Thanks Chow. We are talking about the same list; I just have been accessing the dealer website through mini-usa.com.

Maybe some dealers don't list the options so you'll pick up the phone and call them. After all, who wouldn't want to talk to a car salesman?

 

Not true? Dealers don't run sales when cars are flying off the lot. Sales are held when the dealer's tired of paying flooring costs and feeding idle salestaff donuts while they stand around.

In my area, some dealers hold sales almost every weekend. Chevy dealers especially. I see the balloons, flags, banner, tent, hot dog vendor cart.

Even during a big sales event, deals can be made. I made a real good deal on a '96 Mustang GT when I bought it the last day of a big Labor day weekend sales "event". Sales team manager almost kissed me when I came back just before closing time to try again -- this time successfully -- to buy the car. Later as we were filling out the paperwork (and after we had agreed upon a price), told me that his sales staff hadn't sold a car all day, until I came. I left around 10pm with a new Mustang for quite a bit under MSRP.

If a dealer's moving cars, you are unlikely to do real good because the dealer believes that even if you walk off the lot without him selling you a car, another buyer will come in shortly. Even so, if you know what you're doing you can cut a better deal than most buyers. (If you walk out without buying, the dealer may sell the car, but when? Next minute? Hour? Day? Week? Why risk it? You're ready to buy now, provided you get your price, and if you don't buy this car today right now from this dealer, you're going to Dealer X and buy a car from him? And you can quote models, prices, hp figures, etc., to show the dealer you're talking to now, you have a valid fall back plan and will be buying a car today. It takes a hardened sales manager to let a sure sale walk out the door... 'course, your price has to be realistic, based on the best info you can get ahold of. You aren't going to buy the car under the dealer's cost, but you should be able to get it very close to his cost.)

As for ordering a car like one wants, who says this warrants a premium price? (Except the dealer, who's sole job is to get you buy a car right now and pay as much for it as he can get you to pay for it.)

The dealer puts in the order, takes all of maybe 15 minutes, then accepts a deposit, then when the car comes in collects the money for the car. If you're financing he's going to make money on that too. No muss. No fuss. No flooring costs, etc. To me ordering a car is worth a discount and I intend to find a dealer that will provide me with a discount. Not my fault dealers load cars down with all sorts of options I don't want, don't want to pay for, don't want even if they were free.

A car off the lot has some costs associated with it, not the least is the dealer's cost of the loan on the car to his bank. (Dealers rarely pay for factory cars with their own money, they use a bank and a line of credit, and for all those new cars simply pay a flooring cost, interest payment, to the bank until the car's sold.)

Sincerely,

RockC.

 

To your points ...

In our areas, the big sales are ALWAYS Washington Birthday. People actually WAIT until Feb to buy. When I said "not sure if thats true or not" ... I still dont and won't until I see actual sales figures for all cars ... If you look at MINi sales http://www.gbmini.net/sales.shtml Dec, 04 was a huge month. MINI sales are strange though because August was the low month in 04, Sept in 05 ... go figure.

Fords are not MINIs. I dont see any waiting lists for any Fords except the upcoming Shelby.

Until now, most dealers sold OVER MSRP. I am sure they still do in CA or other places. MINI market is not the same as Ford market.

Your last point I agreed with which was that our dealers have cars sitting there ... but as some say ... the dealers STILL will not budge below MSRP. That tells you something.

 

My experience has been that January is the slowest month - everyone is dealing with credit card shock from Christmas and the tax refunds haven't come in. Dealers will be most flexible on cars that have been on the lot longer than a month - the flooring plan is eating into their profit.

 

Some MINI dealers do... while other MINI dealers do not.

It depends on a great many factors but....
IMHO most important is.....
whether or not their particular market demands the need to do so.
(You can read between the lines on this one and come to your own conclusion )

Peace,
D

 

Now's the time to do it if you want to get a MINI below MSRP... I placed my order yesterday, and ended up getting the dealer to settle for $500 below MSRP + free shipping (from NY to Los Angeles) + free transit tags + no paperwork fee... probably around $1.5k under MSRP (depending on what shipping actually costs). Just be ready to walk away from the order if they won't deal - I already had an order locally for MSRP, so I basically made it clear that I wasn't interested in dealing with the hassle of shipping, registering it on my own, etc. unless the dealer made it worth my while (i.e. went below MSRP).

 

aw-RIGHT! Good job! Mick

 

Did you order a lot of options? I imagine they were more willing to deal if you had ordered a loaded car than if you'd ordered a stripped car.

 

My car wasn't loaded with lots of options, but it did have the Sport package ($1.4k), the JCW kit ($6.3k), and JCW black wheels ($2.4k plus installation). So, I was easily into the $10k upgrade club... that was part of why I was able to get a good deal, I think. Never know until you try, though.

 

I see cars on MINI lots with stickers asking over MSRP but I don't see the cars moving off the lots.

(Short story: Several years ago, walked into a VW showroom to get some info on a Golf. Place was dead. Walked around for several minutes and not one salesman approached me. Had been on the lot looking at stock and not one salesman approached me while I was on the lot, either.

A couple walked in and as I was picking up the product literature on the Golf heard the man ask a salesman that had finally appeared about the new Beetle. Salesman said we can't discount those, we have lines of buyers for the cars.

I had to surpress a laugh. On my walk around the lot all I saw were unsold new Beetles. And there sure weren't any lines of buyers standing in line to buy the car. But I could tell the guy, the couple bought the line, because of the expressions on their faces.

It pays to know how well cars are selling. One can't rely, should never rely upon the car dealer for this info.

Tacking on an additional dealer markup of upwards of several thousand dollars is just giving the salesman some room to move. He can "graciously" knock off maybe half that markup -- because he likes you... -- and still pocket a huge commission. You walk out thinking you got a good deal...

One starts negotiating at invoice, and comes up if he has too. One doesn't start at MSRP + additional dealer mark up and try to get the dealer to come down.)

Anyhow, in areas where the weather's nice, Feb. can be a busy month, no doubt about it. (I went to the local MINI dealer yesterday and could only get a moment's time of a salesman to answer a question for me, all were busy writing up sales.)

One has to know when orders for cars are booked. Dec. can be huge because the cars were ordered months earlier, but the sale is not registered until sometime later in the process. If orders were placed in mid to late summer (August...) Dec. could be a big month as the cars that were ordered start arriving in Dec. and sales are booked then.

In the case of the MINI, and being its still in huge demand, sales don't fall off the table in the winter months, but sales numbers are lumpy in various areas. If one is prepared he can take advantage of this to perhaps strike a deal for under MSRP.

It doesn't hurt to try. One can always up his offer and pay MSRP and get the car.

Sincerely,

RockC.

 

I'm ready for the dealer name. I'm considering going to Chicago or Detroit (family in the area) and hoping its either there or at a nearby location.....

Tell us!

Cause you know everyone's gonna be beating down their door to get on the list

 

Can anyone point me to dealers that do sell at MSRP (or lower). I am in Southern California. I'm looking for a 2005/6 MCS Convertible Automatic Green/Green with Nav so I may need to order due to my specificity. I've just decided that this is my next car and haven't yet put my money down but I am ready.

 

I've been talking a bit with south bay mini in Torrance. They sell at msrp and have an acceptable wait, I think, of 5 months. http://www.southbaymini.com/

Otherwise Mini of Murray in Salt Lake City sells at MSRP and you can be in their next round of ordering. I tried Las Vegas, Phoenix, other LA dealers and they charge over MSRP. I haven't heard from every single LA dealer, but south bay meets my requirements.

 

In SoCal (LA specifically), the only dealers that will sell at MSRP are Long Beach and South Bay. They both seem to have a little bit of a waiting list because of this (e.g., when I ordered Jan. 3rd, I was told that production would be in April, with delivery at end-of-May/beginning-of-June).

Alternatively, you might be able to go through a broker (e.g. Autoland?) through your bank or credit union -- I've heard that they can get MSRP from other local dealers. My credit union offers this, but I chose to do it in person at the dealer (South Bay) anyway, as they already charge MSRP.

Finally, you can always order out-of-state (like I just did by switching my order to MINI of the Hamptons in NY). This is your best bet to bargain for under MSRP, but it might be tough unless your MINI has a lot of options (i.e. >$30k). You might be able to get free shipping, though... Anyway, now is the time to order out-of-state if you want to go that route, as it's dead winter and they don't move as many cars with lots of snow on the ground (i.e. they're more amicable to dealing... theoretically).

Good luck!

 

Longbeach is also MSRP and I;ve seen good things about them too. We were happy with South Bay, worked out well.

Just FYI, when I checked with teh Utah dealer they were charging some sort of fee in the range of $300 as I recall (dealer prep or maybe a high paperwork charge?) that I didn't have via South Bay. That was a year ago, worth checking out/knowing about if you care.

 

Also a comment on South Bay MINI... they're great people (I dealt with Walied and Freddie), and were also willing/happy to help me out - even when I changed my order specs twice. Unfortunately, they seem to have no interest in dealing for under MSRP, as they don't need to with the waiting list they have. (When I canceled my order, I got a "no problem!" response -- no reason or explananation needed. I'm sure they just slotted someone else into my spot.)

So, if you're planning to try and get under MSRP on a new MINI order, keep in mind that you'll probably have to go out-of-state and really push them to deal on it. Just my experience, anyways.

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned this already, South Bay MINI requires a $1000 deposit (refundable), Long Beach MINI none, both wait lists are long (5-6 months for an S, 3-4 months for base).

Dealing out of state may create problems/hassles of its own (registration for example), but if the savings is worth it, go for it.

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned this already, South Bay MINI requires a $1000 deposit (refundable), Long Beach MINI none, both wait lists are long (5-6 months for an S, 3-4 months for base).

Dealing out of state may create problems/hassles of its own (registration for example), but if the savings is worth it, go for it.

Edit: Sorry, my mouse is acting up, how do I delete this duplicate post ?