Guess what, given the savings in volume, an automatic transmission doesn't cost much more than a manual transmission to produce. You've just been fooled into paying more for an automatic since back in the day.

What part of any used car is worth more than you paid for it? It's proven optioned cars sell better than stripped cars. AND they sell faster. Time is money. If you buy an optioned car new then you benefit from the options and you benefit from better resale. Try buying a car without air conditioning in Florida and then reselling it and then campaign the benefits.

I come from a time when we would retrofit cars without air conditioning. . . .or sunroof. . . or cruise control. Do you know how much work that entailed? You'll have a hard time changing my mind about the benefits of options. If you don't care, then good for you.

How is this even an argument?

 

Obviously I'm on the unpopular side of this debate.

What I know is I saved THOUSANDS on a 2019 with the new packages over the equivalent 2018 and I gained options and improvements that weren't even available in 2018.

Maybe the new system doesn't appeal to the MINI fanboys but it worked for me. If it worked for me it may appeal to average Joe Average.

Future sales will tell.

 

Well, it's especially true with the F55/6/7 since they're still using the Aisin 6F21WA. Mini could have done what BMW does across some of their lines and make the automatic standard with a no cost option of a manual. They could also upgrade to the better AWF8F35 if they want to justify the cost of the automatic.

Try buying a Mini without air conditioning period, that scenario is irrelevant to the discussion. Here's a better example that the buyers that live in Florida brought up in this thread. If they don't want a sunroof and they're forced to pay $1000 for it, when they go to trade in that vehicle, that sunroof they paid for is only going to be worth a fraction of that $1000. The difference between that number and the $1000 they paid is money that they lost on that vehicle because they never wanted that sunroof in the first place.

The reason well optioned used cars sell better than the base vehicle is because there is hardly any markup when it comes to the options. Dealers aren't going to give you whatever the residual is of the $8000 you paid for the Iconic package when you trade in, they're going to look at what the actual options you have on your car and decide if any of them are worth paying an additional amount for over the base. Then when they turn around and sell the car, they're not going to take into account that the vehicle has the $8000 Iconic pack, they'll sell it based on the actual options it has and the value they add.

I love having options, hence why I was planning on ordering the Fully Loaded package based on the 2018 ordering guide. I don't love buying options I don't want or need, hence why they are options in the first place.

 

You are totally wrong on the way dealers evaluate cars for trade. Options do depreciate, but not at the same rate as a base car. Sure, you may get 50% return on the base car and only 40% return on options, but still. Better optioned cars sell faster and bring more money. How many times do I need to say the same thing. I sold used cars for 20 years. 50% of dealer sales are used cars. They want optioned cars because they sell for more money and they sell faster. If that doesn't suit their new car buyers needs then they changed the system of buying new cars. I can see their side of the deal.

Let's clear this up. The sunroof is a delete option with a credit. It's right in the ordering guide.

ZMR - Remove Panoramic Moonroof. I'm unsure of the credit but I have seen 650 to 850 dollars.

 

If it worked for you, that's great. More power to you. Maybe you can quit telling the rest of us why we're wrong over and over now.

Also I don't appreciate being called a "fanboy". I have always considered myself a Car Guy or Automobile Enthusiast ever since I bought my first car in 1965.

 

Or the "enthusiasts" can quit complaining over and over now . . . better? At least I have an example grounded in reality.

 

andddddd........... We've jumped the shark with this thread

/Closed