Here's the skinny. I ordered my H/C Clubman in February. I had another vehicle which I had to sell prior to the arrival of the Clubbie. As I tracked its progress it seemed fairly quick and smooth . . . . . then it happened?!?!?!

Missed the first boat, then 9 days later it found another ride!!
Now loaded, the transport ship sits in port for another 5-6 days.
Does any of this sound familiar? Can you feel my pain!!!

I found an almost identical H/C Clubman at a dealer and they are willing to sell it to me at sticker. For those in the SoCal area, there are not many Clubmans being sold for MSRP. Range is $2k-5k over sticker!! C R A Z Y, I know!!

So my dilemma is: Should I buy the one on the lot which has 90% of the items I ordered (+ more options) and pay MSRP? Or should I wait another 4-6 weeks for my order and pay MSRP + $1500 premium, but with the items I ordered?

Keep in mind my ordered car had less options, and the price at the dealer is a difference of only $200 more. Basically I could have more car and no waiting, or wait and get what I ordered. I have been going back-and-forth for two days!
I have been renting a vehicle for almost a month. It's getting old fast!

What would u do? Does anyone know if I would get my deposit money back from the ordered car??

My initial decision was to take the car that has been laid at my feet and blow off the ordered one. Then as I played dvl's advocate I wondered if I would regret not getting what I ordered.

Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

 

I'd jump on the one at the dealer. I was going to order and would have ended up in the same situation. The car we saw had more stuff on it and MSRP was about $300 more than it would have been if we ordered. Granted, we didnt want the sunroof or sport suspension, but after doing all the financial angles, it was a wiser choice to pull the trigger on the one on the lot. One of the theories I helped "sell myself on" was its easier to sell and advertise a 'loaded' car when the time comes to move on to another car.

Pull the trigger. You wont regret it.

Good luck with the decision. Let us know the outcome.

 

That says it all to me! I think once you get the car you ordered, you'll be like, I could have had more options for less money and less wait! Take the one on the lot! That's what I would do.

 

I'd go for the one on the lot, too. I think you would kick yourself later for passing it up. I think there is enough demand for the car that you will get back your deposit, but that is a dealer issue. Mine said there was no refund after the order was placed back in December, but it was a non issue for me as I was on the list since January 2006.

 

I hope that is not sitting on the lot because some one rejected it for some reason.

Sorry to confuse you. But i suggest a very keen pre sale check.

 

what options are you giving up?

 

Do you care if you lose that $1500? If the dealer you ordered from will not give you back your deposit, will you come out ahead financially if you buy the one on the lot and forgo that $1500, and factor in that insane premium that the original dealer added on to your Clubman's MSRP?

If you'll come out substantially ahead financially and really don't care about the missing options you'd ordered then it seems a pretty straight forward decision. If, however, the money doesn't matter to you and you really wanted what you ordered - then I'd wait the few more weeks and get what you'd planned on.

One person's financial circumstances don't always match another's. For me there were certain things I wanted and would pay for but many that I would not. As time goes by and we wait for our orders sometimes that calm waiting period can make one think a little more clearly. Sometimes.

 

Deposits are supposed to be refundable. Tell the dealer you'll take the one on the lot and you'd like your deposit back.

 

Instant gratification good? Sometimes you bet it is. Depending on what options you ordered and won't have. How much do you really really want those things compared to the new options you'd get? If you can work out the finances (including not needing to rent the other car) I think I would go with the one that has jumped in your lap. If you can live without the options you ordered and won't have, and you do want the other options don't look back. The thing with ordering a MINI is there are so many choices its easy to get bogged down. I purchased mine used. Yes, there is one thing (heated seats) that I really would have liked, but, I can live without it because I love the car. It also isn't even the color I would have ordered - now I might choose Dark Silver!

 

Get the car on the lot, have the dealer put the $1,500 toward it, and drive away happy. Never pay more than MSRP!!! NEVER!

 

Thank you for all your responses! I am pretty sure I am jumping on the one that is within striking distance! If it goes that way I will post pics ASAP!

I love this forum!!

 

I was in the same boat as far as the missing the boat and wait, wait, waitiiinngggg....BUT after 5 weeks I got EXACTLY what I ordered and the car is very me! I'm all smiles!

I'm the most compulsive person you'll ever meet so this was very difficult for me! 5 weeks seemed like 5 months. I have zero patience and can't wait for anything, but staying on these boards and having fun tracking my MINI was helpful...all worth it in the end and I have everything I wanted and more.

Up to you but I'd say go with what you really want. A little waiting will do you no harm

 

Don't leave us hanging!
What are you getting/giving up in the bargain?

IMO - take the NOW option, unless there is something REALLY special about what you're not getting. Just the $1500 over sticker would convince me (IF you're getting something that you value in the options on the 'now' clubbie.)
Do tell!

You'll love this place - it's a great sounding board, and an incredible information resource. If something can be known, somebody here knows it. I was on more than a year before I got mine, and knew more than the dealer when I picked it up (except the tidbit that 'clicking' the gas cap creates suction in the gas tank.)

 

We ordered ours in mid Feburary and it is still waiting in line for a production date. We wanted to sell our mini, before, we purchase the clubman... but, I'm starting to get concerned we may not see our clubman for months. Anyway, at this point I would go ahead and purchase off the lot, if it has everything you need and most of what you want. I'm not very patient with the waiting process.

Runninbeer

 

One extra month wait is not a long time....However, the fact that you can basically get $1500 worth of freebees by taking the one on the lot is nice. You just need to make sure that it won't cost any portion of your initial deposit and you should be golden. I'm just wondering how the salesperson is going to let MSRP+$1500 walk away (by taking $1500 less). Good luck.

 

I would jump on the one they have there and not look back. As some of the previous folks here have stated: if you are getting almost all of the things that you wanted in the first place plust the extras, why keep paying for a rental, when you could be enjoying the twisties, especially with the sports suspension . I probably would have ended up in your situation also if the dealership didn't have a floor model with exactly what I was looking for in the first place. Drove away a couple hours later with a huge grin on my face!

 

I'm with you on this one. Don't leave us hangin' Do tell! Do tell!

 

Some things you should check before you jump on the one in stock.

1. How many miles on it. It may have been used as a demo. That could mean it got flogged and abused during break-in.

2. Was it damaged during transport and had to be repaired at the VDC?

3. Was it purchased and returned? If it came back via the lemon law, you don't want it.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

Mark

 

Right on. I've always been surprised at the things the sales guy will let you do with a "brand new" demo. I remember taking a BMW 3 series with less than 500 miles on the clock out for a test drive, and the sales guy was like "let's see what she'll do!". So I did all kinds of crazy stuff, with him cheering me on the whole time. I'm not sure I'd buy any demo after that experience...

The VDC point is a good one, and I'll be sure to ask my dealer if my car was damaged and had to be repaired at the VDC. It seems like they really should let the buyer know if significant damage happened to the car during transport. No matter what they say, a repair is a repair whether it's done at the VDC or a local shop. The sticky thread about the visit to the VDC was really eye-opening, as I didn't realize the extent of repairs they do there (replacing a roof??!).

Steer clear of lemon law cars. If you want more proof, just jump on Bimmerfest and read about all the people who bought 2002/2003 7-series BMWs.

Other than those caveats, go for it!

 

The problem you face now is that once we begin doubting an original decision, that doubt can take a long time to go away - regardless of which way you end up going. If you wait you will second guess yourself every day for not taking the "bird in the hand." And if you wait could also end up being disappointed at the extra money you ended up spending on the one you ordered. But if you buy now you could end up wondering "what if had I waited just a little while longer?" Either way has its potential for lingering doubts. The difference is this, you have actually laid eyes on the one on the lot, while the one you ordered is still just a dream. That means the one in front of you that you've actually seen will be harder to forget than the one you haven't seen. Ask yourself, deep down in your heart, which of the two cars do you "love" the most? Because in the end, your love will help you overcome the doubts.

 

Okay let me give you a description of each vehicle.

Ordered: H/C, Silver top & pillars, Convenience pkg, Cold Weather pkg, Steptronic, Brown Leatherette w/ cream interior, English oak trim, Bonnet stripes, 16" bridge wheels.
$28,950 + $1500 premium. ($33,090 out the door)

On Lot: H/C, Silver top & pillars, Premium pkg, Convenience pkg, Cold Weather pkg, Black/grey leatherette, 16" bridge wheels.
$29,600 ($32,900 out the door)

Well, here is what I decided. Yesterday I went and bought the car off the lot. That is why I responded so late. I spent all day yesterday taking a bus to the dealership (150 miles), then looking over the car CAREFULLY & THOROUGHLY, then pulled the trigger. The car still had some wrapping remnants and a total of 6 miles. If there was any damage at the VDC they are supposed to disclose that if it is greater than 3% of something (I read this another thread). I don't know how could find out anyway.

The sunroof and interior were my biggest detractions. I wasn't sure if I would miss the H/C interior. But I figured I was paying an extra $1k for the H/C color and it is the same material as the Black/Grey (which isn't extra).
I live in an area that reaches in the 100's in the summer so the sunroof was really scaring me. I negotiated the dealer to tint the sunroof from a tint company of my choosing (up to a certain $$ amount).
:lo l:
Now I am an official H/C Clubman owner! I will post pics soon. It was too dark after I got home yesterday. I have to say that I am not regretting my decision at all. The car drives awesome! I am still not sure about the whole break-in period because I am very tempted to push it NOW!!

Thanks for all of your insight!

 

Congratulations - sounds like a great Clubman.

Just have to ask - you are getting your deposit back from that other dealer - yes?

 

I emailed the dealership that I placed the order with. I am sure I will get a response today. I'm hoping!!

 

Nice deal. If it was me though, that sunroof would've been the deciding factor in not getting it. My previous car had it and I barely opened the thing. Only if it was a nice day out with some clouds would I even open the sunroof up cause it was annoying having the heat of the sun beat down on you on clear day. Mind you my previous vehicle's sunroof was also factory tinted and had a sliding sunroof shade that fully blocked out the sun. It stayed blocked pretty much the entire 3 years I owned it. Guess I'm not a sunroof or convertible person.