Hi everyone,
I'm looking at buying a 2012 X3 2.0i with 84000km on the clock and was hoping to get some input into my planned ownership scenario. I currently drive a 2012 118i (F20) manual which is sitting on 35000km. My decision to move to an X3 is pretty much all practicality: my GF and I ride mountain bikes so we're looking for an auto-box easy driver with more space, more ground clearance, a towbar for the bikes and the ability to venture slightly off-road with a comfortable ride (meaning dirt roads with the occasional mud and a little bit of sand) without making us cringe about scraping the underbody. I test-drove a 2013 recently and was amazed how much it felt like a "real" BMW in terms of handling, but with a much more compliant ride and suspension travel, at least in comparison to my 1er.
The example I'm looking at is a Premium Select from SMG with the following specs:
- 2012 (registered Jan 30 2012 so actually more a late 2011 build it seems) 2.0i Xdrive, Mineral Silver.
- 83800km
- Exclusive Pack with extras I like (black Nevada, pano sunroof, xenons, high-beam assist, auto tailgate, sports steering wheel, PDC front and rear) and the standard high-profile 225/60/17 wheels (again, off-road biased).
- Mint condition interior, the leather is looking very neat for the mileage, very little shine or creasing.
I don't drive a lot during the day (my office and home are 500m apart and will remain this way for at least the next 5 years, I walk or ride my bike in summer) so I have averaged around 12.5k/year in the 1er and can't see myself exceeding 15k-16k/year in the X3.
My plan is to finance and drive it over 4 years, taking it to 7 year age and an estimated 140k to 150k mileage. The first year of ownership will of course still be within motorplan's mileage limit.
Having read many, *many* local and international threads over the last week or so, the one thing I haven't been able to get full clarity on is what I can expect outside of MP in terms of maintenance costs, so I have a few questions I was hoping someone could give some insight into:
- Where do I obtain a service schedule with what needs to be replaced at what mileage? I've gathered from a few comments around here that BMW's condition-based servicing simply is not good enough for a vehicle outside of plan and is spaced too far apart. I'd like to for example know what I should ideally be doing in terms of preventative maintenance every 10 000km (oil change at this reading, filter change at that, etc).
- My plan is to do these regular preventative "consumables" services with the dealers, but sort out any repairs needed (which I guess they'll inform me of in most cases while servicing, or which I pick up myself) via a good independent shop, so that I have official FSH come time to sell, for what it's worth… Is this a good idea?
- My calculations on extending motorplan KMs - as for most people - don't add up, so my plan is to reserve R30k initially in an investment and keeping adding around R1500/month to this fund for services and unforeseen issues. If nothing comes up, it's a bonus and I have a bigger deposit on whatever comes next!
Feedback or comments much appreciated!
I'm looking at buying a 2012 X3 2.0i with 84000km on the clock and was hoping to get some input into my planned ownership scenario. I currently drive a 2012 118i (F20) manual which is sitting on 35000km. My decision to move to an X3 is pretty much all practicality: my GF and I ride mountain bikes so we're looking for an auto-box easy driver with more space, more ground clearance, a towbar for the bikes and the ability to venture slightly off-road with a comfortable ride (meaning dirt roads with the occasional mud and a little bit of sand) without making us cringe about scraping the underbody. I test-drove a 2013 recently and was amazed how much it felt like a "real" BMW in terms of handling, but with a much more compliant ride and suspension travel, at least in comparison to my 1er.
The example I'm looking at is a Premium Select from SMG with the following specs:
- 2012 (registered Jan 30 2012 so actually more a late 2011 build it seems) 2.0i Xdrive, Mineral Silver.
- 83800km
- Exclusive Pack with extras I like (black Nevada, pano sunroof, xenons, high-beam assist, auto tailgate, sports steering wheel, PDC front and rear) and the standard high-profile 225/60/17 wheels (again, off-road biased).
- Mint condition interior, the leather is looking very neat for the mileage, very little shine or creasing.
I don't drive a lot during the day (my office and home are 500m apart and will remain this way for at least the next 5 years, I walk or ride my bike in summer) so I have averaged around 12.5k/year in the 1er and can't see myself exceeding 15k-16k/year in the X3.
My plan is to finance and drive it over 4 years, taking it to 7 year age and an estimated 140k to 150k mileage. The first year of ownership will of course still be within motorplan's mileage limit.
Having read many, *many* local and international threads over the last week or so, the one thing I haven't been able to get full clarity on is what I can expect outside of MP in terms of maintenance costs, so I have a few questions I was hoping someone could give some insight into:
- Where do I obtain a service schedule with what needs to be replaced at what mileage? I've gathered from a few comments around here that BMW's condition-based servicing simply is not good enough for a vehicle outside of plan and is spaced too far apart. I'd like to for example know what I should ideally be doing in terms of preventative maintenance every 10 000km (oil change at this reading, filter change at that, etc).
- My plan is to do these regular preventative "consumables" services with the dealers, but sort out any repairs needed (which I guess they'll inform me of in most cases while servicing, or which I pick up myself) via a good independent shop, so that I have official FSH come time to sell, for what it's worth… Is this a good idea?
- My calculations on extending motorplan KMs - as for most people - don't add up, so my plan is to reserve R30k initially in an investment and keeping adding around R1500/month to this fund for services and unforeseen issues. If nothing comes up, it's a bonus and I have a bigger deposit on whatever comes next!
Feedback or comments much appreciated!
