Dealer vs Indie vs DIY
#11
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Nowadays, with this economy, I was going to suggest a Hyundai Gensis Coupe.
It has all the electronics and power required, It is beautiful and most importantly, THE WARRANTY IS GREAT and the price is 1/2 of any German car of such caliber.
I also saw an ad about Hyundai cars dealers would give you an EXACT estimate on how much they would buy the car from you if you plan to buy it and return it after x years ( I am not sure about this, I was at a sports-bar and wasn't really focusing on the ad, just glanced at it).
It has all the electronics and power required, It is beautiful and most importantly, THE WARRANTY IS GREAT and the price is 1/2 of any German car of such caliber.
I also saw an ad about Hyundai cars dealers would give you an EXACT estimate on how much they would buy the car from you if you plan to buy it and return it after x years ( I am not sure about this, I was at a sports-bar and wasn't really focusing on the ad, just glanced at it).
#12
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My Ride: 02/2006 525i Titanium Silver Metallic
Manual 6-Speed
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I have just under one year left on my CPO warranty... I can't help but question whether I should be spending $$$ on mods, or saving my $$$ for out of warranty repairs.
Or...Just drive it, have fun with it, and in 11 months SELL it before the warranty runs out.
IDK guys, it seems like owning a E60 out of warranty for the long haul is rare and risky. Just the constant worrying for something expensive to need fixing/replacement is STRESS.
V, I'm sure you love your E60, but you must be so pissed/heart broken this happened with the car still so young.
Shit, I would be LIVID!
If you are considering something non BMW, I gotta tell ya I agree with Bteljuice about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. (the 3.8 one tho) I test drove the 2.0T version, and it was seriously disappointing. However my friend says there are tons of performance mods for the 2.0T engine set up that aren't too bad on your wallet, and return pretty good power gains.
Anyway the new Hyundai's are great cars. I owned a new 09 Sonata for 2 years. Great car! Not BMW by any standards, and definitely a bore to drive, but still a great car none the less. The only money I spent on that car was gas
. And doing a DIY oil change is a piece of cake.
Good luck man!
![Unsure](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/unsure.gif)
IDK guys, it seems like owning a E60 out of warranty for the long haul is rare and risky. Just the constant worrying for something expensive to need fixing/replacement is STRESS.
![Wacko](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/wacko.gif)
V, I'm sure you love your E60, but you must be so pissed/heart broken this happened with the car still so young.
![Angry](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/angry.gif)
If you are considering something non BMW, I gotta tell ya I agree with Bteljuice about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. (the 3.8 one tho) I test drove the 2.0T version, and it was seriously disappointing. However my friend says there are tons of performance mods for the 2.0T engine set up that aren't too bad on your wallet, and return pretty good power gains.
Anyway the new Hyundai's are great cars. I owned a new 09 Sonata for 2 years. Great car! Not BMW by any standards, and definitely a bore to drive, but still a great car none the less. The only money I spent on that car was gas
![Thumbsup](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/thumbsup.gif)
Good luck man!
#13
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My Ride: 2006 525XI, Jet black on Dakota beige. Premium and winter packages. I consider myself a purist and intend to keep my car absolutely stock and shiny.
2008 328I Convertible, Sapphire black on beige interior. Premium package, NAV, iPod adapter.
Retired: 2002 325I, Titanium silver on black leather. Premium package. Absolutely stock and proud of it.
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Since I got this overheat message, I've been re-evaluating my approach to maintaining the car, while avoiding BMW dealerships at all costs. While my original reason for avoiding them is still there - most dealers are "stealers", they will charge 200 bucks to press a reset button and let the computer run the program for an hour or two, etc - I realize (or maybe I hope?) that there must be some honest competent dealers out there. Another reason for avoiding the dealerships has been, of course, the cost itself - I don't believe in aftermarket warranties, and am a testament to the fact that they aren't necessary. I would have spent considerably more on aftermarket warranties + deductibles over the time I've had this car, than I paid in repairs out of my own pocket. What I'm thinking now occasionally: if my indie charges a thousand for a job that would cost 20-30% more at the dealer, maybe I'd rather overpay a little to have the car serviced the way it is supposed to be... even if I download every single TIS and have all the work done "by the book", a dealer, who sees hundreds of these cars every week, is still a better specialist, no?
![Think](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/think.gif)
Can you guys point out the holes in my theory? If anyone can recommend a New York area dealership - preferably, with a specific friendly reliable contact in mind, if possible - I would sure appreciate it. When my car was still under warranty, I used to take it to the BMW of Manhattan, and they were actually decent to me. But since the warranty ran out, I've been roughing it in the indie slums.
![Think](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/think.gif)
Can you guys point out the holes in my theory? If anyone can recommend a New York area dealership - preferably, with a specific friendly reliable contact in mind, if possible - I would sure appreciate it. When my car was still under warranty, I used to take it to the BMW of Manhattan, and they were actually decent to me. But since the warranty ran out, I've been roughing it in the indie slums.
Basically for me, pure mechanical work (brakes, shocks, mufflers, fluids, radiator, water pump, thermostat, etc.) gets done at the indie. Any computer related warning gets taken care of at the dealer. I just don't want my car fixed by trial and error. I want to go to a place that has the right tools to diagnose and take care of the problem the first time around.
DYI is out of the question. I enjoy driving cars and I hate being under cars.
#14
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My Ride: Alpine White 2006 530Xi (SLD)
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Nowadays, with this economy, I was going to suggest a Hyundai Gensis Coupe.
It has all the electronics and power required, It is beautiful and most importantly, THE WARRANTY IS GREAT and the price is 1/2 of any German car of such caliber.
I also saw an ad about Hyundai cars dealers would give you an EXACT estimate on how much they would buy the car from you if you plan to buy it and return it after x years ( I am not sure about this, I was at a sports-bar and wasn't really focusing on the ad, just glanced at it).
It has all the electronics and power required, It is beautiful and most importantly, THE WARRANTY IS GREAT and the price is 1/2 of any German car of such caliber.
I also saw an ad about Hyundai cars dealers would give you an EXACT estimate on how much they would buy the car from you if you plan to buy it and return it after x years ( I am not sure about this, I was at a sports-bar and wasn't really focusing on the ad, just glanced at it).
![Wink](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/wink.gif)
I have just under one year left on my CPO warranty... I can't help but question whether I should be spending $ on mods, or saving my $ for out of warranty repairs.
Or...Just drive it, have fun with it, and in 11 months SELL it before the warranty runs out.
IDK guys, it seems like owning a E60 out of warranty for the long haul is rare and risky. Just the constant worrying for something expensive to need fixing/replacement is STRESS.
V, I'm sure you love your E60, but you must be so pissed/heart broken this happened with the car still so young.
Shit, I would be LIVID!
If you are considering something non BMW, I gotta tell ya I agree with Bteljuice about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. (the 3.8 one tho) I test drove the 2.0T version, and it was seriously disappointing. However my friend says there are tons of performance mods for the 2.0T engine set up that aren't too bad on your wallet, and return pretty good power gains.
Anyway the new Hyundai's are great cars. I owned a new 09 Sonata for 2 years. Great car! Not BMW by any standards, and definitely a bore to drive, but still a great car none the less. The only money I spent on that car was gas
. And doing a DIY oil change is a piece of cake.
Good luck man!
![Unsure](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/unsure.gif)
IDK guys, it seems like owning a E60 out of warranty for the long haul is rare and risky. Just the constant worrying for something expensive to need fixing/replacement is STRESS.
![Wacko](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/wacko.gif)
V, I'm sure you love your E60, but you must be so pissed/heart broken this happened with the car still so young.
![Angry](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/angry.gif)
If you are considering something non BMW, I gotta tell ya I agree with Bteljuice about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. (the 3.8 one tho) I test drove the 2.0T version, and it was seriously disappointing. However my friend says there are tons of performance mods for the 2.0T engine set up that aren't too bad on your wallet, and return pretty good power gains.
Anyway the new Hyundai's are great cars. I owned a new 09 Sonata for 2 years. Great car! Not BMW by any standards, and definitely a bore to drive, but still a great car none the less. The only money I spent on that car was gas
![Thumbsup](https://5series.net/forums/images/smilies/imported/thumbsup.gif)
Good luck man!
After the warranty period expires, all my BMWs have gone to an independent BMW shop. The reason is plain and simple, money. However, there are certain instances where going to a dealer is still a must. I've not had any experience with this yet, but I believe that anytime the yellow "check engine" light comes on, I might consider the dealer. The independents just don't have the computers and software that cost in the $100K+ range, and the reason, btw, why the dealers need to charge $200 to hit a button and run the software.
Basically for me, pure mechanical work (brakes, shocks, mufflers, fluids, radiator, water pump, thermostat, etc.) gets done at the indie. Any computer related warning gets taken care of at the dealer. I just don't want my car fixed by trial and error. I want to go to a place that has the right tools to diagnose and take care of the problem the first time around.
DYI is out of the question. I enjoy driving cars and I hate being under cars.
Basically for me, pure mechanical work (brakes, shocks, mufflers, fluids, radiator, water pump, thermostat, etc.) gets done at the indie. Any computer related warning gets taken care of at the dealer. I just don't want my car fixed by trial and error. I want to go to a place that has the right tools to diagnose and take care of the problem the first time around.
DYI is out of the question. I enjoy driving cars and I hate being under cars.
PS Two indies so far misdiagnosed the oil in the coolant issue, while a member on this forum was able to point to it without even seeing the car. This, to me, means that indies are definitely not any more trustworthy, than a good old DIY. Dealer experience - remains to be seen. The dealers that I have dealt with were difference - one was a solid B, another was a C and the third - a big fat F. But that was all for minor stuff and warranty repairs - I'm bettin' that when I'm paying out of my own pocket, I'll be getting a better idea of whether it is worth it to overpay or not.
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