I went to the MINI dealer near me that was supposed to have this pre-owned 2007 MINI S (17,586 miles) for $19900. This is the link to the car on the dealership's site:http://www.habberstadmini.com/VehicleDetails/635680453 , and as you can see it is listed at $22900. The dealer brought it down to $19000 and when I brought up this discrepancy, he just brushed it off. So, what do you guys think? Does it seem like a legitimate error or am I getting a bad deal? Also, are the maintenance and rim and tire insurance plans worth it on this car? I appreciate any advice. Thanks!

 

so do you want to pay $22,900 instead?

 

I was more wondering whether I should accept the $19000 offered or decline the dealer's offer and try another dealer.

 

It is not like they are trying to unload a lemon on you. They just wanted to make you a deal. A few grand is not going to make or break the dealer, but that few grand could mean a lot to you.

 

I do not understand this question at all. They have have car listed at 22,900...run and ad for lower (19,900) then lower it more when you come in....Where is the possibility that you are getting ripped off? Is this a joke?

 

I'm confused too. $22,900 just happens to be what I got when I punched that year and model into KBB.com. Sounds like a deal to me. If you think they might be ripping you off, ask them to throw in new floormats.

 

Must be some sort of troll or joke I don't understand.

 

I would make that dealer stick to that $22900.00 price! How dare they offer it to you for $19000.00? Disgusting.

 

They lowered the price to less than you were prepared to spend and you are what?????????????????? All this is making me dizzy

Kevin

 

It's a simple question -- Why is the same car listed at two different prices? If the lower listed price is more accurate, then I would expect to get the car for a little lower than $19000, and if the higher listed price is more accurate, then the price offered is very reasonable. Does $19000 for this MINI S with 17589 miles seem a little high? The reason I came to this forum was to hear your opinions on the deal because I don't have too much experience with pre-owned vehicles. If you don't have anything useful to say, keep it to yourself instead of regurgitating what the person before you said.

 

We can see...

Used cars have a higher asking price so the dealer has room to move specifically for a trade in. People come in and have a buick that has a value to the car business of $500, but these folks think it is worth $2000. The added fluff can make that happen on paper, though the ACV (actual cash value) of the trade never changes, it just makes the buyers feel better.

Example. $21,000 for mini -$2500 for trade is the same as $19000 with no trade and the same as $18500 plus the trade. In all of these examples the dealer is getting $19K for the car.

Cars are commodities, the price is set a auctions, not at a local dealer. Trade in values are very similar at every dealer you go to, they all wholesale them to the same people who bring them to the same auction. The amount you are told your trade is worth will often decide where you buy your car, so having room for trade in wiggle room is important to the industry.


No one ever minds the price going down, so it is listed high. They lower it for a sale or ad. then once they see no trade, they can lower it to where they need to be.

You get the lowest price the dealer can sell it when you leave. They will sell it to the next person rather than lower it further.

You saw, a list price on the web, a sale price on the ad (it will always be a lowered price on an ad, otherwise it is a waste of advertising money) and then they took it as low as they can once you came in and saw the car.

That is how the business works.

 

Thanks for the clarification!

 

in other words

a used car is worth

exactly what you find someone willing to pay

 

Your question is a good one and it is best to ask first. Don't forget, a mini is not basic transportation. You can buy with your heart and not just your mind. Pay more for the one you love, it is OK. No one wants to overpay to the point where you are being taken advantage of (Edmunds should give you a good idea of a fair price). Pick a dealer that is reputable to do business with, and find one you love, just like everything else, the nicer things cost more.

 

Ya'll are funny....



Mark

 

Ding Ding Ding.... We have a winner.

 

Being that there aren't many MINI dealers on the Island, you dont have a lot to choose from. To be honest, I contacted them about their prices, but couldn't get a straight answer. They didnt even call me back. I was surprised.
They have a few used MINI's listed without prices and I was trying to find out if they are looking to move them....meaning make a good deal on them.
If its what you like, I think its a good deal. I didnt see what options, but seems fair.
Good Luck

 

TAMC31,

You can't be mad at everyone stating that your question is stupid. How long did it take you to come up with taht question.... 1 sec 2 sec 3 sec. You have a computer why don't you do some research and find out for yourself, instead of coming on here and flooding the forums with your stupid questions. You will probaly end up buying a ford focus anyways. Why dont you just buy new and save us with your stupid questions.

Waste of time reading your post can I get that time back?

 

Hey STILL,

Don't hold back... tell us what you really think.


Yeah, I hate to say it but it probably wasn't the best question...lol.

Let's reiterate.

The dealer wants too much.

They offer less.

You go in and they discount it even more.

Nah... I'd say they were trying to rip someone off...lol.

Hope he finds the mini he's looking for.


Mark

 

Hell, that dealership has a '09 listed at the same 22,9 see if you can haggle that one to 19, and you're golden. But that won't happen, The '07 is clearly priced high, so that they have room to blow smoke. They have it priced above what they want to sell it for, to distract you long enough to wow you into thinking its really on sale when you see what they really want for it. And then they've already dropped the price $3k, and that makes it harder to talk them down more.

That's not to say anyone is getting ripped off, Its just a clever way for them to get what they want from you. But $19k for a mini with mileage in the teens isn't a bad deal.

 

STILLWATERMINI,
I'm glad that it was a waste of time for you. I sincerely am. To others who think it was a poor question, sorry to waste your time but I'm simply taking advantage of this resource. I am in a very tight time crunch and needed a quick and simple answer.

 

TMAC,

I think you are focusing too much on what the dealer is doing with advertising. Instead of trying to decide whether the price offered is reasonable based on the advertising that you've found, you need to research the vehicle using some other resources like KBB.com. Find out what the "average" value is for the vehicle, factor in whatever you think would be fair, and decide on what price you think is fair.

At that point, whatever the dealer was advertising is no longer relevant. You know what the value of the vehicle is and how much you are willing to pay. Either the dealer will meet you there or not. Whether the dealer is knocking off $3k or $1k from some advertised price should not be a factor.

 

I had a similar situation happen to me when I bought my Mini. There was a $2000 difference between the internet price and the sticker on the car. All I had to do was mention the internet price and that's where we started our negotiations.

 

You should offer $25,000 and tell them you won't pay a penny less

 

Even at $19k, it's too high. I'd offer $16k firm.