Ok, Went to pick up my car today and me and my MA got to talkin about add ons since they will not give me a deal on a car if I build one...Here are some prices I was quoted...no joke...

Add color line to dash and doors...$1700 inc labor
ChromeLine Interior...$875 inc labor
Chrome gas cap like on the S...Cant be done they said, I told them yes it can per miniusa and offered to show them...they said again it cant be done.
Switch seats to sport seats....Cant be done!!!!

WOW...Anyway I did not get the car as of yet...anyone else with some crazy dealer charges like this???

 

Are you talking about taking a car off the lot and modifying it?

 

Makes sense....often times the smallest changes can mean a ton of labor to take it off when doing it post build. If I were in your shoes I would just order one the way you want it.

 

Well, the trim would have been nice but not a deal breaker...just wanted to share the crazy pricing...still getting car tomorrow am!!!

 

If you think they're crazy don't pay them. Not sure what kind of deal you're getting for a car on the lot, but if it's a deal on a car that isn't equipped the way you want, it's not much of a deal.

 

+1

Make sure you're absolutely happy with the MINI you choose to bring home. Ordering is a pain in the a$$ (well, the wait is), but you are guaranteed to receive the MINI of your dreams ~ and that makes a few of the cars pesky quirks insignificant. But if you start out unhappy or unsatisfied, I would think the quirks would just exaccerbate your angst.

Let's Motor!

 

Holy crap. As usual, the main cost is labor.

 

I'd order. I'd also be cautious of "add-ons" as you close the deal--lots of "document fees" and the like. I've heard of $600 for them--I paid $150 for mine. Some dealers won't sell a car without clear bras, expensive wax jobs, etc., too.

You might consider buying from a dealer in another city if you can find a car more to your liking, although shipping has its own risks.

 

Have you asked your MA to do a search of other dealer's inventory or MINIs on order? The MINI you want may already be built just at another dealer.

Before we completed an order my MA did a search and came up with a MINI that matched my specs almost exactly (had chrome line which I wasn't sure I wanted but now can't imagine not having). Going this route cut my wait time in half as she was already going through her paces at the VDC.

Also you can switch out the standard rings and pop on the chrome line yourself. Shop around though for the kit as prices vary.

Good Luck!

 

Question: If you order one are you obligated to take it upon arrival? Or can you back out of the deal - not like they won't have a problem selling it - and order something else?

 

You have to get those details in writing before you order. Some have cancelled their order at no penalty after delivery, some forfeit a deposit, it varies.

 

It's often worth getting quotes from multiple dealers, even if it means a 100 mile road trip. For that matter, placing your order online through the internet rep rather than the sales floor leeches. Can get quotes from places like Edmunds.com.

Pitting the sharks against each other is best for your pocketbook.

 

A lot of states have laws regarding this. I know CA is one state where there's no such thing as a "Non-Refundable" deposit. If you order a custom spec MINI for 45k and decide when it comes in that you don't want it, according to my understanding of CA law, they have to return your deposit.

Check your local and state laws to see if anything similar exists in your locale.

 

One advantage, if you are lucky enough to find an 'inventory' MINI that is equipped to your spec, is that you can see the 'fit & finish' that you will get.

Many have reported here that trim "never lines up..." etc., on their MINI's, so it seems that finding one that is 'perfect' might be a rare occurrance.

Another advantage might be, if it is the end of the month, a dealer is more likely to 'deal' and save the monthly 'floor-plan' he will have to pay on that inventory car, factory dealer incentives are also based on monthly performance.

Dealer Prep or Document Charges are often added, Toyota adds $495 to each and every car sold in the SouthEast and that does not hurt so much if you are buying a model at a few hundred over invoice with a nice fat Factory Rebate taken off.

 

There are a couple of ways you might avoid dealer mark up on the car purchase. One is through the internet, e.g. carsdirect.com. Another is through a credit union buying service. In my case, both sources referred me to the same dealer in my general area (one of four in the Bay Area. My closest dealer didn't want to budge on the $2,500 mark up.

 

otterdad... are you talking $2500 over sticker? That seems extreme. Are people really willing to pay that?

I paid straight sticker. No deals to be had but no mark up either. Which I could live with.

 

Exactly, who buys by talking to the guys on the lot anymore anyway? Can save thousands online.

 

Most I see on the lot are automatics.
Why make a Mini in Automatic?

ORDER it how you want it. Most on this site have.

 

Some people don't want to learn or don't want to bother with driving a manual. Or even physically can't for whatever reason. There are days that my leg aches by the time I get to work (I love Detroit traffic!!) and I almost rethink that extra pedal.

And just like any car a MINI can be a impulse buy (especially around $20k) - you have to have some on the lot. That's how you get people who drive by and think it's cute to buy one. When I was ordering Lewis there was a woman there buying a MINI who had to have a car that day for some reason or another. She had looked at them before and circumstances worked themselves out that she needed to come home with a car on that day - if there wasn't a MINI on the lot she would have had to get a ride down the street to another dealer.

Of course if you have the luxury of being able to order and wait for it, by all means do that. But if a dealer has what you're looking for, no waiting and you get to see it before you get too attached, double bonus.

 

It's always my right leg that gets tired in heavy traffic and that happens in either an auto or manual...don't understand the bad rap of manuals in traffic. If anything I find them better as you can often crawl in 1st where you'd have to ride the brake in an auto.

 

the more stories like this i read the more i like my mini dealer. they totally have us over the barrel here and are still very fair. i'm in NM. the closest dealers are phoenix (400 miles west) denver (440 miles north) and vegas (400 miles NW). and they still don't add dealer taxes, excesive mark ups, or jerk you around about the refund. provided you get the MFSW and sunroof.

 

I've only owned sticks.
It's second nature now, no matter the traffic.
I speed like a bandit, in any automatic I drive.

Minimed...they're already hosing us for MSRP.
They should send us a present on our birthday.
When the next big thing comes out in automobiles and a hydrogen engine, Mini may be begging us to come back.

 

Your traffic must move faster than mine, or I'm just a bad driver. Lewis lugs and stalls slower than about 6mph, and when traffic is literally stop and go, I'm constantly feathering both the clutch and gas, though it is true my right foot hurts from being on and off the brake. If only my fellow commuters were kind enough to let me get enough room ahead of me I could just crawl along at 8mph, but if I leave enough room for a Focus I'll find an F-150 on my bonnet.

 

Minimed...they're already hosing us for MSRP.
They should send us a present on our birthday.
When the next big thing comes out in automobiles and a hydrogen engine, Mini may be begging us to come back.[/quote]

Yeah, who pays MSRP for a normal car? But with minis, that appears to be the norm. Of course, in this market anything small appears to be getting MSRP and I've heard that Prius' are fetching over MSRP.

 

Automatic is very popular in urban areas where traffic isn't very light.

In my area easily half of the MINIs are sold automatic.

At the Honda and Toyota dealerships I checked out last year they have very very few sedans with manual transmission unless there was no option for automatic. You'd have to wait for 6 months in hoping to see a manual.

Dealer markups are very very common. MSRP is the usual unless there is some incentive for the dealership such as a backlog of cars in stock.

Demand for the clubman is very high in my area so there is a wait to get those and few in stock ready for sale so they can be dealer packed and still sell well.

Base coopers are more plentiful and come in a variety of options from fairly basic to loaded. Interior and exterior finish packages are added routinely to increase the sell price. Sales are very small volume compared to other competitors so this is how they can stay in business. Not sure how the domestics can afford to stay in business selling big trucks and SUVs with oil and diesel prices getting to $6 per gallon in my area.

Some families have young drivers that don't drive manual so automatic is the transmission of choice with least hassle. Gas mpg is farily good with modern automatics and resale is much better with automatics.