I am in MASS and looking to buy a Mini S convertible. My local dealers sell at MSRP only. Does anyone know an online dealer that sells close to invoice or better ? Also anything I should know before I buy one. Thanks

 

You should know that most MINI dealers sell at invoice

 

If my dealers sold at invoice I would have signed the papers yesterday. They both want msrp. I wont do it.

 

This is pretty common for MINI dealerships. You might shop around a bit, but don't expect any deep discounts. Things just aren't that way...in some
places folks pay premiums over invoice.

A story...I once had a friend in a far away land (j/k ) who wouldn't pay MSRP and went to a totally other part of the state to get a MINI at a slight discount. Problem is, the MSRP dealer right in their neighborhood offers all kinda of long-term benefits to their customers that far, far outweighed the few hundred dollars (if it was that much) that they saved. Something to consider.

Some folks dig in their heels on MSRP because that's how they're used to "dealing." For what you get, MINIs are a great value...something to consider to help one sleep better at night.

 

I'll ditto that - I had NEVER paid MSRP for a car - until the MINI. And that was painful - but after much research I determined that MSRP (or more) is "market price" for MINIs. Every dealer can sell their allocation at that. Why discount? And, unlike US car makers (and some others) BMW/MINI doesn't play games with artificially inflated MSRPs and big rebates/kickbacks to make it look like you're getting a "deal" - a MINI at MSRP IS a deal (mine was $20K less than the other car I was considering... for more fun and similar quality).

 

You can get a $200 discount from Costco at Flow Mini. That's about the best you can do. I was able to negotiate pricing of accessories, but that's about it.

 

MINIs sell themselves. Just drink the kool-aid, pay MSRP, and leave the dealer's lot knowing that all your fellow cult members have done the same.

 

+1 to all of the above- the only sure way to avoid MSRP on MINIs is to start looking in the used market . . . unless you can still find dealers with 06s on the lot (you should be able to get a discount on those . . . but if they're still on the lot, they probably have some undesirable color or option combo).

Do ask if they can throw in a windscreen for free though. Some have dealers have done that, and it's a must have accesory that would otherwise cost you over $300.

 

While you might not be able to get the exact car you want, you can always go used and let the owner take the hit...

Mine had under 9000 miles on her...and the price I got her at would make others here cry.

Ebay, AutoTrader, craigslist and cars.com are great places to look.

 

I agree, either pay msrp and buy new, or be smart and buy slightly used, and the price will be much better. I got my cabro used about 16 months ago, it was 1 year old with 13,000 miles on it, a few minor dings. I saved about $8K off a new one and mine was equipped the way I wanted, but it took 2 months of looking...

 

+1 to everyone, and especially on the dealer options. I got bonnet stripes and floor mats, not much and I regret I didn't know about the windscreen at that point, or I would have pushed them to throw it in. Including the stripes and mats, I paid 99% of sticker, the most I have ever have paid. . . but then the MINI is the most fun I've ever had in a car. I take pride in my negotiating skills, but a few hundred $$ on car like the MINI is pretty small in the big scheme of things.

 

Don't let anyone pull your leg, invoice MINI's are like chicken teeth! There is only a 10% mark up over invoice, car and assy's.

 

Thanks to everyone that has replied. I decided to pay MSRP and try for the screen. I ran into a small problem. This car will be my toy. I have a new Tacoma that is my regular. So I am not in need of a car. I went to the dealer and looked at the colors. I want black or orange. Orange is no longer made and black has way too much metal flake and looks navy blue. I do not want blue or green. The silver is bla. The charcoal is nice but has no pizzaz . The red is bright and nice but everybody has it. Spending over $30k on a toy I really want to get something I love and not just like. I was thinking of waiting for the 2008 to come out and see if they add any new colors and while im waiting look and see if any local used come up for sale. I was going to go ebay but after getting burned on a car once I will never buy without looking in person again. I will be a Mini S convert owner sooner or later. I will keep reading and posting.

 

I like the dark silver (charcoal) as it is exclusive to the S. And sparkling silver of the Side Walk edition.

 

Should be some Hot Orange cars on the used market...

 

Here's a beautiful HO:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=106678

 

thanks for the heads up. nice car but i am looking for an automatic so the wife can drive it. if you see any out there please let me know.

 

In that case, check out:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=89959

This car has been on NAM since Jan. and he's already dropped the price a little a couple of times -- I don't know how much more room you have to negotiate, but he has been trying to sell for a while now.
By the way, the car is JET Black (not Astro Black), so it is a true non-metallic black instead of the navy blue you've seen.
I'm a little biased, but nothing looks better after a good waxing than a pure black.