Hey all, so obviously the Mini shop on Clayton is the primary source around here, but I was just wondering if there were any other places I should definitely look as I get closer to buying a Mini. As my sig notes, I'm looking at '09+ convertibles. I test-drove a new base model so far, haven't driving an S yet.

Another thing, as a current Miata owner, I've been running 2 sets of tires (summer/winter) for years now. It's my daily driver, so I need to be able to get around in the winter, but I still prefer the high-performance summer tires to all-seasons when it's warm. Do you guys do that? Do St Louisans tend to "downgrade" to the all-season tires and just run those year round?

 

Scott,

I run HP All Season tires year round and love them.

As far as other places to shop, not really sure. Most used car places have 08 or older.

If you have any more questions let me know.

Danno

 

Yeah, we pretty much all prefer the downgrade option.

 

Thanks for the responses, guys. Did you guys get out much in your Minis during the snow & ice we had this year? Did you feel reasonably confident w/ the all-seasons?

I'm also curious about opinions on the STL Mini dealership. Any opinions on them, good or bad?

 

I have all season tires and I did "OK" in the recent snow/ice. The traction control helps a lot.

I am happy with the dealer. And if you join the St. Louis MINI Club, you get 20% discount on parts and service.

 

I have high performance all season & did fine in the snow! I drive a Clubman so they are a bit heavier than the coupes. Test drive a S & I think you'll be much happier with what you get. My 2 previous MINIs were "justa coopers". After buying the S & then adding the JCW package to it, I'm as happy as a bug in a rug!

Lois

 

I have and 03 S with the original run flats from 03 still. I did ok, but I had to turn the traction control off and start in 2nd gear. With traction control on I just would move and starting in first the wheels would spin

Im sure with a new set of all seasons, the mini would do great in the snow.

 

Hey scott,

These are what I run on, they have great grip in rain and they are a good summer tire.
http://www.nexentireusa.com/tires-1/N6000

I dont drive my mini in the winter, it sits a tad low for those shenanigans.

Just dont get those runflats man, they are just horrible for ride, and the $$$ for what they are is just not right.

As for buying a mini in st. Louis, If you wanna test drive one just hit up the Boutique. Or you can head over to St. Charles which is west on 70 and go to the Car Connection, which is between Zumbel & Cave springs on the west side of the highway. They usually have a couple older models hanging out in the front of the lot.


From what I read if your driving in snow in the winter, buy a winter tire and a set of steelies. An all season tire really wasn't designed for driving in heavy snow or anything more than a light dusting. For instance, I was ridding around this winter in my buddies is300 on on a set of winter tires on the days when they were shutting down the highways. We had no problem getting around at all, there truly is no comparison between the types.

 

I'm in a similar situation to Scott up there only I'm looking for an older model a R53. If anyone has any leads on one please drop me a line.

 

Welcome to the club ...I'll be sure to wave as we motor. I also use mine as a daily driver and found the touring tires to be very good in and out of the snow.

You were asking about the local dealership and up until recently (last week), I have had a good perception of them. Unfortunately, this was ruined by their service manager! If you take your car there for service you will routinely receive a customer survey to grade your experience. Filling out the survey takes only a few minutes and is clear and straight forward.

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I received a phone call from the service manager, who was angry with the feedback I provided!

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I know the service guys work hard and I appreciate their work however, I will think twice about taking my car in for service to shop with management that doesn't value their customer.

Sorry for venting here ...obviously this is still very troubling to me.

 

I think that is totally unacceptable by the service manager. While no one wants to penalize an employee for their company polices. I would call the General Manager and let that person know. I might even call Mini.

The fact is if there was no reason to be critical of a service experience, they would not need to survey. Also if the dealer had provided a loaner your report may have been glowing.

Other than a body shop , why should a car be in service for almost a month ?

I have been in sales for more years than I want to admit. When my factory messes up, I lose commission and maybe a client. Goes with the territory . I don't like it but I would never complain to a customer.

 

I can't comment on your phone conversation, but I will say this much: The surveys that go out from car manufacturers are not designed to be a method to collect honest feedback. They are weighted so unfairly against the dealership that anything other than an "excellent" is considered a failure. So even if you (honestly) rate your service as "good" instead of "excellent", the manufacturer will ding the dealer for it. I had a situation where I honestly answered a question about my service not being completed in on visit...because a part had to be ordered, imagine that...and I found out later it was counted against the staff of the service facility. Really? How screwed up is that? Ultimately, it's one of those things that looks pretty straightforward to the end customer, but really is anything but.

 

If it is an insurance claim for whatever reason be it body or other, I do not think the dealer is under any obligation to give you a loaner. And they also have to wait for the insurance money to come in to fix the car. Not knowing the full details of what happened it is hard to pass judgement on the dealer.

I have always been offered a loaner from MINI of St Louis, have always had excellent service & been treated courteously by both the showroom & the service department. In fact, the service department has gone above & beyond on at least 2 occasions to help me out & I've owned 3 MINIs & own 2 now. You reap what you sow!

 

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I might understand if the Service manager called you and said something like " Next time you can not give us a completely satisfactory evaluation, please call me . We want you happy and it affects your service writers pay for something he ( or she ) can not control.

I do not think I would have been that patient to wait almost a month for just a fuel pump.

Nevertheless , you might want to make an appointment with the service manager and kind of air things out in a nice way. Maybe he just had a bad day ( we all do) . If he is still has a bad attitude you can always take it to the next level.

 

Portions of this thread and posts have been removed due to conflicting stories between h62025 and MINI_SVC_MANAGER. There seems to be a lot more to the situation than was stated. I have removed the conflicting information and ask that the two of them discuss the issue in private.

 

Cube, thanks for moderating. In the future, I will be more likely to do the work myself with the assistance of the great tutorials posted on this site and others. ...I'm pretty sure I'll always be in "GOOD" standing with myself and my regular mechanic.

 

I just had my car in for repair at St. Louis MINI and I was treated fair. My car was in the shop for two weeks because the issue with the car was unusual and they took the time required to track down what was going on and to make sure the problem was solved. Rick took my daily calls to see how my car was doing and never missed a beat with regards to my repeat calls.

When I picked my car up Eric in parts waited around after his shift was over so I could pay for and pick up an accessory I ordered.

I will continue to use St. Louis MINI.

SVS MNGR if you read this I hope you tell Rick and Eric that I appreciate the efforts they put into making my experience a good one.

John Hoffner

 

It's just unfortunate that more harm than good is the usual result of such internet bashing.

Lois

 

I will echo your sentiments, Eric & Bob in parts are outstanding! Dave, Rick and Carrie are extremely professional and courteous!