Used car warranty with dealer - BMW vs Merceds

mitra · 16-02-2021 4:49pm #1

Hi folks,

I've been thinking about buying a used, company approved BMW or Mercedes from an authorised dealer. I am looking to spend around €20k-22k. I could see there a good bit of options in the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class which are 2015 and 2016 reg cars with decent 80-120k kms mileage. For some reason not many 320d or C-class available.

Until sometime back I was only interested in BMWs sporty looks but the more I started looking at the Mercedes, its beautiful design is getting all over me. Not that I don't like BMW, I just started liking Mercedes a bit more.🙂

But the problem with Mercedes cars is that even if it is an approved car, the max warranty I'd be getting is just 1 year or up to 20k-40k km (whichever is earlier) depending on the dealer.

BMW is giving 2-year unlimited mileage warranty, which I think is a very good considering anything above €20k isn't small money (at least not for me 😜). As this would be the first big buy for me, I don't want to spend more money on repair cost if something breaks, at least another 2 years.

So my question is, does an additional warranty makes any difference? Are Mercedes E-class (2015-2016, I think it's called W212 Facelift) reliable enough to ignore the warranty that I'd be getting with BMW?

coylemj · 16-02-2021 5:04pm

OP, you need to dig a bit deeper and give us more information. What do those warranties cover? Are big ticket items like the alternator covered for parts and labour?

A two year warranty on a secondhand car means nothing unless you list off what is and is not covered. And search the internet for secondhand review websites to see if there have been factory recalls and/or teething problems with any of those models - anything that could put you off those vintages should be well documented by now.

mickdw · 16-02-2021 5:08pm

mitra wrote: »

Hi folks,

I've been thinking about buying a used, company approved BMW or Mercedes from an authorised dealer. I am looking to spend around €20k-22k. I could see there a good bit of options in the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class which are 2015 and 2016 reg cars with decent 80-120k kms mileage. For some reason not many 320d or C-class available.

Until sometime back I was only interested in BMWs sporty looks but the more I started looking at the Mercedes, its beautiful design is getting all over me. Not that I don't like BMW, I just started liking Mercedes a bit more.ðŸ™‚

But the problem with Mercedes cars is that even if it is an approved car, the max warranty I'd be getting is just 1 year or up to 20k-40k km (whichever is earlier) depending on the dealer.

BMW is giving 2-year unlimited mileage warranty, which I think is a very good considering anything above €20k isn't small money (at least not for me ðŸ˜œ). As this would be the first big buy for me, I don't want to spend more money on repair cost if something breaks, at least another 2 years.

So my question is, does an additional warranty makes any difference? Are Mercedes E-class (2015-2016, I think it's called W212 Facelift) reliable enough to ignore the warranty that I'd be getting with BMW?

And to further sway your opinion, bmw allow purchase of additional warranty via the dealer up to pretty high mileages whereas mercedes do not.
Both brands can go wrong so id be getting as much warranty as possible.

bazz26 · 16-02-2021 5:20pm

A 2015/2016 5 Series would be the F10 which was launched back in 2010. A 2015 E Class would be the older model which was launched back in 2010 also, a 2016 E Class would be the newer model that was launched that year. The newer E Class would be superior to the older 5 Series in regards modern tech, finish. The BMW would be more engaging to drive but the E Class would be a more comfortable place to sit in.

The two year BMW warranty is very comprehensive and will cover most major things, it's one of the better warranties you will find out there on a used car of that age especially among premium brands. I'd say reliability will be in or around the same on both. When premium cars break then tend to be expensive to fix.

mickdw · 16-02-2021 5:40pm

coylemj wrote: »

OP, you need to dig a bit deeper and give us more information. What do those warranties cover? Are big ticket items like the alternator covered for parts and labour?

A two year warranty on a secondhand car means nothing unless you list off what is and is not covered. And search the internet for secondhand review websites to see if there have been factory recalls and/or teething problems with any of those models - anything that could put you off those vintages should be well documented by now.

The bmw used car warranty is just about the best out there. Its a must really considering some of the bills bmw can throw at you.

Eric Cartman · 16-02-2021 5:47pm

mickdw wrote: »

The bmw used car warranty is just about the best out there. Its a must really considering some of the bills bmw can throw at you.

it covers turbo's and even things like the audio amplifiers which are prone to damage with water ingress to the boot.

a 2016 5 series with a 2 year warranty would be hard to beat for value OP.

And I say that as someone who really prefers the E class of that generation

mitra · 16-02-2021 5:54pm

coylemj wrote: »

OP, you need to dig a bit deeper and give us more information. What do those warranties cover? Are big ticket items like the alternator covered for parts and labour?

A two year warranty on a secondhand car means nothing unless you list off what is and is not covered. And search the internet for secondhand review websites to see if there have been factory recalls and/or teething problems with any of those models - anything that could put you off those vintages should be well documented by now.

I got an email from one of the major BMW authorised dealer in Dublin confirming 2 year warranty covers the engine, gearbox, electrics, labour in the event of same.

I did some search and there aren't any major issues with the BMW F10 afaik.

mitra · 16-02-2021 5:57pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

it covers turbo's and even things like the audio amplifiers which are prone to damage with water ingress to the boot.

a 2016 5 series with a 2 year warranty would be hard to beat for value OP.

And I say that as someone who really prefers the E class of that generation

Thanks for that! This makes it a stronger case to consider BMW.

mitra · 16-02-2021 6:03pm

bazz26 wrote: »

The two year BMW warranty is very comprehensive and will cover most major things, it's one of the better warranties you will find out there on a used car of that age especially among premium brands. I'd say reliability will be in or around the same on both. When premium cars break then tend to be expensive to fix.

Thank you! Yes, that's what even I thought. No other german brands (MB, Audi) gives a comprehensive warranty for more than a year, which I feel is very less for the money that we are paying for an approved car.

Seth Brundle · 16-02-2021 6:48pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

it covers turbo's and even things like the audio amplifiers which are prone to damage with water ingress to the boot.

a 2016 5 series with a 2 year warranty would be hard to beat for value OP.

And I say that as someone who really prefers the E class of that generation

I've just bought my second BMW with a 2 year dealer warranty. The warranty covers pretty much anything that isn't a consumable and has been said is hard to beat.
The first was on an E60 and I had the turbo replaced (without quibble) along with a couple of bits and bobs.

You do pay more for a car wth such a warranty but when I was looking for my recent purchase I was under time pressure (someone wrote off my E60) and there was nothing of similar quality to the car I bought so it became a no-brainer for me.

kermitpwee · 16-02-2021 6:48pm

What are you currently driving?

Eric Cartman · 17-02-2021 10:02am

https://approvedused.bmw.ie/vehicle/202009234103689

520d , 2016 with 50k miles and the luxury pack and a few other toys, hard to beat

kermitpwee · 17-02-2021 10:18am

At your budget you are getting a very dated looking BMW imo.
I wouldn't rule out a high spec Superb, Volvo S90, Lexus Gs300h either.
If your heart is set on the BMW fair enough.
There not as good as people say but not as bad as people say.

FlubberJones · 17-02-2021 10:26am

I'm in a similar position, looking at 171 Mercedes GLA and this is the 24 month warranty I can add to the purchase of the car, seems fairly comprehensive.

At €450 to add on to the overall price I feel it's something I should be doing

kirving · 17-02-2021 12:49pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

it covers turbo's and even things like the audio amplifiers which are prone to damage with water ingress to the boot.

a 2016 5 series with a 2 year warranty would be hard to beat for value OP.

And I say that as someone who really prefers the E class of that generation

I much prefer, and had an E class of that generation - and I fully agree on choosing a BMW for the warranty alone.

That said though, I had only one issue, which cost €1700 to fix That's on the mid-upper end of the spectrum as failures go - only a Gearbox or engine would have cost more really. A car with a warranty would have cost much much more than €1700 extra.

bazz26 · 17-02-2021 1:57pm

A BMW timing chain replacement would cost you a lot more than 1700 from a main dealer if you were paying for it yourself. Even more so if the chain let go and destroyed the engine too. There are many other things that are expensive that can go wrong too. The premium H/K sound system amplifier in the boot will cost you the bones of 2k from BMW if it gets damaged by a water leak.

kirving · 17-02-2021 2:59pm

As said, the BMW is the better choice due to the available manufacturers warranty. Was the timing still an issue with the BMW by 15/16?

I'm not aware of common, big ticket failures on the Merc OM651 engine, at least not as commonly published ones.

Realistically, what is the maximum cost of a very major repair vs. what premium do you pay for a manufacturer warranty?

bazz26 · 17-02-2021 3:09pm

Nobody can predict what might or might not fail on a used car especially a premium one. The cost and peace of mind in the warranty is obviously built into the price of the car. It's up to the individual to decide if it's worth it or not. You might get good use from that warranty or you might not. You pay or don't pay and take your chances.

mitra · 17-02-2021 4:32pm

FlubberJones wrote: »

I'm in a similar position, looking at 171 Mercedes GLA and this is the 24 month warranty I can add to the purchase of the car, seems fairly comprehensive.

At €450 to add on to the overall price I feel it's something I should be doing

This looks like pretty comprehensive coverage!! May I please know where did yo get this additional warranty? Is this with authorised dealer on an approved car?

I had a chat with Connelly Galway and they are giving only 1 year or 20K kms warranty and there is no additional warranty that i can buy. The sales told me that I can buy outside, but they don't have any recommendation.

mitra · 17-02-2021 4:45pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

https://approvedused.bmw.ie/vehicle/202009234103689

520d , 2016 with 50k miles and the luxury pack and a few other toys, hard to beat

That's a lovely car!

Sorry to digress from the original discussion. I was looking at this 520d one which has decent mileage and within my budget -

I liked the exterior paint colour but the interior upholstery colour (Cinnamon Brown Dakota leather) isn't very appealing. My wife likes it though, so I don't mind shortlisting it.
However I'm planning to keep it for around 3 yrs, so I'm also looking at the resale point of view. I'd like to know what others think about this interior colour? Does looks odd or is it a desirable colour?

Sorry, pls let me know if this needs to be on another thread as this is slightly off-topic form the original question.

FlubberJones · 17-02-2021 5:02pm

mitra wrote: »

This looks like pretty comprehensive coverage!! May I please know where did yo get this additional warranty? Is this with authorised dealer on an approved car?

I had a chat with Connelly Galway and they are giving only 1 year or 20K kms warranty and there is no additional warranty that i can buy. The sales told me that I can buy outside, but they don't have any recommendation.

This is an Nissan dealer who is selling a Mercedes used, but the warranty is fine and covers the most tings that will need it

bazz26 · 17-02-2021 5:09pm

Hard to know from those pictures, it could be the light/shadow but the seats look a little grubby to me. That colour leather is normally nice but some people just don't like it. Regarding resale value, it's going to be an 8 year old car so I wouldn't get too hung up on resale values at that point, these cars tend to depreciate heavily in the early years and then slow down a bit as the years get on.

Seth Brundle · 17-02-2021 5:18pm

That's a nice car. However, the leather isn't for me.

mickdw · 17-02-2021 5:24pm

FlubberJones wrote: »

I'm in a similar position, looking at 171 Mercedes GLA and this is the 24 month warranty I can add to the purchase of the car, seems fairly comprehensive.

At €450 to add on to the overall price I feel it's something I should be doing

Those warranties are useful but nowhere near what bmw offer with their Approved used car warranty.
Take the exclusions as listed on your warranty - wiring and wiring looms excluded.
So you go in with for repair with some random system failure on your mercedes.
You wont know whether its covered or not as it could be a wiring issue for example. You give the go ahead for diagnostic. Dealer reports it looks like a sensor - should be covered. sensor replaced and fault remains - dealer puts many more hours into it in diagnostic - eventually finds that the issue was a damaged loom.
No cover for repair. Big headache.

mickdw · 17-02-2021 5:25pm

mitra wrote: »

That's a lovely car!

Sorry to digress from the original discussion. I was looking at this 520d one which has decent mileage and within my budget -

I liked the exterior paint colour but the interior upholstery colour (Cinnamon Brown Dakota leather) isn't very appealing. My wife likes it though, so I don't mind shortlisting it.
However I'm planning to keep it for around 3 yrs, so I'm also looking at the resale point of view. I'd like to know what others think about this interior colour? Does looks odd or is it a desirable colour?

Sorry, pls let me know if this needs to be on another thread as this is slightly off-topic form the original question.

I wouldnt buy a car with that interior but some people love it.
Overall its probably a negative in terms of resale.

FlubberJones · 17-02-2021 6:26pm

mickdw wrote: »

Those warranties are useful but nowhere near what bmw offer with their Approved used car warranty.
Take the exclusions as listed on your warranty - wiring and wiring looms excluded.
So you go in with for repair with some random system failure on your mercedes.
You wont know whether its covered or not as it could be a wiring issue for example. You give the go ahead for diagnostic. Dealer reports it looks like a sensor - should be covered. sensor replaced and fault remains - dealer puts many more hours into it in diagnostic - eventually finds that the issue was a damaged loom.
No cover for repair. Big headache.

I see your point but it's better than actually having a 12 month warranty, and for only 450 it does add to the peace of mind

mickdw · 17-02-2021 6:36pm

FlubberJones wrote: »

I see your point but it's better than actually having a 12 month warranty, and for only 450 it does add to the peace of mind

Ya, its certainly better have it than not.

Casati · 17-02-2021 8:08pm

mitra wrote: »

That's a lovely car!

Sorry to digress from the original discussion. I was looking at this 520d one which has decent mileage and within my budget -

I liked the exterior paint colour but the interior upholstery colour (Cinnamon Brown Dakota leather) isn't very appealing. My wife likes it though, so I don't mind shortlisting it.
However I'm planning to keep it for around 3 yrs, so I'm also looking at the resale point of view. I'd like to know what others think about this interior colour? Does looks odd or is it a desirable colour?

Sorry, pls let me know if this needs to be on another thread as this is slightly off-topic form the original question.

It’s a different interior option for sure and not for everybody but if you like it that’s all that matters.

That car isn’t bad value with 2 years warranty and 100km on the clock but a lot of the approved used are v dear and it could be cheaper to buy one elsewhere and pay for the BMW warranty separately which I think is feasible if the car has less than 150k on the clock

mitra · 17-02-2021 11:22pm

Casati wrote: »

It’s a different interior option for sure and not for everybody but if you like it that’s all that matters.

That car isn’t bad value with 2 years warranty and 100km on the clock but a lot of the approved used are v dear and it could be cheaper to buy one elsewhere and pay for the BMW warranty separately which I think is feasible if the car has less than 150k on the clock

Didn't know that they also sell just the warranty even on a non approved cars!? That'd be a good option.

Back Home · 17-02-2021 11:32pm

Buy a Lexus Hybrid and forget about warranty

Casati · 17-02-2021 11:34pm

mitra wrote: »

Didn't know that they also sell just the warranty even on a non approved cars!? That'd be a good option.

Im fairly sure they do but I understand the best option is to try to get a car where the BMW warranty is expiring- others will know more but as long as the car has less than 150k (km's) I think you can extend it

Used car warranty with dealer - BMW vs Merceds

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