[tombag]

Hi all

Probably a lot of threads on this but is life shine worth it in Uk?
I managed to get it included with a monthly payment I’m happy to pay but reading a lot of mixed reviews.
I’m expecting delivery of 2022 X3 M40i before end of sept. Any advice would be great

Thanks

[Bestle]

Waste of time, they never prep the car properly. It's just something to upsell you for extra commission.

[tombag]

Originally Posted by Bestle

Waste of time, they never prep the car properly. It's just something to upsell you for extra commission.

What would you recommend as an alternative? Also, what about the leather protection it comes with?

Thanks

[huggy509]

Originally Posted by tombag

What would you recommend as an alternative? Also, what about the leather protection it comes with?

Thanks

Get a detailer to prep the car and give it a ceramic coating

[Speedbird1]

I'm guessing Right Shine is also the name for Protect X. Just another take, but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. At the right price it can be worth considering. I had the dealer (Park Lane) prep both my X3's (F25 & G01) with Protect X and I had cause to use the insurance element on both cars.

First car had an etch in the clearcoat on the roof from bird droppings whilst it sat in an airport car park and the dealer removed this for me. The second was a stain on my leather seat which I couldn't get out and didn't want to scrub too hard for fear of damaging the surface. Again, under the insurance element afforded by the Protect X package they attended to it and the result was excellent.

Whilst I did pay a small / discounted amount for my Protect X package - many people report getting it included so it is a negotiable element of the deal. The protection guarantee, covering paint, leather and fabrics is for the life of the car and transferable to a new owner, so it also has future value.

However, I also accept that the end result is down to the dealer prep and application and this would probably be the one element it is difficult to quantify.

[Blacktemplar]

Originally Posted by Bestle

Waste of time, they never prep the car properly. It's just something to upsell you for extra commission.

This.

As others have said, it's generally an upsell unless you can get it reduced/thrown in as part of the deal. It's also going to be dependent on how good/diligent the dealership is in prepping the car - I've seen some real horrors with swirls/holograms on new cars.

The "ideal" is to ask the dealer not to touch the car at all, leave all the transport film on etc and have it taken direct to a professional detailer. I appreciate that's not the best in terms of the theatre of taking ownership of your shiny new car but if you're a bit OCD about the paintwork it's the best solution.

That said, my supplying dealer made a fantastic job of my previous F31 (with its notoriously soft EBII paint) so I let them do the X3 and they did a pretty good job of it as well.

Leather protection? Don't bother. Unless you've specified Merino leather. The standard Vernasca has a protective topcoat that makes it pretty impervious to just about anything. My F31 had Oyster Dakota leather and all it needed was an occasional clean with a good quality leather furniture cleaner like Dr Leather. The black Vernasca in my M40i gets serial abuse from small sticky children, muddy wellies, salty/sandy wetsuits and a whole host of other crap and it looks as good as new with minimal care.

[tombag]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

This.

As others have said, it's generally an upsell unless you can get it reduced/thrown in as part of the deal. It's also going to be dependent on how good/diligent the dealership is in prepping the car - I've seen some real horrors with swirls/holograms on new cars.

The "ideal" is to ask the dealer not to touch the car at all, leave all the transport film on etc and have it taken direct to a professional detailer. I appreciate that's not the best in terms of the theatre of taking ownership of your shiny new car but if you're a bit OCD about the paintwork it's the best solution.

That said, my supplying dealer made a fantastic job of my previous F31 (with its notoriously soft EBII paint) so I let them do the X3 and they did a pretty good job of it as well.

Leather protection? Don't bother. Unless you've specified Merino leather. The standard Vernasca has a protective topcoat that makes it pretty impervious to just about anything. My F31 had Oyster Dakota leather and all it needed was an occasional clean with a good quality leather furniture cleaner like Dr Leather. The black Vernasca in my M40i gets serial abuse from small sticky children, muddy wellies, salty/sandy wetsuits and a whole host of other crap and it looks as good as new with minimal care.

Thanks all

[csm7djs]

Lifeshine is definitely worth it if you have it done at the Autoglym factory.

What you get at the dealers (and I'm sure it may vary) is pretty poor.

I had it on my M40d via the dealers (because they chucked it in for free) and tbh I can't tell the difference.

[XxDanoxX]

Originally Posted by huggy509

Get a detailer to prep the car and give it a ceramic coating

This is what I did at a fraction of the cost.