After 6 weeks or so of waiting, my new Countryman is on the Fidelio and should get into NYC 3/2! Can't wait...

I was just wondering if anyone purchased/leased from Mainline (I think that there are few of you on here). What I should be expecting from the finance guys? What kind of add ons are they going to be selling? Extended warranty? Tire protection? Clear bra? Any hidden doc fees or title fees? I'm not looking to pay more than my quoted $32500 plus taxes/title. Anyone able to get them to throw in free floormats?

 

I leased my Countryman through Main Line. The rest of my response may be controversial... The only "hidden" fees are the ones you didn't ask about by now. Don't mean to sound snarky but you should have worked through all the deal details by now and not wait until your vehicle is ready. That way there are no surprises at delivery. Closing for me was simple and there were no surprises as all deal details had been negotiated in advance. I'd call your MA now and start the process. It only becomes harder when your car is staring at you.

As for free anything, asking for things after you consummate a deal is just as unfair as the dealer changing their terms after the car arrives. If you wanted free floor mats then that should have been part of your original agreement, not something you ask for after the fact. That's just my opinion. I know others here may disagree. Ask for whatever you are comfortable with.

 

Thanks Midnight Blue. I'm not really all that worried about freebies. Just ordering if people here got floor mats. As for negotiating he deal, my MA has continually told me that they don't negotiate financing until the car is on site. The only number that we discussed is what was priced by the build program. It's a price that I'm comfortable with, and includes the destination fee. It doesn't include taxes and tags. From reading other posts on this forum, it's got me worried that the dealer might try to tack on some fees. I just wanted to know what other experiences people had at Mainline.

But again, my MA has continually told me that financing isn't done until the car is on site.

 

I hope that I didn't imply the wrong tone in my posts. I'm not looking to get the price cheaper that what I've already got or get any extras. I'm just nervous about finalizing everything. I don't want to be blindsided with any document fees or high pressuring to buy wheel protection or extended warranty. That was the reason for this post.

 

When I ordered my Countryman the price was the price. Meaning when I left I knew exactly what I was going to pay. And yes ask for the mats it's the least they can do. The only extra i added was the tire and wheel it was less than a thousand, the cheapest of the add ons. And there was no negotiation on the price, but I've read people have got them to come done some.
Good luck and try not to stress about it.

 

When I ordered my Countryman the accessories list for it and prices were not yet out. After the list came out, I spoke with my MA--I decided on the upgraded floor mats, Union Jack rear view mirror cover, sporty antenna & mud flaps.
Although I would have been ecstatic to get them for free, I asked what he could do to help me since the labor for the items that required installation was somewhat pricy. My MA managed to get the dealer installation fees knocked off. I thought that that was more than fair. I also am amazed at how many comments I get on the rear view mirror Union Jack cover!

~Amy

 

I agree with Midnight Blues thoughts here....

Don't assume there will be an adversarial relationship, call or even better go see the F&I person and talk with them. Ask them about programs and offers, then none of it will be a surprise. As to things like Doc fees and other dealer add ons, those should have been clearly spelled out well in advance. Most dealerships have signs posted explaining what their doc fee is and why they charge it - you should expect to pay something.

I think the reason they only talk about the price ahead of time is that it's the only thing they can lock in, rates change, terms change over time. Lease residuals may drop month to month and so on....

But you're close enough in now that they should know where they're at. I've had the best luck with arranging my financing ahead of time, then when I go to sign up I tell them (truthfully) what I already have arranged, but tell them that if they can match or better my terms I'll sign with them. All but once I've gotten a better deal thru the dealer than I had, and the other time, I already knew where I was at, so no surprises.

The less you think of them as the big bad dealer out to steal your money and beat you up, the more you can work together to get you what you want. After all, they are in business to sell cars - pissing people off really doesn't help them either.

Congrats on your new Countryman, and post up some pics as soon as you get her/him!

 

I am pretty sure that ours is on the Fidelio also. She'll be offloaded in Halifax though.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone. My experience with the dealer has actually been great thus far, but some things that I have heard/read about other dealers (not necessarily Mini dealers) recently got me nervous. Or maybe I've just had too much time waiting for the car to overthink everything

 

No worries. Things to look out for differ from buying and leasing. Though lease and finance rates aren't locked until delivery, all other inceptions are known. Just ask what they are and make a determination if they are reasonable. You will pay something for the dealer to handle tags, title a doc processing. Closing should be painless if you go in knowing exactly what the numbers should look like.

 

I ordered through Cincinnati Mini. As Midnight Blue mentioned, I pre-arranged all of the financing ahead of time because I didn't want to waste my time discussing rates, and I wanted as much of the paper work to be ready when I arrived. I started the process two weeks before my car was scheduled to hit Baltimore.

I was also surprised when I got my floor mats for free. I didn't mention them or order them, but my MA wouldn't let me leave without him putting them in.

Good luck to you.

 

I've love to see photos of your car.