Lease Wear and Use Protection ($44/month) = covers up 5k in damage
Background: I leased a 2020 BMW X3 x30i in December. At that time, I was offered these packages and selected all 3 since you can’t add them on later but can remove them.
Lease: 3 year/10k miles a year; my last lease I turned in with 23.5K miles.
I previously had a 2016 BMW X1 - that was the last year maintenance was included in the lease. When I returned the car, I had a few items to pay for:
2 tires needed to be replaced
I cracked the windshield (random rock hit my car)
A small dent from someone opening their car door
This all cost me around $700 which was reasonable. However, the X1 is an entry level car and I imagine the same costs for the X3 will be more expensive (I have HUD, which would mean the windshield would be more, tires are probably more expensive, etc.)
My main use case for the car is to go to the mountains. I might consider just getting winter tires and swapping them back and forth to limit tear.
Request: I’d appreciate your thoughts and how you went about making a decision on what, if any, packages you selected.
My thinking, keep the Ultimate Care Plus to cover maintenance. Appreciate your thoughts!
Assuming you have a 36 month lease your paying $4824 to potentially save what was $700 at your last turn in. I personally self insure. Most cars I have had go back with $0 in charges. I have had 2 cars with fees for damage (out of over 20 leases). One was a 5 series that someone keyed the hood ($700 I think was the charge vs turning it into my insurance with a $1000 deductible) and one was a GM that just had a lot of bad luck with several damaged areas (total cost was $800, but I called GM financial and they reduced it to $400).
I will say you defiantly made the finance dudes day by buying all of this. But had you just saved the $134 a month in a side savings account I am sure you would be really far ahead. If it was me I would cancel everything if possible.
I was under the impression maintenance wasn’t covered after 2016 - but now I’m seeing that there is BMW Ultimate Care coverage. I’m trying to understand the difference between BMW Ultimate Care and BMW Ultimate Care Plus - it looks to just be wear-and-tear items such as brake pads, wiper blades and manual transmission clutch which shouldn’t impact me as I plan to return the car after the lease.
I signed a lease last month on a new 330i MSport and the guy in finance told me that I did not need to buy any maintenance plan because it was all covered by BMW Ultimate Care for the life of my lease.
Also, your insurance covers windshield repair/replacement minus your deductible. Just get the windshield repaired/replaced before lease turn in if it gets damaged.
Agreed. It just so happened that my windshield on the X1 cost $200 via BMW and my insurance deductible was $500. I imagine the X3 windshield will be a bit more (due to HUD) - but hoping I have better luck with flying rocks over the next 3 years.
I’m just going off of what I was told in passing for my X1 windshield, that cars with those features tend to cost more to replace the windshield (which might not be accurate). I understand it’s not actually in the windshield.
Any windshield will be more expensive with HUD or lane departure warnings. However I do not think the lease end return costs are different between the two. If your concerned about it you can add a zero glass clause to your windshield on your car insurance in most states.
Ask if the dealer you are working with for a non BMW excess wear and tear option. Usually $25/mo instead of the $39/mo you were quoted for similar but non BMW branded coverage.
