Service Packs - still worth it?

[tonto1]

I know the service packs used to considered almost a no brainer, but is this still the case?

I've ordered a 335d and not convinced that shelling out over £500, up front is really the best thing to do, when there is a good chance I will only get one service out of this.

[HoHoHo]

Surely the answer is simply based on your expected mileage during the life of the car?

I think they're good value myself if you do the miles.

[Monty Python]

Mine is due for an oil/filter and rear pads at 57000, and at a local indie it's around £300. The dealer wanted closer to £350, so over five years it's a complete no-brainer.

[JNW1]

tonto1 said:

I know the service packs used to considered almost a no brainer, but is this still the case?

I've ordered a 335d and not convinced that shelling out over £500, up front is really the best thing to do, when there is a good chance I will only get one service out of this.

The price was £425 when I took the Service pack on my F31 335d in September 2014; in 50k miles I reckoned I'd get at least two services and my thinking was that those would come to more than £425 with a main dealer. However, if the price goes much over £500 it does start to look more marginal in my view - the first service is only an oil change (so shouldn't be more than £200) and therefore if you're looking at an initial cost of (say) £550 there's probably no great benefit in putting the money up-front. That said I've seen Monty Python's post and if the Service Pack does indeed cover the replacement of consumable items like brake pads that probably makes it decent value even at over £500; I didn't think things like pads were included (need to go back and read the terms and conditions!) but if they are you're likely to need at least one set of pads in 50k miles and therefore the service pack looks a good bet if things like that are covered!

[gizlaroc]

The problem is the prices have gone up and the mileage come down.

It used to be 60k miles, now it is 50k miles.
With the servicing on BMWs being every 18k miles or more this means you only really get 2 services.
My third service will be at 53k miles, so I miss out, even though I have 2 years left.


3 series is now £525, and that is just the fluids and filters, if you want brakes covered too it is £1470.


The X3 was £375 for 4 years and 60k miles, that was good value, swapping to 5 years and 50k miles is actually not great at all when you work it out.

[moffat]

I've got one on my 640d and it's £500 / 50k miles, but I always use this as the final point of negotiation when buying the car and they seem to throw it in without any pushback.

[JNW1]

gizlaroc said:

3 series is now £525, and that is just the fluids and filters, if you want brakes covered too it is £1470.

swapping to 5 years and 50k miles is actually not great at all when you work it out.

Agreed, if the cost for a 3-series is now £525 - and things like replacement brake pads are excluded - you're effectively paying up-front for two services and in reality probably saving very little by doing so. Is £525 the figure for all models or do six cylinder cars cost more?

[cerb4.5lee]

moffat said:

I've got one on my 640d and it's £500 / 50k miles, but I always use this as the final point of negotiation when buying the car and they seem to throw it in without any pushback.

The service pack on mine runs to 62k miles so they must have changed it on the newer models, got the car at two years old and the service pack was on it and it had done 15k miles, it's now done 54k miles in the 14 months of ownership so the service pack has been a boon and it's been serviced twice already.

So if you are doing the miles I think the service pack is a no brainer.

[JNW1]

cerb4.5lee said:

The service pack on mine runs to 62k miles so they must have changed it on the newer models, got the car at two years old and the service pack was on it and it had done 15k miles, it's now done 54k miles in the 14 months of ownership so the service pack has been a boon and it's been serviced twice already.

So if you are doing the miles I think the service pack is a no brainer.

But if the mileage limit is 50k that's probably only two services unless you do a lot of stop/start driving; combine that with a cost of over £500 and it becomes pretty marginal in my view. A 60k mileage limit combined with a cost of less than £500 is a different matter but £525 and a mileage limit of 50k isn't no brainer territory IMHO!

[cerb4.5lee]

JNW1 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

The service pack on mine runs to 62k miles so they must have changed it on the newer models, got the car at two years old and the service pack was on it and it had done 15k miles, it's now done 54k miles in the 14 months of ownership so the service pack has been a boon and it's been serviced twice already.

So if you are doing the miles I think the service pack is a no brainer.

But if the mileage limit is 50k that's probably only two services unless you do a lot of stop/start driving; combine that with a cost of over £500 and it becomes pretty marginal in my view. A 60k mileage limit combined with a cost of less than £500 is a different matter but £525 and a mileage limit of 50k isn't no brainer territory IMHO!

Yes I suppose the reality is the difference of about £300 if you don't take the service pack which isn't worth worrying about really, I have just enjoyed it going to the dealers and one service was a full service which would have cost about £600 and it's also been for an oil service at £200 and it was just nice not having to hand any money over.

If I was to spec a car from new I would still tick the service pack now but the reality is you don't really gain anything if you do and me saying its a no brainer was worded incorrectly.

[anonymous-user]

My March 14 530 had its first service in January at 20500 miles. It has the service pack which was just part of the deal I negotiated but I was given a priced up invoice which added up to £280 or so plus vat. The car will have a brake fluid change in 12 months and at least one more service under the terms of the service pack. Still looks good value to me even if you don't get it thrown in.

Not sure where a £200 'oil service' comes from. The minor service still requires £80 or so of filters in addition to the oil and its filter.

[toon10]

The M135i service pack is now £600. I opted out.

[cerb4.5lee]

REALIST123 said:

Not sure where a £200 'oil service' comes from. The minor service still requires £80 or so of filters in addition to the oil and its filter.

It was just an estimate because it costs £148 for an oil service in total on the 330i at the main dealer and with the service pack I didn't get the costs on the paperwork for the 640d and they charge £90 more for front brake pads on the 640d compared to the 330i so I was just having a rough guess at it.

[JNW1]

cerb4.5lee said:

REALIST123 said:

Not sure where a £200 'oil service' comes from. The minor service still requires £80 or so of filters in addition to the oil and its filter.

It was just an estimate because it costs £148 for an oil service in total on the 330i at the main dealer and with the service pack I didn't get the costs on the paperwork for the 640d and they charge £90 more for front brake pads on the 640d compared to the 330i so I was just having a rough guess at it.

Think the £200 for a basic oil service might have initially come from me! However, my last couple of BMW's have had the service pack so that number was based on what I used to pay for my E46 M3 and that's going back about 4 years now; I used to supply the oil (circa £60 from Opie IIRC) and the main dealer used to charge about £100 for doing the work plus anything else required as part of the service (so routine vehicle inspection, etc). Even allowing for inflation I couldn't see how the cost of the most basic service for a cooking 3-series could amount to more than £200 but if I'm wrong I'm wrong....

[cerb4.5lee]

JNW1 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

REALIST123 said:

Not sure where a £200 'oil service' comes from. The minor service still requires £80 or so of filters in addition to the oil and its filter.

It was just an estimate because it costs £148 for an oil service in total on the 330i at the main dealer and with the service pack I didn't get the costs on the paperwork for the 640d and they charge £90 more for front brake pads on the 640d compared to the 330i so I was just having a rough guess at it.

Think the £200 for a basic oil service might have initially come from me! However, my last couple of BMW's have had the service pack so that number was based on what I used to pay for my E46 M3 and that's going back about 4 years now; I used to supply the oil (circa £60 from Opie IIRC) and the main dealer used to charge about £100 for doing the work plus anything else required as part of the service (so routine vehicle inspection, etc). Even allowing for inflation I couldn't see how the cost of the most basic service for a cooking 3-series could amount to more than £200 but if I'm wrong I'm wrong....

I think £200 seems about right to me.

[CraigyMc]

REALIST123 said:

Not sure where a £200 'oil service' comes from. The minor service still requires £80 or so of filters in addition to the oil and its filter.

These are all prices from a BMW UK main dealer (Lancaster of milton keynes):

For BMW value service (cars 4 years and older), the oil service is £137.80 not including microfilter, or £179.00 including microfilter.
There's a "standard scope charge" (ie. plugging the car into the OBD reader) of £16.80 which is levied on the cheaper one (as part of the £137.80), but not itemised on the latter.
If you happened to be crazy, an oil and filter change (microfilter, air filter and fuel filter) with the non-optional £16.80 standard scope charge comes to £344.80.
If anyone's wondering what a microfilter is, it's BMW's way of saying "cabin air filter". It's not an engine part. It lives by the windscreen wipers - you lift the bonnet and a plastic panel to get at it.

The car this was quoted on is a 2011 (E90) BMW 320d EfficientDynamics, which is an LCI (facelift) E90 and the prices are from today - I just looked at them.

Craig

[KenC]

toon10 said:

The M135i service pack is now £600. I opted out.

According to this it is now £475 for all 1 & 2 Series. Last year the M1/235i were £550 and others £425 so it appears that it has been reduced for your car.

http://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/topics/service/service-...

[toon10]

KenC said:

toon10 said:

The M135i service pack is now £600. I opted out.

According to this it is now £475 for all 1 & 2 Series. Last year the M1/235i were £550 and others £425 so it appears that it has been reduced for your car.

http://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/topics/service/service-...

Interesting, I ordered my car last month for March/April pick up and the main dealer quoted £600 so thought it wasn't worth it.

[CraigyMc]

KenC said:

toon10 said:

The M135i service pack is now £600. I opted out.

According to this it is now £475 for all 1 & 2 Series. Last year the M1/235i were £550 and others £425 so it appears that it has been reduced for your car.

http://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/topics/service/service-...

There's a different price if you decide you want service inclusive more than 60 days after you receive the car - for the 1 series, it's £630 (versus £475 within the first 60 days)... so I wonder if you're both right.

[KenC]

toon10 said:

Interesting, I ordered my car last month for March/April pick up and the main dealer quoted £600 so thought it wasn't worth it.

Send him a copy of that link and see what he says. As far as I can see, assuming mules aren't too high, break even is year 3 and year 4 you have made a significant saving.