Hey Everyone,

I am new to MCO. I was just wondering the waiting lists are still really long when buying a new MINI?? I remember I inquired about a year ago with the closest dealer, and he said the wait was around 5 to 6 months before it got shipped over here. I really really want a new MINI, but the waiting part really stinks :???: So is the process the same as it was a year ago??

Thanks!

 

Welcome andersons8.

Depending on what options you want, color or type S or Cooper, you may find a new MINI on the lot for sale. I’ve been to four different dealers in a year’s time. Three had MINI’s for on the spot for sale, one had no MINI’s at all and didn’t expect to see any for more than a month.

 

Welcome to MCO. It all depends where you live. Here in S.F. Bay the wait lists for the "S" at MSRP have actually gotten longer @ 14 months. They were around 12 months back in January. Best thing I could recommend is pick up the phone and start calling dealers or you could look on the mini USA sight, click on find a dealer, some of the dealers actually have inventory listed on their sights.Hope this helps.

James

 

Dam, 14 months? Mini of the Hamptons (link from this site) or Motor City Mini were quoting me (@ MSRP) more around 8-10 weeks roughly... Searching for one in stock will help too, tho you might have to be a little flexible on options...

-Matt

 

Thanks everyone,

The problem is that I am looking for a CVT Transmission model. These seem to be harder to find on the lots or they take longer to ship. The only reason i am getting a CVT is because my wife cannot drive a stick and there may be times that she needs to use the car. :???: Anyways, i guess I will just have to shop around and see what is out there. And if there is nothing out there, then I will put my order in and wait, and wait, and wait, etc...Thanks Again!!

By the way, is the Aero Kit worth it??

 

>>Hey Everyone,
>>
>>I am new to MCO. I was just wondering the waiting lists are still really long when buying a new MINI?? I remember I inquired about a year ago with the closest dealer, and he said the wait was around 5 to 6 months before it got shipped over here. I really really want a new MINI, but the waiting part really stinks :smile:

I'm from your neck of the woods (actually out in the suburbs of West Chester, PA).

You've got a couple dealers to choose from and wait will likely vary.

Main Line Mini (formerly Don Rosen's) located near city line ave - this is where I ordered mine about 10 months before I needed it (it probably would have been a shorter wait, but I was ordering a surprise wedding present). I think they are a couple of short months out now.

Ottos Mini - Rte 202 in West Chester - I think STILL has a VERY long wait, I got on their list BEFORE I ordered a car from Main Line, but this was even before they opened the dealership, so they might have 6 months or a year's worth of back-log waiting on their list. Still, I'd check with them, cause things change.

Mini of Towson (yeah, it's a drive, but if you buy there you don't have to service it there or anything). My little brother ordered one from them and picked it up only a couple months (like 3 or so) later. And I know they had cars on the lot.

Jerseygirl here bought one off the lot in Princeton, NJ (I hear bad things about them as far as service, but I've already adressed that) and I Jerseygirl got her car right away.

So you've got options!

Kev

 

>>Jerseygirl here bought one off the lot in Princeton, NJ (I hear bad things about them as far as service, but I've already adressed that) and I Jerseygirl got her car right away.

Yeah, I don't recommend going to Princeton UNLESS you find out they've got one you'd like sitting on their lot. Although, I drive past there everyday and they don't seem to have much of anything hanging around. The ONLY reason I went there was because they had my car on the lot. Otherwise, I would have ordered a car elsewhere. The sales staff seems pretty good but management and service are to be avoided.

 

Cool! Thanks Kev! I was in contact with Main Line Mini back when it was Don Rosen Mini. They had a long waiting list back then. I contacted Princton Mini and they said they wont have any CVT Transmission Minis in stock for a while. My buddy bought his MCS from Otto's. He got it the same day he went up! I am just impatient when it comes to things I want really bad!! but I guess I will be waiting! Thanks again!!

P.S. When ya went to these dealers, did they have some on the lot?? or were they already sold??

 

MinioftheHamptons has two automatics for just over $20k right now.

 

Well andersona8, sounds like you're on the right track. Be sure and show us pics once you finally find/get what you want.

Nuvolari makes a good point, Mini of the Hamptoms on LI usually has some and it could be worth the trip. Besides, pick up a Mini in the Hamptons and stay out there for a long weekend with your new car, that could be fun. Wife will love you doubly for that. MAJOR husband points.

 

The wait times will vary from region to region. Probably the worst waits are in big cities of the west coast. In the past year the waits have been from 6 to 10 months but right now it is beginning to stretch out longer and longer.
For us from order to delivery is getting to be about 3+ months. When I bought last Feb it was about 6-7 months.

In Hawaii we manage to keep a few MINIs in stock but due to the west coast demand we lost about 60% of in stock supply to them so right now things are tight. We have no CVT and minimal Coopers. Only MCS we have a few left.
Inventory will change from week to week so it is always worth checking and never give up just because it looks bleak.

If there is anything I can help you find in Hawaii just drop me a PM anytime I will start an intensive search for you and leave no stone unturned until we find what you want! Did you know that a MINI could hide under a stone? Yup, that's my favorite place to look. The "stone" is a paperweight and the MINI is represented by an on the lot inventory sheet. I love to shop for MINIs.

 

Ohhh, I just check the Mini of the Hamptons website... the Indi Blue CVT Cooper sounds pretty sweeet.

 

Yeah, I looked on the Hamptons site too! That does sound pretty sweet!! Has anyone here ever driven the CVT before?? I never have....How do they feel?? Also, if I was to order one from another far away state, would they deliver it to Philly or somewhere close...or would I have to drive to get it??

I want to thank all of you for your insight and help!! Thanks Minihune for looking out!!

-Al

 

I can’t speak for all of the dealers, but many people on the board have ordered their MINI’s at a dealer that was not close to them including myself. I drove to that dealer and picked mine up.

The closest dealer to my home is 350 miles away and that’s not the one I ordered my MCS from, just the one I use for service because it’s right down the block (in MINI miles).

_________________

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. - Frank Zappa

 

>>Yeah, I looked on the Hamptons site too! That does sound pretty sweet!! Has anyone here ever driven the CVT before?? I never have....How do they feel?? Also, if I was to order one from another far away state, would they deliver it to Philly or somewhere close...or would I have to drive to get it??
>>
>>I want to thank all of you for your insight and help!! Thanks Minihune for looking out!!
>>
>>-Al


I haven't driven a MINI with a CVT, but I have driven vehicles with a CVT and they're nice transmissions. They tend to be smoother than the typical slush-o-matic becvause you don't really feel gear shifts. Do a search for some threads on the CVT, there are some people on this board who swear they're a ball to drive.

As for shipping, check with Mini of the Hamptons, as I think they've done this quite a bit already... but for the cost you could get two Amtrak tickets, from 30st Station to Grand Central Station in NYC, then hop on the LI RailRoad and I'm SURE that someone from Hamptons would meet you guys if you were on your way to pick up a car.

Then the rest of the money you've saved on shipping should pay for a nice dinner and a hotel out in the Hamptons (quite a nice area, for the record, I was raised out on LI).

Wife will love you to death.... new car, romantic getaway, that's a win-win proposition if I've ever heard one.

 

Say it aint so about Princeton Mini ! My S is in the distribution center as we speak, and I purchased through Princeton. What type of problems have people had regarding these guys. Any feedback would be appreciated !

 

I wrote to a "Motoring Advisor" at Mini of the Hamptons asking about the blue Mini they have in stock! Hopefully she will get back to me soon! I just wish I could get one RIGHT NOW!!! haha. Oh well, thanks again everyone for your help and I will keep you all posted!!

-Al

 

Welcome to the site!

Just to help keep your options open, if your wife really likes to drive, she may find the manual fun. The MINI's manual transmission, clutch and gearbox are the friendliest and most intuitive of any I've driven and I've driven a lot! :smile:

We've had plenty of members who have never driven stick just drive it off the lot right away. Driving a manual gives a sense of control and racy-ness that automatics just can't. Tailor-made for semi-control freaks and Speed Racer wannabees.

 

>>Say it aint so about Princeton Mini ! My S is in the distribution center as we speak, and I purchased through Princeton. What type of problems have people had regarding these guys. Any feedback would be appreciated !

I posted in the Dealer Review section, but let's just say that the overall impression I got was that they seem to think they're doing you a favor by selling you a car. A couple things I was told would happen didn't, and there were no apologies made. And I didn't get one single little free gift the day I picked the car up. I've heard others have gotten shirts, key chains, flowers for their wives, etc. I didn't even get a lousy little key chain. Oh and they wanted to charge me $1100 for the clear bra when every other dealer I've heard mentioned (even out in the Hamptons) only charges $500. I'll be going elsewhere when it comes time for service which is a shame because they are only 10 minutes from my house.

 

Welcome to MCO. Yep you are correct. The lists are still long at some dealers. I live in California and bought my MCS in Hawaii because of the long wait list here on the west coast. Got mine as soon as the ship left Hawaii and docked in Oakland.

As I remember, shipping time about three weeks and I was motorin down the highway.

 

The salesman at Flow MINI in Winston-Salem, NC told me it would take about four months to get a Cooper S in.

 

I agree with all the above Dealer advise!

As an example of the wait here in Texas... I paid my deposit July 12th and my car in now in production with estimated delivery by the end of November!

About the Aero Kit! for me, if it's not back ordered and I can get it, it will be totally worth it!
I prefer to put mod my exterior.
other's love the interior.
It's really what you like that counts!!

 

Hey Everyone,

I inquired about the blue CVT Mini at Mini of the Hamptons. The dealer wrote me back and said it is still available and they would ship it to me!! I will probably be in contact with the dealer tomorrow at some point and I will keep you all posted!! Just another question, is it better to get a financing loan through BMW or through your bank?? Was it hard to get one through BMW? In other words, so they have high standards before they approve you for a loan?? Was it a quick process??

Thanks everyone!

-Al

 

Your bank or credit union is more than likely going to give you a better rate than BMW will. Some people have been lucky and their dealer was willing to match or beat an outside rate but my dealer flat out said no.

Capital One Auto Finance is usually better than a bank rate and you do everything right online. They are great to work with. This time around I ended up going with E-Trade Bank because they had the better rate, but you still do everything online and they send you a blank check to fill out when you pick up the car. Very convenient. That was a month ago and rates have changed I'm sure, but I'd say your best bet for a low rate is one of the online companies.

Good luck!

 

>> Oh and they wanted to charge me $1100 for the clear bra when every other dealer I've heard mentioned (even out in the Hamptons) only charges $500. I'll be going elsewhere when it comes time for service which is a shame because they are only 10 minutes from my house.

Robyn:
Were these prices for the clear bra including installation?