2008 Mini Clubman

tslbmw

Well, after much debate as to whether I wanted to order one or just buy one of the three Clubmans off the lot, I decided this morning....I couldn't wait and bought the one off the lot. Here's what I got:

08 Clubman S
Lightning Blue Metallic/Silver C pillars/chrome line interior and exterior
Blue Leather/Carbon Blk Cloth
Clubman Lauch Package: Power folding mirrors, heated mirrors and jets, heated front seats
Premium Package: Dual pane panoramic sunroof, Auto ac, Mini HiFi
Sport Package
Limited Slip
White turn signal lights
Foglights
Ipod adapt
Carpet Clubman mats
MSRP $30,344
Paid $29,500 + Tax (3% VA) + tags + $249 processing fee
OTD $31,187
Put down $9400 financed the rest at 5.5% 60 mths $419 month

The car had 12 miles on it and I've put about 40 miles since this morning. GREAT CAR! Can't wait to get past the break in period. I'll report back in the coming weeks.

-motor on

cooldog2

I was wondering of any of the folks that have ordered a mini clubman, did anyone get a price below MSRP or did you end up paying more because of the demand?
I have been looking at the ones the dealers have in stock in my area and they are mostly in the $28-30,000 price range (out of my league...) and it is hard to find any for 24-25,000. :confuse:

rtboon

Our order was placed at MSRP and there was no expectation of any deal. In fact having visited two dealerships in MA we ended up feeling fortunate that we were even able to get one with a reasonable delivery date (first two weeks in June). At both dealerships the only option was to order as their floor models were all spoken for according to them.

rhonda10

I live in Southern California and purchased my Clubman for $26,500 already equipped with the Premium and Convenience Packages, as well as the 16" run flat tires. When I was initially inquiring I was told by a car salesman to absolutely not pay over sticker. My price was just that and I could not have been happier. If you are in So.Cal I highly recommend Nick Alexander Imports in Los Angeles.

Good luck.

tslbmw

I've done two fill ups so far. Bascially all around town driving. First tank, 278 miles, 10.2 gallons, 27.25 mpg. Second tank 195 miles, 6.5 gallons, 30 mpg. I'm extremely pleased so far. While on the highway for about 5 miles, cruising at 75 mph, the digital readout was saying 35-37 mpg....impressive. Kinda nice to have your cake (Turbo charged S engine) and eat it too (great mpgs).:)

wpcooper

Mini Cooper Clubman can be negotiated...you just need to bid out of town dealers against your local dealer and then be willing to potentially drive a few hundred miles to pick up your vehicle at an out of town dealer. However, in my case...all three dealers came back and agreed to the same $1,0000 off MSRP price (plus free mats and install of add-ons) including my local dealer. They all play the hand that that no one else discounts and they only have limited slots but it's just part of their slick strategy to get full MSRP.

mickster2

I've been to Nick Alexander twice and was told to expect between $1500 -3000 over sticker. Who was your salesman? I hope you love your clubman. I am anxious to get a true mpg. reading.
Also anxious to get a light interior, either cloth or leather. Seems that Mini hasn't really figured on how many people live in mostly hot climates.

canada10

Brand new to forums and the Mini Clubman. We test drove one while we were on vacation in Virginia and fell in love. We live in Tampa Florida and are scheduled to test drive one tomorrow at a dealership in Palm Harbor which is the closest dealer. Would love to buy one for less than MSRP but we were told in VA. that there were no deals. Want to order one so would also like any info on what is good or bad

tslbmw

I own an 08 Clubman S. I would highly recommend the prem package (sunroof & upgraded stereo) b/c the sunroof really opens up the enterior. I also recommend the conv package b/c it is the only way to get cruise control. If you want to avoid a firm ride, stay away from the sport package and its 16inch RFTs. Other than those three things, everything else is just gravy....ie, picking the colors, interiors, panels, etc. Also, in ref to price, I was able to get about $800ish off of the sticker, but that is b/c it was on the lot. It was right off the truck with 12 miles on the odo. If you order, must folks are paying full MSRP.

I absolutely love my new Clubman S. I look forward to driving everyday and the added wheel base makes for a much more liveable car. :shades:

tslbmw

Also, I live in Richmond, VA and purchased mine from CrownMini. Where did you test drive yours? Va Beach, Richmond or Nova?

wpcooper

You are very wrong...virtually every dealer will negotiate off MSRP...you just need to leverage out of town dealers and be willing to potentially drive a few hours to pick up your vehicle. However, at the end the end of the day, EVERY dealer I spoke with was willing to match their out of town dealers discounted price. Do most of your negotiating via email and don't be afraid to forward your out of town quotes to your local dealer...they will very likely match. Anyone who pays anywhere close to MSRP is being robbed blind by a very slick car salesman. By the way...I ordered my customized car yesterday and ended up with $1,000 off MSRP plus $100's in free accessories and NO doc charges. Don't believe your dealer...everything is negotiable.

cooldog2

I was wondering if any of you lucky :shades: new clubman owners were using reg gas in your new baby and if so what kind of gas mpg and performance you were getting???

tslbmw

Sorry man, I'm just passing along what I've heard. But, good for you on getting a solid deal. Like I said, I got about $800 off MSRP....but, honestly, I would have paid MSRP.....the car is that good to me.

Anyway, a lot of folks that have purchased a Clubman paid at over even above MSRP. I'm sure that "everything is negotiable," but there is something to supply and demand and some areas of the country are easier to negotiate than others.

Anyway, I'm just a little more laid back about it than you are and was very happy with my dealer experience here in Richmond....and I didn't have to call all over the region to get a good deal. I might be in the minority, but I wouldn't drive a couple of hundred miles just to save a few hundred bucks.

happy motoring....enjoy your car.

tslbmw

sorry, I only use the good stuff.....and I get about 28-29 in town and 34-35 on the hwy.

dmargo2

I know its "personal preference", but I'm trying to decide between the Clubman/Clubman S.....just would like to know what influenced people to do one or the other and if you are happy with your choice. Thanks

canada10

My daughter lives in Richmond Va. so we test drove one there. We really liked that dealership. Really knew what they were talking about and let us have the keys and a map and told us to enjoy the ride which we did. Here in Palm Harbor the person we were referred to mainly sold BMW's so could not tell us much. We are now trying to decide between the Clubman and the Clubman S Would like to be able to get what we want so will try different dealerships for best price. Loved Richmond by the way.

canada10

Thanks so much for letting us know what you were able to buy your car for. In these times I don't know why they wouldn't deal even if there car is soooo wonderful. The advice on Edmunds says the sales people will tell youthat they won't deal but that is not true. Would like to spend any money we save on traveling in our new mini. Could you tell me what area you live in? Saw many Coopers on the road in Richmond and very few here in Tampa.

canada10

Thanks for your post we are also trying to decide between the two. Did not feel a hesitation in the first Clubman we drove in Va. but felt one in the one we drove in Palm Harbor. Then we drove the Clubman S and my husband fell in love so think we are headed that way, but would also like to know what influenced people one way or the other.

wpcooper

We emailed dealers in Ohio, PA and New York...all initially said they only sold the Clubman at MSRP plus a few freebies. However, after leveraging out of state quotes, EVERY single dealer matched the price, then discounted the price even further and/or added even more freebies. Every single dealer will tell you that they discount...it is just part of their very slick strategy to sell at full you at full MSRP. Don't believe the dealer...you can save at least $1,000 plus another $500+ in free goods for about 1 hours worth of work emailing various dealers. Good luck.

tslbmw

wow, small world. We love Richmond as well; my wife and I (and now kids) have lived here since 98. I was very impressed with the service at CrownMini as well. I also really enjoyed the test drive route they send you on....lots of could esses off of West Broad St.

To be honest with you in ref to the Clubman vs Clubman S question, I never really gave the base Clubman a chance. My heart/mind were set on the S before I got there. The flat power curve and no turbo lag really sold me on the S. Plus, with two kids and a little bit of gear (and the extra 150 lbs of wieght the Clubman adds over the the Cooper Coupe), I figured the base engine would be a little strained. But, I have heard that many folks are perfectly happy with the base engine.

cooldog2

Just curious is yours an S and do you have auto or manual?

tslbmw

Yes, its a Clubman S with the 6 speed manual.......and the sports package.

rhonda10

I was told the exact same thing, but because I had the power of pre-approval from my credit union, threatened to go elsewhere and it was month-end, they caved I suppose. I will try to get back to the forum with the name of my salesman.

Thus far I love the clubman, and am still baffled that it is only 9 inches longer than the original. They look so much longer. I initially wanted cloth, but was not impressed with the look of it.

As for mpg. I believe that I am consistently getting between 27-29 mixed city/highway, which is very, very nice.

Hope this helps.

canada10

Where did you buy your Clubman? We are stil trying to negotiate but they are saying no deals so far. We might wait to buy and try elsewhere. Do any of you feel threatened by semi's on the freeway? It is so small compared to my suv.

tslbmw

In ref to the semi's question....I was a little worried when I went to test drive my Clubman that I was going to feel "threatened" or nervous on the hwy; however, as soon as you start driving, you pretty much forget about the size of the Mini. Its kinda hard to explain, but you don't really notice the size unless you're in a parking lot and realize you can fit into ANY spot available. On the hwy, I actually feel MORE in control b/c the car doesn't "drift" or "float" and if you need to get out of any situation, a simple push on the gas will take you out of it. So, no the semi's or suvs of the world don't bother me at all.....I actually feel sorry for most of them as I pass by b/c they are getting such awful gas mileage.....

canada10

Thanks so much for your reply, it was my last little worry as I did not get a chance to drive on the freeway. Do you have the Clubman or the S? My son said the S would give me that extra speed to get out of the way of situations.

canada10

Hi again I was replying to responses in my regular e-mail so did not see that you were the one in Richmond and had the S. Apparently you have to get run-flats with the S because there is no room for a spare with the turbo exhaust, so still trying to decide if we want the Clubman or the S but might order in Richmond, another excuse to go see the grandkids. Would like to order the Chili Red with rooster red interior. does anyone know if it matches well. Thanks

rhonda10

I purchased my Clubman from Nick Alexander in Los Angeles, CA and they even threw in the floormats at no cost. As for feeling threatened by Semis, the answer is no. Prior to my Clubman I drove a Chevy Aveo and was actually almost ran off the road by a Semi who did not see me in his blindspot. Although the Aveo deserves far better reviews than received and seems to be gaining in popularity, my main dislike was that it felt very light and unstable in in extreme windy conditions and did not have nearly the safety features and record of the Mini. I have a granddaughter and show dogs that I am constantly carting around and safety is top priority. The mini is extremely heavy and both of the times we drove in high winds, did not feel a thing. Overall, I am very impressed with its handling, take-off, sporty look, accessories and gas mileage. Hope this helps.

canada10

Thanks for info. Big decision now is if we order the Clubman S that only comes with the run flats or the regular Clubman that comes with regular tires and a spare. We like the extra pick-up of the S but are concerned when we hear that the ride is too rough with the run flats. We plan on driving back & forth between Florida and Richmond Va. to see my daughter and Grandkids and lots of other trips, so want to make the right decision. By the way went to High School and got married in Van Nuys. Must be a lot different now. So far build a red Clubman and a Clubman S with black roof and black strips, want to know how the Rooster Red looksfor the seats if I am going to spend an extra $1,000 for them. Nothing here to compare. By the way anyone Steve Stankiewicz in Richmond is very helpful

rhonda10

Mine was already equipped from factory with runflats, which was a nice added bonus, as well as the premium and convenience packages, which I highly recommend. All in all I was lucky because I not only got the color that I wanted, but packages as well. Although I don't know much about the S clubman, I doubt that there is that much of a difference in performance. I personally feel that the regular mini has more than enough power so why spend the extra money. Plus I am not a kid anymore. Good luck.

eurovan1

What do you mini fans think of me being able to sell my c-man w/out losing my butt?

wpcooper

Why do you want to sell so quickly?

daedalus34r

i went with a friend today to check them out up in NorCal Bay Area, they have dealer markup of $1000 for clubman and $2500 for Clubman S. I dunno if you guys are experiencing the same markup values in your area. Without the markup these cars are a great value. It drove really nicely, smooth and falrly quiet at higher speeds and turns like a go kart heh. Does SoCal have these dealer markups as well? I figure they have around double the mini dealerships so competition would push prices down.

wpcooper

I wouldn't purchase from a dealer that is clearly trying to rip you off. Purchase your Mini at an out of state dealer and have them ship directly to your home and you will still save money since shipping will only cost about $500-$750. Most central and east coast dealers are now discounting at about $1,000 under MSRP on the Clubman S.

bodble2

I think you will find that the Mini, any Mini, actually drives better on the highway than in the city. At highway speeds, the Mini is very stable, tracks like a locomotive, and is surprisingly quiet. I would not hesitate to drive across the country in a Mini.

dmargo2

Still trying to finesse between Clubman and Clubman S....would like to know what people have been getting with the automatic transmission MPG if you own the base Clubman or Clubman S. Thanks..hoping to order one in a month or two. Dave

tslbmw

don't know if this will help, but I've got a manual Clubman S with about 1600 miles on it. I get about 28-29 in the city and 33-35 on the hwy. I would expect the automatic to be very close to those numbers. Expect the base Clubman to be closer to 31-33 in town and 36-38 on the hwy.

feliciatwo

For it's size the MPG isn't that great.
Not very progressive of the MINI folks , not giving us biodiesel.
They're acting like the GM folks.
I looked at the Clubman. It's cute.
I'm buying the VW Tiguan for 30,0000 when it comes out in DIESEL. It will Tow about 2200, is small and gets about 30mpg.

feliciatwo

For it's size the MPG isn't that great.
Not very progressive of the MINI folks , not giving us biodiesel.
They're acting like the GM folks.
I looked at the Clubman. It's cute.
I'm buying the VW Tiguan for 30,0000 when it comes out in DIESEL. It will Tow about 2200, is small and gets about 40mpg.

feliciatwo

I made a "typo" Tiguan Diesel will get closer to 40mpg

kyfdx

A loaded up Tiguan gasoline model is $35K-$37K.. Good luck finding the diesel for $30K.... :surprise:

I think if you check MPG vs. curb weight, you'll find that the MINI is pretty darn efficient...

bodble2

Correct. Many people don't realize that the Mini is small, but not light.

canada10

Hey again Still trying to deal in Fl. for the Clubman S They will only give us $250.00 off msrp & mats. I suspect they are adding the $250.00 on to the dealer fee which they say is $599.95. My husband likes the extra power the S gives the car. Would like to order but have time to wait & see what they or Richmond Va will do, as we go there often

dc_dave

I sure do hope that BMW sells the 09's with the Brake Regeneration System. I believe the entire line-up in Europe has this standard and should add another 1-2 MPG to the EPA fuel consumption numbers. Of course my pie-in-the-sky wish is for the Clubman D to make its way over here but BMW has already said no. :sick:

Dave in VA

rlowrie1

I am looking to order a Clubmna S with most of the options in the Washington DC area and have been told 10-12 weeks by 1 dealer and 6-8 by another. Any experiences as to what is more likely?

canada10

We ordered the clubman s on May 17th and we were told that it would be built June 8 to 14 and delivered July 6 to 19th.

dbacksfan1

I was told by the dealer in Scottsdale, Arizona that the wait for a Clubman is 3 months. They had no Clubmans in stock and all that were on order are sold. I think that the difference may due to each dealership having a monthly allotment. Can someone confirm if this is the case?

canada10

3 months seems like a really long time but maybe we got in on the last order for a monthly allotment. Have you considered ordering from another dealer? We live in Florida but we were going to fly up to Virginia and drive back. We go there a few times a year anyway. In fact they were supposed to get back with us with the total price and we kept waiting to hear from them when the dealership in Florida contacted us again and we decided we didn't want to wait any longer.

dbacksfan1

The closest dealerships that I'd be willing to consider are in southern California, at least a 6 hour drive. And from what I'm reading, they are generally at MSRP or above in many cases. I think that it cost me substantially move to cover the one-way air fare plus travel and time to get back home. At this point, I think I might wait for the 09 model. The MINI MA is confirm this - but he thinks that if I order one in September, it will be shipped in October. If that's the case, I'd only be waiting an extra two months. However, I'm a little concerned about what the new pricing will for the new model. And the way MINI reconfigures the option packages, it's a crap shoot.

pictureperfect

Which dealership in FL, were you dealing with?