Thanks for the info. I was all set to say forget the Maintenance package at $2295.00
I looked on the MINI website and you are correct - priced at $1895.00

I sent an email to the dealership to see why the difference in price. I will post their response. My guess is it will be one of the following:
A. You purchased a 2012 and the price went up
B. We made an error
C. The website is an average price and differs dealer to dealer

Should be interesting...

 

My dealership had it for $2095 and was asking me where I got the idea that it was $1895, so you aren't alone there.

 

I just want to add my experience with my R52 and may end up being an issue with the Countryman as more accessories are introduced.

I bought my car never planning to modify anything. By the time my warranty was out I had replaced and modded quite a bit to the point the extended maintenance PLAN was almost useless as I changed out SC Pulley's filters, brakes etc..... I think back then (2006) I paid somewhere around $800.00 for the extended maintenance plan and by the time I hit 100k the only MINI replaceable parts under the PLAN were the rear brakes and windshield wipers. BTW, I didn't need my rear brakes replaced until around 85k. My front brakes never ended up being replaced under the PLAN.

MINI is a business and they are purely in the Business to make Money. This isn't Bugatti being used as a loss leader. The price of the PLAN has been calculated to make sure it is profitable for both the dealership and corporate. Is it less money then you would pay at the Dealer for the maintenance? Sounds like it is close one way or the other. Can you find a great MINI mechanic to handle everything after your warranty expires for less? Most likely.

Michael

 

My dealer called.and.said they would honor the website price of $1895.00 instead of the $2295.00 they had quoted me. Not sure if I am going to purchase ....but now certainly closer to a break even.

 

I just sent an email to my MA asking her to give me some sort of break on what I already paid. We will see....

 

Got told back by email that the cost is $1795 for MC and $1895 for MCS. The extra $200 was charged since original plan had expired. Still don't believe her.

 

The price has not increased on the website. It really leaves a bad taste.......

 

Gotta put in my 2cents here. I can't for the life of me understand how $1895-$2000 is anywhere near a good deal for the simple maintenance items listed on the plan, UNLESS you accept without thinking the brake jobs are worth $1200 (they aren't), windshield wipers are something you couldn't get at Wal-Mart, or the oil changes are worth over $100 (I've seen $250 here somewhere). How is this even an option to anyone? The brakes will probably never need replacing under 100,000 miles. That price is insane. The most the plan is worth is $600. JMO.

 

more than likely, you'll need a set of brakes, a lot of people might need 2 sets. Those of us that like to row our own gears will probably need a new clutch.

 

I think your off base here. My wife's car had brakes put on at 36000 miles and most of her driving is on the freeway. Plus she also had the brake fluid changed. i think you need to take into account the inspections and other maintenance that Mini's need to go through. There is more than meets the eye. The Mini inspections can be quite pricey. You may be able to find non Mini shops to do the work but I'm not certain they have all the necessary and specialty tools that are needed to do it right.

 

That is what is nice about free speech. You can have your opinion and I can have mine. I was quoted nearly $1000 worth of work when I took mine in after I bought it. It had 18k miles and needed oil change, brake flush, rear pads and sensors, wipers, and microfilter. $1000 might be too much for these services, but I don't have to time to find a good indie mechanic to do this stuff. I bought the extended MP (wanted it cheaper) and got the work done. Good for you if you spend less.

 

I guess my original point is only that MINI is overcharging for (very) basic services, under the false premise that their cars are so different from the "average" car that an independent mechanic is unable to replace the brake pads, filters, windshield wipers, etc. I am not faulting anyone who has the ability to pay for it, just the fact MINI is ripping people off. To each his own!

 

Her is my thought. Maintenance is an ongoing process. I have done my calculations and realized that at worst you breakeven at best it pays for itself. Something to ponder.

 

I went all out with extended warranty and maintenance on my R60, which I wouldn't normally do. By definition, those plans make the dealership money overall at the price they set, which means that as a gamble for the individual consumer, they don't typically make sense.

There were two factors that influenced my decision to buy those plans, even though I know the odds favor the dealer.

First, and most importantly, it's a new model. More than that, it's a new type of car for MINI (not for BMW, but still). There's a lot of new engineering throughout. The engine, transmission, and brakes are dealing with a heavier car; the ALL4 is entirely new to MINI; heck, even the way the door frame makes contact with the car is different than in other MINIs. I wanted MINI USA to be on the hook for any problems that show up down the road, so it was worth it to me for peace of mind.

Secondly, I didn't have a trusted local place for maintenance and problems (I do now, though). I wanted to be able to go to the dealer for everything, and I wanted a no-hassle experience. That was worth the premium to me. I also need a loaner when my car is in the shop for more than one afternoon, so premium dealer service is highly convenient for me.

If I had the local guy I have now and was buying an R56, I probably wouldn't have done either extended maintenance or warranty. But, since I bought an R60 without a trusted non-dealer mechanic, I opted to pay a premium for peace of mind. If the plans don't end up fully paying for themselves over the 6 years/100,000 miles, then that means my car ended up being super reliable, and I would still consider that a win.

So for the OP, I'd say don't do it. You're able to do a lot of the maintenance yourself, which saves you the dealer premium on those services. I'm also not sure that they'll do non-OEM brake pads for you, so you may end up stuck with something you're not in love with. For your situation, it just doesn't seem like it'll work out to your financial benefit.

 

TippyKayak,

I couldn't have said it better. That's why you are an english teacher and I'm not!!!!! Have a great day.

 

Can you guys point to where the price for these plans are located on the website? I can't seem to find them.

 

This should help, I did notice that the package is less expensive on the Coupe

http://www.miniusa.com/#/build/confi...r/mini_coupe-m

 

It's the last item under accessories when you are building a car.

 

Thanks! I never noticed it! Maybe too caught up with all the JCW acccessories :P

 

I understand. It's easy to do

 

Thanks, man!

 

just wanted to chime in w/ my experience. i knew i was leaning towards getting the maintenance plan but i wanted to make sure that i at least come close to breaking even and i'm just about there.
i called 3 different local (NorCal) shops that specialize in bmw/mini for quotes on front/rear brakes (~1100) and oil changes (~$75). i figure the peace of mind is worth an extra $100-200.

i had asked one dealership awhile back while i was in for service and they quoted me a ridiculous $2500 so i left. last month i was at another dealership and i asked them about it then and was quoted the $1795 that's listed on some paperwork (which is the price you pay when you're still w/in the original warranty period).
I asked him about a deal/discount, but he said they can't really do anything on that price but it's worth checking back at months' ends b/c they might be willing to cut a deal they're a few short of the 10 or so they need to sell to make their $$/quotas.

so yesterday i called the original dealership (and talked to the same person that quoted me the $2500 when i'd gone in a month or two ago) asking if there were any deals on the maintenance plan and she said yes, but quoted me the same 2500! i brought up the fact that i'm still in my original warranty period so it should only be the $1795. i ended up getting it for $1595 all done over the phone in 15 minutes.

i do want to mention that when I declined this package at the time i purchased the car, they told me that i had until the end of my original 3/36k to purchase for the $1795 'list' price. i asked the same thing to two different SA's (each at a different dealership) and both unequivocally quick to answer the same thing (finance manager was obviously a difft story) but all three also made sure to point out to me that if i passed the 3yr/36k then the price of the maintenance plan would go up.

anyway, i think this just depends on where you live and what you have around you. i shopped around at 3 of the top rated shops that specialize in bmws and since i can't do this stuff myself, i feel i did ok.

 

The real question is "What is so special about the brakes that they are $1100 +." A brake job is $300-400 everywhere else, including roters. They brakes aren't different, so essentially you are paying for a BMW/MINI shop to overcharge you? Someone enlighten me please.....

 

Couple things I would like to mention for those considering the maintenance plan...
(I come from having a BMW X3...)

I got the extended maintenance plan and my brake replacements (had front pads replaced three times, front rotors twice, rears were done twice as well...) made up for the price alone, however, this is at DEALERSHIP costs!

Now outside of warranty, I found dealership costs for all front brakes (rotors, pads, sensor) would have coated me $670 total at the dealership, approx. $410 for parts alone. I hunted around on the Internet and got parts for $205 shipped and will pay for two hours of labor at my Indy shop at $60/hr.

Another thing to note...(this may or may not apply to mini, but I don't know what the long term maintenance requirements are)
It is of the general opinion that the 'required' maintenance is BARELY minimally adequate for the BMW X3 if you want it to last beyond 100,000 miles. Many items are considered to be 'lifetime' fluids that are NEVER to be changed during the coverage period. Transmission fluid for example, or the transfer case fluid for another.
Any smart mechanic should tell you that there is NO such thing as lifetime fluid... If the transmission died at 70,000 miles, then yeah, I suppose the fluid lasted the life of the transmission...

Obviously, MINI might be different, but the first thing that struck me was that even oil changes are rather long in between... ANY other car manufacturer I've seen with a high performance turbo engine (eg. Subaru,Audi) have more frequent oil change requirements... With a turbo, I would worry that one carries a higher chance to stress the engine, why wait over 13000 miles for oil changes?

 

Based on our 2006 Cooper S: Yes, buy the plan! Looking back over repairs, the extended warranty/maintenance has paid close to $20,000 in repairs and maintenance costs. This year alone, it has paid out over $12,000 dollars in repairs. And we are now at 98,000 miles. Time for a new car.