My Family own Hyundai , Kia ,dodge,chrysler,jeep,ford Dealerships and do business with other brands that are part of South Minis Dealer Group

 

Try a Mazdaspeed 3. Last I checked my dealer was looking to off the 2009/2010 speed 3s with the 2.3L engines. Great car... Fast, reliable. Low $20k.

 

Bad idea. You will have a much easier time getting approved to buy a $30k new JCW than you will buying a $26k used one. The bank will loan more on a new car, and the wholesale values are not so hot on used JCWs so the LTV on that $26k car probably won't be pretty.

 

Get a Genesis Coupe for 22k OTD with a special Hyundai low A.P.R. % loan with terms up to 72 months.

 

How far removed are you from College? MINI has a pretty awsome recent graduate program. Its how I got approved for my loan.

http://miniusa.com/#/financialServic.../gradProgram-i

 

I'm not going to get into percentages, debt to earning ratios or the such. All I want to say is I hope you find a way to get the car. I know how bad it hurts to find the car you really want and have to jump through hoops to get it.

Of course, I'm older now and that's not an issue...lol.

I do have one simple suggestion. Go to your sales advisor and ask them exactly would it take to buy the car.... meaning, more money down for instance.

It would be a shame if they said that for another 2-3K down, you could get the car.

Hope you get the car...

Good Luck.

Mark

 

That pretty much what I did. I ordered mine in late April early May of 2008. I got approved with a 670 score. Not the best score I was told at the time. I at first wanted to get one of the first JCW MINI's off the boat but my score wasn't good enough plus it would have been a bare bones. It worked out better to gen a MCS with some nice options and stay in the budget.

My advice would be the same as Mark's see what it will take. Worst car drop down to the MCS with a few nice options. The advisors are there to help you. They want to do nothing but get you into a MINI. Or at least that was the attitude my advisor had and still has when I stop in. I'm hoping to upgrade to a JCW in the next 6 months now that money is a bit better.

 

Gosh now I feel lucky to have been approved for 100% financing at 0.9%. I only make a little over 45k but I save 28% in my 401k which is close to six figures now. Maybe my savings were my saving grace. I was looking at conv-s and really didn't think I would get approved for a jcw conv. but I did. I'm with you in this though because now I want a countryman or clubman and now trying to figure out how I can make it work.