If you are disciplined shopper and know the price you want to pay, then anytime is the best time IMO. After the holiday hangover, when MINI dealers realize that sales suck big time for them they just might be anxious to move metal at the end of January or February.

btw - I'm an impulse shopper and never follow the above advice. I just tell myself I'm getting a good deal and move on. Fortunately I really like my 2014 HT and can't see selling/trading it for a long time. Famous last words!

Happy New Year!

 

I wont lie and say I do not look for good deals, nor that I will pass up a good deal if it presents itself and Im in the market for whatever that item may be. With that said, I just purchased my new '18 Mini Signature, and if you havent seen them, they come one way, and one way only. So their prices are all the same (whatever the dealer may set that at). Well, I was ready to pay the dealers asking price that they had on the particular car I bought but, while I was waiting for them to detail the car (all before I signed papers), I found the exact same car I was purchasing at another local Mini dealer for $1k less than what I was about to pay.

I showed this info/car to the dealer, and they not only said they would lower the price on the car but, better yet, they took 2k off the sticker. I walked out of the dealer paying just a tad over what the sticker was; all with TT&L. Couldnt be happier.

 

Greetings-

I just bought my 2018 Mini S yesterday. I have always liked them since I had one as a loaner when my M5 died ( on second day of ownership back in 2009) and had one as a loaner for a week. I am a Porsche owner, a few of them. I have also always had an everyday car that I was not as "concerned" about when driving to high flow areas and just DD around Orange County. I looked at several cars but the last visit was the Mini dealer. They had a model my wife liked a lot because of the color ( looked like Gulf livery and reminded her of my GTS) anyway I ended up deciding on a Moonwalk Grey 3 door because 1) Had the options I wanted ( Tech, HUD and a few others) 2) Cement ( the color I call it ) is as low key as you can get 3) I liked the upside should I decided to mod it which I know I will.

The sticker was 34k plus the ridiculous 595 for Lojack. I pushed a bit and they quickly fell each time they brought me numbers. We settled on 27665. The Lojack was discounted 200 dollars. They also used the VIN of my E30 M3 for the 500 off for loyalty which I found comical.

I have not put many miles on it yet but as I have watched the football games I have been checking out the Dinan site and already have my eye on the Elite tune and exhaust.

 

You sound similar to my situation. I've always had sports cars, and currently have a Viper, and adding another one in the coming months, but have always liked Minis. I've driven them many times, but never owned one. I'm glad I decided to get one. I'll be modding mine as well (already ordered a few goodies for it), and also, am looking into the Dinan Elite tune.

I had a 991.2 GTS for about 6 months, but sold it as it wasn't as enjoyable to drive as I had hoped it'd be. I did like the car though. Great curves.

 

Good points!

When you're clear on your numbers, anytime is the right time.

And, without a doubt, after holidays the deals will be there.

I've often wondered what it is about last weekend of the month/last days of the quarter/last weekend of the calendar year.

There is something about car dealer mentality -- on one hand they all say, "the best day to buy a car is today," whatever day that is. On the other hand, every month is a fresh start where the white board in the sales office is a clean slate and they've got the whole month to fill it up. And then, as the days of the month tick away, the urgency increases, the sales meetings become more intense, the spiffs get offered to motivate salespeople, and, for some, the deals get more aggressive.

Certainly, for an MA who is a unit or two away from hitting a bonus, that last sale of the month requires no gross profit -- it's all about moving that last unit, getting that last sale up on the white board, and getting the bonus. The customer who is getting that last deal has a lot of leverage; perhaps greater leverage than might be available earlier in the month.

To Moocher's point, the customer who walks in telling him/herself to think as if it's the last day of the month and this sale is the one the dealer needs the most, often will get the most aggressive deal.

Some folks hate all of this. Some of us seem to thrive on understanding and working the process. I've never heard anyone say they underpaid for a car, but boy have I heard people say, after the fact, that they feared they paid too much.

Those who read this thread and keep their eyes on the prize stand a good chance of getting a great deal any day of the year, for sure.

 

I'll never have an answer to this BUT... I wonder what the actual ratio of over to under paying is on cars.

Last month I listened to a fascinating podcast from Harvard Business Review on salary transparency: https://hbr.org/ideacast/2016/03/you...ur-salary.html

An interesting nugget: in a survey of 70,000 professionals, two thirds of those who really were making the market average believed they were making less than the market average. That's information asymmetry in action right there.

So, car sales: Maybe we all do get a fair price, but because the knowledge of how dealer finances work is so intensely asymmetric, we don't know that -- and assume that we've gotten a bum deal, no matter how good it was.



A good deal is one that makes everyone feel it is a fair and reasonable exchange. But it's hard to feel good about a deal when you don't have enough information to know if it was fair to you.

=

 

I'm sure I was nicknamed "Ben Dover" after I bought my 2 Minis, but back then they supposedly weren't discounting them from sticker much at all. I think they make their most money on your trade personally. I know I didn't want to screw around with trying to sell a 6-7 year old Usedmobile. I recently saw a Mini ad on TV (football game no less) with something like $3000 off sticker. Never thought I'd see that happen.

 

This from MINI:

Press Release


Woodcliff Lake, NJ – December 26, 2017- MINI today reached a new level of customization with the addition of MINI Yours Customised. The new offering allows MINI customers to design personalized inlays for the side scuttles, trims for the passenger side in the interior, LED door sills and LED door projectors. Customers looking to take the personalization of their MINI to the next level can select and design the upgrade parts at the new Online Customiser.

 

I will occasionally see internet leads come in with hilarious names like this. If someone wants more information on a car but doesn't really want to be contacted afterwards, they will often submit leads to our website with a fake name, an email address and no phone number. I've seen a Ben Dover before, and I've also seen a Michael Jackson, which was plausible except that the phone number provided was 867-5309, which I actually started to dial before I realized. People are funny.

 

MINI Brand Sales
For December, MINI USA reported 4,611 vehicles sold, a decrease of 1.0 percent from the 4,658 sold in the same month a year ago. In 2017 MINI USA reported a total of 47,105 vehicles sold, a decrease of 9.5 percent from the 52,030 vehicles sold in 2016.

 

MINI USA web site is showing 0.9% financing for up to 72 months and lease residuals ranging from 59% to 63% for many models. Money Factor appears to be unchanged.
As noted in the prior post, sales are down.

The deals are there for those seeking them.

 

Great advice in this thread! Thanks!

I intend to buy a 2018 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4. I’ve been using the MiniUSA.com website "Build Yours" feature. I’m finding it hard to figure out all the options and packages, esp. the Technology, Premium, Convenience, and Fully Loaded packages. One question I have is: is the Fully Loaded package simply the Technology, Premium, and Convenience packages combined? Another question is: is there some website or article online that can answer questions like that first question. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me on options and packages.

I’m thinking these questions are appropriate for this thread because if I get a "great" deal on a car that turns out to have been over-optioned from my personal point of view, the deal is not really that great. And if I, in my ignorance, under-option my car, the car payment may make me smile, but the car itself won't.

 

As the MINI USA MINI Confirgurator for the Countryman S All4 says, "Combines Premium, Technology, and Convenience Packages with even more equipment to give you the ultimate in performance, technology, and versatility."

If you click on "Packages" and then on the Fully Loaded description, it lists everything that's included. It takes a bit of time, but the MINI USA configurator is comprehensive.

This Package Includes

• Audio & Alarms
  
  
  • 
    
    • SiriusXM Satellite Radio
    • $300
    
    
  • 
    
    • Alarm System
    • PKG ONLY
    
    
  • 
    
    • Harman/Kardon Sound Syst.
    • $750
    
    
• Other
  
  
  • 
    
    • Rear Armrest
    • PKG ONLY
    
    
  • 
    
    • Connected + Visual Boost XL
    • PKG ONLY
    
    
• Seats & Upholstery
  
  
  • 
    
    • Heated Front Seats
    • Already Added (STND)
    
    
  • 
    
    • Power Front Seats with Driver Seat Memory
    • $1,250
    
    
• Exterior Details
  
  
  • 
    
    • Privacy Window Glass
    • $500
    
    
• Safety & Handling
  
  
  • 
    
    • Dynamic Damper Control
    • $500
    
    
• Technology
  
  
  • 
    
    • Real Time Traffic Information
    • PKG ONLY
    
    
  • 
    
    • MINI Head-Up Display
    • $750
    
    
  • 
    
    • Garage Door Opener with Compass
    • $250
    
    
  • 
    
    • Wireless Device Charging
    • PKG ONLY
    
    
  • 
    
    • Power Tailgate
    • $500
    
    
  • 
    
    • Parking Assistant
    • $500
    
    
  • 
    
    • Navigation System XL
    • IN PKG
    
    
• Lights & Mirrors
  
  
  • 
    
    • Auto-Dimming & Powerfolding Mirrors
    • $500
    
    
• Climate & Storage
  
  
  • 
    
    • Storage Package
    • PKG ONLY
    
    
  • 
    Picnic Cushion
    + PKG ONLY
    
    
    

A good MINI MA or MINI Gunius can answer specific configuration questions without you having to commit to anything until you're ready to do a deal.

 

 

Put the loaner Vin# into http://bimmer.work to get the package info more clearly defined. MA= Motoring advisor/sale person.

 

Thanks, Minnie. I gather the MA is basically the sales person I'll be dealing with when I buy the car, and the MINI Genius is someone else?

I checked that website and put in the VIN, and what I got back doesn't really match the options shown on the window sticker in the glove box of the loaner I have, just adding to my confusion. Nor does what I got back seem to align with the allocation of options into specific packages on the configurator, just as the (different list of) options shown on the window sticker don't.

 

To complete the answer to epstewart's last question, a MINI Genius is a MINI product specialist that most MINI dealers have on staff. They usually provide "second date" services which give new MINI owners the opportunity to return to the selling dealer for detailed orientation on the features of their car. They are supposed to know 'everything' about MINIs.

 

Thanks, 2017All4. So I gather that when I go to the dealer to arrange to buy my car, the person I'll initially be interacting with me is the MA or sales person. No surprise there, and not a problem. It behooves me to figure out the complexities of the options/packages before I do that. I'm working on it ...

 

You are correct.

However, there is nothing preventing you from engaging with an MA, either at the dealer or by phone. A savvy MA should be able to answer your questions regarding configuration and the most advantageous ways to structure a build. This can be accomplished without requiring you to commit to a deal. Most good MAs are delighted to help a MINI enthusiast learn all about a new MINI -- of course they may try to close a sale; that's their job. But if you clearly state that you are in the process of deciding on the build you want and then, if you decide to proceed with a purchase or lease, you will be glad to give that MA the opportunity to earn your business, then you are above board in every way.

And if the MA comes back with, "What do I need to do to earn your business?" your answer is simple; "I'm not there yet. What I need now is answers to my configuration questions. If after you help me get the car configured the way I want I decide to proceed, you will certainly get a shot at my business."

It also does not preclude your shopping around for the best deal once you have landed on the configuration you want.

Best of luck -- keep us posted.

 

 

For those considering a new MINI, this is a great time for great deals.

HOWEVER, if you need the latest and greatest, there's lots of new product in the pipeline.

Updated transmissions, electric MINIs, minor body updates, and more. Even rumors of a 300HP Clubman

The thing to be aware of is that MINI doesn't simply do an annual new model introduction. The new stuff comes out in bits and pieces. Sometimes the new models start showing up as early as March and sometimes additional modifications to a new model appear later in the model year.

So, if you need the new, new thing, check out Motoring File and other sources, and find yourself a Motoring Fanatic MA who is really up on this stuff.

Or, just snag a great deal on something the dealer has sitting under a snow drift on his lot.

All good.

 

That's the most off of sticker I've ever seen posted on a Mini. Back in the day when I bought my 2007 (1st year of Gen2 Minis) I paid sticker. On my 2014 (still Gen2, JCW) I got a couple grand off, the Lojack free, etc. But $6500 off sticker? That's insane. I've also seen some ads on TV for Mini discounts, not like Ford F150 discounts but still. Things must be changing in the marketplace.

 

MINI Brand Sales
For January, MINI USA reported 2,937 vehicles sold, a decrease of 5.6 percent from the 3,110 sold in the same month a year ago.



MINI Pre-Owned Vehicles
· MINI Certified Pre-Owned sold 718 vehicles in January, a decrease of 15.6 percent from January 2017.
· Total MINI Pre-Owned sold 2,039 vehicles in January, a decrease of 6.8 percent from January 2017.

 

A reminder to all MINI shoppers, whether you're looking for new or previously-loved, from a dealer or a private party:

The deal doesn't happen; nobody gets paid a dime, until the buyer says, "yes."

So, like Goldilocks, it can be too hard or too soft or too hot or too cold. Until it feels "just right," ain't no deal.

Naturally, then, all business transactions are a conspiracy against the buyer -- everything is structured to make the buyer feel dis-empowered. Because the buyer has all the power.

Second thing to always remember is that, even folks who are addicted to the ether of the new car smell, only do a car deal every few years. As opposed to a car salesperson who does, say, a dozen car deals every month. Think of a professional baseball player who takes batting practice every day. As opposed to a rube who pays the fee to go to baseball fantasy camp for a weekend. Who's most likely to hit one out of the park?

So this isn't about out-foxing a car dealer at his game in his home park. It's about letting the deal come to you by channeling Goldilocks. Don't get tucked in or eat the porridge until it's just right. Truth.

 

Listen to trainers discussing the car salesperson’s role. They will discuss strategies to get the customer “jacked up” about buying the car. They will talk about how to use word tracks to get a customer to “take mental ownership” of the car. They will use the “test drive” to edge a customer closer to buying. They will suggest different “trial closing” questions that customers should be asked to get the customer to commit to the purchase. They will ask, “Which is better for you, having your payment at the start of the month, the middle of the month, or the end of the month?” They will teach salespeople all sorts of tricks of the trade designed to “get all of the money” available in a deal.


It is important to remember that’s what’s sitting there smiling at you on the other side of a car purchase/lease transaction. It’s a finely-tuned selling system, designed to “get all the money” possible from the customer.


In all fairness to the many fine MAs working in MINI dealerships who could be making more money selling other brands and who really want to sell MINIs because they believe in the specialness of the cars, this is not a knock on MINI dealers or the people who work for MINI. Rather this is an overview of the reality of the car selling business. It’s about moving metal and holding as much gross profit as possible in a very, very competitive environment. It’s about getting all the money.


So, remember, when an enthusiastic MA asks, “Who is the first person you will show your new MINI to once you drive it home?,” this is both an honest question and a sophisticated closing tool designed to get the customer to “take mental ownership” of the car and imagine showing it to friends or family or neighbors or co-workers. If a salesperson can entice a customer into this fantasy and get the customer to respond by saying, “I can hardly wait to show it to my Dad,” then the salesperson simply says, “Great, let’s go inside, sit down and put together the right numbers so you can show your new MINI to your Dad tonight!”


Or if a customer hesitates and uses the number one all time sign of resistance, which is, “I’m gonna have to think about it,” the savvy salesperson is ready with, “Of course you do. This is an important decision. What questions have I failed to answer for you? Because you and I both know that, if I’ve done my job right, you will have everything you need right in front of you to do what you really want to do, and that’s drive this MINI home today. Now, what’s standing in the way for you?” And whatever you say, the salesperson’s trained response will be, “So, if we get that cleared up for you then there’s nothing else standing in the way between you and your new MINI, right??”


And on it goes. Which is why so many people dread shopping at dealers for a new car.
So, let’s help ourselves out and, in so doing, we can help the dealer skip most, if not all, of the sales nonsense.


First, as has been stated throughout this thread, get your own ducks in a row. Know your credit situation. Know what you can afford. Calculate your lease or loan payments based on the best advertised offers. Know the value of your trade. Get all the important numbers clear in your head. Write them down on a cheat sheet so you can stay focused when the dealer starts throwing numbers around. Be prepared to make a low offer and let the dealer tell you they won’t sell you the car you want for the price you wish to pay.


And always, always, always, if you ask a specific question, DON’T LET THE PROCESS MOVE FORWARD UNTIL YOU GET A STRAIGHT, CLEAR ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION!!


Example:
Customer: What would the selling price of the car need to be to get my payment at $350/month for 60 months with my trade and no money out of pocket from me?


Salesperson: I can tell you right now, this deal isn’t gonna happen at those numbers.


Customer: That wasn’t my question. I asked what would the selling price of the car need to be to get my payment to $350 for 60 months with my trade equity and no money out of pocket?


Salesperson: I understand. But I don’t want to waste your time or give you false hopes by coming up with numbers that will never fly.


Customer: I appreciate your honesty. Two things you need to know about me. When I ask a question, I expect my question to be answered. Second, you don’t need to know my reasons for asking – all you need to do is give me the numbers I’m asking for. If you’re not the right person, there’s no hard feelings. I’ll just go ask the sales manager to help me out and, if he can’t give me the numbers I’m asking for, then, as much as I’d like to give you the opportunity to sell me this MINI, I’ll find another dealer. So, let’s try again. What would the selling price of the car need to be to get my payment at $350/month for 60 months with my trade and no money out of pocket from me?


Salesperson: So, at around $350 a month, we’re at ‘yes’ and you’re ready to buy this MINI today?


Customer: Let’s see the numbers I’ve asked for.


Salesperson: I can get those numbers for you but, I’m telling you, the sticker on the MINI you love is $32,000 and 60 times $350 is $21,000 and, if we stretch, your trade has equity of 5 grand, which gets us to $26,000, on a $32,000 car before we’ve even considered loan interest, tax, or tags.


Customer: So, you’re telling me we need to get the MINI I want out the door for under $26,000 to hit my payment goal. Can you do it?



Are we having fun yet????


Let’s say you would say ‘yes’ to a deal on this $32,000 MINI if you got 5 grand credit for your trade equity and payments of $350 a month for 60 months. All you have to do is tell the salesman, “Get me the deal I’m asking for and I’ll sign right now. Go see what you and your manager can do.”


What has happened here?
1. The customer is dictating the terms of the negotiation.
2. All the trial closing and objection-deflecting that the salesperson is trying to do is falling on polite, patient, but deaf ears.
3. The sales manager knows he’s got a sold unit at the customer’s terms and now it’s all about the sales team working as hard as they can to “get all the money” by trying to bump the numbers up as high as they can, no matter how many back-and-forths it takes.


The customer can choose to play, or not. The customer can say, “I want the car. You know the value of my trade. My credit score is top tier. I’m ready to say yes right now. You have the numbers that will get me to yes. Do it if you can.”


When The Desk comes up with whatever numbers they come up with, the customer can accept the offer, insist that they need to get closer to the customer’s stated number and go another round, or two, or three, or the customer can thank the salesperson for his/her time and say, “Well, I understand there isn’t a deal here. I’ll start shopping around. If you can get to my numbers, call me and I’ll be down here to take delivery.”


But the customer doesn’t need to listen to any sales pitches or endure any pressure from a professional closer. The customer doesn’t need to respond to any questions from a well-trained sales professional – questions designed to break down resistance, remove objections, or make the customer feel obligated.



What the customer can say is, “Look, you’ve convinced me you can’t hit my number. Show me your best offer and I’ll decide if I am willing to consider it or not. You know where a definite yes is, so get me as close as you can and I’ll see how I feel about it.”


And when the smiling manager says, “With your good credit, and stretching farther than I should on your trade, we can get you out the door for $400 a month with nothing out of your pocket. After all of this, are you gonna walk away from a killer deal on the car you know you want to drive home over fifty bucks?”



So you do the math and realize that the 50 bucks, for sixty months, is actually $3,000. And you decide how much of that $3,000 you are willing to give to the dealer, because they want it all!!


There is no right answer. There is no perfect deal. Some people would be thrilled to get a $32,000 MINI for $5,000 in trade equity and $400/month for 60 months. Some folks would need to go home and think about it. Some folks would go home, call another MINI dealer, and say, “They just let me walk out of Smith’s MINI because I wouldn’t say yes to the following offer on the following car equipped the following way. I am ready to buy and I’m ready to say yes to (whatever terms you will accept). If you can do the deal I’m proposing, after you evaluate my trade, I’m ready to buy now. If you tell me I should take the deal Smith is offering me, I won’t waste your time or mine.”


They all want all the money. And they know all the ways to get it. That will never change. The customer decides because the dealer doesn’t get any of all that money until the customer signs on the dotted line.