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MINI Cooper Prices Paid

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Comments

  • ticatica Member Posts: 64
    Thanks, the service guy at Manhattan Mini confirmed there there is going to be a software update in June or July and that he has been getting tons of calls that this is happening. Well my light just turned off again. He said it shouldn't be a problem driving it.

    also, my steering power went out trying to squeeze into a really tight spot parallel parking (lots of repetitive turning of the streering wheel). This happened to me big time on a test drive of a car on the lot when I parked 3 times in a row. Now it's happened on my onw new Mini. It's not a HUGE deal, but it does sort of suck.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Anyone who bought a 2007 have any gas mileage to report?

    I'm thinkin' of getting a 2007 base model, stickshift with premium package and a few more extras.

    No wiggle room at the dealer so far but I'm still hammerin'.

    Looked also at the EVO, but gas mileage isn't good at all. (as one might expect for a hi-po car).

    Mrshiftright
    Visiting Host
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Getting ~30 mpgs from my 07 Cooper S. Dipped down to 29 mpg on one tank. The rest are at 30-30.4 mpg.
  • 1825vine1825vine Member Posts: 1
    Is your mini a stick or auto? How do you rate your driving style?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Stick. Do they make an auto in a Mini?!

    Driving style = aggressive, many WOT throttle runs per drive, shift over 4k rpm often, always turn on the sport button.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Stick. Do they make an auto in a Mini?!

    They do now... :( BMW finally bowed down to popular pressure and made an auto MINI Cooper S. The first three or four years of production did not have a Automatic option
  • pharmd718pharmd718 Member Posts: 78
    I ordered my 2007 cooper S on May 15th. The dealer said it will take 4 to 6 weeks. Can anyone tell me how long they had to wait till their 07 cooper reached the dealership?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    I was kidding. They sold the old model with the CVT which is just a cruddy automatic.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Yeah I know but the Cooper S was always THE performance model MINI and it was not avaliable with an auto for a long time.
  • ticatica Member Posts: 64
    I just got my 2007 automatic basic Mini on May 1 and I've driven 500 miles and I've been getting 21mpg in NewYork City. I don't feel like I drive erratically but I guess you do use the brakes a lot.
  • mgast1mgast1 Member Posts: 2
    I've been driving my new 6-speed S coupe for 1 week and have about 800 miles on the car--of course its spectacular, fast, fun and draws lots of attention. It is sparkling silver w/black roof and red interior and I love the colors. Purchased from Princeton Mini in Princeton, NJ and it came in about 6 weeks from the date I ordered it. Gas milage with mostly highway driving is about 32 mpg but I'm still in the break-in period so I'm taking it easy. Highway speeds are averaging 70-80 with an occassional dance into the 90's. Given this gas milage so early I expect it to gradually move higher as the engine gets well broken in. I have no regrets and am having a ball.
  • m3lsm3ls Member Posts: 7
    I gonna order cooper S with Automatic soon. As I am not comfortable to use stick, I decide to go by auto. But according to some posts above, S must be with stick to enjoy its full performance and fun. If I decide automatic rather than stick, should I go with Cooper base not a cooper S?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The new automatic is really very good. I don't think you'll be disappointed in an S automatic. I've driven a 2007 and I was impressed.

    I drove a base automatic and for a base model I'm going to opt for a manual transmission if I buy a Mini. But a base MINI automatic is "adequate" certainly. Depends on what you expect from 118 HP.

    RE: Driving in NYC---well, when you're sitting in traffic in any car, your miles per gallon is.....zero....that'll kill your average.

    I'd really like an S but I find them too pricey for me by the time I put on some options. GEEZ, you can run up a big tab on that MINI options list...really scare yourself. :P

    Thanks everyone for answering my question!

    MrShiftright
    Visiting Host
  • joem5joem5 Member Posts: 201
    Mini's are a state away but, my wife likes them.I see mostly women driving them.So can I presume she can get a mini with a soft suspension?
    Also, she can't shift and won't learn ,so I told her to build a S model model with a CVT and check off the performance package.
    Did I steer her wrong? Does performance mean a stiffer ride?
    Many Thanks,
    Joe :)
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    1. Thinking Minis somehow are feminine is as myopic as saying Miatas are chick cars.

    2. No CVT in the 07 Cooper S models. It's a real 6 speed automatic.

    3. Sport package - there isn't a performance package unless you call the JCW a perf pack - will make the suspension tighter and the ride much harder.

    Go test drive the cars...why would you buy without driving one first?
  • pharmd718pharmd718 Member Posts: 78
    Has anyone requested a 2ed key for the 2007 mini cooper? I was told that its very hard to get.
  • louinsdlouinsd Member Posts: 1
    Don't buy a mini if your only service is a state away. From personal experience their service is horrendous when it comes to anything other that scheduled oil changes. They have no qualms about keeping your car for as long as they feel.
  • kali4niakali4nia Member Posts: 4
    I just got my 07 Cooper S w/ automatic for a week now and I'm loving it. I've driven a stick 07 Cooper S before, but since I live in So. Cal it's a little bit hard. It's a pain in the *wink* if hit traffic. I think you should test drive the car and see it for yourself. The steptronic automatic does make a difference. :)
  • ucsb805ucsb805 Member Posts: 8
    mind if i asked what you paid for it and from what dealership? i'm wanting one in the next month or so and am hoping to get below msrp...but that doesn't seem to be the case in socal. i'm in santa barbara looking at all the dealerships from here to LA...thanks!
  • kali4niakali4nia Member Posts: 4
    I got my MINI at Long Beach MINI, off the 450 freeway, Signal Hill. I went to a lot of dealers and I think I like this one the best. I got MSRP plus free carpet :). Their service is great. Friendly people. Try it out and let's me know.

    P.S. I'm so in love w/ my MINI.!
  • gr8imagesgr8images Member Posts: 14
    2007 Cooper S
    Pepper White
    Leather Punch Carbon Black
    Cold Weather Pkg
    Premium Pkg
    Sports Pkg
    Comfort Access System
    Black Bonnet Stripes
    MSRP $26950 - Negotiated price = $26500

    24month Lease - 15K/yr - 0 down
    MF = .0030
    Acq fee=$625
    Doc fee=$225
    Sec dep=$500
    Total inital pmt = $1884.74

    $479.36 /month
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Some of your "discount" went into that $225 doc fee and acq fee, making the net discount not amount to much, but if you feel like the car is worth $479 a month for 24 months to you and you are 100% sure you will never go over the mileage, it is probably fine.
    $479 a month for a Mini with those options seems high to me even though it is only 24 months with no cap reduction, but we can't really tell since you did not list the residual, any disposition fee if you turn it in or the lease interest money factor.

    Are you trading in a car on top of that?
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    If you run this through a typical purchase calculator, you'll see that owning it is only a small amount more money per month.
    For instance, with $1500 down, I get aroudn $50 more a month to *OWN* it, which is a lot better.

    Consider that even a 4-5 year old base Mini sells for $12-13K these days and you see how since the depreciation is so low, you'll get a lot more back when you finally sell it.

    Say you pay $30K including finance charges on a Mini - and sell it for $18K. The lease payments for 24 months are equal to roughly $12000 and with the downpayment, it's closer to $13,000. In effect, the lease costs you the same out of your pocket in two years as buying it over six years.

    So the smart money in this case is on buying it and for the same money in the end, having it for 4 more years to drive around.

    P.S. If you do sell it early, the load will be right-side-up within the first six months anyways, so you can unload the car anytime you want and have a few thousand in your pocket. With a lease, you can't do this(The Mini is one of only 2-3 cars that you can do this with because of the virtually nonexistant depreciation)
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    When I bought my MINI I put just a little bit more down, I think it was around 2,500 down, and my OTD price was around 25,000 USD.

    I was paying 464 a month but I sold the MINI two years and 30,000 miles later for around 20,000 USD.
  • gr8imagesgr8images Member Posts: 14
    Thanks for the replies!

    Sorry my residual for the 24 months is 72% it's thru bmw financial so I think they do charge some kind of disposition fee no?

    Yes I am going to trade in my 2004 I35 43K Miles. Should I trade in or Sell it myself?

    Can I try to get the doc fee waived? Also I have excellent credit, maybe I can get the security deposit waived? Is it possible to get the acquisition fee waived/reduced? I was a previous BMW fs customer about 3 yrs ago.
  • gr8imagesgr8images Member Posts: 14
    The dealers must hate this board because we are saving each other so much money. BMW FS has a MSD (Multiple Security Deposit) program that reduces the money factor by .0007 for each security deposit you put down for up to 7 security deposits. Does anyone know if BMW FS will allow this for the mini?

    This is a GREAT board !
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    You should always sell a car privately. It's not hard with a less than 5 year old car and you'll net at least $2K more than the dealer. That is, unless your time is so valuable that you can't be bothered to spend a few hours and sell the car for a bit over low bluebook and would rather give the money to the dealership. (I guess it can happen - I certainly won't give close to a month's salary after taxes to a dealer for handling 30 minutes of paperwork)

    As for the lease, buy it. Go through a credit union. They will ALWAYS beat a dealership if you have excellent credit. And they won't play a single game with you, either. If the payment is $337.22 a month, for instance, that's what it is - and paying it off quicker lowers tha emount or term - most banks give you the choice, unlike a dealership)

    Take the check into the dealer for MSRP and buy the car. When it comes time to sell it, the amount you'll have spent is going to get at least half of it returned to you.

    For instance - check this out:
    http://www.carsdirect.com/used_cars/vehicle_detail.spring?listingId=80369289
    That's as low as I could find that wasn't a total beater or had a questionable history.

    These cars depreciate literally $1000 or so a year. So at least 2/3 of the money you put into it you'll be getting back if you buy it. You pay, say, 450 a month - the real cost to own it is closer to $150 a month because of this.

    Your exact case:

    Lease: $13,389.38 in payments for two years, including all the startup fees. Total cost per year: $6694.69 Roughly $12K owed as a residual. IF you have the $12K to put down, you can turn around and get back most of your money(resell the car for about $20K)

    Buy: ~13K in payments for two years.(48 month term). When you sell it, you get 11K of that 14K *back* in your pocket. Total cost per year: $1500.

    Why is it less to buy than to lease? Because with excellent credit, the credit union will have no problem with a 0 down loan! You just pay the monthly payments which are 40-50 higher per month.(that $1800 or so in fees to start the lease add $75 a month to the real cost of the lease - which is more than the difference to buy it.

    Net effect: same payments. You own it as opposed to leasing it, so mileage, wear and tear, and so on all aren't a factor - and you don't need $12K in cash to recouperate your investment at the end of the lease.

    Of course, you *do* buy a S and you get as few options on it as possible to keep the cost down. That way you can resell it for 75-80% of what you paid for it 3-5 years later.
  • gr8imagesgr8images Member Posts: 14
    Yeah I'm going to try to sell my Infiniti myself on craigslist and see what happens. I just had it completely serviced (spent $1800!) replacing belts, all fluids, joints lubricated, brakes and pads replaced, all for tires mounted and balanced, alignment. The car drives as good or better than new!

    Thanks for the comments on buying vs. leasing, though I must lease it for tax reasons (I'm using this car for business).

    I'm going to try to get my dealer to go $750 under msrp, .0028 money factor for a custom order car... wish me luck
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Actually a "less than 5 year old car" may be harder to sell privately since you may still have a loan that needs to be paid off, complicating the sale. On top of that, finding qualified buyers that can get their own financing is more difficult than finding a private party that can pay cash for a 10 year old, cheap car. You may get people looking at your car that can't get the needed financing, wasting your time.
    Many times people looking for newer cars will be more likely to buy them off the used car lot of a new car dealer.

    There are some car dealers that will do the sale paperwork for your private party sale for you for a fee.
  • course411course411 Member Posts: 4
    I have a deposit down on a 2003 Mini Cooper with just over 60k miles on it. It has manual transmission with premium pkg, 16" wheels, front fog lamps, & heated leather seats.

    The price is very competitive, and during the test drive everything looked and sounded good - no rattling or funny noises, clutch seemed fine. Original owner traded it in for a new MINI. Carfax report comes back clean, though shows nothing after a 22,507 mile servicing in which electrical and suspension systems were serviced. (I plan to ask the dealer tomorrow for any/all service records they have.)

    Consumer Reports rates the 2003 Mini as poor for transmission, electrical, body hardware, and power equipment. That, combined with the general problems of early models, makes me wonder if this is a wise purchase.

    Me: a city girl who wants a cute, small, fun car to drive around town (not for work commute) and on the occasional road trip to the mountains 2 hours away. I will not be putting lots of miles on the car, maybe 5k/yr, so the high miles don't really bother me.

    But should I worry, given the generally bad track record of the early MINIs?

    I'd like to think that if this particular car had a lot of problems, the owner wouldn't have kept it for 4 yrs. And/or, my impression is that the glitches on the early models tended to manifest pretty early in the car's lives... settling down later??

    Recommendations, please?! I need to purchase or let the car go in the next 24-48 hours.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Problems were probably fixed over the 4 years, but the previous owner could have also been stuck in a 4 year lease or even a 3 year lease that started very late.
  • course411course411 Member Posts: 4
    Good point, though the original title had a loan/lien on it... doesn't that suggest ownership? How are titles handled when it's a lease? (Doesn't the title remain with the dealership?)
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Most likely the car is fine and whatever early problems it had were already fixed under warranty.
    Only way to be sure is to take it to an independent mechanic and body shop and have it checked out.
    The only way to do that without being stuck with the car would be to either have them let you do it before purchase or after purchase if they give you a money back guarantee for a few days and a couple hundred miles or so.
    Many dealers will also give you at least a full 7 to 30 day warranty on everything even if it is out of factory warranty so you can find out if it has "pre-existing" problems and have them take care of them.
  • trancqtrancq Member Posts: 3
    I'm about to place an order for a MC S 2007 with $25,250 MSRP. I received a couple of price quotes from dealers_all of which offer MSRP and complimentary floor mats and license plate frame. With tax,title, and fee_ OTD price would be $27508.

    Is this price quote about right for a MC S 2007? You guys know where I can get a better deal in SoCal?
    Thanks
  • ucsb805ucsb805 Member Posts: 8
    I'm also aggressively shopping around in SoCal and can't seem to find any dealership willing to go below MSRP. If you're willing to wait a month or so, there might be more wiggle room. With your OTD price, it's about 8.2% in TTL, which seems reasonable, but is probably the only place you'll be able to haggle at all.

    What dealership are you ordering with? How has it been, and what's the ETA of a car special ordered? I'm probably drivin to Bob Smith, Universal City, & Long Beach next Thursday to make my purchase or place an order...Thanks!
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    In March I paid MSRP for an 07 Cooper S. Nobody would deal. That said, MSRP sales seem to indicate resale is outstanding and odds are good I will only have this great little car until 09.
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    Thanks for the comments on buying vs. leasing, though I must lease it for tax reasons (I'm using this car for business).
    ***

    IIRC, it doesn't matter whether you lease or buy the car if it's a business expense. Both ways can get a percentage written off - and in the case of a purchased mini, even the basic deduction alone more than covers the depreciation.

    In effect, you pay nothing to own a mini. And at the end, 4 years later, you sell it and actually make a profit.

    Talk to your accountant/tax preparer about it - the numbers on a Mini as a business expense are really upside-down in your favor.
  • trancqtrancq Member Posts: 3
    I'm ordering mine through Irvine Mini. Longbeach Mini gave me the same price quote and seemed very helpful.
  • pjo1966pjo1966 Member Posts: 157
    I would save the trip to Universal City. All of their Minis are marked up above MSRP.
  • course411course411 Member Posts: 4
    So now I'm unsure just how good a deal I have on my hands. I posted the other day about a 2003 5-speed I'm looking at - 60k miles and priced at $12,900. Good set of options, and dealer will throw in iPod adapter and rubber mats.

    I initially wanted to jump on this b/c Kelley Blue Book prices it at (retail suggested value) $17,600 and Edmunds says $15,000 for dealer retail. If the dealer is to be believed, they just cut the price $2000 because it had been on the lot for 30 days and they want to move it. It is also priced well below other 2003s I have seen on Craigslist.

    But I just came across two listings for two 2004 Minis 100 miles away from me, both priced at $13,900: one is automatic transmission/21k miles, the other a 5-spd/28k miles, both have similar options as the one I am considering. At this late hour I couldn’t reach anyone to get more details, but it seems strange to me that cars with 30-40k fewer miles only cost $1000 more. What’s going on?

    Is mine as good a deal as it seems? I’m having a mechanic check the car out tomorrow morning, and then am prepared to fork over a cashier’s check. But, should I shop around more and/or try to bargain this one down a bit?
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Different people and dealers ask different prices and you have to negotiate your best deal.
    You can always show the others the asking price of the lowest one and they will likely at least match it unless theirs have alot more equipment or are in better condition.
  • course411course411 Member Posts: 4
    The other cars are more expensive than this one, but they are newer with many fewer miles. How do you put a dollar figure on # of miles? Is there a rule of thumb, like the federal use/depreciation allowance on business trips - what, 17.5 cents/mile or something?

    I am trying to avoid getting in a pure haggle over this, absent any actual criteria on which to argue for a lower price - because I think it's going ot be a tough argument.
  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    The reason is that the market is falling off for the older generation models. The new ones seem to be close enough to the originals that the public is seeing it as the real thing(ie - mini v1.2 vs a totally new car)

    Of course, this means the newer ones are a good deal again - and likely to hold their value quite a bit - especially next year's model(2nd year of a production cycle and all)

    Of course, it means that a lot of people who couldn't afford a Mini can do so for cheap as well - kind of a win-win situation.
  • flyhiflyhi Member Posts: 5
    Came from the dealer today and got the following initial lease offer.
    MC S '07
    Premium package
    Cold weather package
    Convience package
    Laser blue

    Sales price 25.3K
    MF .00355
    Money down 5318K (3000 towards cap deduction)
    36 month
    residual 67%
    254.78/month

    I am looking to lease to keep my cash payments low. and I own my business so I want to take advantage of the tax savings of a lease.
    Is this a good lease deal ?
    What should watch out for ? What is negotiable besides the sales price ?

    And lastly with the high resale value of the mini would a better deal be to buy instead ?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 236,702
    And lastly with the high resale value of the mini would a better deal be to buy instead ?

    That would be my advice..

    For a car in the $25K range, buying it may be better from a tax standpoint, than leasing.. Plus, that money factor equates to an 8.5% APR.. Pretty expensive financing.

    Edmunds Price Checker
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  • pharmd718pharmd718 Member Posts: 78
    I bought a 2007 mini cooper S from mini of the Hamptons for $22,500. The MSRP was $23,700. I went first to Hassel mini and they offered me the car at $300 below MSRP. I took that qoute to Hamptons and told them that if they gave me a better offer I would buy the car on the spot. I paid off the full amount in cash.

    Order was placed May 15th. Yesterday (6/7) the dealer called and said that they will have the car in 2-3 days (less then a month of waiting time).

    Last week I went with a friend to a Mini dealership in NJ. The salesperson said that there is "no way anyone can get a new mini below MSRP". He also told me friend that he had no choice but to buy the car at sticker and that some dealers as asking for more then sticker. I told the salesperson that its not true and took out my invoice. He looked very surprised and asked if he can make a copy and then went to talk to his boss. He came back 10 minutes later and offered the car for $1000 below invoice. :shades:
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    Sounds strange. More likely, they would just match the other offer and not volunteer to go so much lower than the other quote.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Agreed. Cash is not attractive to dealerships and he didn't seem to get any add-ons. Plus it's not the end of the month. Maybe in the NE they have trouble moving Minis? If someone suggested 1k below MSRP in socal, the salespeople would call the paramedics/cops to pick up a 51-50.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,417
    Maybe you're right. I've only seen maybe a handful of the new MINIs here in NY since they were introduced. I see lots of the 1st gen.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • pharmd718pharmd718 Member Posts: 78
    The car that I bought came as follows:
    pepper white mini cooper S
    6 speed stick shift
    DSC - $500
    LSD - $500
    Chrome line interior - $200
    Cream white color line - $200
    Multi function steering wheel - $350
    floor mats back and front - $85

    Total MSRP = $23,685
    Price paid = $22,500

    The Hamptoms looked like a ghost town when I went. It was in the middle of the week and the dealership looked very quite and empty. There was no one else at the dealership making a purchase and they had over 50 mini's on the lot.

    Both Hassel mini and the NJ mini dealership said that the most they were willing to take off the MSRP was $300. Seems like they all agreed on this number (except for mini of the Hamptons).

    I will pick up the car in 3 days (my next day off from work). :)
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