Ok, I pestered my MA for an exact breakdown, tell me what you guys think:
sale price 20,850*
license fee 200
ca tire fee 8.75
smog/weight fee's 983
doc fee 45
tax@7.75% 1,619.36
total 22,751.11[/SIZE][/FONT]
agreed on 22,729[/SIZE][/FONT]
and of course this includes your stripes.

*Here's where I'm confused - my car on the web is 20,200, so plus their 500 mark-up, it should be sale price 20,700, NOT 20,850. I'll ask him about this.
Also, per Kissmys, I went ahead and bought my personalized plates ahead of time. Does the $90 I already paid for them come off of the licensing fee? I will ask my MA, and I did the breakdown ahead of time so I wouldn't get confused in the finance office, but I'm just wondering if you guys had any thoughts on these fees. Needless to say, I'm a first time buyer

 

You should find somewhere else to sell you a Mini without the markup. I'm sure some California NAMers can help you out.

 

The $90 you paid for personalized plates are completely seperate, and nothing to do with your dealer's registering your car with the DMV. In fact, you won't be able to obtain your personalized plates, until you receive your regular plates. Then, you can take them to the DMV and exchange them for your personalized plates (providing you've received the notice in the mail from the DMV that they have them for you).

Kind of a waste really.

I went through it with my Mini. Verified it with the DMV.

We got our Mini at MSRP, from Niello in Sacramento.

 

Thanks, guys. The MSRP is a long story...shoulda woulda coulda style. I thought I'd be able to sidestep the DMV by telling them I have a new car, and therefore no plates! Poop. Oh well, I'm learning. The weird thing about those numbers is that they don't add up at all. They come out to 23,xxx. Maybe I shouldn't be so fussy...

 

What the heck is smog/weight fee? 983 dollars? Is that a fee you pay in california? I don't remember paying that fee when I bought a used car in California.

 

Yeah, I meant to mention that one too.

BTW, took me three months to get my personalized plates.

 

Took us 4.5 to get our plates

 

re: personal plates... I ordered mine a month ago so they can "race" the standard plates in and hopefully when the Personal plate is ready I have the standard in hand (no way I'm putting it on the car in the mean time, I'll just hold them until the personals are here). (picking up car this weekend..fingers crossed)

 

Now I know another reason so many of us former Californians are now living in Nevada.

 

I don't mind of the dealer has a small markup. I based my purchase off of my realationship with our MA. An extra $1500 isn't that big of a deal if you feel like your MA will take good care of you. Mine gave me about $1200 in freebies.

 

Do you actually have a CAR, or is this an order and wait scenario? I would easily pay $500 if it meant they were putting me in a driver's seat with minimal wait time. Ask me to wait and I want MSRP or I go somewhere else where they have it. It just is my reaction to disciplining these guys to hold the line on prices, really. It sounds like your $200 license fee is what the dealer is charging to do your paperwork, not too bad actually. I've seen moto dealers trying to make $500 for that crap. $983 Smog fees must be the "CALIF hold you at gun point" kind of thing.

 

All of those tax, title and license fees are in line with CA laws. It looks like a pretty straight forward deal.

 

I do have a car on order. It was due on the 1st-15th. Now it's been postponed to the 27th , seemingly the last of the PW36'ers. Do you ask for something waived or free when it's so late, or do you just give up because you are so absolutely frustrated and exhausted and just want your car and to not quibble over things anymore?

Who knows what a smog/weight fee is? Tried to google it but no go.

Thanks, as always, for your great responses.

 

Something doesnt look right?? Smog fees?? I sell cars in CA and I dont know what that is? I know there are Tire Recycling Fees of $8.75 but have the MA give you an explanation.

 

Something funny would be that my MA got back to me, and did in fact chrage me $150 for no reason 'on accident,' and also doesn't know what a smog/weight fee is and wasn't sure why it was on the breakdown. So it's gone now.

 

You've more chance of dealing if you buy a car in stock. They'd much rather sell one in stock than take an order.

Seems like most dealerships are starting to come down in price (not necessarily below msrp) now. Wait a couple years and maybe they'll all be sold at msrp.

 

Way to go Jesse!! They tried to over charge you by $1130 in addition to their markup. Nice work!

 

About plates in CA. Every single license plate in CA, comes from Folsom Prison. If there's a problem or a lock-down, production comes to a halt. For the past 10 years, Folsom was what is called a Level 2 prison, meaning the inmates are not very high risk. For the past couple of years, it has been a Level 3, housing inmates that are a higher risk, heavier crimes. More lockdowns due to trouble on the yard. So if it take a long time for your CA plates, that's why.

 

That is so funny. I guess not really, it's probably rather serious and grim, but still, pretty funny.

 

I'm stuck at Folsom Prison and time keeps draggin' on.
But that train keeps rollin' on down to San Antone.

When I was just a baby, my mama told me, "Son,
Always be a good boy; don't ever play with guns."
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
When I hear that whistle blowin' I hang my head and cry.

 

mark-up's are stupid. You should have went to Long Beach Mini if you live in California.

 

Mountain View MINI did not charge me any mark-up. I asked what the mark up is, he told me, I then asked can he waive it and he said no problem. Of course that wa for a MINI COOPER, he said they could not waive the markup on the Cooper-S. I don't mind since I can't take it to the track anyway and my commute is only 6 miles.

 

Funny thing about that song. There's no track anywhere near the place, and if he shot a man in Reno NEVADA, why was he in prison in CALIFORNIA? Really stupid song.