Great! Thanks for the information. I am driving myself crazy trying to decide colors and options!! I have a Mazda3 to trade in...lease is up in December....so exciting though to order a car, never done that before!!

 

This is my first time to order a car as well. My husband has done it before but completely new to me! I'm getting so anxious, as my car is just sitting at Bremerhaven port waiting to be driven! By me!
My current car is a pontiac and not that she hasn't been a good car, she's approaching 60k miles, and just doesn't have the get-up and go that she used to have. Can't wait for a car with MUCH more power and fun to drive!

 

Now, that's just sad...

 

So...may I ask which dealer you bought from? I'm tempted to look into ordering from them and having it shipped up to the Bay Area.

I talked to MINI of Concord, and the MA was really nice, but the price doesn't sound much better than the one I'm getting from Stevens Creek. What gives???

 

Hey, don't knock her. She got me through college and the many trips to see my husband before we got married.

But I so can't wait to get behind the wheel of my CMS!!

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I've bought 3 cars in SoCal and then driven them to SF - much better idea than shipping them around. Buy a plane or train ticket south, get the dealership to pick you up at the airport/station, inspect and accept the car, then drive it back. Much more interesting when it's snowing over the grapevine...

Also, have you tried MINI of SF to see if they'll do better for you? Not that they're better for support, but they may have a better price (see earlier comment)...

 

MiniMouse...how did you get such an amazing discount off MSRP!!?!? Did you finance, lease or owners choice?

 

ghamma - It looks like MINI of SF has a special on their website for a CMS at $1500 off MSRP. Only one at that price though, so no way it will be in the configuration I want. But I've contacted them to see what the best they can do is.

Which dealer did you use in SoCal? Did you get a much better deal? A road trip home to San Jose from SoCal in a new CM sounds great, but only if the savings are substantial.

 

Good luck with SF. Really.

My purchases in SoCal have been for non-MINI vehicles. You need to get a recommendation from the many SoCal MINI buyers who have benefited from the numerous dealers competing to provide the best deal...
I just suggest that, since they've been describing their successful price improvements due to competing dealers, working out a deal there may turn out to be much more attractive than the SF area offerings.

 

Yeah, I spoke to SF today. At first they said to send them my spec sheet and they would let me know if they could beat the price. Now they want me to go to the dealer (showing that I'm a serious buyer) to get a discount. Of course, there is no guarantee. Sounds like it's not gonna be worth my time up here.

So does anyone have recommendations for SoCal MINI dealers that give great discounts???

 

Just realized my goof... It's actually at 160k

 

Did you give East Bay MINI a shot? They're pretty good on price for the Bay Area. Service is also the best (relative terms of course) I have experienced for both MINI and BMW.

Niello in Sac applies markup as well, but you may get lucky. They gave me the best deal by far when I was getting quotes for Euro delivery on a BMW a few years back and they got the deal.

I think when shopping by phone you have to let them know:
1. You know exactly what you want
2. You're ready to give a deposit within x hours
3. That you will order from the place that gives you the best price within that time frame - no bull.
I would not disclose a price from another dealer this way they know you will do the same with them. If they know what your number is, MINI of SF probably wants you to come in to increase the odds you will sign the order form instead of taking their price to another dealer. If anything you can have brunch in The City - there are worse places

 

I got $1K off from both East Bay Mini and Niello Mini with my CMS4 order. Both good places with good people and service. I went with the place closest to me.

 

Well...I went to Concord today, and came home with a Surf Blue baby nearly identical to the one I ordered. The MA was very awesome and told me things about my car that my dealer in Texas never explained to me with my Clubman. They gave me more than I expected on my trade, and worked with me on the price.

I almost feel like I cheated...my poor ordered MINI is waiting on a boat to bring it home to me, and I went and got another.

Can't wait to stare at it and drool over it in the daylight tomorrow. Still in disbelief!

 

Awesome! Congratulations. Post some pictures.

 

'Way to go! Persistence wins out again! See you at NorCalMINIs events...

 

MiniMouse,
Hey, I went to Moritz Mini in Arlington, TX (in the shadow of Cowboys stadium). Test drove the base vs the S and no question, have to get the S! Marco helped me out and he was really cool. Anyways after we did the configuration, which came to $35,800, he came back with a sales price of $34,300! $1,500 off msrp! I can't order right now because my lease is not up for a few months, but he said they will honor the price whenever I do order. Not bad and I didn't even ask for it!!

Is your CM here?!?

 

Hey Jason, sorry I'm just now seeing your posts. We went through Costco and then call a bunch of dealers to get the price we got. The Costco auto program quoted a price and we took to each dealer we went to. Ended up ordering over the phone with Sewell MINI of Plano. Jonathan at Sewell is my new hero! Congrats on the price quote!

I'm still waiting for MINIme. I had hoped that she would go out on the 17th, but no luck. The next boat heading to Brunswick, GA leaves Bremerhaven on the 21st. My order and production went by so fast and now shipping is taking for. ever.

 

I finalized the deal on my Storm Trooper Cooper today. I was ready to pay full MSRP as I thought I was stuck doing so but ended up getting $1,200 off MSRP with hardly any bargaining and only having 2 MINI dealerships in CO. Now I just have a painful 8-10 weeks of waiting for my Stormy to arrive. I hope it goes by fast!!

 

WooHoo!

 

Which dealership? I have done everything, including telling them I'm going to walk away from the deal, and they still told me to pay MSRP or take a hike!!! I even asked if they would throw in some mud flaps or all-weather floor mats since they wont budge on price. To which their reply was to basically laugh!

 

5280 - Where'd you go.... Schomp or Loveland?

 

Wow!! I would like to know the answer to this as well. I went to Loveland and they said there is anyways room to deal, and that was just a casual ask, no pressure at all. :( I have heard that Schomp is pretty stubborn about sticking to MSRP. :(

 

I went to Loveland. I test drove the CM there and built a quasi-relationship with the dealership. I then decided on all my options and emailed the New Mexico Sandia MINI dealer, Ralph Schomp and the salesman I had met in Loveland with the options I wanted and asked for a quote. New Mexico and Loveland got back to me immediately and a week later haven't heard a word from Schomp. New Mexico wouldn't budge but Loveland did, all I had to do was ask. The fact that Ralph Schomp still hasn't got back to me, I think shows negatively on them.

What I thought was going to be a stressful first time car buying experience has so far been fantastic thanks to Loveland.

 

I actually used a auto broker for the first time (Centennial sales and leasing). Everyone told me it was the best way to buy a car! He told me he almost always uses Loveland but, was starting to build a relationship with Schomp. So, my broker is ordering through Schomp. Hell, he may have not even asked the MA for for everything I requested (lower price, or free goodies) My broker is now telling me its too late to haggle price now that car has been ordered!