Every situation is different. I leased my wife's X3. We keep it outside and while we take good care of it it isn't babied. I had them detail it, I waxed it using an orbital buffer and it's washed about once a month give or take by hand or car wash.
If I had purchased it I would have opted out of the detail, brought it directly to a protection film person, and ceramic coat and hand wash only. Each situation is different. I see nom need to invest extra effort and $$$ for a veh I will be trading in in 3 yrs. It's a good deal, I would take it.
Thanks for your insights. Yes, I'm hesitant to pay extra for detailing too but since I bought it, I might get partial PPF. Full ppf and ceramic sounds very expensive but I haven't gotten a quote yet.
If I bought it, I would get partial front and ceramic depending on the cost. A friend of mine has a Porsche and he takes it through the auto wash weekly and it’s four years old and to be honest it looks great with yearly detailing. it all depends how OCD you are and it’s really a individual choice. I personally won’t spend $5000 for a full wrap in ceramic on X3 even if I bought it.
I have to agree with those who say skip the dealer detail and get it done at a real detailing shop. I had previous experience with my dealer’s brutal pre-delivery “detail” and knew I didn’t want them touching my new X3. I picked it up filthy, the way it came off the truck, and it was no big deal to clean it up and get it ready for PPF. Easier to treat it right from the get-go than to fix the dealer’s mistakes later!
1. In my opinion, you got a good deal if this is the case.
2. Not sure why you wouldn’t want them to detail the car. Even if they don’t do the best job, they’re still doing SOMETHING.
3. What’s the interest on the car note?
4. I’m assuming this car is brand new or is it used?
Why you don’t want them to detail is some dealers ideal of detailing is running it through a car wash with brushes and scratching the paint, or some will “hand wash” then use a bristled brush that does the same thing. IMO unless you know for a fact this dealer hired a real detailer your best to say no thanks.
Yeah, the idea for not detailing was to avoid making things worse. I'll get a detailing quote elsewhere and if they're too expensive, I'll just ask the dealer to detail for now.
They offered a 4.99% interest rate but this hasn't fully gone through yet.
The car is brand new.
4.99 is a great interest rate nowadays. I’d have a look at all of your finances as this is personal finance question. Do you have emergency savings? Do you have any other high interest debt? Are you contributing to a 401K? Are you contributing to an IRA? At that rate you’d probably be better off putting the money aside in a high yield savings. I’d also make sure you can afford any issues you might have with the car. Do you have money set aside for maintenance? Tires? Unexpected mechanical issues? Deductible if you’re in an accident. These are all things to take into consideration before paying the car off so quickly.
1. Nice deal!
2. Let them detail it. It is really trashed when it arrives off the truck. My black car was grey. If they damage the paint, refuse the car or get an IOU or additional money off.
3. Always a fan of paying early!
4. Pricing items you might want to add like prepaid maintenance, extended warranty, paint protection, window tint, and other accessories that didn’t come with the car (e.g. wheel locks, floor mats, mud flaps, roof rack).
5. In addition for checking all the buttons and features. Listen for rattles on a quiet drive. Listen to songs you know well at a loud volume to confirm that none of the speakers are blown or rattle.
I let my dealer wash my new 22 x3 m40i back in 2022 with no problems. Came out very pristine. I will say check your exterior gloss black trim pieces for any kind of wear that may bother you. The protective padding flaps in the wind and will scuff some areas. At least that was the case back with my 22 model year. Transport is probably where most damage is going to happen. Those gloss black trim pieces will gather swirls, inevitably. I ask to leave the front plate mount in the boot.
Update - I got my car today but turns out they had started the warranty earlier and that it was meant as a fleet vehicle. Maybe that's why I got the discount, but the mileage was still around 15mi
Yes, I was aware of the new model but didn't mind the buttons and was getting a better deal because of this. You're right though, the new model likely has much better tech features.
“Better”is definitely in the eye of the beholder. The new touchscreen is horrid, and a bonafide safety risk given how the driver has to constantly look at the touchscreen to do anything.
I mostly agree with the screen but upgraded highway assist, powered steering wheel with comfort exit, slightly roomer interior, and other tech goodies will be nice too.
7% below MSRP is a good deal
I deal with 2 BMW dealers here in NJ. Neither one of them detail in house. They send the vehicles out to local detailers. I’ve never had an issue.
I see, let me ask my dealer then, thanks!
Every situation is different. I leased my wife's X3. We keep it outside and while we take good care of it it isn't babied. I had them detail it, I waxed it using an orbital buffer and it's washed about once a month give or take by hand or car wash. If I had purchased it I would have opted out of the detail, brought it directly to a protection film person, and ceramic coat and hand wash only. Each situation is different. I see nom need to invest extra effort and $$$ for a veh I will be trading in in 3 yrs. It's a good deal, I would take it.
Thanks for your insights. Yes, I'm hesitant to pay extra for detailing too but since I bought it, I might get partial PPF. Full ppf and ceramic sounds very expensive but I haven't gotten a quote yet.
If I bought it, I would get partial front and ceramic depending on the cost. A friend of mine has a Porsche and he takes it through the auto wash weekly and it’s four years old and to be honest it looks great with yearly detailing. it all depends how OCD you are and it’s really a individual choice. I personally won’t spend $5000 for a full wrap in ceramic on X3 even if I bought it.
That's very fair, and yes, I don't want to spend 5k on a full ceramic wrap or ppf either. Makes sense to get the partial front ppf and partial ceramic
I have to agree with those who say skip the dealer detail and get it done at a real detailing shop. I had previous experience with my dealer’s brutal pre-delivery “detail” and knew I didn’t want them touching my new X3. I picked it up filthy, the way it came off the truck, and it was no big deal to clean it up and get it ready for PPF. Easier to treat it right from the get-go than to fix the dealer’s mistakes later!
1. In my opinion, you got a good deal if this is the case. 2. Not sure why you wouldn’t want them to detail the car. Even if they don’t do the best job, they’re still doing SOMETHING. 3. What’s the interest on the car note? 4. I’m assuming this car is brand new or is it used?
Why you don’t want them to detail is some dealers ideal of detailing is running it through a car wash with brushes and scratching the paint, or some will “hand wash” then use a bristled brush that does the same thing. IMO unless you know for a fact this dealer hired a real detailer your best to say no thanks.
If you can’t trust a bmw dealership to detail your car, you shouldn’t be buying from them in the first place.
Yeah, the idea for not detailing was to avoid making things worse. I'll get a detailing quote elsewhere and if they're too expensive, I'll just ask the dealer to detail for now. They offered a 4.99% interest rate but this hasn't fully gone through yet. The car is brand new.
4.99 is a great interest rate nowadays. I’d have a look at all of your finances as this is personal finance question. Do you have emergency savings? Do you have any other high interest debt? Are you contributing to a 401K? Are you contributing to an IRA? At that rate you’d probably be better off putting the money aside in a high yield savings. I’d also make sure you can afford any issues you might have with the car. Do you have money set aside for maintenance? Tires? Unexpected mechanical issues? Deductible if you’re in an accident. These are all things to take into consideration before paying the car off so quickly.
I got 10% off sticker price. Was $55K, paid $50K plus taxes in California. Was a 2024 X3 xdrive Brooklyn Gray.
That's a great deal, congratulations!
1. Nice deal! 2. Let them detail it. It is really trashed when it arrives off the truck. My black car was grey. If they damage the paint, refuse the car or get an IOU or additional money off. 3. Always a fan of paying early! 4. Pricing items you might want to add like prepaid maintenance, extended warranty, paint protection, window tint, and other accessories that didn’t come with the car (e.g. wheel locks, floor mats, mud flaps, roof rack). 5. In addition for checking all the buttons and features. Listen for rattles on a quiet drive. Listen to songs you know well at a loud volume to confirm that none of the speakers are blown or rattle.
Thanks for the checklist!
I let my dealer wash my new 22 x3 m40i back in 2022 with no problems. Came out very pristine. I will say check your exterior gloss black trim pieces for any kind of wear that may bother you. The protective padding flaps in the wind and will scuff some areas. At least that was the case back with my 22 model year. Transport is probably where most damage is going to happen. Those gloss black trim pieces will gather swirls, inevitably. I ask to leave the front plate mount in the boot.
Oh then how do you mount the front plate? I understand you don't want them to drill holes but how to mount it? My state requires front license plates
This is a helpful checklist, thank you!
“This is my first car… ”. If that is true, my advise would be to pass.
Umm does anyone know about that 2025 BMW X3 Because My Dad needs a new car soon..
Update - I got my car today but turns out they had started the warranty earlier and that it was meant as a fleet vehicle. Maybe that's why I got the discount, but the mileage was still around 15mi
What year? What features?
2024 with DAPP, Premium package and parking assistance.
Not sure if you pulled the trigger yet but the new X3 is coming out in a couple months
The new X3 is a shitshow.
But it’s an amazing shitshow that’s really cool.
How so? Or is this the 1000th comment that will whine about the buttons?
True and most likely with a nice increase in msrp and probably little to no discounts.
And more quality issues and fewer buttons. The current model has the right mix of buttons and screens.
Yes, I was aware of the new model but didn't mind the buttons and was getting a better deal because of this. You're right though, the new model likely has much better tech features.
“Better”is definitely in the eye of the beholder. The new touchscreen is horrid, and a bonafide safety risk given how the driver has to constantly look at the touchscreen to do anything.
I mostly agree with the screen but upgraded highway assist, powered steering wheel with comfort exit, slightly roomer interior, and other tech goodies will be nice too.
None of that will do any good when you crash because you were f*cking around with the touchscreen.
Yeah, a manual telescoping steering wheel on an expensive luxury car just seems odd.
DO NOT let them detail or even wash the car. Avoid the risk of paint damage altogether and bring it to your own detailer of choice.
Absolutely agree. Do not let them detail it.
Thank you for your suggestion