If I plan to trade in my old car and am ordering (not taking from dealer stock) how does it work? Do they tell me what they will give me for my old car as long as it is still in the same condition 8 weeks later when the new car comes in?

 

Exactly!! They take a look at your car give you the trade in value and you order your new car. Your dealer then writes up the sale as if you are buying it that day. When your car comes in they will take another look at your trade in to make sure it is the same as before. So I'm driving my MCS with kid gloves for another couple weeks, while my countryman is taking a long boat ride.

 

Doubtful. They might do a "courtesy" appraisal to give you a rough idea of your car's value, but highly unlikely they will commit to a value when ordering your new car. The used car market fluctuates on an almost daily basis and your car could be worth more or less than it is now by the time your new car arrives.

 

Two conflicting responses. I know the want for a custom mini and the buyers doing what they need to place an order, but I can not see the dealer not committing to a minimum price on a trade.

 

This answer is very logical and I hope when my car comes in my MCS went up in value. But I dont have luck like that, my answer is fact and my Countryman SALL4 is on the roro as we speak. Which sucks because we just got a bunch of snow and I wanted to test it out.

 

They will use the value of your trade on the day you make the final deal and take possession of your MINI.

As stated, used car values change a lot each week, so don't disappoint yourself by thinking your getting a value stated on December 1 when your MINI arrives in Mid January.

A good salesman and/or Sales Manager should be very up front about your trade.

Now, if you make the deal and give the trade-in to the dealer on the day you order, then I think you would get the trade in value stated.

Not sure how many dealers are willing to do that, since they probably do not have right to sell the used vehicle until your order and paperwork is legally completed.

Some states may be different, so I may be totally off the wall.

D..

 

So can I back out and get my deposit back if the final day deal offer is too low?

 

No dealer or private person can gurantee a trade-in price 30-60 days in advance. And deposits are non-refundable per the contract you will sign I am sure, ours always have been regardless of make.

You are far better off finding a private buyer while the MINI is in the flow.

We had a 2005 PT Cruiser GT HO with only 36K miles on it. Best the MINI dealer would say when we ordered the MINI was "We pay wholesale for trades".

We put the PT in the autotrader, hardly got a responce, really thought we were going to take a hit trading it in maybe getting $6K if we were lucky per KBB trade-in values. Then 2 weeks before the MINI hit the showroom, along comes a cash buyer with $9K in his pocket. They didn't even drive it first, just rode along while I drove!

The wife had to drive my diesel truck for 2 weeks, but it was worth it - getting several thousand dollars more selling to a private party.



Also keep in mind you do NOT get the current finance offers when you order a MINI. You get the current offers the day of delivery. When we ordered it was 2.9% purchase, when delivered it was 1.9% purchase and FREE premium package, so we scored there too. But it could have been lesser current offers than when ordered too.

 

Same with me. I traded in my vehicle in December '07, wrote up the sale on my ordered '08 Clubman and took delivery in February '08.

 

That's not our case. I told our MA we were going to try and sell it ourselves and if it didn't sell by the time her car came in then we would do a trade in. The MA & manager didn't write up the contract until we come in to pick up the car.

 

No, you lose your deposit.

 

I'm sure different dealers do it different ways....
The old 200 ways to skin a cat!!
But any way it is done, I am 100% sure the dealer will have the upperhand.
Just as you retain the "right of first refusal" on the ordered car, I am sure the dealer has the same with the "estimated" price on the tradein...the economy slips, you drive over the alotted miles, etc...

 

Also to answer you 1st post on this site - Countryman's are so new many dealers have but 1 example on the lot. No incentive for them to deal on price. Heck at the end of the 2010 model year we could not get much down on price in our Seattle area for an MCS. Some areas with more MINI dealers might vary. I did get them to match Portland's lower stealership fee and throw in free mats same as Portland offered.

 

I couldn't agree with you more
Hopefully when I except delivery there won't be any monkey business.

 

Yeah I am thinking to not pursue it any further. All Mini are in such great demand so the dealer are in no position to hard sell. I wish the economy would tank even more

 

I purchased a Countryman from my delaer when the ordering party backed out. I did not order it but it was still an ordered car. I had to give them $1000.00 down. However I was told that if I
a) don't like the car when it finally arrives and I drive it. ( I have still never drove a Countryman)
b) don't give me what I need for trade

They would happly refund my deposit.

Do you really think they will have trouble selling it to someone else with the scarcity of Countryman' out there and the demand for them so high right now?

I doubt it.

just my two cents..based on my conversation with my dealership.

 

I traded in my 02 mini cooper, ordered the 2005 mini cooper S. I got what they told my for my 2002 mini cooper. ( it took 9 weeks to get it)

 

when i ordered my car, my dealer said i could get my $500 deposit back if i changed my mind when it came in...

 

They will not having any problems getting rid of an R60 on the lot.

 

That would be governed by your individual state's laws. Here in Texas, there is no such thing as a non-refundable deposit.

 

I'm with mini_z, every time (including the first time when it was a Subaru Outback) I have traded a car in for a MINI, my MA has stood by the price he quoted me. There was never any question that the trade in price would change, unless something like an accident happened to the to be traded car.

I was asked to hold the mileage to stay under a certain amount so that the MINI could be sold as certified, but it was not onerous...I had quite a bit of leeway. Just FYI, I'm talking about MINI of Fairfield County in Stamford, CT.

Yes, I am sure you're correct mtbscott, about that deposit issue. Interestingly, we were recently told in NY that if we wanted to order a particular configuration of a Volvo v50, that we'd have to give a $2000 non refundable deposit. The supposed reason was because we were ordering one that had xenons and climate (think cold weather plus) and NOT leather and a sunroof. I suppose each dealership will do what they can do. Now you've got me interested in checking out the New York state laws on this - even though I am now thinking of waiting for the Countryman's bench seat option and won't have to deal with the Volvo dealer.