Hey, New Member here

[jacksonjones495]

New to the forum and curious about balancing BMW ownership costs in SA. What budget-friendly strategies do you use for maintenance?​

 

[Pisancho]

Don't take to BMW SA. In all seriousness, I found a good and reputable shop, established a good relationship with them and that's it. Don't have to be paying the bills for a fancy dealership which high labor costs.

Only other thing I can think of is don't buy notorious cars. Off the top of my head, the pre 2015/16 N63 and S63 engines. I am sure there is other engines on the list but I know mainly about these. That there will save you a ton of money lol.

 

[DHimself]

Former BMW owner, current Audi owner, but preventative maintenance is key. Get your oil changes at every 10k kms or annually at the very least, don't follow the OBC/manufacturer recommendations for oil changes, etc. Try to stay away from the dealerships if you're out of plan and/or warranty. These guys inflate prices like The Crazy Store and birthday balloons. Shop around. And if you're handy with engines and DIY repair work, some of the fixes you could then do yourself.
Lots of knowledge and experience on this forum, you're in good hands here.

 

[jacksonjones495]

Don't take to BMW SA. In all seriousness, I found a good and reputable shop, established a good relationship with them and that's it. Don't have to be paying the bills for a fancy dealership which high labor costs.

Only other thing I can think of is don't buy notorious cars. Off the top of my head, the pre 2015/16 N63 and S63 engines. I am sure there is other engines on the list but I know mainly about these. That there will save you a ton of money lol.

thanks for the advice