Need advice on dealer options, please

**Skydog** · 10-19-2012 09:12 PM

I'm picking up my '13 premium WRX sedan on Monday and now have a few decisions to make regarding some add-ons the dealer is peddling. I'd love to kow if any of you have experience and/or opinions on this stuff. Some sort of paint and seat protection called Xzilon (sounds like a Flash Gordon character) that's good for five years and costs $500. A tire protection plan that will repair or replace any tire or wheel damaged by road hazards (nails, metal, glass, potholes, etc.) that's good for five years and costs $259. Ten year rustproofing from Auto Armor for $299. And then there's the extended warranty options: +$595 for 4yr/60k miles all the way up to +$1,595 for 7yr/100k miles. My thoughts were no to Xzilon, yes to tires (one damaged wheel and it pays for itself), maybe to rustproof mostly because they salt the roads here, and no extended warranty. So, any opinions? Thanks!

**mastercaster** · 10-20-2012 05:52 AM

i have had a LOT of new cars in my life. some well over 2x the price of my WRX. I have never and will never purchase dealer accessories. they are pure profit for the dealer. same with extended warranties. you can get some of those add ons elsewhere cheaper. high quality wax protects the paint very well here in the Texas sun. if you have areas that really need good protection, go with clear film paint protection. I have done the 3M on several of my cars, and it is amazing! I have NEVER had tires last me five years on a car. to each his own. it really comes down to what your comfortable with and if you can afford to fix something that arises. the extended and tire warranties are just over priced insurance. the other items are just fluff. take the tire warranty for instance. let's say in a year or two you have a blowout. since it it not wise nor recommended to replace just one tire on an awd car, are they going to replace all of them, two of them, or pay to have the one tire shaved? bet that's nowhere to be found in there literature. anyway, you have to go with your gut and with what your pocketbook can handle..now and in the future.

**Mf645** · 10-20-2012 07:05 AM

Read the details. A lot of paint protection and other appearance packages require you to pay for the full package again if you use it, to reapply the protection. But yea, big profit for the dealer. Rear the tire/wheel offer carefully. Are tires prorated? Is there a deductible?

**Gendax** · 10-20-2012 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by mastercaster

i have had a LOT of new cars in my life. some well over 2x the price of my WRX. I have never and will never purchase dealer accessories. they are pure profit for the dealer. same with extended warranties. you can get some of those add ons elsewhere cheaper. high quality wax protects the paint very well here in the Texas sun. if you have areas that really need good protection, go with clear film paint protection. I have done the 3M on several of my cars, and it is amazing! I have NEVER had tires last me five years on a car. to each his own. it really comes down to what your comfortable with and if you can afford to fix something that arises. the extended and tire warranties are just over priced insurance. the other items are just fluff. take the tire warranty for instance. let's say in a year or two you have a blowout. since it it not wise nor recommended to replace just one tire on an awd car, are they going to replace all of them, two of them, or pay to have the one tire shaved? bet that's nowhere to be found in there literature. anyway, you have to go with your gut and with what your pocketbook can handle..now and in the future.

**MainFrame** · 10-20-2012 07:40 AM

Personally, I would pass on all of it.

**michaelwfox** · 10-20-2012 08:16 AM

Skip all of it!

**Skydog** · 10-21-2012 12:22 PM

Thanks folks. The only one I'm still thinking about is the tire/wheel thing. The tire coverage extends to any tires on my car between purchase and five years later, including the snows I'll be putting on in about a month from now. So basically if I have any blowouts, flats, wheel, damage over the next five years I'll be covered. If it was limited to the tires that come on the car at purchase I wouldn't consider it as I've also never had any tire last me five years.

I can't freakin wait! T-minus 24-hours until I get my new ride! I'm taking Tuesday off just to enjoy for a full day.

**MainFrame** · 10-21-2012 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by Skydog

Thanks folks. The only one I'm still thinking about is the tire/wheel thing. The tire coverage extends to any tires on my car between purchase and five years later, including the snows I'll be putting on in about a month from now. So basically if I have any blowouts, flats, wheel, damage over the next five years I'll be covered. If it was limited to the tires that come on the car at purchase I wouldn't consider it as I've also never had any tire last me five years.

I can't freakin wait! T-minus 24-hours until I get my new ride! I'm taking Tuesday off just to enjoy for a full day.

So if you have one blowout, they'll replace all four tires?

**Skydog** · 10-21-2012 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by MainFrame

So if you have one blowout, they'll replace all four tires?

No, but if I had a blowout without the coverage I'd be buying one tire to replace anyway, right? Do people really buy four new tires after having one blowout? I guess I was thinking that if I had at least two issues over the next five years it paid for itself with tires costing anywhere between $125-$175 each and wheels being even more. Or am I looking at this the wrong way? Thanks!

**twister8008** · 10-21-2012 04:08 PM

Skip them all! Waste of money, and it only adds to your potential to be more upside down when you drive off the lot.

**Calvinball** · 10-21-2012 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Skydog

No, but if I had a blowout without the coverage I'd be buying one tire to replace anyway, right? Do people really buy four new tires after having one blowout? I guess I was thinking that if I had at least two issues over the next five years it paid for itself with tires costing anywhere between $125-$175 each and wheels being even more. Or am I looking at this the wrong way? Thanks!

With awd, you need to be very careful about tire diameters. If one is different than the others it can wear the diffs.

**mastercaster** · 10-21-2012 05:22 PM

whole different ball game on an awd car.

**MainFrame** · 10-21-2012 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Skydog

Do people really buy four new tires after having one blowout?

Yep.. I had a screw go through the sidewall of one of my RE-01s when they had about half their tread left. $1150 worth of tires out the window. I don't buy expensive tires anymore because unless they're brand new, if something happens to one you need to replace all four, otherwise you will be replacing differentials later on due to differences in wheel speed caused by unequal tire diameter. (I had to replace the center diff on my first WRX partially because I didn't rotate the tires often enough.)

**Skydog** · 10-21-2012 06:20 PM

Okay, but I'm still confused. If you blew a tire couldn't you replace it with one of the exact same size/diameter without having to replace the other three that are perfectly fine?