320i, 3 years, $1,095. Is this protection plan worth to have? Located in MA, road condition is pretty rough. Personally I only had one flat tires in the past. However, the dealer kept saying how vulnerable run flat tires are. I’m totally lost.
@Sylviashen those plans are often negotiable based on some reports i read on bmw forums so if you really want the piece of mind, try to bargain it down. Run flats are not any more vulnerable than other low profile tires and contrary to what BMW will tell you, there are tire places that will plug a run flat without a problem if you have a nail etc. I’ve had that done on all my cars, you just have to call around and find out who does it in your area. Any of these add-on offers you get during your sit-down with the finance guys are big profit centers for the dealership which is why they’ll tell you anything to get you to buy it. I’m not sure what your particular plan covers but i assume road hazard and curb rash. If you feel like you will ruin two tires and rash one rim, it won’t cost you $1100 to replace/fix. If you feel like there’s a high likelihood you will bend your rim, curb rash and mess up 3 tires than maybe it’s worth it. Some people on this forum swear by the piece of mind these plans provide and don’t mind paying extra for it, i would personally never do it at the rates they charge. 14 years ago i got a tire policy for my BMW that cost $250, it made financial sense but $1000+ for a big “IF”… not for me, i’d rather roll the dice and pay for whatever might happen when it happens.
For this price of 1k, get the wear and tear insurance which includes tires and other minor body damage such as large scratches and bumper rash. Just for tires, say $495, not more.
http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/financialservices/bmwultimateprotection/leaseprotection.aspx
Wheel and tire is always pure profit for the dealer. You can usually cancel and pro-rate if you decide to not keep it. I usually pay cash for these plans so I don’t pay finance charges on that money as wheel and tire CAN NOT be residualized in the payment.
Skip it. Absolutely.
This is one of those things where you are much better off self-insuring. Trust me, I drive a BMW on roads much worse than yours, and on lower profile tires than a 320i.
Tell the dealer a firm “No.” If he pipes up again, tell him “Maybe I shouldn’t buy a BMW then.”
You can always buy a used tire or rim. Remember, BMW is not expecting it to be brand new when you turn it in.
Completely disagree.
Specifically with BMWs. Those run flats are horrible and are very prone to bubbles and other issues. In the NY/NJ area dealers are charging close to 3K for the tire and wheel coverage. That is ridiculous! But for about 1K it’s the right move. Your almost garunteed to to need to replace a couple tires a year @ a cost of 300-400 each( not even considering the fact that those rims crack much more easily than most others).
Many of the underwriters of these policies have either dropped bmw completely or jacked up prices like crazy the last couple years. I say get it while you can. It’s worth it