[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by sohels

I agree with everything PlatzdaTurbo said about the three cars. However, I disagree about the after-sales. I've had a smooth, hassle-free experience so far (they even sent a mechanic all the way to Rajkot from Ahmedabad on two separate occasions) and Mercedes does have a MB-Secure insurance package, which I've purchased.

Could you tell us a little more about this MB Secure Insurance package? What does it insure?

Thanks Platz and Spur for your thoughts. I think Merc's finally feeling the heat from the Bimmer boys. BWM is really kicking up the dust.

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

A C250 CDI that a friend opted for around 4 months ago came with nothing at all ! Standard warranty. Within the first week itself his dad managed to get the car squashed from the rear and apparently they had to shell out a bomb for it ! Highly discouraging
Besides, they actually thought this '3 year plan' business would lure people away from something as meticulous as the BSI ?

Sorry about the additional post here, but isn't squashing the car an accidental insurance thing? How is this an issue? Does BMW offer a package that works like an accidental insurance scheme in addition to their product warranty?

I am concerned about parts failing beyond a certain time frame.

And since you own the Audi, how has their *perceived* warranty support been so far? Ofcourse, I wish your car the very best

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Please use the "edit" button if posting within 20 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Sorry about the additional post here, but isn't squashing the car an accidental insurance thing? How is this an issue? Does BMW offer a package that works like an accidental insurance scheme in addition to their product warranty?

I am concerned about parts failing beyond a certain time frame.

And since you own the Audi, how has their *perceived* warranty support been so far? Ofcourse, I wish your car the very best

About BMW, FlyingSpur is the best guy to ask.
Like BMW, Audi have in place what they term as 'Audi Secure'.
The only example i can give you is , last year a truck banged into the Audi's rear quarter. What was left of it is needless to say.
Thanks to Secure, all i had to pay was a 500buck service charge and it was sorted.
In short, they are nowhere near BMW but whatever plan they do have, they have the clauses pretty clear and its effective. Relief

[FlyingSpur]

Here we go, confusing BSI & BMW Secure again

Let me quote two posts from my own ownership thread below, the first from Sahil and the second by yours truly.

Originally Posted by Sahil

3.Secure is paid on a yearly basis (FS- correct me if i'm wrong here)
4.BSI does NOT cover ANY accidental repair. Secure will help you in such cases but at the cost of losing NCB.

Originally Posted by FlyingSpur

A lot of people confuse BSI and BMW Secure. BSI covers everything as part of routine servicing. BMW Secure covers accidental damage but, as Sahil mentioned, at the cost of your NCB in most cases. BMW Secure is an add-on for your insurance and has to be paid for annually, there is no 3-year Secure package.

I hope this sufficiently answers doubts and queries.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

About BMW, FlyingSpur is the best guy to ask.
Like BMW, Audi have in place what they term as 'Audi Secure'.
The only example i can give you is , last year a truck banged into the Audi's rear quarter. What was left of it is needless to say.
Thanks to Secure, all i had to pay was a 500buck service charge and it was sorted.
In short, they are nowhere near BMW but whatever plan they do have, they have the clauses pretty clear and its effective. Relief

This is insane. So what you're trying to say is I can trash the car and they'll have the entire thing fixed for 500 bucks? How much do you pay for this Secure package? So I just need third party insurance to cover the other party in case of an accident?

I still can't believe this.

And Spur:

Secure = BWM's special insurance from accidental damage to your car. It works exactly like a regular insurance policy - but is all comprehensive, no special terms and 5% this and plastics that.

BSI = Extended Warranty support on failed parts - much like the Chevrolet guarantee that comes with the Spark.

How much do you pay for both of these? Do rates differ on negotiation?

[shatrughna]

I am still confused between C250CDI (Elegance or Avantagarde) and BMW 320D HL/CE since last 2 weeks and time is almost over.

C250CDI on paper looks nice- went for a TD- they didnt have it for TD that day. Instead drove C250 V6 petrol and E350 CDI. Just got hang and feel of interiors and steering.

Music system of Avantagarde (?) is only thing functionally better for approx. 70/80 thousand extra compared to elegance trim ( other difference are the grill design, alloy wheel design and looks). What I liked is the alloy spare and very good steering(light) on mercs.( even skoda gives a steel spare wheel in Laura).

But options are very confusing- Secure, ease etc. so couldnt understand it much.

They were quite flexible in insurance options.

BMW dealer gave me a X1 highline for TD. Steering is very heavy and in fact hated it ( & spare- no need to talk) and this could be reason for looking towards Merc, but ground clearance is better than C series. How much does it matter in real world is bugging me. But I have heard/read that BMW is fun for driver and peace of mind in terms of ownership.

Finance options ( BMW Financial) is very good ( 10%, 7 years) and CE edition would make it easily within reach plus 5 year/100000kms package is very good.

36 Lakhs onroad for C250 CDI is a big stretch for me but manageable if its really worth it & on road assistance programme of Mercedes is very attractive - alas its only for 3 years( complimentary). Maintenance / service package is for 30000kms/ 3 years( which is too less as compared to bmw offer). However, customers who dont opt for it can avail upto 1.25Lakh cash discount( to make it overall 2 lakhs discount).

BMW dealer has set a cut off for tomorrow to submit papers but I am still so confused which is a better car overall. Intend to keep it at least for 5 years.

Currently driving a well modded(tuned) Laura ( DSG) and dont want to compromise on features and performance it offers.

Both are offering overall 2 Lakhs in discount. Prices are bound to increase from April so hardly anytime is left.

Will highly appreciate some pointers in right directions.

[Mpower]

Keep in mind, a facelifted C-class has just been launched in Europe and will be in India shortly.

Its a quite extensive FL that includes better interiors, different front-end look and some technical updates as well. Only the rear looks like its hasn't changed much.

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

So what you're trying to say is I can trash the car and they'll have the entire thing fixed for 500 bucks? How much do you pay for this Secure package? So I just need third party insurance to cover the other party in case of an accident?

No. You can't just trash the car. There's an insurance survey. And I don't know why you would want to trash the car in your right mind.

BMW Secure is 60k a year over and above normal insurance (which is about 40-45k per year). Not cheap. I'd rather take good care of my car.

And no. You'll very much need comprehensive insurance for this. How can you expect a Secure policy to work with a third party insurance?

Secure was once a BMW-only thing, offered by BA and Tata AIG. Now, though, most insurance companies are offering it as an option on any vehicle, for a premium over and above the normal comprehensive insurance. These zero depreciation schemes come with their own terms and conditions. Like BA will allow only 2 such claims in a year. I know a friend who had a zero depreciation Tata AIG policy on his Superb, which came in handy when the front end of his car got seriously damaged in an accident.

I still can't believe this.

Don't. Sit with your insurance expert and ask him to explain it to you properly.

Secure = BWM's special insurance from accidental damage to your car. It works exactly like a regular insurance policy - but is all comprehensive, no special terms and 5% this and plastics that.

Yes, explained earlier in this post. But no longer a BMW Special. TATA & BA will provide it to you for any vehicle now, at an added premium and with some T&C.

BSI = Extended Warranty support on failed parts - much like the Chevrolet guarantee that comes with the Spark.

It covers all wear and tear. Not a penny on maintenance and servicing for the selected duration (3 years or 5 years) as long as it's BSI+R (includes repair beyond warranty period).

How much do you pay for both of these? Do rates differ on negotiation?

Negotiate for Secure if you will. BSI+R is fixed rate IMO.

[funkydevil]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

A C250 CDI that a friend opted for around 4 months ago came with nothing at all ! Standard warranty. Within the first week itself his dad managed to get the car squashed from the rear and apparently they had to shell out a bomb for it ! Highly discouraging
Besides, they actually thought this '3 year plan' business would lure people away from something as meticulous as the BSI ?

Either your friend was not told about this package by the sales rep or he did must have not opted for it. Mercedes Benz have been offering this package for quite sometime now.

There are three things to look at,

1. Star Care Service Package - this costs about 1,35,000 for the c class and covers all service costs for the car for 3 yrs/60,000 kms. Whichever comes first.

Points to note -

a) It is offered on all mercedes benz models with different models having a different cost for the package.

b) The package is available only for 3yrs/60,000 kms, unlike BMW which also offers service packages of upto 5yrs.

2. Mercedes benz cars come standard with a 2 year warranty. They have now started offering a 3rd year warranty free, which means that any new merc will now come with 3yrs warranty standard.

Should you find the need to extend the warranty after 3 years, it is possible to do so around 6 months before expiry of the standard 3 year warranty period.

3. Mercedes also provide customers with something known as 'Zero Debt. Insurance'. This is similar to 'Audi Secure' (companies prefer to use fancy names thats all). This is a full bumber to bumber insurance cover for the vehicle meaning everything from plastic to rubber to metal is covered by the insurance.

If the vehicle has had an accident, the customer will only have to shell out a certain amount for inspection of the vehicle (which is not more than a couple hundred bucks) thats all.

However as mentioned by flying spur, this can be purchased directly from any insurance company for a much lesser cost as the dealer's insurance quotes are usually on the higher side due to profit margins.

In short, the car is entirely covered by warranty, fully insured and service costs are taken care of for the next 3 years.

Hope this helps

[sohels]

Very comprehensive replies so far! MB Secure includes zero depreciation and return to invoice (if a car has a major accident, you'll get back the full amount you spent, including vehicle registration charges and road tax).