I'm looking to order a Countryman S sometime in the next week.

Has anyone had luck negotiating with dealers in Portland or Seattle. I am planning to get a standard S with $1750 in upgrades. I'm just wondering if I can get any dealers in the area to come down from the MSRP.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

I'm also curious about local discounts. I have already ordered and probably should have negotiated any potential discount at the time of order. However, if I don't believe that I am being treated fairly, I suppose I could decide not to accept the car and start all over again. Hopefully this will not be the case!

The Seattle Mini web site claims that they are the #1 Countryman dealer in the nation. I'm wondering if this because they are making great deals or if it is due to high demand in the Seattle area.

Any information would also be very much appreciated!

 

I've talked to both Northwest MINI and Seattle MINI as well as Rasmussen MINI down in PDX. I sent an offer to all three to get them to play against each other and got no dice. Seattle and Rasmussen wanted MSRP and not a penny less, and NW MINI wanted +$700 . I almost walked and started looking at other cars, but none of them were what I was looking for, so I caved, but I'm trying to get my MA to throw in some accessories- something! They were cool with me walking over shaving off any of the MSRP.

Of note, this was back in late Jan/early Feb.... maybe they're feeling a little more negotiable now.

 

Try one of the auto buying programs like Costco or something to see if any of the dealers participate. The CM might be a hot car in some places and not as hot in others so some may be getting a discount and others not. I know my dealer is still not discounting and they are selling them as quick as they can get them.

 

According to truecar.com, the price in Seattle area is pretty high! MSRP + Mark Up.

Car buying services are excellent advise and I also recommend carsdirect.com. Even if the price posted may not be discounted, you can try to negotiate through carsdirect.com representative as well.

 

I ordered through Seattle Mini in early Feb. I was told MSRP, end of story. The also wanted to add a $798 markup. I negotiated them down to $398 and free floor mats. Also don't bother playing Northwest Mini off of Seattle Mini, they are both owned by the same person or group. They even share inventory.

This is the first time I have had to pay MSRP on any car, but it really is the only car I want, so...

 

I don't know where that annoying box came from...

I ordered through Seattle Mini in early Feb. I was told MSRP, end of story. The also wanted to add a $798 markup. I negotiated them down to $398 and free floor mats. Also don't bother playing Northwest Mini off of Seattle Mini, they are both owned by the same person or group. They even share inventory.

This is the first time I have had to pay MSRP on any car, but it really is the only car I want, so...

 

Rasmussen is part of the Costco program, but they are still only doing MSRP out of the gate. Nothing more, nothing less.

You might get better luck searching further out... I'm hearing more and more stories of people getting their CMs for under MSRP.

 

Dealers are starting to get flexible, I think more so though where they have competition. If in fact the two Seattle dealers are owned by the same group then Portland is the next closest dealer and that really isn't close enough to provide meaningful competition.

In my case, I live in northern NJ and have 4 dealers within ~35-40 minutes of my house...1 being less than 10 minutes away. When I shopped around they were all willing to do some dealing and I ended up with $1,250 off MSRP plus they threw in sports stripes, roof rack base and floor mats. From what I understand though it wasn't all that long ago that they weren't moving on price at all.

Perhaps the situation calls for patience...try to wait them out...a change in attitude may not be all that far off.

If that's not a practical option then perhaps one of the buying services recommended above will do the trick.

Good luck.

In the alternative, you could buy from a dealer here in NY and I could drive it out to you...visit family in Seattle and hike Rainier while I'm out there. We'd just need to work out a deal on fuel and return airfare...and negotiate with my wife. On second thought, scratch that suggestion!

 

Supply and demand boys and girls, it's not like Dave Smith in Kellogg, Idaho sells MINI's you know. I did get NW MINI to come down from $500 over to match Portland's $300 over and free mats, big woopee.

Price of fuel and airfare, doubt traveling will really save you much. Actually in the end, buying my 2008 GMC truck from Dave Smith even with just travel across the state, I could have done just as well locally.

But I don't mind dealing with either NW MINI or Dave Smith, knowing the price is firm going in.... takes off the hassle of negotiating.

 

We put in a factory order from Seattle Mini on 3/13/11 and were charged MSRP including $700 destination (exactly as listed on the build website). I've haggled over many new cars in the past, but did not bother this time. We did negotiate a written option to walk with full refund if the car is not delivered in the promised timeframe. We figured there is not much negotiating room when they have sold most their inventory. Sure, if you are willing to take a car sitting on the lot, they may give you a break. But why would they on a special order? We will be happy with what we paid - as long as they deliver.

 

And came up empty when we ordered our Countryman S All4. I had also heard Seattle Mini and NW were related, so when I didn't even get a response from Seattle, I let it go.

All of this is basic marketing and good business - control the supply and you control the price. Until there are extras of something, you can't expect the price to moderate.

Parent BMW did the same thing when sales started to fall with the economy. They cut production to some degree but also sent fewer cars to the US and more cars to less affected markets, like China.

By way of sweetners, also nothing. Wait! We did get a nice little gift bag of MINI goodies from the sales manager when we picked our MINI up - all made in China, of course - was that was how they paid for those 740IL's I wonder?

 

Oh but the freebees keep coming in the mail........ Like the stencil etc....

 

Thanks for all the responses. Look's like some free floor mats are the only thing to shoot for. Even that might be optimistic!

 

Since there are many dealers in So. Cal area, we definitely have some room for negotiations.

However, Californians pay more sales tax (9.75% in Los Angeles) than many other states, including Oregon where there is NO sales tax!

So.. at the end, it might even out even if I can negotiate a bit. You should fly out here and pick it up and have a nice drive through Pacific Highway back to Oregon/Washington!

 

The Costco program in So Cal was $1,700 over invoice. I am suprised the porgram is not the same in the Northwest. You may want to contact Costco and see if the dealer is violating the aggreement.

 

Sales tax is as high as 9.9% in Washington..... You will be charged for where you live on a car....

 

then... it makes more sense to come down and pick up the car and enjoy the weekend driving your new CM!

the money saved can pay for your trip!

 

WA state will just nail you for the tax when you register the car for a license. They're particularly tough on auto sales, but they'll audit any businesses for sales tax issues that have a potential for large dollar sales.

 

I think if you actually pick it up in California you have to pay California sales tax (and then may have to resolve the difference in your own state). If you order it in California and then have it shipped to your state you don't have to pay California sales tax. Nevada is different and a bit more flexible. Sounds like you have some options.

 

As a member of the NRA I can get around 875 off MSRP with auto trans. I'm sure the more I add the more I save. I didn't really play around with it.