[tavis1]

$450 divided by 7 year auto loan= $5.60 a month. Big deal! would you like some cheeze with that whine?
Tavis1

[ddp]

Quote:

$450 divided by 7 year auto loan= $5.60 a month. Big deal! would you like some cheeze with that whine?

You can do a 7 year auto loan now????? I must be getting old...

[LordWinslow]

Quote: Originally Posted by ddp

You can do a 7 year auto loan now????? I must be getting old...

Isn't 7 years a bit much even for Mini loan, I never go above 5 and try to do 4 years when I can. Hate to pay for a car well outside of warrenty and be upside down in a loan.

Winslow

(Soon )

[nonsequitur]

I've never seen any meaningful issue resolved by just spouting off, absent facts. There are some careful comments in here, and to those people "Thank You for honest effort."

[obehave]

Quote: Originally Posted by DaveAddison

The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Buy A Mini.

They Are Unreliable, Riddled With Faults And Very Very Thirsty.

Spend Your Money On A Decent Car Instead And Stop Being So Bloody Vain.

So since Paul closed off your other whine-a-thon you've decided to come over here and become a pain.
And no I won't shut up and yes your opinions mean nothing. You're a whiney ***** that's come here to do nothing more than bait people and belittle them for their choice. That makes you a HUGE LOSER.

I don't care if you own 100 MINIs. Sell your cars,buy your POS Fiesta, don't tell me I'm vain and why don't you shut the **** up.

There, I've risen to your bait. You see I like arguing with half wits because I know I'll win.

[Mini Pod]

At Saturn, they have the price posted, and THAT is the price you pay. No haggling. My father bought two of them over the last few years--very pleased with them and the service.

Other car manufacturers typically have a lot of fat padded into the MSRP, so that's why you can go lower. Personally, I think BMW/Mini decided to publish a very reasonable price. When you look at the car and what you get, it's very good value. How does the main BMW product line work? I've never bought a BMW... but I imagine there isn't as much room for haggling as with Japanese cars.

Anyway, I know this thread has been beaten to death, but I just wanted to contribute another pro-Mini perspective. I have to admit, I haven't purchased mine yet, but I'm getting very damned near close to.


~Gary

[stryder]

This only affects the US (maybe Canada, but read on if interested)

Saturn has a lot of fat padded into their prices, that's why GM can give insane financing and leasing deals on them, its just that their schtick is no haggling, so if you outright buy them, that's the price.

If you check somewhere like edmunds.com, they still have invoice price for Saturns, an Ion I randomly picked (it was first on the list) MSRP is $16,160 invoice is $14,544. Its just not as relevant, but there's plenty of tricks, the same car has a 2500 'cash to customer' rebate, or 0 (or 1.9%) financing.

A Cooper is MSRP $16,449 Invoice $14,887

Doing the math, the Saturn has more 'padding' (1616 vs 1562) then the MINI, and they're almost exactly the same price.

Finally, a key issue is dealer holdback, which is not an issue with BMW or MINI since they don't have one, but other companies (hypothetically, say Lexus) according to edmunds Here is 2%. Which gives an extra 2% profit if you order a vehicle, or if it just arrived on the lot.

Anyway, you can poke around edmunds.com getting pricing info on what you want, and note some BMWs do have big discounts (like the old 5 series did before it got replaced) its not really the case with MINIs because of economics, people are willing to pay MSRP, so the dealers can get by with that, also, to their credit, in the US they all had to build new showrooms, so they do deserve a 'fair' amount of profit, since they're still trying to cover their fixed investment in the building, much less salary and overhead and everything else. If they had an old dealership, maybe I'd be more inclined to say the usual 3% over invoice would be a fairer price..

Anyway, enough economics for the night.

[GregF]

The MINI was my first new car purchase. My previous cars were bought used, from private owners. I always dreaded the thought of walking onto a new car lot and having to haggle with the dealer and wonder if I really got a good deal or if I got screwed. By paying MSRP for a MINI, I thought I got a great deal. And if I got screwed, then we all got screwed.

[obehave]

Quote: Originally Posted by GregF

The MINI was my first new car purchase. My previous cars were bought used, from private owners. I always dreaded the thought of walking onto a new car lot and having to haggle with the dealer and wonder if I really got a good deal or if I got screwed. By paying MSRP for a MINI, I thought I got a great deal. And if I got screwed, then we all got screwed.

Early on I had to buy a "package" when I bought my MINI. It was less than other dealers were gouging for so it wasn't too bad.
So some of us early adopters got screwed a little harder

[Bilbo Baggins]

Not for nothing, but dealers only cut prices on cars that are not moving off the floor or inorder to boost lagging sales numbers. They never cut prices or offer low interest rate loans on models that move.

If our little flamer wants to buy a dud, ..... Well, so be it. I'm sure he will be happy.

[Damo]

Quote: Originally Posted by pbraun

Yeah, right, everyone knows BMW Group vehicles quality is .............. .

MSRP ? Don't forget how much the car is worth in 2,4,6 years from now.......

residual value is extremely high with the MINI, as a previous post indicates.

Best motoring,

Hmm I smell troll but...

...not bother to read the 5 pages of posts but would just like to say that in the UK Lexus has the best residuals. I beleive BMW and MINI came below Lexus (Lexus having coming 1st!)

[Kinster]

I just come in here to say... I don't give a toss if you get one or not... no skin of my nose

[Damo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bilbo Baggins

Not for nothing, but dealers only cut prices on cars that are not moving off the floor or inorder to boost lagging sales numbers. They never cut prices or offer low interest rate loans on models that move.

If our little flamer wants to buy a dud, ..... Well, so be it. I'm sure he will be happy.

Lexus aren't selling to well in England incidently to!

[Mini Pod]

Quote: Originally Posted by stryder

This only affects the US (maybe Canada, but read on if interested)
Saturn has a lot of fat padded into their prices, that's why GM can give insane financing and leasing deals on them, its just that their schtick is no haggling, so if you outright buy them, that's the price.

Ah, I didn't realize that... so with Saturn, you could actually do much better leasing than purchasing if there are leasing incentives and no deals with full purchase.

Quote: Originally Posted by stryder

Finally, a key issue is dealer holdback, which is not an issue with BMW or MINI since they don't have one, but other companies (hypothetically, say Lexus) according to edmunds Here is 2%. Which gives an extra 2% profit if you order a vehicle, or if it just arrived on the lot.

Very interesting... that's certainly worth considering. I imagine quite a few companies practice this. I wouldn't be surprised if they did at Nissan. I bought a '95 Maxima SE a few months after they came out and got $500 over invoice, and I know they weren't having problems selling them.

Quote: Originally Posted by stryder

Anyway, you can poke around edmunds.com getting pricing info on what you want, and note some BMWs do have big discounts (like the old 5 series did before it got replaced) its not really the case with MINIs because of economics, people are willing to pay MSRP, so the dealers can get by with that, also, to their credit, in the US they all had to build new showrooms, so they do deserve a 'fair' amount of profit, since they're still trying to cover their fixed investment in the building, much less salary and overhead and everything else. If they had an old dealership, maybe I'd be more inclined to say the usual 3% over invoice would be a fairer price..

Well yes, they did build new dealerships, but they aren't all that big.
I wonder what the sales figures are like... is production a little shy of demand? I guess the other thing too is that the MINI is so customizable, you're not going to get any deal for ordering one instead of taking one coming in on inventory.

[stryder]

Saturn often (at least lately) has good deals on financing, like 0% and such, so if you want to buy, you can save money there. The absolute worst thing to do is just pay cash, since they can't 'discount' that, but it does vary depending on what they're pushing that particular month

If you look on that edmunds page (there HERE is a link), almost every car company does the holdback thing, which allows Nissan to get 2% + 1% of total invoice, so yeah, they're doing fine on $500 over invoice.

I think Most dealers spent around $100,000 US to make their MINI sales things (assuming they didn't build MINI service areas) and if you consider they only make around $2k if you get with a bunch of options, they do need to sell quite a few (people need salaries + commission as well)

Production is a little shy of demand on the west coast. Elsewhere most dealers have a small # (20 or so?) of cars just coming in or sitting on the lot. So MINI is doing reasonably well matching everyone up. But yeah, in general you would get a discount if you took one out of inventory, because it won't be exactly what you wanted...

[buellrider]

I bought my wife a Cooper last weekend for her birthday.Paid sticker for it and she loves the car and I do to.She has the Sport and Premium packages.The price was a little over 19000.00.Which seems cheap for a car that handles and performs like these do.Plus it has all the gadgets that the big boats have.I was surprised to see that it had everything my Park Avenue had.

I work for a GM dealership and I know that you do not have to pay sticker but you will loose so much money in a year that you will not be able to trade unless you pay cash for your vehicle.A 40000.00 Avalanche will only be worth 20000.00 in one year.Now that is losing money and it sucks.

[Bonjour]

Some people just aren't born to own a mini...

On the subject of deals that can be had, French cars are currently having a real hard time and can be had for what amounts to a steal (if you're willing to have a French car of course). My brother last week picked up a Pug 307 2.0 S, 4 years interest free credit and over 2 grand off. Basically he ends up paying around £150 a month for a decent brand new car. I still notice the way he looks at my Mini though...

[tomskilv]

I did intend to buy a mini but was turned off by the greedy dealers refusing to sell the car below MSRP. So I bought an Lexus IS 300 for $3000 under MSRP. Lexus later offered a dealer incentive where one in Los Angeles could have got one for $800 under invoice if purchased between Dec 12 and Jan 2. Sweet.
Also, I really needed Orange to be offered as a base color. Sadly, it will only be on the new convertible. What's up with that!? Bummer. good luck. Tom in Vegas

Quote: Originally Posted by GMINI03

Someone earlier in this thread alluding to a good point. If you never intended to buy a MINI, and your postings in this thread make it readily apparent that your mind was closed long before you got here, why did you come here? To cause trouble? To annoy people? To be a pot-stirrer? I fail to see how any good intention could have ever been meant when this thread was started. Please feel free to correct me, in a polite manner, if I am incorrect and have missed something.

[andyupnorth]

Quote: Originally Posted by tomskilv

I did intend to buy a mini but was turned off by the greedy dealers refusing to sell the car below MSRP. So I bought an Lexus IS 300 for $3000 under MSRP. Lexus later offered a dealer incentive where one in Los Angeles could have got one for $800 under invoice if purchased between Dec 12 and Jan 2. Sweet.
Also, I really needed Orange to be offered as a base color. Sadly, it will only be on the new convertible. What's up with that!? Bummer. good luck. Tom in Vegas

These kind of posts just do my head in. We all take on board your points tomskilv but after 6 pages you still have not understood most of what has been said to you. Why WOULD any dealer sell below MSRP to you if he didn't HAVE to??? If you were making a product and had people lining up to buy every one for $100 would you reduce the price to $90 if someone came along and said you were greedy? No you wouldn't - you'd just point him in the direction of the door and keep on selling to the next person.

There will come a time no doubt when MINI will have to offer some incentives to encourage buyers - just like Lexus have done with you to encourage you to buy a run out model - just not yet. If you are sensible you will put the $3000 you have saved in an account somewhere to offset the increase in depreciation your Lexus will suffer when the new model comes out.

[MINImeat]

Yeah, I bought an IS300 because they sold it to me for half price even though I started out to buy a Ferrari Enzo. Those Ferrari guys can be SO inflexible! And Lamborghini's not much better...