Hi, I am new to the forum and new to MINI's. While I've admired them from afar for quite some time I've never owned one and am currently on a waitlist (very long waitlist) for a Clubman. I put a deposit down and my MA said to expect about 3 months before actually placing the order and then another couple of months before delivery, so I'm 5-6 months out.

I'm in the Seattle area and am considering taking a trip to get one elsewhere as the local dealer here charges $700 above MSRP. That would pay for airfare, hotel and gas for a trip to the San Fran area to get one if they are available at MSRP there.

Anyways, I look forward to getting the MINI and from my perusing on this site, I look forward to being a part of this group.

Rachel

 

I waited 2 years for my Clubman and it was well worth it. I had a great relationship with MINI N. Scottsdale. Drew was my MA and he continues to be a great contact for info or questions.
N. Scottsdale does not charge over MSRP and they have a fairly high allocation with their ratings. You could order and pick it up there and have the drive of your life taking it home. They have many who do that and it works out well.
Just a thought.
Congratulations! What color did you pick, etc.?

 

Welcome! Check out the Clubman threads, lots of good info there as well.

Good luck!

 

I'm going to assume that the waitlist is for some sort of custom order, but I have never heard of having
a waitlist to order then be on another waitlist as you wait for your order.
Why can't you just place your order right now?

From my recent trip to MTTS - Miami I can tell you that the MINI dealer in Florida had a bunch of Clubmans on the lot, so if you
were'nt looking for something really custom you could drive right off the lot with your new Clubman.

 

Thank you for the replies, yes very tempting to drive one right off a lot! I do want to get the one I really want though: Clubman (non S), NFR with silver bonnet stripes, cold weather package, convenience package, and sunroof (sure I'm leaving out some details). I'm willing to wait for a little while, but being put on a wait list to even put in an order for an undetermined amount of time goes against my need for immediate gratification. This is just how they have it set up there.

 

Hope you find a better dealer. My wait for 2 years was only because it hadn't been released yet. N. Scottsdale kept their word though and I remained in the no. 1 spot to order. I appreciate their honesty and integrity. I will be ordering a Cabrio from them some time next year. They have earned my business. You might check to see how far out an order would be. I know they had a nightfire red there and it was pretty. But it is best to order what you want--without an addition to the MSRP.

Holly

 

I ordered from NW MINI in Fife, it does take a while, I have been waiting since april 11.

 

I ordered my Clubman S a couple weeks ago. I was told to expect October delivery. My guess is that some dealerships sell all their allotments of certain vehicles and they have to start a list for their next month orders. If those sell out they have to sell you a spot in the next month. At this point, I'm in line for a 2009 model so I hope it's not really 2009 before I see my Clubbie. Patience is a virtue, right? If you find a dealership that can get you one sooner, can you get your down payment back?

 

I called 20 dealers Yes 20 to find our Clubman s.. started on the west coast and had no luck as the wait was far toooooo long..... Calif UP charged ppl.. We found small dealers have a monthly limit of minis they can order,, it is based on how may they sell yearly.. so small dealers take deposits for months ahead to get the sale..Fife dealer near Seattle is a Small so a long long wait.. Plus they are not up charging ppl like Calif dealers.. we called NY dealers who are very large dealers..we found ONE that had just traded another dealer and had an open order so I ordered our clubman right on the phone plus a fax..I ordered on a Thurs and it started the build on Monday,, sure we paid for shipping to Wa state 1200 dollars open but it was great.. the trucking company is in Spokane Wa.. If your really ready to order start calling you will find a dealer or better yet check all the dealers website found on mini. com and have options so you may hook one on their lot....

 

Thank you everyone for your replies!

I emailed my MA today -- he was really responsive in getting back to me. He said that they have a certain allotment per month and that it looks like for my time frame I'll be getting a 2009 as the production of these should start in Sept. Given that I don't want to pay too much over MRSP and will have to wait given my custom order anyways, and will be getting a 2009 (he currently knows of no differences in modifications or prices), guess I'll just hold out. Probably better for my downpayment anyways , but boy I've never waited for a car like this so I will really appreciate it (although I'm sure I would either way!).

 

Warev, you must be soo excited! Looks like your wait is nearly over! I've only seen 1 Clubman in Seattle and if I didn't know that you were still waiting for yours, I might have guessed that it was you: PW but black racing stripes rather than bonnet stripes. Nice selection!

 

the wait is terrifying... it's like sitting in study hall on the last day of school.. and the hands on the clock are NOT moving...


and then suddenly.. it arrives...!!!!

 

coopdy - i know how you feel about waiting, the time will go by, trust me. I am the most impatient person you will every meet, but something about this car got me. It is partly my fault, I was there in February and instead of placing my order, my wife talked me into looking around and being sure.

So I then made it back to order. I've been on the waiting list. I wrote the check, and now I am waiting, car sitting at the dock over the pond. It will be here soon.

 

i called a few dealerships in our area and couldn't get a definite answer. They all wanted me to come in and test drive and talk and they would "check" into availability. I went with the MA that seemed the most straightforward.

It feels like being in line at the grocery store or the tollbooth. Don't get behind me, my line is ALWAYS the slowest.

It helps to know I'm not the only one waiting. I guess part of the allure of the Clubman is that doesn't seem readily available so we won't see lots of them on the road.

 

From Miki:
It helps to know I'm not the only one waiting.

Yes, and now I understand the support groups ; ).

The Fife dealer returns deposits no questioned asked and would just say, "Next." My MA has been great to work with though and I'm playing the waiting game. There are a few other 2009 vehicles I'd like to check out that should be out right around the time that I might be ordering the Clubman so at least I'll know I exhausted my search (though I find I'm not so rational when it comes to the Clubman ).

 

All dealers in the NW meaning Fife and Portland are not large dealers so their monthly limit is not as large as the larger dealers.. Just search the MINI .COM site and look at All their inventory and know what you wanted to order.... they all show the options and price.. some do their msrp mark up in their inventory price so you have to know the option prices and some larger package options make you buy some things that are in the package option price but you can order the specific options without buying options you do not want.. But package options sometimes have better deals then ordering parts of a package options.. I have looked at leather after one year and it stretches vs the vinyl so save your money and the air is great and we do not sweet on vinyl...just a few thoughts.

 

Argh. MA in Portland gave an off-hand delivery estimate of February (!) for a new Clubman. Only automatic available for a test drive is MC.

 

I too called the Portland dealer last week and was given the same time frame: Feb for a Clubman. You can drive to NW MINI and test drive a Clubman, albeit automatic as well.

 

My wife is great. She says, "Let's just order one. With 8 months and a refundable deposit, you might as well get in line sooner rather than later. We'll have an eternity to test drive!" She does want to "have a word" on the subject of color, though.

 

I'm considering buying a regular MINI from NW MINI and I'm reading about a $595 dealer prep charge in other threads that only this dealer seems to charge. Is the $700 over MSRP the same thing or just something associated with the Clubman?

I'm just trying to be as informed as possible when I place my order. I was really not looking forward to playing games when the time comes. Has anyone had good luck talking them down?

 

NW MINI charges the $595.00 "dealer prep fee" non-negotiable, I tried to bargian, no go, it is what it is.

 

Great, I like the $595 better than the $700. I must be thinking of the $700 for somewhere else as the $595 is ringing bells for a prior conversation with NW Mini. Yeah, hard to consider bargaining when there is a wait list both in front of and in behind of me.