Ive gotten loaners from the dealership in TX (Moritz) even though I got my car in CA... Here in MI, you cant get a loaner even if you DO buy your car there!

 

Why a 10-12 month wait?? I test drove my first Mini April 1, 2006 ordered what I wanted the same day, car was finished being built April 20th and according to 866-ASK-MINI was enroute on April 21st.

The other day, I went into the dealer (Mini of the Woodlands) north of Houston and asked why they had almost no cars.. Rep said everything they get in as a floorplan is sold within a couple of days, so it is pretty much order what you want since customer orders are not tagged against their floor plan.

Even on the day I ordered it, they showed me on the computer the production slots open for each week to give me a rough idea when I could expect to see it.

Price was MSRP (no dealer premium charges) which didnt suprise me for a BMW owned brand.

While you maybe worried about the dealer's loaner policy, that combined with being told 10-12 months makes you want to consider your options. Of course, you could call MiniUSA and ask what the deal is with the dealer in your area.

 

i like checkered flag too. i drove 4 hours to buy from them. my local dealer, whom i did NOT buy the car from, has given me a loaner before. but, recently, I was told they now give a discount for rentals.

i guess it does vary by dealer. i am oh-so-thankful when they do give out rentals. they should be trying to win us over, esp if they want the 5-out-of-5 rating they hope for

 

My dealership (Schomp, denver) treats me like royalty as far as loaners go--Bimmers most of the time. But then I endured a 8 month wait to get my car from them, instead of buying elsewhere like OK City where the wait was like 8 weeks. I simply believe in supporting local businesses. Plus Schomp has NO dealer prep charges....

Oh and one poster seemed puzzled at the 10-12 month wait for an S from Seattle. It's because there are only two dealers serving 4 NW states, OR, WA, ID, and MT, and customer waits are usually long in very limited markets for dealers who sell at MSRP. It's all about allotment and demand, and it's still out of whack in many western locales. There are only 4 dealers in the entire Mountain Time Zone, and all have a wait of some kind, albeit it's less now than when I got my car in mid-2004. Jimbo

 

I just got my 2006 MC from Rasmussen in Portland and they have been awesome throughout the entire process and even with a loaner when I had tough guard applied this past week. The customer service has been outstanding and I am impressed that they offer services before I can even ask!

 

No prob ....Yeah, the original poster used the term shady in his first post.

 

Before we even test drove a MINI at MINI of Sterling, I called them and asked about loaners and stated that their location required they provide a loaner. In short, I made it a precondition to doing business with them. They clearly stated their position, that they provide loaners to people who buy a MINI from them for as long as that purchaser owns the car. It's been in only once, for a "we owe" dealer add on that was not in stock when we picked the car up. No problems at all--and the loaner was a 3-series BMW which, for the record, we thought sucked relative to the MINI.

The sales person offered to include the loaner promise in writing on the sales contract, and they did.

The only issue I would have with dealers offering loaners or not is that their position should be clearly stated. Sometimes the only way they will state it is if you ask. Another thing they state is that gasoline is not free--they give you the loaner with a full tank and you return it with a full tank. While I've never, in many years of using loaners from other dealers, had this happen before, I can't argue with its logic.

 

Woah, this seems to be a popular topic!

I can totally understand a dealership wanting to give people an incentive to buy from them, but NW Mini is in a unique situation considering that the next closest dealership is in Oregon. '

I'd like to hope that Seattle would get a MINI dealership in the near future, but I suppose an hour's drive away to Fife isn't too bad. And it sounds like I could at least have the option of renting a car if my MINI ever needs extended service. Which, hopefully, it won't!

Thanks for the discussion, folks. Now I'm seriously wondering if MINI is planning on opening more dealerships. The PNW especially seems to be pretty underserved.

 

For what it's worth, I took in my '05 MCC in to Braman Miami today for the 10K service and Fast Clock and Passenger-Door-won't-open-from-inside issues. I did buy my car from them, and they did give me a loaner (BMW 325, they no longer loan MINIs) without any problems at all.

 

Its a dealer decision based on his policy.I bought a demo 2 years ago from a dealer and the great service brought me back.The sales person was good,the sales mgr typical add on guy so we didnt get along.Went in 2 years later 05 to buy another again because of great service.The sales mgr stuck us with rookie sales person for sales 101,we walked, and bought from another dealer.Took new one in for service at original dealer no problem.Bought 06 from the service dealer,this time sales mgr was ok,service is still great.No problem with mods, bought from other dealers,or loaners.The key to happy ownership is dealer service, not the sales experience.If you finda good service dealer stick with him,it definitely pays to do so.Name of dealer is omitted to protect service dept.

 

IMO a dealer should offer a loaner for a warranty repair if it is going to take longer than a day. I recently paid a few hundred bucks to rent a Hyundai (and that was a trade "up" from the Malibu, the only thing Enterprise had on the lot) when my ECU went on the MC (under warranty I might add). The trauma of driving a Malibu followed by a Hyundai for 6 days is the basis for another thread entirely! When I asked, I was told that all loaners were out. Could be BS.

Speaking of BS, any policy that ties a loaner to dealer purchase location is just that. I bought my MC used. Does that make me a second class citizen? What about inviting new business? I have 4 dealerships I can choose from in a 2 hour drive (infortunately there are NONE within that distance...come on MINI USA, build some new dealerships!). My 03 can't last forever, and I'm pretty sure I'll buy another MINI. The dealer with the perks gets my business.

 

I got my 2nd. car from NW MINI just a month ago, and would buy a 3rd. from them again. To me they have always stated that the only way to get a "loaner" is from the rental car company. The only dealer who have ever given me a true loaner (same brand car) was Lexus, but that only for services that took more than one day. Mercedes once gave my husband a Kia or something like that
I have always gotten excellent service at NW MINI, no problem when the car was not to my specs at arrival, fixed it quickly, and I only had to wait 7 mos. not 12. Also, I was told that the dealer does not control how many cars they have allotted to them. All that being said, the North West does need a second dealership though.

 

Side story: Braman service just called...I had to give them the TSB number for the fast clock issue (M620105). Wouldn't THEY have that on file?

Back on track: At least I have my loaner...

 

Otto's Mini, in West Chester, PA gave me a loaner when I had my state inspection done even though the work performed didn't require it to be there all day. Dropped it off in the morning, picked it up later in the evening.

Will definitely buy from them again.

 

I'm glad to hear good things about Rasmussen Mini in Portland. I live in Seattle, but when I called NW Mini and got an estimated wait time of 13 months, I almost fell out of my chair... Plus, the guy I talked to was a total punk about it, too... When I pointed out that 13 months would put me in line for a 2007 model (which I don't want), he just said, "You can just put in the order and if you get it, you get it." What's that supposed to mean???

Anyway, I ended up ordering from Rasmussen and the lady I talked to was totally helpful and informative. I wouldn't mind driving down there for my regularly scheduled service work, either... as long as their service dept opens on the weekends, that is. Something about NW Mini just gives me a bad feeling... or maybe it was just that guy I talked to...