And that's just around the corner from MinSpeed..... ...you could pop in and get some mods done....

good on ya for talking to Amanda; she's a class act. And a better than average pilot on the race track.

Good luck on your hunt. Sometimes it's worth it to spend a couple of bucks more to purchase from somebody you trust --- makes delivery smoother.
If you can't get a good vibe on the Miami store, go with the Pompano or FLL.
Why not call the blokes at MinSpeed and ask them? They must know every dealer in south Florida...
I lived in Broward County for 20 years, btw.

 

Buy at South Motors they are a reputable company and i only have issues with the service wait as well!

 

Good to hear.

 

...with the person who suggested you consider the experience as well as the bottom-line price. It sounds like you have called nearly every Mini dealer in the southeast and taken the time to pseudo-haggle with them (and let's face it, your time is worth something)...and it certainly sounds as though everyone of the dealers you spoke with has some drawback. So for what's it's worth, I'd figure out what price you can really live with, then find the person/dealership you most enjoy dealing with that falls into that price range....and then "git 'er done". It sounds like South Motors only has it's lowball price going for it.

Just my .02 cents worth...good luck!

Kent

 

Thanks for your input. I'm done with the haggling part. At this point, I'm trying to figure out if the dealer I got the lowest price from is as reputable as others that have quoted me a slightly higher price. I understand that a few hundred dollars over the life of the loan isn't going to amount to much, but I would prefer to get the lowest price possible, of course. If I get enough responses from other NAMers about positive experiences with South Motors, then I will have the comfort level I desire as well as the price.

 

your going to end up spending way more overall $$$$ in the end than just dealing with Tom Bush and getting it over with... your doing a 700 mile roundtrip, 2 air tickets, hotels, fuel, tolls, and other expenses, and you really think the $400 your saving upfront is going to cover this?? why does it matter what South's rep is if your never going back there after you fork over the cabbage???

you lost me in this logic...

 

I'll be saving quite a bit more than $400 over Tom Bush if I go with South Motors. Plus South Motors is giving me FREE floor mats, which is an option that I had not configured (on purpose), but Tom Bush tried to charge me for in my quote (which kind of pi$$ed me off). The $400 difference is between Lauderdale (which is still 5 hours away) and South Motors.

Also, Tom Bush has a $2000 non-refundable deposit, which I think is absolutely absurd! I'll be putting a lot more than this down as a down-payment, but if for some reason something happens and I need to cancel my order, I'm out $2000! Also, as I stated, my girlfriend and I will be using the trip to pick it up as a "mini" (pun intended) vacation, which is something we've wanted to do anyway.

I can see what you are saying if the savings was only $400. It would be absolutely not worth it, but I'm looking at a significant savings for my efforts.

 

Pete Foglia, owner of MinSpeed buys his MINIs exclusively at Lauderdale MINI. He is a personal friend of mine.

 

....this isn't rocket science:

1. Figure out whether you can afford the car or not (apparently you're still trying to convince yourself of this, because I don't see where else the "if for some reason something happens and I need to cancel my order" scenario is coming from)

2. Decide whether you want to go on vacation or buy a car first. Either go on vacation and continue reading this post when you get back, or decide the two issues are unrelated, and continue reading at step 3 below. It was a nice fantasy to combine the two, but I think you should get clinical about the car buying.

3. If on principal you don't want to pay a $2K non-refundable down payment, tell Tom Bush you ain't gonna do that, and if you give them a down payment, make certain you get in writing from them that it is REFUNDABLE. If they don't like that-- that's awesome-- tell them to shove it and now you can cross them off your list-- and they'll get to ensure that they don't get the sale. Remember, YOU have all the marbles...they don't.

4. Free floor mats are nice, but not that BIG of a deal

5. I suggest you go to the Motley Fool's website and follow their advice for soliciting bids via Fax from dealers

I disagree with those that keep bringing up the name of a particular sales person, and urging you to deal with that person. What seems to be lost on many in this forum is that despite how much everyone likes/loves/adores Minis, this is still a new car we're talking about that depreciates once you drive it off the lot. It's a hardware purchase. As a result, the less personal contact you have with the salesman before you buy it, the better. That completely precludes the salesmen from getting the opportunity to play all of their stupid car dealer games-- like "we only sell at MSRP+$500", or when they waste your afternoon running to their manager every 5 minutes over a new $300 option you'd like to get for $250. Don't tolerate that garbage.

Once again, I'd figure out how much you can afford, and then spec the car the way you want it on Edmund's, note the dealer's price vs. the retail price, decide what's fair for a profit for the dealer, see what "dealer holdback" programs are in effect currently, and then start faxing bid requests all over your part of the country with the price you've decided you'll pay. Then fix yourself a nice adult beverage, take a swig, and wait for the bids to start rolling in (that's a paraphrase of Motley Fool's advice).

Basically, pre-empt the irritating bas&ards, and beat them at their own game. Oh yeah...and pick a different time to go on vacation.

Whew!

Kent

 

My dealer, Lauderdale MINI, is honest, professional and straight forward. I have purchased new MINIs from them for the past 6 years, not once I have had any problems with them. Your dealer and your experience may vary.

I also have a special distaste for folks that come to the internet to post their disdain for those individuals that work in the car sales profession. Granted there are many dishonest people in the business, but that doesn't mean, all of them are bastards "out to get ya".

We made very good friends with our first MA. She was/is one of the most professional and honest individuals we have ever had the pleasure to deal with She became a friend of the family and we still keep in touch we her long after she left her post at MINI.

Car sales people are human too, you know. Show them respect and they will treat you back the same in return.

 

I'm proud to say that I generally DO have a disdain for car salespeople and car dealerships. Some are okay, but most are oily ba$tards-- sorry if you find that "distasteful", Clubby...go ahead and wrinkle your nose at me, but I gotta call 'em like I see 'em.

When I see a straight up sales person who knows what they can part with the car for, and that's their position come heck or highwater, I love dealing with them-- but those types have been few and far between in my experience. Most seem to be into all of the stereotypical games. Good luck on your search!

Kent

 

1. I can afford the car. I don't like giving someone $2000 of my money without receiving something. However unlikely it may be, if I lost my job tomorrow, I'd have cancel. This is the reason for my hesitance to fork over that much money.

2. There is no reason why I can't enjoy my trip to pick up my car. If I was planning on going somewhere and my car happens to be in the same place, I don't see how there's a problem. It is really irrelevant to the topic of the post, but I made the mistake of sharing. Really, all I need to know is if South Motors is going to treat me right and give me a positive customer experience.

3. I've already crossed Tom Bush off my list for this reason, which is why I'm looking at other dealers.

4. The only reason I mentioned floor mats was to make a point that one dealer was throwing them in at no charge and Tom Bush tried to charge me for something that I didn't even ask for. They are not a deal maker/breaker by any means.

5. I've already done all my haggling (mostly by email). I'm very happy with the price I've been quoted from South Motors. Again, I just need to know if they are reputable dealership.

I agree with you about not letting the salespeople play the typical games, which is part of the reason why (even with Tom Bush who is 15 minutes away) I did most of my talking with them via email, and the rest by phone. I've not set foot into any of the MINI dealerships except a few months ago to test drive one. This will be my 10th vehicle, most of which have been purchased from dealerships, so I'm not new to car buying. I know about MSRP vs. invoice, dealer holdback, etc. However, as others can tell you on this forum, buying a MINI is a bit different than other cars that have humongous markups and the dealers can afford to discount them $4000 to $5000 without flinching. Also, while I tend to agree with you that car salespeople aren't always the most pleasant people to deal with, my experience with MINI salespeople (MAs) has been pleasant for the most part.

 

Since you might be down this way, I'd talk to Giorgio at Vista and see what he can do for you. Great guy and wouldn't give you the run around. My parents Just picked their MINI up from him in Oct .... all the way from Chicago! Great guy.

 

...sounds like you've got it all wired up, then-- so pull the trigger and be done with it.

Kent

 

Luke.

Since you are planning on having your work done at a dealership other than the one that you are purchasing at, I am not sure how much dealer reputation should factor in to anything. As long as you feel comfortable with your MA and the dealership, I say go with the lowest price, period. That just leaves you more money for Mods!

I personally recommend Lauderdale, I have had two great experiences there and they offered me the best price, but I you can save a few hundred more with South, then go there.

As far as flying to pick up your car... I rented a car from Budget at Orlando International Airport for $26 (Pontiac G6) and drove it straight to Ft. Lauderdale International Airport which was only a few miles from the dealership. It cost me a total of $60 including gas. That might be a better choice than flying... it's only about a 5-6 hour drive from Jax.

 

More money for mods is always good. I've already got quite a few that I'm planning on doing based upon things I've read on NAM. My only concern about the dealer is if something happens somewhere in the ordering or shipping process where the dealer has to take responsibility, I don't want to hear that I have to bring it all the way back to them 5-6 hours away.

That was my original plan, but since I will not be trading in my current vehicle, we don't want to have to drive 2 cars back. Also, we will be stopping a few places on the way back (possibly Universal and a few other places that we might have to pay for parking) and we don't want to have to deal with that. I didn't realize that it would be so cheap to rent a car, so thanks for pointing that out, but I think flying will still be the way to go in my particular case.

 

Well, looks like I'm going to be placing my order with South Motors. They have given me the best price and my MA there has been very helpful so far. I took their quote to my local dealer to give them one last chance to match or beat it, but my visit (and what happened after my visit) was far from confidence inspiring. I'll save the details of my experience, but needless to say, I'll only be going to them for service in the future. Thanks for everyone's input.

 

So when are you coming here to Miami?

 

My production slot will be early February, so hopefully delivery will be in March. The wait is going to be brutal!

 

Thank you, I have send you a PM.

 

Glad to hear you're ready to roll!

Kent

 

I think some things need to be cleared up....As I'm sure all of you know, every MINI dealer requires a deposit to order a car. The reason behind this is because unlike other manufacturers that have production runs in the millions, MINI only allocates a very small number of cars per month. Usually less than 50. Dealers require a deposit because each custom built car for a customer eliminates an allocated slot which is potentially a sale for the dealership. The deposit is a way of eliminating the "dreamers" from the "buyers". As we all know, each MINI is unique...a reflection of the owners personality and taste..what appeals to some may not appeal to others..and as a result, a car that has been custom built is harder to sell than one configured for mass appeal. Also, if you have a portion of your own money tied up in the transaction (just like a good-faith deposit on a house) you are less likely to back out of the deal.

Tom Bush MINI is not run by tyrants, if you lost your job, or had a valid reason for not being able to take delivery of your car, I'm sure they would refund your deposit with little reservation. I happen to have a friend that this happened to and they were very cooperative.

I ordered my car through them, and have been very satisfied with their customer service and when I got my quote, they too included the floormats in the quote. When I asked my MA about this, he explained to me that a majority of people are under the impression that the floormats are included and because of the nature of the MINI, regular floor mats will not fit correctly. Honestly, I was appreciative for this...(he also threw them in at no charge upon delivery just to make the deal that much sweeter)

Perhaps if you had taken the time to build a relationship with your MA, instead of just "price shopping" over the internet, your experience with them would have been different.

 

I completely understand the reason for a deposit. However, I feel that Tom Bush's deposit it excesive. I got quotes from probably a dozen dealers, and none of them had deposits over $1000 aside from Tom Bush. In about half the cases, the deposits were refundable. When I placed my order with South Motors, I had to put down a $500 non-refundable deposit. I'm fine with this.

Regarding the floor mats - You said yourself that you had to question them about the floor mats. This should have been explained with the quote and should not have been left to question. Even if they were trying to do me a favor, it should have been explained. That's where I have an issue.

Regarding "price shopping" - I have been into Tom Bush multiple times and attempted to deal with them face-to-face. Just the other day (the day I ended up placing my order with another dealer), I had another experience with them that, as I said before, was far from confidence inspiring.

I am very happy with the price and the service I've gotten from South Motors. I am not happy with either from Tom Bush. I'm glad you had a good experience with them and I wish mine was the same. Heck, if they would have given me a better price and service, it would have saved me a trip to Miami!