I think in current economy conditions MINIs have better chances than other european brands to keep sales and prices.

1. It is cheaper when you buy MINI for MSRP (even including some options) versus BMW 1 or 3 for about invoice price. So, some folks who were thinking of those BMWs or, say Mercedes C300 and do not really need to drive more than 1-2 passengers could shift towards MINI.

2. In current economy conditions it is more economical - reasonable fuel consumption.

3. Better maintains its value, - it is mentally easier to buy
it new because you know you will not get huge depreciation within the first year.

4. It has its distinct iconic image partially inherited from the original Mini, partially established on its own.
So for these and maybe some other reasons MINI dealerships might be drawing some buyers from other dealerships who were initially planning to buy something more expensive.

MINIs have some restrictions though - while a lot of folks like the car, others think it does not look serious... I am buying this car for my wife and she is very happy, but not sure I'd buy one for myself. I'd probably buy a used BMW 3 for myself to bypass initial depreciation.

BMW 1? No, not this one... It has interior room comparable to MINI, weights close to BMW3, same about price... Cartoon design which is justified for MINI but not for BMW I think.

 

got $1200 off of MSRP on mine... i bought mine off the lot, though... at the same time i was negotiating and had a ordered one for $200 below MSRP (ordered to my liking) along with free floormats and trunk mat... yes you can deal right now!!! however, im guessin the $200 off was only because i was ordering the VDC installed JCW kit. they were giving me $200 off the installation cost... the JCW kit is $2550 installed out here in CA...

My Mini MSRPs out at around $33.6K (not including the mats)... i paid $32.4K before tax and license... maybe it depends on the exact vehicle u want and the options...

at the time of my purchase i was working with 3 dealers... i just kept telling everyone that i had better offers, and prices kept on going down...

that being said, we were negotiating for november and december production slots... so i would have still had to have waited a bit for the car...

hope this helps. good luck

 

Back in August/September of this year, my dealer had an average of 8 MINIs on the lot. As of today, they have 79 available. I would assume with that inventory, there is definitely room to negotiate (if you're willing to buy one off the lot). This is East Bay MINI.