Hello All:

On a whim I took a test drive in a Mini and I was impressed. I'm considering a purchase and have a few questions. The dealer I visited (Peabody, MA) said all pricing is MSRP firm. Is this typical? Also, because there are so many options and it seems likely I will not find what I want on the lot, I'm thinking of doing a factory order. Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

Gomphus,

I did the factory order and have been very happy with the outcome. It is a long wait, but well worth it. It should be said that a lot of people get exactly what they want off the lot - you just can't be as picky. If you are sure of the different mixing & matching you want on your Mini, the factory may be the best way to go.

 

Yes, firm MSRP is typical, on the east coast at least. West coast dealerships usually charge over MSRP.

A factory order is the way to go!

 

MSRP is about as low as you can go on a new MINI off the lot. Most of the time you will have to deal with a markup. Ordering from the factory is the best option if you can wait, if you are in the have-to-have-it-now group than just check with some other dealers, a couple of the vender/dealers on here offer $500 shipping nation wide.

Good luck in the hunt.

Joe

 

I would order so you get what you wont, you will be happier.

 

When it was time to replace my 03 MCS, I went to Otto's MINI, in PA (Great Place!!) and told my salesperson what I was looking for. She plugged in the stats and came up with what was available in a tri-state area and they had what I was looking for there on their lot. I was in a burn to get back in a MINI and didn't want to wait 3 months to get one. There's not much fun to be had driving a 92 Pathfinder. There was no haggling about the price. MSRP was firm. But, if you really want to spec out your own ordering one is definitely the way to go! Good luck, you won't be dissapointed owning a MINI!

 

I was able to get $500 off MSRP because my buddy works on the BMW side of the dealership. Otherwise, I probably would have paid MSRP, which I wouldn't have minded.

Yes, the wait is long (I'm still waiting for mine) but I think it's well worth it.

 

Gomphus,MSRP is the norm. Mini of Peabody is one of two choices in the area, the other being Herb Chambers in Boston. Mini of Peabody has the better reputation of the two and is where I ordered my car from. The wait time for delivery is currently about eight weeks if you order a car. I placed my order on April 3. My car is currently in production and I expect deliver in early June. Maybe late May if I get lucky. Usually Mini of Peabody has cars on the lot that you could pick from but that was a month or two ago and I'm not sure what the current situation is. Also I'll agree that you should order the car if you have the patience. If you are just getting into MINIs I'm not sure you are aware of the available options and variations. You might want to visit the MINIUSA website before you decide. Good luck.Ron

 

we have 12 dealerships within a 150 mile radius (which might have helped) but about half of them were more than willing to come down off of MSRP. Depending upon where you are in MA, you might be close to some of the dealers down here....

 

Thanks to everyone one for the helpful suggestions. The website is a welcome resource for the first time buyer with Mini-Fever.

Gomphus

 

MSRP is the norm but not the rule. I got our MINI for about $500 over Invoice. I guess we were just in the right place at the right time. We ordered on Jan 20 and our MINI was delivered 45 days later.

 

i was lucky, while @ the dealer tryin to find the right package and price, my MCS now was being traded in for the new '05 conv., (this was a yr ago), while watching the trade in, i fell in love with the DS/B and all it's features,
it was less then a yr old with only 6k miles on it (fully loaded-all 3 packages OBC Nav/GPS, black leather, anthracite, rain sensing windshield wipers, heated seats, the owner before me even tinted the windows!!... this car brand new was around 29k$ ...for a new '05 with nothing close to this package was 23-24k$ ... the 6K miles didn't bother me, so they gave me their price and i shot back @ the salesman 24k, he came back with the manager and said ok! , plus the wait was going to be a couple o months for a new one.
Just sayin, if you can, be around the dealers you might come across a good deal , but do whatcha have to, to get what you really want.

Best of luck with your new Mini and Happy Motoring.

 

Also keep in mind that some dealerships that charge over MSRP will haggle. I called a dealership in LV and they wanted $1500 over MSRP, the justification being that they had no wait. I ended up buying from a different dealership at MSRP, which also had no wait, and I received two follow-up calls within days from the LV dealer... the last one saying that the markup was negotiable. Just FYI, in case anyone else encounters that situation.

 

Well I took the plunge and ordered a Mini (pepper white) on May 8. Using the Production Number provided by my sales guy (Peabody, MA - Joel Mesiti) I find that it is listed as "ordered."

Can someone enlighten me as to the "production week" assignment that I see posted here.

Thanks!