So, either tonight, or tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to be putting my order in for a Mini.... and I only have a few question to those who are already owners...

How long is the average wait time? The salesman told me about two months, but i hear people waiting up to 8 months... Also, when ordering, did you have to put any money down on the order? i was told $500 for ordering, non refundable... i thought it was reasonable, but when i was looking at an Audi, they didn't request any money to order that....

my only other question is are all Mini salesmen English?????? the three guys here in town are all english.... i thought it was odd....

I'm running on high anxiety right now, is it going to get any worse after ordering the car??????

 

Your wait will depend on your part of the country.

I waited two months. I have heard others waiting 8 months or more. If your salesperson said 2 months, you have no real reason not to believe him (unless you are just a skeptical person).

$500 deposit is normal. Pay it. My dealer didn't even charge the card and handed me back the sales slip when I picked up the car (of course they didn't apply the deposit either... duh).

Your anxiety will INCREASE exponentially once you get a production number. You will be online all day and all night looking for signs that your MINI is coming. Prepare yourself. Your life just got FUN! Welcome!!!!

 

hey Banky,
Where are you located? Before you make the plunge, check out some out of area or out of state dealerships. Some might have exactly what you want sitting on their lot! Worth a look

 

Agreed...you are in for one wild ride! (...both during the wait and when you car comes in!) I waited three months...ordered in November, drove off the lot Jan 31. They may be down to two months by now if everything aligns just right...a friend of mine ordered an MCS and got it in two months! As for the wait...learn creative ways to cope. It can be a fun time all on its own. Yes, you'll "lose it" big time, but, after all it is a MINI you're waiting for!

 

Welcome to MCO! Good luck with your order and listen to what sambusik has said....it is wise.

And YES it does get worse.

 

Trust me on this one...don't let your anxiety get too high!!!!

 

Well, I'm located in Milwaukee, and the majority of import dealerships around here deal directly with the dealerships in Chicago... it's only 80 miles away. I was told that what I want is actually sitting on the south side, and could be here as soon as two weeks. But he also said "Don't get your hopes up."

 

is it a "S" ???????

 

>>is it a "S" ???????

of course i'm getting a S... do they even make a Mini that isn't?

 

>>>>is it a "S" ???????
>>
>>of course i'm getting a S... do they even make a Mini that isn't?

ha thats the best thing ive heard all day!!!

 

They may not be correct about the 2 months. My two month wait turned out to be 6 weeks. My suggestion is not to get too carried away on the Month/Club sites. Some people start going nuts about the wait. It is cool to follow the course of the build and voyage. It is also fun to order just the car you want. After driving the car for about 1,403 miles, the car is the much more fun than my previous sports cars.
Have fun.

 

>>the car is the much more fun than my previous sports cars.

my current sports car IS dull and boring.... well, compared to the Mini it is... I'm driving a mustang (V6) right now, and then Mini betters it in every field... gas mileage, speed, acceleration, and the fact that i can drive a Mini more than three days out of the year... i mean, seriously, that mustang is only good durring the month of July... and even then, it's not all that fun... oh well, those days will soon be over, and on to better things...

 

This comment was unnecessary and completely moronic. Please remember that alot of us on here are not Cooper S owners. Thanks.

 

I think mini-one owner should take things too seriously too!

 

>>>>>>is it a "S" ???????
>>>>
>>>>of course i'm getting a S... do they even make a Mini that isn't?
>>
>>ha thats the best thing ive heard all day!!!

be nice to our under-horsepowered friends

 

^ ^ Thank you, koolmini....I sacrificed my horsepower for the model that I, personally, found more visually attractive. But to each their own. :smile:

 

Show before go = rice!

J/k j/k j/k


I have to agree the reg mini looks nicer, but I need the S as well.

Also, DS isn't non-s able.

 

If you suffer from hypertension / high blood pressure or if you're faint of heart, then don't do it. That ordering crap sucks. Call around and find one as close to what you want as possible and go buy it. Instant motoring.
I had to wait two months for mine to arrive and I thought I'd die of old age ( I'm 52) before the darn thing got here. Then they screwed up and didn't put in the dash I ordered (silver on an S) anyway. Never again. Go buy one that's already built.

 

And an S is non-CVT able. I work in the inner city and I am also (at least I can admit it) kinda flaky. I can drive manual to a point, but I didn't want to risk it with the kind of driving that I do every day.

And I know you were kidding, but when I said I got the Cooper for its looks....well, it's not ricey when I am not trying to give my car the APPEARANCE of being super fast. I'm not putting a big exhaust tip and a huge and pointless wing. I just like the body styling better. I've never been keen on the bonnet scoop.

 

>>This comment was unnecessary and completely moronic. Please remember that alot of us on here are not Cooper S owners. Thanks.
>>

joke: n. Something not to be taken seriously; a triviality.

sarcasm: n. A cutting, often ironic remark.

 

^ ^ Normally when people make jokes they put a laughy face.....I must have just been confused....

 

Wow, a lot of tension from the MC crowd.

Anyway Banky, my MCS was on the boat exactly 16 days after placing the order but I was very fortunate (that's why I'm bragging). Total time from order to dealer was 4 weeks, I had to authorize a $1000 CC deposit but the card was never charged -- although it would have been had I backed out. It doesn't make sense to me that they'd need to take a deposit for a car that is flying out of the showrooms at an uncontrollable rate but these guys run a tight ship and have little patience for negotiation.

My advice: Don't pay over MSRP. Don't pay some $500 "doc fine" or such (I payed $50 in Texas thanks to state laws that mandate a maximum doc fee of $50.) Most people pay around $250. Don't buy anything else (no lojack, permaplate, floor mats, cd changer, etc.) Order all of the factory accessories from roof graphics to floor mats from Classic MINI in Ohio.

There are many inexpensive alternatives to the factory cd changer from a used BMW changer on eBay to the Alpine 634 CD/MP3 changer.

Finally, I *highly* recommend the MFSW, DSC, HID, rubber boot mat, and driver's side shelf.

 

Well, I've got an update....

On friday, I went to the dealership to order, and they had what I wanted in Chicago, and today, I own an MCS. Talk about one awesome ride. It's fully loaded, black w/ white bonnet strips and white roof... MAN, this just rules... Skipped anxiety, went directly to elation... time to go down to Lake Michigan and cruise the strip for a bit....

 

That is the luckiest thing that I have heard. Congratulations!! Obviously since I am among the waiting there were many other thoughts that I had but tried to take the high road. Happy Motoring!!

 

Well done, Banky. NOT the usual MINI experience, I can assure you. I had a 4 month wait for my PS/B MC, but it would have been close to a year had I ordered an S, and if it weren't for the hood scoop, I might have held out. Truth is, I fell in love w/ the look of the regular Cooper and didn't want to wait 8 more months and pay $3000 more for 51 extra horsepower in a slightly less graceful looking package. Just another person's $.02.