Just thought I should chime in with the buying experience from various MINI dealerships. I'm blessed to live in an area where there are 3 MINI dealerships within reasonable travel time from my home. Though getting to one requires a 2 hour ride on a ferry.

The dealership closest to my place is a 20 minute drive. I called regarding a testdrive of a Cooper 5spd. The receptionist told me no appointment necessary, just come on down at my convenience. So I do just that only to find they don't have any Coopers with 5spd in stock. So I get to take a Cooper S with 6 speed instead on a fixed street route. Of course the version of car I buy is highly dependent on how much money I have so I still really want to drive a cooper with 5 spd. The salesperson said he would call me back in 2 weeks when they get a car in. It's been almost 2 months now and still no call. I also noted that I probably knew more about the car than the sales person just by reading up on stuff from this website and others.

Took a ferry across to another dealership and wife got to see a cooper in the color we wanted (BEP). As the purpose of the trip was not originally intended to visit a MINI dealership, we declined the testdrive as we had a busy schedule to keep. However, the sales person showed great ethics in suggesting I purchase the car from my local dealer (there are 2 in my area) as it would be much easier and probably better to have my car serviced by the place I bought the car from, but I was welcome to buy it from him also if discounting of a few dollars (but not much) was going to be an issue.

As I will probably actually place my order in the next couple of weeks, I still hadn't actually driven a 5-spd and having just gone through the Christmas season, didn't have time to go to the 3rd dealership, I sent my configuration I was considering to the MINI website. The next business day, I received a phone call from a sales person from the 3rd MINI dealership. He explained to me that the dealerships actually compete with each other and other than selling the same brand of cars, were not linked. He offered to bring me a mini cooper with 5spd to my office over my lunch time and I could take it out for a spin on the roads where I would most likely drive them on (my commute route). I didn't have to go down to the dealership. When I was ready, I could just place my order. So my testdrive is next week.

I was impressed with the third dealership...the second one too.

The last time I saw this level of service was in Japan where my friend just called his dealership and they came and service my friend's car (a Honda), took it out, washed it and filled the gas tank. My cousin in Hong Kong also buys his cars by calling a salesperson he knows and asks him to bring an Alfa Romeo over to his office. My sister-in-law's Mercedes gets her car serviced by Mercedes Benz who drive a truck to her office and changes oil and minor stuff in the parking lot. Whenever she has to actually bring her car in, they always have a replacement car, that is an equivalent or higher model than hers, waiting for her.

Is this the kind of service I can expect from MINI (aka BMW)?

 

Some dealers have discovered that these cars virtually sell themselves, so they don't bother to make an effort.

Others want your business no matter what and want to make you happy...

 

The dealerships that are close to each other do compete for sales. However, each dealer is different when you begin talking about service. In California a few of us didn't want to pay the premium dealers were charging to purchase a car and bought out of state. This has created a problem for some of us. The dealers are now stating wierd things like, "well if you didn't buy your car here, you don't get a loaner vehicles because our customers come first" (as if I couldn't possibly refer someone or buy myself someday). Then you experience the "sorry but you don't get preferential treatment because you're a non-customer." A dealership here is now limiting service to customers only. It is beyond me that a general manager would allow that type of thing to go on but it does. I drive two hours to get to the service dealership I've chosen and drive past three other dealers on the way, because they treat me better.

So moral of the story, check thier service policies before you purchase. Will you get a loaner? Will they pick you up if there is a problem? Will they come to you? (I doubt that would ever happen) What are wait times. This one is key, as many people have stated that they have had to wait sometimes three to four weeks to get a service appointment. ASk who they use in the event of your needing a body shop? Do they do their own work? Is your car third partied out?

It is not a pain to own a MINI. You have a better time with the details if you become informed prior to needing the service department. Like they say "forewarned is forearmed". I love my car. I like my chosen service dpeartment. Good luck with your purchase. Ask the right questions and you'll love you car too.