If Discount Tire is in yr area, just go there and purchase road hazard and repair warranties when U get yr car, mine were like $22 each. Well worth it, esp for the runcraps which are kinda fragile.

As far as dealer protection packages, just say no to all with one exception: consider clear-bra on yr bonnet and lower clip, for MINIs take a lot of road damage in that area. I hate clear bras, but have not regretted this, and it can be a little more expensive thru the dealer, but it's covered under the 4/50K OEM warranty. I only did my bonnet, and now 3.5 years later I wish I wouldve done my lower clip because it has taken a lot of abuse and is pitted pretty bad.

One day a good size rock or ?? hit my bonnet right above where the latch is, and all that resulted was a very slight depression. I'm sure there would've been BIG paint and body damage if the cb had not been there.

And as far as doc/prep fees go, the Destination Charge U pay in the sticker means the factory to YOU, not factory to dealer. The DC is designed to help the dealer subsidize *most* of the costs they incur to prepare yr car, cleaning, paperwork, etc. Anything above about $50-70, depending on market labor costs, is pure dealer profit, and believe me when it comes to new car sales dealers what any profit they get (d'ships make thier $$ on used cars).

That's what I love about my MINI dealer (Ralph Schomp, Denver): NO doc/prep fees, never have been over 67 years, even for a $110K M6 Cabrio.

 

Not the same at all. Ever see the bill for a triple by-pass? Quite a different league than replacing a rim tire, or a windshield.

 

Well, i wouldn't say having car insurance is the same as medical insurance. That's like saying your flat tire, which will cost around $500 to fix is the same as a broken leg which may cost $100,000 to fix. I'd hardly call paying a 'premium' to a dealer as valuable to me as a consumer as paying a premium to my health insurance. Insurance is for protection against catastrophic failure, as another poster put it. I'd hardly call getting a flat tire catastrophic. That having been said, if it makes you *feel* better while on the road, it may be worth having it to you.
Blackdog

 

Like Sequence we bought at Ralph Schomp. We were offered a couple of packages ( my hubby sold cars in another life) we declined all but the extended warranty. If we get the brakes done once after the original warranty ends we have recouped our costs.

Clear bra- a must in CO-had it done aftermarket on both MINI's I've owned!

 

well the price you pay per month for insurance is relative to the benefits. You pay a couple of hundred dollars a month in insurance if your not lucky enough to have everything taken care of through work. You pay significantly less for "insurance" on your car. Maybe 15 to 30 dollars a month on top of your monthy payment. so it is all relative.

Again i say, listen to them, if they sound good to you, get it, if not then don't. But don't go in there thinking everything is "crap" because someone on this board has said that they are. Not everyone's needs are the same.

 

very well put! if you think you are going to need something, like i did with the driving conditions in my area, then go for it. otherwise if you arent comfortable with the offer or dont want to pay an extra lets say $20 a month then just dont do it.

 

I was about to say the exact same thing as TurboBlu...

Come on, guys... Of course the prices are all relative to what they're covering. It might cost $100,000 to fix a broken leg, but how much are you paying in insurance? According to the National Coalition on Health Care, the average family plan is $11,500 per year... almost $1000 per month.

Say your engine blows up in your MINI... that's a $13,000 job. An extended warranty might cost you $1500-$2000. Over a five year loan, say, you're paying maybe $400 or so per year. BIG difference.

I'm not necessarily saying that all dealer offerings are worth it, and there are plenty of dealers that charge much more than others. (For example, I've seen different dealers sell the X-Pel clear bra for as little $500 and as much as $1500. Wheel and tire insurance, $379 to $900.) Every dealer is different in what they charge. Like any insurance, you have to compare what you're paying out to the amount you could pay out, should you need it.

I just think it's ignorant when people on here say "reject it all" as a knee-jerk reaction. What if you got in the finance office and they said they'll give you a 100k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty for $300.... Would you still knee-jerk reject it? You'd at least think about, I'm sure. ;-)

 

Ok, I'm the OP of this thread and I think it's clear that there are varying opinions on the dealer packages offered when you purchase a new car. I think we can all agree that if you're offered a package and it sounds like something you'd like to have and don't mind paying what they're asking, you should get it.

When I go to purchase my car, I will evaluate and decide accordingly.

Thanks all

 

shop around as well. Many (not all) dealers mark them up a lot. The only real advantage of getting them at the dealer is that you can roll the costs into your financing. But rest assured that many dealers bank on the fact that some of these items are in effect, impluse buys and the buyer won't shop arround....

Matt

 

sequence, Discount Tire offered you a road hazard warranty on the new runflats that originally came your new Mini for approx $88? THAT sounds like they way to go! Do they also cover the rims?
Also minmor719, What was the approx. price you paid to get the Clear bra done aftermarket?

 

Ryephile is correct, they are profit generators. However, not all of these tire packages are bad. I've recently acquired a 335i coupe. I bought the tire package because it in cluded the wheels and tires and labor. A wheel for that car is well over $500 and a tire run close to $300 if not more. So all I have to do is hit a pothole hard and the insurance pays off. $550 tire and wheel insurance for a Mini? I'd have a tough time making that decision. I did not get it when I took delivery of my Mini in May 07. A of course because of that I had to buy a new tire at 450 miles and another at 500 miles. Each tire was $250 plus mounting and balancing. My loss.

 

I don't know how much installation would cost but here is an interesting link.
https://www.xpel.com/ From the maker of Clear Bra.
https://www.xpel.com/products/paint_protection_kits.asp?prevtype=1&prevyear=2008 &prevmake=41&prevmodel=705&prevsubmodel=0&prevseri es=0&type=1&year=2008&make=41&model=705&submodel=1 914#

Also did a quick web surf and found sellers such as this one selling a set of four "Brand new Factory Mini Crown Spoke Rims 17x7 for $695" http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/car/552412722.html You could always sell the other three if you needed to and probably recoop your costs.

I haven't picked up my new 08MCS (Production week 4). Granted the dealers do have a right to make a profit and they do offer convenience, but as I look more into it I think I will probably pass on most of the dealer's Ad-on offers. There seems to be other more affordable options.
I just made a phone call to Discount Tires and they were getting ready to close but the Manager did say they would indeed offer road side hazard insurance on the original tires that come on the car. I will call tomorrow and ask if it covers the rims. He did say that it included free rotating and balancing. – Thanks sequence!

 

Yeah I don't really care to add those packages but I could see where they could be useful to people who like to make sure they covered "just in case." I on the other hand just pay for things as they come, hell I would be rich as hell right now if car insurance wasn't required.

Anyways, if they make the dealerships money that's fine. Let them make money so they can stay in business. It's not like there are a whole lot of dealerships out there. I also don't think they are making plenty off of an MSRP deal when there is only about $2K mark up. Please don't think that is alot when other brands have tons more and especially when buying a new HDTV can make the electronic store at least a grand on it's own.

 

If you get the "extended coverage" hood, mirrors, front bumper, headlights, and foglights, you're looking at over $500 just in the clear film alone.... A good professional installer can usually do a MINI in about 4 hours. How long would it take the average MINI owner with no experience? And how good would it look? That stuff is really prone to wrinkles and bubbles unless you do a good job.

With most dealers charging anywhere from $600-$800, I'd rather pay a little bit and have it done well.... but that's just me.

 

bdr127, Good point. Does the dealer install the hood, front bumper, headlights and foglights too for $600 - $800 or just the hood?