Do they have more incentive to move the cars off the lot and offer discounts on their inventory vs. selling you one you've built a la carte? I thought I'd heard something about the insurance they pay to have them on the lot and how they're much more likely to discount something they have rather than one they would bring in for you. I've heard that about other brands anyway - this is my first time looking at MINIs.

I'm thinking they'd like to sell their existing inventory first but maybe the MA's actually get more commission on a build. Or maybe the MA's assumption is you'll add enough options to make it pricier so that's better for them? Our MA totally pushed us in the direction of building rather than any talk about what they had on the lot or could get from another dealer in the area. Just wondering why she would do that.

 

Can't say why she went that direction, but you are correct that cars on the lot cost them to keep them there. Flooring cost, insurance.....
I bought all of mine off the lot, cuz I'm a touchy/feely type and like to know exactly what I'm getting. No surprises.
So, someone who has ordered (Annette?) may have better insight in that regard.
Hope you get something worked out soon and start Motoring!

 

As someone else said, they do incur costs when the cars sit, the big one being their flooring - every car that sits on the lot costs the dealer a flooring charge - basically the interest on the money required to buy the car at wholesale (e.g., if the flooring charge is 7%, then a $20K wholesale Mini is costing the dealer about $120/month to sit on the lot).

If cars are moving reasonably quickly, I'd say there is probably little difference in the deal - dealers accept that they have a cost to keep a selection of cars on the lot to sell to the buyers who don't want to wait and order a car. But if a car has been sitting on the lot for months, they may be more motivated to move the car along and cut a better deal, especially if any model changes are looming or rumored. Hard to put a much finer point on it.

- Mark

 

Thanks. I'm guessing (based on not much) this dealer sells enough that that's not a huge factor for them.
This MA literally said 'all the cars are ordered a la carte' the first day we visited the store so we thought oh, that's just how mini does it.
Anyway, maybe looking at what's sitting there is worthwhile even if I have my heart semi-set on the specific configuration we came up with.

 

This is very typical because MINI is a BMW product. Its easy to custom order a car if that is what you prefer. I just got a build to order X5. The car was shipped up from South Carolina with in 3 weeks. I get an excellent deal and I got exactly what I wanted.

You may get a bitter deal for a car that has been on the lot for a long time but why not custom order if they are extending the same discount to you?

 

Well they're not extending any discount at all right now

I'm hoping to find something in their inventory that they will discount but I feel like with the end of March special lease rates ending I don't have much time left to figure it all out. Would really prefer to build what we want but if the cars on the lot might be easier to get a reduction on I might do that.

 

Sparky, is there something on the lot that appeals to you? If so, hit them with both barrels. You CAN work a deal. If not, go ahead and order exactly what you want. Lots have done it and have gotten exactly what they want.

 

The answer to your question is simple, it depends. If the vehicle is in stock that fits your needs and for some reason is "old" in stock, the dealer may well be inclined to discount it a little more to clear old inventory.

The first question is what is a "good deal" in your opinion. There is not going to be thousands in difference between ordering or buying out of stock. Only you can determine the worth of buying exactly what you want or settling for close. At the end of the day you are probably talking a few hundred one way or another on a 20,000-30,000 dollar purchase.

Don't worry about programs expiring. There are always programs and the new one may benefit your situation more than the current one. The world is full of people who were in a hurry to buy today for the bargain only to find a better deal offered tomorrow.

 

The problem with dealer in-stock cars is you did not configure it. The dealer takes a gamble and loads it up with options you may or may not want. In buying a bunch, the dealer likely gets a slight discount and probably has a bit of wiggle room in the transaction price. Also, the money is made in the options so the in-stock cars are typically optioned so the dealer can make a good profit margin.

Back in 2005, I had custom configured my car and ordered it and a week later the dealer called and said they had a car very similar to what I had ordered already on the way, but cancelled by the original buyer. They asked me to take that car for a $2000 discount and some of the options, essentially free. I could also have the car a month earlier than waiting for the factory build.

So I took it. I did not get it exactly as I had wanted. I did not order a sunroof or heated seats, but got them. I had ordered rear foglights, but ended up not getting it. I ordered 16" wheels and got the 17" wheels for free. So I saved a few dollars, but the car was not absolutely what I wanted, but I could live with that.

In answer to your question, yes. If the dealer is in the position that they need to sell a car they don't want taking up space on the floor, they will move on the price a bit to sell it.

 

the longer it sits on the lot the more chance you will have getting a good deal BUT. when you order a Mini you get exactly what YOU want and from my experience i got as good as deal as i feel i could have gotten if i had just bought one off the lot (ordering was my only option, i had very specific items i wanted)

You can negotiate a order, and i suggest you do. If you are fortunate enough to have a couple dealers in the area and simply walk in with your list and say who ever gives me the lowest price wins my business. Then, once you make your rounds do it all over again. You will be amazed how quickly they will fall to their knees and work with you.

I did this with my mini and recently with my new Nissan work van and got a smoking deal on both. Also, it helps to do this at the end of the month as dealers want to get as many sold/ordered to get a bonus from BMW/Mini!

 

Since the ones on the lots have packages I don't want, and DON'T have the one package I do want I think I'm better off just ordering from scratch.

Thanks to all for the help in understanding/deciding.