You've got your Art of the Deal thread magic decoder ring so you're all set!! Best of luck.

In the end, we drive the MINIs, not the deals, so hopefully you end up with the exact MINI you want, for terms that are fair. Once you motor off the dealer's lot in your new ride, you won't give a hoot about the deal.

Dealers rarely offer a great price on a trade-in. I usually think of it as having to pay a "slight" premium for the dealer to take my trade and spare me the hassles. However, if you STAY FOCUSED ON THE BOTTOM LINE TOTAL TRANSACTION COST, you can't go wrong.

Maybe the dealer is $500 or $1,000 below where you hope to be on your trade. After the dealer gives you the bad news on the trade, pause for a few seconds to let everyone marinate in the silence, take a dramatic deep breath, exhale slowly and deliberately, and then look at the salesperson and, making direct eye contact, calmly say, "Where else in the deal can you find a little more to offset the lower-than-expected trade-in allowance?"

When they tell you they're down to the bone where they are, you are at a choice point. You can take the deal as offered, you can make a counter, as in, "You're about a grand higher than I had calculated. You need to close that gap. How much closer to the number I planned on saying 'yes' to can your manager get us?" You can say, "You're a grand away from a deal. I'll meet you half way and we can shake hands and write this deal up now and be done." Or you can say, "As far as I came for this, please don't make me walk away from this deal over $XXX. Go tell your manager you got me to say yes to the car and for another $XXX I'll sign."

Or you can do what I've done, more than once. I stand there looking like a whipped puppy while my secret weapon wife, with her arms folded and the expression on her face set, turns to me and says, sternly, "Now honey, we agreed we weren't going any higher than $XX,XXX. Either they give us the number we agreed to or we'll have to keep shopping." In this scene (and, trust me, it has happened more than once for me), my wife turns to the poor salesman and flashes a patronizing little smile and says, "I'm so sorry. Thanks for all your time. But, really, …(and then she repeats the terms we want). And then she grabs her purse and starts heading for the door. We have never made it off the dealer's parking lot. One time a manager came trotting out just as I was starting our car to leave, waving a piece of paper and yelling, "Wait, I've got one more idea." Drove off the lot in a new Range Rover on that deal....

Best of luck to ya. It's your time and your money. Can't wait to hear how well you did.

 

I am now the proud owner of a new 2019 MCS! I think I got a pretty good deal (and considering I paid MSRP for my last two MINIs, anything would be better than that!). MSRP was $33600. Dealer discounted $1800, I got the manufacturer incentive of $1750 and I got them to throw in the roof rack base at no charge. So a couple hundred bucks above invoice from the dealer standpoint, which I thought was fair. However, the offer on my trade-in was insulting (literally $300 for a 2012 MC with 118K mi), so I did not trade it in. I need to get that back up to NY and sell it private. That's a pain because I'll have to drive down in a one way rental and bring it back up, but it's not the end of the world. If anyone in the Philly area or Albany area is looking for a gen2 MC, let me know!

 

Congratulations!! Might try CarMax to see what they'll give you for your 2012.

 

For May, MINI USA reported 2,822 vehicles sold, a decrease of 33.2 percent from the 4,226 in the same month a year ago

• MINI Certified Pre-Owned sold 1,201 vehicles, a decrease of 13 percent from May 2018.
• Total MINI Pre-Owned sold 2,807 vehicles, a decrease of 6.7 percent from May 2018.

 

For seem reason I always feel compelled to comment on the sales figures. If I was a bean counter at BMW I'd be looking to offload the brand to a willing buyer. Those numbers are awful and getting worse.

 

I've been watching the sales figures, too. For those shopping for a new MINI, I suspect incentives in the back half of June will be good. I am worried about the downward trend as I want MINI to survive and prosper. I think the brand needs to get their act together, though. We are all enthusiasts and are willing to pay a premium, but for the average car shopper looking for a small, fun, versatile vehicle, there are other good options out there for much cheaper and which have more safety features. MINI needs to get their value prop in line with something that will appeal to a larger segment of the market.

 

The Mazda 3 and Honda Civic come to mind as two examples of really good cars that may not have all the character or 'charm' or history of MINI, but are fun to drive, and, nicely fitted, can be had for as much as $10,000 less than a well-optioned MINI. Not trying to get into an apples vs. oranges discussion, but rather just validating the observations regarding the value proposition issues. How much 'more' are we willing to pay to enter or stay in the MINI world?

Without getting too political here, I would also observe that the high end BMWs are selling well. The new BMW X7 is very similar to the gazillion dollar Rolls Royce land yacht SUV. And the 7 series Bimmer sedan is in many ways a Rolls also. And the new X3 and X5 are selling well and they easily break the $50,000 price point barrier, and beyond.

I would argue that MINI is an excellent example of what is happening in the greater society, where more and more wealth is in the hands of a small group, and, on the other side of the ledger, more and more people are slipping downward, to the point where paying $35,000 plus tax and fees for a MINI doesn't always make sense, when for $28,000 plus tax one can snag a well-equipped Honda or Kia, or maybe a VW. That ~$7K difference buys a lot of groceries, or funds a couple of IRAs, or pays off a medical bill, or whatever...

In fall of 2016 I was thrilled to discover that I could get a fully loaded, top-of-the-line Clubman S All4 discounted from an MSRP of about $42K -- compared to the high line stuff I had been driving, plus lower fuel and insurance costs, the MINI seemed like a frigging bargain, which it has been. And way more fun than the BMW I thought I was going to look at and lease.

For those who only know the world of $80,000+ sticker prices, and $900+/month lease payments, with tax accountants who find ways to write off most of the expense of a 6,000 pound Range Rover or Escalade, MINI isn't even on the radar, any more than are Honda or Kia.

The good news for bargain hunting MINI lovers is the steep depreciation curves of these cars. For those willing to buy a two or three year old car that someone else has paid for the depreciation on, that once $40K MINI is out there, clean and with low mileage and still under factory warranty, for almost half off, or less.

But MINI USA is in the soup -- global sales are still strong, but here, Honda is winning on volume. Though MINI still wins for the intangible of MINI-ness. But, for what price?????

 

I placed an order in April and was extremely confident that the $500 incentive for a Justa 4-door at the time would at least double by the time I took delivery in June. No such luck. I am shocked to see an end of quarter month with the same lousy incentive as the first month of the quarter. I have noticed that Mini tends to sweeten the incentives towards the end of the month and likely won't have my car until the last week in June, so still holding out hope to improve my deal. My own personal situation aside, given the steady trend over the past several months of declining sales, I am surprised that Mini is not putting its best foot forward for entire months to help increase sales.

 

I would have loved to order a car, but I felt I couldn't afford to. I kept my eye out for dealers with cars optioned the way I wanted and then waited for MINI to roll out a nice incentive. But it meant I did not get exactly the car I wanted.

 

I would argue that the swift depreciation is another harbinger of doom for MINI. When my first MINI got smushed, I got $10k from insurance for a 6 year old, 100k mi car. After 7 years and 118k mi on my second MINI, I'm hoping to get $3-4K on the private market. It's a lot easier to justify paying $30-35k for a car when it holds its value.

 

It is a real head-scratcher. Car manufacturers are obsessed with wanting to wean buyers off of "on the hood" incentives. On the hood meaning published rebates or cash incentives or below-market loans or subvented (manufacturer subsidized) lease rates.

Also, margins between MSRP and "invoice" are getting tighter, mostly because everyone knows how to find invoice numbers so, by keeping the margin tight, dealers can argue with customers, "I can't lose money on this deal and at $100 over invoice I can't pay my overhead." Or whatever.

So, if the metal isn't moving, and there are no fat on the hood incentives, and the manufacturer wants to support dealers who are encountering buyer resistance, then the on the hood money goes into the trunk or onto the back end, meaning, it's concealed from the customer and, in order for a dealer to get it, certain benchmarks or sales goals must be met.

The sales manager is always calculating, wondering how many loss-leader deals must be done each month or quarter in order to snag big back end bucks. Sometimes a buyer gets lucky and, by holding out for a better price, they get what they want well below invoice. But, in order for that to work for the dealer, other customers need to pay more.

Rebates and incentives and below-market financing are great, but, as always, the total transaction cost is the magic number. I might only be offered a wimpy incentive, so, if that is the case, I gotta press the dealer by saying, "This same car, last month, was $1,500 cheaper with the incentive that is gone this month, but the market value of the car hasn't changed. Gotta find me that $1,500 somewhere, Mr. Dealer."

Usually, but not always, that extra money is there.... somewhere. The issue is whether the dealer will allocate it to your deal.
Until a customer signs the papers and accepts delivery, the dealer hasn't sold the car. It takes real determination to be sitting at a dealership, staring at your custom-ordered MINI that you've followed from factory to port of entry, and tell a dealer you're ready to walk away without the car unless they can match the numbers from last month. And sometimes, it's not worth the hassle -- there's the car you want. Pay the money. Drive it home. Forget about the bucks you couldn't/didn't grind off. Love the car. Be happy. There are always choices. Once we make the choice, we move on, happy with our new MINI that will be worth about half of whatever we paid for it a few years down the road.

 

No holdback on MINI?
https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/dealer-holdback/

Where else are they making money if they sell at invoice?

 

They have so many different ways to get to the same goal, which is making money. Dealer cash rebates that the manufacturer pays the dealership on a sale. Last car I bought had $2000 dealer cash that I was not clued in on, but I knew anyway.

 

From the first post on this thread:
HOLDBACK
Okay, so there is no holdback on Minis. BUT THERE IS!!!
Dealers get about 2.5% on the back end, plus sometimes more. These manufacturer-to-dealer incentives require dealers to jump through all sorts of hoops, including hitting high CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) numbers, having certified Mini Geniuses on staff at their dealerships, and a bunch of other requirements. All you need to know as a purchaser of a new Mini is that, if everything goes right for the dealer and you give him/her all 10's on your survey, the dealer is looking to recover maybe a thousand dollars gross on the back end of the sale of a fully loaded Mini with an MSRP of $40,000. The sales person rarely, if ever, sees any of this "back end" money.

Also, there are often "stair-step" programs and extra "trunk money" involved. Just because customers can't see it, and just because it's not, exactly, traditional invoice holdback, money is often there hiding behind the curtain. I recently read that for BMW, which is in the same world, over 90% of dealer profits on new car sales come from the back end. They are often selling at, or close to, or even back of invoice and still eeking out a profit. HOWEVER, front line salespeople are usually paid on the "gross" between MSRP and invoice, so the closer to invoice the deal gets, the more dollars are sucked out of the salesperson's check.

Read the first post on this thread for more info. Also read other posts about F&I and all the ways dealers find dollars in car deals.

 

Ah ok, thank you. I read that post but forgot that part.
But the way I'm reading it... it sounds like it's not guaranteed for the dealer?
And I want to be fair to the salesperson. So trying to figure out what really is a fair offer in relation to invoice. A few bucks in their pocket and a decent deal for me.

 

Right. My suggestion is not to worry too much about being fair to the salesperson. If you snag a truly killer deal you can give your salesperson a $100 gift card or whatever.
We DO NOT and CAN NOT know what MINI USA is or isn't providing to dealers in the way of direct support.
We DO KNOW that it's the model year end and the factory starts to switch over to 2020 model year production in the summer -- like starting next month.
Some of us believe that we are giving the dealer an opportunity to sell us a car, and they should thank us for this.
The ONLY way to test the bottom is to calculate invoice (Edmunds has a pretty reliable invoice calculator for a custom built MINI), and then offer whatever you feel comfortable offering, as in, "I'm prepared to buy/lease/order this car TODAY for $xx,xxx, out the door. Can you make this happen for us today?" And see what happens.

 

That, or maybe sponsor a war in the Middle East to drive up oil prices and make small cars attractive again. So long as gas remains cheap, Americans are going to keep buying their big SUVs and light trucks.

Meanwhile MINI North America are trying to squeeze what buyers remain even harder, removing features and making trim levels more expensive. Not to mention just stupid things like making CarPlay only available with a $2000 radio upgrade when it's standard on every damn car from Japan and Korea! I don't see that kind of pricing model being a viable long term plan.

They've got amazing brand recognition in the US. Seems a shame they can't turn that into sales.

 

Most retail car deals are done with customers who have completed internet research and, maybe, even filled out a contact info form on a dealers web site.

Have you noticed how similar in format all MINI dealer web sites are?

Have you noticed the links you click to get the dealer's internet price or best price or current offer or whatever?

Three words: Corporate Data Mining.

If you're shopping for a car and you use the internet, a whole bunch of people know you're shopping and they have a pretty good idea of who you are, what you drive now, if you're credit-worthy, if you live in an affluent zip code.... and on and on.

And, here's the kicker. Auto manufacturers, like BMW/MINI, contract with a single vendor to support dealers' internet operations. Manufacturers require all the dealers to use that same vendor. To get the contract with BMW/MINI, you can bet the vendor did whatever they had to do, including flying some BMW/MINI executives to Hawaii or Vegas or wherever, and then proposing a program with a very skinny profit margin bid BMW/MINI would sign up for.

And I'm fairly confident the data the BMW/MINI approved vendor sucks up on behalf of individual dealers does not stay confidential within the individual dealers. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if my interest in a new car became know to several local dealers if I filled out a contact form on a single dealer's web site.

Follow me here. I visit dealer A's web site and fill out a contact form. When I submit the form with a click, the data goes through the third party vendor to Dealer A. Oh, and the third party vendor "stores" that data on the third party platform. And sells it, probably, to another "arm's length" third party who then sells the lead to, perhaps, dealers B, C, and D near where I live as a very hot lead --as in, "This guy, with a credit score of xxx, living in zip code xxxxx, with a median household income of $xxx,xxx, is looking to buy a car in the $xx,xxx price range, probably within the next 90 days because he is currently driving a MINI Clubman S All4 with a lease that is ending in three months."

Very valuable data indeed.

We all know privacy is basically over. But it's good to remember just how incredibly valuable you are to a dealer the moment you actually cross his threshold looking to buy or lease a car. Leads that turn into actual walk-into-the-dealer's-door customers are hard, and expensive, to come by. Once you walk in, they will do a lot to keep you from walking out without a new car.

I really don't care how many dealers know I'm shopping.

But it creeps me out when I visit my News app on my iPhone and I get this message, "Based on stories you've read here are some articles that might interest you."

My only question is, who is watching the watchers?????

 

Interesting insight into the current MINI woes.

https://www.autonews.com/dealers/min...mall-car-slump

 

Yup. There's also a big BMW dealer in the Southeast that is suing BMWNA about related stuff. And, nationally, the BMW dealer's group is fighting with BMW regarding how back end money is 'earned' by dealers -- what the hoops are to get the Added Value Program dollars.

Basically, if it were up to BMW Corporate, BMW, and MINI would only discount slightly, if at all, from MSRP and would just use the various national and regional incentive programs, period.
The real squeeze is in the margin between the MSRP and the so-called invoice. Even if dealers were able to sell every car at MSRP, it's a thin margin when one considers the millions and millions each dealer is required to invest in infrastructure. So, if total sales volume drops off, even at full freight, profits can evaporate quickly.

Also, not that many years ago, North America was THE market if you wanted to sell cars. Higher demand elsewhere, with less consumer expectation for discounting, makes markets like China, India, and other places attractive. So dealers here have less leverage than before. And, while Tesla isn't globally giant, they certainly have challenged the entire franchised dealer model. Other manufacturers have noticed.

I still say, if you want a new MINI, grind hard on price and, if the dealer can't/won't meet your terms, for whatever reasons, either pay up or find another brand. Because there are a lot of choices. I'm still hoping to replace my current MINI with a new MINI later this year. It will be interesting to see if one of the many dealers in my region can replicate the deal I got last time around, just 3 short years ago.

 

I think BMW will have a hard time defending not allowing dealers to consolidate into non BMW locations to save themselves. Only in select locations can MINI dealers sell enough cars now to keep the doors open. I'm still predicting that BMW sells MINI to a low cost producer, cough, Chinindia or ?

If people still want new MINIs, bargain hard or walk. Maybe bring a copy of that article with them to offer up evidence as to why they should be treated like royalty.

 

I was aware that car dealer net margins were small but holy moly that’s madness.

 

MODEL YEAR 2020 MINI LINEUP PRICING AND EQUIPMENT UPDATES

Woodcliff Lake, NJ, July 1, 2019. The year 2020 is poised to be a big one for MINI USA as it launches two vehicles that represent both ends of the spectrum of the brand – electric mobility and high- performance. With its first purely electrically powered vehicle, the MINI Cooper SE, coming early in 2020, and the MINI John Cooper Works GP launching later in the year, MINI USA is excited to add to its current lineup of vehicles, some of which are also receiving updates for model year 2020.

• Introduction of two new colors: Coral Red Metallic and MINI Yours Enigmatic Black Metallic
  • Redesigned front end featuring redesigned grill, piano black exterior trim, new headlight design, and redesigned LED fog lights
    • New exterior mirror cap design for improved aerodynamics
      • New MINI Yours interior style – Frozen Blue
        • LED fog lights and rear lights in Union Jack design

Two new exterior paint colors.
The extensive range of exterior paint colors available for the new MINI Clubman now adds two variants: Coral Red Metallic and MINI Yours Enigmatic Black Metallic.

Very British: rear lights in Union Jack design.
The rear lights also feature a new design in conjunction with standard LED headlights. As a clear reference to the brand's British DNA, the upright light units at the rear of the new MINI Clubman now adopt the Union Jack design that appears on the MINI Hardtop 2 Door, the MINI Hardtop 4 Door and the MINI Convertible.

The striking flag motif is recreated in the structure of the light functions. The turn indicators are horizontally arranged, and the brake lights have a vertical and horizontal element with the taillight additionally representing the diagonal lines of the British flag. In order to ensure a particularly harmonious lighting effect, all light sources forming the Union Jack graphic use LED technology.

Trim & Package Updates:

• Cooper S – “Classic Trim”
  • The 2019 Classic Trim package (base MSRP: $28,900) included a choice of 17-inch wheels, a 6.5-inch media display, multifunction steering wheel, rear PDC + rear-view camera, teleservices and E-call.
  • The 2020 Classic Trim (base MSRP $30,900) retains all of these items while also including: comfort access, heated seats, automatic climate control, active driving assistant, LED headlights and fog lights, and a 7-Speed Sport Dual Clutch transmission. These additions, when added to a vehicle separately, are valued at $4,750.

• Cooper S ALL4 – “Signature Trim”
  • The 2019 Signature Trim package (base MSRP: $34,900) included a choice of 17-inch wheels, panoramic moonroof, sport automatic transmission, comfort access keyless entry, active driving assistant, automatic climate control, heated seats, rear PDC and rear-view camera, teleservices and E-call.
  • The 2020 Signature Trim (base MSRP $35,900) retains all of these items while also including: LED headlights and fog lights, choice of upholstery, and a Harman/Kardon sound system. These additions, when added to a vehicle separately, are valued at $2,500.

Upholstery

• No longer available:
  • Cloth/Leather combination Cord | Carbon Black for MINI Clubman.
• New in 2020:
  • A Leather Chesterfield | Malt Brown upholstery will be available for the MINI Clubman.

Wheels and Tires

• No longer available:
  • 18-inch MINI Yours Masterpiece with Run-Flat Tires for MINI Clubman.
  • 19-inch John Cooper Works Course Spoke Alloy Wheels for MINI Clubman.
• New in 2020:
  • New 18-inch MINI Yours British Spoke 2-Tone with Run-Flat Tires will be available for the MINI Clubman (excluding John Cooper Works variants).
  • New 18-inch Multiray Spoke 2-Tone with Run-Flat Tires will be available for MINI Clubman models (excluding John Cooper Works variants).
  • 19-inch John Cooper Works Circuit Spoke for MINI Clubman

MINI Hardtop 2 Door
Trim & Package Updates

• Cooper – “Signature Trim”
• The 2019 Signature Trim package (base MSRP: $24,900) included a choice of 16-inch wheels, Steptronic automatic transmission, comfort access, panoramic moonroof, heated front seats, MINI Excitement package, automatic climate control and leatherette upholstery.
• The 2020 Signature Trim (base MSRP $26,400) retains all of these items while also including: a 7-Speed Dual Clutch transmission, 5A1 LED fog lights, 5A4 LED headlights, and active driving assistant. These additions, when added to a vehicle separately, are valued at $2,000.

MINI Hardtop 2 Door, MINI Hardtop 4 Door, and MINI Convertible
Highlights:

• LED Fog Lights and LED Headlights are now included in the Signature Trim package for the MINI Hardtop 2 Door and MINI Hardtop 4 Door

Upholstery

• New in 2020:
  • A Cloth/Leatherette combination Black Pearl | Light Grey upholstery will be available for all 2020 MINI Hardtop 2 Door, MINI Hardtop 4 Door and MINI Convertible models.

Wheels and Tires

• New in 2020:
  • New 18-inch MINI Yours British Spoke 2-Tone with Run-Flat Tires will be available for the MINI Hardtop 2 Door, MINI Hardtop 4 Door and MINI Convertible models (excluding John Cooper Works variants).
• No longer available:
  • 18-inch MINI Yours Vanity Spoke Two-Tone with Run-Flat Tires for the MINI Hardtop 2 Door, MINI Hardtop 4 Door and MINI Convertible.

MINI Countryman
In addition to the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman with 301hp, the Countryman model range gets a number of updates.

Highlights:

• LED Fog Lights and LED Headlights are now standard for MINI Countryman Cooper S models and up.

Transmissions

• The MINI Cooper Countryman is standard equipped with a 7-Speed Steptronic Transmission with Double Clutch (2TF)
• The MINI Cooper Countryman ALL4 is standard equipped with an 8-Speed Automatic (205)

Trim & Package Updates

• Cooper S ALL4 – “Classic Trim”
  • The 2019 Classic Trim package (base MSRP: $31,400) included a choice of 18-inch wheels, panoramic moonroof, a 6.5-inch media display, multifunction steering wheel, rear PDC + rear-view camera, teleservices and E-call.
  • The 2020 Classic Trim (base MSRP $33,900) retains all of these items while also including: an 8-Speed Sport Automatic transmission, comfort access, heated seats, automatic climate control, active driving assistant, LED headlights and fog lights. These additions, when added to a vehicle separately, are valued at $4,750.

Upholstery

• No longer available:
  • Cloth/Leather combination Cord | Carbon Black for MINI Countryman.

Wheels and Tires

• New in 2020:
  • New 19-inch MINI Yours British Spoke 2- Tone with Run-Flat Tires will be available for MINI Countryman models (excluding John Cooper Works variants).
  • 19-inch John Cooper Works Circuit Spoke for MINI Countryman
  • 18-inch John Cooper Works Grip Spoke Silver or Black for MINI Countryman.
• No longer available:
  • 19-inch MINI Yours Masterpiece with Run-Flat Tires for MINI Countryman.
  • 19-inch John Cooper Works Course Spoke Alloy Wheels for MINI Countryman.
  • 18-inch John Cooper Works Thrill Spoke Black for MINI Countryman.

MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 (PHEV)
The EV battery capacity of the 2020 MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 (PHEV) will rise from 7.6 kWh to 9.6 kWh. This will positively increase both the electric and overall range of the vehicle from 12 miles to approximately 16 all-electric miles (EPA). In addition, the potential tax credit is expected to rise from $4,001 to $4,835 (+$834).

John Cooper Works Variants
In addition to the new 301hp variants of the John Cooper Works Clubman and the John Cooper Works Countryman, both with ALL4, the following changes apply to all John Cooper Works variants.

Highlights

• All John Cooper Works Hardtops and Convertibles will now come standard with an 8-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission
• Dinamica/Leather | Carbon Black with Grey Accents is now available for all John Cooper Works variants.
• Dinamica/Leather | Carbon Black with Red Accents is no longer available for John Cooper Works variants.

VARIOUS CHANGES ACROSS ALL MODELS

Highlights:

• Active Driving Assistant is now standard across all MY 2020 models and trims.
• All 2020 models will now feature a Leather Chesterfield | Satellite Grey upholstery option.
• Leather Lounge | Satellite Grey upholstery no longer available for all models.
• New exterior mirror cap design for improved aerodynamics

Transmissions

• All Cooper models are standard equipped with a 7-Speed Steptronic Transmission with Double Clutch
• All Cooper S models are standard equipped with a 7-Speed Steptronic Sport Transmission with Double Clutch
• All Cooper S ALL4 models are standard equipped with an 8-Speed Sport Automatic Transmission
• All John Cooper Works models are standard equipped with an 8-Speed Sport Automatic Transmission
• All Hardtops and Convertibles except the John Cooper Works convertible come standard with a six-speed manual transmission. *
• *NOTE: Availability of manual transmissions currently delayed due to technical evaluation at the time of publication.

 

Man - you need to move that last line to the top, lol. I read through that whole thing with the expectation that they were doing away with the manual, and man was I bummed out. Then I see the last line saying it's still available.

Roller coaster ride on that post.

 

So June 2019 MINI sales continued the downward trend. In fact, sales are tanking, down overall over 20% compared to June 2018.

To add insult to injury, MSRP for all models will be up for 2020. For example, the 2020 2 door Cooper S MSRP starts $1,500 MORE than the 2019. MINI claims by adding more standard content there is more "value" in the higher pricing.