I had an extended warranty/service contract on my E90 to 125,000 miles, which I purchased through CarMax (a "MaxCare" warranty) for $2,999 (car had about 49K on the clock at the time of purchase). The underwriter was The Warranty Group. I actually came out ahead on the deal. I had almost $1100 in services paid (after deductibles) while I had the car, and when I traded the car in on my E53, I was reimbursed about $2200 for the remaining coverage. I don't know why they wouldn't just transfer the coverage (or "credit" for coverage) on my X5.

Getting coverage under the CarMax warranty could not have been easier. I just took it to my BMW dealer, and they handled all the approvals and paperwork. I just paid my deductible on top of any other maintenance items or non-covered work (which I don't think I ever had). Here's some of the things that were covered: Replacement of a faulty crank sensor, replacement of leaking oil filter housing gaskets, replacement of leaking sealing sleeve, and replacement of coolant pump. I also had a high-pressure fuel pump replaced under BMW's extended warranty for that specific, abnormally problematic part (still love the N54), but I assume the CarMax warranty would have covered that if BMW hadn't already stepped up for that common issue.

For the E53, I bought a "Platinum" level service plan marketed as "Motorist Assistance Plan" through my BMW dealer for 4 years or 60K miles (covering the X5 through about 133K). It cost me $4300 including sales tax. I had gotten a quote for the highest level of coverage through Carchex.com of something like $4800. Both warranties were underwritten by Enterprise Financial Group, and the contracts were almost identical, so I just went with the cheaper/more convenient option at the dealer. While I'm hoping the X5 won't be spending a ton of time in the shop, I'm keeping my fingers crossed I come out ahead (or more or less break even) on this one.

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-"Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out of mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important." -Kesuke Miyagi