South Carolina MINI Car Dealers

Mini....I cannot believe you took so much time to reply and give me SO much invaluable information. I can't thank you enough, but be assured, you're more appreciated than you could know. The info. you provided is what I was needing. One thing you said really stood out to me, and that was buying a Mini strictly because I like it! I've been driving "Ole Ugly" for years and am at the point where I literally hate getting into it and having to go anywhere. I live outside of Asheville, NC, so I could certainly check out Memphis...do I actually need to go there? I.e., can I negotiate and do all that kind of thing over the phone, then go for pick-up? I'm sure that's a stupid question. The reason I HAVE to have a convertible is because of the Jeep I had. I loved the open-air feeling. I missed that about premium gas, but I can't afford the S, so "recommended" doesn't mean I HAVE to use premium, does it? Aside from that, I've only owned one Datsun, Toyota and 2 Subaru's, so I tend to stay away from American cars. Congratulations on yours! How exciting! It seems that I've read quite a bit about people having to wait (?). I really hope you get yours soon. The salesman who called awhile ago (I finally played his message) was calling from Greenville, SC, the nearest dealer; he said he had received my internet request and wants me to call him to discuss everything, so I don't know if that means they've got them on the lot or not. Maybe one of your road trips should be here, so you can do the salesman thing. Lol. May I ask if your color choice causes a longer wait than usual? I'm loving the green and the silver...phew, they are so cool looking. Lastly, Mini....how do I get over feeling sorry for the salesman, whose standard of living I feel I'm affecting if I don't pay more so he gets more commission? Is there not a way to bypass salesmen and just deal with a dealership? I.e., if I know what I want ('06 convertible, premium pkg., XXX color), do I STILL have to go through that process with salespeople? Thanks again for your help; I feel so much better about this vehicle, esp. since you did your homework and decided to buy one yourself. You've done a good deed today, believe me. Much appreciation!

my thoughts were the same about low payments with high residuals, but seems that's not the case. From a few days of research and dealer quotes, 4 year lease payments with close to $25k msrps, seem to average $415 - $450. My wife's Solara Convertible lease payments with a $30k selling price, 4 year 0 down, is only $398. I was really hoping that the Mini would be closer to the low-mid $300s.

With respect to paying the "new price" for a three year old car - my motto has always been, if you are paying new price or close to new price (little depreciation), why on earth buy used? The "useful life" of most cars is 100,000 miles, so a car with 50,000 miles is already down half its useful life. Also, were those 50,000 miles easy or hard miles? Was the car taken in to fix every warranty glitch, or were things allowed to slide? I am a contrarian. I think the best used car buys are the models that depreciate a lot, for no other reason than they aren't popular - like virtually all American cars. Japanese cars (and MINI's, of course) sell so close to new price, you might as well buy new. This all assumes you are buying a car not more than 30,000 miles and 4 years old. After that, or cdrtainly if you are looking at 10 year old cars, Japanese cars are better because they are more reliable in the long run, and (more importantly) they are more likely to have been kept up - owners of imports bite the bullet and pay for repairs and maintenance, while owners of Big 3 cars dump them at the first sign of trouble - thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. A MINI in 10 years will have "special interest" value far in excess of its actual economic (costs of operation, costs of repairs and maintenance) factors. Just be patient and order your MINI. Many of the options do not add a lot of value to the basic car, which is already nice as is. Options and accessories really pump up the out the door price. If you build your car on line, print it out, then review it a week later and trim the "extras" you probably don't really need or want, you'll be surprised how affordable either MINI (base of SC) is. The beauty of "every car is an order car" is that you can do this; so that, practically speaking, a MINI can be much more affordable that an Acura RSX since you don't have to pay for unwanted options because another make's dealer is reluctant or unable to order.