I'm thinking about a new Mini Clubman S but before I plunk down my money I was wondering if I can get a discount from MSRP. I live in Colorado so will probably go to the nearest dealer located in Denver. I will being paying cash and don't need financing and will not have a trade in. What are your opinions?

Thanks....

 

From my previous car buying experience, you can get a discount by signing up for financing. Dealers get kickbacks for the financing that they sell. Pay it off next day.

That's my plan at least.

 

There have been numerous posts on NAM about discounted MSRP on MINIs. For the most part....no MSRP discounts. If you are a member of Costco, then you can see if your MINI Dealer is part of their preferred network. We got a $799 discount because of Costco.

 

Nope - Ralph Schomp MINI doesn't discount, although they don't charge documentation fees so maybe you can consider that a discount...

You could try shopping around other dealers (Sandia in NM, MINI of Murray in SLC, etc), but with the trip out and gas coming back you might not save much if any. I've done that in the past, but ordered from Schomp this time.

+1 for Lance at Schomp though...nice guy.

-Michael

 

This is all based on located. For example, I just came back from International Mini in Milwaukee, WI this morning. Was offered 2 grand off a stock Clubman S or 1 grand off a custom ordered. Not that way in California. :P

 

After several weeks of shopping for a JCW Hdtp this is what I have found. If a MINI is sitting on the lot and the dealer needs cash, they will discount up to 10 percent, particularly if it is a high priced heavily loaded, slow moving configuration. All of the dealers are hesitant to discount on orders, but will offer concessions on parts and labor for dealer installed options. This can amount to a discount of 1-3% of the full price of the vehicle.

Good hunting.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies so far!

Hmmmm... I wonder if Sam's Club works with Mini??


Michael,

I live approximately one-half the distance between Denver and Salt Lake City. I met with Ralph Schomp a couple of months ago and they seem okay - what do you think of Mini of Murray?

 

In theory you can make your order into a lot vehicle pretty easy. Not very nice and requires a good poker face, but you can always say that you got doubts once the car comes in and see if they want to help with your doubts.

 

True, but that's not me.

 

We purchased our Cooper from MINI of Murray and everything was great; however, Karen Johnson, our MA, left about a year or so ago.

Still could be worth a shot though...

 

Here is another recent thread about discounts.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...right-now.html

Apparently some have been able to get decent discounts, both off the lot and ordered. In the past discounts were pretty much unheard of. Remember that six months ago ALL Minis were sold - there was effectively no dealer inventory system wide. That is not the case now. One of my local dealers has over 140 Minis on the lot as of a week ago.

If buying off the lot, I always go in the last day of the month fully prepared (not shopping but ready to finalize). January car sales are likely seasonally weak so that may give you some leverage too.

Hope this helps.

 

Check out MINI of North Scottsdale. They have 226 MINIs on the lot and some special deals going on for each model.
I've bought 3 BMWs and one MINI from the Penske group and I love them. Waited 25 months for the Clubman, but worth the wait and a great experience working with them.

 

And I bet you will have an equal length wait, Cloud10 for the Crossman.

 

Schomp is still a hard-core MSRP-only for orders dealer, but since they are the only dealer in a 400 mile radius competition is non-existent. However, they have quite a few dealer-stock clubbies on the lot they'll probably offer a discount on those.

I got $250 off msrp on my ordered 09 MCSa, but then I'm a repeat customer. Awesome d'ship, especially the service end.

 

No. Costco is the only BigBox that does, and only in 3 locations (not denver)

 

Thanks everyone for their comments and advice so far... if you have anymore I'd appreciate it!

Mike

 

They are a good dealership, especially on the service side - Rob is by far the best service advisor I've ever worked with.

 

Plenty of competition - just not for Minis! Your biggest weapon is the power to say no. Always can continue to drive your current car, or buy another brand. Minis may be more fun (and more headaches), but there are plenty of other cars that make a lot more sense financially, and who today does not look at financial issues more closely than they did before? Worst that can happen is you wait awhile, Mini works out some of the problem issues and you buy at MSRP down the road.

Having read that dealers have production slots, I wonder if dealers begin to lose those if they do not fill them. Anybody know? If so, it might be an incentive to deal on orders to retain production priority.

 

One thing's for sure: If you don't ask, you don't get, and the more you ask for the more you're likely to get...just be prepaired to walk out the door if you're not happy with everything.

I asked about 4 times, and got more and more untill the final time when they said no, at which point I knew they had hit rock bottom.

Good luck.

 

Excuse me, question for dvhone if I may.Was the Clubman you ordered a Canadian Spec'ed Car or USA?

 

Had some time today (watching the inauguration) and a fast internet connection...so I looked up the online inventory of all Mini dealers. Really it did not take very long. Really! The online inventory may not be accurate, but it is all I had.

A few dealers showed no inventory info, but 80 did. There are 6800 Minis in dealer inventory. In Jan and Feb last yr Mini USA sold a total of 5800 cars (4400 in 2007). Sales in Mar rose substantially from Feb in both yrs. In Dec 08 and 07 Mini USA sold ~3500 cars.

Less than two months trailing inventory, likely more than two months forward inventory. Not excessive, but not scarce either. Thirteen dealers had 35 or less while 28 had more than 100 - including two which had more than 200. Holy cow!

 

I decided to get a Mini at xmas and spent a lot of hours researching. Took delivery of my 7K mi '08 Clubman from a private individual on 1/08. It's optioned better than I would have ordered but he was motivated and I got a very good deal. I decided to go "used private" due to very poor success negotiating with dealers and seeing that they all seemed to have lots of inventory. My fear was that in time (30-60days?) the market would loosen up and deals will flow.
I now have evidence of such and a lead for you all wanting a new MINI. I'm not involved at all with Markel BMW/MINI and know nothing of their reputation. They have 22 assorted (even 2 JCW) MINI's on ebay...all with buy it nows at least 1k below MSRP. At least some (maybe all)are no reserve so you might get lucky if there are no other bidders and save 2K. I see no note of crooked doc fees that really upset me
Problem is: Where is Omaha? ! ?
I expect they would give same discount on their other inventory which you can see @ miniusa.com
Good Luck and keep us posted.

 

Canadian spec'd.

 

Was everything the same on the Can car vs Amer car? I think it comes with BiXenon,front and rear fogs,White Turn signals maybe some others.. Sounds like a good deal.

 

CDN spec has more a few more US options as standard like you mention, and more CDN options seem to be bundled together in the packages (it helps to offset the higher MSRP we pay up here, but US spec on very similar cars is still less); they're close in many ways but still not quite identical... In the end, I got the dealer to go below the MSRP + waive the "rip-off" fee so the final price was something I am very happy with.