[happihana]

ok i live in portland, OR..
i learned something from here! that i have to actually order the car and get it shipped??
and wait for several months?
i thought if i wanted a mini.. i just go to the dealer ( there is only one dealer here)
and tell them i want a mini!
hmm.. im confused..
any west coast people here?? tell me how much they got it for?? im looking for cvt..
thanks! seems like i hab too many questions.. lol

[MINNOW]

You may be able to get a MINI from the dealer's lot, but will they have one to your liking for options?
Part of the fun of buying a MINI is speccing the car to your exact requirement for colors, trims, options.
The dealer's inventory tends to consist of heavily optioned and therefore expensive cars to generate the most profit.
I was visiting an out of town MINI dealer with my lightly optioned Cooper (no Xenons, ASC, cruise or much of anything other than heated seats) and the salesman I spoke with wanted my car as he had a customer wanting the same car and could not get one from BMW/MINI for a couple of months!
These cars are worth the wait - tinker around with the "Build your own" on MINI.com and then decide what is right for you.

[AprilWhine]

I'm moving your thread to the Pacific Northwest forum. People there can give you more accurate info about your buying options.

[Electra]

Hey there,

Yes, you will more then likely have to spec out and order your car and WAIT till it arrives! You can find used ones or buy off a dealers lot but if you want any say in exactly what car you want you'll have to order one. Resale value is very high on MINIs and used ones can cost more then buying a new one. Car dealers can really jack up the prices on the used ones because of the limited availability.

I live in Southern Oregon and did my test drive up in Portland at Rasmussen. NICE guys and gals there but waiting a year was too long for my nerves. I researched every dealer in the sunny states because I did not want to ship my MCS. Why? Because I'm purchasing a brand new car and I want to inspect it before I hand over the money. Having a vehicle shipped means I am buying it sight unseen and what ever happens in transit is something I'm going to have to live with.

I'm purchasing from Sandia MINI in New Mexico (call and talk to Kenny Tutor). The car is in production this month and when it finally arrives and is ready I will fly down and drive it home. I considered eBay and checked out the auctions regularly but I wanted an 05. This car is an adventure for me and I've loved every step of the process. I've never purchased a vehicle new, I've never purchased from out of town, let alone out of state and I've only been on one plane trip in my whole life.

Don't bother with the California dealers, they charge over MSRP. Utah has a 6 month wait. New Mexico sells at MSRP and can get in 2-3 months. Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Texas and Florida dealers can get in 7 weeks to 3 months at MSRP.

Good luck.

[lespurgeon]

If you go to the dealer, they may have one on the lot you can buy - probably several thousand above the list price. You can order in Portland or Seattle and get an MC in 6-9 months or an MCS in 12+ months (Last I heard). I'm in Seattle and ordered from Salt Lake. Had the MCS in about 7 months (ordered early last Feb, got car end July/first Aug).

[Jerome81]

Damn, this really sucks. I'm moving to SF soon and thinkin of ordering from Classic in Ohio. However, ~1200 shipped from Cleveland is a little more than I think its worth. So today I got the numbers for all the dealers from Seattle Portland, Salt Lake, Las Vegas and Sacramento. They were all closed when I called, so tomorrow I'll have to call back. But this post doesn't give me much hope at getting a car for MSRP and just driving it home.

Between the deciding, money, planning, shipping, getting, driving the car I'm starting to get a little irked with the whole thing. What a hassle just to get a new car!

[Jerome81]

Anyone tried Phoenix?

[GianniB]

I've heard they have the same 10 - 12 month wait. There is a dealer in Albuquerque, Sandia Mini that supposedly has about a 3 month wait for a Cooper S. FWIW I ended up buying from Classic in Ohio last month and am having the car shipped to Seattle.

Cheers,

[robertjoy]

I ordered my MCS at the beginning of August (2004) and it is now on the boat, arriving near the end of May. You can check availability with Rasmussen, but you might just have to buy one from an out of state dealer. You can either drive it home, or have it delivered for about $500. After this long wait, you can bet I will not be leaving a tip! RMJ

[RickB]

There are always used cars available. A Subaru dealer near my house has both a Cooper and a Cooper S on the lot. A dealer in Bellevue claims to always have ten used MINIs available. The prices are pretty ridiculous, but there's no wait!