Hey everybody, I was just wondering if anybody else had been by MoA and noticed that the MINI lot is extremely empty?

I have been noticing this a lot lately with them, it has been three times now that I have been by, and the lot has been nearly empty! (I've also been by a little while after, and they have been full)

Has anybody seen this in MoS and MoT? It seems like as soon as all of the new MINIs come in, they sell out! I guess it could be a bunch of panic-sales due to the high gas prices, those trading in their gas-guzzlers for something a little more efficient. (Plus, who wouldn't want a MINI? )

I have to wonder how their year is looking so far, it seems like everybody in the Annapolis area will have a MINI soon... :D

-Chase

 

I saw this at MoT a couple of weeks ago. The finance guy told me they had sold 110 cars last month and 80 the month before. The place looked desolate.

 

I think this is a good news. So from now on, we won't have any problem to find parking spaces during the monthly "meet & greet".

Anyone will be at MoA this weekend?

 

A 2 weeks ago at MoT... on the right, thje BMW lot, on the left, the MINI lot ... nuff' said .




And the 5 at the far end were pre-owned.... so 5 New, 5 pre-owned, 10 adopted !

Cheers.

 

I think you may be misinterpretting what you're seeing. I don't think you're seeing a huge inventory of available cars arrive and then a rush of sales.

It is more likely that what you're seeing is a delivery day from the ships, then all the cars are prepped for delivery to owners because they are ALREADY sold. That's why they fly out of there within a few days.

I forget what the ordering time is now but someone mentioned it's 2 - 4 months depending on the model and the orders are for 2009 models now. MINI of Sterling was so sold out they didn't even have demo cars to drive or models in their showroom.

Only way to get one sooner would be to step into one already in the queue for ordering (and someone backed out or it was meant for dealer stock).

I was able to do that at the end of the 2005 model year for mine.

That's my $.02, anyway.

 

MoA is selling them as fast as they can get them in according to Rick, the sales manager. I imagine the other dealerships are doing the same....

 

search on "Golden Egg" for a significant discussion on this point - it is a current and active thread...

 

Bev and I noticed the lack of inventory at MoT a couple weeks ago as well.

When we go up there for servicing we love to go look around the lot just to see what's out there but this last time there were hardly and cars there! In fact, that far lot, beyond the MINIs facing us in MiniPol's photo, was full of BMWs instead of the usual MINIs.

When we went looking last year in August, MoT's inventory was over 110 cars. Checking their website this morning....they had 7 MINIs in stock.

Glenn

 

salesman at MOS said it is pretty boring, all they can do is order cars and get them prepped when they come in. A couple used every once in a while. Dealing with irate customers who cant drive a car is frustrating to them too.

 

I've visited MoA this past Saturday for a test drive of the Clubman. They had the one Clubman for test drives and another on the lot which was waiting to be picked up. Not many other Mini's on the lot as mentioned above.

Earlier this year the lot at MoT was full and I had to park at the BMW dealership. When I was there a couple of weeks ago there were about 8 Coopers left...

There's no bargaining...but I'm going to buy my first Mini (the Clubman). Hope to meet you all soon!

 

I'm trying to get a 2nd round of Test drives in before I order, and here is what I found by phone today:

MoS: no new cars to test. They have an 03 and 05 MCS to drive.
MoA: Automatic Clubman and Manual MCS is all they have new to test
MoT: They have 1 of each model for testing, and according to the salesman "We always have 1 of each model to test and only get rid of them if they are replaced".

 

MOS used to have one of each to test, but they gave in to multiple argumentative customers who hounded them about their test drive cars...

 

Are you one of those customers? You sound like you know from experience

 

no.. haha. i was picking up my car and a couple came in. The wife had a print out with the "inventory" of MOS in her hand. She said to the salesman, "we would like to drive these three models" pointing at the print out.

Salesman explained they were all customer ordered cars and they had none for them to test drive. whoa did the drama ensue.. lots of yelling and ending with "how do you plan on selling cars if you dont have them to drive"


I spoke to the salesman after they left about them not keeping cars on the lot. He said it was a management decision b/c they had irate customers saying the same thing when they wouldnt sell the test drive cars.

IMO i would have stood strong to keep test drive cars on the lot..

 

MoA last Saturday was packed with people test driving or waiting to test drive a MINI- One of their MINI ( a nice Clubman silver with chrome finishing) was given to me as a loaner but they have nothing on stock and people quickly pick up what they had ordered. On Friday morning there were at least 10 new MINIs in the lot and by Saturday midday only 2.


People are also buying used MINIs ..
My husband got a call from a friend offering to buy his '05 MCC
and she was not for sale... the price offered, 'tho, is very attractive...

 

At Morristown Mini, their lot is covered with every car EXCEPT MINIs. Their non-MINI used car inventory looks to dwarf any MINIs on the lot. Except for the sign, its tough to tell its a Mini dealership.

Glad I got in when I did

 

Well, depending on how you look at it, this seems like awesome, or horrible news! I guess the poor folks who hoped to drive away that day with a MINI will be disappointed, however, as it goes for the company, I guess sales are booming.

I wasn't sure what the current happenings were like, however, when I had gone in a little while ago, when I first started noticing a "rush" on MINIs, they had sold 8 that morning (I went in at noon) and the lot was completely full when I had been there earlier in the morning (2AM drive ).

I also believe that the fenced off area across from the MoA showroom is the holding pen for all BMW's/MINI's that are being brought in for customers and the vehicles that are currently being worked on by the shop that cannot fit in the small parking area near the garage entrance. The rest of the ones that I had seen did seem to be available off of the lot.

-Chase

 

I was at MoT this morning to lay out a new route (but that's a different thread ).

The lot was even emptier that in MINIPol's photo.
There was a single R56 in the showroom and about 6 cars outside.

Heck, I think we should set up an auto-x cross in the parking lot at the next Meet and Greet.

 

I told you, there will be plenty of parking spaces for us from now on.

 

I bought my Clubman off the lot on Memorial Day, there where two clubman and about 20 or so various types of minis on the lot. The show room had one sidewalk and two other R56. Since I opted to buy the Clubman I test drove and got a $700 reduction (it had 1,500 miles), I signed and drove away. Things really changed after I went back to get the Clubman when it had a High Pressure Fuel Pump issue three weeks later...the lot was almost empty..2 cars in the showroom, one was sold. The lot had maybe 8 minis and 2 clubman waiting for delivery! I parked my Clubman (after pick-up) in the mini parking lot to go and see if my tags had arrived, there was an F250 parked in the lot and two large guys were looking at an R56 (guess they really wanted a Clubman, none available)!
I guess I was timely in my purchase!

 

Yeah, I discovered this at MoT back in early June. I went in for an after break in oil change and to help my parents shop for a Clubman. They had no Clubman for test drives and only about 5 other coopers on the lot. They had just gotten a "test drive only" Clubman in, but it hadn't been preped yet.

I was tempted to park out front with a "test drives $20" sign on mine to help pay off my loan.

 

I went to MoT on Monday to order my MCS 08. The MA said they had about 4 08 build slots left and then they were taking orders for the 09's. They had no more 08 convertible build slots. They didnt' know the pricing on the 09's but expected a 3-4% mark up.

We went to MoT about 3 weeks ago to test drive and the lot was much more full than it was on Monday.

 

You know, I've had more than my share of second thoughts about buying the car I did when I did, but I sure am thankful that I got mine now. I can't believe I actually bought it off the lot and got what I wanted in terms of options.

...I was in rural PA last weekend and on three separate occasions, complete strangers approached me to ask about my car. It's happened before, of course, but the frequency is much higher. Always the same question: "what kind of milage do you get?"

 

I ordered a basic mini Memorial Day weekend and it was delivered 4th of July weekend. Just before it arrived, however, I decided I really wanted an S model Dealer said no problem but I would have to wait for the 09s to come out. Fair enough since I got it wrong the first time. Anyway, when the car did arrive it sold almost immediantely. Coopers are flying off the lot and Mini should seriously consider increasing production to meet the soaring demand. I believe Toyota is moving to build a Prius plant here in the states. Perhaps Mini should do likewise?

 

The MINI going mega-mainstream is good and bad. Bad because the cars are so common now (esp in this area) and you now have a ton of non-enthusiasts just buying them because they simply want to save money on gas. The upside is that maybe I'll start finally seeing more aftermarket parts for the R56.

Kinda bums me out cuz I like driving a car that is unique, non-mainstream and that most people don't have. I bought the mazda3 5 door when it first came out and that was great because everyone else had a civic...now of course they are everywhere. Now I see it happening with the MINI...lol. I will just have to make Ambrosia look as unqiue (and non-cutesy) as possible!