Otto's MINI in West Chester?

thats my closest MINI dealership, so I am going to be buying one there or Main Line.

 

I just got a MCS through Otto's, and they were absoultely wonderful! Once upon a time, I despised car dealerships, but after my experience with Otto's I would have to say that good car dealerships exist. They have a very "no pressure" attitude about sales, but will answer any and all questions patiently and kindly. Also, after the sale they have been very responsive about the few things I called them about. (Keep in mind that I am a horribly fussy consumer... I'm understanding that we're all people, but I also feel that customers have the right to be treated very well - especially when you're buying something as expensive as a new vehicle. For me to say that a car dealer is wonderful is a huge statement!)

I custom ordered, and they quoted 6-8 weeks but my car was here in 4-5 weeks. I absolutely love my car and have put almost 1,000 miles on her in the past two weeks since I picked her up.

I personally don't have any experience with MINI of the Main Line, so I can't say anything either way about them. Good luck entering the world of MINI ownership

 

I got my MCS at MINI of the Main Line. After a slight stumble, things worked out quite well with them. You'll probably be okay with either.

It really pisses me off though that there are two dealers withing about 20 miles of each other, but none up near Allentown, PA. So I have to travel over 60 miles to get service. And at 60 miles, I'm luckier than some.

Come on BMW. Open your eyes to customer needs!!!

rasurra - You're in mSteadman's neck of the woods. Watch out for drunken idiots....

 

I know this is what a lot of you have been waiting for so here they are. Pictures of the four day old MINI which died saving my life... Really puts the force of the impact in perspective. Of course with the bumper and hood off it makes things look even worse then they actually are, but the close-ups should give you all a good idea of the mechanical damage.

rasurra - Thank you, quite the roller coast indeed - amazing how fast you can go from being ecstatic to utterly devastated. But like I said in the PM, things happen and I actually got lucky even in the midst of it all... I'll definitely take your advice regarding both the doctors and court appearance. This guy won't be getting off anywhere NEAR easy, that I'll be sure of. I should be motoring again in not too long and I look forward to coordinating some drives with you and other owner's in the area.

carla99 - Very true; Liberty Mutual has been an absolute gem, I seriously couldn't ask for more.

DChap - Yep, that's it! I also didn't deal with Main Line expect through email but the only things I can say about Otto's are strictly positive. Actually got me $300 off MSRP, free rubber mats, a $35 certificate to the gift shop, and the MINI arrived in exactly 4 weeks! Lets hope I get as lucky this second time... That'll really prove them.

jascooper - Yea I feel your pain, it's the same for me - nearest one is Otto's which is almost an hour away. But woohoo, a second MINI owner in the area (well kinda). We REALLY have to all coordinate a drive now.

 

Wheel damage where I hit the curb before hitting the pole...

 

Frame cracked in multiple places...

 

Smashed exhaust, CRACKED transmission and oil everywhere

 

Last two... Exploded airbag and my idiot roommate who wanted to pose with it; NOT FUNNY!

Update: I spoke with my new MA today (turns out my original quit as he was offered a management position somewhere else... Just my luck) and they have a MINI coming in early next week with almost the exact same specs as mine. QUITE tempting as I'd be motoring again just a week and a half after all this BUT I really don't want to feel like I'm settling on a car just out of impatience. Major differences (both of which are highly negative in my book) are it has the Carbon Punch Leather rather then Carbon Lounge and it has the Grey Color Line rather then my Cream. On the plus side though it has the audio package while mine only had the HiFi upgrade. But it does not have Park Distance Control or the Auto Dimming Rearview; neither of which are that big of a deal to me. Also it's slightly cheaper then my first one so I could use the extra money to immediately start on the ALTA mods which I'm drooling over, but all in all I'm on the fence about it. Especially since my original plan was to get the exact same options mine had plus MORE (in the way of exterior chrome package and Web-spoke wheels) not less... Opinions?

 

I am sorry to hear about your accident. It looks like your MINI did a great job saving your life!!!!!
On the subject of your replacement Mini. I think you should get exactly what you want. If the other car has most of what you want and if you are comfortable with it, then your good to go. If you want your same specs but better, than bite the bullett and order one the way you want it. Hopefully the time building it will help wash away some of the memories of that crash. I know I would be shaken up by it for quite a while.

Best of Luck!

 

Wow! I'm depressed and impressed at the same time. The little guy did its job well. I'm not known for patience, but I'd take the one coming in. To paraphrase Steve McQueen in LeMans - "Motoring is life. Everything else is just waiting".

 

Msteadman,

It seems like you have a lot of nice stuff in your wrecked MINI. If it was me, I'd try and buy the wreck, order a new car with all the options you didn't get, and move the expensive stuff, like the lounge leather seats to the new car, and sell any good parts you don't move, then scrap the rest.

Just a thought. Depending on what the wreck is worth, you might be able to end up with a fully loaded car for a lot less than the cost of just reordering what you had. Nav system, JCW parts, iPod adapter. spare wheels and tires.

Can you find out if you can buy the wreck, and how much it would be? Probably a lot lower than the real value of what's left.

And if you don't want it, I'd be happy to take it off your hands for the right price...

James

 

I also have had a good experience up at Otto's MINI. About a month ago I was killing some time and wanted to test drive the Cooper S because it was in my list of cars to purchase. I am 22 and I have a baby face, my younger brother is 19 and looks about 18. We walked in, the lady at the counter asked what we wanted to do there, with a simple reply I told her I wanted to test drive the S. She called someone who was there within minutes, copied our liscenses and got us out a car. We went for a drive and it was completly non threat. The guy wasn't trying to sell us the car, or hesitent about letting us drive one. It was unbelieveable, I have been to many dealers and they first try and sell it to you, then they hesitently get keys and pester you the whole trip.

My older bro bought an 06' Cooper S from Otto's from a lady who now works at Mainline, hence why I am torn between dealers. I will be pitting them head to head though, see who can give me a better deal.

Sorry about the car, but you were ok which is the important thing, and you get the MINI buying experience again which is pretty cool.

Are you going to make any changes to your original order, or just get the same car again?

 

Sounds like Julie. Drives a Mini and a MINI? Also the founder of Philly MINI...

Go for the better deal, not the good looking MA...

 

HAHAHA yes Julie is the MA....I am a big fan of Julie.
She used to work with my Dad at a different company so she worked hard at getting a good deal for my bro, but I am a soon to be UD graduate so money is tight. Whoever can get me the better deal is who i'll work with, but I have already told Julie that I am in the market.

 

Actually I laughed at this - sorry!
Ummm, you're going to keep this car (cross fingers) a long time, another 6 weeks seems agonizing now, but won't seem like much down the road when you've been staring at icky Grey Color line for 5 years. And, that can be changed, but not too easily. . .
(just my opinion, the lounge leather is the most exquisite part of my car, it just makes me go ooooooooo. I never saw the punch leather though.)
I already wish I had gotten Web-spoke wheels.

 

These are things you will live with for quite awhile. Get what you really want. The waiting time will pass, but you'll be stuck with the compromises for the life of the car, if you rush.

I'm very fond of the PDC. I'd be unhappy without it.

Don't bother with the Web Spoke wheels. They are heavy and expensive. Get some aftermarket wheels. There is a great variety to choose from, and you can improve handling, acceleration, and braking by lowering the weight of the wheels.

 

Wow Msteadman Glad your OK! Hate the site of the Mini all banged up but it certainly did its job seeing you through the wreck. Just bought my wife a new Mini from Otto's, its our second Mini from them and I have to agree they are a great dealership. In the back of my mind I always worried about her safety driving her Mini (her commute is much farther to work than mine) but after reading your story.....well enough said. I always have felt safe in our Mini's but you never know.

Glad to talk with a fellow motorer from the Philly area! And really glad your OK

 

Not to be a downer (I'm sure everyone wants you to be back in a MINI asap), but I remember reading about how much you absolutely LOVED the lounge leather. My friend's MINI with the red lounge leather is exquisite! I was impressed at the comfort and look of the seats. soooo... i agree with everyone else and order what you want.. the 5 weeks or so won't be too bad. And just think.. you can start another Week xx thread! How many people can say that?

Edit: oh and to answer your question, no that's not my mini.. my best friend's. She picked it up yesterday and is in love with it. I'm currently a gas guzzling truck driver so that I can pull my boat. Soon though.. soon

 

Thanks so much for all of the great input and continued support - I seriously don't know what I'd do without NAM in the midst of all this.

OrionLTD - It certainly did and I appreciate the advice. I am still quite shaken up from the whole ordeal, so some time away from the driver's seat while I wait may not be so bad after all.

Madoc - I know your feelings exactly. Even with it being my car I couldn't help but to be somewhat impressed with how it took all that force. I'm far from being known for my patience as well so it's quite tempting. I just spoke to my MA a couple hours ago however and gave him a pass on that particular model. I'd be willing to give up a couple other options but the lounge leather is a serious must have for me.

jascooper - Thank you! It's funny you mention that as I actually had someone PM me earlier today (won't mention his name out of courtesy) asking the name of the body shop my MINI is at, as he's interested in buying the lounge leather seats. It's somewhat tempting from a financial point of view but given that my insurance company is willing to pay the complete cost of a replacement it wouldn't be worth it for me. Especially being in school full time and working part time I just can't imagine the hassle. Very good idea though, and if you want to take it off Liberty Mutual's hands I'd be more then happy to give you the name of the body shop where it's sitting.

DChap - Yea, Otto's is seriously the best. I'm 20 but look more like I'm 17 and they actually offered me a test drive when all I had was my learner's permit! They really do operate on a non haggle type of basis and it makes all the difference. I actually considered Main Line as well (along with MINI of Towson and Tate MINI; both in Maryland) but Otto's was closest and the only ones who would sell below MSRP. I'm going to make a couple minor changes to my order but all in all it'll be just about the same. Had a perfect combo the first time which I was quite pleased with so there really isn't much to improve upon.

T-POD - Hahaha, it's okay she's an idiot; even I couldn't help but to break a smile. Seriously, who randomly jumps into a wrecked car and does that though!?! But very sound advice. I plan on having the MINI at least through grad school (so that's another five years on its own) therefore having any regrets on it whatsoever isn't acceptable. And no offense to anyone who has it but I am just NOT a fan of that grey color with black leather at all. I've actually seen the punch leather and while pretty nice it's just nothing special. Opposed to the lounge leather which is simply amazing; I still can't get over how that cream piping pops. As stated above I actually talked to my MA earlier and took a pass on the MINI coming in. There are many options which I'd be totally willing to live without but those are simply not one of them. Just out of curiosity, which wheels do you have? The configurator makes the Web-spokes look hideous and the Crown-spokes come as a no cost option with the (to me) mandatory sport package, plus they look pretty good in my book. However seeing the Web-spokes in person with their two piece design and I'm seriously digging them.

Robin Casady - Very much agreed. Especially considering that I think the wait will do me good, I'm pretty much decided on re-ordering. Will wait to see the results of my MA's nationwide search just to be sure. Since I don't have the NAV system PDC was nice but not so much essential for me. I actually found myself barely using it as given the MINI's size I never really got close enough to anything for it to begin beeping. I have heard many issues regarding the weight of OEM 17inchers. However I don't plan to track the MINI at all and those Web-spokes are just plain gorgeous to me. I am going to shop the aftermarket a bit though and if I can find some rims for a decent price I'll definitely consider them.

dogdal24 - Thanks, isn't it the worst site??? I just had to see it in daylight with a clear head though. Not to mention I had to go take my plates off... If nothing else seeing it really did prove how great the engineering which goes into the MINI truly is.

KevinV - You're so right, as much as I want to be back in a MINI right NOW it just isn't worth the sacrifice. Both the look and comfort of the lounge leather is completely unmatched by any other upholstery option. Hahaha, it's funny you mention the week whatever thread as I was just trying to figure out what production week I'll be if I order early never week. But definitely tell your friend she has one gorgeous MINI and I look forward to the day when you'll be motoring as well!

 

Hi Msteadman,
I got the 16" bridge spoke wheels with all season tires (hey, if we say bonnet and boot why don't we say(type) tyre or petrol or kerb?) because I wanted those to be my winter tires and I was trying to budget a bit. They're ok.

I was going to buy 17" wheels, but now I can't find any I like as much as the MINI wheels which are grossly overpriced IMO. I think that the MINI wheels look terrific and other wheels look slightly odd and out of place.

So, now I wish I'd gotten the webspokes and bought separate winter wheels. Or just take my chances and use webspokes all year. It doesn't snow like it used to anyway. So, in short, again, get what you want and get it now!!!! (or in 5-6 weeks ) (but make sure you can afford your payments)

BTW your pics scare the **** out of me. This was a pole you hit? How fast do you think you were going? Was his truck damaged from hitting you? Is all the damage from hitting the pole, or is some of that from the truck? You thought he hit you by the gas cap, but that looks ok. Also I can't believe how good the interior looks compared to the carnage up front. It really shows off the concept of the 'cage'! I apologize for my morbid curiosity, but DAMN!!!

 

Dude Totaly sorry to hear about your loss. im in the same boat as you. mine got trashed too. i ended up in the forest on the side of a moutian...ps minis dont fly or go off road very well. but on a lighter note Welcome to the 2 week and under club!! its very exclusive!

 

T-POD - Ah okay, gotcha. I was going to stick with the standard 16" bridge spoke wheels as well but I wanted the sport package and it includes the crown spokes as a no cost option. Also I personally feel that no matter the design, 17"+ wheels make the MINI look soooo much better. I like the crown spokes quite a lot, but after seeing the web spokes in person now, I'm sold. For the price there are simply no after-market wheels that I prefer either.

The fact that they are only available with performance tires (my crown spokes had all season rubber) is one reservation for me as well. However I do plan to use them all year. Although we get a good bit of snow, it's never too much and I don't really drive in it often. Given that $500 is a pretty big chunk of change, it'll depend a lot on what kind of deal I can work out with my MA. Right now I'm about 95% sure that I'm going to get them. I actually decided to forego the exterior chrome package after all, so other then the likely switch to web spokes, this MINI will be exactly the same as my first one.

Trust me, walking up to the MINI in broad daylight, it scared the crap out of me also. Of course it looks so much worse with the front end completely exposed, but still. Yep, it was an electrical pole and literally all of the damage resulted from it. Looked pretty old but there wasn't even a scratch on it, so it was clearly solid. I was going somewhere in the range of 35-40mph so it's scary to imagine just how much worse it could have been. I didn't get a good look of the truck after the fact but I'm sure it didn't incur very much damage at all. Where it hit me (it's actually on the other side, my mistake) there are some scratches and a bit of denting, but nothing bad at all. The interior is perfect, as is just about all the rest of the car other then the front end. There was no intrusion into the passenger compartment whatsoever, although the firewall was dented in a couple places. It truly is a perfect example of the whole 'safety cage' design and how as much energy as possible from the impact is absorbed by the front end before reaching the driver.


peter314 - WOW, how'd that happen!?! Sad to hear yours was so brand spanking new as well. Have you already purchased a new one?

 

Don't bother with the Sport pack, just do what I did, a la carte the DSC and Xenons and put the remaining 400 bucks towards something else on the car, lighter wheels or more mods. Stripes are cheaper aftermarket as well and easy to self install.

 

Wow!!!. Glad youre ok. Ottos and Mainline both awesome, went with Mainline cause they are just around the corner, imo just re-order with what you want, and PhillyMINI is always looking for new members

 

wow, like the others, indeed im really sorry to hear about your loss :(

But like some may have said, (maybe not) as tempting it is to get back on the road, i would say order the MINI you want. Not whats just there so you get every option you want. A car is something your gonna have for years to come so whats a few more weeks.