Quick question,

I've pretty much decided on either the liquid yellow or chili red for my '05 Cooper. Does anyone know the availability of either of these colors. I want the base Cooper, not an S. Is one color more common than the other? Also, how common are Coopers in the $18-19k price bracket. I don't want it bone stock, but I don't want one that stickers over $20k either. Do dealers stock lesser equipped models, or are they usually all loaded? I'm hoping I can buy a Cooper off the lot, so I don't have to wait...I already have to wait months as it is.

I'll probably be asking a bunch of questions for the next month or so, I'm just excited about getting such a sweet car, especially at 18.

Thanks, Kyle

 

Tough choice. Two great factory colors, and no hard to maintain metallic paint. Because of the dimunitive size of the Mini, my next color will be Liquid Yellow. Other drivers see you, and I think it looks awesome on the Cooper. But then again, Chili Red looks darn good...I think color is the most difficult choice when custom ordering a Mini Cooper.

 

Kyle-- Nothing wrong with bone stock!... Pure fun! If buying off the lot is your goal, stay open to what colors you find... most cars on the lot have options added... that's profit for the dealers... Best of luck!

Godspeed.

 

I will, the only colors I won't take (no offese to anyne here) are black and silver. BLack is a pain to keep clean, and with school I won't have time. The silver is nice, but just too boring of a color. I haven't seen the solid gold in person, but I don't think I'd like it.

My top four color choices, in order...

1. liquid yellow
2. chili red
3. british racing green (this may actually be my favorite, but I'm having a hard time paying almost $500 extra for metallic paint)
4. pepper white

If I couldn't find one in my price range, in one of those four colors, I think i'd order.

 

Hi Kyle...welcome to NAM! You're really gonna enjoy owning a Cooper...much more fun than one can imagine. CR and LY are both awesome colors...in my local club there are actually few LYs, but either way, you'll be making a great choice. Both are very cheery, hard to miss.....and no extra $$$s.

My Cooper was spec'ced out to be in the price range you've got in mind and I've gotten a good deal of personal satisfaction knowing my awesome ride is something of a bargain considering all the great features that come standard on MINIs...from safety features, to styling, fantastic handling, to practical economy and more. I added a leather steering wheel, sport seats, and fogs...I think that's about it. A basic Cooper might be light, too, and that might be an advantage if you want a zippy little car.

Do dealers stock them that way? Sometimes. It seems my local dealer does usually have a few Coopers in their shipments that are more modestly equipped. I'd bet many other dealers load most of 'em up, though. If you can search around between several dealer, you're bound to find something that meets your needs.

Happy searching!

 

Thanks for the info.

I was just thinking....basically, I want the sunroof and nothing else...I guess that's what it comes down too...give or take a few things I don't care too much about such as heated seats, etc...I also won't be picky about roof color.

I actually have another question, are the 5 speed or CVT Coopers more common? I definitely want the 5 speed so that's something else that could be a potential deal-breaker.

I mean, a few days ago, I was pretty sure I wanted to order my car so it would be just right, but I've been reading the forums and seeing that people have build dates in September/October '05? That's almost a year, I can't wait that long.

 

Well, the MINI sunroof is fantastic, for sure!!!

From what I can tell, 5 speeds are more common, but I for one would love to play with a CVT...sounds like a blast.

Not sure how things are at this moment, but I always thought you could get a Cooper in a few months if that long. The longer waits have traditionally been for MCSs. I waited three months for the Cooper I ordered. A year....naw...nothing like that at all.

 

In regards to price I ordered my Chili Red '04 with 17" S-lites (on Pirreli run-flats), leather steering wheel, and leatherette sport seats all for well under $18K.

 

wow...how did you pull that one off?...Did they give it to you for less than MSRP? I was under the impression that if you can get a Cooper for MSRP, you're doing good.

 

Red is by far much more common, LY would be a good choice if you want to stand out. With the black roof and some window tint you'd have a "STANDOUT" ride, IMHO !


I ordered mine the way I wanted it and kept the price under $18,000, no sunroof, but couldn't live without the sport seats and the multi-function steering wheel that gets you cruise control and radio controls...GREAT option! I also added the fog lights and came in at $17,800.

Took about 3 months ordered just the way I wanted and well worth the wait!

 

where did you see that? Where do you live? I know at my local dealer you can pretty much order a car with little to no wait.

 

I think it was over at Mini2...but I'm not sure. I think I found two people with build dates in september/october '05. Now that I think about it, wouldn't that be into the '06 MY build cycle? Maybe these people placed orders for '06 Minis, that would explain the wait.

If it only took a few months tops...I would order, but I have one problem. I really need to know what I can get for my current car before I buy my Mini. I need to put $10k down on the Mini so I can have minimal car payments through school. KBB says my car is worth $10,500 in a private sale...but somehow I doubt I'll get that much. Say I order the Mini expecting to get $10k for my car, and come to find out I can only get $7k...I'd be screwed. See what I'm saying? The other option would be to sell my car first, then order my Mini, but then I'd be out a car for three months...that wouldn't work either.

Does anyone see an easy solution to this problem that i'm overlooking?

 

Sorry, forgot to answer the second part of your question. I live in New Hampshire, my local dealer (Mini of Peabody) has 28 new Minis in stock: four leftover '04s, three '05 5spd Coopers, seven Cooper Cabrios, six Cooper S Cabrios, two '05 CVT Coopers, and six '05 Cooper S's.

Not that this will be the same when I am ready to buy, but it gives me an idea of what to expect. I'm surprised they have leftover '04s still.

BTW...what's little to no wait?...was my guess of 3 months accurate?

 

I also am not pleased by the $500 upcharge for metalic paint. But I am falling in love with Solid Gold. I would think that the Chili Red is far more common than the Liquid Yellow.

Odds are that you will not find a bone stock MC at a dealer. More than likely you will have to order one. The key here is to first find a dealer that sells at MSRP and no ADP. Then you need to ask your motoring asssistant if they have any cars in the system that could be modified (cars that were ordered by the dealer not meant for a specific customer). This way you can get your MINI configured the way that you want it.

 

Thanks for the tip. I figured that I wouldn't find a bone stock MC at any dealers, but they don't typically have any in stock that sticker at $18 or $19k?...I'm somewhat open on the options. I mean, If I can find one with the premium package instead of just the sunroof, that's fine. It's not that much more.

There are two dealers in the area, would it be unheard of for a Mini dealer to trade with another one. I've heard nothing but horror stories about one of the dealers near me, and how awesome the other one is...so I already found the dealer I want to go through, and as far as I know they don't charge any extra fees...which is always nice.

BTW: has anyone at all gotten a Mini below MSRP yet? just curious.

 

I got Mingo for MSRP. One local dealer, Global Imports, has a rediculous 599 dealer setup fee that I wouldn't pay so I bought Mingo out of state and was very glad I did...all told, between what I got for my trade, etc. I save 2000 and got the exact car I wanted. I don't know if below MSRP is possible but you don't have to pay more than sticker if you look for a good dealer.

 

It is tough to find any MINIs in dealer stock. The vast majority, at least in my area, are ordered. The local dealer tries to keep a couple for the showroom and a couple for test drives, but not much else. Those that you do find in stock tend to be fairly well equipped. That said, I ordered my MINI on January 2nd 2004 expecting an 8-12 week wait. 5 weeks later I picked it up. It was not an "S" and even the dealer was surprised that it came that quickly, but sometimes things work out. Check the NADA book for the value on your trade-in. This book seems to be more realistic that Kelly on some cars.

 

Let me put it this way. MINI is like Saturn. You pay sticker price. What you haggle over is what they give you for trade in value(if there is a trade in) and dealer installed options they will give you for free for paying MSRP.

IMHO Bonnet stripes should be included Free if you get a contrasting roof/mirror color. And for the nearly or just over 20 large they ought to include a free full tank of gas (All the way up to the top of the filler, not just quit when it clicks off)!

They will search inventories of neighboring states. You can buy from your dealer and then travel to pick your MINI up.

The other thing is that dealers tend to order cars with either leather or leatherette seats. I don't want leather or leatherette in a car that handles well, I don't like slipping around on my seat under my seat belt. I have that problem in my current car.

 

Let me restate that.

IMHO bonnet stripes should come free as a part of the contrasting roof/mirror combination. You should have the choice if they are installed or not. If they are to be installed, the dealer should do this at no charge when the car gets its final detailing before delivery.

 

oops

 

I did....they were advertising it right here on the board.

 

I asked the MA I'm intending to use. He said what they are limited to is the total number of cars per month. He's not limited to X number of CR or Y number of LY per month. He was very clear with me that if you order the car you get the color you want.

Hope that helps.

Hunter

 

Hi Kyle,

Here are BOTH your favorite colors

 

Wow, did you know you have good taste?

Now add a LY/B to your collection and you'll be set.

 

Thanks. I think i'm gonna have to bite the bullet and order my car. I want it to be exactly the way I want, so I don't regret it later.

I think i've decided on LY/B, black leatherette, 5 speed, and sunroof..the only thing I still have no clue on is the interior trim...silver or anthracite.....I keep going back and forth.