Im seeing a lot more minis on the road here in cincy. I'm starting to wonder if the BMW dealers that initially missed out on the MINIs are clambering for a dealership. The cost of building an extra showroom doesn't look too bad in this market.

 

Heh its even worse than current inventory being sold out. I put deposit for build slot on 2009 Convertible that nobody knows when it will come out

 

Perhaps we should be on the alert - this is also prime time for some of those p&ss poor dealerships to get in on this golden egg thing, and start cashing in on our addictions. Like for instance, does anybody else think it's slightly odd that MINIsts are having to get in line TO GET IN LINE to order a MINI? And others are paying to do so? Things that make you go "Hmmmm......"

On a caveat note, this is also prime time for used car dealers to cash in on it too...especially for unsuspecting MINIst-wannabes who are trying to cut down on price.

 

I tell my friends that having the transmission go on my VW Cabrio was the best thing that happened to me this year!

I was already planning to get a MINI about now (July) but when the Cabrio bit the dust in Februrary I went straight to the MINI dealer and drove off with Kirky... I was talking with my MA a few days ago and they had only one car left on the lot.

For me, this past four months have been sheer joy!

 

I totally agree. Especially after you see the line at the dealers for test drives. Some of those MINIs must see at least 20 drivers a day, plus I know I drove it like I stole it for the test drive

Its just more comforting knowing you're the first to drive your MINI.

 

Unless someone was reading the tea leaves back at BMW, MINI got really lucky with the switch to the R56 powerplant in terms of efficiency....and they are just as lucky the car catually out-performs the EPA estimates. Now we have something to tallk about....we might have been left in the dust. I can only hope that MINI continues to keep the frugal part of the Mini equation alive and well.

 

Seems when I got my MCSa back in April it was the right time even though I did buy from the dealer lot there were plenty to pick from at the time.Mine just arrived so it wasn't even prepped yet and no customer drove it.

I just check my local MINI dealership online inventory where I bought mine at Vista MINI and they are down to 14 total in stock with 1 Clubman.

The other 2 MINI dealerships near my area still have 31 and 27 in their online inventory stock.

Although online inventory is only an estimate as some could have already been sold and not removed from their list.

 

Every family can use a MINI.

 

Schomp MINI in Denver is desperate for used cars right now, they literally have none. When they come in, they are sold almost instantly.

 

Many dealers in my area are not even accepting trucks or SUVs for trade. If they are accepting them, they a low-balling value way way below blue book. I have one of the gas eaters and fortunately I leased, so I just get to drop and run in a few weeks.

I checked my dealer's stock and they have 28 new MINI's in stock.

 

It's a good thing the Mini is selling as the rest of BMW in the USA is down, down, down.

 

Several of us (four MINIs) showed up at the dealership today just for fun.....yup, all the MINIs currently on the lot (all 6) are sold!! We parked out by the street and brought in quite a few prospects w/ a NFR/B and a OB/W Cooper, a MY/B MCS, and a PW/S Clubman.

 

The only mini dealer near San Diego lists 10 new cars. That's crazy.

 

When I went to order my MINI (mid-June), there were only two unsold MINIs at the dealership (San Francisco MINI): a NFR Clubman and a PW/B JCW hardtop. The others were already sold and awaiting pickup (probably at least 8-10 cars total).

My MA told me and husband a story of a woman who wanted to trade in her Hummer and owed more on it than they'd give her for it, but took it anyway to get a MINI.

We used to wonder what gas price would finally send the SUV drivers back into smaller cars, and I guess we've all found that out in the last couple of months! On a related note, saw an item in the paper today that with gas prices up, people (especially young drivers) are driving less, which means fewer accidents and fatalities.

 

When I custom order my 08 MCs not only was I able to outfit it as I choose but the car was discounted $1,000 off of msrp. Doubt that would happen today.

 

Don't be fooled by online inventories. They include pre-sales and contain old data. My dealer listed 20 available cars. When I picked up mine I was told they actually had only 3 for sale.

 

MSN had a story rating the top 10 fuel efficient cars. Prius was first. MC was 9th. They quoted 28 city/37 hway/32 combined. I thought that was low for the MC, maybe they quoted the MCS. I get 28 city/34+ highway in my MCS (the sticker says 29/36, what's the MC say?). The top 3 or 4 were hybrids of course, the VW GTI diesel came in strong. Most of the cars are dogs (Smartcar, most hybrids). Minis will be in short supply, they can't build 'em fast enough now.

 

I can not quite figure out the online "new car inventory" listings for dealerships..like MINI of Sterling shows about 15 MINIs and in actuality they have zero...if it is to bring people in in hopes of buying one on the spot then that is poor...I think it would create more ill will than trying to scoop a sale on an order. I guess that is why I am not in the car sales business

Agree about BMW sales being WAY down... I usually enter the MINI dealership thru the BMW entrance (MINI of Sterling shares the same facility with BMW of Sterling...very nice BTW) and the only thing you see is lots of sales folks idle or the occassional customer who is interested in the new 1 series (although the interest might wane abit after seeing the sticker...saw one the other day at $48K+ ... so much for an 'entry' level BMW). But this commentary can be said for Mercedes, Audi (lesser extent) and Porsche...they keep putting out heavier cars (Chapman would role over in his grave) and to compensate higher HP engines... sure you can get a M5 with a 500 hp V10 but the damn thing weighs over 2 TONS and gets 11 mpg (not to mention close to $100K with a few options)... same for the MB CLK AMG63..over 500 hp, but also close to a 2 ton car. Euro engineers need to take a page out of the Colin Chapman book of car engineering and design. Anyway, the day and age of the smaller, well engineered, efficient, and in the case of the MINI sporty/fun (know I am preachin' to the choir here) is upon us... wake up call for not only US manufacterers but the Euro crowd too.
Michael

 

...and the choir sings together...

AMEN!!!



this is the most unapologetic and self congratulatory thread I've run across recently, and I am definitely up for it!

 

If you are talking about the online inventory list that can be deceiving. MINIs that are ordered for customers (already sold) show up on the inventory list until they are delivered. Once they leave the distribution center headed for the dealer they are listed on the dealer inventory but they are already sold.

 

Dealers maintain their own websites (generally). If there are errors, it is usually because cars are being sold and the website is not getting updated quickly enough. Pre-sold cars are generally not be placed on their websites as available either.

 

Not totally sure about that. My ordered MINI showed up on my dealers inventory the day after it left the distribution center. I was told that was automatic and it would show up there until "sold" (when I took delivery). Once the car leave the VDC and until it is delivered it belongs to the dealer so it is listed in inventory.

 

I was up in Charlotte North Carolina a couple of days ago and while I was there
I thought I would go by the local MINI dealer to see what they had on inventory.
When I got there I thought they had move to another location because the lot was competely vacant..
I spotted someone walking out of one of the buildings so I approached him and asked where they had moved the MINI dealership to.
He said the dealership is exactly where we were standing, so I said "Where are all the MINI's?" .
He said they were all gone and that special ordering would be the only way to get one.

Now keep in mind that the MINI dealer in Charlotte is quite large and I have been
there before, but never have I seen it completely vacant like they were out of business.

P.S. I guess this will really finish killing off the MINI wave because I'm pretty sure that the rush to buy MINI's was
for gas saving purposes and not because they understand the MINI mistique..

 

That may just be how your dealer has their website setup to load. It is not the norm from what I can tell.

 

I got my 08 MCS in early May...at that time my dealer had over two pages of available cars listed on their website. I just checked, right now they have just 14. I got lucky, it wasn't feasible for me to order one so I had to take what they had off the lot, and I found one that pretty much had everything I wanted. Yay.