[jeffersonkim]

Hi everyone,

Next month, my 2006 BMW 325i will end its free maintenance plan. :[

According to Edmunds.com the 5-year maintenance cost & repair will be $8,596 & $7,989 respectively.

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2006/bmw...23/prices.html

The car is great and all, but because I use it mainly just to commute, and I'm always paranoid of cops here in Orange County/Los Angeles, that I rarely every drive my car to its full potential.

So I'm thinking about trading my car in to a place like CarMax and getting a 2006 Hyundai Azera SE or some other vehicle with less maintenance costs.

I'm avoiding Hybrids because my gas use is very negligible (short commute), and my plan is to keep the car 6 years when it's very well possible I'd have to replace the battery. . . and that'll cost thousands. And for other reasons why gas isn't such a worry for me that I don't want to go into on this post :]

According to:
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2006/hyu...73111/cto.html

The 5-yr maint & repair is $5,042 & 1,823 respectively for the Azera. That's almost $10,000 I'd be throwing away over 5 years toward maint/repair of the BMW.

I'm not able to justify paying a $2,000 premium/year just to drive the 2006 BMW 325i :[


When I originally researched the BMW 325i back in 2005, the estimated repair & maintenance data wasn't very accurate to the more actual numbers today.


Can anyone on the forum help me rationalize the $2,000 premium/year to continue driving the BMW or be able to poke holes in the data above?

UPDATE 20091008:
My calculations can be seen here
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...Wb0hJQlE&hl=en

[Ryan323i]

The cost figures are only averages and estimates. If you've taken care of your car you're not going to spend that much maintaining the BMW. Do some preventative maitenance and that will keep you from having to pay the big repair bills.

It costs thousands to replace the battery??

[742]

It is not so much a matter of rationalizing as it is making sure that you have accurate information and a realistic framework to put it in.

I am very skeptical of the Edmunds numbers. Consider the small example of brake fluid changes. BMW is going to get “charged” for requiring this service, Hyundai does not – even though it uses the same fluid. In the short term, < 7 years, this saves money. However in the long term the corrosion in the ABS module and brake calipers can run into the thousands of dollars.

So “cost to own” is meaningless unless you fully understand both company’s preventative maintenance philosophy and then set them against your planned period of ownership.

And even then it is something of a fool’s errand. We are each only one data point, and our individual experiences will not match whatever numbers the Edmunds interns crunch on their spreadsheets. You might buy a Hyundai and find yourself replacing the transmission in two months while the new owner of your BMW enjoys many years of trouble free driving. A real world example of this sits within a few hundred yards of my house. I have two VWs that have been great cars and that at 90,000+ miles each have never let anyone sit. Meanwhile I have two neighbors with Hondas that have had major transmission failures – notwithstanding what everyone “knows” about these two brands from reading Consumer Reports and Edmunds.

And then there is the cost of this trade that you are considering. You are going to sell your BMW at wholesale and buy a used Hyundai at retail. You can pay for a lot of maintenance with that money.

A practical thing to do is to find a good independent BMW garage and practice good, aggressive, preventative maintenance. However I have to be honest, you don’t come across as someone who is that interested in cars. There is nothing wrong with that, but a BMW may not be the right car for you regardless of how the maintenance numbers work out. If that is the case your best bet would be to sell the car yourself, then take the money and go car shopping.

[FJc335]

Maybe you should have thought about leasing it instead.

[MrDummy]

But if you almost have it paid off, then use the $$ for maint then instead of monthly payments

[jeffersonkim]

A little more background. I bought the car Nov 2005 through a military program while stationed in Germany. I got it $27,750 without needing to pay tax along with a 2% APR through my bank, USAA. The nice thing about the loan is that it's unsecured, so even if I sell the car, I can still take advantage of the low interest rate.

@MrDummy: My payments end in Dec 2010, but I don't plan on buying a new car. The extra "car payment" I would rather save than feel like I'm bleeding it away on a luxury car that I don't necessarily appreciate or value.

@FJc335: My circumstances above prevented me from doing so and limited my options.

@742: You are right on. If I can't get a decent trade in, I may just say screw it and keep the car. And I do need to double check the data as well regarding Edmunds. I'll hopefully drive the car to the ground, so I do need to check how they got these figures.


Are there any real world numbers that people can offer regarding the true cost of maintenance and repairs at an independent shop?

[jeffersonkim]

Originally Posted by DarkRyan323

The cost figures are only averages and estimates. If you've taken care of your car you're not going to spend that much maintaining the BMW. Do some preventative maitenance and that will keep you from having to pay the big repair bills.

It costs thousands to replace the battery??

I was referencing the battery regarding Hybrids. Their warranty is approximately 8 years from my online research. I plan on keeping the car hopefully until it dies, so I don't want to pony up for a hybrid battery replacement.

Yes, you would save tons of money through gas which would offset that.

[ENINTY]

I've got 93K on my '06 325i. I spent $550 on brakes (parts only - DIY), 3 post-fee maintenance oil changes at $65 each (DIY) and $2,400 on a new AC compressor (dealer repair). Not anywhere near $8K.

[jeffersonkim]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

I've got 93K on my '06 325i. I spent $550 on brakes (parts only - DIY), 3 post-fee maintenance oil changes at $65 each (DIY) and $2,400 on a new AC compressor (dealer repair). Not anywhere near $8K.

According to the Edmunds numbers. . .

I'm still trying to figure out how they calculated that you could spend about $1,719.20/year on maintenance and still end up paying $7,989 on repairs over 5 years.

I always thought the point of maintenance was to PREVENT repairs.

[jeffersonkim]

Just got back from CarMax and they're only going to offer me $13,000 for my car. I'll probably just keep it if all I can get is $13,000. Why would I want to PAY money to downgrade?

[FCP Euro]

Originally Posted by jeffersonkim

A little more background. I bought the car Nov 2005 through a military program while stationed in Germany. I got it $27,750 without needing to pay tax along with a 2% APR through my bank, USAA. The nice thing about the loan is that it's unsecured, so even if I sell the car, I can still take advantage of the low interest rate.

@MrDummy: My payments end in Dec 2010, but I don't plan on buying a new car. The extra "car payment" I would rather save than feel like I'm bleeding it away on a luxury car that I don't necessarily appreciate or value.

@FJc335: My circumstances above prevented me from doing so and limited my options.

@742: You are right on. If I can't get a decent trade in, I may just say screw it and keep the car. And I do need to double check the data as well regarding Edmunds. I'll hopefully drive the car to the ground, so I do need to check how they got these figures.


Are there any real world numbers that people can offer regarding the true cost of maintenance and repairs at an independent shop?

It honestly sounds like you have already made up your mind on this. Just make sure it is really what you want. The Hyundai is nothing like the BMW even if it is just a 10 mile or so commute.

[jeffersonkim]

It almost looks like I'll have to find someone who's willing to do a straight trade for my car and theirs. To be seen. . .

[ENINTY]

So if you are that concerned with repair costs, why don't you look into buying an extended warranty? There are companies now offering extended warranties up to 200,000 miles.

We can all debate what the maintenance schedule should be for modern BMWs, but oil changes, brakes, and fluid changes are all inexpensive items. Any decent BMW mechanic can accomplish them at a good price. Leave the big stuff to the extended warranty.

Of the three BMW I've had in the past 22 years (I still have all three), I have found them not very expensive to maintain (except for the AC compressor on my E90).

Switching out of a BMW to another brand and loosing money for it may not leave a good taste in your mouth.

[jeffersonkim]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

So if you are that concerned with repair costs, why don't you look into buying an extended warranty? There are companies now offering extended warranties up to 200,000 miles.

We can all debate what the maintenance schedule should be for modern BMWs, but oil changes, brakes, and fluid changes are all inexpensive items. Any decent BMW mechanic can accomplish them at a good price. Leave the big stuff to the extended warranty.

Of the three BMW I've had in the past 22 years (I still have all three), I have found them not very expensive to maintain (except for the AC compressor on my E90).

Switching out of a BMW to another brand and loosing money for it may not leave a good taste in your mouth.

You're exactly right. And as I look at the numbers. . . I'm thinking Edmunds.com prices were just extremely bloated. This might be a good excuse for me to start DIY. I need the experience, and that's what these forums are for!

Do you happen to know what extended warranty companies for 200,000 miles are good and legal in California?

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by jeffersonkim

You're exactly right. And as I look at the numbers. . . I'm thinking Edmunds.com prices were just extremely bloated. This might be a good excuse for me to start DIY. I need the experience, and that's what these forums are for!

Do you happen to know what extended warranty companies for 200,000 miles are good and legal in California?

No idea. Got some junk mail a few weeks ago. Thrashed it.

[jeffersonkim]

Here they are:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5996904

[FCP Euro]

I hear MBI is good and is California legal. You may want to check them out.

[jeffersonkim]

Do you know what their website is?

[ALUFELGEN]

Have you thought about getting an extended warranty to 7-years/100k?

[jeffersonkim]

Yeah. My continuing post on Warranty Direct (WarrantyDirect.com) that I'm looking at is at http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5996904

Originally Posted by jeffersonkim

Hi everyone,

Next month, my 2006 BMW 325i will end its free maintenance plan. :[

According to Edmunds.com the 5-year maintenance cost & repair will be $8,596 & $7,989 respectively.

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2006/bmw...23/prices.html

The car is great and all, but because I use it mainly just to commute, and I'm always paranoid of cops here in Orange County/Los Angeles, that I rarely every drive my car to its full potential.

So I'm thinking about trading my car in to a place like CarMax and getting a 2006 Hyundai Azera SE or some other vehicle with less maintenance costs.

I'm avoiding Hybrids because my gas use is very negligible (short commute), and my plan is to keep the car 6 years when it's very well possible I'd have to replace the battery. . . and that'll cost thousands. And for other reasons why gas isn't such a worry for me that I don't want to go into on this post :]

According to:
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2006/hyu...73111/cto.html

The 5-yr maint & repair is $5,042 & 1,823 respectively for the Azera. That's almost $10,000 I'd be throwing away over 5 years toward maint/repair of the BMW.

I'm not able to justify paying a $2,000 premium/year just to drive the 2006 BMW 325i :[


When I originally researched the BMW 325i back in 2005, the estimated repair & maintenance data wasn't very accurate to the more actual numbers today.


Can anyone on the forum help me rationalize the $2,000 premium/year to continue driving the BMW or be able to poke holes in the data above?

UPDATE 20091008:
My calculations can be seen here
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...Wb0hJQlE&hl=en

Those numbers are way off its no where near that amount, DIY independent shop, discounted parts ftw.

I bet if you ran to the dealership for every little problem it still would not be close.