I really love the acura tl and having a debate between the tl and BMW 3 series. BMW is offering free maintenance for years meaning oil changes, brake changes, etc up to 5years for free. I think this could make the BMW cheaper in the long run t own. I can't figure out what it will cost to maintain the TL cuz the dealer won't tell me much. what is the maintenance on the TL in terms of radiator fluid change, ATF fluid change, brake fluid change and their costs?

 

BMW is not the only firm doing so, tons of European companies are, too.

They may cover your service fee, you still need to pay fee of brake pads and all other materials though... ?

 

i am an current bmw owner awaiting my new TL. the reason why they are giving away free maintenance is because their cars need it. there are constant little things that have to be changed that require you to come in. don't get me wrong i love BMW's and always will but for the price you pay they should be more maintenance free. at this point in my life i do not have the time or patience to constantly bring the car in for either scheduled maintenance or replace minor parts. the japanese cars just tend to need less of this and that is why you do not see any japanese car company giving away free maintenance.

 

With your BMW, did they pay for all maintence for life of a car or just years? Did you think that getting a BMW with free maintenace ove Acura TL without maintenence is a good deal?

 

I had a friend who bought a 2001 328i and he had his tires and brake pads replaced for free. He says that he can get them replaced as many times as necessary. Not sure how, but I guess that's their maintenance thing...

 

BMW says...

Full Maintenance Program covers all factory-recommended maintenance, as determined by the Service Interval Indicator for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Full Maintenance Program includes items that need replacement due to normal wear and tear, provided wear and tear exceeds BMW's specifications. This includes items such as brake pads, brake rotors and wiper blades that are not covered by the original New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Any adjustments required due to normal operating conditions are also included. For exclusions and limitations, refer to the Service and Warranty Informaiton booklet that came with your new BMW, or see your local authorized BMW or BMW SAV center for details.



Have you posted your questions to BMW forum? They should have better answers for you... :wow:

 

Thats kind of a nice thing...I too was tempted by included maintenance when looking at a BMW and Audi. I do not find that Acura's require a ton of regular work, but the major and minor services are a freaking rip off....I have never actually done a full one of those services with Acura as non-dealers tend to charge way less

 

i bought my bmw used and this program did not exist back then. so i had to pay for it everytime i had to fix something and believe me its not cheap for bmw parts. if you are really deciding between the bmw and the TL make sure you find out exactly what the free maintenance entitles you to. it also depends on if you plan on keeping the car for long. after the warranty expires it will become alot more expensive to fix the car. i can't say honestly mechanically that one is a better deal than the other because both of the cars are new and the warranty will cover things that need to be fixed. but from my experience my bmw constantly needs things repaired and i do not want to do that anymore.

 

One question:

- How do we find Certified Acura Repairshops that know what they are doing, and can do our major/minor maintenance at a cheaper rate ?

BTW:
Acura rate = $70.00 /hr
BMW rate = $99.50 /hr (posted at their service dept)