Shopping around for a new MCS with a MSRP of $33k.
Best offer I have so far is $800 off sticker on a special order.
Is anyone offering a better deal?

 

Generally there is no discount on MSRP. Dealer installed stuff can be negotiated.

You are doing well to get any discount, but 33K is a very high-end car

 

I think it partially depends on how many dealers you have in the area, but there's a thread on here with people getting up to $1000 off on their special order Mini's. Fax all the dealerships in your area with your price, and see who can match it.

 

If it were me, I'd take that offer and run with it-- I don't think you'll get much better, honestly. See who has the first production slots that they can give you, too. A couple hundred bucks may not seem worth it if you have to wait an extra month!

 

Again most dealer only sell at MSRP unless it the end of a model year.

 

you can get more, maybe another $1000,depending on where you are in the country, but that's pretty fair...it's a big self perpetuating rumour that they only sell for msrp....monitor their inventories and you can time the offer better....the market is fairly flooded with MINI's from what I've seen and from reports of car sales this year

 

You might get more off the lot, but for an order? I don't know. Depends on how sales are going in your area.

 

General consensus seems to be:

They'll throw in floor matts for pretty much everyone.

$500 under MSRP is about the best you can hope for in general (and that involves shopping around as some just have a blanket "nothing under MSRP" policy as they know they can sell their allotment anyway).

You'll hear of $1,500 in a very few specific locations. Seems to be doable in some parts of Texas, etc. But that's really only if you're in those specific areas. If you're not, $500 under is the norm again.

So, at $800 under, you're not doing too badly. Admitedly, on a $33k car, you're on the high end and they'll have more margin... but they've got it in to their heads they can do $500 under at the most and still sell every car they get. That being the case, I'd be happy.

Honestly, figure out what you think your time's worth. Say you get to $1,000 under. If you figure your time's worth $20/hr, by all means spend another 10 hours searching. If you figure it's worth $50/hr, if you spend more than 4 more hours calling around, it'd make more sense to go and do something less obsessive with your life.

Oh, and when you're picking up... Turn up late at night when the main accessory checkout's closed and they want to go home. Then imply you want to buy specific matts, stem caps, key rings, cups, etc. They'll likely end up tossing much of it in as a sweetener rather than deal with trying to get someone to open up a register.

 

Okay , what part of Texas has dealers that do $1500 under MSRP?

 

No discount on MSRP. Got $100 off accessories with free installation.

 

You know, I really struggle with all these "under MSRP" stories. I shopped around the East Coast before settling on my local dealer and NO ONE was willing to budge on MSRP on orders OR lot cars. It's not my intent to call people liars, but I've got to wonder if these folks are getting hosed on a trade-in and being led to believe they're getting a discount.

I'd LOVE to see some scans of actual deals on a certified purchase order compared to sticker. I'd also love to see some dealers weigh-in on this as I suspect the mark-up on these cars is way less than some of the discount claims I've seen posted here.

Maybe I'm just a jealous old man with nothing to do but whine about paying MSRP on my own Mini. Yeah, that's probably it.

 

If you are truly getting $800 off MSRP, that sounds pretty darn good. As posted above, it's RARE that I've seen anybody post getting more than $500 of MSRP.

Donna

 

I was originally offered free sports stripes and free install (would have to pay for the graphic) when I suggested (though offered no documentation) to my dealership that another dealer was going to offer me $500 in free accessories to entice me to stay in-state. Then they didn't have a graphics guy, so I talked to my MA-- nothing could be done. Talked to the sales manager, and since they "couldn't discount parts or clearbra-- those are other departments", she took $500 off my justacooper. No trade in, so that wasn't an issue. They more than made the $500 off me I'm sure in other things.

Also, a thing to note-- I sent a pdf of my shopping cart on Morristown MINI showing the 20% off that they have on parts and accessories, and my dealer was able to match it. Though it took me asking three times to get it.

 

I have wondered that also. We are cash buyers, and MSRP is the norm. Financing is a real money maker for the dealer, so they have more room. The old story about walking in and getting a deal for cash is not true for modern dealers. Trade in lowballing, and kickbacks from a finance company make them lots of money.

 

My dad always said that dealers did this (low trade-in value and better sounding price). My dealer told me flat out that off the lot or ordered the cars (MC and MCS) sold for MSRP; Apparently the Clubman is in short supply so there is added markup for Clubman. I have no trade in, btw.

I wonder if perhaps I could have negotiated lower. I think there are two seemingly different human tendencies in play: first, most people seem to be worried that they overpaid and the dealer made a fool of them; second, most people want to convince others (and themselves) that they got a good deal so they talk about the better parts of the deal instead of the overall package; that would explain someone getting $1000 off MSRP due to a reduction in trade-in value: you're just not going to hear the person say they got a bad trade-in value.

I looked at Hondas and Mazdas before buying my MCS and at both the Honda and Mazda dealerships there was significant (around $3000) dealer markup above MSRP printed on the giant sticker on the car window. I'm sure that the dealers do this so they can lower the price and thus give the customer the feeling they got a deal even if the customer paid MSRP or more. But it had just the opposite effect (affect?) in my case: when the MINI MA told me MSRP, it seemed both honest and reasonable. I didn't have to worry about being a good negotiator.

 

As far as any discounts off MSRP on ordering I do not know but that sounds like a good discount they are giving you on it.

I did the online dealer quotes and got some interesting price discounts only to find out that the so called discount was off their ADM and not the one on the actual MSRP.

I did check the dealer inventories online too only also to find out they aren't all up-to-date but at least a good idea on what is available and approx. quantities.I also went to the 4 dealerships in my area and shopped them all and the prices were all over the map meaning MSRP + ADM.

I did find one dealership that had a large inventory and gave me a $1000 off MSRP and was ready to do the deal when I asked to have a center arm rest installed and we will go ahead and do the deal.The Saleswoman went to the GM but they couldn't.I left.On the way home I stopped off at another dealership and said I have a deal on a specific car for X amount and they had one with the center arm rest there and took off $1700 from the MSRP to make the deal with me.

So if you work hard enough you might be able to get a very good discount off MSRP.

 

Here is a copy of the e-mail responce that I received from Towne Mini in Buffalo.

We appreciate your inquiry, and would love the opportunity to sell you a new MINI. Figure $800.00 off of MSRP. We would require a $500.00 deposit to order it up for you. Let me know, and we’ll get the order submitted right away


Dan Ives
Sales Manager
Towne MINI
716-504-6464

 

And, here is another reply

Hi Brian,
I received your inquiry about ordering a 2008 MINI Cooper S. Our policy on orders is to sell at MSRP but considering your travel I will take $500 off plus remove the processing fee of $95 and give you mats. If you are interesting in ordering we do require a $1,000 deposit. Let me know if you would like to do business with us.
Best regards,
Mark Mickley
Tate MINI of Annapolis
(410)349-2133

 

Exactly what I got, $800.00 off MSRP....but they got most of that back with the clear bra install...

 

This is exactly my point. I'm wondering how many of these steep "discounts" are actually cleverly "bundled" with absurd upcharges (like $800.00 bras, $500.00 "Doc Fees", Low Ball trades, yadda yadda yadda).

That's why I wanna see an actual transaction on PAPER. It's one thing to get an email promising a "discount" but then end up seeing a $600.00 Doc Fee on the paperwork. Some people don't even realize they're being hosed by stuff like this.

 

That is why God has blessed me with 2 feet. When I go to sign the papers, and there are any "fees", I can get up & walk out.

 

Well, let's be fair about this. I didn't have to get the Clear Bra as part of the deal. I got the deal, on paper, at $800.00 off MSRP including the destination charges. They asked me if I wanted to get the Clear Bra when I ordered the car, I said "no". I did the research about local installers, read about it on NAM, and decided the price was within market range, and it comes with the warranty...so I ended up getting it.

It was NOT part of a package deal, or some promised discount.

 

Another option you have is to do the same thing I did, I know that it is absurd to think of, but wait until early next year and purchase a 2008 model comparable to what you want. I had been carefully planning on getting a MCS for around 9 months, paying off credit cards, getting my credit score above 700, so when a good deal came around I would be ready to strike. My patience paid off. I had been checking dealer websites for weeks, when finally they were having a dealer clearance on 2007 models. (I bought in Jan of 2008). I went to the dealership and there was the exact car that I had wanted (and then some). The sticker price was over $35,000 and I got it for $31,000 with only 500 miles on the odometer, plus I got 4.9% financing to boot. It does pay to be patient! Good Luck!

 

Haha, in CA you have to wait 3-4 months to get your car if you want to pay MSRP. Otherwise most of the dealerships out here charge 3,000-5,000 on top of MSRP .

 

If you are paying 3k-5k more than sticker, buy one where you can get it for below sticker, get a cheap flight & drive it home over the weekend.
Worst case senario, it will cost you a 1k to save 5k.