So Hi! I'm new here. I ordered my new mini from Mini of the Mainline in Bala Cynwyd,PA. I'm really excited about it but I have some questions I don't know if anyone here will be able to asnwer them,

1.First off, the dealer told me he couldn't order for 2 weeks cause I ordered a manual MC and they haven't started making those yet. However, I have seen pictures of other members with such a car, already delivered! What gives?

2.Second should I have already talked about price and taxes or is that done at delivery? I think it's weird. I could have just walked in ordered my mini and never come to pick it up, although I would be losing a $500 deposit.

3. Should I have gotten a production number?

4. Will I be getting free floor mats. This sounds silly but that's a deal breaker for me. I'm paying quite a bit for this car. They could atleast throw in a few "freebies" without my asking, even though I will.

5. I really feel like I just ordered this Mini off of Amazon.com. I walked in, ordered it and 20 minutes later I left. I didn't even get offered a test drive. I just feel like I'm in a weird situation. I have no info on my car right now except a receipt of the options I picked and deposit and no contact from the dealer. Everyone is having such great, informative experiences. I always seem be the exception!

 

Welcome to NAM!

You should know exactly how much you are to pay at the time of order not at delivery. You should have signed a contract with the MA for the car and this should detail the price and taxes applicable. You should also negotiate any dealer freebies such as mats, free tank of fuel etc. at the time of order, don't expect to just be given these.

If you have paid a deposit and the dealer told you it is not returnable then walking away would mean you do not get the deposit back. The dealer really should have explained all this to you, if he didn't I'd suggest you go back asap and clarify the situation.

 

Hmmm I thought this all sounded weird. I never signed a contract though and my deposit is 100% refundable. Maybe I should pull my order and go to a more informative dealer. I'll be contacting my dealer today to see if I can get all of that information. Thanks for your reply!!

 

1. I may be wrong, but the photos you may have seen could well be from the UK or Europe, since the 07's were released earlier in those markets.

2. I talked about these things with my MA long before I even went for a test drive. I think in most cases this is something that is a "buyer beware" sort of deal, where it's your responsibility to find out the details before you commit. Also, maybe the MA thought you had already communicated with someone about and already had it figured it out since you came in ready to order. Many MINI customers are already well-informed when they come in because they obsess (like I did) on here all day and dig up all the dirt they can ahead of time.

3. My production number was emailed to me a few days after I ordered. They don't assign a number until the order is submitted by the manager. This sometimes takes a few days due to allotments.

4. My floormats were not "free" but I was offered an accessories credit, which I used partially toward floormats.

5. Well, R56MCS is in the UK, and they may do things a bit differently there (with the contract, etc.). When I ordered my 06, I paid a deposit and asked if it was refundable, which they said it was (I actually had this information in writing via email). Definitely call them back and verify this. I didn't sign a contract regarding the price when I ordered, just got a receipt and the options list. I had most everything in writing though, because i asked my MA to email me most of the information. As far as the test drive, you should have asked for one! That was my primary reason for even going to the dealer when I ordered - I wasn't necessarily going to order, but I wanted to test drive first before I did order. Call them back and schedule a test drive, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to accomodate you.

Remember, the squeaky wheel always gets greased. If you are unsure about something, don't be afraid to ask questions, since it's your right to know.

 

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your experience. Maybe they were trying to make it an easy laid-back experience, maybe they're slacking because demand is so high. You're the customer who is making a huge purchase, so don't be shy about asking for more...still not too late for that test drive! I wasn't offered a test drive either, but we didn't ask as we've driven them already. That may be the way it goes.

I believe that the regular MC has only been produced in auto, and the MCS has only been produced in stick up til now. Are you sure they said they couldn't put the order in, or that your car couldn't start being built for 2 weeks? That doesn't seem to make sense.

You would only get a production number immediately if your car was going to be a modification of an alottment already designated for your dealer. Definitely pester your MA (Motoring Associate) to get the production number.

 

Okay here's an update:

I don't think I said this before but the day I went in the computers were down and everything was written in by hand, which made me a little wary about me not getting exactly what I ordered. I was told the thing about no ordering that car for 2 weeks because manual MCs were not being produced. This is what the MA told me. I don't know if it's all true. Anyway, I emailed the MA and had to wait a few days for a reply because apparantly he was away. He called and said that my Mini has now been put into production and gave me a production number, which doesn't work yet. I'm not sure if they are supposed to work immediately, but he did say to wait about 3 days before all the specs match what my order was and to make corrections if need be. He also said that normally people are given a price at order time ,but because the computers were down, I was not given a price. Financing and insurance will be covered when my Mini comes to port. So actually I'm pretty happy with the info I got, and the reasoning as the why I didn't get it. I just felt like I put my order in and then I walked away. It didnt't feel like I was ever going to own a Mini unless I went to another dealer, which isn't the hardest thing to do in this area. There are about 5 of them in a 70 mile radius from my house. As for test driving. The very first time I went I was offered to drive the 2007 MC Auto, but I declined because I wanted a manual, then I was offered a 2006 MC Auto to try, but I also declined because I didn't want the pressure of the test drive. So I rented a 2005 MC Auto from phillyvarshare for 2 hours while I ran normal errands and got to see how that felt. I loved it and I already know that I will love a 2007 MC Manual about 20 times as much. I'll still probably go in for a test drive some time in April...because why the hell not?!?

 

I ordered from Mini of the Main Line March 20th and my experience was totally different. I wanted to test drive a manual MC too, but they don't have them in yet. I test drove the automatic and wow, what a nice ride! My husband and I took turns and we were out for at least a good 1/2 hr. I have to say, I was impressed that the dealer didn't try talking me into things...I did a good job of adding things on myself. we were there for a good 2.5-3 hrs. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, until I saw the mini in person, then I changed all of my specs, including the color....Sparkling Silver rocks!

Oh, do yourself a favor and contact some banks about loans. This way whatever APR the dealer offers you, you have another loan to compare it to. I walked in with a loan for 6.24% and the dealer said he thought he could do better. He said that he's waiting till the beginning of April, since loan rates should drop more (why I have no clue).

I just got a production number today and it doesn't work either. Does anyone know how long it takes to start working? I'm anxious to see when it actually goes into production.

 

They started manufacturing manual MCs for the U.S. market at the beginning of March. Mine is a ship scheduled for arrival at Port Hueneme on Tuesday.

Each dealer has a certain number of cars they can order per month. It's possible your dealer already used their allotment for March and have to wait until April to place orders again.

 

'Pressure of a test drive?' I'm not sure I know what that means.

I was told by my MA that manual Coopers wouldn't be available in the US until April. If I was in your situation, I would not have ordered one until I was able to drive a car configured mechanically exactly the way I want it.

That means there would have to be some manual Coopers already here, and that means I would have waited another few weeks before doing anything besides walking in and looking at them.

As far as driving a manual R50, they are just about completely different than the R56 Cooper. Don't think that driving one will be an accurate representation of the other. Just because the R56 is newer, don't think that it's automatically going to be better for you!

My advice is to go back to the dealer and put the brakes on your buying process until you are sure of what you want. I'm a pretty patient person, and tend to analyze things to death, but I like to be certain about what I am doing, especially when making such a large purchase.

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