Dealership Added Maintenance Costs?

[bunnyman]

Hi, just got back from browsing at a Mini dealership here in Southern California, Universal City dealership. ON TOP of their "sticker price", they listed additional charges for the 4-Year Maintenance coverage. I could have sworn I saw/heard advertising that the 4-year maintenance coverage was INCLUDED in the MSRP, not an added expense. Am I totally wrong?
Also, they listed a few other suspect charges on top of their list price:

$795 - Maintenance Adjustment (the 4-year maintenance)
$195 - Aux Input (think for the iPod connection)
$995 - Alarm Installation
$495 - Auto Finishing (i have NO idea what this is, any ideas?)

Anyone have any clue about these things? I don't want to get raped when I go back to buy. Thanks!

[Baker]

The Aux input is a just a stereo "headphone" jack so you can plug you any portable music device in - bit of a waste, you can make one yourself for about $10.

Alarm - speaks for itself, car alarm

Auto Finishing - "Paint Protection", load of crap, just an extremely expensive wax and detail. Don't bother with this.

[bunnyman]

Thanks Baker. But what about the Maintenance charge? Should this be an added cost or does Mini's 4-year maintenance coverage already included in the MSRP?

[Baker]

No idea I'm not in the US

[dakini]

My paperwork lists the following:

3 year/36,000 miles free maintenance (oil service, fluids, brakes, clutch, wipers; excludes gas, alignments, tires)
4 year 3 month/55,000 miles limited warranty (bumper to bumper)
4 year/50,000 miles road side assistance (includes towing, lockout, trip interruption, flat tire, dead battery, run out of gas, maps/trip tiks)
12 year corrosion guarantee

dunno if that helps ... but if it's 4 years maintenance, then that might be where the markup comes in? since standard is 3 years i think?

you might also peek around dealership feedback and see what people are saying about your dealer and see if they explain the markups, etc ...

[sfgrunge]

Hey bunnyman,

Sounds like they are trying to justify their markup to me. Interesting that it the total of all of those items is about $2500 (pretty standard markup here in Cali). There are some dealers that list the markup as "market adjustments" and there are some that add on a bunch of "options" to make the markup a little less conspicious. I have spent the last month looking for a dealer to order my MINI from and I have spoken to all of the SF Bay Area dealers and a few down in So Cal.

Looking at that list of "options"
1) I think that is the extended maintenance option (adds 1 more year to the standard 3 year). I can't imagine what "maintenance" items would cost $795.
2) The AUX input is $40.00 from outmotoring.com (http://www.outmotoring.com/mini_auxi...dio_input.html) and takes about 30mins - 1 hour to install (from what I have read).
3) Alarm install. I have read that the US models are already pre-wired with the alarm cable harness, and there are only a few parts that need to be installed (siren, sensors, turn signal stalk, computer activation). The new parts kit is supposed to be $295 (plus 1-2 hours of installation) instead of the full $400 (plus 4-5 hours installation). I am still trying to confirm this, but here is a link where another MINI owner talks about it. http://home.comcast.net/~sfconnell/mods/alarm/home.htm
4) No idea what Auto Finishing is.

I found (per recommendation of a user on NorthAmericanMotoring.com) a dealer in San Diego - Brecht MINI that sells MSRP in their new Internet Sales Group. The MA is Elysabeth Gardenhire. I placed my order about 2 weeks ago.

Hope that helps.

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by bunnyman

$795 - Maintenance Adjustment (the 4-year maintenance)

Sounds like the price for extending the normal 3 year free maintenance by 1 year.

There is an "Oil Change" service at around 10K and then an alternating "Service 1" and "Service 2" at 15K intervals thereafter.

Whether paying for extended maintenance is "worthwhile" depends on how many miles you drive and what the dealer normally charges for a "Service 1" or "Service 2". If you're not going to need a "Service" in the fourth year or the dealer charges less than $795 for the "Service", paying for the "Maintenance Adjustment" is a waste of money

[cristo]

If you needed new pads/rotors after 3 years but before 4 years, then the added
year maintenance would pay off (provided you didn't want to change to less dusty
aftermarket brake pads or slotted cryo rotors as I did)... otherwise not a good deal.
I would think that you could delete that item from the sticker and save $795.

I'd also pass on the $495 finishing, but if it's already been put on you can't.

My alarm was $795 in 3/2003. I thought it was a little pricey then, but I wanted it and
got it.

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by cristo

If you needed new pads/rotors after 3 years but before 4 years, then the added year maintenance would pay off.

Good point

[bunnyman]

Wow, thanks everyone! Never thought I'd get so many responses so quickly.

I'm still shopping around for a Mini (only really started yesterday), but after test driving one, I think I've made my decision in getting one. It's just a matter of finding a proper dealer that I can fully understand the pricing. I'm looking to get a hardtop Cooper S. I don't need that many bells & whistles, just the premium package, automatic trans, and leather seats.

This forum has proved to be helpful so far, thanks again everyone. Now, if only I knew how to best negotiate via online/email without having to travel to each dealer in person...

[dakini]

over the phone would be my suggestion.

i needed to buy one off the lot, but i knew what i wanted. i called, in total, siz dealerships, told them my specs. some were quite helpful. not all were in my area. but i knew where i could get a cheap one-way flight. sometimes the airline price more than negates dealer markup.

there's are threads around on what freebies people got (often you can negotiate for stuff to be added more than for the price to be reduced) as well as how to go about getting a good deal from a dealer.

i walked away from one dealer who wanted $27,000 for an MCS hardtop without much of anything added. It should have been $4000 less.

Also, spec what you want at miniusa and at edmunds and have that stuff in hand when you go to a dealer.

If you're going to buy off the lot, have a list of what you won't pay for ... my dealer was wonderful enough to not make me pay for the two accessories on the car i bought that were not in my original spec (sunroof and cold weather package).

search around the forums. there's a lot of wisdom on this here board