I'm a customer. It seems disingenuous for them not to include something like that. Every other dealership I've ever bought a car from has included them without my even asking them to. To me, it's poor customer relations and makes them seem cheap. I could care less if they think I'm being cheap...in fact, I'm TRYING to save some money.

It's the principle of the thing. I could have them tack the $80 on to my financing or I could shell out another $80 for the mats...but I'd like some sort of goodwill from the dealer that I just bought a $30K car from.

 

I'd suggest a readjustment here. Floor mats just aren't free...they never have been for MINIs. You are getting a very nice car for your money, you can be very happy about that. The mats are irrelevant...if they throw them in, fine...if dealer policy states otherwise, fine. There is a whole range of accessories MINI owners opt to pay for...boot organizers, glovebox organizers, clear bras, and the like...the mats is just one other option. I know some folks love their "free stuff," but it's not worth getting upset over. As I said...driving off in your MINI is the really big deal!!!!!

 

Let's not turn this into a debate about whether or not dealerships should throw in floormats. The bottom line is that MINIs do not come with them as standard equipment. If you're dealership is nice enough to throw them in for you or you're able to work out a deal that includes them, great. If you don't care about floormats, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but understand that this is a thread about floormats so it is important to most of the folks here.

 

Buy 3rd party mats, not from the dealer. They're just OK, not worth the $$ IMO.

 

Most people who get floormats are indeed paying for them, they just don't see it that way. My "free" floormats were included as part of the dealer fee. If you got a low dealer fee or got it waived, I would expect to pay for them.

 

I agree with whoever said they used the post-sale survey as their leverage point for mats. I did the same thing and it worked. I simply got in the car, looked down at the floor and said "No floor mats?" and the sales manager, who was within earshot, said "Give us all 5s on the survey and I'll throw a set in for you..." Neither of us batted an eye - I knew the car was going to come without them and I'd have to deal for them, and the sales manager knows me as a savvy MINI customer, so she wasn't even surprised by the comment.

 

No, no "readjustment" needed on my part. But thanks for caring enough to suggest I need one. I'm done with this topic, I simply stated my opinion, which still holds true.

You have yours I have mine.

 

I would ask to exchange for the correct ones. Tell him exactly what you're telling us, that they fit poorly. Free doesn't count for much if you're going to have to replace them. Even for '06, there were some differences in the rear mat between hardtop and convertible versions.

 

Fair enough...just trying to spare you the pangs of expectations unfulfilled (maybe).

 

If you want free mats and possibly a bunch of other stuff, don't order a car. Wait until the new model year cars are on the lot and then make a deal on one of last years cars.

I bought my '06 when the lot was full of '07 cars and got free carpet mats, rubber mats, bonnet stripes and a hefty discount.

Now, I realize that the difference between an 06' and an '07 is far greater than an 07' and an '08, so their incentive to move a car may be less. Nevertheless, dealers want to move old stock and you'll have the upper hand in the negotiation.

Negotiating on an ordered MINI is difficult to impossible.

dean.

 

I may have just gotten extremely lucky, but I really don't think that has to be the case.

On my ordered MINI I simply sent out an email to the MAs I was in contact with, saying something along the lines of "There are 4 MINI dealers in an 100 mile radius of me, therefore what incentives can you give me to buy from your dealer in particular?".

My MA at Otto's responded saying $300 off, free front/rear floormats of my choice, cargo nets and $30 gift certificate . Deal sealed

Admittedly, buying off the lot, especially towards the end of the year, does allow one even more room to negotiate though. I purchased my second MINI in mid-October off the lot and got $750 off + the mats, nets, bonnet stripes with installation and $30 gift certificate.

Also both of those deals were gotten 'paying cash', which many assert that dealers don't like.

 

In all honesty, not to be a jerk...
if you can't get the matts included then you dont know how to negotiate and they must know you're crapping your pants to get the car.

I bought a 2007 MCS auto, multi function wheel, got the regular mats included, and a free detail for $22,000 + tax.

 

Dan hooked us up with the carpeted ones. Didnt even ask, they were in the car when we picked it up.

 

I've found the rubber luggage compartment mat is nice in other cars as well.

 

+1

 

my mom has a three series and my grandmother a five, they both came with a set of carpet mats with out negotiation and with out buying them. i even helped our salesman take them out of the trunk (not the accessory department) and put them in because we were in a hurry. maybe we use a dealer that just gives them to you as a courtesy. idk. just a comment.

 

my mom has a three series and my grandmother a five, they both came with a set of carpet mats with out negotiation and with out buying them. i even helped our salesman take them out of the trunk (not the accessory department) and put them in because we were in a hurry. maybe we use a dealer that just gives them to you as a courtesy. idk. just a comment.

 

i agree, if you pay for floor mats you are a pushover. if you can't even get floor mats, you sohuld really invest in a negotiator or personal shopper.

 

I have a friend who refused to pay MSRP and went across the state to get $500 off a MINI. Trouble is he had no idea he was missing out on a bunch of dealer perks that would amount to way over that. Yeah, he was some negotiator. If you can get free mats, fine, but if the dealer won't budge I don't think it's worth ruining the relationship over. The money I've saved from having a good dealer relationship would have allowed me to buy several hundred sets of floor mats. So...I say negotiate away. Just try not to cross the line.

 

I never even had to ask a dealer to give me floor mats until now, it was always automatic. That said, I simply requested the mats from my MA and she was more than happy to "throw them in", since I'm getting some customization done by the dealer's vendor.

I agree that it pays to be nice and tactful when making the request.

 

I am very happy with Dan and Rasmussen in general. We've been going round and round on getting cruise control installed but, I think we have that settled now also.

 

Our SA threw in carpeted mats, he just asked if we wanted carpeted ones or rubber ones. Then again, we ordered our '07 MCS with every option available and paid MSRP, so maybe he felt obligated to offer the mats...

 

I must be one of those poor negotiators . At Rasmussen we were told that everyone had to pay $125 dealer fee that included filling up the gas tank and floor mats. Most expensive gas I've ever bought.

 

Moritz in Arlington put them in for free on our 05 also

 

It still lives in my mind leaving with my little honda
from the stealership with no radio and no floor mats,
AND having spent 4 hours getting down to the msrp.

That experience has weighed heavily on every car
purchase I have ever made and will ever make.

I definately considered a civic Si as a compeditor
to the mini (mini has been my first choice since they
came out but I still wanted to look around, you know).
But the thing that went through my mind when thinking
of getting another honda was
"Man, I'm just not going to go through that s h it again"

Funny they don't do surveys.
Customer satisfaction with the vehicle: 10.
Customer satisfaction with the purchase experience: 0.

But really I can thank them. Had I been a repeat honda customer
I never would have discovered the ultimate driving machine.

In contrast to all of that I left the mini dealership thinking
man, I should have bought two of those things.......
hmmmpf. maybe I will do just that.