[gizwomack]

Hi All,
I live in North Carolina and I am the proud owner of a 2003 Velvet Red CVT Cooper with 60K miles . I want to trade in on a new MINI but can't decide if I should buy one off the dealer lot or order one. Are there enough bugs in the new MINI that I should wait a bit? My 2003 needs new tires and I'd like to go ahead and trade now, but would it be wiser to wait a few months?
Thoughts?!

[vigilante]

No, keep the VR, cos they'll never match that colour for sweetness

[mmalc]

Quote: Originally Posted by gizwomack (original)

Hi All,
I live in North Carolina and I am the proud owner of a 2003 Velvet Red CVT Cooper with 60K miles . I want to trade in on a new MINI but can't decide if I should buy one off the dealer lot or order one. Are there enough bugs in the new MINI that I should wait a bit? My 2003 needs new tires and I'd like to go ahead and trade now, but would it be wiser to wait a few months?
Thoughts?!

If you can find one that matches your requirements sufficiently closely that you're sure you'd be happy with it, then take it off the lot.

If you want the satisfaction of completely specifying exactly "the MINI of your dreams", order one. The couple of hundred dollars you save on tyres now won't outweigh the frustration of "what if..." over the years you own the new one.

If you're after a Cooper (rather than Cooper S), then the wait may be less than you expect. I ordered mine in early March and picked it up two days ago. I'm very happy.

mmalc

[AprilWhine]

Really depends on what options you want and how flexible you are. I had to order my MCSC because I love the OEM nav and my local dealer doesn't put nav in spec cars.

Can you check your dealer's stock online? That way you could tell if one of the lot cars would suit you before making the trek to the showroom.

[JohnWB]

If you order it in then you are sure to get any of the small updates they have been doing since it came out.

[mmalc]

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine (original)

Really depends on what options you want

Indeed. I'm not sure a dealer would ever have exactly the options I wanted:

Pepper white with black roof and stripes
Checkered Carbon cloth seats (I get too hot on leather )
Cream white colour line
Piano black interior surface
Sports Package
Convenience Package
Automatic transmission
Xenon headlights
Rear fog light
Powerfold mirrors
Automatic AC
Park distance control
Navigation system
10-speaker Hi-Fi

Note: I didn't want the sunroof.

mmalc

[AprilWhine]

Going to be hard to find a spec car with nav and without the sunroof. You have my sympathy, my fuzzy hubby is very tall and prefers the extra headroom without the sunroof and I love OEM nav. I think you're going to have to order.

But might as well check inventory online for the nearby dealers. Don't bother checking the one in VA Beach, they don't order nav. But there are three dealers near DC, one in Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston and Greenville you might get lucky.

Oops, just noticed you're not the OP.

[gizwomack]

Thanks to everyone for the speedy feedback! My dealer has the MINI I want in stock on the lot, so I may just go ahead and get it!

[mmalc]

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine (original)

Oops, just noticed you're not the OP.

No worries


I've actually been in both situations.
The 05 Cooper S I bought "off the lot". The dealers in the Bay Area told me I could wait 5-7 months, or I could have the one I just test drove. At the time, it was close enough to what I wanted that I was happy enough to forego the wait. And I was certainly very happy with it. When it came time to get the new one, I wanted it to have exactly what I wanted (although even then it turned out that what I wanted when I first walked into the dealer wasn't -- after some discussion and further thinking -- what I really wanted!). And now I'm very happy again.

mmalc