Not the most promising of trends.

2005 // Industry Average 49.6% // MINI 40.4% (Bottom 1/3)
2006 // Industry Average 47.9% // MINI 32.4% (Bottom 1/4)
2007 // Industry Average 48.8% // MINI 21.1% (a reduction of 50% over two years and 2nd worst of all manufacturers listed)

 

It doesn't surprise me too much that MINI is towards the bottom. If you needed to replace it with something more practical you are forced into going to another brand. If you bought it as a fun car then you would replace it with a different type of car or not replace it at all. Consider too that the current and original MINI are not too different to a lot of people, and some people even prefer the R53 and family.

Compare that to a brand like Toyota, which has something for (almost) everyone. I know plenty of people who replace their Toyota Appliance with another without any thought as to what other cars exist.

 

Don't forget poor build quality, poor service(those two alone make me surprised BMW is so high up on the list), limited dealer availability, insane west coast markups and waiting lists and fact BMW treats MINI like a baby BMW. As a MINI owner I can't even recommend the brand to a stranger.

 

I tell people to buy a used one unless they're willing to drove 100+ miles to a different dealer. Love the car, wouldn't buy it (there) again.

And being such a niche product that keeps getting more and more expensive precludes a lot of return customers.

 

Well, I tend to keep my cars over ten years. I've got an 88 Astro still going fine. So, by the time I need to think about Betsy moving on, I'm sure MINI/BMW will have fixed the R56's issues.

 

It's worth taking a closer look at the study to see what it is exactly that they are measuring, to wit:

"...the study measures the percentage of new-vehicle buyers and lessees who replace a previously purchased new vehicle with another from the same nameplate." So the figures don't represent buyers who are bailing on MINI, just those who are not rushing out to buy another one.

I think it is fair to say that there are a lot of 1st Gen owners who have invested a lot of time, effort, and coin to transform their MINI into something that they intend to hang on to for a while, i.e., they're not rushing out to replace them with a new R56 or Clubbie like one might with a vanilla Toyota or Honda. In this day and age, most 1st Gen MINIs aren't really that old and in need of replacement. On top of that, there is a sizable contingent who are waiting to make sure the manufacturer gets all of the bugs ironed out of the 2nd Gen cars before they consider a replacement vehicle (if I were replacing mine, I'd be in this category).

Given all of these factors, I don't find it that surprising that the MINI percentage is low.

Here's the actual source of the information:

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/new...spx?ID=2007292

 

There are tons of reasons why people might choose to buy from a different manufacturer that have nothing to do with build quality or dealership service.

I agree with proximal's assessment.

 

So to fit in this survey you must have:
1) Previously purchased a NEW MINI
2) Are now replacing it
3) Are replacing it with another NEW MINI

Not a lot folks have "worn out" their first MINI are are replacing with a new MINI (though some have)... and not a lot of Gen 1 buyers who jumped at the chance to replace their Gen 1 with a Gen 2 (yet - though I know a few that have)... so many buyers of MINIs who have since replaced them with another new car are basically admitting that either (a) they bought the wrong car in the first place, or (b) their needs have changed, or (c)they're fickle ("It was the right car last year, but now I want something else").

 

I most say that in my case, after having to deal with my Local (64 Miles away) stealer. I am really having a heck of a time to convince myself to buy another Mini.

1. SA that do not know the product they are servicing
2. way over priced service ($200 oil change)
3. Service is quite bad
4. outrageous markups (3K or MORE)
5. not enough mechanics (so a plain recall may take 2 to 4 days)
6. having to drive far too long for any warranty repair.
7. no car loaner program while car is in the shop

just to outline some very important point for me personally.

Amil

 

Yeah like me, I purchased a new MINI, sold it private party, and bought a used MINI private party--I wouldn't be represented in this survey either, lol.

Then again, with the thread on car fires on '02-'04's--I also tend to shy away from recommending anything but an '05 or newer for a used MINI to my friends and family.

Richard

 

Try working with an independent like Scott of Central Coast Coopers who is up in Ventura. Won't be that long of drive to get an oil change, and I'm sure he will charge a lot less than $200.

Or do it yourself. $40 worth of Synthetic Oil, a $5 oil filter. Put a $15 Fumoto Valve so you don't have to use a wrench to drain the oil.

I replaced my brake pads yesterday. I've got a DIY tutorial here on NAM for first timers. Just pulled off the wheel. Removed the retaining wire. Removed the caliper's two bolts, pulled off the pads, compressed the piston, insert the new pads, and reassemble..less than 30 minutes.

For the most part, I love how MINI makes working on it easy enough to do by the owner. I also replaced my brake light bulbs--bought the bulbs from Kragen, and pulled the lights off and replaced the bulb. Unlike my wifes Nissan Murano where you HAVE to take it to the dealer to replace the bulb--I tried doing it myself without documentation and cracked the housing.

Richard

 

Don't count on it, just like 1st gen issues never fixed and they simply moved on to the R56.

 

All are good points - and OEMs look closely at JD power data, analyze and try to determine cause/effect. What they covet most are customers who buy a new car and the next year without even considering anything else buy another one of the same thing because they like it so much. Those people are out there and producing the vehicle that appeals to them is the holy grail of the automotive industry. MINI probably knows that they'll never make a Camry, but they'll still want everyone who buys a MINI to buy another one.

 

I'm 95% sure I'll be buying more new MINIs in the future... and my dealer experience has very little to do with this decision. While my dealer has been reliable for warranty issues, etc., I DIY most of my maintenance and use an independent MINI shop (Grassroots Garage) for anything that's beyond my capabilities.

 

I'm really surprised by these figures, especially the steady decline. MINI's have very high resale value, and are currently in very high demand. I can't imagine that the majority of MINI owners have had such a negative experience that they don't consider buying another one. Maybe a lot of the first-gen owners were attracted to the MINI because it was "different", and didn't consider that it might not be the ideal car for them.Maybe a lot of MINI owners are always looking for the newest trend, and don't care to drive the same type of car year after year.
Is there such a thing as "MINI-fatigue"?

 

That last part is the part that surprises me the most. I understand that MINI isn't Toyota and people aren't going to find an array of options (i.e. celica, avalon, tundra,...) for different vehicles from MINI. That said, it is really interesting that the number of current owners buying MINIs again was twice as high in 2005 at the end of the R50/R53 life cycle than in 2007 when the R56 came out.

 

My wife has had her 03 mini for almost 5 years with almost no problems and always got a new mini as a loaner. I ditched my chevy for this very reason and got the mini clubmanS and look forward to a dealer that won't break what I did not want touched and fix what was broken in the first place. Heck, I forgot how many ignition switches and hood props they put on my chevy due to whatever reasons. I totally disagree with the mini service you all are talking about! You may keep your opinions and dealers vary from geographic location to location, but ours has been remarkable in terms of the mini service and getting a loaner every single time!

 

If my MINI was totaled tomorrow I would not replace it with an R56 as they are not my cup of tea, I would replace it with a used R52/53 so I assume that study would not recognize me as a repeat customer even though I was staying with MINI albeit 1st gen MINI.

 

you most be among the "Chosen Ones"

not in my neck of the woods, no sir!

the first thing my Mini stealer ask when you call in for any reason is "Did you Buy the car from us?" like that has anything to do with anything. if the car under warranty, who cares where i purchased it!

and then to top it off, the SA do not have proper training in the very cars they are working and recommending services to be performed on. how can that give us the "check writing parties" confidence on the dealers and their poor service practices?

as much as i love my "GP", MINI will need to re-organized and re-trained their dealers and SA very soon. or my next purchased will definitely not be another MINI.

 

+1

 

"Very interesting, " said Arte Johnson's Wolfgang character.

Nonetheless, I couldn't love my 2006 S any more than I do.

 

i am shcoked by the survey..

 

Sorry to hear that some of you have had such awful experiences.

I feel lucky that my local dealer seems to be on the ball... though as Blimey & Octane Guy have both said if any at any point I am dissatisfied with their service I won't hesitate to take my Mini to an independent shop that specializes in European cars.

 

well, the fact of the matter is that the dealers of almost all mainstream car brands will be a pain in the *** as far as getting stuff fixed.
I once took my mini to the dealer and they just looked at my engine bay, which was damaged from the damn mice, and charged me 120 bucks for an "inspection fee". not to mention a door ding. and somehow, they take all the nuts and bolts away and don't put it back. like the plastic engine guards or the interior cabin filter's. they just don't give a damn about customers' cars.

I found a local trust-worthy mechanic and that's where I take all my cars when something goes wrong that i can't fix. and it has worked so far.

 

whats a surprise is how high is was in 2005... in 2005 when the models have not been updated for a while, there was a huge jump. The thing that boosted that was the intro of the conv. now that the convert is out of its prime, its going to drop.... hopefully with the clubman bringing more options and the convert being "refreshed" we will see another boost.

for a second note. MINI's basic focus is singles with decent income... for most people that area covers about 5-7 years of our lives, and MINI's are under warrent for 4 years. I know I will probably not keep my MINI once I have kids, but I do know that I will encourge my siblings to buy one for there first "real car" and would probably get a JCW later on.

The real question is how well BMW can attract MINI owners to BMW as they mature and increase income. They should utilize their service as a way to tie a sense of brotherhood between the BMW brand and MINI....

And I bet that number is pretty low, considering that for service this morning, the 2002 3 series owner got 335i from BMW for a loaner, and I got a kia spectra....

Hey Mercedes, Audi, whats going on? need a new first time customer?