[JimD]

I think BMW is actually pretty good with this stuff. My Japanese SUV has the fuse block up high in the drivers side footwell. Very difficult to get to at my age and size. Everybody uses the really tiny fuses these days so that makes removal replacement difficult regardless of fuse block placement.

BMW puts a trap door in the wind deflector under the engine for the drain plug. I haven't seen this on other cars and I've changed oil in a bunch of them (I do 8-10 a quarter for our church). I had the cover off the headlight compartment installing my "flash2pass" and once I understood it there was no real difficulty. The more typical twist off connector is OK but worse in my opinion. Oil filter cap up front on the engine makes that much better than my SUV where I have to remove the drivers side front wheel for filter access. Manual transmission drain and fill plugs were quite accessable. Filter for the cabin air is easily accessable in the engine compartment. It's behind the glovebox in my SUV. Plugs are all accessable and you can actually see at least most of them. Ever try replacing the back side plugs on a transverse motor?

I think BMW is significantly better than most for these normal maintenance items. Fuses are not a lot easier than others but aren't really worse IMHO. I wish they would just put all the fuses under the hood but I don't think anybody does.

Jim