bimmer96

Hi,

Thanks to the members who have answered my questions on this forum. I finally pulled the trigger yesterday to buy a G63 after locating and haggling the ADM with a local dealership in NorCal. I was excited about signing off the paperwork yesterday and waiting for the funds to arrive so I can take the car home.

Before signing off the paperwork, the dealership offers a few coverages and wants your valuable advice. Please comment on each that I am interested in getting:
1) MB Extended warranty - 72 months for $10,995.
2) MB Maintenance - 48 months for $4,120.
3) MB Tire and Wheel - 36 months for $4,995.

Are these worth getting? Can I find a better deal elsewhere?

Thanks for your help!

slk320

How long do you plan on keeping the car?

Are you financing it, buying it outright or leasing?

Do you have a good indi shop that can handle routine oil changes and filter changes and such in your area? (I have one close to me that will do an oil change, basic A and B services for around 100-150 bucks a pop - so the routine Maintenace would not make sense to me - but might to you)

Wheel and tire package is likely the only one I would consider, because tires catch nails and such and they are expensive to buy.

bimmer96

I bought it outright and am considering keeping the car for at least 3-5 years. For the extended warranty, i consider it because it's 100% refundable and what if i keep the car over 5 years.

For the oil change, I might be able to do it myself, but I am not sure about services A and B. What is consist in the basic A and B?

slk320

From Mercedes:

What is Mercedes-Benz Service A?

Mercedes-Benz Service A is recommended after 10,000 miles or 1 year after you purchase your 2009 and newer Mercedes-Benz. The Service A checklist includes:

• Mercedes-Benz Synthetic Motor Oil Replacement
• Oil Filter Replacement
• All fluid level checks and corrections are dependent on Mercedes-Benz maintenance schedule intervals for your vehicle’s year and model.
• Tire inflation check and correction.
• Brake Component Inspection.
• Reset Maintenance Counter.

What is Mercedes-Benz Service B?

Mercedes-Benz Service B is recommended every 10,000 miles or 12-months after your Service A, for 2009 and newer Mercedes-Benz. The Service B checklist includes:

• Mercedes-Benz Synthetic Motor Oil Replacement
• Oil Filter Replacement
• All fluid level checks and corrections are dependent on Mercedes-Benz maintenance schedule intervals for your vehicle’s year and model.
• Tire inflation check and correction.
• Brake Component Inspection.
• Reset Maintenance Counter.
• Cabin Dust/Combination Filter Replacement
• Brake Fluid Exchange

Hodog16

The extended warranty is refundable but not 100%. There is an initial period you can cancel and get 100% back (30 days? Not sure), but after that you'll get a pro-rated refund based on time, assuming you haven't gone past the miles.

Maintenance is hard to say because the first few services are not super expensive, but there are expensive services a few years in. If you can find a trusted indy shop in town I'd skip this and get the indy shop to do maintenance. If you really want to compare then call the dealership and ask them how much services cost at 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, etc miles. First oil change is peanuts compared to 3 years in.

Tire and wheel to me is not worth it but I don't parallel park or have horrible pot holes where I live. Yes i've gotten screws and even had one flat I had to replace, but you can buy a crapload of tires for $5,000.

In general I've found to just pay as I go and self-insure. There's a reason the finance manager pushes these so aggressively because they typically make money on them but yes there are people who have gotten their money's worth as well, it's just less likely to be in our favor.

haa

1- Extended warranty is fully refundable as long as factory warranty is in place. You can get a pro-rated refund once you reach 4 years or 50,000 miles.
2- Maintenance is not worth it with Service A and B. It is a better deal to purchase 3 years pre-paid after the 2nd service when the expensive items start to kick in.
3- Wheel and tire generally not worth it on the big G-class wheels/tires unless you really have a major curb rash problem but you need Windshield coverage!!

slk320

The only thing I will add is that I am originally also from NorCal SF area - and there is a LOT of parallel parking, bad roads, terrible pot holes all over and generally the highways and streets are crap - so to me in the Bay Area the wheel and tire package may be worth it - but I agree with you, generally it is not.

Highline-Autos.com

1. If this is the case, then what is the point in purchasing the coverage now vs. when the factory warranty is getting close to expiring.

3. Windshield should be provided with standard insurance.

haa

- There is a 15-20% surcharge on the extended warranty if purchased more than 30 days after the new car was purchased. This unfortunate surcharge was recently instituted by MBUSA.
- Windshield for some insurance companies is considered a "claim" that can increase the insurance cost significantly especially if filed almost every year.

EJKaufman

I would recommend getting the Extended warranty as you can finance it with your vehicle purchase if you buy it at purchase. Otherwise, if you get it in the future you will need to pay the full amount in one shot. There's no downside as you can get 100% of your money back if you cancel it before the manufacturer's 4 year 50k mile warranty expires. I would recommend the 3 year maintenance plan as well. I bought it with my vehicle. Lastly, the tire and wheel is a MUST! I bought the 5 year plan and I've had my truck for over 3 years and it's saved me so much money and I've received so many free tires from nails being found in them. I'd say that is the biggest must of all three options. Also, you get up to 2-3 free rims if you damage them. I have never had to replace any rims though.

Enzo.C7

I self “insure” none of those options are worth it to me. Once the factory tires are gone I go to AT tires, I’m on my 2nd set of 20” Geolanders and very happy with them.

If you are at all mechanically inclined and don’t mind doing your own work, FCPEuro has been very good to me...I think it costs me around $100 - $120/oil change using amobil 1 synthetic. Bleeding brake fluids are easy w a motive bleeder but you will need to jack the vehicle up. To me its part of owning the vehicle. You don’t need to jack it up to do an oil change we got plenty of ground clearance, its just a copper crush washer, an o-ring and the oem filter element. 👍

The big jobs go to an independent shop.

3.Pointed.Czar

As apparent by all the different answer you're getting, the extras people get vary widely depending on a host of different factors (like cash purchase vs. leasing, longevity of ownership, where it is stored, how crappy your roads are etc.).

For me these will be my extras once I take delivery:

• 36 months extended warranty
• Dashcams for the front and rear
• Whatever the most extensive insurance is (which will cover OEM windshield replacement if need be)
• PPF for the windshield and ceramic coating for the entire car

I wont need the tire and wheel coverage as we are blessed with great roads, the car will be garage stored and I'll be getting a second set for winters anyway. I also wont be doing the prepaid maintenance, since I plan on finding the best indy in town and just servicing it there once the warranty is over.

bimmer96

Great, and I am glad to hear your POV. I didn't think about getting windshield protection because my insurance has comprehensive coverage, and also I am planning to put windshield protection on the windshield.

tonygwagon

I find most of these dealer add-ons to be a total waste of money. I typically get the prepaid maintenance since I don’t have a great Indy shop nearby and the wheel and tire protection. However I’ve never used the tire protection and honestly not sure if I would get it again. It’s also worth noting that all of the add-ons are negotiable and can be haggled down. As others have said the finance manager gets a commission on these so they are motivated to sell even at a discounted rate.