looking for a good CA dealer.....anyone with any info. would be kindly appreciated.....mini on....Hope I can get an S....

 

Mtn View -salesman Ben. Good expierence.I got #4.

 

mountain view has dealer markups of 1000 or more plus rip-off add-ons like 'paint protection' and 'lo-jack' for outrageous amounts of money. Frankly i wouldn't take either of those options if they were free.

 

A good Ca dealer seems almost like an oxymoron, but luckily there are two. In southern Ca, Long Beach MINI is the ONLY dealer selling at MSRP with NO add-ons whatsoever. In northern Ca, there's East Bay MINI (Pleasanton). They are selling at MSRP plus $290 for VIN etch. However, the VIN etch will reduce your insurance premium, so this money can be recouped. Just FYI, if you ordered a Cooper from them (EB MINI) on April 13, you could expect delivery in August. If you ordered a Cooper S from them on April 13, you could expect delivery in June of 2003. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

 

Perhaps I was lucky as an early buyer in Mtn View....no mark up, no lojack no perma plate...Only thing I had to buy that I did not want is the $895/ CD changer..I think if you can snag the car before they start the add-ons that might be the answer - Look for the delivery truck! :smile: :smile:

 

From one Chad to another where can I find the car. I've called three dealers, with not reply. I live near Palm Spring so I know I will need to go to LA or San Diego.
Suggetions.....

 

I bought mine at Irvine Mini. They were very nice folks, but they did add on a little mark-up and forced Lojac and Permaplate. I dont know how long they will continue that practice though...

Best part about it is that I just walked up and bought the car...no list, no deposit and I got the car I wanted.

Maybe I just got lucky... but overall I am pleased with the experience

 

I live in san diego and our dealer will not be online 'til june( if then). so i decided to venture out. I called long beach and irvine. Phil called me back 30 minutes later. I told him what i wanted and he had one on his list, past due on delivery. $1600.00 a.d.m. ( lojac- perma- mats )I had budgeted for that amount and put down a deposit. The car came in today. I will pick her up on Sat morning.
Long beach did call back. One day later. Tony said i could order the car for delivery in Aug. no mark up. M.S.R.P. only. I obviously could not wait that long.
I was using a broker who had hooked up with the dealer in santa ana. 4000.00 a.d.m. on all the cars that go through there. NO WAY!!
I did try to get Phill @ Irvine to bargin a bit. I wanted to trade the perma for the c.d.changer, same price 795.00. his manager said 'no way'. Said they have the lowest mark up in the nation. HA!! I said, That's not what I read on line. I am hoping to report after this Sat. that @ irvine, they treat the customers like royalty.
If they do not, I have already told Phill I will let everyone know how lame they are.
Wish me luck.
mini-g.

 

They are nice folks there at Irvine, but hopefully they will have their act together a little better than when I picked up my car. It took forever to do the paperwork...I had planned on a sunny drive home with the sunroof open and ended up getting home pretty late at night.

I have no complaints when it comes to the people themselves...all really nice folks.
And I love my Mini

 

I live in both sides of the border, San Diego and Tijuana, and I register my car in Mexico and here in the USA wiht out a problem, a friend of mine also does the same, so we carry both license plates and it was easy and simple.
The Tijuana dealer already have 3 to 4 months delay to ship the cars.
Take notice, on the Mini S they got a recall because they have a problem with one of the belt tensioners, perhaps that it is the reason of the delays in the USA for the Mini S, remember that all this cars came from England and was assembled there.
If some one have noticeon this, please made a comment

 

The Irvine MINI dealer is pretty good. They are pretty nice there and the markup isn't that bad but there's a big waiting list. Niello BMW in Sacramento have good customer service, no waiting list (first come first serve basically), and minimal markup. For Niello you can check their inventory online and see what they have available. If I remember correctly, they have 4-6 on the way.

Isabel

 

What is the website for the sacramento dealer? And how bad is the markup? I was looking at a dealer in Monrovia, CA (ASSAEL) and their markup for the S was about $6,000 above sticker price. A little disappointing, but I guess everybody is enthusiastic about the S.

 

ops:

 

mini-g, that sounds like an absolute nightmare!

Please forward your experience to BMW and everyone down the line. Things do need to change, this is rediculous. I do know BMW is listening... they have already shorted some dealers for certain things. Perhaps they will nail this dealer and the dealer in turn will change its ways.

 

Stay away from Neillo BMW in Sacramento. They suck! :evil:

 

Hey Mini-G glad you got the car but what a headache! I am still reeling that, A.They did not have the car preped and ready for delivery and B. You have to go back for dealer installed options that you did not want in the first place!!! What is going on here. I was going to order an S model from Irvine I am still on the list and am somewhere over #750 so I expect a call sometime next year!! But then went back to Santa Ana Crevier and figured I would get a Standard model order it the way I wanted it and get a S model when all the Hype dies down a little. I went back and the attitude among the Mini dealers just started getting me mad, I love this car but come on when all is said and done it is still a car. I have decided to pick up a WRX Subaru for now and wait for BMW to get its act together with the Mini side of business. As long as people continue to allow the kind of service and gouging that is happening why should Mini change. They have the power right now and they now it. I am starting to see a few Mini's on the freeway and even one in the nieghborhood and I do love the little guys. Guess I will just have to satisfied with looking for a while longer and enjoy the car I have.
Best of luck to everybody,
ZB

 

mini.niello.com I think is their site. You can check to see what they have available online. I went to Assael as well and didn't see a markup on any of the cars. I went to the one that is right off Mountain by the 210. Only thing though, they added in dealer packages which included like leather shift ****, floor mats, cargo net...and some other stuff too. That came out to be about 2000. They had an S come in yesturday around 2ish when I was in there.


Isabel

 

 

I see there are a few that have had a bad experiance at Niello Mini. I for one didn't have the same experiance as I purchased a Mini from them last Saturday. There were a few dealer Item that were required that mounted up to $998 but no lists. I drove in in my Honda and drove out with a Red/White Mini Cooper with Sports Package that day. Extras were Floore Mats, wheel locks and paint protection. Grant you that's kind of high for paint protection but I have my New Mini. I had ordered a Red/Red Mini from East Bay Mini and would have gotten it in July but just couldn't wait. East Bay only has one extra you must buy and that is VIN Etch at $289.

See ya at the track
FlaggetStan

 

>>I see there are a few that have had a bad experiance at Niello Mini. I for one didn't have the same experiance as I purchased a Mini from them last Saturday. There were a few dealer Item that were required that mounted up to $998 but no lists. I drove in in my Honda and drove out with a Red/White Mini Cooper with Sports Package that day. Extras were Floore Mats, wheel locks and paint protection. Grant you that's kind of high for paint protection but I have my New Mini. I had ordered a Red/Red Mini from East Bay Mini and would have gotten it in July but just couldn't wait. East Bay only has one extra you must buy and that is VIN Etch at $289.
>>
>>See ya at the track

 

Good for you Mini-G speak up dude I know that BMW will take note on the service issues. Just to clarify my earlier post, I am not baggin Mini dealers so much for the gouging as much as the lousy service. I feel if they were straight with with people and treated them with a little repect you would not mind paying for some items you don't really want. The experience would far out wiegh the feeling of being treated like a chump that they are doing you a favor. Hey I go to Vegas and spend money that I know I will never see again, but they treat you like you are important and that you are doing them the service by frequenting their business. Anyway I am a little (ok alot) envious when I see a Mini in the hood or around town but for me personally I will wait a while. Everybody who has one in their garage and is satisfied with the deal thats all that matters in the end. Motor On!!
ZB

 

With regard to Irvine, seems to me that if they knew you were driving up from San Diego, they could've just called you to let you know the car's not ready yet, thus saving you from making two trips. A simple phone call is not too much to ask. It doesn't surprise me though as I haven't heard too many complimentary things about any of the Southern Ca dealers aside from Long Beach.

(BTW, East Bay MINI does not require VIN etch, so they are a true MSRP dealer; one of the few.)

 

mini-g: i'm glad you are voicing your thoughts @ them in irvine!!! hope everything works out smoother soon....!!

monrovia: i went there today to test drive one. the guy [leon?] was not as friendly as I pictured. I'm not sure if this is an appropriate thing to ask a customer or not, but I felt it was rude. He asked "how much do you make a month? and what do you do?" wtf? I think that is completely none of his business, and either way, you'll get my money if I decide to buy it anyway.......! ***!

i'm looking into the LB location or the Plesanton location for the car.........

i'm just wondering if I should opt to wait until 2003 or not?

As for myself, I own/owned a 99' beetle. waited after the 1st crop went by, then bought the following years! and thank gawd i did, because there's some major enhancements [imo] versus the 98' year [no offense to 98' drivers :smile:]......

anywho::::

Cooper S, silver/white with white rims, sports package, here I come! :smile: [some decade? ]

 

oh yeah, and mister leon over there in monrovia also told me that "I" should expect to pay close to 30G for a Cooper S...........

You are one funny guy leon!

Is this what he tells customers after asking how much they make?

 

Cargo nets are standard equipment on both models. I wonder what else they're charging for that's supposed to be free.