[simoneves]

I'm looking for the easiest safest basic "Stage 1" tune for my N20 228i.

I don't want to do the work myself, so any provider would need to have an approved reseller/installer in the SF Bay Area, ideally the North Bay.

My understanding is that the cheaper end of the scale is piggyback (BMS, RaceChip, Active), with the true ECU tunes (GSR, Enzo) in the middle, and Dinan out on it's own at the top of the price range because of their warranty, even though it's also a piggyback.

I'm not interested in any other mechanical mods at this time. I may investigate an alternative exhaust in the future, but I also like the idea of staying stealth.

I don't want my car to be off the road for any length of time, which presumably precludes an ECU tune anyway since I would have to remove the ECU and have it shipped to GSR or Enzo.

Money is also a factor. I appreciate why Dinan charge what they do, given the warranty thing and the implicit acceptance by BMW, but are they still worth it, and is the company going to survive the take-over and the departure of the main man?

I have read good and bad things about all (well, most) of them, so I'm expecting response, if any, to this to be equally varied and inconclusive.

Get the BMS and pay a local installer for an hour of work and be out the door for under $500, or is it worth paying more for peace of mind?