Hi, the wife and I are going up to Pittsburgh to test drive a Countryman next week. One of her biggest concerns is that the dealership is so far away, she's worried about the car needing to be worked on in an emergency around our hometown of Fairmont. Does anyone recommend a garage or mechanic in the Harrison, Marion, Mon county area to ease her mind? Thanks!

 

I live in Bridgeport. When I bought my Clubman in '08, MINI of Pittsburgh would bring a loaner to me, take my car and bring it back when they were done - free of charge! Make sure you ask about that.
MINI also has a road assistance program that (I think) picks up you car wherever it is and tows it to the closest dealer. Ask about that too. I never had to use this.
At 63k miles, I've not had to have any major or emergency work done, but I always take my cars to a local shop in Bridgeport.

 

I think wvmtnbiker has a mechanic at a Kia dealership in Clarksburg. He'll need to give you the details. The reason I'm responding is that I just returned from P & W Motors today after getting an oil service. It's really an easy drive for routine maintenance. I agree with BportLax about emergency service through MINI. I too have not needed to use it, but with enough notice you can obtain a loaner.

Frankly, my navigator is (was) concerned about the distance to Pittsburgh for service, but so far so good.

 

Thanks. After reading your responses my wife's worries have subsided a bit. I told her we can package a shopping trip whenever the car needs routine maintenance.

 

Adam: one of our club members, Mark, said the same thing John said. They will bring a car as a loaner while yours is serviced. I think it's a pretty sweet deal.
I bought my Mini at Kia of Clarksburg and there was a mechanic there who really knew his cars. He pulled the motor and replaced the clutch, flywheel etc, water pump, all the seals, oils, fluids and even the supercharger oil. He was a mechanic for some big nascar racing team but I think he didn't like the pace.
But if you buy a new Mini, by all means ask them about the loaner deal. But hey, taking the wife shopping will go over great too.

Working on a new drive for us all, so stay tuned as we tweak where we are going.

 

Sweet indeed. Hope you find one you like. Keep us informed!