I'm picking up my new OB 2.5i Limited from an out of town dealer on Saturday and driving it back home. I've compiled a small punch list for when I get to the dealer -- simple stuff like making sure all of the additional items are actually installed and working, odometer matches what I was told was on the car, asking for a tube of touchup paint, etc.
For others who have bought outside of their home area, any advice on how to deal with service needs when you get back home? I'm generally leery of taking my car to a dealership for maintenance. My mechanic has taken good care of my other Japanese import vehicles over the years. However if there are warranty issues -- fit and finish in particular, things that won't become apparent until I drive the 300 miles home -- I'm a little concerned about how I might be treated rolling in with a new car purchased elsewhere. On the other hand, theoretically I could have just moved from out of town with my new car and needed service, so...maybe I'm just being overly paranoid. I did try to leave things friendly with the closest dealer to my house even when they couldn't come close to the price I'm getting.