Was about to pull the trigger and join the club of mini owners but wanted to get some background information first...

Main Line mini vs. West Chester mini?

How long of a wait if ordering a JCW Clubman?

Any other feedback that a buyer should know about either dealers before dealing with them...customer service..etc.


Thanks!

 

I would suggest asking this on http://PhillyMINI.org
I bought mine from Otto's back in '03. Service has been varied from year to year. Sometimes it's excellent, sometimes it stinks. MA's are different every time I go there. I know some of the MA's at Main Line have been there since I bought mine. Talk to Amos Kelley at ML. Real good guy. ML also offers a 15% discount on parts to PM members. Otto's just happened to be considerably closer to where I live. Still have about an hours drive to Otto's.

 

Take it from geowit, he knows the lay of the land over there.

And, I just have to say "Go Phillies!"

 

I got my Clubman at Otto's Mini. They seemed eager to please, but who wouldn't be considering these things sell themselves.

I DID have some service issues, ie: my main computer went out after only 1200 miles. They had to replace a few sensors before they realized the problem was the actual computer and NOT the sensors. I got a little bitchy about the situation and they gave me a $100 gift from the boutique shop (got a seat-belt purse for my wife). Honestly, they did the best job that they could have done considering the situation. I got to drive a Cooper-S during the repairs (3 days). It only took them 24 hours to finish the repair once they figured out what the problem was; it just took them 2 days of fiddling with it to get to the real problem.

Would I repeat my purchase with them if I could go back in time... probably.

FYI: the sales girls are hot in there

hope that helps...

marz

 

Hey Thanks guys for the advice. The toss up is that I'm about 20 minutes from ML and about 45 from Otto's. I already went to ML and test drove a new JCW clubman, but haven't made my rounds up to Otto's.

Maybe i'll have to go since the atmosphere is more of a bargain than deals they give.

Thanks again!

 

I had a very good experience over at Mini of the Main Line, other than the normal Mini dealer problem of offering a low amount for my trade-in. There was a guy whose Mini was destroyed by one of the techs at MotML in a traffic accident - you can find that thread on this board. I think the thread was called dealership problems.

If you decide to go with MotML, ask for Amos - he was great.

 

Test drove at both Main Line and Otto's...considering the fact that negotiating price is not relevant, I bought from the one closer to me...Main Line. My last car was an Infiniti so they have a lot to live up to as far as service goes but I can say the purchase experience was fine. Got my Clubman w/out the headliner and they immediately put it on a "we owe you" slip so I am ok with that. Did not trade anything and did not finance through them. My personal Mini Advisor (guy I work with and has had a Cooper S) used Otto's and has been pretty happy with them too.

 

I picked up a new MCCS from Otto's last week. Otto's has been great so far. A couple issues on the car from the factory that Otto's management dealt with quickly and fairly. Have a few friends with Minis from Otto's and they say good things too. Otto's is 15 minutes from my house so I didn't look around for other dealers. (Plus I can drive twisty back roads to within 200 yards of the dealership. That's a big plus. )

 

I've test driven mini's from both places. IMHO Ottos has been much more friendly and when I call or email I get a very quick return response. MoML has more selection, which is good if you want to see different styles, and different upholstery and such, but the MA took weeks to give me a quote. After he found out that I was looking in advance to decide what to order for January he kind of dumped me.
Holly at Ottos has patiently answered allllll of my questions and has cheerfully accepted that I don't need to order for a while yet...shw even set me up with a clubman 6 sp to test drive for over an hour to really see if I liked it. Oh and I could drive it by myself, MoML had the MA ride right along with you,,, yeck---!
Oh, and MoML is like 15 minutes away,,,, Ottos is 45 minutes but for now they have my confidence...of course if you want an 08 they have several to pick from right now on their lot (Mini of main Line).
Please report back in with your decision? Anxious to hear who you go with and how you fare....!!

 

Cabwy

I notice a couple of things that you said. Yet i havnt been to Ottos but i do notice after being to MoML that they have a great selection. Also when i went and test drove the JCW a week ago to MA kept asking "well whats you time frame"..."whats your time frame"...about three more times within the first 20 minutes of being there. We test drove the JCW and since that day i ahvnt heard from this MA at all...its been almost two weeks. So i guess i have to go up to Otto's and see how they act with me...

The MoML said if i ordered within the past week or two by february i would see my car...I'm wondering if this is accurate and if Otto's offers something else for me....

Thanks again for your help.

Andrew

 

HHmmm, in regards to ordering now for a Feb. delivery- I was told by my MA at Otto's that I should have my order in by Dec 1st or maybe even the last week in November. Holly stays in touch with me and watches the build dates and etc and keeps me updated... In fact I think I am to the point where I will place my order and place my deposit and have her enter the order at the right moment.
strangely enough, when I sopke to the MoML that guy assured me that I would have my car in 6 weeks.. I really felt that he was incorrect on several points like this,,, he told me this in August,,, when tons of people were still waiting for their cars to show up (here on NAM). Of course a JCW might be an entirely different story.

Can"t wait to see how you like Otto's and what you decide to do. I am in the Main Line at least 3 times a week for clients and I stop in on their lot and peer into the cars to get a peek at diff. options, I have literally never HAD A SALESMAN COME OUT TO ASK IF I NEEDED HELP, ( one day there were like 8 people out on the lot looking and no MA's) which now is great, I never feel like I shouldn't pull in beings as I probably won't buy from them. They just don't seem to care ??
And if you look at that previous thread on here about how MoML treated a customer (like PhilGreen suggested) that just might sway you too, I know it did for me.

 

Well the thing is i wanna go with them because its closer but if they are treating everyone like this than i dont know. I was there two night ago at 7:20pm tp 7:40pm in the lot and no one, i mean no one came out to ask if i needed help. That bothers me.....

Keep these post coming because the more information one can learn will make the final decision " O so sweet" .

 

I bought my 2007 MCS at Otto's and was perfectly pleased with the entire transaction as well as any follow up dealings I have had with them.

When I went to order my new Clubman S two weeks ago I returned to Otto's and got absolutely no consideration for being a loyal repeat customer. They gave me a low ball trade in offer, list price on the installation of all the accessories I chose and would not throw even a single token item to sweeten the deal.

So I went to Main Line and the offered me $1500 more on my trade, offered to install all of my accessories for free (except my hot choc steering wheel but they are doing it for half of what Otto's would have), and they threw in a boot mat. Additionally, the MA was extremely knowledgable on the vehicle, his name is Steve Diehl and he came from the BMW side of the business.

Otto's is closer to where I live but Main Line is closer to where I work and is actually more convenient for me.

 

Mainline will deal if you make them an offer. I got $600 off sticker on a clubman I ordered in March. Ottos would not deal other than sticker price and a set of mats..