You can believe what you want - but just because BMW owns MINI doesn't make it a premium brand. I am not saying it is an econobox but it isn't a Premium brand - anyway - I would like to see a fully loaded civic si for 20k - that's just not true. You can't compare a JCW Cooper S to an SI as Honda doesn't have a comparable package for their cars.

Also, if you read the previous posts, you will see that the OP says that he contacted MINI directly and that is why he is pissed

And by the way - I just checked both Honda and MINI websites - base civic si starts at $22,200 ----base cooper s starts at $22,300 ---contrast that with BMW 1 series - 128i starts at $29,000 and the 135i starts at $35,800 (also from their website)

 

Nobody buys Hondas for MSRP (unlike Mini). And the Si doesn't really have many options - you can get navigation, and 2 or 4 doors. That's it. I helped a friend look for a car over the summer, and she had multiple local dealers quickly emailing $19,999 offers for a 4-door Civic Si, MT, no-navigation (including delivery).

I still say that people view Mini as a premium brand - obviously not a BMW, but definitely a cut above Mazda/Honda/Toyota. This is a good thing, means they have a solid reputation.

And he had to contact Mini later because the idiot dealer didn't take care of this situation when submitting the paperwork. The dealer is mostly to blame, but Mini should have investigated to see if the dealer had indeed promised this - and then leaned on the dealer to make the situation right. Mini shouldn't take dealers that lie to their customers lightly, right?

 

I keep hearing premium brand...only to a Mini owner!!! Most people, unless they have looked into them, think of Minis as just small economical cars from England. Most don't even know they are owned by BMW. And being owned by a 'premium' manufacturer doesn't necessarily make a car a premium car. With that being said, I look upon Fiona and all other Minis as 'premium' cars, but then I'm prejudiced!!!!

This still boils down to being a dealer issue, even if he has something in writing. If the writing isn't from Mini then it isn't worth the paper it is written on as far as Mini goes. If it is in writing he can take the dealer to court and hope the judge passes all legal costs to the dealer. Should Mini do something about the dealer, you betcha!!!

Just my .02 worth...

Clint

 

 

No offense, but to rag on this guy is nonsense. Seriously, he was a MINI owner and now he is just warning people and venting. Who cares. You sit up and write something about him spamming. You know what constitutes spamming in my book? When somebody posts something like this "What's the best cold air intake for my car?" when there are already 100 threads on this topic. And you cracked me up with the "you're bashing our cars" statement. Who cares if be bashes MINI. It's his God given right as an American and if you can't take it, then leave or......wait for it..........ignore him. And to answer a question posted earlier, why people are piling on him. It's easy, some people obviously feel better about themselves by condeming others and making them out to be stupid. I've been in the Mini/MINI community now for 10 years and am amazed how the evolution of what the original MIni stood for could devolve into the utter chaos that is now. Give the guy a break. He, like everyone else, is only human. Mistakes are made.

 

Well, Mini does have a 4-year warranty. In my experience, only the premium brands typically offer that.

My local Mini is also right in the BMW dealership, so it's definitely reinforced that this is a premium brand. You get all the perks of being in the fancy building, the free drinks, etc. Definitely feels "premium" to me. Dealer also offers loaners, which is another "premium" feature. I've watched the Mini service people interact with customers, and been quite impressed.

And I don't own a Mini yet - just a BMW, so this is my view as an outsider . A few test drives have reinforced that a JCW is in my foreseeable future.

 

I can't stop my self, so - Does this mean Hyundai is 25% more premium because they have a 5-year warranty?

 

you beat me to it! I guess it's a moot point anyway and off topic - I only brought it up because someone mentioned that "as a premium brand" the OP should have expected better. My point was that no matter who the dealer, don't expect too much

...... but by the way - what kind of new car doesn't come with a warranty?

 

As I had said 'unless they had looked into them'. Also, not all Mini dealers are located in or near a BMW dealership. Ours is located with a Honda dealership. And I definitely do not consider a Honda (no offense to any Honda owners out there) a 'premium' vehicle, a good vehicle with one of the most outstanding reliability records out there, but still not a 'premium' vehicle. As a side note, some of the so called 'premium' vehicles have lousy reliability records and I would be willing to bet that if you visited their web sites you would find many disgruntled owners there also.

Clint

 

When the 1st gens came out, they were considered a premium car because they were well built, and had features normally seen on high end cars ie. 6 airbags, traction control, advanced braking electronics etc. Now, it is kind of hard to call it a premium car because even the econobkxes are starting to make these items standard. Plus, with new govt. regulations, they are starting to be required. Seriously though, take a Scion out or a Kia out for a drive and tell me a MINI isn't a small premium car.

 

Well, obviously just having a long warranty doesn't mean a brand is premium... All of A are B, doesn't imply that B is definitely A.

I still say they're positioning themselves as a premium brand - limited number of dealerships, high prices, 4-year warranty+maintenance, extensive customization, high quality driving dynamics (steering, sporty ride).

Now, whether everybody *views* them as premium, or whether every dealership treats the brand as premium, is an entirely different story. There's a big difference between colocating with a Honda dealership vs. a BMW one (and Honda is definitely *not* premium, I love them, but that's not what they're trying to be).