Will it make any difference to the price I'll get when I sell the car

You've got it in one.

BMW more than anyone have managed to convince the public (& hence the trade) that a BMW franchised FSH is worth more than a non-franchised one, the result is ... that it is.

Well done to BMW, who have successfully managed to protect their dealers, the residual values of their cars & the prices the owners can realise when they sell the cars.

Does this mean the cars are better maintained .... probably not.

Whichever way you decide, good luck

Edited by bonzo dog on 29/06/2011 at 21:41

Maintaining a main dealer service history does effect the residual value of your car whether you sell it privatley or trade it in at a dealer.

What is sometimes more inpmortant is the peace of mind that the car you drive everyday is safe and reliable. Main Dealers are experts in their make of car and they have the latest equipment and they use authorised parts that were designed for that specific make and model.

Should you pay a premium for this when your car gets beyond a certain age. No I don't think you should.

I think you should be offered an automatic discount on the servcing and the additional parts and labour if your car is over say, 3 years old.

If you hunt around the web for 'main dealer discounts' you may find a website offering such a service and discount.

Either way - you own a lovely car so I hope you make the right call for you.

There are independents and independents - i.e. some are BMW specialists and some are generalists who service any make of car.

If you take your BMW to one of the former, such as the excellent Berkshire Motor Works near Wokingham who look after my Z3, this shouldn't adversely affect your resale value as you can reasonably claim that it has full BMW service history.