[c416]

Hi,

are the following options worth getting?

1) Xzilon - paint protector - 10 years coverage
2) tire/rim coverage - covers the runflats and rim damages (other than scruffs)
3) tints

i find them pricey, but do ppl get these?

[alanchan]

1. I don't know I will keep the car for 10 years, = NO

2. I upgraded my OEM wheels, I don't think the package covers that
again = NO

3. No tints for me

these are my personal preference and other might have a different prespective.

[f30Seth]

2 is worth it. I replaced two of my runflats within a year due to potholes, and paid out of my own pocket

[SGxi]

Only #2... #3 can be done much cheaper after you took delivery of the car.

[SSM46mt]

maybe #2 however if you hate the ride on RFT (like many do) and you replace them then you've paid for insurance you won't need

[w2]

Tire insurance is insurance. Like any insurance policy, on average, you will pay in more than you will make in claims. There is maybe an emotional benefit in that, if you do damage a rim or tire, you will probably feel good about having bought the insurance and not having to pay out of pocket (assuming the claim is honoured) but if you go the entire period without making a claim, you will have long forgotten the hundreds you paid for the insurance in the first place. If you are the sort who has trouble putting money aside for contingencies, insurance might make sense as a hedge against your own saving habits. However, at the end of the day, on average, it has to be a money losing proposition to get any kind of insurance.

You will always get personal anecdotes of individuals who bought the insurance and it paid off for them, but odds are you will pay in more than you get out. I can also give you a personal anecdote: I've had to replace zero rims and two tires over a period of about 12 years. Wheel and tire insurance over that period would probably have cost me a few thousand in premiums. By not buying it, I came out far, far ahead.

The only kind of insurance that makes economic sense is insurance against loss that you could not afford to recoup on your own. You insure your house because, if it burned to the ground, you probably couldn't just rebuild it out of pocket, and you insure your car against theft because you probably can't just plunk down $50K to replace your car if it gets stolen, but if you can't afford to replace a tire or wheel in the event of an accident or failure, the best financial advice would be to spend less on the car itself.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by jacewong

Hi,

are the following options worth getting?

1) Xzilon - paint protector - 10 years coverage
2) tire/rim coverage - covers the runflats and rim damages (other than scruffs)
3) tints

i find them pricey, but do ppl get these?

first off, none of these things are worth what a dealership will charge for them. So if you get any of them, get them aftermarket.

In the order you cited:
1 --> No. This has always existed under a different brand name: Scotchgurard. Check CVS' prices if you desire it.
2 --> Depends on you and your driving environment...do you live in a valley of potholes and nails and feel the need to drive very fast in said valley, and are you unable to judge the distance to the curbs beside which you park? If so, get it; otherwise forget it. I agree with w2 on this topic, and I would not buy it under any circumstance.
3 --> Better to buy it aftermarket than from the dealer. Window tinting can be somewhat helpful in protecting your interior, but the fact is that a shut car (windows up) sitting in the sun is going to be hot inside regardless of whether you tint the windows and the BMW a/c will cool you and the interior quite rapidly regardless of whether you tint the windows. If you just like the look, OK.

[A.Kon]

Here's my take on tire insurance.

First, the facts:
- RFT tires are more expensive than the average tire. the dealer will charge you from $500 per tire (for 17") up to reported $700 per tire (for 19") depending on the type and size of tire.
- a lot of roads in Toronto are pretty bad
- Tire insurance should cost about $800 from BMW - that's what I was offered
- about 1/3 to half the people on this forum have bought the insurance, but keep in mind that a lot of the guys who did not buy the insurance have changed their wheels and tires shortly after delivery
- RFT are known to bulge/bubble and get damaged more easier than traditional tires


Rumours:
- BMW Assist will not help you out with a flat tire if are not on RFTs
- BMW claims they may not honour warranty if you have changed OEM parts including rims and tires
- RFT tires horrible to drive on compared to non-RFT.
- Rim and tire warranty will cover RFT winter tires as well (as long as they BMW approved tires)


So although w2 makes some good comments, he's not entirely right. Insurance in this case shouldn't have anything to do with whether you have enough money in emergency funds to buy new tire - it's more a business choice. BMW was selling rim and tire insurance for like $400-$500 in 2005 and 2006. Do a search and you will see. It's not coincidence that BMW also changed to RFT technology on the e9x's ... so the price has virtually doubled in a few years, clearly because of the frequency of claims and price of these RFTs. BMW had to increase the price of the insurance.


So the choice is fairly easy:
a) If you plan to change out your wheels, don't get the insurance, then you're wasting money on something BMW will certainly not cover
b) If you are staying with stock wheels, then think about whether you are going for the 18" or 19" sport package - bigger tires means more to cost to replace. Odds are replacing one 18" or 19" will come really close to the cost of the insurance - nice peace of mind.


I bought the tire insurance and drive care free of pot holes and bad roads. I make enough money that I can purchase new tires on a whim if I need to, but I value the peace of mind that I don't care about pot holes and bubbles forming on the tires. Plus if they cover my winters too, then I have no worries.

I figure in the worst case, I can purposely drive over a few pot holes and damage my tires to get new ones in a couple of years. Jus' kidding - I would never do that.

[f30Seth]

Originally Posted by A.Kon

I figure in the worst case, I can purposely drive over a few pot holes and damage my tires to get new ones in a couple of years. Jus' kidding - I would never do that.

You could, just for the heck of it instead, you couldjust lightly puncture it with a pin or something

[NoKids]

Originally Posted by tony20009

1 --> No. This has always existed under a different brand name: Scotchgurard.

[samchoi604]

none of them are worth it

[Vacek]

NO (x3)

[Tonybest]

Originally Posted by w2

Tire insurance is insurance. Like any insurance policy, on average, you will pay in more than you will make in claims. There is maybe an emotional benefit in that, if you do damage a rim or tire, you will probably feel good about having bought the insurance and not having to pay out of pocket (assuming the claim is honoured) but if you go the entire period without making a claim, you will have long forgotten the hundreds you paid for the insurance in the first place. If you are the sort who has trouble putting money aside for contingencies, insurance might make sense as a hedge against your own saving habits. However, at the end of the day, on average, it has to be a money losing proposition to get any kind of insurance.

You will always get personal anecdotes of individuals who bought the insurance and it paid off for them, but odds are you will pay in more than you get out. I can also give you a personal anecdote: I've had to replace zero rims and two tires over a period of about 12 years. Wheel and tire insurance over that period would probably have cost me a few thousand in premiums. By not buying it, I came out far, far ahead.

The only kind of insurance that makes economic sense is insurance against loss that you could not afford to recoup on your own. You insure your house because, if it burned to the ground, you probably couldn't just rebuild it out of pocket, and you insure your car against theft because you probably can't just plunk down $50K to replace your car if it gets stolen, but if you can't afford to replace a tire or wheel in the event of an accident or failure, the best financial advice would be to spend less on the car itself.

+1

Great answer... Thanks for taking the time to write this up.
I keep saying the same thing to many people. The cost of wheel and tire insurance is as much as two tire claims and even a bit more. So you only are "in the money" if you get three claims (tires) in the specified time period.

I've been lucky and in two seperate leases, covering 6 years, I got no flats at all. I hadn't bought the insurance.

This means, the money I saved in the past 6 years and the following three years of no coverage, permits me of having many flats and still coming out ahead.

[A.Kon]

Originally Posted by e92says

you could just lightly puncture it with a pin or something

I was thinking hammer and nail.

[Yvette]

to me... no no no

[iPodAddict]

Currently I'm in the middle of a dispute of the Tire / Wheel Insurance.

I got a flat tire on the highway, which in turn got cut up by the rim. Once I got off the highway safely, called bmw roadside assistance and had my car towed.

I paid for the new tire up front, but they told my rim was cracked as well. I paid for that out of my own pocket thinking I would get reimbursed the $2,200 for ONE Rim and ONE Tire.

The tire / rim insurance denied my claim.

Right now I've got BMW Canada involved to try and reverse the charges by doing their own investigation.

The convenience factor blows. I figured I would get taken care of, instead I paid significantly more as it stands. I plan on complaining until the end of time until the charges on my credit card get reversed.

It'll be two weeks since the flat tire thing happened come this friday and still nothing resolved.

[CHCCubs]

I only went for the tire/wheel insurance. As mentioned the RFTs are rather pricey and on my last car I got a flat within 3 weeks of taking delivery and was forced to buy a new tire, so I figured it was worth it to avoid having that happen again with this car.

[c416]

thanks for the input guys. I couldn't access the computer to read this at the time of my decision.

But this is what i went with and their prices:

1) xZilion - $450 + tax
2) Tint - $320+tax

I opt'd out of the wheels/rim insurance because i've been told the prices on the RFTs have been dropping drastically. An 18" can be had for around 300 bucks.

I do WANT an alarm, but it's 750+tax. What do you guys think?

[marcvtec]

1. No
2. No
3. No

I used to work at a dealership paint protection is BS
Tire/rim nah you might hate the runflats and change them most likely otherwise you'll just wear them out and buy new wht pay for wanna be insurance lol
Tints no way form the stealership I payed $200 flat to tint my car with the top of line titanium tint