BillyB, do you want my honest opinion?

Sell or trade the car!

I am serious buddy. Here is the basic problem.... No matter how many seat dyes you get to do or re-upholstery jobs, you will never be 100% happy with this car no matter what. In your mind, this car was screwed up from the get go and you have clearly soured on it.... And it is not going to get any better

I think that plunking over $20K+ for a new car, should give you enough reason to get EXACTLY what you want, not more not less.

My whole point to this post is: GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT AND DON'T MAKE UNECESSARY COMPROMISES.

I ordered and waited 10 months for my new MCS but the day the car arrived at the showroom I was happy as a 10 year old kid with a new toy, because I got EXACTLY what I wanted. My car was ordered, manufactured and delivered to perfection, so for the $21,700 I paid for it, I got full satisfaction and my money's worth. That was exactly 1 year ago. Today I am still very happy with my MCS with nearly 13K troublefree miles.

So, why you think you have to make the same compromise? It makes no sense to me.

The MINI has excellent resale value. Instead of spending money on seat dye jobs, place an ad in the local paper for it. Go to a different MINI dealer and order the EXACT car you want.

A new car purchase is a lot of money spent. If you are not satisfied consider your money gone down the toilet.

 

I agree - just sell it!

In your area, you'll probably get more than you paid for it if you act quickly (ie, while it's basically brand new). Then buy another one somewhere else with an additional option or two for all your trouble (from your profit!) -- I suggest an out of state dealer.

Have the last laugh.

 

Hmmm...I've thought of this, just ordering another MINI, and selling this current one. That seems to me an awful shame of a thing to do on a MINI that is essentially otherwise perfect, other than the steering wheel thing. Great fit and finish, no rattles, etc. I could re-order (from a different dealer, of course!), then sell my current MINI, but then I might get a MINI with some other problems, and then what? I keep buying and selling MINI's, until I'm happy? I don't know, but that just seems slightly extreme to me. I could end up being caught up in a viscious circle of buying and selling that never ends! (Though, perhaps, that could turn into a nice profit making enterprise for me?)

Also, I'm not all that sure I can sell my current MINI at a price that will recover all my costs to date. I've got a 6 year/100,000 mile bumper to pumper extended service warranty, that is NOT likely transferable, and so I might take a loss there. Nicely equipped, though somewhat used, MINI's run about $27,000 here, which is a touch under what I'm paying overall, and I can't really afford much of a loss at all. I wouldn't be so sure that I'd see any "profit", though it's certainly possible.

If I can resolve the problem to my satisfaction in some other way, I would be quite pleased, and not have to go through any car buying/selling hassle (which it always is). I'll keep this recommended option in mind, but for now I'm going to find out how practical the seat dying option is. For all I know, it may not turn out to be practical at all. Or, I could save a few pennies, and later go all out on a fine leather re-upholstery job, which would likely be better than MINI's leather option from what I hear (not that it was an option for me at the time in any case).

True, I'm unhappy right now, but I may be able to turn that around, so I'm not willing to give up on this vehicle yet. I do thank you for the advice though, very much.

 

Wow, you really paid over 27K for a Mini (and not an S, apparently)? It sounds like they made you pay a hefty premium. In that case you should definitely get this matter resolved to your satisfaction through the dealer. Forget the sales guy and the sales manager -- go directly to the owner/general manager. Then climb the BMW heirarchy if you have to. Then get a lawyer involved if you have to.

I know BMW customer service is terrible but this is ridiculous.

 

Just looked up the sticker that came with my car.
It said "Space Gray/Panther Black Cloth".

I also looked up the "vehicle inquiry report" which basically showed all the option that I ordered. I think it is basically what your email as about. It also said:
"Interior Description: SPACE GRAY/PANTHER BLACK CLT"

If you really ordered space gray, I think it would have said "Space Gray/Panther Black Cloth, instead of Black/Panther Black Cloth".

What did your sticker say?

 

My sticker says Space Gray/Panther Black, so their argument doesn't seem to hold much water. However, they seem to hold all the cards at this point. Going to the General Manager sounds like it might have some value. Or, perhaps I can give MINI USA a shot? (Likely, I'll end up having to do both in the end.) I don't see that legal action would gain me anything, since I could've conceivably just refused to sign for the car. The law can be a strange thing though, so I could be wrong.

With options, the MSRP price of this car was about $23+K (It's a CVT, so that's $1+K right there), plus about another $1K premium, plus taxes, plus extended service warranty (about $2.5K, approximately), so this stuff does add up quickly, eh? (Then there is financing, at 6% interest through Bank of America, and probably one or two other things slipped under the radar.)

If I had it to do over again (a possibility), I'd definitely go through one of the farther, but selling at MSRP, dealers, and just make a trip of the vehicle pick up. I don't think there are any options I would've dropped, except...hmmm, no, I'd not have dropped anything. (Ok, MAYBE the HK Stereo upgrade, and maybe...heck, maybe the sport seats.) Except for the lack of leather, OBC, metallic paint, extra driving lights, and a roof rack, this is a pretty nicely loaded car. (Oh, and no alarm system, or any other dealer installed stuff like clear bra protection, etc.) Damn, come to think of it, I could've easily optioned this into an over $30K car! Even at MSRP, without extended service warranty, this car would be about $24K, plus taxes, etc., etc. (Still not cheap for an "economy" car)

It's more than I intended to pay at first, but I wanted to be sure I'd be happy with my car. I think the old adage about money not buying happiness pretty much sums up the fallacy of that! (At least in this case. )
They've yet to get back to me, so I'll be calling them again. I finally made an appointment to get the MFSW checked, which will be...a month from now!

 

Realistically, if I take the option of selling this car, I don't think I'd buy another one, regardless of which other dealers are out there. This has been the most stressful car purchase of my life, and I'm not willing to go through all that again.

So, hmmm...what else would I get instead? I'd given some thought to the Mazda RX-8, but it didn't light my fire like MINI did (obviously :smile: ). I'd considered being more practical, and getting the little Scion hatchback X car, which would've been a big money difference. But, darn it, my last car was a "practical" car! I could've also gone for buying an old, somewhat beat up Jaguar E-Type, and then rebuilt it, but...

...hmmm, I'll have to think about that one a little more.

 

WILLIAM BOWERS
billybc96@earthlink.net


To the Sales Manager at Niello MINI of Sacramento, California.

I assume you received the copy of my e-mail correspondence with MINI USA. I don't think it can be argued that when they wrote Black/Panther Black Cloth, they actually meant Space Gray/Panther Black Cloth. (The window sticker from my MINI says Space Gray/Panther Black Cloth, not Black/Panther Black Cloth.) And, even if they did, how in the world would I know that? (Unless someone went out of their way to tell me something like that, which no one did.) Someone, somewhere, dropped the ball, and it certainly wasn't me. I find it interesting, not to mention frustrating, that this dealership seems to want to pass this dropped ball to me, rather than pick it up themselves, or even just share the load, and be of some service.

I'd be pretty happy with my '05 MC overall, except for the fact that it's got the wrong cloth interior. Ok, I understand now that an available options change for '05 MINI's with sports seats was made by MINI. Stuff like that happens, and I'm not upset about that in particular. I'm sure many of us lament the passing of options that we thought were worthwhile ones, such as the 2-spoke S-Style MFSW. But, there are always other options, and so life goes on. However, in this case, either MINI USA, or someone at the Niello MINI dealership, or both, failed to inform this particular customer that my chosen option was no more, and decided to just throw another selection in the car, without bothering to consult me first. Did anyone think I might've liked to go for something else instead? (Black Leatherette WAS my second choice, when I initially ordered.) It would be like my vehicle color selection (LY/B in this case) being discontinued, and then having someone in the MINI organization just randomly pick another color for me, and build the car that way, without bothering to say, "Hey, we are sorry, that color is not available anymore, but these ones here are, which one would you like instead? Or, would you rather cancel the order?"

Do you see my point at all? I understand that we are not talking about an item that is easy, or quick, or cheap to change out because it's wrong. However, just because that's the case, which isn't MY fault, doesn't mean that we can't come to some compromise solution to the issue. I'm open to suggestions in this area. Perhaps you are not authorized to take action in this matter. Perhaps the General Manager is? Perhaps the BMW Zone Manager is? Whoever it is, can we consult with them on this, and see what CAN be done?

It's been suggested to me, by some NAMCO forum members, that since I'm not happy with how things are, I should just re-order another MINI (they point out that should be done at another dealer), and then sell my current MINI when delivery time is near. They seem to think that with MINI's high resale value, I could probably turn the vehicle around for a profit, get a MINI with options I want, and be happy. Of course, they didn't seem to realize that there are premiums involved, and an extended service warranty involved, or taxes, or various other little things that make such an option for me pretty impossible to pull off. I doubt I could break even, let alone make a "profit". I've pointed this out to them, and their only other recommendations are to go up the decision making chain of command at MINI, seeking some form of satisfaction, or doing some sort of legal action thing. If not accepting the vehicle at time of delivery was a viable option at the time, I might have decided to do that. But, I no longer had my other car, so that wasn't much of an option (as I'd been driving a rental car ever since I turned in my old lease vehicle about three weeks ago, in preparation for taking delivery of this long awaited order). And, I was told by Crystal Ewing, Motoring Advisor, that she'd see what could be done after she checked into the order. This was at closing time, so nothing much else productive was going to be accomplished that day.

Well, I'm not one for going completely off the deep end when it comes to trying to solve problems. I think trying to move up the chain of command to reach an agreeable solution sounds perfectly appropriate to me. I'm sure something can be worked out. I'm not expecting miracles. But, I have just spend about $30,000 (not including financing costs) for a new car that's supposed to be exactly what I wanted (otherwise, why go through the months of waiting, and pay a premium, etc.), and unfortunately it's NOT.

I don't think it's unreasonable for me to be disappointed, angry, and otherwise upset. The only question is...does anyone at MINI give a damn? Enough to DO anything about it?

Please get back with me as soon as you can on this issue.

Sincerely,

William H. Bowers


P. S. I think it was highly inappropriate for my current MA, Mr. Paul Johnson, to be calling me back to discuss this problem, and the first thing he talks to me about is how he wants me to give him, and the dealership, the highest rating possible on some MINI Customer Satisfaction Survey. And, that he, and the dealership shouldn't be held responsible for my current wrong car order problem. Oh? They shouldn't? Isn't my dealer, and my MA, EXACTLY where I'm supposed to come to when there's a problem with my order? If they can't help me, then how am I supposed to give a "very satisfied" rating in all categories? Who exactly IS going to help me?

 

As can be seen, the above is an e-mail I've just sent to my dealer (sounds like I'm some sort of addict, eh?) regarding the wrong cloth seats issue. I have no idea what kind of response I will receive, or if I will even get a response at all.

I aplogize if I've offended anyone here by making reference to suggestions some of you have made to me about this problem. Personally, I think you've all had things of merit to say about this to me, and I'm grateful for the ongoing advice, and even for any negative comments.

What I've taken to heart mostly is the idea that I shouldn't just take this on my back, without at least trying to do what I can to resolve the situation in manner that seems fair.

I'll keep updating this thread, and continue to read your comments on it, until this matter is settled, one way or another.

Thank you for your support. Happy Motoring.

 

BillyB, excellent letter. I sure hope that your dealer responds to your issues in the appropiate manner and perhaps swap the car for another new one or allow you to re-order it with them.


Question for you... Are you 100% sure that the extended warranty contract that you purchased is not transferable to a second owner? That seems odd to me as one of the biggest selling points of any "used" car is to have the ability to transfer the remaining coverage to the next owner.

I say to you, check the paperwork that you signed or contact the warranty company directly. Even if in the end you decide to keep the MINI, it is good to know whether you have this option or not.

 

Hi BillyB,

Somehow I have a feeling that the problem lies with MINI USA, not with your dealership.

-You ordered black octagon cloth.
-at the time MINI USA wasn't clear on whether black octagon cloth was available (more likely, they haven't made that decision yet)
-you received an email from MINI USA stating that you ordered Black/Panther Black cloth. Since I ordered Space Gray/Panther Black, I went back to look at the info I had when I ordered my car. All the info from MINI USA said Space Gray/Panther Black. Therefore I conclude that your dealer correctly entered Octagon Black/Panther Black into the system, and it was properly reflected in the email MINI USA sent you. If your dealer made a mistake and entered Space Gray, the email from MINI USA should have said Space Gray/Panther Black, not Black/Panther Black.
-Space Gray refers to the silvery part of the seat, and panther black refers to the black part of the seat. Silver is not Black. Since you ordered Black/Black, you definitely did not receive Black/Black.
-somewhere down the road, MINI decides not to offer Octagon Black/Panther Black cloth seats with sports seats.
-I don't really think MINI would notify your dealer that your order is now invalid
-someone at MINI USA, maybe even a computer, then defaults your order to Space Gray/Panther Black. And that is how your car is manufacturered.

I don't know if everything I said above is true, but if this is really what happened, then the fault lies entirely on MINI USA......

BTW I love my Space Gray/Panther Black seats. However I also understand that since you ordered anthracite headliner, the silvery seats may not look right with it. I hope things get be resolved to your satisfaction. I qualify for Mazda's S-plan, so I could have gotten a reasonably good price (cheaper than what most people can get) without even negotiating. However I still went with the MINI, even with such a long wait. The MINI is definitely awesome, and I think it would be very hard to find another car that is comparable to the MINI.

 

Hi Billy. I'm sorry about the disappointment with your mini. I think it just plain sucks . I have ordered my mini back in July (am expecting it this weekend, hopefuly) and I know that after this long and stressful process, I would be horrified and furious if something as important as seat fabric came out wrong. You know, I could somewhat understand getting black leatherette instead of black cloth- thats do-able- but a completely different color scheme????

I think you need to stand up and make as much noise as possible about this. If you check out the sep/oct thread, you'll see that one of the members here received a $500 check just because his car was delivered 4 or 5 days late (the dealer kept saying tomorrow, and then postponing). So, if he payed MSRP and still got $500 back, and you paid $1000 over MSRP, I think you deserve A LOT as far as customer service goes. Good luck to ya, buddy.

Noa

 

I had wondered about the extended warranty but didn't get it. Now that I hear it's 2.5K for 2 additional years and 50,000 miles above the standard factory warranty I'm glad I didn't. If an extended warranty is desired, isn't it available up the the time the standard warranty runs out? If you aren't sure how long you're going to keep the car you can always wait and puchase an extended warranty later. In this case saving 2.5K plus the financing on 2.5K.


R.E.

 

Billy...


I think I know where things went wrong here.

This year space grey cloth became available in the MC. It is only available on the sport seat in the MC. The octagon cloth is NOT available on the sport seat. This very well may be the key.

Also, believe it or not, in the ordering system when selecting the space grey cloth, it says black/black cloth...it's an abbreviation of space grey/black/black cloth. Meaning the space gray and black cloth and the black door panels.

I know this doesn't help much, but if you want cloth and you want sport seats in the Cooper, you have no choice but to get space grey.

Good Luck

 

I'll have to check on the extended warranty, as far as it's transferability goes. It's actually the MINI extended to 50,000 miles (for about $500, discounted from...?), plus an additional non-MINI contract that covers the car, bumper to bumper (with various typical exceptions, such as tires, etc.), to the 100,000 mile mark, or 6 years, whichever comes first. The non-MINI extended contract also includes free regular MINI service checks, just like the base plan that comes with the car for the first 35,000 some odd miles. Of course, even THAT is something you are paying for, but it's hidden, and unremovable, in your MSRP. (I'm not complaining, but just thought I'd remind people of that fact.) All in all, it wasn't a bad deal, or a great deal. It was just a reasonable deal.

Yes, I understand what went wrong, and the fault may very well fall on MINI USA, or the dealership, or both. I've no way of knowing, without at least SOME cooperation from one or the other. Part of the problem may well be with the fact that my first MA left the dealership shortly after I placed my order, and then awhile past before another one was assigned to me. But, once again, this was not MY problem, but rather their's. I can be sympathetic to the problems this causes on their end of things, but I still expect some satisfaction, as well as understanding, and respect.

If Black/Panther Black means Space Gray/Panther Black with Black door casings, then what does Silver Gray/Panther Black mean? And what if it was the other door casing color for an MC? Their arguments don't make any sense to me so far. And, if they feel it was MINI USA that was at fault, shouldn't my dealership be batting for me? (If I have to, sure, I'll go higher up the chain, but this is the step I'm at right now.)

Oh, and by the way, thank you for your good opinion of the e-mail I wrote to my dealership. I was trying to get everything that was relevent in there, without losing my head and going ballistic, which I don't think would've helped me much. But, I AM angry about this, and THAT had to be expressed as well, or they might just think this is some minor thing to me, that I can easily shrug off. (Actually, I have been TRYING to shrug it off, but that's not been working for me. )

I had a little bit of satisfaction today, when a stranger that was planning to buy a MINI soon from Niello MINI talked to me about my car. He was a customer, and couldn't stop talking to me about MINI's. Then, when I heard he was going to buy from the same dealership as me, I told him, in no uncertain terms, that was a BAD idea, and that he should shop elsewhere. From his reaction, I think he will. Chalk one point for me, eh?

 

I don't believe that MINI offers an extended warranty. What they do offer is extended maintenance. That's a whole different ball of wax... there are third party agents that offer extended warranties.

 

I apologize for any confusion regarding the extended maintenence and warranty contract, which (at least in my case) is actually two seperate, somewhat overlapping, things. My terminology used to describe these two items is probably not the best, but then it's not really what I'm concerned about right now. The extended MINI maintenence program, which in itself is questionable to it's relative value (considering the limited number of additional miles it covers), isn't much to write home about, unless an individual dealership drops it's price on this for you. The other contract, the extended warranty one, which also includes it's own integrated maintenence program, is a little more worthwhile, depending on what they're charging for it. Being as it's NOT a MINI contract, it's understandable to have some doubts of it's value as well.

There are many such programs available out there, and you can likely shop around for your own, if you are interested. This particular company has been in business about 9 years. If anyone is interested, I can pull it out and look up any details of the contract that might be of interest, and the company's name, etc.

In the meantime, I have to return a call from my dealership this weekend, and see if anything new has developed. It's also time for me to wash my MINI (while I still have it), and I've just spent over $100 on car care products. Everything from wax (Zymol, of course! :smile: ) to a nice little 12V car vac that comes in it's own cute little bag (perfect for the MINI! ). Since my car is only about 2 months old from it's factory paint job, is it too early to wax, due to the paint not having cured yet? No matter what happens with this car, I've got to take care of her while I've got her.

While I'm pissed with the dealership, and MINI USA, about the confusion and misunderstanding, and whatever, leading to my seats being a color I'm not hot about, the car itself has been an otherwise good little trooper, and I don't think I should take my frustrations out on my MINI. Many strangers have come up to me on the street to ask questions about the car. It definitely draws a lot of attention from folks that haven't had a chance to get close to one, but are still somehow drawn to these cars. Rather like many of us, eh?

I was even able to get a stranger parked in my parking spot to move, without saying a word, when he realized he was parked in a MINI parking spot. Of course, he then wanted to stop and talk about MINI's, which I was happy to oblige him in...because it gives me a chance to NOT recommend Niello MINI! The MINI seems to get respect from people you'd not otherwise expect to get much respect from (except car salesmen), even under the most extraordinary circumstances. I've not explanation for it, but I also seem to get more in tips when I'm delivering pizzas, when the customers see my car parked out front.

So, I guess my MINI purchasing experience hasn't been all bad, eh?

 

It's not to early to wax your MINI. Go ahead, it's an enjoyable experience.

After a year my MINI still draws a lot of attention. At times it's almost more than I want. There's a solid black MINI S here in town that seems to go almost unnoticed. Of course, a Chili Red/ White MC with white bonnet stripes, white wheels and an American flag sunroof cover isn't exactly stealth.

If your're getting exta tips for pizza delivery just because you're driving a MINI maybe you need to live with the seat color and just save the extra bucks.

R.E.

 

--->BillyB; while it sucks the dealership and MINIUSA weren't clear on which fabrics were/are available with the sport seats, one perspective is; you got a fabric (Space cloth) that was until recently available on the MCS only. I'd say you got an unintentional upgrade! I'm biased, but I completely love my Space Cloth!

I do feel your pain on the 3-spoke MFSW buttons; they're much harder to use than the 2-spoke MFSW buttons. If yours are actually messed up, then work that brand new warranty!

Motor-On,
Ryan

 

Just to update everyone that's still following this thread. So far, because I work nights, I've had a hard time getting a hold of Niello MINI during the day. In the meantime, despite my leaving a message or two with them, I recently recieved an e-mail from the sales manager saying that he's just going to assume everything is ok now, since I've not called him directly on the matter. (Interesting how they are always assuming things, eh? ) This, despite the above posted e-mail, which pretty clearly says I'm NOT cool with things. What a...*bleeping*...a-hole this guy is! (Or maybe I should just call him a bonehead?) I don't think I'm going to get far with this dealership, so now I'll give MINI USA a shot, before I fill out my online customer satisfaction survey. (Seems fair, right?)

Peace, folks.

 

Hey Billy! How's it going? Any updates??

M.

 

Hello Merrick,

Why, yes, I do happen to have an update, but it's not much of one. Having had no luck in getting in touch with anyone who could help me, at all, at Niello MINI of Sacramento, I contacted MINI USA. Their response was that they would file my complaint for "the record", but that since that dealership is an independently owned and operated operation, there was nothing they could do for me, other than recommend talking to the General Manager of the dealership, a Mr. Tom Donnelly. I had no luck in the past with contacting Mr. Donnelly by phone, but I will try again, and also try e-mailing Mr. Donnelly, for what it is worth. (Why are these people NEVER available, EXCEPT when you are BUYING from them?)

Right now, I've become more concerned about some rattle problems (all fairly typical ones for a MINI), that I'd like to have fixed when I take the car in this weekend for a check on the MFSW. The MFSW is actually working BETTER now then it did before, as if it required it's own break-in period. That's pretty weird, and I'm hoping it still shows some signs of being finicky when I show up for service, just so I don't end up looking silly. If it gets better and better with time though, I guess I can't complain about that, can I? (My passenger door speaker rattle is becoming worse though, and really starting to **** me off. *sigh*)

Thank you for asking about how things have been going. Life has been hectic, so I've not checked in here at NAMCO much recently. And, strangely (since it now seems I'm doomed to having Space Gray/Panther Black Cloth seats), I've yet to take a single picture of my MINI, and now it's RAINING, with SNOW expected any day now! Sheesh, I may NEVER get pictures taken of this car. (NICE, clean pictures, that is.)

Since I'm doomed to my present cloth seats, I'm now playing around with ideas to make them more satisfactory, and appealing, in ways that I could never have gotten as a factory option anyway. Such as re-upholstering them in red leather (possibly with gray side bolsters and headrests?), in a texture close to the pebble grain look of the black (dark gray) dash top and doors, with those nice little ventilation holes they put in some leather. The Panther Black/Octagon Red Cloth seats would've been cool looking in my MINI, despite (or because of?) the LY/B exterior, but that was not an available option for Liquid Yellow MINI's, and still isn't. Maybe I'll do something like that one of these days, say...in 6 years, when I'm done paying for the damn car! (Hopefully my business will take off, and I can do whatever, whenever I wish, and leave all this behind me. Money sure can be nice, eh?)

If my visit to Niello MINI for warranty service turns into some sort of fiasco, I'll be sure to let everyone know. For now, I'm just hoping for the best, and avoiding thinking about anything else. If some miracle happens ,regarding the seats (which are holding up well so far), I'll update things here, but I'll likely not be posting much otherwise. Working a regular job, and trying to start a business at the same time, doesn't leave me much time to enjoy chatting about our MINI's. *sigh*

 

Well...I finally took my MINI in for warranty service the other day. It was quite a trip over the Sierras from Reno to Sacramento, with it raining all the way over. No snow, luckily. And, since the MINI is broken-in now, the trip was actually pretty fun! :smile:

There is nothing going on regarding the "wrong" cloth seats issue. When I was at the Niello MINI dealership for service, the sales manager tried to say hello (just to say "hi", not to offer any help), but I just ignored the bastard. The overall response to that problem by people there was an "oh well" shrug of the shoulders. Oh well.

They checked on my MFSW problem, supposedly taking the unit apart, but could not repeat the problem, so they couldn't really do anything, and so the down volume button is still a little finicky. It usually works, but still likes to not work at times, and still sometimes activates the up or down radio station/CD track buttons instead. Oh well.

They seem to have resolved my serious rattle from the passenger door main speaker compartment. However, they couldn't repeat the rattle from the speedo (center) lens cover, or from the driver side A pillar/dash joint, so nothing was fixed there. (They ARE intermittent rattles.) Supposedly they retightened all the dash fasteners that could be tightened. The passenger door is quiet now, but now I'm noticing that part of that noise over on that side of the car is coming from the glove box, which I can silence by applying pressure in the join spot, at the top, of the glove box and the dash. I think I can fix that one myself, with proper application of...something. (Weather stripping, something else...?)

All in all, I guess the trip was worthwhile, despite the disappointments. The noisiest rattle I had is gone, but that was all that was accomplished.

Oh, yeah, while there, my daughter convinced me to get The Italian Job video game for the Playstation 2 (hers), at the mall while we waited on the car. It's an OK game, but I'm disappointed that my color MINI is not available to drive!

Since there is funky cloth join spot (a bit too much fabric) on my Space Gray/Panther Black Cloth, passenger side, sport seat, I asked the service guy about getting that workmanship issue corrected. Being as it was a Saturday, no one was available to ok repair at an outside upholstery shop, so I'll have to wait and see on that. I'll likely get it checked out when I'm in for my regularly scheduled service. It would be nice, since I'm apparently stuck with their color, if the sports seats could be made to at least LOOK right. (But will that work be approved?)

*sigh*

While there at the dealership, I saw the upholstery samples for the various option packages, and made the mistake of checking out the Octagon Black Cloth that's not available for my MINI. I really liked the tight, durable weave, feel of the material, and I sure wish this option had not been eliminated for MC's with sport seats. Looks like it'd be much easier to maintain, and otherwise hold up better, than the Space Gray Cloth.

Oh well.

(On the bright side, I'm getting a very cool leather upholstery job done...in six years. *shakes head sadly*)

 

William-

I'd think you'd be able to swap out someone with an '04 MC w/ black seats for your new '05 gray seats pretty quick... worth a try on the marketplace... there's gotta be SOMEONE who would've rather had the gray...

Not that it solves the dealer problem, but it gets you black MINI seats.

 

Hmmm...I don't think swapping vehicles with someone is a very likely option. But, just switching seats with someone...that's certainly possible. However, right now, I've just about given up on all this stuff. It's JUST a car, and other aspects of my life are applying a lot of pressure on my time right now.

That being said, if someone out there WANTS to swap seats...hey, let me know! (Mine are still in very good condition. Anyone out there ever done a seat swap? Is it hard to do?)