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MINI Cooper Prices Paid and Buying Experience

1305 messages,  Last post on Nov 27, 2009 at 5:44 PM

You are in the Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Forum. Your Hosts are car_man & kyfdx

What is this discussion about? MINI Cooper, Coupe, Hatchback


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#1165 of 1305
That reminds me.. by kyfdx HOST
Jan 17, 2009 (1:25 pm)
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Couple of other things to note about Cincinnati..
 
1) Loaners: For scheduled service at least one week out are almost always available... Unscheduled could be an issue..
 
2) The dealer charges $0.15 per mile on loaners to cover fuel... .That way, you don't have to fuel up near the dealer.. If you happen to fuel up, they will reimburse you...
 
3) Great lease deals on 135i coupes and convertibles right now, if you wanted to go that way, instead... that way you have a local dealership (Louisville). Of course, if you've had your current car since '97, then leasing probably isn't for you..
 
I have to agree with blueguy... Not sure I'd risk buying a car where the closest dealer is two hours away... but, that's easy to say, when my local area has everything but Ferrari, Lambo and Aston..
#1166 of 1305
Dealer distance by Don_C
Jan 17, 2009 (2:10 pm)
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Brain burp there. Indy and Cincy are 120 miles, 2 HOURS away. Don't know why I got that 2 working wrong!
 
My wife would like a Mini and another strong advocate is my mechanic who has and LOVES his convertible. I've only had the Z3 for a couple of years, but it at 94000 miles it is showing some wear and tear with the possibility of needing some work. Plus, it's just an old car now (features).
 
There is a shop in town who specializes in BMW and MINIs but would probably not be able to do warranty work.
 
Thanks for the comments. I have the advantage of not really needing a replacement right now, so I can go up and do a test drive with no pressure at all on deciding whether to buy something. When I do make the change, it will be my drive around in retirement car (late 2009!) which will be cheaper to run than the wife's Quest. If we could just get a dealer HERE!
#1167 of 1305
Re: Dealer distance [Don_C] by blueguydotcom
Jan 17, 2009 (5:01 pm)
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Replying to: Don_C (Jan 17, 2009 2:10 pm)

I love my mini but there are sacrifices to go with it. If I merely wanted a run-about I'd strongly consider a Fit. I like pushing cars and the Cooper S can be wrung out...
#1168 of 1305
pricing on Mini in Atlanta market by mtmikey
Jan 17, 2009 (8:03 pm)
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Saw on the Global Imports Mini website that they are running 2009 Mini Coopers at $500 below MSRP. I guess the market has slowed even for them!
#1169 of 1305
I'm a gamblin' man by Don_C
Jan 20, 2009 (11:46 am)
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Decided to see what the excitement was about, so on Monday, drove the two hours up to Indy to look over the Clubmans. Kinda wanted a Clubman S manual, but they had none. We drove a manual coupe, a basic Clubman auto and an S Clubman automatic.
 
They did have a basic automatic in Nightfire Red with cream interior accents and black top and stripes. Sport seats and bluetooth were nice additions. We decided that we REALLY liked that car.
 
The new car bug bit real hard. The rational, "This is too far for service" and "The features we really want ..." and "I really should buy American to help OUR economy" all went by the wayside when I compared the thought of driving home in that sparkling red Clubman vs driving home in the 97 Z3. I'm not a high performance kind of driver so I think the basic will serve me well.
 
Worst case warranty issues seem to be addressed by both MINI and the dealer. I would still be pretty inconvenienced for less than critical problems but I guess I'll just gamble that I won't have those.
 
So I'm a member of the club. Gonna pull out the manual and go through the feature list again to be sure I know what all the buttons are for and how to use the hands free phone system. Much to learn!
 
Next is checking the forum for any discussions about grade of gas.
#1170 of 1305
Re: I'm a gamblin' man [Don_C] by kyfdx HOST
Jan 20, 2009 (1:36 pm)
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Replying to: Don_C (Jan 20, 2009 11:46 am)

Congrats!
 
The MINI sport seats are awesome! Plus, it sounds like maybe you've got regular tires with a spare... can't beat that!
#1171 of 1305
The eternal question ... 91 or 89 gas? by Don_C
Jan 21, 2009 (2:24 pm)
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The manual of the new base Clubman says that AKI91 gas is preferred but the car can take as low as 87. Being more of a "commuter driver" than a "sport driver" would I notice any difference between 91 and 89 gas?
 
I know that some sources claim that 91 is a waste of money, other say that the car performs noticeably better using the higher grade. It is possible that the latter comment refers only to the higher performance engines than what I have.
 
The last comments about gas that I found on a search here are a couple of years old and thought I'd see what the opinions are for the more current engines. My first refill is a few days away so I thought I'd be ready.
 
TIA
#1172 of 1305
Re: The eternal question ... 91 or 89 gas? [Don_C] by blueguydotcom
Jan 21, 2009 (8:07 pm)
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Replying to: Don_C (Jan 21, 2009 2:24 pm)

Yes, you can use 87. The engine will produce even less power (the ecu will retard the car's power so you don't damage the engine) and it will be less efficient. With gas so cheap, i can't fathom why people would buy a car and then worry about $3 a fill-up. If $150 a year makes that much difference, maybe a new car isn't the best economic choice?
 
I fill up my Cooper S 3 times a month. Always with premium. Then again, I find the power in my Cooper S to be adequate - but I push it to 4-5k rpm on most shifts. I would notice less HP.
#1173 of 1305
Re: The eternal question ... 91 or 89 gas? [blueguydotcom] by Don_C
Jan 23, 2009 (11:37 am)
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Replying to: blueguydotcom (Jan 21, 2009 8:07 pm)

Point made.
Point taken.
#1174 of 1305
Re: The eternal question ... 91 or 89 gas? [blueguydotcom] by Don_C
Jan 25, 2009 (7:24 pm)
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Replying to: blueguydotcom (Jan 21, 2009 8:07 pm)

First refill ... just over 33 mpg which includes 100 miles of straight highway driving at varying speeds (break in recommendation) and the rest commuting with some highway speeds and some slow traffic.
 
Filled with 91.

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