Okay... here's the story... I've finally convinced my better half of upgrading our 2003 MC to a 2004 MCS. so, off I go trying to get the best deal possible for the MCS. The MC is up for sale and have a few prospective buyers already (but always open for more inquiries...) The problem lies, however, in trying to get a fair deal on an MCS. I realize that being in So. Cal., it would be tough to get an MCS for anything close to sticker... I'm resolved to that fact. I'm more than aware that the MCS is also a highly sought after car. It's just that the so cal dealers are incredibly greedy with their $4k-$5k dealer mark ups. Case in point, I called a not to be mentioned dealer in OC, and was asking about a particular MCS that they had in stock..... they said that the "market adjustment" was $5k but that included the extended warranty, paint & leather protection treatment and the mini floormats. As I wanted to see if they were going to budge on the mark up, the guy excitedly told me that he was able to haggle his manager down to just a $4k mark up but now without the extended warranty and no paint & leather protection..... he said he'll throw the floor mats in though.... wow.... incredible.... I'm getting such a great break with that...... to make a long story short, I'm still in search of my elusive MCS. So if you have any suggestions, ideas, comments, please... send it here..... thanks for letting me rant on..........

 

I went so far as to have mine shipped from the east coast in order to avoid the added mark up. My suggestion is to go on www.miniusa.com and call other dealers near a place you might like to visit. You will most likely get it at sticker or close to it, fly in and drive it home . Many have gone that route. If you want give me a call at 818 497 4341 and I can answer any other questions you might have.
Randy
Team M7

 

Buy elsewhere and ship it!

I live in CT, and got my MCS at the local dealer a little under MSRP. I don't think I got a particularly special deal, so you should be able to do much better than CA prices.

Last year I bought a Toyota Sienna minivan for family travel, since 6 aren't usually happy in a Mini. At the time, there were similar issues with big markups and huge wait times for desirable configurations. I ended up buying one in Tacoma, Washington and shipping it back here for about $1,200. No problems at all. I could even track progress of the truck on the Web.

Good Luck!

 

Buy a used one from NY.
Oh....
mine is for sale
Look in marketplace....$20K and it's yours

Peace,
D 8)

 

Asaulo1: I was in the same boat last Fall. The only Minis in stock in the DC area were marked up with every possible dealer option, making a MC cost the same as a list MCS. I ended up going out of state. I bought from Mini of the Hamptons in NY (no association, just a satisfied customer.) No additional dealer mark-up. Because they have such a seasonal population on Long Island, they've decided to actually court the out-of-state customer and the entire process was painless. I chose to fly up and drive back, but they could have arranged shipping for a reasonable fee -- certainly a fraction of the extra markup you are paying in CA.

If you do buy and ship, here are some things to think about when choosing a carrier: Pay the extra to get a closed carrier and top rack position. If possible, get lots of photos/video of the car's condition before shipping. When trying to figure out which carrier to choose, be clear if you are dealing with a broker or actual shipper -- you want to know as much as possible about who will actually be moving your car not just taking care of the transaction. Look for carriers who are used to dealing with car nuts; the pages of Hemmings Motor News or Autoweek are usually good places to start. Happy motoring.

 

The Mini's in Connecticut are not marked up. Negotiate your best price from Mini of Greenwich, or New Country Mini in Hartford. Fly out and drive it home or have it shipped, you will be thousands of dollars ahead of the game even after the price of a flight and the cost of shipping or driving.

 

There are two really good dealers who are sponsors of NAM. I had mine shipped in from Mini of the Hamptons. They usually have a huge selection and no mark ups at all! Call them and ask for Mike Ditto. That is who I dealt with. You can also read about them in the Dealer Ratings on this site.

 

thanks for all the suggestions... I will definitely try mini of the hamptons and see what they have.... although, upon checking their web site, the only mcs' they have are mc40s......

 

SoCal dealers are wallet rapers. Lots of calling lead me to Classic Mini and Mini of the Hamptons. Both Classic and Moth have extensive experience shipping to California but MOTH and Mike Dito proved to be the best for me. No hidden costs, just straight forward honest dealing with a very personable and caring MA who goes the extra miles to make you a happy and informed buyer.
Many members in my Mini club are ordering their second Minis from Clasic or MOTH and they are voicing very positive experiences. Make the calls and save some big money for mods.
:smile::smile::smile::smile::smile:

 

You might also check out Jackie Cooper MINI of Oklahoma City. They are selling everything at MSRP and they had about 5 MCS models when I was there a couple of weeks ago.

Objxs

 

:smile: :smile: I have to second the Mini of the Hamptons buy. That's where I got mine and it came in mint condition. I have heard Julie at Classic is great too! Either one will get you a great deal. It's summer time, why not fly to Ohio and drive back. Would make a great vacation and break-in.

Also,Objxs - love the pics in your sig line!

 

Check with MINI of Hawaii. When I lived in Ca. I ran into the same problem. I

got my MCS in Hawaii, paid MSRP, paid 4% sales tax, had it shipped to the port of Oakland.

About 4 weeks later I got the MINI. Shipping was $ 908 bucks.

Minihune here at NAM would be a good contact for you if you need more Hawaii info. Good luck!!!!:smile:

 

2005! 2005! 2005! Do NOT pay over MSRP. No vehicle is worth that, not even the Mini. Shop around...

 

Good luck with your search. It's pretty hard to find something in stock.

D-mini-ero's MCS is 2002 and quite nice. Take a look.

Best bet is checking around to see what dealers have in stock and then don't be afraid to ship it as mentioned.

But first you have to determine if you need to sell your MC and if so then do it.

If you need help (thanks D.J.) for a Hawaii MINI (comes with Hawaii plates!!) then just send me a PM. Right now there are not many MCS in stock but I did see a very nice 2004 EB/W MCS with JCW kit and JCW wheels sitting on the showroom floor ready to go out the door. At least you'll get something substantial for a marked up MCS. The rest available will be 2005 MCS with various packages arriving by Sept or earlier.

Go for it.

 

Look out for BRG jobs.....slow, ugly.....your better half won't forgive you.......

 

Just a quick update on this... I've been inquiring all over to get an MCS at close to sticker at possible..... got a call from Nick Alexander Mini and they were offering me an MCS for $3k over sticker... and they even said that was an incredible deal and they were giving it to me since I got my 03 cooper from them..... I offerred them $2k over sticker just to see if they'll bite and they shrugged me off saying that $3k is the best they can do even for a repeat customer.... it's just a shame.... alas, my quest continues.....

 

A new one costs six or eight weeks. You've already got a MINI to drive, why would another few weeks matter? Or is it that you want sticker price from a CA dealer? MOTH will deliver one to your door for $500 over sticker (or you can fly out and they'll buy the ticket and gas!)
Supply and demand is the key. Too many CA people willing to pay too much money - don't blame the dealers (moneymucking scum that they are), they are just selling what people will buy.

 

Have you talked to Long Beach MINI? When I was shopping for mine (a year or so ago) they told me that they didn't have the mark ups, but they said that they did have a waiting list. It's been a year, so things have probably changed, but it's worth a phone call.

 

Thanks, larabees, but I did try Long Beach Mini and it seems that their waiting list is 8-10 months, not weeks.... I felt that the person I spoke with was not interested in drumming up more business since they had more than their share.... just like the previous post said, I do have my silver coop to drive and am not really in that big of a hurry... however, I do feel compelled to seek what needs to be a fair price on our beloved car..... MOTH is an obvious choice but I was just trying to get an MCS as close to sticker (+ $1200 for shipping) around the area..... the saga continues...... thanks....

 

If I had the time, I would order my MCS from the farthest dealer. Then I would fly out and drive it back. It's not often you get to take a one-way cross-country road trip and end up at home!

Whatever you do, don't pay over MSRP. There's absolutely no reason to. If it came down to it, I'd rather pay for shipping than to give a California MINI dealer an extra dollar of profit. Let them gouge somebody else!

 

Seriously - order from anywhere and have it shipped! My brother used MINI of Hamptons. I bet shipping your MINI will cost 1/4-1/2 of the CA markup - maybe less! Don't buy from them. Plus, if you use the whole country, you can find an S on the lot that you want!!!

 

Better yet, buy one from MOTH at MSRP, and I'LL fly out and drive it back for you. No delivery charge.

 

I am seconding (or thirding) the shop from around the country suggestion..I live in Atlanta and one of the dealerships had markups as well, and would not give me decent money for my trade. I ended up with Brian Harris Mini in Baton Rouge, LA, took the weekend to drive my trade over and then drive back..Paid $269 for doc fees, MSRP and nothing else. Had a great experience and couldnt' recommend them more highly. The only bad thing is that now I will need to go to the Atlanta dealer when I need servicing, which I am not pleased about, hoping their service department is more honest than their sales...

On a different note...pocketrocketowner, what have you got against the BRG?? It's just a color!! Which happens to be my favorite color, and the color of my car, but come on, you have posted some comments regarding the car and blaming the color...wazzup with that?

 

I understand your problem. I just couldn't stomach paying as much over MSRP as the CA dealers are charging. I considered MOH and Classic Mini in OH. So here is what I learned, I hope it helps.

Classic sells at MSRP and ships in a CLOSED truck, it will ride in the same truck from the dealer to you. Now shipping is not cheep but it is less than the mark-up and it will not be used in the calculation of your yearly reqistration fee. This saves you nearly as much as you spend on shiping if you keep the car long enough, and it atleast makes it better than paying the mark-up.

MOH-Mini of the Hamptons Sells at MSRP but the car is transfered to train then to an open truck, I believe if something happens during the transfers it is on your insurance so that made me feel that paying a little more for the closed truck and no transfer was worth it.
Same thing applies for the registration, which was a big selling point for me because not only are you giving the dealer extra profit you are giving the state more money then you should every year that you own the car, and they don't seem to be using it to keep our roads maintained.

In the end I ordered from Moritz mini in TX because I figured it would be a fun drive back, lots to do and see, and I've never been to TX.

 

Here's my two cents worth, check out Downtown Mini of Orlando. I live in the St Petersburg area, and while there is a dealer closer to me, i got a great deal on my 03 MCS at Downtown. And what a great place for you to visit too! You might could even get them to throw in some tickets to some local attractions (Hey Mickey!!). I found the sales staff to be friendly, not-pushy, and very helpful.