don't wish to be vulgar but....
 

.....how much did you pay for your car?

i'm intrigued as to whether list prices vary from state to state over there, and if you all end up paying different prices for standard cars?

to give you an idea, my standard spec R56 cooper with only astro black metalic paint as an option cost me £13,400 (or $26,800!!)

are we poor residents of this united kingdom being completely ripped off? after all, we do build the bloody things right here in oxford!

felix

I am in the central U.S. Mine cost about $28,000 (options listed below), plus about $1700 for taxes and license. Does your purchase price include government levies?

MSRP is going to be consistent for the U.S. market. Romi was just shy of $23K U.S. The options are listed in my sig.

Just go to miniusa.com and build your car to see what it would cost here in the US. . . .

Well, the exchange rate is a big factor in your post. Right now, the pound is extremely strong against the dollar, so the comparison really isn't good. For example, when I was in Europe, the dollar was almost 1:1 with the pound. There were 4 DM to the $, so my family could eat dinner out for like $20. But, it wouldn't be fair to say the Germans were paying $20 for a family dinner.

that's all interesting. the cost of mine does include government levies - all personal purchases here in the uk include VAT (value added tax) at 17.5%. the consumer market here doesn't really factor VAT into purchases - the screen price you see on virtually everything already includes it.

True, felix. Here sales tax is applied on top of the stated price. But it's range is generally in the 5 - 7% range, varying by state and, sometimes, city.

I am paying $21950+$165 dealer fee.
In Washington state, we pay 8+% sales tax. I buy a lot of things like TV or furniture from Oregon(no sales tax) which is only 15 minute drive from my home for tax free, but when we register a motored vehicle we have to pay sales tax even if it was purchased from Oregon.

$28,000 w/o taxes, tags, title.

Felix, my husband is from the UK and it is definately cheaper to build and buy a MINI here than it is there......where they are manufactured. Sorry but to answer your question........YES! You poor residents of the UK are getting ripped off.

As a brit living in the US, yes you are being ripped because of the terrible exchange rate

This question of pricing goes back decades. UK prices have always been higher than other markets even in Europe. U. S. prices have almost always been cheaper even when you factor in the sales tax. My guess that the premium for UK buyers is around 15-20% on a MINI. Pricing is partially due the market. In general Americans get a break on most expensive purchases. Try comparing the cost of a Rolex in the UK and one identical in U.S.

Seems to me like the price he stated originally, which INCLUDES 17% take, is the SAME as it would be in the US as list price. Our taxes are also in our list price by the way, you just don't know it/see it. Yes, we also get local sales tax added at time of payment, in certain states, but that is onother story.

But don't be fooled, Mini/BMW paid alot of taxes, which was passed on in the "list price" to us, the consumer. Their are import tax, tax for doign bidness in the US...

But if you take out the 17% VAT he included in his price, it matches pretty closely to our list price.

The identical car that cost me $33,000 including all taxes in Seattle is near $42,000 in the UK.

25400

I paid $27,000+6.5% sales tax. for MC -auto- dsc-leather-oak-chrome/in/out-auto a/c.- hi fi-nav-parking control- white turn sig. mfsw.

Yep this is no surprise. This goes beyond the UK and exchange rates though. They are also 20-30% higher starting prices in South Africa. Value added tax (VAT) of 17% in European and descendant countries has a lot to do with it as well. In South Africa though, they pay that huge tax up front and then are spared from annual property taxes though. Here, we get to pay that similar amount in tax over many years. All in all, Europe, the UK and countries like South Africa do pay more, but over the long haul I think we here in the US pay more than we realize.

Just my 2 cents.

LynnEl: When the heck were you in Europe? I've been going there for 15 yrs and we havent been 1:1 with the pound in forever (literally!)

Sounds like Lynn's talking about the mid '80s. The dollar was worth ~4DM for a few months and a pound sterling cost $1.30, which was dirt cheap.

I paid $26.2 plus 5% sales tax. No dealer markup.

I totally considered getting a MINI built in England specifically to get drivers side on the right side. I know that sounds crazy, but I really really wanted it. But when I briefly talked to a person that specializes in importing cars, after taxes, import, retrofitted US things and what not, he estimated that it would be close $40K - $42K. Also BTW, when we first engaged, he laughed at me when I said I wanted a brand new Mini Cooper, he said, "Not much call for that around here, governor." So I went the way that the rest of us and just got a fully loaded Mini for approx $32K.