After looking for over a year, I finally took the plunge and bought my MCS (clunkered a 99 GMC Sierra 1500 4WD -- sad to see her go). Off the lot it had everything I wanted and more. I had always been partial to PW but the Midnight black is very nice. Buying off the lot was a huge challenge, especially since I wanted Xenon and manual trannie. Anyway, here it is, I hope you like it, too! Maybe this will help convince some of you on the fence...

Midnight Black/Black roof
Leatherette
Cold wx/Premium/Sport Packages (Xenon, 17in web spoke wheels)
Piano Black interior
Comfort Bluetooth
Armrest
Foglights

 

I turned in a 93 Dakota that cost me $800 for a MCS. Hope your experience was better than mine, buying the car was a huge PIA I never want to repeat. I got a transfer from another lot to get what I wanted- a car with the LSD or no sale.

 

Xenon and manual transmission were my lines in the sand. Only 3 cars on the lot had that -- the one I got, a red MC with one of the expensive leather packages that I didn't want (made the sticker higher than mine, and my wife didn't want me to get red), and a DS MCS with the aero package (don't like the color matching of that and it was too much $). Selection was the biggest challenge, but I got lucky -- when I saw this it hadn't even gone through the dealer's acceptance inspections yet, so was never driven. I drove it away with 4 miles on it. I was originally hoping to get the MC, but the MCS is a little more pleasing. I love my selection. The PIA was signing the docs after the deal was made! An hour of hell!

 

Just an hour? I spent 11 over two days, mostly due to confusion over the program being suspended because it was out of money.

 

Yeah, I was very lucky about that... Was sad to see the old truck go -- especially since they are going to flatten it!

 

Take a look at the '89 Chevy I traded for $4500:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0&ppuser=70001

It actually looks pretty good in the pictures. It's so rusty it flexes in the middle when you get in and out. The plow worked fine, but the mounts were solidly rusted in place so it went too.

I bought mine from Prestige Mini. They spent more time describing all the add-on insurance/warrantee stuff than doing paperwork for the CARS program. They did do two things that bother me now:

First, they had me sign an agreement that states I will pay the $4500 if they don't get it through the program (the program page the next day warned about this and said that participants shouldn't sign these agreements)

Second, they didn't give me an estimate of scrap value, nor did they mention that anything over their $50 admin fee will be credited or returned to me. In fact, there was no mention af scrap at all, not even the admin fee. The truck with plow was over 5,200# (we hauled stuff until the spring perches rusted off the frame, so I have been weighed at at least 3 scales and know the weight is correct).

I have not mentioned these two things to them yet, but will probably take it up in person when I drive down to pick up the new registration in a few days. I can't say they are problems until the dealer knows and does nothing about it.

Otherwise the buying experience was amazingly painless. They threw in a nice set of rubber mats, something we mentioned we wanted to buy while discussing other things the day before.

My lines in the sand were- Clubman, Sunroof and manual trans. Nice plus would be cloth seats and cold weather pkg.

Excluding the S models, there were only two, one in BRG with vinyl seats and mine with the two-color cloth combo interior. It has the bluetooth and a few other things I would not have ordered. I'm glad actually, the price difference isn't that much and I have a much nicer car than I would have chosen for myself. The salesman spent a long time looking at the inventory at the port and other dealers, found nothing else. I had also turned up nothing in my searches of online dealer inventory an hour or two before.

I'd be interested to hear about other people's experiences.
Chris

 

Congrats to you, too! I really like the way the red and black contrast on your Clubman.

My MA and the dealer (Checkered Flag in VA) didn't have any problem with the CARS program and my vehicle. I wonder if it made any difference that I did it just Thursday when the $2B had already been approved by Congress? Anyway, they didn't give me any of the "you may end up owing us" business. It was very straightforward transaction as far as that goes. The long part for me all had to do with the new MCS and them trying to add-on insurance/warrantee stuff, so my experience seems much the same as yours. They threw in rubber mats at the end for me, too -- bonus! I didn't think that I would like them but they are pretty nice.

 

Thanks Hurl!
I wouldn't have thought I'd like back/red when it;s described, but seeing it is something else. I signed for my car on Wednesday (three days ago) and maybe dealers are getting nervous?

Your experience sounds much like mine. Someone told me just today that Mini sends out little welcome packages to new owners with a mileage log book and some other little stuff.

I put up a few more pictures in the gallery where you can see the interior. My camera (like most digital cameras) has problems rendering bright reds, especially in the sun. The real color is close to the rich red you see on the dash.

Here's the link again:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0&ppuser=70001

Thanks again,
Chris

 

Very nice! I almost got a MC that had that interior (red, black top), but I didn't have the title from my truck yet (FL title, and it was electronic so I had to send for it) and they sold that one before I got back. I would have bought it if the timing worked.

 

Nice car! It looks a lot like mine. I clunkered my '97 740iL with 195,000 miles.

Here is mine:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-new-mini.html

Buying experience was alright. It took a while with the paperwork, warranty talk, etc. When I drove mine off the lot the check engine light came on, I took it back in and it took another 45 minutes to get it turned off. But they threw in (after we asked for them to) some rubber floor mats. Buying it took all day on Monday which wasn't great since I hadn't had anything to eat all day. My requirements were all black (no stripes or two tone body colors), Sunroof, Manual transmission, and they ended up adding a center armrest for me.

 

The all black I think is very sheik. I'm thinking about tinting the windows to make it even more uniform, though the restrictions in VA are pretty high. No matter, anything darker would work.

I have the armrest, too, as part of the Comfort Bluetooth. I won't use the armrest part of the Bluetooth, but I do like the hands free with my phone. I was also looking through the manual tonight, and have since set the clock to 24hr time, turned on the daytime running lights, and turned on the auto door locks! Very cool!!

I'm still driving like an old lady though -- still nervous about other people seeing me. Did your MA mention a break-in period? Mine didn't, though I've heard of it mentioned on the forums here.

Do you get waved at by other Minis on the road -- Mini-wave, like the jeep wave. I don't think I've seen any Minis in that scenario yet.
Hurl

 

This is mine the day before trade in. It had just started smoking, cracked windshield, no radio, no ac, no spare, windows stuck, transmission wouldn't go in gear, drivers door didn't close.... only 120K mint

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blitzcat/3825041614

Moving some palettes and books.

 

Here's what I traded for my MCS, a 1986 Ford F250 diesel! Ran great, did what we needed it to, cost a lot less than what the CC program got me for it & has now served its purpose!

Just a sleight difference in size, wouldn't you say?

Meh! Can't upload the pic here because I've already posted it here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-tomorrow.html

Anyway, what a size difference!

 

I also like the black-on-black look. Good luck with the new ride!

Yesterday DH was out in the Mercedes and spotted my twin Clubman. He waved, but obviously just got a weird look in return. Now I have to keep an eye out for the twin.

I signed up for a motoring ID, wonder if anyone uses them or not? I guess I'll put the letters on the window and we'll find out.

My other plow truck (the one we kept) is a red F250 Diesel. though there were only 3 model years between the K2500 we surrendered and the F-250, the Ford feels like a real truck while the Chevy was shedding palm-sized hunks of rusy metal every time we moved it.

We only kept the Chevy on the road because we were hoping to give away the plow to someone who could get it off and use it. I'm still amazed that the program worked for me (but we'll only know for sure once the dealer gets paid).

 

Yeah, I want to do the tint as well. I am getting quotes now and looking to do the tint pretty soon. Nobody mentioned a break in period, which I wish they did. Looking throught the manual it says 1200 miles, nothing over 4500 rpm, and no full throttle. I have like 820 miles on it now, so its getting there.

Haven't been waved at yet, there aren't many MINIs around here yet, I'm guessing because the closest dealership is 100 miles away.

 

I did the tint myself with a $25 ebay kit. Be patient and it goes on fine.

 

any link on the ebay kit specifically?

 

Congrats on the car. Its beautiful. I actually ordered a '10 Laser Blue, but I'm about change my order to Midnight Black. Can you post more pics of your car if you have any?

 

I posted a bunch of pics in my gallery. Hope you like them. Getting windows tinted with ceramic tint in a couple of weeks. I LOVE the Mini, but it was really hot after sitting in the sun while I was at work today.


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0&ppuser=54487

 

congrats!

 

Thanks for posting those pictures! I enjoy looking at them cause thats pretty much identical to how my MINI is going to look on the exterior.

 

I traded my 99 Audi A6 with 180k+ and a lot of memories. The problem with it was every time I took it for an oil change, it cost me $1,250.00. That was always the number for some reason.

Glad to be in a new car.

Clubman S silver/black

 

Saw a report today that stated the CARS program could end first week in Sep, before Labor Day. I'm glad I got in under the gun...

 

Ends Monday

 

Clunkered my '96 Jeep Cherokee, and I did feel a little bit guilty sending it off to slaughter, but I'm over it now. Dealer found exactly what I was looking for, still on the boat coming over. As soon as it hit the ground it was mine. Biggest PIA was using a dealer that didn't know what they were doing with the clunker program. Held the car hostage for a month, waiting for the government go-ahead. They couldn't figure out that they weren't getting paid until they delivered the car. Unwilling to finish the deal, I finally had to have them transfer the car to a different dealership to get it done. It's all good now. '09 justaclubman, Mellow Yellow, black roof and trim, black bonnet stripes, and a 6-speed manual.