The backstory: My beloved Jeep Cherokee's AC gave out this summer as I secured a job that has a 60 mile a day round trip attached. At 124K miles on the ticker I said it's high time for a smaller, fuel efficient mode of transportation...unfortunately at 6'4" of not slightly built heft I discovered there's not a single small car with good mpg made that I can fit into and drive safely (apparently making a seat/wheel combo that allow me to be able to hit the brake pedal wasn't top priority). I've sat in every Ford, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Mazda, and VW that isn't a large sedan, minivan, or SUV and all of them couldn't even be a consideration and then...
ENTER THE MINI....
to my delight it fits...and well...I'm hooked; line sinker et al...
now my conundrum -
2010? or 2011?
there's one 2010 MC on the lot that is almost there: auto, BRG/BLK top, cold weather package (it's Michigan after all)...the only thing I'd want changed is the seats...those darn leatherette seats....MA said they can swap out with another car but I'm wondering if that's really true...the 15" wheels...m'eh...I could live with those and go aftermarket later maybe (right?)
so with that 1.9%APR and option credit it sounds like a good deal but
after gleaning huge amounts of helpful info from here and motoringfile I'm torn on waiting for the 2011 with all it's new goodies...
so: pay less money, get the 2010 and not have to wait OR
wait longer, pay more money, get a car that's exactly how I want it?
the little kid says "I want it NOW", the grown up says "patience".
what say you?

 

I vote for "patience"! My guess is that the Mini on the lot will come down even more if you wait. And if it doesn't, you'll have the vehicle that fits you perfectly!

Care to elaborate on that?

 

my only concern with waiting too long is that the 1.9% deal is only good until Aug 31st according to the mini site...I'm hoping the new pricing and configurator on the site will be updated sooner than that...
the seats:
well here's the thing: after driving for 20 minutes with the AC blasting I still got out of the car being kinda um sweaty in places I'd rather not be...and I noticed that while enjoying the lovely tight handling and cornering in the mini my gf and I found ourselves sliding back and forth and side to side on the vinyl seats. And since I've been spending my days commuting with no AC this summer being comfy is high on my priority list.
Now the dealer says they can swap for the cloth seats out of another vehicle (for a price of course). Has anyone else heard of this?

 

I would say it depends on a few things... like, can you live with your Jeep for a few more months? What is your financial situation? What is the specific build you're looking for?

In particular, realize that if you end up ordering a build (there are some options that are just very rare to find on a dealer inventory car) you'll be waiting a bare minimum of a month... quite possibly longer... from the point you order.

 

Yeah I could live with the heep for a few months but again - that's that "I want Mini now" vs. "wait and see".
My wants are pretty basic option wise and finances are not a problem...so I could have the '10 for less money or have basically the same thing in the '11 for more money....

 

I'd vote to wait also... I didn't when I purchased and have 4.9 interest. But on the plus side I love the car

 

There are always deals that come

I'd def hold out because you will kick yourself for not getting the refreshed model

 

Buy the '10, get the good deal and put some sheepskins on the seats and start enjoying your new MINI today - and saving on gas too.....

I have the leatherette in my '09 Clubby and I don't find them to be that hot, even when my car has been sitting in the sun. I'm not 6'4" (although my best friend is and boy was he surprised to find he fit in my MINI!) but I'm sure not "skinny', for what it's worth.

The one thing you didn't mention is whether it's an S or Justa-Cooper. If you didn't already, you owe it to yourself to drive an S before you buy anything. The mileage on the Justa is a little better, but the first time you see what an S can do, it may not matter that much - it sure didn't to me!

 

I understand the worries in the 1.9% financing...that's exactly why I went with the 2010 vs waiting for the 2011. Once the dealer explained that in order to receive the 1.9% you'd have to take delivery of the vehicle by August 31st, I was sold. I had almost ordered a Mini a while back, but couldn't lock in the financing when ordering a car, so I missed the boat.

Haven't heard of the swapping out seats, but I had a similar situation...dealer had the exact car I wanted except with cloth seats. I asked about swapping them out, but no dice. Might have been just because they didn't want to go through the hassle though.

 

I'm sort of the impatient type! If your needs for the car are simple and the MINI already has the cold package (for those frigid MI winters!), plus the incredible 1.9% (and how can you beat that?) financing, I say go for the beautiful BRG already on the lot. Ones on the lot are almost always a better bargain vs. ordered. Perhaps you can even talk it down further (always worth a try non?). Besides, I love the sheepskin cover idea MINIdave had, or you could go with something like Wet Okole's. They're made of neoprene and people just rave about them. They're not exactly cost efficient, but attractive & customizable. You could match them to your BRG colour scheme! The wheels are a definite aftermarket easy fix. Good Luck!

Post Edit: Perhaps you shouldn't listen to me, my mother always taught me that patience is a virtue, and I've found she's almost always correct! If you truly want all the new bells & whistles, it might be wise to approach the subject in a more pragmatic nature! Great! Now my inner child is begging me for some Fruity Pebbles!

 

I had the exact same conundrum. Except that I was looking at slightly used Clubmen vs. a 2010 that was on the lot. I was able to negotiate a pretty good deal that brought the price to just a little bit more than a used one. With the 1.9% financing, I think I did O.K. It's not exactly as I would have ordeed it. I have more goodies that I would have if I had ordered a '11.

Do what your "inner self" tells you. Since your last vehicle had 125,000 miles, you will obviously be living with this decision for quite a while. You should get what you want.

 

Since it appears you like to drive your cars til they die, I would wait and get exactly what you want!

As far as leatherette goes, it actually wears far better than any of the other surfaces...lots of 8-year-old leatherette out there that looks just like brand new!

 

A conundrum indeed! What extras would you get on a new "11 that you do not find on the "10? 1.9% is very hard to pass up, and with a new one the wait might kill you. (people have died waiting for things.)
BRG is a big + as it stands, and if it's an "S" model thats just icing on the cake. Of course the decision is completly out of our hands, good luck.

 

Get the 2010 base model and save yourself some money. You don't need an S, I haven't had any S's run away from me yet and I live in a vertical enviroment save your self $3200 with a base model. No reason to ditch the 15''ers either. You get a spare and non run flat tires a big advantage in ride comfort and handling. I have the leatherette and love it, cloth and leather both wear out or crack, the heated seats are great. Put some good snow tires on it and your are ready for the MI winter. I won't tell you how fast I have driven my "justa", they don't like that on this forum, but I would strongly believe you will never go that fast on those awful Michigan roads.


Just my 2 cents worth, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

I went with the 2010 and don't regret it at all. The S is quicker for sure but I found in my area I sit in traffic 99% of the time anyway so no loss not having the turbo (although I'm sure it is great fun on weekends too ). When you test drive be sure to put the car in sport mode as it makes a big difference in how the car responds. Gas milage is great on these cars I'm getting 31mpg driving in traffic I'm sure your dealer can trade to get the color you want and options. The 2011 has some small changes but noting too drastic. All in all you are going to drive it every day so you should be sure to get the car you like... Be sure to post pics as soon as you get it though