Buying New: Pricing/Deal Advice

[dbsmith]

Hi All,
New to Minis but decided I want to buy a Mini Cooper S new, if possible however I would appreciate any advice of what price targets to go for particularly on some of the extras where I think some local dealers are quoting barmy prices to increase prices.

List price of the specced car I want is £21000 for car+fitted extras, plus I want to add JCW Aero Kit (quoted anywhere from £1150 to £1800) and Viper Stripes on bonnet/rear (where the offers vary up to £120 for stripes plus 5 hours fitting !!).

So, the question :

- What sort of target price/discount am I likely to get for the car above: ready to order now (and I know Mini doesn't discount much, best i've had so far is about £400).

- Adding a JCW AeroKit - i've seen the thread from Chris from Woodmans for price targets, but am I likely to get it cheaper than this from new (assuming the dealer will keep the original bumpers that were shipped ?). I do know the fitting time is 1.5 hours.

- Viper Stripes - is this a real cost or a ripoff ? I know they're about £100 to buy, but is 5 hours fitting real or a joke ? Also, are these stripes likely to last for the life of the mini or I am ogingot end up replacing them ?

- Dealers are pushing quite hard this "resin" finish to protect the bodywork from new for around £250, is it worth doing ?

Last question, are dealers quoting/taking orders yet for the new JCW that is released in July ?

Thanks for the help..

Dave


PS Any dealers reading me online fancy quoting me for a quick deal, let me know........

[Rakey]

Best things to remember are that you want a MINI, but you can choose where you buy it from, so get them to fight it out for your order

Dealer fit items are where you can make a saving, as a dealer can discount these items easily by changing their labour rates as well as discounting to the parts themselves.

Viper stripes can be fitted by other companies like MINI Pirate for a cheaper price and you can get a more personal stripe than the mass market one

Aero kit varies due to the above comment about labour rates, but you'll be hard pushed to find anyone cheaper than Woodmans, and they are good when buying a whole car from them too

Then your last question the paint protection, some like it some don't, but as for paying £250 to have the trainee do this for you, well you'd have to be made when you can buy the kit off eBay and do it yourself for about £30

[ClubbyHeaven]

I got about £190 off my mini when i bought mine, i ended up going to the better dealer rather than just the best discount, a friend of mine got £400 a new Cooper S, but the dealership service was terrible. I would not bother about trying to get a big discount as whats the point when you are spending £22k does it really matter ?.. I would go with the dealer that looks after you/ returns your call etc.

I personally would go for the paint sealant and get the dealer to do it as they have fully qaulified people to do this and if you do it yourself your no better than a trainee

[Tracie]

NO, NO., NO....


..don't get the paint protection, its a complete and utter waste of money. Invest in some Poorboys, Meguairs etc and do it yourself.

[TimCS]

I agree - paint protection is a complete waste of money. Done that - never again.

[dbsmith]

Dear All,

Just a quick note to say thanks to all for the helpful advice on buying my first Mini. Finally did a deal with Derek Woodman for the new Mini, thanks to Chris & Dave there for their help & great customer support.
Now, anybody know how to get to Blackpool from Berkshire on foot ?

[BrianDromey]

Quote: Originally Posted by dbsmith (original)

Finally did a deal with Derek Woodman for the new Mini, thanks to Chris & Dave there for their help & great customer support.

Congrats! Do you have a full spec list?

They guys at Derek Woodman are a class act alright. Their attitude seems to be "lets make it happen" with regards dealer-fit accessories and deals. Some other dealers just give the impression that they cant be bothered. Not at woodmans, from the contact Ive had with the guys! Such a contrast to the two dealers nearest to me, I would not buy a can of peas from them!

Brian.

[dbsmith]

Quote: Originally Posted by BrianDromey (original)

Congrats! Do you have a full spec list?

They guys at Derek Woodman are a class act alright. Their attitude seems to be "lets make it happen" with regards dealer-fit accessories and deals. Some other dealers just give the impression that they cant be bothered. Not at woodmans, from the contact Ive had with the guys! Such a contrast to the two dealers nearest to me, I would not buy a can of peas from them!

Brian.

Hi Brian,

Yes, you are correct. In the end I didn't go with the best Mini discount deal (best discount I managed to get offered off a new Mini was £415) but the dealers down here couldn't be bothered with the extra effort required (for example, I wanted to fit the JCW Aero kit with Parking Sensors, and Sport/Viper stripes). Quotes for the extras varied wildly from £1100 from Derek Woodman for the fitted JCW Aerokit (this is a more expensive option than the non-sensor Aerokit) to £1500-£1700 from the Mini dealers I was trying to get a sale through down here in the Thames Valley. Likewise, for addition of Sports/Viper stripes for bonnet/tailgate only, I was quoted £110 plus 5 hours labour fitting (go figure !) from Wood in Odiham. One dealer also quoted me £249 for the paint protection and refused to take it off the price when I told them it wasn't required.

So overall, the ease of doing business with DW rather than biggest discount was the major factor (despite me needing a 5-hour train journey to go pick up the Mini when it arrives !) as well as the flow of information from the dealership & particular ly through this Mini2 site, where their open attitiude to sharing information, prices, etc. must go a long way to them securing extra business. Working in the IT industry myself, I'm constantly preaching to businesses about investing time in internet sales & forums in order to improve business & customer attitudes, and it's good to see it working well in practice here. Hats off to peole like Chris who obviously spend a lot of extra time feeding info & deals to members of Mini2 but in the long run it's clearly paying off, it's the reason I put a £22K order to them 300 miles away from home. They even quoted me for a new JCW when all 3 of the dealers down here didn't have the ability to do so (one didn't even know when it was due to be released).


Final Spec was as follows :

MINI Cooper S

Pepper White
Roof & Mirror Caps In Black
Cloth/Lea Ray Cream White
Interior Trim Piano Black
JCW Aero Kit

CHILI Pack
17" Flame Spoke Alloys
Sports Suspension
Multifunction for S/Wheel
Remote Control Alarm
Heated Windscreen Washer Jets/Mirrors
Visibility Pack
Panoramic Glass Sunroof
Darkened Rear Glass
Auto-Dim Interior Mirror
Front Centre Arm Rest
Park Distance Control
Rain Sensor & Lights On
Voice Control System
Limited Slip Differential
Colour Line Cream White
Anthracite Roof Lining
Sport Button
HiFi Speaker System
Full Bluetooth with USB
iPOD cable
TLC

Sport/Viper stripes in black once I decide which ones I prefer.

Thanks for asking !

Cheers

Dave

[BrianDromey]

Nice spec Dave. That is going to look wicked!

Brian.

[bubblegoose]

Quote: Originally Posted by BrianDromey (original)

Nice spec Dave. That is going to look wicked!

Brian.

It certainly is & I can't wait to see it in the showroom

It's again great to hear so many positive comments about us at Woodmans. Makes the job worth while

Thanks for the order Dave & you have my best attention at all times

Dave

[M.O.S]

The diamondbrite stuff they put on the windscreen is very good, but the rest of the package is pointless. The only place you will really save is on dealer fit accessories - they may do a discount on labour. Lets face it, they can - they charge £100 per hour at my local dealer!

[Entropy279]

If you get the JCW body kit done at the dealer MAKE sure you ask of your bumpers back as you can sell them on ebay for decent money!!!

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by Entropy279 (original)

If you get the JCW body kit done at the dealer MAKE sure you ask of your bumpers back as you can sell them on ebay for decent money!!!

Good point - I'd have never thought of it and they would have sold them on for a profit. Well done - keep the useful posts coming!

[FergusM]

Quote: Originally Posted by Entropy279 (original)

If you get the JCW body kit done at the dealer MAKE sure you ask of your bumpers back as you can sell them on ebay for decent money!!!

You can ??? I have Dark Silver ones in my loft and have had them in classifieds for a year !... possibly an issue as would need re-sprayed for fitment to a non - S

...so just saying dont count on flogging them quickly

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by FergusM (original)

You can ??? I have Dark Silver ones in my loft and have had them in classifieds for a year !... possibly an issue as would need re-sprayed for fitment to a non - S

...so just saying dont count on flogging them quickly

Even so, it's better to get £5 for it than just give it away! The dealers charge enough without getting even more out of us!