease or pay it out over the life of the loan.
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      12-09-2019, 03:07 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
When I got my 2018 BMW 340, I negotiated a $600 price down to $370. As far as I remember only brakes and windshield wipers are covered. Wheel alignment is not. I do not remember needing a wheel alignment on any of my last 7 BMWs. Even the one that had 48K miles on it. I am in NJ and roads are terrible here.

I plan to get Care+ for my next lease. It makes easier to get rid of the car by finding someone who will take the lease over. BMW maintenance is not transeferable to a second lessee anymore.

Last edited by SBM1206; 12-09-2019 at 03:36 PM..
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      12-09-2019, 03:20 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SBM1206 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
When I got my 2018 BMW 340, I negotiated a $600 price down to $370. As far as I remember only brakes and windshield wipers are covered. Wheel alignment is not. I do not remember needing a wheel alignment on any of my last 7 BMWs. Even the one that had 48K miles on it. I am in NJ and roads are terrible here.

I plan to get the Miantenance+ for my next lease. It makes easier to get rid of the car by finding someone who will take the lease over. BMW maintenance is not transeferable to a second lessee anymore.
Ultimate Care Plus (if purchased at vehicle delivery) is transferable to subsequent owner.
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      12-09-2019, 09:22 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by claykin View Post
Ultimate Care Plus (if purchased at vehicle delivery) is transferable to subsequent owner.
This is exactly what I meant and why I plan to get Care+ for my next BMW..
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      12-10-2019, 07:28 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SBM1206 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
When I got my 2018 BMW 340, I negotiated a $600 price down to $370. As far as I remember only brakes and windshield wipers are covered. Wheel alignment is not. I do not remember needing a wheel alignment on any of my last 7 BMWs. Even the one that had 48K miles on it. I am in NJ and roads are terrible here.

I plan to get Care+ for my next lease. It makes easier to get rid of the car by finding someone who will take the lease over. BMW maintenance is not transeferable to a second lessee anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SBM1206 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
When I got my 2018 BMW 340, I negotiated a $600 price down to $370. As far as I remember only brakes and windshield wipers are covered. Wheel alignment is not. I do not remember needing a wheel alignment on any of my last 7 BMWs. Even the one that had 48K miles on it. I am in NJ and roads are terrible here.

I plan to get Care+ for my next lease. It makes easier to get rid of the car by finding someone who will take the lease over. BMW maintenance is not transeferable to a second lessee anymore.
My dealer charges $400 for an alignment. My local mechanic said that's throwing money away. 1 NY pothole, there goes $400 alignment.
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      12-10-2019, 10:04 AM   #10
claykin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve090619 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by SBM1206 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
When I got my 2018 BMW 340, I negotiated a $600 price down to $370. As far as I remember only brakes and windshield wipers are covered. Wheel alignment is not. I do not remember needing a wheel alignment on any of my last 7 BMWs. Even the one that had 48K miles on it. I am in NJ and roads are terrible here.

I plan to get Care+ for my next lease. It makes easier to get rid of the car by finding someone who will take the lease over. BMW maintenance is not transeferable to a second lessee anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SBM1206 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by roblaw View Post
Thanks, Claykin. While I am disappointed that is cannot be residualized (the maintenance package for MB can, which we did on my wife's car, so I assumed BMW could as well) I still feel it makes sense given the real possibility of at least one set of brakes and several sets of wipers needed during the 36 month lease. In in SE PA, BMW dealers charge bizarre prices for service ($300 for an alignment where I am) so I am guessing brakes per axle is more than $700.00.
When I got my 2018 BMW 340, I negotiated a $600 price down to $370. As far as I remember only brakes and windshield wipers are covered. Wheel alignment is not. I do not remember needing a wheel alignment on any of my last 7 BMWs. Even the one that had 48K miles on it. I am in NJ and roads are terrible here.

I plan to get Care+ for my next lease. It makes easier to get rid of the car by finding someone who will take the lease over. BMW maintenance is not transeferable to a second lessee anymore.
My dealer charges $400 for an alignment. My local mechanic said that's throwing money away. 1 NY pothole, there goes $400 alignment.
That is crazy for an alignment.

My dealer has one of these and does alignment checks as a courtesy when they do tire work.

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      12-10-2019, 02:46 PM   #11
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Any bozo with a machine can do an alignment. $400 or really anything over $100 is just nuts.

I am not a fan of extended maintenance warranties, especially if it's just brakes and wipers. You should be able to do those yourself. It's worth the investment in tools if you don't have any.
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