Well, here's my short story short (yeah right!). I've been in love, of course, with the mini for years, but haven't been able to afford a car for a long, long time (being a graduate student).

But, I'm about to graduate and decided now was the time. I focused first on used, but darn if I couldn't find an affordable used mini, it's amazing how well they retain their value due to the lack of supply. Then yesterday I figured I should look at new.

I can't afford the S (that'll be my second mini in a few years ), and I only 'needed' a few things
- Hyper blue
- White top
- Sunroof
- Anthracite (a must, must have)

So I searched around, called the local dealerships, etc. Of course, being in SF they either want a ridiculous fee or MSRP + 6 months - yeah right! I called Classic Mini in Ohio, and talked to them. That was sorta surprising, as the shipping fees are pretty expensive - $1500. I didn't expect less, but that's a lot.

Then I called a guy locally who is an auto broker, told him what I wanted and asked if he could find it anywhere.

An hour ago, he gives me a call. "Chris, I've got the car you want", and runs through those exact specs. So I'm PUMPED! And then he says "I can get it to you for $22K, all in." That's considerably cheaper than any other option I found, as it's basically ZERO transportation fee (remember, tax in CA is pretty ridiculous).

And then the kicker: "It's on a dock on the east cost, you'll get it in 3-4 weeks."

He gave me 30 minutes to decide. I called him back in 10.



Needless to say, I'm quite excited. I did a fair amount of research and deciding what options I had to have - basically only the roof - and what I could live without until my Mini#2 - everything else.

I am, of course, missing all the fun you guys are having from order - delivery, and to be honest I'm a little bummed about that. But oh well, that's life. I got the exact car I wanted, at a price I can live with.

Now, I have to decide if I want any dealer installed options done. I had budgeted for a little more than I paid, so I might do a few, although it's not clear to me which options on miniusa are available and which are not. I also have to decide what options I want 'programmed' into the cpu, but that's what this site is so great for.

Have any option suggestions? Love to hear them. I have about $1K to spend, not sure if I'll do that via the dealership or aftermarket...



One thing it doesn't have are the sport seats, which I had wanted but think I can live without. Gray/Black leatherette, so that was a nice bonus as it's the combination I was hoping for.

 

Get the Harmon Kardon stereo.

Congrats, sounds like you got a pretty smokin' deal.

 

10 minutes to decide? What, did you pee your pants, or something?

Congrads!

 

Pretty doggone exciting!!!! Congrats....it was meant to be.

 

I think it's a good deal considering I'm in the Bay Area, anywhere else and it would be just OK if not a little extra. But that's cool with me.

Yeah, I'd love the HK Stereo but I don't think they can install that, I think that's a factory thing only. But I'll look into it.

 

Yeah, basically, I guess I did. 10 minutes to call my loan guy, get approval from the wife, who was very diplomatic. She really, really wants this car to be a prius, and my convenient argument all along has been - when they make a hybrid with a stick shift, I'll buy it (virtually impossible I think).

My wife was diplomatic: I'm very excited for you. Haha. She'll love it, and it's not as if it's a guzzler!

 

Thanks JDS. Pretty exciting, and the specs were perfect, I so figured it was going to be loaded when he first called (I couldn't have afforded it if so). But it worked!

Trying to figure out if I can get in the Owner's Lounge...this has to be a cancellation on an order so I must be able to track it's progress, at least a little bit.

 

hemlock,
What an experience it must be to picked by a MINI waiting at the docks for the perfect owner.

The minimum must haves:

• Whalen shift **** - can be used on MINI #2 if you use a design other than the 5 speed gear pattern.
• Front and rear fog lights.
• A very sweet sounding and loud exhaust.
• Membership in NorCalMINIS.

When the mod bug bites:

• Rear sway bar and springs, if you are into suspension improvements.
• Real tires; perhaps some nice wheels too.
• Better brakes.

Have fun.

 

Heh,

Great story. I was on my way to place my order and pulled up eBay the same day, saw my perfect car just listed but with 20K miles and called the guy selling. Since every other used MINI I wanted was sold by the time I called, I asked him his "buy it now" price, and my reply was "OK".

Trust me, I have NEVER done that. But I had to have it. Got on a plane next day and bought it (45 minute flight). I didnt literally buy it on eBay but he agreed to hold it until I could inspect.

I recommend you go HK stereo too and aux port or IPOD adapter.

I like Prius too but in my mind it's not just the manual trans. When they make a hybrid that corners on a dime, and leaves a smile plastered across my face every time I get in, I will buy it.*

*That is to say, when MINI makes a hybrid.

 

While the Prius is an interesting concept, it is little more than an experiment. I am not sure that I want (or can afford) to be a tester for new technology. While the Prius is economical in the city, the highway mileage is nothing to brag about, expecially considering its lack of performance. Nobody knows what the battery life will be in the real world, and if you are beyond the warranty period they will be very expensive to replace. There have been many warnings for rescue workers about the dangers of being exposed to high voltage after an accident. Remember when talking about performance and handling, the Prius is lugging hundreds of pounds of batteries which will have a negative effect on handling. The car is also equipped with very narrow tires in an effort to increase fuel/battery mileage which also negatively impacts handling. At best the Prius is a stop-gap measure until a real solution is developed. That may be fuel cells, or an advanced diesel/gas combustion enegine, who knows at this point? But I don't think anyone is saying that Hybrids are the answer to our energy woes.

In short, anyone who appreciates the things that make a MINI a MINI would probably not be happy with a Prius, just as the person who really needs a mini-van, 4-dorr sedan, or pickup truck would not be happy with a MINI. The good news is that with the base model Cooper you will probably get a minimum of 30 mpg. I average 32 mpg on my MINI with the CVT on a 70-mile per day commute.

Good luck with the new toy!

 

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/...tegory=Insight

I guess you haven't really done much research on hybrids have you
The Insight has been around for years now and has always offered a manual transmission.

 

I really hate to break it to you but if there is any way to back out of the deal with the broker you better do it!!!!

First you obviously have not spent much time on this site. There is the Pittsburgh MINI dealer that charges MSRP and advertises free shipping. I bought my 03 2years ago from MINI of the Hamptons witch also advetises here and they offer to split shipping

I configured the MUST HAVE specs and it comes to $19740!!!! If you are paying 22k for that spec then you have been taken a fool by the auto broker.

Sounds like he played the classic you have to decide RIGHT NOW (You never do) and caught a big fish. Slow down and make a wise decision, It costs thousands ($2260 so far) to make snap decisions.

I am glad that you choose a mini you will love the car but I hope that you have time to get out of this

 

here is the spec from MINIUSA.com

 

Planeguy,

What you are saying is true, but hemlock needs to find out the whole story. The car he is buying is already in the states. How long will he need to wait to order one from somewhere? Is it too late to order an '05? If it is, how much more will it cost for an '06? What is it worth to Hemlock to get the car quickly? Will a dealer really ship a car across country at no charge or is there some hidden fee? Has the broker included all charges in his quote such as tax, tags, and title? What is it worth to Hemlock to have someone else take care of the buying process? There is more to a good deal than just the "bottom line". A good deal is when both the buyer and seller are satisfied.

 

True, If he is satisfied with paying 22k for a 19.5k car then it was a good deal. IF his broker handled tax and title, which I doubt he did. And I can speak from personal experiance that there was no hidden fees from MOTH and I am sure there would have been people posting on here if there are hidden fees from any dealer, especially those who advertise on here.

However, It sounds like this guy may have made a snap decision and IF he can back out and take a breath, He probably should.

 

MINI of Pittsburgh charges MSRP and will ship for free, they usually have about 30 cars on the lot. It is worth a shot.

Steve

MINI of Pittsburgh
(412) 682-0788

 

Let the guy be happy about getting his car at a good price. He feels its a good deal, I would have to agree considering all the other things going in to trying to find your perfect MINI.

Curious about something too. If you're buying it in Pitt. and you're in CA, do you have to pay tax, or anything above the actual cost of the car? If so, that makes 22K look about right for a car that MSRP's for 19.7K.

 

No you do not pay sales tax at point of purchase. I know from people who have bought in CA and i know where I am you pay your taxes at time of REGISTRATION.

When you get the plates you pay tax title and licence at that time in your home state. Obviously not the case in every single state but that is the case in CA from what I understand

 

You will pay tax in CA when you register, you will not pay PA sales tax.

Steve

 

Hi everyone...sorry, I thought I would be emailed if there were replies but I hadn't subscribed to this. Needless to say, the comment first that said 'back out' threw me for a loop (as I had gone over this transaction a number of times in my head).

So, the punchline is that the figure I gave is OUT THE DOOR - that is, inclusive of tax, license, smog, etc (which, well, I basically indicated in my first post, but apparently that got lost in all the drama!). So, if you price it out, I'm paying about $1K for delivery fees (presumably, part broker fees, part delivery). That's less than Mini Classic, my baseline for comparison, and about a month faster.

I admit, I didn't know Mini of Pittsburgh offered free delivery, although I do know they didn't have the car I was looking for (ie, blue/white/anthra/roof), as I had called earlier that morning. So I apparently could have researched better, saved $1K, etc. Of course, there probably would have been a longer wait time with Mini Pitt (if not, don't tell me! I'd rather be Homer Simpson on this one -blissfully ignorant.)

The wait is pretty important to me, as this is my last summer of freedom - I've been a graduate student for a while, taking a big exam this summer and have the time off before I start working...so I wanted every day with my mini. Is that worth $1K? Maybe no but probably yes. Regardless, though, I made a fair deal and do not think I was led astray in any way.

Love to hear your comments. And back to what options I should go with! Spent an hour last night looking at racing stripe sites. Looked at the AesthiCreation.net site, any others?

 

All things considered, sounds like you got a great deal, cogratulations!

And

Happy Motoring!!

Steve

 

Thanks Steve, appreciate it! Next time, my first call will be to MINI PITT, knowing shipping is free (and having the patience).

 

Stripes?

Check out http://del.icio.us/tag/mini+cooper+stripes

for a pretty good list.

Enjoy your MINI

 

'Pretty good' list? You sell yourself way too short. Great list!

Hey, I'll ask a question I could probably research but it just popped into my head...how hard is it to swap decals. Say you are like me and you like to mix it up every once in a while...too much of a PIA or do people do that?

Thanks for the list! I'll post my favs...

CA because I'm in CA? http://www.cooperflags.com/ProductDetail.cfm?ID=14

Nah, probably not, but it's pretty dope. Great site.

 

If you want to swap looks, you should probably look into magnetic or static cling type of decals. You can usually find those for stripes and numbers but probably not necessarily for roof graphics.