I'm in a dilemma. I have an MSRP dealership located approximately 30 minutes from my house. I have a markup dealership about 2 minutes from my office. The markup dealership only gives free loaners if your car was purchased from them.

What are your thoughts? Is it worth it to pay a markup (I think its somewhere from $1,000 to $2,000) in order to get the free loaner for service? I doubt I would ever go to the MSRP dealership to get a loaner, because they're 30 minutes away with no traffic, 1.5-2.5 hours with traffic.

I'd like the convenience of having a loaner from the dealership by my office, but if I ever do change jobs (I'm an attorney) then it I would have paid the markup for nothing. Also, getting from the MSRP dealership could be okay because the dealer by the office offers a shuttle.

I think I'm leaning toward going with the MSRP dealer and just taking the shuttle to the office. But I'm afraid if I get a new job, I might be stuck in a situation where there is no MINI dealer by the new office.

Thanks!
(I'm planning to order my LB MCSC in the next week or so...)

 

Seems like $2000 would pay for a lot of car rental. Policies at either dealership could change at anytime. I'd go with the MSRP dealer.

 

Any MINI Service Center can perform the warranty work... it does not need to be at the dealership of purchase. So, you could purchase the MINI at the MSRP dealership then do the 3 years of maintenance/warranty work at the office location. Just a thought...

 

I would go with the MSRP dealer since it is just 30 mins away. I can think of a number of people that have been in the same dilema except that the MSRP dealer was 200+ miles away. In those case people still went with the MSRP.

And congrats on your order. I am sure you will love you MINI.

 

GO with the MSRP Dealer Ship, theres no counting on anything will ever happen to your MINI.

 

Sounds like you're walking distance (I know, Nobody Walks in LA) from the local dealer, so shuttle or hoofing it would be worth $2K to me. Besides, how often do you expect to be there? Maintenance is minimal, and hopefully you won't have much warranty work.

 

And let the dealer know that they lost a sale over it.

Do the math, $2k is a lot of rental car, and National will deliver a car anywhere you need it!

When I learned about the markups in No Cal, I just started calling. I ended up at Mini of Murray. a $69 Southwest ticket and a night of driving saved me $2500!

Ef em, if they charge a markup.

Matt

 

Thanks for the confirmation of what I was thinking. I'd rather save the money, use the shuttle, and pay $35 for a rental car on the rare occasions that the MINI is in the shop overnight (or if I change jobs).

 

You never said if the MSRP dealer offer loaners or not? Either way I know you have to get to work somehow if it is a one-day repair but I think if they can't finish the work in a day they will have to get you a rental car whether they offer loaners or not. I could be wrong (somebody chime in).

 

We got our Mini at MSRP in Sacramento, which is an hour and a half from our place in Manteca. They'll provide a loaner. Go with MSRP.

 

$2000 gets you a lot of car rentals or even cab rides. No way would I pay the xtra for a loaner you may or may not get.

 

rogrees, if you don't mind me asking, what are these two dealers that you're referring to? I know South Bay MINI (where I purchased my MCS) does not have a mark-up and they offer free loaners.

 

Keep your $2000 and invest it. The interest on that should pay for a week's worth of rental cars each year. Since the mark-up dealer is only minutes away from your office, go there for work that will be completed the same day since you can probably walk to and from the office on those rare occasions.

But I think that any dealership still doing markups has suspect business practices and should be avoided at all costs.

 

If one of 'em is Irvine, check the other thread on this topic. Also ask around about the various dealers reputations. You're luck you have 2 dealers in such close proximity! My Mini dealer is 14 miles / 30 minutes away. The next-closest is 99 miles and a state away, the next after that 167 (Ohio), 178 (NY), and 180 miles (VA), all in different directions! At least Mini of Pittsburgh (P&W Foreign Cars) has a competent and friendly service department, and supports the local Mini club.

Good luck. I'd hit up the MSRP dealership if I were you, for reasons already given, along with one more: serving the markup dealer with punitive damages - losing the sale. You could always check with the MSRP dealer, add cab fare, and tell the markup dealer that he's got a price to beat... that keeps things fair with them when you DO go to them for service.

A loaner car isn't worth $2000. A good relationship with the dealer who services your car, however, is worth something. Not $2000, but worth something, since that investment can save time otherwise spent in needless arguments, multiple visits for the same issue, refusal of warranty service due to silly reasons, etc.

 

South Bay is the MSRP dealer I'm refering to. I know they offer free loaners, but during the week it would be a three hour round trip with LA traffic. Not worth the drive time.

I called the markup dealership and told them I was putting in an order on the internet and considering going with the MSRP dealership. They fed me some line about how "MSRP" (she really said quote-unquote!!) dealerships try to screw you on the back end and that they (the markup dealership) are honest about fees and put them up front. I said "yeah, sure, whatever" and hung up.

 

The Sacramento dealer you are referring to is marking up their in stock 06 MCS's w/auto $2K.

 

When we bought ours, we never saw a mark-up. What exactly, was the mark-up pretaining to?

 

It pertains to the fact that they have very few Minis w/auto left in stock.

 

Hmmm. Supply and demand I guess. Also that they won't have any 2007's to sell until next month.

 

MSRP all the way, I don't believe in rewarding the greedy dealers. As people said that huge markup is not worth the loaner car in this case especially since you do have a dealer so close to work that you can do any warranty work with.

Also, in the future if you do change jobs or simply find the close to work dealer does not have a good service dept you can always rent cheaply and/or find a local service dept open on Sat.

 

MSRP all the way!

 

I'm assuming the mark-up dealer would be Nick Alexander from your driving discription. Depending on where you are located Universal Mini does no mark-up if you are ordering and has no out of the ordinary fees on the back end. So it'll all depend on where you live and drive times.

 

No car is worth MSRP. So, forget about mark up.
You can find a dealer out of California who will give you a good deal. A cheap plane ticket and ..............et voila.
On 10/11/2006 I bought my 2006 Basic Mini new for $20,100.00 out of the door.
On 01/14/2007 with 2,900 miles I sold it for $20,000.00

And what about a $4,600.00 discount on a new 2007 SLK 350

Deals are plenty if you spend a little time on the Internet.

 

That "free loaner" often has a three to four week waiting period or you end up getting the shuttle anyway. Don't pay their markup. I did and regret it big time!

 

Screw the dealer and his markup, go to the other place .