Best way to buy an F15: CPO or Carmax w/MaxCare?

[VAB5]

I currently own 3 BMWs out of warranty: A 2005 e46 ZHP convertible, a 2015 328i xDrive, and a 2015 535i.

Not really into increasing my risk profile so I'm thinking a longer warranty is the way to go with a proposed X5 xDrive 35i purchase. After watching Doug DeMuro's journey with a 6 year old/59,000 mile Range Rover w/ MaxCare, I'm thinking that might be a better path than CPO with a BMW warranty. If you haven't seen it, enjoy:

This will be my last purchase for a while, and even though the N55 is one of the more reliable setups, I know that there are some predictable areas that will need attention, so I'm definitely in the warranty camp on this one.

What are your experiences?

Thanks!

[P1]

We call it CP(N)O for a reason...

[RED_Y_]

Don't waste your money, CPO worth it only if you drive a lot (which is not the case for most of the people right now due to corona), and I never seen a good car from CarMax. May be just me,but their prices are always higher for cars with less features/higher mileage. I suggest looking for particular budget/mileage/features first.

[corduroy]

I bought mine at Carmax with MaxCare. When I was looking, pricing was similar to a CPO model I was looking at but the Carmax model I ended up buying had more options than the CPO model (namely, surround view, everything else was the same H&K, etc) and with lower miles.

Everything has been fine so far. In the first 7 days, they'll fix whatever you find wrong. I found a dent and a broken button. Both repaired without question. I ended up getting having to get the aux battery replaced and took it to the dealer. The service rep thought it was an essential part of the hybrid system (it's not) so he tried to get maxcare to cover it - but considering it's a regular 12v battery and a wear and tear item, not covered. No big deal as I don't think anything covers wear and tear.

The Maxcare I selected is 5 years (after purchase) or 75k miles (I bought with ~16k miles). It was around $2700 I think ($100 deductible)? Prices are different depending on the car. It does say on the paper work that you can get a pro-rated refund if you change your mind/sell your car/etc, I'd do it again through Carmax and Maxcare.

[Maverik259]

never purchase a high end car from carmax...they're idiots and will rip you off as soon as look at you. their prices and service are garbage. as well as their vehicles. looked at 2 bmws (X5 and M5) both were way over priced and both cars were not taken care of but their price doesn't reflect that. plus their employees are just there to fill out the paperwork. and get commission.

[jiggz]

As others have said, skip CPO'd cars if you can. Dealers put a silly premium on them in many cases, and the warranty is 1 measly year/unlimited mileage. And exclusions apply, it's not the same warranty as the original 4 year/50K manufactures' warranty.

The best route, IMO, is finding a nice X5 that is not CPO'd - that will save you $, and if you want an extended warranty, then shop for a good 3rd party warranty that will provide several years of good coverage. And make sure you know exactly what you're paying for. If you want broad coverage, make sure you're buying an exclusionary warranty & not an inclusionary warranty. Some people, and they've posted in here before about their experiences, buy a warranty and automatically think everything is covered. Tough way to find out when the service advisor tells you they called your warranty company and the repair was declined (due to a crappy warranty).

I had a great experience with CNA on my previous X5, that warranty paid for itself twice (not hard to do on an E70 50i ). I've also had experience with the CPO warranty on my E70, but back then the warranty was 2 years/50K miles, so a bit longer than the current CPO. It covered a few items in that 2 year period, but I also had a few repairs declined under CPO.

[VAB5]

Great information so far--thanks! Keep 'em comin!

[bmwx5er]

You'll find gems at carmax. I've helped my buddies buy 2 $95k+ MSRP F15s (with dhp, B&O, etc) cheaper than CPO'ed cars with less features, but similar mileage. They're pretty selective about the cars they put on the lot and are no more or less expensive than a typical bmw dealership. The biggest appeal of carmax is the maxcare warranty, hands-down the best aftermarket warranty for X5s - underwritten in several cases by CNA (the one jiggz mentioned). Carmax offers a 5 day return policy and a 90-day warranty on fixing any issue that you might find, coupled with their no-haggle price makes it attractive for me.

No matter where you buy, do a thorough PPI, there's no substitute for it.

[EdgyE36]

FWIW - I had a good experience at Carmax but it was many years ago. Found a low mile E36 M3 and had it shipped from TX. If you're an enthusiast you'll know a lot more about the car than anyone there.

No warranty but I did have a couple of things taken care of within the 5 day grace period. Carmax is also useful in establishing a floor price for trades.

We bought last year and our CPO is almost expired. Last month we had rear diff leak fixed with no hassles or questions. According to dealer would have been $1,200 repair otherwise. So I figure we broke even on cost of car. Knowing the items that will service in the next couple of years I'm OK going without a warranty.

GL with your new purchase.

[LocksmithNick]

I just purchased a 17 RR Sport from CarMax with Maxcare 2 months ago and it seems pretty legit. The RR had 20k miles and got a check engine light. I called CarMax, made an appointment, they saw it was a service bulletin from Land Rover dealing with an o2 sensor. They called Land Rover dealership and scheduled my appointment, even gave me a rental at no cost to me. So far I’m satisfied with them.

[F15GorDe]

The wife HAD to have a CPO ‘13 F10 with the n63.

Got it with 14k miles for a pretty good price from our local dealer in Feb of 2016. It had already had CCP 1 then CCP 2 and it was gulping quarts of the BMW synthetic every 600 miles. They took it in and got the OK for the valve seals.

Got it back and went over what was done and caught the 2 missing locknuts securing the exhaust system to the mid-chassis vibration mounts before additional damage could happen. Since then all is good and it doesn’t slurp but a quart every 3k miles which we can live with. She’s rolled up over 50k since she got it and it actually returns 25+ mpg with her blasting down the road. Blackstone reports reflect excellent results with a 7k interval.

The moral of my story and a CPO vehicle is that one has to be pro-active with your dealer. There are still a few out there that really do try to provide quality support. Given the squeeze all of the dealers have felt the last 6+ months its even more important than ever. For dealers today it’s the shop that’s bringing in the cash they need to pay the bills. The larger dealer groups realize a paltry extra holdback percentage because of their size and volume but, with their additional overhead, they also realize that their shop has to be profitable AND keep their customers happy. Some, not all, are successful at this.

In our area we have multiple CARMAX outlets, 6 within 25 miles in any direction, and I’ve been to half of them over the years. None of them were anyone I would do business with for the same reasons others in this thread have cited.

We are lucky to have a good BMW dealer that we do business with, but I’m also aware that not everyone on this forum is happy with their local dealer.

As always YMMV!

[crabapple555]

I agree the prices are insane at carmax but I had a good experience. Few days after I purchased x5 from them a warning light came up indicating an issue with blind spot sensor. I went to the BMW dealer for this and they quoted me $1600 (replacement with programming, et al)

I called carmax back and they took the car in and gave me a decent loaner while they fixed the car etc.,. I had also picked up a ding during that time and took care of that as well.

If I had bought the car from some other seller I would pretty much be on my own after I drove off the lot.

[JaviDrama]

Originally Posted by VAB5

I currently own 3 BMWs out of warranty: A 2005 e46 ZHP convertible, a 2015 328i xDrive, and a 2015 535i.

Not really into increasing my risk profile so I'm thinking a longer warranty is the way to go with a proposed X5 xDrive 35i purchase. After watching Doug DeMuro's journey with a 6 year old/59,000 mile Range Rover w/ MaxCare, I'm thinking that might be a better path than CPO with a BMW warranty. If you haven't seen it, enjoy:

This will be my last purchase for a while, and even though the N55 is one of the more reliable setups, I know that there are some predictable areas that will need attention, so I'm definitely in the warranty camp on this one.

What are your experiences?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by VAB5

I currently own 3 BMWs out of warranty: A 2005 e46 ZHP convertible, a 2015 328i xDrive, and a 2015 535i.

Not really into increasing my risk profile so I'm thinking a longer warranty is the way to go with a proposed X5 xDrive 35i purchase. After watching Doug DeMuro's journey with a 6 year old/59,000 mile Range Rover w/ MaxCare, I'm thinking that might be a better path than CPO with a BMW warranty. If you haven't seen it, enjoy:

This will be my last purchase for a while, and even though the N55 is one of the more reliable setups, I know that there are some predictable areas that will need attention, so I'm definitely in the warranty camp on this one.

What are your experiences?

Thanks!

I have a friend in Vegas who purchased a 2016 BMW X5 50i with max care. His valve seals needed to be replaced and they swapped the whole engine. So now he pretty much has a new engine in his BMW X5.

[gutijoh]

Originally Posted by EdgyE36

FWIW - I had a good experience at Carmax but it was many years ago. Found a low mile E36 M3 and had it shipped from TX. If you're an enthusiast you'll know a lot more about the car than anyone there.

No warranty but I did have a couple of things taken care of within the 5 day grace period. Carmax is also useful in establishing a floor price for trades.

We bought last year and our CPO is almost expired. Last month we had rear diff leak fixed with no hassles or questions. According to dealer would have been $1,200 repair otherwise. So I figure we broke even on cost of car. Knowing the items that will service in the next couple of years I'm OK going without a warranty.

GL with your new purchase.

This is my third BMW, and my second CPO'd '17. Within first two weeks leaky rear diff, broken camera, and alignment were repaired under warranty. I think NJ's 30 day lemon law was in effect, but compared to non-CPO, I would have seen almost $2.3k in repairs.

Warranty runs out this year but the low miles I drive due to pandemic will keep this in great shape for a few years and hopefully a lot more!

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by jiggz

As others have said, skip CPO'd cars if you can. Dealers put a silly premium on them in many cases, and the warranty is 1 measly year/unlimited mileage. And exclusions apply, it's not the same warranty as the original 4 year/50K manufactures' warranty.

The best route, IMO, is finding a nice X5 that is not CPO'd - that will save you $, and if you want an extended warranty, then shop for a good 3rd party warranty that will provide several years of good coverage. And make sure you know exactly what you're paying for. If you want broad coverage, make sure you're buying an exclusionary warranty & not an inclusionary warranty. Some people, and they've posted in here before about their experiences, buy a warranty and automatically think everything is covered. Tough way to find out when the service advisor tells you they called your warranty company and the repair was declined (due to a crappy warranty).

I had a great experience with CNA on my previous X5, that warranty paid for itself twice (not hard to do on an E70 50i ). I've also had experience with the CPO warranty on my E70, but back then the warranty was 2 years/50K miles, so a bit longer than the current CPO. It covered a few items in that 2 year period, but I also had a few repairs declined under CPO.

Originally Posted by jiggz

As others have said, skip CPO'd cars if you can. Dealers put a silly premium on them in many cases, and the warranty is 1 measly year/unlimited mileage. And exclusions apply, it's not the same warranty as the original 4 year/50K manufactures' warranty.

The best route, IMO, is finding a nice X5 that is not CPO'd - that will save you $, and if you want an extended warranty, then shop for a good 3rd party warranty that will provide several years of good coverage. And make sure you know exactly what you're paying for. If you want broad coverage, make sure you're buying an exclusionary warranty & not an inclusionary warranty. Some people, and they've posted in here before about their experiences, buy a warranty and automatically think everything is covered. Tough way to find out when the service advisor tells you they called your warranty company and the repair was declined (due to a crappy warranty).

I had a great experience with CNA on my previous X5, that warranty paid for itself twice (not hard to do on an E70 50i ). I've also had experience with the CPO warranty on my E70, but back then the warranty was 2 years/50K miles, so a bit longer than the current CPO. It covered a few items in that 2 year period, but I also had a few repairs declined under CPO.

My experience with my current CPO is the inspection and conditioning. Mine came with new battery, new tires, flawless paint, new steering wheel new door seals and even new driver side seat cushion. When I opened the hood, all the valves and pipes etc also looked new - not just clean. I checked the carfax to see if it was in an accident or something. The dealer said, the BMW inspection standard is high and parts are often replaced with new when out of spec. So, I am happy…

[mikado463]

Same as Jaffery, my '17 X5, 35i, M Sport was purchased last year , CPO at the dealer that it was leased from. At 35k miles it had fluids and filters changed, new Michelins, new pads and rotors.With the exception of one very small paint scratch on the hood flawless inside and out. At 42k could I have done better ??, perhaps but knowing the complete history of the vehicle (all maint done at the dealership) and a factory warranty till this August and another year of CPO I'm happy.

given the God awful front ends on the new models, chances are good this may be my first and last BMW ...........

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by mikado463

Same as Jaffery, my '17 X5, 35i, M Sport was purchased last year , CPO at the dealer that it was leased from. At 35k miles it had fluids and filters changed, new Michelins, new pads and rotors.With the exception of one very small paint scratch on the hood flawless inside and out. At 42k could I have done better ??, perhaps but knowing the complete history of the vehicle (all maint done at the dealership) and a factory warranty till this August and another year of CPO I'm happy.

given the God awful front ends on the new models, chances are good this may be my first and last BMW ...........

Originally Posted by mikado463

Same as Jaffery, my '17 X5, 35i, M Sport was purchased last year , CPO at the dealer that it was leased from. At 35k miles it had fluids and filters changed, new Michelins, new pads and rotors.With the exception of one very small paint scratch on the hood flawless inside and out. At 42k could I have done better ??, perhaps but knowing the complete history of the vehicle (all maint done at the dealership) and a factory warranty till this August and another year of CPO I'm happy.

given the God awful front ends on the new models, chances are good this may be my first and last BMW ...........

To me, the F15 has a more Range Rover Sport like design, while the G05 (new) is more like an Acura MDX. However, it appears that most people seem to like the new styling direction better with sales being pretty strong. My 2 cents worth.

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by Jaffrey

My experience with my current CPO is the inspection and conditioning. Mine came with new battery, new tires, flawless paint, new steering wheel new door seals and even new driver side seat cushion. When I opened the hood, all the valves and pipes etc also looked new - not just clean. I checked the carfax to see if it was in an accident or something. The dealer said, the BMW inspection standard is high and parts are often replaced with new when out of spec. So, I am happy…

That's all expected with a CPO'd BMW - my last 2 CPO's X5's came to me the same way.

My prior comments are specific to what you can expect once you take delivery of your CPO'd X5. You get 1 year of warranty And the coverage, as I mentioned above, is not the same as the factory 4 year/50K warranty. It's not a good feeling when your service advisor tells you a needed repair is not covered, and you're thinking '...wow I paid a ton of $ for a certified BMW and this $2500 repair isn't covered? '

[djrabbi]

I used to work for Carmax cause I was bored but their warranty is legit. Had a customer buy a e63 and he dogged that shit. I knew he was going to tune and track it. Maxcare covered $19000 bill for blown turbos and some other bullshit LOL

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by jiggz

That's all expected with a CPO'd BMW - my last 2 CPO's X5's came to me the same way.

My prior comments are specific to what you can expect once you take delivery of your CPO'd X5. You get 1 year of warranty And the coverage, as I mentioned above, is not the same as the factory 4 year/50K warranty. It's not a good feeling when your service advisor tells you a needed repair is not covered, and you're thinking '...wow I paid a ton of $ for a certified BMW and this $2500 repair isn't covered? '

Makes sense. I am still under the factory warranty and haven't had to take it in for anything yet. To me, the condition of the car was well worth the CPO rather than the warranty itself. yeah, first time I'll likely have a BMW outside of warranty at some point - so it'll be a live and learn type situation for me. But my logic is that that I save over $40K off of MSRP and is as close to new as I can expect so even if I have a few expenses it'll still be OK...I had almost 18 months of factory warranty left.

[unluky]

I have bought 2 cars with CarMax and had a great experience both times. And I hate (I mean HATE) dealerships. I'd rather cut fingers off that go to a dealership.

If you will be mad you don't get an absolute steal on a car - then don't go to Carmax. You will rarely find a steal because they know what they have and what people will pay for it. You can't say their prices are "too high" if they are selling them all. The market dictates the price and that is that.

Their website is amazing and the alerts and options finder work great. I love how their people do not make a commission on cars they sell and I have never once been pressured or mobbed by them. They even go to the DMV for you and mail your plates to your house so you can skip it.

Both cars I bought there were fair value and one was a tough find that had 4 of the 5 boxes I wanted checked that I could not find anywhere else for 6 months of looking. I paid 98% of what it was worth - but like I said - they know what things are worth. They even moved it from 2 states away to a local lot for free for me to look at before I bought it.

If you take the price out of it - I have never had a better experience at a dealership in my entire life - not even close.

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by Jaffrey

Makes sense. I am still under the factory warranty and haven't had to take it in for anything yet. To me, the condition of the car was well worth the CPO rather than the warranty itself. yeah, first time I'll likely have a BMW outside of warranty at some point - so it'll be a live and learn type situation for me. But my logic is that that I save over $40K off of MSRP and is as close to new as I can expect so even if I have a few expenses it'll still be OK...I had almost 18 months of factory warranty left.

Gotcha, yes all valid points.

And if buying sight unseen, CPO takes most of the worry out of that. Both my previous and current X5 were bought out of state and shipped to me. Had they not been certified I'd have been more leery to purchase them.