The pool for "When will the overly-talkative new stranger buy a MINI?" that is. I have one picked out and will be headed over to the 'burbs of Chicago after the parade to possibly sign on the line. Any advice?

 

good luck

 

Congratulations! We'll be anxious to see some pics of your new acquisition.

In terms of advice, I think Post #2 by msh441 in the thread accessible via the link below represents one of the better checklists for picking up a new MINI. You can pick and choose the items think are appropriate, but at least it will help you remember all of your questions -- it's easy to forget them in the excitement of the moment.

Here's the link:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...the-r56-2.html

Hope you have a smooth delivery, and a fantastic drive home!

 

Thank you thank you thank you -- that gives me full permission to be what my southern upbringing would consider rude. ; - )

Now, any bargaining tips? And should I have them stick on sport stripes and a clear bra or do that after I get it safely back over here?

 

The dealers are trying to clear room on their lots for incoming 2011 models. If you have your eye on a new 2010, you likely have some negotiating leverage. Floor mats are almost a throw in that you should expect regardless. Used MINIs ('05 and later) are in demand and short supply, so the KBB retail value appropriate to its condition is probably a target. Are you willing to give them a reasonable offer and walk away that day if it's not accepted, waiting a few days to renegotiate and see how much they'll bend? Don't let them see you falling in love with it or you're toast.

The clearbra install is a royal PITA to do correctly as a DIY; nevertheless, this is a highly desirable option that I recommend you pursue. There is a third-party vendor in St. Louis that does a good job with these at less cost than the dealer. Though, it might be more convenient to let the dealer do it even at additional $$ since they do a lot of them and you can amortize the expense in your monthly payments.

Sport stripes install is easier but it probably needs to happen prior to the clearbra so there is no overlap between the two.

 

We looked at A LOT of them in the Chicago area. What dealer are you purchasing it from?

Heck, we might have already driven the car and I can let you know if something is wrong with it.

Give me some specs (Color, MCS, etc) and the dealer and we'll have more information for you.

If it is an 04 Chili Red MCS with white stripes near Chicago, stay away from it. It has a bad throwout bearing. Great price, but you'll be replacing the bearing and clutch (over $1K) right after you get it home.

 

This the one I like at Patrick MINI and is pretty much what I would order as a 2011. The 0.9% financing is a good reason not to wait, though. I'm waiting to hear back how much they'll take off the sticker.

http://www.patrickmini.com/VehicleDetails/813592913

Bill Jacobs MINI has an identical car minus the center armrest. The salesman I'm talking to there isn't as forthcoming as I would like so far -- I don't like to talk payments, I like to talk price.

I've looked at a few used ones and I'm just not enough of a "car" person to go that route -- I've decided to bite the bullet and buy new, and this is looking like a good time to do it. My '96 Honda with 210K might not cooperate with my plan to wait another year.

Edited: Or, I could bank my car payments, be nice to my Honda, and save enough to buy an S next year. I'd be spending a few thousand more on car loan interest, however, unless I was able to hold out for another 0.9% incentive.

 

I asked my Magic 8 Ball if the Honda would last another year without major repair. It said "Try Again Later." No reason to think it wouldn't though.

 

I put all the information into edmunds.com and it comes up with a True Market Value (TMV - what others are paying) of $22,281.

It says the invoice (what the dealer paid) for one like that is $21,220.

Of course, the dealer has overhead and advertising costs. I'd throw them $22K flat and see if they go for it. Or, if you want to go a bit lower, throw them $23K out the door, tax/title/license included. That would bring your buying price to around $21700 or so.

Or.....Just an idea here. If you really want an S, go for an 07 or an 08 Pre-Owned/Certified. Heck, for that price, you might be able to find an 09. A lot of times the extended warranty covers 2X the original warranty.

Talk them down on price and then when you have them as low as you think they will go, have them add the "Included" Extended Warranty.

I'd go with an S over a JustaCooper any day, but you may not need the Supercharger/Turbocharger. For us, it's a necessity.

If you decide to go that route, let us know again and we'll try to help you out as much as possible.

 

I haven't driven an S yet but I was a little disconcerted that the two used justas I'd driven weren't quite as peppy as I'd hoped. I didn't know if a new one would get me over that or not. I like to feel like there's still some left when you wind it up and shift to second instead of feeling like you "have" to -- does that make me an S driver? I guess I need to find one to drive to see.

Are my concerns about more turbo problems/higher repair costs down the road unjustified? The extra MPGs would make me feel like I wasn't contributing quite as much to the next oil spill, but I don't want to feel like I'm always wishing for more RPMs either. And I'm thinking that I might want to take it to the track someday but from what I'm reading an S isn't required -- just preferred?

Good advice on the certified used aka MINI Next -- off to shop, thanks!

Edited: Dealer says sport stripes, clear bra and mats comes to $1400 on top of $23,250 car for a total of $24,650. What would your "out the door" offer be, $24,000?

 

Well, if you get an extended warranty, you won't really have to worry about a lot of the things. Make sure to get everything in writing though. MINI has changed a lot of things on owners (free oil change every year as long as you have under 6k miles is one that comes to mind), so make sure it is in writing. Also, if it has the extended warranty (try to get them include it in the price, but use it as your last bargaining chip), get the entire warranty spelled out for you. A lot of places use an extended warranty that only covers the drivetrain. That's great if your engine or transmission fails, but doesn't cover much else.

Go drive your JustaCooper....Then drive a Cooper S. You'll be amazed at the difference.

I would recommend a manual transmission either way. My Wife loves her 6 speed. It's easy to learn and you'll be happier over time. You can drive it however you want to drive it with a manual. Sport mode in the Autos is "almost" like driving differently, but you have much more control in a manual.

Sport stripes....Ha.
You can put nice stripes on your car for less than $100. If you're close enough, I could probably help you.
Clear bra - If you're only doing the front end, I would guess a shop could do that for $200 or less.
Floor mats - You can buy them used on here for about $65/set or less. They are only about $100 from the dealer brand new.

I think they are robbing you on the stripes and bra for labor. Why pay $110/hour when you can pay someone that does vinyl $25/hour?

I'd say skip that stuff and purchase it separately. If it is a used car, a lot of them will come with the floor mats. I still think an 08 or 09 MCS is what you need. But, drive both and figure that out for yourself.

I'd even maybe try $22,500 out the door. That might be pushing it though. And 1 last thing on this post...Dealers are much more likely to "make deals" at the end of the month. That's when everyone is trying to hit their quota, so they offer the best deals. It is a fact.

 

Here's what I want on my MINI, in ascending order of importance:

sunroof, cloth seats, HK stereo, heated seats, manual transmission. Manual transmission is the only non-negotiable item (and it is all I've ever had in a car.)

I didn't want to think that about the add-on options, but the other dealership quoted me 1/2 that. Sigh. Had no clue aboutt the warranty stuff, I'm going to have to study up.

Such great advice, thanks you guys! I'm going to wait an extra weekend to go shopping and I'll keep chking around for a used MCS. I saw a sweet BRG when I first starting shopping but it looks like it sold. Feel free to let me know if you see anything worthy of hanging with EIM.
: - )

 

I've been skimming over the past posts I kinda have an idea of what's going on. Here's what I have to say...When I got my MINI there was no bargaining or haggling! I offered 26K for a MINI and they said no way! So that's when I decided to order my own and get what I want.
Now the 2011 MCS has 181hp compared to the previous 172hp and the Cooper has 121hp compared to the previous 118hp.
You can get bonnet stripes for free if you get the Sport Pkg.
Good Luck in your endeavor...we'll be waiting!!

 

Smokin Jo,

If they say No Way....I would have walked out and found one somewhere else. No cars are flying off the lot in this economy, even ones that get great fuel economy.

If they want to be jerks about it, I will take my business elsewhere. You can always haggle, even on new cars. My Wife says they mark up new Ford pickups is incredible, sometimes $5K over invoice.

Buy at the end of the month and always haggle. ALWAYS. If one person won't deal, ask to talk to a Manager. The Managers look better the more cars they sell and they have the real power to negotiate, so I would just do that next time.

 

Sandy,

Did you end up getting a MINI yet?

 

She must be too busy motoring around in that new MINI...