2009 BMW M3 Sedan: 1,200-Mile Service

Not free, built into the cost of the car for normal people. It is only free to you because you didn't buy the car and therefore didn't pay for the maintenance up front.

1200 mile oil change? That's kind of unusual, isn't it? Don't most manufacturers say it's best not to change the oil too soon in a new engine so that the oil and stuff in the oil has time to work its way through all the parts fully? Or are high performance BMWs just that special that they have to make their owners feel prestigious by having an odd extra early oil change?

I changed my oil at 1500 (close enough to 1200) too. It cost me $15 and took 30 minutes. I'll take that over your $0 (ignoring the price of the emblem) and four hours. Is your time really worth $5/hr?

brn...try buying 9 or 10 quarts of 10w60 and a fleece oil filter. I'd guess that the oil filters are about $10 each minimum when purchased in bulk. Who knows how much the differential fluid costs. Not to mention they'd get a service loaner if they asked, and I'm assuming the car is washed, dried, vacuumed, and has the dashboard cleaned off gratis. Probably won't need another service for at least 12,000 miles? Not sure about the M cars...

And brn, they'll also replace the wiper blades (worth about $50 for the pair) if you mention it, top off all the other fluids and reset the tire pressures to factory specs. My BMW dealer actually hand washes, dries, and vacuums my cars when I bring them in for scheduled maintenance.

When they say "Ultimate Service" they really mean it. I've never had a problem with getting the car serviced and picking up a loaner, even if it was an extra busy day and I didn't have an appointment.

I asked one day, and turns out if you really wanted to, you could take your car in when it's low on wiper fluid and have them fill it for you. Now that's a bit too much for me, and not worth the 5 mile drive as opposed to the 2 blocks to target and 1.65 for the gallon of fluid.

"Not free, built into the cost of the car for normal people. It is only free to you because you didn't buy the car and therefore didn't pay for the maintenance up front."

I'd much rather have my maintenance set up this way. My upcoming MINI service is going to be a hefty one - I'd rather be paying for that in my monthly payment then saving up the cash for the actual day of. Its just more convenient.

If you finance a car you are basically financing the "free" maintenance costs upfront. Its less hassle, but you arent getting anything for free. I would hope that any luxury car dealer would wash a vacuum your car after a service visit. Lets not forget how expensive these cars are. They are not doing you any favors, they are doing what is expected. Fluid top offs are standard at many dealers when you go in for service.

To clarify, it wasn't me doing the work. It was the dealer. They did top off fluids, check pressures, etc. They even washed the car.

My issue is that mine took 30 minutes. Similar service at your BMW dealer took 4 hours? That seems excessive.

4 hours is forever for that kind of service.

That's why I hate going to the dealer for service.

Re. "I believe BMW's Service Centers are really what makes the brand excel above their competitors Asian, and European."

Really? 4 hours to change engine and gear oil?? That really DOES set them apart from Asian brands I have experience with. Wonder how much that would cost when you are out of the initial warranty / service plan period? Could be one scary oil change.

My Nissan dealer washes my car and tops off fluid. No vacuuming of the interior, though. Then again, I don't have to wait 4 hours for an oil change.

I've never seen BMW at the top of dealer satisfaction surveys. Lexus yes, BMW no. I'm sure its better than average but great service is kind of expected on cars that cost well over $40k.

a lot of people who don't believe in free maintenance program have no idea how much it costs to maintain these cars. sure you pay a lot for a bmw, but so do you for audi or mercedes or lexus, and none of them come with free maintenance.

My lowly Infiniti dealer offers all of the mentioned perks (free loaner car, free wash/vacuum, etc). Yes, I have to pay for the maintenance, but it's not expensive and I'll still come out WAY ahead compared to buying a comparable 335 with "free" maintenance. If you love the way BMWs drive and the prestige of the emblem, then go for it. But listing "free" maintenance as a significant benefit of buying a BMW is absurd.

@ bloodyr: We have a G35 and every time I've taken in it for service I have received top notch service. Loaner, snacks and yes a wash and vacuum.

Now don't get me wrong not having to pay for maint at major mileage intervals is great, as the cost has already been absorbed into your monthly payments. That is if you lease. Buying is an entirely different scenario considering similarly equipped vehicles, such as the 335i and G37, have a huge price difference (i.e. nearly 15K).

"sure you pay a lot for a bmw, but so do you for audi or mercedes or lexus, and none of them come with free maintenance. "

BMWs dont require many maintenance visits. If we assume $150 per visit for oil change and top off and 3 visits that is $450 in 50k miles. Over the course of 4 years that is not much money if you are driving a $50k car. I do agree that luxury car maintenance costs are ridiculous in general. VW has free maintenance now I believe. Saab had it and then dropped it.

I can't believe I'm the first to say this: 10W-60, WTH?!

Dude, BB. Most ///M cars use 10W-60 Castrol TWS.

I say "most" because the dealership can use BMW's Castrol 5W-30 on M vehicles, too. BMWNA actually recommends it for the E39 M5 (and Z8 with the same engine).

http://www.linquist.net/system/files/Service_Checklist_2002_US.pdf

Yeah 10w60 is motorsports oil. These are motorsports engines pushing over 100hp/liter NA. Putting anything other than 10w60 in the e46 anyway, results in buying a new engine.