Z4M - Am I Going to Spend More Money On Maintenance or Repairs

[HEY32G]

Over the course of 4 or 5 years of Z4M ownership, on average, will I spend more money on Maintenance or Repairs?

The reason I'm asking this is because I can buy an M at CarMax and get a CarMax warranty that covers just about all repairs, except wear and tear items. It will cost around $2,500. Their warranties are for 6 years up to 100,000 or 125,000 miles. It's actually a very good deal. So that will cover any big repairs, but do you think it's worth it, if most my costs will be maintenance items? If most my costs are maintenance, I can certainly find less expensive cars than what CarMax offers. The peace of mind of having a warranty is definitely a plus, though.

Since CarMax prices their cars higher, the "real" cost of their car + the warranty is more like $5-6k higher. Not sure if it's worth it.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[crfine88]

That is a very good price for the warranty as long as there are not any strange exclusions in the coverage.

We have many expensive electronic components/modules that do fail in these cars. Even if you do not have any major engine/transmission failures, I believe the warranty would likely pay for itself during the 6yrs or 100,000 miles. I am basing this the $$$$ I spent during 30k ownership of my 06 M coupe.

Good piece of mind if you don't plan on heavy modification and will not be doing the majority of the wrenching on your car.

I do agree that Carmax pricing is typically high and values are all over the place on these cars. In my opinion, find one with the color and options you like that is in great condition and grab it quick Get the best deal you can, but don't get so hung up on price that you pass on a good one.

[chickdr]

Even at that price I would suggest putting the $2,500 in a savings account exclusively for car repairs. That way you are certain to get your money's worth.

[Vanne]

Hmm, I've sure as crap spent way more than that on my car, it just depends on what your happy with. That price sure looks good to me, esp if your gonna daily driver it.

[Dalecan]

My car has cost me nothing in 25,000 miles, except servicing.

[DaveZ]

As others have said, that is a really good price for 6 years of coverage from date of purchase. I purchased an extended warranty (for a bit more than that) just before my factory one expired and I'm glad that I did. I had engine mounts, VANOS cam bolts, and the ABS module repaired under it. Total cost of all those repairs was probably only a little higher than the cost of the warranty, but the peace of mind made it worthwhile. Especially for my spouse!

As to the cost of routine maintenance, yes indeedy the ///M's are more expensive than your non-M's. Some of that you can mitigate by doing your own oil service, but the motorsport oil is still quite pricey, I last paid something around $14/liter. Inspection I's run me around $1200 and my last Inspection II was about $1500. Inspections are approx every 30K miles and alternate I and II. Also figure that you will go through at least one set of tires in 4-5 years, and probably a brake and rotor job. Also, coolant and brake fluid change at least every 2 years. Those are time, not mileage based.

[inTgr8r]

Most points have been well covered with above posts.

There are a lot of variables to consider, such as intended use of the car (DD?), are you going to put on a lot of mileage, will you be tracking it, & how much you will DIY with this car.

Remember that these extended warranties are essentially insurance polices that the dealer sells to add to his bottom line.
So someone with light usage many well fall on the negative side of worth, where a person with heavier usage of the car would fall on the positive side of the policy worth.

I think you made a good assessment on the true cost of the policy.
Which ever way you go be really sure about the fine print, such as who can you take the car to for repairs?

Good luck with it.

[NickyC]

I'd pay for that warranty without a second thought. $2500 is an incredible deal for a warranty on this car. Darn near anything that breaks on this car which is somewhat major will cost at least that much and probably well north of it. Pay for that warranty and you have no worries about VANOS or rod bearings. $2500 is a cheap price for peace of mind in my opinion.

Now, in my experiences with the Z4M, I've driven about 50k miles between two cars and I've only had a single issue (drivers side window wouldn't go down). Except the major items, these cars are pretty simple and I personally believe they are highly reliable.

I'd still go with the warranty however if it was me, just for the peace of mind.

[bgeorge0049]

My wife and I recently just went through this same experience but with a 2006 3.0si. We opted for the CarMax car with the extended warranty in anticipation of some major repairs. I've owned 3 other "out of warranty" BMWs and something always seems to go wrong. We daily drive our BMWs and the warranty gave us peace of mind. Another thing to consider is having a PPI done. We had one done by one of the local Indy shops and they were able to confirm that we at least picked a good one to start with.

We've only had the car 1 week but are happy with our purchase so far.

[JeffchaPz]

OP - I bought mine from CarMax in 2011. When I got home, I noticed the auto windows were not working. The next day I drove back to carmax thinking that something was broken. They asked me to leave the car for few hours. when I picked it up, only the passenger window will auto up and down - CarMax answer..... we don't know what the problem is, we'll contact BMW and let you know what needs to be done to fix the other window..... that was 4 years ago and I'm still waiting for carmax to call me back.

Thank God for all the cool people in this site and taught me how to fix it in 30 secs.

So - how comfortable would you feel bringing your Z4M / high performance car for Inspection I or II to CarMax??? Do you think they are going drive to the nearest BMW dealership and pay $14 for each bottle of oil just for your car? ummmmm.


From my experience - they can sell you a car but they can't fix it.

[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by JeffchaPz

OP - I bought mine from CarMax in 2011. When I got home, I noticed the auto windows were not working. The next day I drove back to carmax thinking that something was broken. They asked me to leave the car for few hours. when I picked it up, only the passenger window will auto up and down - CarMax answer..... we don't know what the problem is, we'll contact BMW and let you know what needs to be done to fix the other window..... that was 4 years ago and I'm still waiting for carmax to call me back.

Thank God for all the cool people in this site and taught me how to fix it in 30 secs.

So - how comfortable would you feel bringing your Z4M / high performance car for Inspection I or II to CarMax??? Do you think they are going drive to the nearest BMW dealership and pay $14 for each bottle of oil just for your car? ummmmm.


From my experience - they can sell you a car but they can't fix it.

Thank you. You're not the first to share an experience like this.