I am about to purchase 2017 F55 (going from '13 R56). Mii changed theScheduled MINI Maintenance to Complimentary Scheduled MINI Maintenance and now only includes:
Engine Oil Services
Inspection Services
Brake Fluid Service
Engine Air Filter
Cabin Air Microfilter
The dealer is trying to sell extended MINI Maintenance for3years/36k miles that would cover all Maintenance items. The price is littleover $600. I drive about 15k miles per year.


On my R56 breaks and belt were done at 25K miles, wires were done every year.


I just wonder if the price is right and is it worth $600+?


Thanksfor any feedback.

 

FWIW, the cost of brakes (pads, rotors, front/rear) is about 1000-1200. That's all four wheels/corners.

$600 ain't bad, and that's also being sold to you at cost. I'd do it. Most people are due for a brake replacement between 30-36k.

 

Thank you for the reply. Then another question.


Tire and Rim warranty, 5 years/unlimited miles, what would be the cost of that? dealer wants $1,500, no deductible, but also there are some other things that are covered, like key fob, dent repair and I think windshield repair. thx.

 

They won't replace the brakes until the sensors go off. On mine it was about 50k for the fronts, and the rears were still quite good when I traded in the car at 70k. The fronts were $500. Read the fine print, because I doubt the extended maintenance insurance even includes brakes.

 

I'm always torn on these too. Dealers push hard on these things because they profit greatly from it. Although, my dealer in San Antonio didn't push hard at all when I told them I trade in 2.5 to 3 years, on average.

Consumer reports used to say NEVER get extended coverage. While some will save money, due to unforeseen instances, many will not, and that is how there is such a huge incentive for Dealers to sell.

I don't think there is any deception on the dealers part, they just play the odds.

 

All good points guys.... I drive in NYC, stop and go all the time... I had 2012 and 2013 R56 and both replaced breaks before the car hit 30k miles. I think I will go for it, but will read fine print for sure.


Dealer not really pushing just offering because I asked expecting the same maintenance coverage as R56.


Still interested on the cost of tire and rim protection.... my R56 I used every cent of it (9 tires and 5 rims), but I paid $1,000. now they want $1,500.


Thank you.....

 

The expanded maintenance does include brake pads, rotors, wipers (and clutch, too, if a manual). If you like fixing your maintenance costs and keeping things simple, the maintenance plan is a great way to go. It's also usually a lot cheaper than paying out of pocket in the future. It also safeguards you against rising hourly labor rates at dealerships.

Regarding the wheel and tire insurance... costs have gone up as more brands go to low-profile tire and wheel setups. More claims = higher rates/costs.

I'd bring it up that you see the value, but that you only paid $1000 last time, and aren't willing to spend much more.

 

Zillon knows what he's talking about.

My only issue with protection plans is inflated cost. Tell the dealer you're interested (if you are), but that you need a better price.

We've never been able to determine dealer cost on the MINI protection offerings, but we have had reports of people getting charged very high prices, so BE CAREFUL.

Also, you can buy the protection from any dealer unless you need the price folded into your payments on your original deal.

I'd PM Zillon for specific guidance -- or maybe even buy it through him if there's a way.

 

Here's an older article on wheel and tire insurance from a dealer magazine. Good info on margins, though dated:

http://www.autonews.com/article/2012...-plans-balloon

 

Like I've said elsewhere my MA never even brought up extended maintenance, and my warranty is up this month and still not even an email about it from Scottsdale Mini. I won't buy it, but you'd think they'd at least try and pimp me with it. I read these other people get hammered like it's a freaking time share sales job (those are brutal, you'll only do it once).

 

If you plan on keeping your new MINI for a long time the drivetrain extended warranty is worth it imo. No worries for 7 years since I won't get to 70,000 miles in 7 years!

 

It's a fine line to walk - I try to not be pushy, but I do try to at least inform my customers of their options.

Extended maintenance is never a bad idea, unless you do most of the maintenance work yourself (or your dealership is untrustworthy ).

 

Thank you all for your valuable input. Will try to negotiate.

 

Agree on the price of the car with your sales advisor. Negotiate the price of a maintenance contract with the finance person. A big part of their performance grade (and remuneration) is the percent of transactions that they are able to sell the extended contract on. In my experience last month, the list $ for the contract was $895! I declined but the finance person said he would reduce the already negotiated price of the car by $695 which leaves my net outlay for the extended contract at $200. In simple terms this is about the cost of two complete sets of wiper blades (no longer covered under the basic maintenance warranty). If I should require belts or brakes during the covered period, they are essentially free!

 

Interesting points, Landspeeder.

Your experience illustrates several aspects of the deal-making process that are challenging.

I've always felt that the total transaction cost, including any added protection packages, should be negotiated before entering Finance. However, your experience shows that it is possible to re-negotiate favorably in Finance.

You also make a very good point that sometimes it really doesn't matter how they move the numbers around. In your case they gave you additional discounting of the car and held the protection package at $895, but the result for you was a net $200 increase in the total transaction cost, which is a good deal, assuming the price of the car was right going into Finance.

But BE WARNED everyone. When they start moving numbers around in Finance, you need to be laser-focused on the total transaction cost. Rates can be bumped, fees can be added, terms can be changed.

However you do it, grind hard on add-on costs, and, whenever possible, get everything put together BEFORE walking into FINANCE, or, at a minimum, have all the car pricing numbers in front of you, including any added dealer fees, so that if you negotiate add-ons in Finance, you have reference numbers so you can follow how the deal is changed.

 

Jesus, if you go through tires and wheels like that, $1500 is a bargain.

Consider that tires will cost you (from MINI) $200-250 each, and the MSRP on wheels is also in the $250-500 range depending on the size and model:

https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2015-...ls/OEM_Alloys/

Normally I'm the sort to decline all "insurance" offerings but if I drove daily in NYC and had a record like that, I'd spend the $1500 up front.

 

If my finance manager moved around the figures, and reduced the cost of the car to accommodate more 'product' in finance, I'd be reporting him to upper management.

He essentially robbed Peter to pay Paul. Nothing more than a greedy move to line his own pockets that screws over the sales staff.

Shame.

 

Excellent point Zillon.

If I say, "I want the warranty and I'm willing to pay $100 over your cost," I have to trust that, if information on cost is forthcoming, that it is honest and correct. How do I test it?

I also feel that a negotiation is more effective if it is focused on the "total transaction cost," which requires all components of the deal to be on the table. Deals done this way offer more flexibility for everyone. If the dealer needs to hold the price on the warranty, perhaps there is more that can be discounted on the sale price of the car itself, in order to arrive at a satisfactory total price. Or if the focus is on gross monthly payment and total drive off cost, the customer doesn't need to worry how much individual components of a deal cost, IF the payment and drive off are where they need to be.

But if the MA gets hammered on commission because the margin on the car price disappears in order for F&I to make theirs on the extended warranty...

So the customer often is held hostage to internal dealership dynamics without knowing that more than one person at the dealership is fighting for his/her payday.

As my wife would say, "Ish!"

 

Bought a 2017 last weekend. Tire and Wheel was $1800 and the interior protection was $600. I balked at the price and he said he could do both together for $950. I still passed, but wow.

 

Thank you Flyinace for reporting your experience.

This certainly validates what many have said about the business practices of F&I offices.

One would hope that the MINI brand would rise above, but, with margins thin, they gotta get it where they can. And I guess enough people roll over and pay the high prices F&I people initially quote so they have the incentive to keep doing it.

I was quoted $895 for the Tire 'n Wheel for 3 years of coverage. I declined.

 

I posted this over at Bimmerfest on a thread about extended warranty pricing:

Many dealers will show you the invoice for the car you are considering purchasing.

Yet, when it comes to extended warranty pricing, as well as pricing for other add-ons, one thing is clear. Dealers do a lot to protect proprietary information on add-on pricing. Even third party sites like Edmunds and True Car don't provide ways to comparison shop add-on products. This leads one to suspect that sales of add-ons is very lucrative and the profitability is protected through lack of transparency at every level.

If one understands that the so-called Finance "Managers" at dealerships are often some of the best-trained and most highly compensated sales people in a dealership, and if one looks at some of the F&I training materials that discuss how to handle customer objections, how to sell value and AVOID mentioning price, how to use manipulative word tracks to gain control of the selling situation, and how to use menu selling to increase the dollar amount of the sale, it suggests to this skeptic that the greatest value in these products is realized by the dealer. Extended warranty products are frequently marketed with hard, hard selling – selling that often is introduced into the transaction after a customer has already completed extensive, and at times emotional, negotiations for the car purchase.

We have all had the experience of attempting to finalize all aspects of a car purchase on the front end, including price negotiations for add-ons and finance rates, only to be told by the sales person that, "The person who has all the information on that is our Finance Manager." FINE. Introduce me to him/her at that point and we can all sit down together and hammer out the total transaction, with all pricing and all document fees, and other adds, right there on a single deal sheet, to be negotiated all at the same time with everyone required to complete the transaction sitting at the same table, and with all the information on every aspect of the deal laid out plainly.

The easiest way to sell me an add-on is to explain the value proposition plainly and honestly and then tell me that I can buy it for, say 10% over actual, AND HONEST, dealer cost. Then either I'm a buyer or I'm not.

We must ask ourselves, "How is it we can discuss openly invoice pricing for cars and the various schemes through which back end monies are made available to dealers through value-added and CSI programs, but when it comes to discussing margins for add-ons, mum is the word?"

 

I wonder why Scottsdale Mini never even mentioned these seemingly profitable products to me with either Mini. No extended warranty no tire warranty either. No Mouse House dude either. We didn't dicker on the price of the car on the first one, and only a couple grand on the JCW in 2014. You think it was just my MA, or the dealership's policy?

 

Again thank you all for valuable input and great information.




After further negotiations dealer is willing to ORDER the car at about 8% off MSRP but will not come down on extra protection and warranty.

 

So lock in the discount on the car IN WRITING and tell the dealer you'll need to think about the warranty adds and you'll decide when you take delivery.

While you're waiting, shop some other dealers for the warranty stuff you want.

And REMEMBER, any MINI USA offers available at TIME OF DELIVERY are to be applied to your deal, IN ADDITION to your 8% discount. If you are financing or leasing, you get the current offer locked OR if the offer is better at time of deliver, you get that.

Watch all the moving parts.

 

BTW, since you're in NYC area, you may want to run your complete deal past Zillon -- he might do better for you if he's willing to take the time to run your numbers. He isn't that far away from you and he is a regular NAM community member and poster. Just a thought.