Hi all,

I have a friend who wants to purchase a MINI. She is interested in a BRAND NEW 2002 MINI Cooper (white/black roof) with sunroof that has been sitting on the dealer lot for about a year. She says the dealer is offering the car at a grand below MSRP.
She asked for my opinion?

Do you all think this is a good idea?

Thanks in advance!!! :smile:

 

>>Hi all,
>>
>>I have a friend who wants to purchase a MINI. She is interested in a BRAND NEW 2002 MINI Cooper (white/black roof) with sunroof that has been sitting on the dealer lot for about a year. She says the dealer is offering the car at a grand below MSRP.
>>She asked for my opinion?
>>
>>Do you all think this is a good idea?
>>
>>Thanks in advance!!! :smile:

Does a member of the Ursidae family evacuate in an a tract of land densely packed with trees?



_________________

 

She should be sure that the car hasn't been used as a demo during that time. Aside from the likely abuse, the warrantly would have begun on the day it was put into service.

 

Since the 03's have been out for some time now, I'd review the price of the 02' (Edmunds) before taking the plunge. If it's a demo, it most likely has been through "the mill". It would have to really be a fantastic price.
Jim

 

The advice about checking the miles is good...although when you say "brand new" I assume that you really mean new, and not that it's a demonstrator. Demonstrators can't be sold by dealers as new cars...rather, they're sold as used cars usually.

It's not too weird that there'd be a new 02 sitting on a lot. First, where is the dealer? Second, if the car was a special order and ended up being built at the very end of the year, it might not have arrived until say October. If it then took 60 days for the customer to bail from the deal (not impossible), then we'd be looking at January or so. Could it still be unsold from January (esp. when newer 03s are arriving weekly)? Sure.

Have her get the VIN number, and if you post it here someone can look up when it came over from England...

If the car's actually new (or being sold used as a low mile demo) and the options and price are right, then go for it. Sounds like a good deal.

 

Thanks to all those that responded!

Jsun,

My friend lives in Canada. The car is new. She says that the car has been there on the lot since last May. I told her to try to extract a greater discount from the dealer. I also worry that there may be something wrong with the car. I haven't seen the car myself though.

Thanks.

 

Even if a demo I believe they start the waranty from when you buy the car. So it could have 10000 on it and still a 45000 mile warranty to 55000. I would stear clear of a demo unless the price was very nice. They get the Pi$$ driven out of them.

 

I purchased my car used from a Honda dealer, but the first owner purchased it as a 'demo' from a MINI dealer. In this case, the dealer extended the warranty at purchase by 5000 miles / 3 months to cover any added risk associated with the car being a demo. So, when I bought 5k miles later, the standard warranty period had really just started.

If the car your friend is looking at is a demo, I would suggest trying to negotiate on the warranty period, as dealers do have the flexibility to extend it.

 

In most states (California for sure) demonstrators are sold on a new car report of sale as they have never been titled, so technically they are sold as new cars. There is no time limit on how long it can remain a “new car” as long as it is never registered. However, the dealer is advised to disclose the car in writing as a company or factory demo to the prospective buyer to eliminate any problems with the sale later on down the road. If a dealer takes an unsold new car off the lot and lets a prospective buyer drive it that would not necessarily qualify that car as a demonstrator. A car normally becomes a demonstrator when the dealer puts a dealer plate on it, reports to the distributor that the car is in demo service (that starts the clock on the warranty which the manufacturer usually extends by both a set time and set miles, the length of the factory warranty is not negotiable on the part of the dealer) and uses the car as an actual sales demo or to be used as a driver for an employee of the dealership. A new car that has been in new car inventory for a year and has say 300 miles on it would still be considered a “new car” and be sold on a new car report of sale. The only problem the dealer would have with both time and miles is the bank that is the actual owner of the car in most dealerships. They may want to curtail the car, which is to have the dealer start paying off the car a certain amount each month.
_________________
2003 MINI Cooper S, Chili Red/white top & wheels, black leather, anthracite dash, Cold Weather Package, Sport Package, Nav w/OBC, PDC, HK, MFSW, sensing wipers & auto dim mirror. Due end of April 2003

 

>>She should be sure that the car hasn't been used as a demo during that time. Aside from the likely abuse, the warrantly would have begun on the day it was put into service.

FOLLOW THAT ADVICE. I drove a demo and reemed the crap out of it.
If it has low miles though, go for it!! The 2002 model's value may be higher in the very long run since much fewer of these were made than the expected number of 2003s. I believe that only a little over 20,000 were imported to the states so that makes the 2002 almost near limited production, and should have a higher collectibility value than newer models.

 

>>
>>
>>I have a friend who wants to purchase a MINI. She is interested in a BRAND NEW 2002 MINI Cooper


If it is a "brand new 02 MC" then, yeh, she should purchase it.
There are still several new 02 MC's here at MINI of Hawaii. 3 are on the showroom floor with "teens" on the odometer, the other 02's have a little more miles. They are selling below MSRP, but have a lot of dealer-added options (aero kit, clear tail lights, chrome wheels, etc....), which adds to the price.

Their reason why 02's are still on ther lot......new customers would rather wait and order the options they want

 

If the deal works out, I'm probably going to buy a 2002 demo car. It has about 6200 km (~4k miles).

It has several options that I wouldn't have ordered myself. I'm getting a decent discount. I'm sure there have been some leadfooted drivers in it, but I don't think that hurt it. There is a school of thought that says the car should be driven hard during the initial break in miles.