Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
MINI Cooper
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I love the pleatherette. It is soft and pliable, looks good, is not too hot in summer, and it holds you in your seat nicely especially with the sport seat bolstering. I wish more cars had this alternative.
i feel your pain, i'm about to plunk down the hold money with an out of state dealer (the dealer here in milwaukee, WI is charging $4000 premium for cooper s). my advantage is that there is a dealer here. my guess is there will be one in houston before years end (which coincidentally is probably the best delivery you're likely to find on an S).
First impression (after a few weeks of driving): absolutely incredible! (hope this counter-acts some of the negative comments). I didn't get this car because I thought it would be a road-rocket, but after getting it on the highway, I was amazed how much zip it has. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect, my wife (who is not at all interested in cars) completely loves the Mini! My biggest worry will be the arguments about who drives on trips
Second biggest worry: I'm going to get fired from my job, because I keep taking co-workers out to look at it and/or a quick jaunt around the parking lot.
Responses; everyone loves it! (it took about a week before I realized why everyone was beeping and flashing their lights) the other day a local youngster gave me an enthusiastic "MINI!" cheers as I rolled into my driveway (kids these days are SO hip...) I'm a graphic designer and my fellow designer all adore the attention to detail (the type-face on the tac and speedometer was a particular hit). I let a few car-fanatic friends take it for a spin and all were well impressed. Most thought it was a $30k car and were slack-jawed when I said "more like $18k".
The handling is incredible especially the breaking. Since I've had it, I've been in two situations that required VERY fast breaking (why does this always happen when you get a new car?). I can safely say that I would have lost control of our other car ('94 Corolla wagon) in these situations and likely have been in an accident. But, with the Mini, I never for a second felt that I would lose control. Forget about looks and zip and fun, this is the reason to own a Mini/BMW.
Bought it from Morristown BMW in Morristown NJ. Highly recommended (hey, they got me a car in two months!), very smooth dealings, no mark-ups or forced options (although I did get rally light, my option).
Overall, I've got nothing to major to complain about. The only thing I don't like is the real-view mirror (the shape seems to limit visibility). It took me a day or two before I realized that the side mirrors (property positioned) offer or provide most of the rear viewing. It's just a change in my driving habit to rely on the side mirror instead of the rear-view.
All beware of the rain gutter - it's about the only flimsy thing on the car. Mine has become loose due to the dealer's "detail" job.
As for the leather - it's great. It really feels like seats that belong on a more expensive car. After 4k miles, they show no signs of wear.
I love this car, but I wish they'd put a larger visor in the car. I have the same problem with my wife as Johny36 - she want's equal time with the car...
We got real leather (cordoba beige) and absolutely LOVE it. After sitting in both at the dealer, I thought the leatherette seemed more "ette" than it did "leather." The beige interior with British Racing Green/white outside looks fantastic too. Never had leather before, but now that I do I may never go back.
I was looking through the manual a few days ago and noticed that the MINI is supposed to come standard with power windows that can be operated from outside using the key (similar to VW). Mine does not do this. It's not an option I really care about, but if I'm supposed to have it and don't then I'll get it fixed. Am I alone, or is this one of the "standard" options that is not yet available?
Other gripe: I've got the black leather seats with the little dots. Very cool looking, but if you wear anything other than polyester, you will notice after a 30 minute drive that the back of your pants and shirt have the little dots embedded in them, and they don't go away... My commute must be too long, or else I better lose some weight!
segesta - tough luck with the black leather. I suppose the upside to that is once all the dots are off the seat and onto your clothes, the problem will be solved. Your new problem will then be having to go clothes shopping. ;-)
I encourage anyone living here in FL (Or the east coast)interested in the purchase of a new MINI, to make your purchase at Lauderdale Imports. GilasMini is right.. (Thanks for the lead and sharing your buying experience)This dealer will not tackle any "mandatory accessory packages" or any other price gouging practices. They do not believe this fosters repeat or long time customers. very impressed. You get your MINI anyway you want it and pay Sticker MSRP price + options. In order to confirm your order you'll be required to give a $500.00 deposit that according to Mr. Bonito is FULLY REFUNDABLE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED, should you decide not to but the vehicle in the end.
Lauderdale imports have a very good reputation not only here but in other MINI devoted sites, such as MiniCooperOnline.com. After interacting with them, I can see why.
Having said all this, however, my wife and I have decided to postpone ordering our new MINI for another 3 months or until the month of September. I was told in Ft Lauderdale imports that orders being placed from this week on will be strictly for 2003 model year new MINI vehicles (With a late october delivery date). The 2002 MINI production is completely sold out. The 2003's will be manufactured beginning in September. Problem is that Lauderdale Imports does not have the MSRP list prices for new model year 2003 MINIs yet. They will get the new pricing lists until the month of August.
Although we could go ahead and get on the order waiting list for our new base Cooper this week (The security deposit policy is a non-issue)still, we don't know what will the actual price increase for new 2003 MINI models will be. We are more comfortable waiting for them to get the 2003 MSRP pricing lists and then placing our order knowing EXACTLY how much are we expected to pay.
Also we are not in a hurry to get our new MINI. We figure that if we order the car in September, perhaps we will be looking at a late January 2003 delivery date (8 months from now).
We have 2 questions regarding the 2003 MINI COOPERS:
1) Does anyone have an idea of how much the MSRP pricing will increase on the base Cooper models?? $100, $500 or $1000????
2) What changes will be included in the 2003 model year run? One thing I would like to see added as standard equipment in the Base Cooper with the CVT Transmission is a center console with armrest. I think the rest of the car is just perfect.
We will indeed do business in September with Lauderdale Imports. Great people!
Thanks to all for your insights!
If I don't want to have the doors lock automatically when I start to drive, anymore, I can have that feature deactivated.
There's also a few other neat things you can get programmed. Your dealer may or may not know about them. Check it out with them.
I also tested a base model with 16's - and loved it. I basically bought my car based on that experience. As you may guess, I've got the 15's -had to based on the package I wanted (sunroof) and seats. The 15's are soft and well- don't do the car justice. I will be looking for 16's - although they'll be aftermarket. I don't think 17's are worth the extra cost - both initially, and every 10K miles!!
Like crcoxe, I've got and the leather interior - beige and blank - wonderful.
Anyone in Florida aware of emerging clubs?
This information is for all of you looking to buy in the western united states. I live in the SF Bay Area and was looking for a dealership. My criteria were simple: accept a factory order, no mark-up above MSRP, and no manditory non-factory options. I started with all the Bay Area dealers, then fanned out to Sacramento, LA, San Diego, Nevada and Utah. In the Bay Area, of the dealers I could reach, there was no luck. If there was no mark-up, the waits were wayyy tooo long. (over a year for an "S"). One east bay dealer (or Sacramento, I don't remember now) was first come first serve for cars on the lot, but you had to show up in person to do the deal. So there was no garantee that in the time I drove to the dealer that a car would still be available! LA was the worst, with mark-up up to $6k for the S (One dealer at $6k, two at $5k, several at $2.5k and several with manditory non-factory options etc.) I don't remember why San Deigo didn't make the cut. Las Vegas has lots of people on the waiting list and was over MSRP as well. I ended up putting a $1k or $2k deposit on an "S" from Salt Lake City. No mark-up over MSRP. factory ordered the way I wanted (basically everything but the sun-roof and the back-up beepers) and about a Sept delivery. Great experience.
One of the dealers tried to tell me that BMW/Mini wanted to do this (underproduce and not allocate cars to regions proportional to the demand) so that they could make more money on keychains and the like! For those of you dissing the PT Cruiser, remeber that sells about 150,000 units a year without the Turbo option quite out yet!
Anyway, I went through the same crap when my wife and I bought an MDX. The SF Bay Area is a horrible place to buy a car that is in high demand. With the MDX, I had to buy from LA to get it at MSRP, But it looks like the Mini is too hip with the LA crowd so I went farther afield to find a deal. The LA dealers at $6k over MSRP said they were selling all they were getting.
I urge anyone looking to buy a Mini to do the same thing, just call all the dealers in an ever-increasing radius, until you get the deal you want. Eventually, the resto of the dealers will get the idea and lower thier price or back down on the manditory options (on of the LA dealers suggested I get custom flames painted on the car to make the manditory option premium!)
Good luck to all the purchasers!
Matt
You can see the same sort of thing with cell phones, certain features don't exist with older versions. Another common thing is that you will buy a new phone that will have firmware several revisions out of date. This is probably the case with cars too. Can dealers do upgrades? This I don't know.
I thought DLRs were required in the States. Not that I'm a fan; I just thought they were unavoidable with newer cars.
I love the key operated windows and am considering getting the hold-the-button function switched to this action as well. It means I can open up the car and let it air out before I get in. I guess on cars with window-mounted window switches you can unlock the door and lower the windows from there but I find this feature even more convenient.
BTW, DLR are the initials of David Lee Roth. His CDs are occasionally in my MINI...
Speaking of music -- anyone still waiting to buy should seriously consider the multi-function steering wheel (standard with premium pkg). With the volume, radio presets and CD controls on the back of the wheel, I can fly through the twisties with both hands on the wheel while searching for that perfect DLR/VH tune with the tips of my fingers (running with the devil, anyone?). Not to mention cruise control and a nice leather-wrapped wheel.
The sport package, part of the Launch Editon DOES give me a leather wrapped wheel, shifter and hand-brake boot though, for which I'm glad. The wheel just lacks the buttons.
And if all cars have DRLs, then *no one* is more visible, are they? ;-)
2 things that caught my attention: The side ALPS head restrain system is OPTIONAL in the European market. Also for the child restrain system, ISOFIX is not even mentioned.
Still like the car a lot. Not bad showing for a car this size. Still eagerly awaiting for the NHTSA and IIHS results.
http://www.euroncap.com/results.htm
What are the main differences in terms of safety equipment between North American bound MINIs and European ones?
There are even safety equipment differences between Canada and the USA. In Canada, all Coopers get ASC+T but in USA it is only standard on the S and not even an option on the Cooper -- you must get DSC. All 6 airbags are standard in Canada.
Yeah, the MINI did very well on comparison to other small cars in the European tests. However the Fiat Punto, VW Lupo and Renault Clio kinda surpassed it as well.
But none of those cars are sold in North America, so moot point at least for us.
The FIA Euro tests are very similar to the IIHS in the United States and more tough than NHTSA's. But the Euro tests also include Child Restraints and pedestrian protection tests.
I think the American tests sorely lack child restrain protection stats per model. A big failure in my opinion.
Either color would be a great choice, because I bet there won't be a lot of Minis in these colors. Makes a unique car even "uniquer".
BRG and Silk Green are nice colors as well. Is just that we want to change the tune from green colored cars.
White Pepper, although not a color of choice by us, appears to be nice specially with a black roof combo.
Most of the colors I have seen here are Indy Blue, Chili Red, Yellow, Pure Silver and Dark Silver. People seem to like also the Electric Blue color in the Cooper S.
Yesterday I saw a new Jet Black base Cooper with white roof. Not bad at all. The chrome trim enhances nicely with the black paint. Black cars are a big no no in my parts and add to that the demanding cleaning care, no thanks.
Has anyone ordered a one color Cooper? Perhaps they don't want their "Cooper" to be confused with the Export market Mini ONE model not sold here?
I think the color choices that will make MINIs even more unique are Silk Green, Velvet Red, White Pepper, Jet Black. Those are the "Off the beaten path" colors.
I think a truly unique Cooper will be ordered in one tone color (Silk Green) with cloth seats. Better resale value due to rarity? Time will tell.
I think one has to think about the colors and options when ordering a new MINI. This somehow will ensure further uniqueness due to the very flexible "A la carte" options menu.
Has anyone order the Multifunction steering wheel with cruise control? We are still debating over this one. Is it worth the $350 premium over the standard non-leather covered steering wheel?
This model has the same 1.6L "Pentagon" engine but rated at 90HP. It is a pretty basic car (No tach, only very basic levels of equipment) and offers one option package called "MINI ONE SALT".
MINI ONE cars are strictly one paint color and no roof color combos are offered.
According to my calculations, the MINI ONE should start at around $13K to $14K US Dollars.
Basically our "Base" Cooper model is the mid-level model in other overseas markets.
Perhaps due to the production allocation limitations for the US market and BMW's desire to keep the car very exclusive, I see why the MINI ONE did not make it to our shores. Perhaps the MINI ONE might be a bit too spartan for our tastes. Also the MINI is more of a mainstream type of car in Europe and Asia as where as in North America the MINI is more of a cult status commodity.
I still contend that the less junk you add to the MINI's option list at time of purchase, the more enjoyable this car would be. The MINI is meant to be a simply car. To me DVD navigation, Xenon Lights, rain sensing wipers are nice toys but overkill on a car like this. Even the Supercharged engine doesn't appear to be that great in comparison to the base 1.6L engine in the Cooper.
One other thing I really like about the Cooper's engine is the fact that it has a timing chain, not a timing belt. Big plus in my book.
As I've said before, only thing I'd add today if I did it again would be the multi function steering wheel.
We have the MFSW (premium package) and it is a great option. Some don't like the premium package, but with the dual-pane sunroof and MFSW it's well worth it. I've never had cruise and/or radio controls on the steering wheel before. Now that I do, I may never be able to go back to "normal" controls. The radio contols are on the back of the wheel and in perfect position for the fingertips. Keeps both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. And with the leather wrapped wheel, you will want to keep your hands on it as long as possible! I did not like the plasticky feel of the standard wheel. If you don't want the whole premium package, shelling out $350 for the MFSW a la carte is a solid investment.
The only problem with such a unique car is the fact that people have no problem holding up traffic, almost causing accidents, just to ask what the @#$% it is and how much it costs. I must say, however, that more often than not people just point and waive with a smile. I feel like an ambassador of goodwill or something.
I saw both a Pepper White and a Velvet Red (in fact I think they had every color represented except Silk Green). Both PW and VR cars had black roof/mirrors. I was really surprised how much I liked both colors, especially the PW which is basically a cream color. I'm not sure there is a bad color for this car.
Browsing the cars with their various options (I think they were largely dealer spec cars but I have no way of knowing) was a good reality check for the options that I've been considering. I agree that running the price up too high is a no no, but I am firm on option packs 1 and 3 for both the base and s. Pack one because the sunroof is cool and I absolutely could not have a car without cruise control. Pack 3 because I live in the great white north (relatively speaking) and because its so cheap.
I think that sport seats and 16s are a must as well so I would add package 2 to a base.
For me these cars price out at 20.2 k for base and 22k for s. I think that is still in the acceptable ball park. It does mean no leather or audio upgrades for me but those things aren't as important to me.
The biggest thing that I question is adding package 2 to the s; that is gilding the lily IMNSHO. (BTW, gilding the lily is actually a mixed metaphor that has become embedded in our collective language, more on that in Town Hall/Drama/Shakespeare ;-) ).
I'm also pretty biased against the CVT (sorry drivinisfun), but we all have to make our own choices.
If anyone is interested I could go back and take some pix of the rare colors (and post them here). Let me know.
As for colors for those shopping, the only "absolutely not" color for me was the pepper white. Of course I never saw one in person, only on miniusa.com. Now, however, based on what milwaukeeboy reports, perhaps there are no "absolutely not" colors. And I too am biased against the CVT, especially in a car like this. Don't mean to offend anyone, it would just take all the fun out of driving this car.
Actually I think she works in the office. There only seem to be 2 *salespeople* there and both are male. As far as I can tell there aren't any salespeople at all, just guys who take down orders, but that is the luxury of a sellers market.
The only good thing I got from the MINI2 site was this link from the webring:
http://www.russswift.co.uk/Pages/Videos.html.
Watch them all; repeatedly.