I hate the thought of being disloyal to my local dealer who has been nice and I don't want to haggle about getting my deposit back.

But.... my car is "awaiting transport" and at least 3-4 weeks away and not only am i'm unsure about the color I chose (Pure Silver/Black) -- covered in another thread -- but also wondering if I should have ordered an MCS instead of a Cooper. I never tested an S during my original search because I thought I couldn't afford it and didn't like the gas mileage stats.

Has anyone ever not accepted thier original order so that they can buy a different car? I could solve this problem by just buying a different car in stock from the dealer, but they don't have a lot of cars and many are automatics or convertibles.

I asked if they could check unallocated cars, but they weren't particularly outgoing in trying to help me find something different... which I can understand since I already have an order in.

I don't like the idea of having to back out of my order, but I also want to be happy. Anyone have a similar experience? Do dealers ever swap stock so that I can buy the car from my local dealer (doubtful since the other dealer doesn't make anything off of it)?

Also, am I going to "pay" for this when i take the car to my local dealer for service?

I'm usually not this indecisive... I think the waiting is making me crazy, though. I wish that I had thought the colors and models out more clearly before ordering. Thanks for reading.

 

If you really aren't happy you should tell your dealer now. If you order an S from them they are not out a sale. If you ask for your deposit back & buy elsewhere then yep they lost a sale. How much of a deposit did you put down? I put down $500 on mine & was told it was refundable. You have some tough choices to make.

 

Just tell them that you are not not satisfied with what you originally ordered and that you would like to apply your deposit to a new order. Be honest and up front with them. The worst they can say is no. Then you go to plan B. By the way, what you ordered sounds great. I have a MC and yes sometimes I'd like more power but I've never regretted my decision.

 

I did. After the car arrived.

When i went to pick up the car, it had the wrong wheels, and the wrong color interior trim.

(even though the window sticker was correct! hmmm... )

So I asked for my money back and ordered a new one from Westchester MINI.

 

I put down a deposit on an '07.

I was told it was refundable... up until the point where I finalize the build order. After that... well... my understanding is that it's gone (or at least it's locked into going to the cost of the new car).

 

no matter WHAT they tell you, they can't really keep your deposit.

about the WORST they can really do is wait until the car is sold to somebody else b4 they refund it to you.

 

thanks to everyone that replied... i appreciate your input.

I put down $500, which, if I had to, I could walk away from, but I really don't want to (that's about the cost of the ipod unit install, afterall) and I'm not rich.

I emailed my MA (too afraid to call!) and asked if they had any other MCs coming in that are 5-speed and different colors. It just so happens they have a Hyper Blue with Black roof coming in at about the same time (5-speed, too). I like this color with a white roof, but black might be okay. It has a 7-black dash, too, which although I wouldn't choose it myself, isn't so bad. And it might be a cool combo with the black roof.

So I'm considering changing. I may drive to another dealer this weekend to see the hyper blue and make sure I like it. It's a big difference than the pure silver.

I'd like to keep my sales with this dealer and not cause problems for them or me. If all else fails, I will take the car I ordered... the pure silver, and I think it will be fine. (I say that now, but will probably change my mind tomorrow!).

thanks again for your support!

 

You did the right thing. Don't forget that it's you that is plonking down the 20K+ so you have a right to be satisfied - and it seems like you are treating the dealer fairly so they should do the same to you. Last I heard dealers are having no problems moving any of the models and most are adding the dreaded ADM, so you shouldn't worry too much about them.

 

I know you've been waiting awhile, but I would be exactly sure of what you want, and then re-order from the original dealer.

 

I understand why you refused your car. I would've too, but why didn't you just order from your dealer again? It wasn't their fault if the sticker was correct & the car wasn't. Just wondering.

 

I cancelled my order with one dealer and went with another, but not so close to the delivery time. I was still waiting for a production #, so it hadn't even started on the assembly line yet. I felt bad to cancel 2 weeks into the ordering process as we had had lots of correspondence back and forth during the whole two weeks (I kept changing/adding options). My $1,000 deposit was cheerfully refunded. The reason for my change: the dealer I ended up buying from offered over $800 worth of free accessories and was selling the MCS at MSRP.

Also, I originally wanted the Pure Silver and switched to the Hyper Blue later, but again... my order hadn't officially reached the building stage yet. When I first went to the Mini dealer, I took the MC and the MCS out for a test drive. I was hooked on the MCS after that. I know I would have regretted getting the MC...

Let us know what you finally end up doing.

 

Make yourself happy and get the deposit back. It's refundable because they will sell your car quickly. Get the S. There is no comparision. Plus you have more color options with dark silver white..ect.

 

Okay... today I did something I shouldn't have done... I test drove a 6-speed manual S. Or to put it another way... I should have done it a long time ago, before I placed my order for an MC.

The MCS drives like a rocket. Cannot believe it. I still have love for the MC, but the MCS is incredible.

Now, I'm really unsure what I should do. My MC is sitting at the dock waiting for a boat (I believe it is Production Week 34 -- It seems to be one of those cars that are sitting there and missing boats.) Anyway, I believe it must be at least 3 weeks away.

Which makes me wonder if I shouldn't just REORDER an MCS and wait another 6-8 weeks. I'm unsure:

1) if my dealer can still order an MCS
2) if my dealer is going to have a fit over my indecision and changes (but as others have previously stated, it is my $20K)
3) if i can stand to wait that long. I'm car sharing which makes the waiting even harder.

Anyone have any further opinions?

3 possible reasons I should NOT order an MCS and just wait for my MC:
1) the cost is more than I want to pay. The MC on order is running about $20,900. A build of the MCS on the site is about $23,947, so about $3,050 more. That doesn't seem like a lot, but then again, $20K is a lot.
2) the gas mileage is not as good
3) I really don't know if I need all of that power!

3 reasons I SHOULD re-order an MCS:
1) the car is a blast to drive
2) I'm not going to buy a new Mini in the next two years because I don't want one of the new production designs (and possible problems), so I might as well pay a little extra now and get a suped-up Mini.
3) the dealer can always sell my original MC order (even though I'd be sad to let it go).

I apologize for my indecisiveness and for carrying this post out, but the opinions I have gotten on this site are great. If only I had found it before I place my original order.

Thanks for reading and for any thoughts!

 

cooper s all the way, though it may take some sacrifice at the coffee shop!

 

I'm with psb. A few less lattes per week will more than cover the extra gas charges. In the long run, big picture, you are still getting great mileage and the difference is not that great. But the performance difference is AWESOME!

 

Well I have to tell you, since you drove the MCS that is what you should buy. You just won't be happy with the Cooper now that you've tasted the S. $3,000 isn't that much more when you consider the length of the loan & the additional enjoyment you'll have. Could you share the MCS spec with us?

 

thanks for everyone's responses... Ughhh... this is a hard decision... the MC I ordered is about 2 weeks out... but the S is so compelling (except for waiting another 6-8 weeks) as is my color change decision (MC is PS).

Crashton - thanks for asking about the build... Here's what I'm thinking (I can't add too many options since I'm already pushing it financially with buying a regular Cooper):

HyperBlue/Black roof ($450)
Chrome line exterior ($250)
Premium Package ($1,400)
16" V-spokes (the standard)*
6-speed manual
Black leathette
Patina Dash (was considering the blue dash, but it's $200)
Anthracite headliner ($200)
Stock stereo (either add the MP3 jack or iPod adaptor)
Center armrest ($200)

$23,950 (just over $3,000 of my MC build)

*don't know about the wheels... I like the 17" web spokes (like in the attached), but they are pricey, even with the sport package they are another $500. beyond the cost difference between the MC and S, and the MPG difference, the one thing that I worry about is the cost of the run-flats on this car and the 'no spare'. I don't have a lot of extra money to spend on repairs, but if I blow a tire, they are expensive to replace, no?

also don't know much about DSC or LSD. any opinions on these? my first reaction is to just keep them off because of cost and I'm not a terribly aggressive driver, but perhaps I'm misunderstanding them.

thanks for your thoughts!

 

Do what makes you happy. Remember dealers are in the business to sell cars. Would you rather be unhappy and second guessing for as long as you own it or potentially be out a few hundred and be happy for getting what you really want.

Best of luck!

 

mini dreams,

I canceled my first MCS order 2-3 weeks after spec'ing the car and putting down a $1K deposit. The CA dealer was charging a $2500 premium at the time (last summer) which struck me a bad behavior. Came to the decision that rewarding bad behavior was not worth getting the car. They refunded my deposit in full; judging from the way the MA handled the conversation and transaction, I'm certain it was not their first canceled order.

Turned right around and ordered the same MCS from MINI of Murray. No premium mark up and very easy to deal with. Had to wait a month longer for the car, but the savings made the wait a bit more tolerable!

 

Just wanted to let everyone know that I did reorder and I'm happy about it. See specs below. I was a little unsure about the Hyper Blue dash, but it will be one more unique aspect of owning a Mini!

The dealer was pretty cool about it. There was one email where they said they were a little "wary" of re-ordering for me since I had changed my mind so much, but after that, it was never mentioned again and as soon as I had my new build finalized, they were perfectly happy to reorder. They have a bunch of automatics sitting on their lot, so I'm sure having my previous order (a 5-speed) coming in, will be good for their inventory. Anyway, I'm glad they were pleasant to deal with.

Two weird things: today is my birthday...
1) my original order is expected to be at the dealer tomorrow. that would have been fun, but...
2) I just called ask Mini and supposedly my new order is in production today!! So it has the same birthday!

Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts. I might not have been willing to reorder if I hadn't gotten the comments I did here on NAM. I'm already much more calm than after I placed my first order. That's a good sign that I'm comfortable with it!

 

Congratulations! And happy birthday to both you and your MINI! Your specs are awesome!

 

I did almost exactly the same thing! I ordered my mini (BRG MC) pretty spur of the moment, from the dealer that is closest to me.

Then... I joined NAM. I read how awesome the cooper s was, and figured I could just save the extra $3000 and put it down on the car. I also decided I didn't want BRG. I called the dealer to see if it was too late to change it, and it was. The car had gone into production THAT day!

Also after reading more on NAM, I learned that there was a dealer about an hour away that charged MSRP, no fees and no deposit. The dealer I had gone through was trying to charge $1250 and had me put down a $1000 deposit.

So, I emailed the dealership and cancelled my order. He emailed me back telling me I just HAD to tell him why I wanted to cancel my order.. he had never had ANYONE cancel and order.. way to make a girl feel guilty, right?? After 5 or so emails and about 10 phone calls, I eventually got my deposit refunded...

Anyway, long story short, I ordered the car I decided I really wanted from the further dealership. Just for kicks I went to the closer one last night, and there was my original car! I felt a little sad, just like I abandoned it or something!! But, I'm sure it will find a good home.

 

that is a sad story. one day, that car will run over you without a driver inside it. watch for it.

now i understand how bad cars happen. it has to do with parenting

 

thanks kissmys... your car is loaded! it sounds beautiful.

rachaelstarr... glad to hear things worked out with your story. I see from your web site you spent time in Buenos Aires... I love that city. If my spanish were better, I might move there!

as for the "other" car (the previous order)... I try to be positive... it's one more beautiful Mini on the lot that someone will see, fall in love with and motor away happy!

 

hey man, if it weren't for me, the little guy would have never been born! I envision a long life of twisty roads and good southern california air in his future. :P