Upgrading to 2010 Mini - opinions on trade in offered

MJ3

Hi, I'm upgrading my 05 Mini Cooper 1.6 Automatic, Petrol, with the Chilli Pack, ½ leather sport seats, run flat tyres & Sunroof, with just over 40,000km. Recently serviced, I got the windscreen wipers replaced, and the wheels repaired. The front two tires have also been recently replaced. No dents or damage of any kind to the car, never been in an accident. One other owner bar myself. The car passed its NCT in Jan 09, and it is taxed until Aug 10.
I was offered 9,300 as a trade in price - does this seem reasonable?

If you're not giving them much over €12000 with that one that's not too bad a deal, I know someone paying €7000 to go from an 08 Corolla to a new one. Whenever you buy a car new you are being bent over so once you're not getting completely shafted you can consider it not too bad a deal imo. Depends what money you are giving with your car rather than what they say they are giving for your car though, if you get my drift

Owen

The problem with MINI is that the Dealer doesn't even make a grand profit on the car if he sells it at full retail with no trade in. Compare that to another brand where there can be 3k profit for the Dealer.

Both the MINI Dealer, and the other Dealer have your car costing them the same amount, but allow can allow a different price. The MINI Dealer will probably use 500 Euro of his profit to increase your trade in allowance, whereas the other Dealer will use 1500-2000 of his profit. So, if you're looking at trade in price only (Which is the worst indication to judge a car deal by) the MINI Dealer will always always be somewhere around 1000-2000 less than other brands in your allowance figure.

Course, the other way to look at it, is that the other Dealers are just adding on the price to take it off again, and if you fall for that, well, you should know better. That's why on boards everyone says the only figure that matters is your cost to change.

Also, bear in mind the new MINI First which is a lower bhp MINI One with little or no equipment is on sale for about 19000 - which you can have for 17500/18000 if you shop around for early 2010 demos, so your car which is now 5 years old has to be based on that price.

MJ3

nicely put RJ I'm upgrading to a 2010 Mini Cooper D, 1.6 Automatic, with chilli pack, so the difference I'm paying is €18,500 - this has just been discussed with the dealer, they haven't actually seen the car yet, and it is in mint condition (not just saying that ) so I'm hoping to get a bit more for my current car to lessen the blow!

rebel.ranter

The trade in price is not what you should be concerned about it is the amount it is costing you in cold hard cash to upgrade is the key amount.

Owen

MJ3 wrote: »

nicely put RJ I'm upgrading to a 2010 Mini Cooper D, 1.6 Automatic

Are you really sure you want Auto? It will kill, and I mean stone dead, any future chance of selling it on.

Also, the Diesel while really frugal (I got 85mpg out of one once), is a very poor handling MINI when compared to the Cooper. The Diesel engine in the MINI is heavy, which means the back end of the car skips when cornering hard. I had a Diesel as a company demo for 3 months, and I always felt that it was a huge compromise in terms of handling when compared to the Cooper I had before. Don't forget the petrols are cheap to tax too, and will return 52mpg.

MJ3

in terms of cold hard cash - it's costing €18,500

MJ3

deffo D for the fuel consumption, I do a lot of driving, also the tax is much lower. Also an automatic as I have back problems :mad:

Tragedy

If you need a diesel and auto due to physical problems and how many miles you do - why constrain yourself to a mini?

unkel

MJ3 wrote: »

nicely put RJ I'm upgrading to a 2010 Mini Cooper D, 1.6 Automatic, with chilli pack, so the difference I'm paying is €18,500 - this has just been discussed with the dealer, they haven't actually seen the car yet, and it is in mint condition (not just saying that ) so I'm hoping to get a bit more for my current car to lessen the blow!

The Cooper D Automatic has a list price of €23k, plus €3.5k for the chili pack so even if you're getting no discount at all off the list price, they value your car at €8k, which is way too low...

MJ3

MJ3 wrote: »

in terms of cold hard cash - it's costing €18,500

Ignore my comment about the €12000, I was going off getting a mini for €21/€22K ish, obviously the diesel with the Chilli pack and whatnot is a more expensive machine. I would consider €18,500 to trade up 5 years on a dear model not too bad considering the chap I know is paying €7000 to go up 2 years on a Snorrola. Of course, one always gets the shafting with expensive cars. Still it doesn't sound out of the way.

Owen

Tragedy wrote: »

If you need a diesel and auto due to physical problems and how many miles you do - why constrain yourself to a mini?

Lots of disabled drivers go for MINIs, because the doors open out almost 90 degrees and they're very easy to get into.

Speaking as a former Manager of a MINI Franchise, you're mad to be going Auto if you can help it at all unless if you really have to. Just be aware that there are new engines and cars in the pipeline.

unkel

unkel wrote: »

The Cooper D Automatic has a list price of €23k, plus €3.5k for the chili pack so even if you're getting no discount at all off the list price, they value your car at €8k, which is way too low...

That puts a different spin on things, €9,300 + €18,500 > €26,500
You getting any other extras ?

Tragedy

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Lots of disabled drivers go for MINIs, because the doors open out almost 90 degrees and they're very easy to get into.

Speaking as a former Manager of a MINI Franchise, you're mad to be going Auto if you can help it at all unless if you really have to. Just be aware that there are new engines and cars in the pipeline.

Didn't know that, figured them being low would be a b*tch if you had back problems though!

MJ3

The new car is €27,633 - including run flat tyres, and TLC package and delivery which isn't included in the online price

Owen

RoverJames wrote: »

That puts a different spin on things, €9,300 + €18,500 > €26,500
You getting any other extras ?

List price doesn't include delivery and related charges. That's about 850 give or take. So the OP must be getting more extras. Sunroof again maybe? MFSW? Metallic? Upgrading the 16"s in the chili pack to 17"s? Let me know the spec and I'll tell you if it's correct.

unkel

MJ3 wrote: »

The new car is €27,633 - including run flat tyres, and TLC package and delivery which isn't included in the online price

Ah, ok. So based on the full recommended retail price of the car plus the options at full recommended retail price plus all the charges for delivery, registration, etc. they value your car at €9,133 (seems reasonable enough) and they give you 0 cent discount? You are being had here. I have no doubt that if you showed up with €17k in cash, you got yourself a deal.

MarkN

I wouldn't be raving on about run flat tyes being part of the price, they're truly, truly awful.

galwaytt

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Are you really sure you want Auto? It will kill, and I mean stone dead, any future chance of selling it on.

...don't be so quick to judge: the fact that so few auto's are sold new, means that good, small, modern auto's, used, are always in demand. Quite apart from those who want auto's, not everyone who needs an auto can afford a new one. For those, a modern contemporary car with auto will always be sought-after simply because they're so hard to find.

Owen

galwaytt wrote: »

...don't be so quick to judge

I sold the things for 7 years, that's why I'm so quick to judge. The ratio of auto MINIs to manual MINIs is about one, for every hundred sold. Nobody wants them second hand in auto, full stop.

TBi

Probably a bit late but have you tried selling the car privately? Might get more than the dealer offered and be able to talk down the price because you are bringing cash.