So I am about to sign a lease for a BMW i4 and this will be our first ever car lease too
The car will have two drivers (wife and I) and both of us have great/safe driving record and habits
The dealership is going to offer us the below optional packages along with the lease.
Paintless Dent Protection: $499
Brake Coverage (Ultimate Care+): $899
Lease Protection (Waives up to $5k excess wear/tear at the end of the lease): $1799
Wheel and Tire (For curb rash, rim dents, flat tires due to nails or road hazard; unlimited use): $1799
My initial feeling is to simply decline them, but wondering if you have any strong opinions to take either of them?
If you both have a history of not curbing wheels and getting door dings then I wouldn’t get any of them. Think about it this way…if you do hit something and need a new tire will that put you in a financial hardship if you have to pay for it? Same with curb rash…if you really mess up a wheel will it put you in financial distress to just pay to have it fixed? If you’re leasing a BMW hopefully the answer is no.
There are at least a few people here who have found wheel/tire protection helpful, depending on how big and expensive the replacement costs are and if they live in a pothole infested area.
I would say this
is probably a reasonable way of looking at it. If blowing out your tires or getting lots of curb rash hasn’t been an issue previously for the OP, then I think there’s no a need to get it. If they HAVE had issues b/f and have huge wheels on the i4, then maybe it is worth considering…
This would only help with items larger than a credit card but too small to turn in to insurance.
PDR isn’t very expensive if you purchase it yourself IF or as needed.
Unlikely you’ll need brakes during the lease. Pay as you go.
If you incur $1,800 to $5,000 worth of damage, how likely is it that there won’t be an auto insurance claim involved?
If a full set of wheels and tires were on sale today only for $1,799, would you buy them just in case?
Assume you have plenty of room to store them.
How much have you spent out of pocket on wheel damage and replacement tires in the past three years? I’m at < $1,000 combined for every car I’ve ever owned over my entire lifetime.
My neighbor gets every protection the dealer offers. His wife is always cracking a windshield, curbing wheels, getting dings, blowing a tire. For them it makes sense. For someone that historically doesn’t have issues I’d risk it. Putting a new tire or wheel on a car isn’t the end of the world.
Thanks everyone, this is super informative and helpful! Definitely gives us enough information to make our decision
We were basically skeptical how the the dealership would (incorrrectly) react to any normal wear and tear during lease return and if such packages might be a safeguard
From their report, which will list everything that’s chargeable along with corresponding cost, you’ll have the opportunity to fix anything on your own, or accept the costs that appear to be reasonable.
