MINI Cooper Soapbox
MINI Cooper Customer Depreciation
Certified Pre-Owned MINI Cooper S: Much Ado About Nothing
I bought a 2004 MINI Copper S at a dealership. The car was Certified Pre-Owned, (CPO), with an extended warranty. I thought that I could have confidence in the warranties, inspections and certifications provided by the MINI Cooper and the MINI dealership. (turns out, not so much) Here is a synopsis of what happened:
April 2008: I bring the car home and return it two days later because the bumper is two-toned, Think bright yellow and sunset orange in a small space. The cd player is " sensitive" and prone to skipping.
December 08 : I hear a squeak near the wheel well.
January 09: I take the car in. It turns out the crankshaft pulley/ bolt and tensioner need to be replaced. The mechanic has to disassemble a large part of the engine to make the repairs. The repair fall under the by the extended warranty.
October 09: I take the car in for its annual. I have added 15,000 miles in in 18 months. The car is at 53,000 miles. The service department delivers the sobering news that the car has several mechanical problems including the clutch, brake arms, bolts, run flat tire, other parts & maintenance
The repair for this MINI Cooper CPO is estimated at $6,600. The car is valued by the dealership at $11,975.Plus, I am still making payments on the car.
Words cannot express the frustration, exasperation and dismay I have felt. I am embarrassed to admit, I paid a price premium for the car that borders on usury. Worse still, is that I bought into the hype, the warranty, certification, emails, decoder kits, and dealer's promises.
Unfortunatley, my conversations with the customer relations on site and corporate teams occurred too late.
If you are considering buying a MINI Cooper do your homework and know the true market value, cost of ownership, and resale value of the MINI. The MINI Cooper Forensics page provides additional car buying tips.
On the plus side, the MINI NEXT program offers a more useful CPO these days. Be sure to read the fine print.
MINI Cooper Trade-In: I just want a Happy Ending...
I am MINI Cooper Buyer #011-1112 or at least that is how I feel.
Earlier this week, I ventured back to the dealership where I purchased my car. My hope was that the dealer, who seemed nice enough, would " work with me". I guess, I thought that being a repeat customer and the issues I experienced with the car they sold me would lend itself to better negotiations. Nope!
Instead of happy ending & reliable car, I left with copious hand written notes for a car that was not quite the right fit. According to the sales team, I could get the special interest rate of 2.9% if I was willing to put down at least $3,800 in cash and increase my monthly payment by $130 for the next 61 months.Well, I am no math or finance savant but, this does not sound like a good deal in light of the repair costs $5,400.
Determined, I went to a dealership in the Irvine area. Honestly, these guys were great. I left the dealership more informed than when I came. I had a print out of the buying scenarios and I knew my options.
When I called the local dealership and mentioned that I went South looking for acar, the salesman's interest was peeked. I was no longer MINI Buyer #011-1112.
As it happened the dealer had another car that was more within my budget. I was elated. Unfortunately, the sticking points are the money down and trade-in value. Honestly, after spending $5,400 on repairs, putting down an additional $3,800-$5,000 for another MINI car seems well, ridiculous. It's like a co-dependent relationship nightmare, I want a MINI, MINI Cooper wants to sell me a car, The dealer makes promise it cannot keep and I pay the freight making & paying allowances for MINI Cooper.
All I really want is a happy ending where the dealer does a trade in and I get a new reliable car with the same or less in monthly payments. I think it is usurious to ask me to pay still a third time purchase+ repairs+ down payment) for the dealerships empty promises.