How are you calculating this? I get no where near those numbers based on the amount of gas station visits and the car computer.

 

I just check my MPG reports using the button on the left side wheel stick (car computer). Shows avg speed, MPG, and other sundry info. Don't know how accurate it is, but that's what mine has been showing. I find that if you have some spirited driving for a period, you can really lower that number. If I do a reset and drive normally, I can get back to the 36-37 MPG range pretty quickly. My driving is mixed, some highway and plenty of city. Of course, our city driving isn't too much stop and go like Urban Chicago or LA...can pretty much run 35-45 MPH for long stretches with the occasional stop light.

I run 93 octane because it's available. At the Mini (second Date meeting), they recommend nothing less than 89 octane and top tier only.. I'd always run 93 octane on my other cars, but never paid attention to "Top Tier" grade fuel. Now I do.

 

Now that you've driven some cars, I'd spend some quality time on the MINI USA configuration section building different cars. Since MINI switched to the various sub-groupings on the configurator it can be frustrating to try to build out exactly what you want. Colors aren't universally available and some packages are lumped together or only available at certain trim levels. It can be a bit confusing, but a good MINI salesperson (they're called MA's) can really help you along without putting pressure on you to order or buy before you're ready.

EVERY MONTH MINI updates the offers on the web site. Some carry over on ordered cars, others are only good for the month. Lease rates/interest rates change, as do incentives. READ ALL THE FINE PRINT.
MINI USA sales are down and declining, so some folks are snagging extraordinary deals on both in-stock and ordered cars.

When it got down to it, we ordered exactly what we wanted, which added costs, but it was worth it. FWIW, part of the MINI thing is motoring -- enjoying the grin-inducing aspects of these quirky cars. My 36 month lease on my current MINI will soon end. I've already configured a couple of "next" MINIs, because I can't stand the thought of no MINI in the stable.

So, if you decide it's a MINI for you, get the one you want, with the toys you want on it. I got the alarm. It's a very good system and it is cheaper and easier than anything you can retrofit after delivery.

Good luck.

 

Thank for all your input. Great advice, will do....

 

I was new to MINI waaay back in 2016. Now I can't imagine life without one -- and I've got a couple of Jags sitting in the garage that we almost never drive. Every time, either me or the Missus says, "Hey,let's take the MINI."

Our Clubman S All4, with a Dinan Sport Tuner, runs great on funky California blend 91. I've run it up and down I-5 in 100+ degree heat, and up in the hills around Yosemite, and down here in SoCal up and down the coast. Never a hiccup, never a knock. It purrrs and, in Sport Mode, it pops and growls like a proper English car (with a proper German drivetrain). Love the dynamic dampers and the way the steering tightens just a bit in Sport, and while the stick shift, for some people, is the whole point of a MINI, I LOVE the 8 speed sport auto with the paddle shifters. And I ordered a JCW steering wheel, which I swear makes the car go even faster .

More than you ever wanted to read about getting a MINI: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-the-deal.html

 

Thanks for the added temptation.....

I'm in NCal so, assume I'd have similar funky California blend up here too...

And thanks for the link!

 

Eco mode allows the car to coast in neutral when your foot is off the gas, makes the throttle response dead and slow, puts up a bar to tell you how much gas you are saving and nags you when you step on it too hard or go too fast.

 

Sounds great......

 

BTW, I think USA-RET has filled you in pretty well on ordering timing. We ordered in August of 2016 and our MINI was delivered to us that October. It is a 2017 production year car. A few weeks after we received our car the factory updated the Nav system on future cars in the 2017 model year run to a touch screen. So we have a 2017 without a touchscreen and folks who got their cars a few weeks later have touchscreens. Point being, MINI makes changes/upgrades whenever-- not just at mid-cycle LCI refresh.

As a general rule, the model year changeover happens in July, just as USA-RET explained.

This is a weird year as the factory in Oxford shut down for the entire month of April. It was a long-planned shut down, and was done in April in anticipation of the Brexit that hasn't yet happened.

When we ordered in August there were great incentives, but the past is not a reliable indicator of the future. This year March had some great offers that are supposedly gone. But, if I were ordering a new MINI, I'd use the discounts from March as a benchmark for any deal I proposed. When the dealer told me the March incentives were no longer in play, I'd politely say I understand that, but the net prices in March represent the market value of the cars so let's see how we can get the numbers right on a car I'm ready to order today. Never hurts to ask. And it's never a sin to shop more than one dealer, especially in Northern California where too many people in the San Jose/SF area have pockets full of IPO loot and don't care that much about price. If you care about price, shop hard.

Best of luck. Drive what you love.

 

Great info and input...Thanks!

Wiil do as you suggest about negotiating price....as I don't have 'funny money' (IPO loot...), as my dear ol' dad (may he RIP...) used to say about the Silicon Valley peeps......I have to earn every nickel I get....getting the incentive discount would be make a big difference in my ability to afford/rationalize getting a MINI equipped the way I'd like.

 

Just know that going in, the incentives Mini (or other car makers) offer do not come off the dealer profit margin. So, if the dealer's profit on a car is $3000 and Mini has an incentive of $2000, the dealer will still make $3000 on that car. If you negotiate $2000 off the sticker price on that same car, the dealer will make $1000 profit (even though you are getting $4000 off the sticker price of that car). If the incentive were to expire when you buy and you expect the dealer to give you that same deal, He winds up $1000 in the hole.

In my case, If the incentive had expired, and I hoped to get the dealer to allow me the $2K incentive off the car in addition to the discount I negotiated (which actually came off his profit margin), he would have lost money on the deal. Did I get the best deal I could? Probably not (I generally leave enough meat on the bone for the store to make a decent profit on the new car), am I happy with my deal, I am. Is the dealer happy? I assume he is since he signed off on it. It comes down to as long as both parties feel good with the deal made, it's a good deal.

The "Sticky Thread" - "Art of the Deal" gives you (and it did for me) a decent bargaining chip when buying a new Mini.

 

Thank you for the detailed explanation. Get the idea much more clearly now. Very helpful to understand.

 

Unfortunately, some MINI dealers act like the factory incentives come out of their pockets.

 

Hmmm......well, we shall see......hope to get over to dealer again to discuss specifics/order tomorrow or next day thereafter.......

 

FWIW, try and strike up the "I'd like to order a new car" conversation w/ one of the sales managers (the guys wearing a different color shirt and usually sitting in an office) rather than the sales guys on the floor. At our dealership, the sales staff wears blue and the managers wear gray. Dealing w/ one of them eliminates the middle man. A sales person cannot discount cars nor can they make a final deal w/o approval . Everything is done w/ the Sales Manager's approval...who will generally come out to close a deal if the sales person can't.

Additionally do not forget to mention that if you get a fair deal, you'll give the dealership "All Ten's" on the survey from Mini. That is a big deal to them (not the sales staff), but the dealership and can add even more profit to the sale. Next time I'm in my BMW dealership, I'll ask my sales guy (who is one of the managers) if the managers see any of that extra profit on the commission checks for the perfect score. If so, that's another reason to try a deal w/ the managers directly.

On our first Mini I went though a sales person and when I wouldn't come off my price, the sales manager came out and closed. I noticed that the sale of that car was listed w/ both their names (meaning commission was split between the sales person and the manager). This time, I knew the Manager and gabbed him as he walked through the dealership (he always say's hello when he sees us), mentioned I want to order a car..he said I'll be right with you. This time he gets the full commission check. W/ him he started out by saying I can knock $1K off the MSRP in addition to the incentive (something a sales person isn't allowed to do). I had my figures written down w/ plenty of profit left in the car. He wound up doing a lot better than the $1K first offer. He knew his profit margin as did I and he knew I was going to buy. Very easy deal that made both of us feel good.

Do some homework using the sticky thread in this forum. Calculate the actual profit $ the dealer will see in the car you are ordering. Write the numbers down you want to pay (allowing a fair/reasonable profit to the dealership) and refer to your paper as you discuss the deal. The more reasonable you are, the easier the deal will be. Always be polite.

Good luck!

 

More great info and advice, THANKS!

Will keep all this mind tomorrow when I go to dealer.....


Meanwhile, another MINI question.....

If I understood correctly from salesperson I talked to last time I was in dealership, the JCW steering wheel has the paddle shifters, but the other non-JCW leather version doesn't. Is this correct?

I ask as I like look of non-JCW leather steering wheel better (without red thread), as I'm thinking to order car with the gray leather seats with gray signature trim.

Does anyone actually use the paddle shifters?

Also, thinking to get the 'white silver' exterior with white roof and mirrors, and silver color wheels.

 

I have satellite gray lounge leather with the JCW wheel with paddles (and matching red stitching on the shift lever). JCW wheel isn't quite as 'soft' as the other wheel. But the JCW steering wheel does make the car go faster

As for dealing with the dealer. YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. You need to have all of your questions answered and then you go home and think it all through and go over all the numbers. Then you put YOUR offer together, call your MA, and tell him/her you are ready to make the deal 'today' IF we can agree upon terms. Many, many dealers in California who want your business and will do a lot to earn it, if you make them. The first dealer I delt with, which was the most convenient location for me, didn't want to play fair. I contacted a second dealer a little distance away and told the Sales Manager that I had just walked out of Dealer A because he couldn't do the deal I was ready to say yes to. The Sales Manager at Dealer B asked me what I would say yes to. I told him my numbers, he said he could do it and we did the entire thing via email. First time I met the guy was the day I took delivery of my Clubman. No deposit, just a signed credit app and a signed order confirmation.

On ordered cars, if the interest rates/money factors IMPROVE during the month the car is delivered, you get the improved rate. You can also "lock" the rate when you order the car in case rates move up. Go over this VERY CAREFULLY with your MA BEFORE you sign any deal. Make sure you write down what they can or can't protect. And if a deposit is required, USE A CREDIT CARD, so if for some sad reason a refund of the deposit is required, you can just have it charged back to the credit card -- and if there's an issue, your credit card company has your back. But you don't have to take delivery until you see and drive the car and approve it.

If you are considering any of the pricey add-ons like tire and wheel coverage or an extended service contract (all of which are very pricey and rarely add value), then negotiate them into your deal BEFORE you sit down with anyone in the Finance Dept. If you are doing a loan through MINI, and you think GAP insurance is important, check with your auto insurance company as they usually offer GAP for way less than the dealer will charge you. When the MA tells you the 'expert' on the add ons is the Finance person, say, "Great, let's go talk with that person now so we can see how their best numbers will work with my proposed deal." When they say the Finance person isn't available, then say, "I understand. You have my phone number. When everybody we need to put this deal together is available, call me and we can arrange a time for me to come back." You are focused on the total, final drive off cost and you want that number in front of you prior to sitting down "in the box" with the finance shark.

Golden Rule: He who brings the gold to the deal makes the rules.

The dealer knows this so the entire process is designed to make the customer who brings the gold feel dis-empowered. Go along with their process, but always remember, you're in control. You're giving the dealer the opportunity to sell you a car. They should feel honored. And you should drive off very happy when your new MINI arrives, delivered under terms and conditions with which you are comfortable and happy.

End of lesson. Now go get a killer deal on a car you'll love.

Best of luck.

 

THANK You for your helpful advice!

Understand your points....

Don't plan on financing car.....will pay cash (at delivery....) or should I put on my Visa card and then pay it off when Visa bill comes?

So, does the non-JCW steering come with paddle shifters? and does it really matter?

Thanks.

 

When I ordered my car, the paddles were linked to the tranny selection. If you bought the sport automatic, you got the paddles, regardless of steering wheel -- the default wheel was the one with the white stitching. The JCW wheel was extra cost, regardless of tranny choice..

They've made some changes to the way cars can be configured so, regardless of what the MINIUSA configurator shows, I would clarify with the dealer when you are reviewing your final build sheet.

But seeing that little JCW logo on my steering wheel makes me feel like I'm runnin' with the Big Boyz. Runnin' fast.

 

OK, I get it now....

Do you ever use the paddles? and if so, do they work well?

 

The paddles are quick. they do work well.

 

i use them all the time. Especially fun in Sport Mode. Took a little getting used to — had to learn when the MINI would automatically go back to D and full automatic.

The shifts up or down are lightning quick. I like using the paddles better than blipping the shift lever, but using the lever is good too.

I’ve had paddles on 3 cars. This set up is the best i’ve had yet.

 

If you push the shifter to the left, it won't automatically go back to D. It only does it in the normal D position. Also, there's 2 different modes when it is pushed to the left.
If you push it to the left and not use the paddles, it puts the transmission in Sport mode. It will hold shifts longer and shift much later. In sport mode, the gear display is prefixed with S.

If you use the paddles, it will go into Manual mode, This means you control the shifting. The hear display will be prefixed with M

 

Exactly. And once learned, it feels totally intuitive.

 

Great info and explanation. Thanks to both of you.....