Your views on optional maintenance plan in new automatic car

[IzZzy]

I bought my car vanilla - as in standard. It's a new car, you are sufficiently covered by the standard warranty.

As for scratches and dings, that's already covered if you take comprehensive insurance.

Tracker would be mandated by the finance house - but you should investigate other options. I found Tracker to not be value for money , and went with C-Track.

Any decent insurance company will completely replace your car as is if you have an accident within the first year. After that, there should be a sufficient gap anyway that Platinum Adcover is unnecessary.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I bought my car vanilla - as in standard. It's a new car, you are sufficiently covered by the standard warranty.

As for scratches and dings, that's already covered if you take comprehensive insurance.

Tracker would be mandated by the finance house - but you should investigate other options. I found Tracker to not be value for money , and went with C-Track.

Any decent insurance company will completely replace your car as is if you have an accident within the first year. After that, there should be a sufficient gap anyway that Platinum Adcover is unnecessary.

They only really mandate a Tracker system of some sort if the vehicle is over a certain value, and even then if you fight with them hard enough they will waive the requirement.

 

[IzZzy]

Warranty Booster, the car has a x year warranty. Anything that is covered under the warranty on day 1 is covered under the warranty on the last day of the warranty, barring some wear and tear items.

Just be careful there, on my Alfa the warranty is a staggered one - i.e. different lengths applicable to different periods of time. So for example the turbo is only covered for 12 months (a guess by me) whereas the pistons are covered for the full 5 years.

 

[HapticSimian]

IF you're planning on keeping the car for 5 years the warranty extension does look to offer a fair bit of peace of mind. Regarding the shortfall cover, you'll need to weigh your risk. Suffering a total loss within the first year or two will likely leave you with a substantial shortfall between insurance payout and capital balance. I'm not sure I'd fall for any 'platinum' malarkey, but plain shortfall cover is advisable as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Just be careful there, on my Alfa the warranty is a staggered one - i.e. different lengths applicable to different periods of time. So for example the turbo is only covered for 12 months (a guess by me) whereas the pistons are covered for the full 5 years.

I'd throw a complete hissy fit about nonsense like that tbh. A warranty should cover everything mechanical from breakage (not due to wear and tear and user abuse) from day 1 to the end of the period.

 

[ToxicBunny]

IF you're planning on keeping the car for 5 years the warranty extension does look to offer a fair bit of peace of mind. Regarding the shortfall cover, you'll need to weigh your risk. Suffering a total loss within the first year or two will likely leave you with a substantial shortfall between insurance payout and capital balance. I'm not sure I'd fall for any 'platinum' malarkey, but plain shortfall cover is advisable as far as I'm concerned.

Most comprehensive's will replace completely like for like within the first year of ownership (as far as I know).

But yes, plain shortfall cover might be an option, if its something that you're worried about.

 

[Colin62]

I'd throw a complete hissy fit about nonsense like that tbh. A warranty should cover everything mechanical from breakage (not due to wear and tear and user abuse) from day 1 to the end of the period.

Look, it's an Alfa. It's amazing that they're prepared to guarantee it at all...

 

[Pitbull]

Looking at getting a Kia Rio 1.4 TEC Automatic

It comes with 5 year / 100000km warranty and 4 year / 60000km Service Plan.

Question is if I should get the optional Maintenance plan for a new car?
I am quoted R200 extra a month on a 5 year / up to 75 000km (on odometer) Maintenance Plan.

THe items included in MP and not in SP are :
clutch (not available in automatic)
exhaust
globes / fuses
brake pads
brake disks
shock absorbers
v belts
wiper blades
engine
gearbox
differential
turbo assembly
ignition
cooling system
wheel bearings

p/s- bear in mind this will be a new car, and it will be an automatic gear, so no clutch etc.

Should I get it for peace of mind? What was your experience in this?

Rather just save the R 200 a month (R 12 000) if something does go wrong you have money to repair it. If not, you can spend it after 5 years

 

[ToxicBunny]

Look, it's an Alfa. It's amazing that they're prepared to guarantee it at all...

Fair point... ..

Guarantee that there is a tow truck shop right next to the Alfa Dealership.. saves them extra towing fees

 

[SauRoNZA]

For R200 a month I wouldn't even blink.

Is it R200 a month on your car loan though? Or as a "premium" separately?

Especially if you plan to actual do that amount of mileage in the time allotted

 

[Rouxenator]

Standard service plan is more than good enough. If a car does not come with it then walk away, clearly it is an inferior product.

 

[IzZzy]

Look, it's an Alfa. It's amazing that they're prepared to guarantee it at all...

Warranty*

One guarantees a third party's performance, and one warrants your own.

[cheap shot for cheap shot]

 

[ToxicBunny]

Warranty*

One guarantees a third party's performance, and one warrants your own.

[cheap shot for cheap shot]

Its an Alfa, its not a cheap shot, its a fact of life that you will have to live with

 

[IzZzy]

Its an Alfa, its not a cheap shot, its a fact of life that you will have to live with

Haha Granted I didn't buy the car for its durability.

 

[SauRoNZA]

If you worked there for 6 years then you should remember

I looked at the Golf V more than a few times when I was going to buy a new vehicle, and it was always a Service Plan, never a Maint Plan.. that was reserved for the Audi's...

Granted I may be wrong, but every time I've ever looked at VW's they've never ever had Maint Plans as standard.

The initial launch vehicles in 2005 of the Golf 5 GTI did have maintenance plans as standard.

I don't know if it was applicable on other Golfs in the range but it definitely was standard on the GTI.

Then I think in 2008 this fell away with the minor model revision versions and has remained a service plan ever since.

 

[Colin62]

Warranty*

One guarantees a third party's performance, and one warrants your own.

[cheap shot for cheap shot]

[pedant]
From dictionary.com

What is the difference between warranty and guarantee?

A warranty is a promise or guarantee given. A warranty is usually a written guarantee for a product and declares the maker's responsibility to repair or replace a defective product or its parts. A guarantee is an agreement assuming responsibility to perform, execute, or complete something and offering security for that agreement.

[/pedant]

 

[ToxicBunny]

The initial launch vehicles in 2005 of the Golf 5 GTI did have maintenance plans as standard.

I don't know if it was applicable on other Golfs in the range but it definitely was standard on the GTI.

Then I think in 2008 this fell away with the minor model revision versions and has remained a service plan ever since.

Fair enough, then I was wrong.

Just a surprise that the GTi comes with a Maint plan, I very much doubt the rest of the range had. I never looked at a GTi specifically, it was always the lower end of the range and it was always a Service Plan.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Fair enough, then I was wrong.

Just a surprise that the GTi comes with a Maint plan, I very much doubt the rest of the range had. I never looked at a GTi specifically, it was always the lower end of the range and it was always a Service Plan.

Yeah it is a major pain with VW.

Instead of fixing it seems they've gone backwards.

I often wonder if it's not purposely a diversification from Audi.