[Mini8]

When I was shopping around for the MCS, naturally I would have wanted a test drive beforehand. I went to my local BMW dealer (Rydale Central Bham) browsed for a while until this women casually strolls upto me and asked if I needed help. I asked Qs about the MCS and asked for a test drive. The sales women asked how old I was, I said 24....all of a sudden she said I was too young to test drive it and offered a test drive in the Mini Cooper but she would take me in the MCS. How can I be too young to test drive????? I have a clean licence and Iv had it for 7years!

So I walked straight out and went to another dealer (Sytner Solihull). The guy behind the desk asked if I needed assistance as soon as I walked in! Asked if I wanted a test and which model! Fanatstic Cooper S I said! No problem, I book you in.....EXCELLENT.....a couple of days later I went down, no questions asked, took it for a spin down some country lanes...........BRILLIANT........put a deposit down and now im a proud owner of a MINI COOPER S....my new toy!

So the B***h at Rydale lost out on a sale cause she wouldnt let me test drive.....never mind...her loss not mine!

Has anyone else had similar problems or I did I catch the women at a bad time (PMT)......?

[L8 Apex]

I was never offered a test drive, and I never asked. I knew what the car was going to be like, and I bought it. I don't believe in beating the **** out of a car that someone else is going to buy.

You have to see this from the dealers prospective too, a 24 year old who walks in and asks for a test drive probably isn't going to even seriously consider buying the car. I should know, my friends do this all the time. They just go out and test drive cars.

-Andrew

[blquaintance]

I hope you went back in to show her your new MINI. I am sure she' love to see it.

[Mini8]

Quote:

Originally posted by L8 Apex
I was never offered a test drive, and I never asked. I knew what the car was going to be like, and I bought it. I don't believe in beating the **** out of a car that someone else is going to buy.

You have to see this from the dealers prospective too, a 24 year old who walks in and asks for a test drive probably isn't going to even seriously consider buying the car. I should know, my friends do this all the time. They just go out and test drive cars.

-Andrew

I see where you are coming from, except that as a Dealer they should know to expect that...people wanting a test drive no matter what....thats what demo car's are for. When i did test drive it, i just wanted a drive, I didnt beat the crap out of it.....So what if im 24! shouldnt make a difference, and she wouldnt have known if she never asked!

[L8 Apex]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mini8
I see where you are coming from, except that as a Dealer they should know to expect that...people wanting a test drive no matter what....thats what demo car's are for. When i did test drive it, i just wanted a drive, I didnt beat the crap out of it.....So what if im 24! shouldnt make a difference, and she wouldnt have known if she never asked!

If it is a demo, then they should have just let you do it. I was just talking about cars that they are planning on selling. I'll bet you wouldn't want anyone driving your mini when it comes in.

-Andrew

[intrigue182]

In America (I'm in New Jersey), they will let anyone with a license go on a test drive, but the MINI dealer I went to said it was absolutely MANDATORY that a salesperson be in the car during the entire test drive. Maybe this is just so people don't beat up on the car when they drive it? I don't know. But I didn't care...I happily did a test drive with the salesperson all cramped up in the back seat (my girlfriend sat in the front passenger seat).

I must say, though, that I have test driven cars from Ford dealers, Subaru dealers, Nissan, Mazda, Volvo...just about every brand...and each time they said "We could go with you on the test drive, but if you'd like to go alone, that's fine." So naturally, I've always chosen "I'll go it alone, thanks."

I wonder why MINI don't do this? A person is likely to be much more comfortable test driving solo than with a salesperson in the car. Likewise, a person is more likely to drive it like they stole it WITHOUT a salesperson in the car than with. Oh well. Whatever.

What really matters is you got your MINI and you're happy with it!!

Rock on,

-Intrigue182

[Smokey 4]

My dealer tossed me the keys photocopied my driver’s license and said, "Have a good time". There were of course 4 of us old farts going on the ride.

[Liam"S"]

I was up in bahm last week (and this week) and payed a visit to Rydale central and had a chat with one of the lads in there. He could not have been more helpfull answered all my questions without adding any B.S I asked for a test drive and he said no prbs but I never had my licence on me but we still went out with him driving. I would have bought my car of him if I didn't live in sussex. anyway have some fun I got three LONG months to wait lol.

[CUTiger3]

Quote:

Originally posted by intrigue182
In America (I'm in New Jersey), they will let anyone with a license go on a test drive, but the MINI dealer I went to said it was absolutely MANDATORY that a salesperson be in the car during the entire test drive. Maybe this is just so people don't beat up on the car when they drive it? I don't know. But I didn't care...I happily did a test drive with the salesperson all cramped up in the back seat (my girlfriend sat in the front passenger seat).

I must say, though, that I have test driven cars from Ford dealers, Subaru dealers, Nissan, Mazda, Volvo...just about every brand...and each time they said "We could go with you on the test drive, but if you'd like to go alone, that's fine." So naturally, I've always chosen "I'll go it alone, thanks."

I wonder why MINI don't do this? A person is likely to be much more comfortable test driving solo than with a salesperson in the car. Likewise, a person is more likely to drive it like they stole it WITHOUT a salesperson in the car than with. Oh well. Whatever.

What really matters is you got your MINI and you're happy with it!!

Rock on,

-Intrigue182

My MINI salesperson accompanied my wife and I on the initial test drive, but subsequent drives were solo. We bought my wife a Volvo S60 2.4T earlier this month, and the salesman went on the initial drive, but all subsequent drives were solo. I enjoy "scaring" the sales staff

[Bobbycrook]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mini8
When I was shopping around for the MCS, naturally I would have wanted a test drive beforehand. I went to my local BMW dealer (Rydale Central Bham) browsed for a while until this women casually strolls upto me and asked if I needed help. I asked Qs about the MCS and asked for a test drive. The sales women asked how old I was, I said 24....all of a sudden she said I was too young to test drive it and offered a test drive in the Mini Cooper but she would take me in the MCS. How can I be too young to test drive????? I have a clean licence and Iv had it for 7years!

So I walked straight out and went to another dealer (Sitner Solihull). The guy behind the desk asked if I needed assistance as soon as I walked in! Asked if I wanted a test and which model! Fanatstic Cooper S I said! No problem, I book you in.....EXCELLENT.....a couple of days later I went down, no questions asked, took it for a spin down some country lanes...........BRILLIANT........put a deposit down and now im a proud owner of a MINI COOPER S....my new toy!

So the B***h at Rydale lost out on a sale cause she wouldnt let me test drive.....never mind...her loss not mine!

Has anyone else had similar problems or I did I catch the women at a bad time (PMT)......?

You should have sued her for age descrimination...then you would have had all your money for your shiny new MCS ha ha When I was looking for details on a MCS at the beggining of last year, there wasn't a lot of info on them. I phoned my local dealer where i eventually ordered the car from and was told that they didn't have a lot of info at that time. However, they do send out letters to customers. I said, Great!!!! Can I have info sent to me when its available and was told by the snobby dealer that they only do that for their "Paying Customers" and he said in it a real snobby way.....so i slammed the phone down and on the same day put a deposit down on a Clio 172 which was due for delivery last September. In the end, more details came out about the MCS and I decided to get my refundable deposit back on the Clio and order a MCS at the same dealer I phoned ealier in the year. The bloke I spoke to had left the dealership probably due to complaints.
My point is that i think they all think people will just take thier rudeness, but obviosly like a lot of people on here, people end up ordering the car from somewhere else and the Dealers loose out on sales which is good.!

Rant Over!

PS I am 24 to......and trust me, if your under 25 in this country, your just mud!

[thepilo]

I'm 21.. walked in the first time, and the dealer cameout with me. secondtimeI went, I went out with my girl friend.. third time (only a cooper) took out my brother, fourth time was alone.

Morristown mini was really cool

[GadgetGav]

When we accompanied a friend on an MCS test drive, the sales person let her drive but came along... Thing was, he was acting like a co-pilot, telling her where the best roads were, where to "go for it coming out of this corner" etc, etc...
Having the sales person with their local knowledge doesn't have to be a bad thing!

Of course, having been on a test drive like that, I'd never buy an ex-demo car..!!

[tomstork]

Quote:

Originally posted by L8 Apex
I was never offered a test drive, and I never asked. I knew what the car was going to be like, and I bought it. I don't believe in beating the **** out of a car that someone else is going to buy.

You have to see this from the dealers prospective too, a 24 year old who walks in and asks for a test drive probably isn't going to even seriously consider buying the car. I should know, my friends do this all the time. They just go out and test drive cars.

-Andrew

Offering cars to people to testdrive is a cost of doing business as an auto dealer. They must have insurance against any potential problems when customers take cars out. Not letting someone drive because of their age--particularly for a 24 year old--is just stupid business, as you never know who has a trust fund, or who has parents that might be footing the bill. You don't have to offer someone a second drive if you don't think they're serious, and you don't have to let them go alone.

Of course, not test driving something you're going to spend $20,000+ on isn't exactly what I'd consider good judgment, either--it's a great way to end up with something you don't like as well as you thought you would. Consider yourself fortunate.

[Tone]

Mini8 - she must be absolutely barking!

I'd be tempted to call in casually one day (hide the car), get her name, then write a severely critical, but polite, letter for the personal attention of the Managing Director asking on what basis they justify in refusing a 24 year old prospective customer a test drive in a car that he is enthusiastic in buying, and did buy from another dealer, especially as there was one available on the premises (if there was, that is).

Was she heavy enough to show skid marks if she's thrown out the door?


I'm sure we'd ALL like to see their reply.

[Paul]

I could be an insurance issue with you being under 25, but if that is the case, it should have been properly explained to you.

[stormcrow]

Would have thought that dealerships, especially in the UK would be using the same insurance company (MINI or BMW) and therefore policies would be the same across the board.

[Fullupo]

Yeah it is an insurance issue, im 21 when i went in there they said that they couldnt let me test drive the S because their insurance only covers 25+. But they would let me borrow one for a day if it was on my own insurance, but my insurance company has the same poilicy. But after i kicked up a stink and asked to speak to the manager, he happily let me take it out for a spin with the dealer in with me! I now have mine an order for £20,300 so he made the right choice. I too would never buy an ex-demo, he drove for a bit aswell and he had it at 7000rpm and the car had only done 150miles! Hmmmmm, so much for running it in!

[COOPERation]

I had an appointment for an MCS test drive...I drove first and my 17 year old son drove it afterwards. No problem with age at my dealership.

I would definitely stop into the dealership that denied you, Mini8, and show the saleswoman your new car...

[Mini8]

Quote:

Originally posted by Fullupo
Yeah it is an insurance issue, im 21 when i went in there they said that they couldnt let me test drive the S because their insurance only covers 25+. But they would let me borrow one for a day if it was on my own insurance, but my insurance company has the same poilicy. But after i kicked up a stink and asked to speak to the manager, he happily let me take it out for a spin with the dealer in with me! I now have mine an order for £20,300 so he made the right choice. I too would never buy an ex-demo, he drove for a bit aswell and he had it at 7000rpm and the car had only done 150miles! Hmmmmm, so much for running it in!

I dont know whether its an insurance issue or not....still one dealer let me have a test drive and the other didnt! The original dealer who denied me the test drive was in the city so i wouldnt have much chance to cane the crap out of the car! The other one was in the country...more country lanes to test the car on.

I wouldnt but ex-demo either! Whether its a Mini or not! The engine would probably fall to bits!

£20,300.....did you order the MCS or JCW?

[Tone]

If it were an age issue she should have offered to personally take you for a demo, or, make an appointment for someone who was capable to do it.