[Paul c]

Thats great news ViscountCharles

[DHA]

Dealer has been in contact and say I can put a spec together. Will pop down and see how much in total my spec would be. Then make a final decision.....

[DHA]

So I went along. I got to £23,797.

However the salesperson did not know about the bodykit being standard, they said "that is the bodykit you could have" I said I thought it was standard but they would have to check. I know there have been reports of it now being standard in the UK but the base price was £20,495 on the dealer order system, I am sure I had seen 20,995 quoted on here when it had been announced the bodykit was standard.

No prices on seats, will report back on Monday.

The only suspension I was offered was the £150 sports suspension, I asked about JCW suspension and it was another not sure they will check.

So if I add the seats, suspension and possibly bodykit it will be £27,797ish or £27,297 if the bodykit is standard and the base price goes up from what is on the order system. IMO its far too much for a MINI irrespective of how good the car is.

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Ive seen S's with the JCW Stage1 kit, cost more than that There was one at Brands that was about 29k and my dealer had one as well back last year

[mister.t]

Crikey that's still a substantial sum!!!

Best of luck with your order though, I wouldn't hesitate spending that on a car I love

[rogan200]

Quote: Originally Posted by DHA (original)

So I went along. I got to £23,797.

However the salesperson did not know about the bodykit being standard, they said "that is the bodykit you could have" I said I thought it was standard but they would have to check. I know there have been reports of it now being standard in the UK but the base pice was £20,495 on the dealer order system, I am sure I had seen 20,995 quoted on here when it had been announced the bodykit was standard.No prices on seats, will report back on Monday.

The only suspension I was offered was the £150 sports suspension, I asked about JCW suspension and it was another not sure they will check.

So if I add the seats, suspension and possibly bodykit it will be £27,797ish or £27,297 if the bodykit is standard and the base price goes up from what is on the order system. IMO its far too much for a MINI irrespective of how good the car is.

Bodykit is definitely included in the UK car. The OTR Price is £20,995. £20445 is the price on the dealer system, but they will then add 12 Months Road Fund (£145), Delivery Fee (£350) and First Registration (£55). That comes to £ 20,995.

The JCW suspension is a dealer fit accessory. I have got mine on order for £1190.71 (which includes the dampers, springs, and fitting). Ths is a reduced price from RRP.

Sounds like your dealer is pretty clueless tbh! They can get prices on any of this stuff in seconds by asking their parts dept.

[ViscountCharles]

Just how important will the JCW suspension be over the standard or sports suspension?

My R52 MCS has sports suspension (and I'm in the process of moving back to runflats - 6 years ago, they were expensive and rubbish; now they seem to be a lot better and cheaper). Happy enough with the ride and handling, although if I hit a ppothole at the same time as braking I *really* notice it feed back though the pedal.

So I'll probably select sports suspension on my Works (though in a dream last night, my R52 started to misfire, needed a new engine, and had to be replaced with a Golf because I couldn't wait into '09 ).

What am I missing out on by not having the JCW suspension? I'll never trck the car; it's used as a family car with two little girls in the back, and I doubt I'll ever drive it like a hooligan - so why go for JCW bits, right?

[CC07ERS]

I cant believe you dont get the JCW suspension as standard.

[prophet]

What a shambles. Went in to Coopers sat and the sales person didn't have a clue. First of all he said its only available in 4 colours when i had decided on pure silver. He then hesitated with almost every question I asked and I finally asked for a spec list which he didnt have. All through this he kept on with the cheap salesman routine which just ******ed me off more.

He wasn't sure on the stereo, aero kit, steering wheeel etc.

It was also the first time I had been in the new shape mini and have to say i think the dash is a step back from my current 05 model. The CD player looked straight out of a fiesta with random plastic knobs badly placed.

I have told him to confirm spec by the end of the week or to not bother. Very dissapointed as was already to go.

Very suprised Mini are selling a car their dealers know nothing about.

[ViscountCharles]

He's right. It *is* available in just 4 colours - unless you're American, Canadian, German, French, Italian, Spanish etc etc. In fact, it's only in the UK where it's available in just 4 colours.

Most salesmen know nothing about the products that they sell. cars, dishwashers, plasma TVs ... personally I don't understand that attitude - it's 2008, information on just about everything is freely available on the net, if you're selling something you should be an expert on it, because sooner or later one of your potential customers is going to ask a tricky question.

Dash - well, I like some of it - like the proper glovebox (I have an early no-glovebox MINI). but I'm not overly keen on the lack of shelf space under the dash (or the smaller door pockets either). Where am I supposed to keep all of my bits and pieces?

I'm convinced that the CD/radio looks so bad in order to sell more sat-nav units. At first I hated the look of the sat-nav, but then i realised it was aesthetic perfection compared to the no-nav MINI!

Anyone got a view on the JCW suspension? Or the existence (or otherwise) of parking distance control when combined with the JCW (or factory) aero kit?

[Paul c]

Guys you will get used to the stereo controls..............at first i found mine a nightmare to use...but didnt take long to get hang of it at all............i quite like the dash in r56.........makes the R53 one look dated when i get back in one!

[Tunster]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul c (original)

Guys you will get used to the stereo controls..............at first i found mine a nightmare to use...but didnt take long to get hang of it at all............i quite like the dash in r56.........makes the R53 one look dated when i get back in one!

No-one seems to accept the R56 Stereo is better! I know you can't change the unit, but if you're buying a JCW, does the stereo really matter as long as it works??

I'm a bit gutted this MINI was announced just after I bought mine! I may be tempted to get one of these in 2 years time or so if I decide to go for a change .

[prophet]

I hear what your saying but for me the dash looks poor when compared to rivals for similar money. I think a 25k car should have a better looking dash.

I think my money will be going to the S3 now.

[rogan200]

Quote: Originally Posted by prophet (original)

I hear what your saying but for me the dash looks poor when compared to rivals for similar money. I think a 25k car should have a better looking dash.

I think my money will be going to the S3 now.

I thought S3 before ordering the JCW. It is a lot more money though. Its £27000 OTR before adding any extras. Plus it will almost certainly depreciate far more than a Mini. The basic Mini JCW is £21000. Yes the Audi is better equipped in base spec, but you really are paying for the exta power, luxury and quality. (Also id imagine running cost - fuel and servicing - will be noticeably more too).

S3 probably a better car but then you pay for that.

[ViscountCharles]

More money, worse fuel economy and road tax, and at the end of the day you're buying quite an old car. The S3 is based off the 2003-model A3, is it not? Due for a model revision in a year or two I reckon.

OTOH, they're going to launch a Sportback (5 door) version soon. Hmmm. Works Clubman or 5-door S3? Well, I think my money's still going to MINI, but they shouldn't regard it as a certainty yet.

[Paul c]

Audi S3 isnt that the same platform as the Skoda Occtavia/Golf /Seat Leon

I like the S3

However

MINI wins for me everytime its out there on its own............

[CC07ERS]

Quote: Originally Posted by prophet (original)

I hear what your saying but for me the dash looks poor when compared to rivals for similar money. I think a 25k car should have a better looking dash.

I think my money will be going to the S3 now.

Get a Type R for a starship dash. 25K is shocking

[fronesis47]

I've been living in the UK for the past 3 yeras, and this summer I will very reluctantly be moving back to the US. I'm going to miss the UK for a lot of reasons, and there are a lot of things I don't like about the states.

But I just placed my order for a 2009 Factory JCW, with heated seats, xenons, metallic paint, rear fog lights, etc.

The total came to $30,900 (approx £15.5K)!

[prophet]

The Audi S3 is an old platform now but its still a great drive. I really do love the mini but for that little bit more you get a lot of car with much more power. It also has better boot space - wife cares about these things ;-)

Choices, choices ...

[ViscountCharles]

Can anyone tell me why a car built in the UK will cost up to £10,000 less once it's been shipped to the USA?

I know that Eurozone prices are relatively similar to UK prices on the MINI - but I would have thought that the weak dollar would have made MINIs more expensive in the US, not less.