Has anyone gotten the price down about $500 or so on a new Mini Cooper S?

Also, do you think that the salesman would throw in a $65 Mini Cooper S model car after you buy the real car?

 

I just finished shopping for a loaded 2004 MCS (factory custom configured). Some Dealers are selling at MSRP and don't require worthless dealer packages of $300+ dollars and surprisingly they can get a car to your specifications in 8-10 weeks. E-mail your configurations to dealers (rated 5 stars on this site's dealer rating system) in New Jersy, Batton Rouge, and Dallas. See what they can do for you. I do not know of any dealers selling for less than MSRP.

Do a spreadsheet and be sure to include document fees, air fare/travel costs and your time if you are going any distance to get the car. One disadvantage of travelling to pick the car up is that if they screw-up your order you are out travel costs if you decide to refuse delivery. Good luck.

 

I managed to get my MCS for under SRP. BUT I was in on the last day of the month on the last day of a sales quarter. I was a pain in the *** and stressed everyone out. That combined with the moon and stars aligning just right saved me a few hundred dollars. With that said, it would be a good idea to be perfectly happy with paying SRP from your dealer. Maybe try to get them to give you some extra accessories instead? The kicking and screaming it might take to save a few bucks isn't worth it unless you absolutely have to do it.

~Steve~

 

I was re-reading some info on the marketing plan for this brand, and you know what? I don't think this car is going to sell under SRP, ever. I mean, besides catching a dealer under pressure, as Steve related. Anyone waiting for dealers to start regular discounting may want to face a new reality.

It's like certain restaurant brands where they create an image and use it to sell all kinds of non-food items. That is the idea BMW/MINI has the for the MINI brand. Sell a limited number of cars through a limited number of dealers with a cool brand, and even those who don't buy the car, will buy the brand.

This is not a new technique. A bit radical for cars though. If done well, this can greatly prolong the life of this brand. And... it's probably good news for us MINI owners, providing we can get good service after the sale.

God speed.

 

I think the Cooper and Cooper S markets will be getting soft next summer, especially on the used side. Once the Cabrio comes out I think Cooper and Cooper S sales will slow a bit...

And you may be able to get the dealer to toss in a model. We got ours to give us the plush MINI. (My wife is amused by plush vehicles. We've got a plush battleship Missouri, 747, and NYPD car in addition to the MINI). Didn't take much either, we just asked...

 

and on CooperBeagle's note; the car is still a BMW. After the warranty runs out, we'll have to pay for maintenance like a BMW (read: moderately high). Sure, you may be able to blacklist yourself like Steve did by annoying the dealership at the right time, but I definitely wouldn't expect a discounted price and a free toy.

 

Ryephile:

I don't understand why you would roll your eyes at me. I asked the question, because I didn't know if the dealer would discount the price.

 

sorry if I came across a bit harsh however it seems you're looking for that "needle-in-a-haystack" kind of deal.

The MINI is still in high demand relative to production, and when that occurs, pricing discounts are not relevant. The MINI (like most imports) is not like the current domestic-make marketing situation where huge discounts and zero percent rates are common.

Hope that helps,
Ryan
_________________

 

My salesman threw in floor mats because I told him to. I paid MSRP, placed the order with another sales rep (who left the dealership during my six month wait) and I was 100 miles away.

 

>>Has anyone gotten the price down about $500 or so on a new Mini Cooper S?

The short answer is no. Can some extras be gotten at little or no cost? Yes. Some members report carmats for free or a plush MINI backpack or hat or shirt, etc.

>>Also, do you think that the salesman would throw in a $65 Mini Cooper S model car after you buy the real car?
Yes, depending on how eager the sales person is on selling the MINI to meet quotas. Every month there are quotas for the dealership. It is important to meet these so a final sale on the last day to ensure they meet their mark is worth the dealership more than a sale early in the month when they think they will hit their mark later.

Typically like in all new car sales, you as buyer can get a discount under the following conditions:
There is a glut of inventory and not enough space for new cars to come in soon.
There is a demo with some miles on it but they can sell it with full warranty.
There is a show car but due to all the add ons no one is buying it for months-I saw once a $25K MC with lots of add ons and aero package, white tail lights and S-lyte wheels that was discounted $2000. Almost bought it.
A particular car has been sitting on the lot a long time and has something about it that is relatively unpopular
If you personally know the sales manager and he is your relative or next door neighbor.
Or better yet, if you are married or otherwise related to a Motoring Advisor- not worth much of a discount by the way. Really!

If they have nothing in stock of what you want then forget a discount. If there are 30 people on the waitlist in front of you wanting to order the same car then forget about the discount.

Typically cars like the MINI are not going to be discounted and easily dealerships can charge for extras that you don't want and even mark up the price by $1000-3000 if they like. They won't sell as many but each one is big profit.

On used cars. Sure when the Cabrio comes out everyone will want one but with what sort of wait time? 6-10 months!
Well that still means that the others are worth a look and if total production is not increased much then there will be less MC and MCS out there and so again supply for every model will be short and the waits will go up on everything.

This all drives up the prices for used MINIs. Some MINIs are driven very very very hard so you have to be careful about what you buy. The more stock the better but it can't stop someone from driving hard in a stock MINI- check the tires for wear and watch the odometer. If you saw a 2003 MINI with 20,000 miles on it selling for cheap would you go for it? Might be good, might not. Have a good mechanic check it out first.

 

as always Minihune has given such a thorough response I hardly feel like I should respond. :smile:

So I'll just add a plug for buying used if you're really serious about paying less than MSRP - I think the prices WILL come down. They'll have to because there are already 15 pages of used vehicles in the AutoTrader, I've been watching it a long time, and most of those cars have been for sale for over 4 months. Plus, if they don't come down, there won't be much incentive to buy used over new, since the older they get the more you lose out on warrantee and free service.

The new cars won't come down because the dealerships are severely limited as to their allocation. I have many huge dealerships near me (So Cal) and none of them are able to get the cars they need, so they jack up the price $2500 or you wait for 6 months.

The other advantage to buying used is knowing the repair history. Just check the VIN with MINI and see if it's been brought in for the stumble problem that has yet to be resolved. With a new car you might get the stumble problem.

The other way to go is to buy new but get as few options as possible, as they do really add up. Leather isn't necessary, the space cloth is quite nice. Automatic air conditioning doesn't work that great, so there goes the Premium package. The sunroof alone is less than half of what the premium package costs. Sport package tires aren't all that great or even necessary. DSC can be nice, and Xenon headlights, and since they're more safety oriented than cosmetic, completely justifiable, etc. Stripes can be done very cheaply aftermarket - I have a repair genius near me who will put them on for 20 bucks. The dealership quoted 100. etc. etc. etc.

Hope that helps!

 

Make absolutely sure you get everything in writing. During your wait time for the car the odds of the same salesman that you ordered from still being at the dealership when the car arrives are no better than 50/50.

I got a discount on my MC of $350 plus free floor mats and a car cover and boot box at dealer cost. The $350 "discount" happened in miutes after I discovered that there was a $249, "documentation fee" and a $60 city tax on top of the MSRP. No way I was paying OVER MSRP for the car. Watch for hidden charges.


R.E.

 

My dealer stills sells briskly at MSRP. They have had a policy from day #1 to no add mandatory accessory packages or other bogus charges on top of sticker price. These are my first couple of cars that I have paid MSRP ever. Well worth it given the engineering, safety, looks, equipment and resale value.

 

I live in Atlanta and tried in vain to get even MSRP. Both dealers had some markup-the least was Hank Aaron at 399 doc fee with mats thrown in. Tried Nashville and Winston-Salem NC and both said they were charging only MSRP but when pushed, admitted to a documentation fee they would not waive. Always ask about any additional fees, such as doc fee or dealer prep, etc....

 

My dealer charges $299 non-negotiable doc fee, prep and new floor mats (Choice of carpeted or rubber ones).

I think this is pretty reasonable. Most dealers will charge you for the "convenience" of preparing and handling all your paperwork, prepping the car and adding the fllor mats.

 

>>I was re-reading some info on the marketing plan for this brand, and you know what? I don't think this car is going to sell under SRP, ever. I mean, besides catching a dealer under pressure, as Steve related. Anyone waiting for dealers to start regular discounting may want to face a new reality.
>>
>>It's like certain restaurant brands where they create an image and use it to sell all kinds of non-food items. That is the idea BMW/MINI has the for the MINI brand. Sell a limited number of cars through a limited number of dealers with a cool brand, and even those who don't buy the car, will buy the brand.
>>
>>This is not a new technique. A bit radical for cars though. If done well, this can greatly prolong the life of this brand. And... it's probably good news for us MINI owners, providing we can get good service after the sale.
>>

CooperBeagle, where were you reading this? Links? I don't at all doubt it, but would love to read something authoritative discussing this. I do have to say that I find the whole idea of the car being just the front for an "image" that goes well beyond the actual car to be...well....sort of disgusting. I'm well aware that this type of marketing is all around us and it's quite naive to think that it's escapable. But still...

 

>>My dealer charges $299 non-negotiable doc fee, prep and new floor mats (Choice of carpeted or rubber ones).
>>
>>I think this is pretty reasonable. Most dealers will charge you for the "convenience" of preparing and handling all your paperwork, prepping the car and adding the fllor mats.


I think adding the mats, shuffling a couple of papers and washing the car should be included in the $2,000 minimum profit, (without any options), on the car. A BS documentation fee would be bad enough if they were selling the car at $100 over invoice, let alone at MSRP. Also, this "fee" often is not mentioned until very late in the sales procedure. If you're gonna try to negotiate something, this should be it. They said it was non-negotiable at my dealership so they told me the $350 was discounted off the car.....same difference.


R.E.

 

Good morning,

Since these cars are in demand as many have said, I wouldn't expect a discount. But also think about this, if they heavily discount a car- the residuals go to hell quickly. All a case of "supply vs. demand" curves, as in your standard economics text. The curves shift, and the market responds accordingly.
Case in point, I have a 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue GLS, loaded "sticker" of $29,500 (the I paid MUCH less than this), with a remote starter + handsfree mobile kit. So, here we are two years and change later... The car has ~17,000mi on it (I lived in Europe part of 2002, and travel for my job + have a Corvette which I MUCH prefer driving). Worth $11,500 at a dealer, maybe $13,000 private seller. Perfect condition, all oil change recipts, only a few minor scratches, no interior stains (still smells new!)...

My moral is, in some respects, you get what you pay for. A MSRP sale value + good demand will mean your Mini will be worth something in 2-3 years. vs. having avalanche like residuals...

I'm paying MSRP + document fee ($160), tho am getting floor mats with the deal. Nothing exciting, but oh well... So it essentially works out to MSRP + a few dollars.

caio,

-Matt

 

>>My dealer charges $299 non-negotiable doc fee, prep and new floor mats (Choice of carpeted or rubber ones).
>>
>>I think this is pretty reasonable. Most dealers will charge you for the "convenience" of preparing and handling all your paperwork, prepping the car and adding the fllor mats.


I disagree that this is reasonable. After all, how can you buy a car if they don't do the paperwork? Mandatory floor mats? Total BULL! This is in essence just a bogus charge on the consumer IMHO.