A MINI without options or packs?

[KenL]

Had a few plays on the MINI configurator, the option prices really are a joke these days. Even the supposedly good value packs charge for items I am not interested in, e.g. auto aircon.

So, what do you think about choosing a very lightly specced MINI, could you live with an option free MINI?

Would MINI sell more cars if they included more items in the basic price? To charge extra for a trip computer or fog lights is ridiculous is it not?

[ianking]

Personally a mini without a pack doesnt interest me.

My mate is a car dealer and gets quite a number of minis that he underwrites from other dealerships and he isnt keen on minis without packs and he has been buying and selling for 30 years so knows a thing or 2 about whats good news in the trade.

[KenL]

Interesting Ian. Not a definitive guide but what car depreciation guide shows you lose least money on a basic Cooper, I.e. no pack.

Is your pal coming from a dealer profit angle?

[ianking]

No he is coming from what sells best on his forecourt.

[KenL]

No he is coming from what sells best on his forecourt.

OK, thanks. So, picking a pack will make your car more sellable to a dealer or privately.

[jockserb]

More sellable to a dealer.......I bet......

[GCA3N]

As Ian says Ken the anyne looking for a car nowadays expects a certain amount of kit to come with it, I'd suggest that a bog standard mini may apeal to one or 2 who may want one but cannot afford one but you are going to get much more interest in a high specced one even if it is going to cost extra.

I do aggree with you Ken Mini (BMW) have way to many optional extra's that should be included in the car/price hence why mini say "they're are no 2 mini's alike" no wonder with all the optional extra's available.

[Mon the fish]

BMW have always offered low spec as standard, throughout their history - R53's came as standard with a tape deck and no air con for a while.

As for option packs - most people want the toys, and it will make the car more sell-able, but you will lose money - e.g. a car at £13k with £2k of options won't be worth £2k more in 3 years.

Spec your car as you want, but don't expect to get anything like the money you spent back. I put £9.5k of options on my R53 when I spec'd it, but I don't ever plan on selling

[zimbo]

In the end it all really boils down to preferances and financial circumstances at the time that dictate what you car will have when buying it.

For example, the last car I had before my clubbie, the CooperD was a very very low specced car, it had non of the packs and only had a couple of the things that I liked from previous minis I'd had that i knew I liked, and I really loved that car and the fact that it did not have all those fancy packs and toys etc didn't bother me at all and I also saved myself a lot of money when it came time to selling it, you must also remember that a car is valued (when being sold) as a standard car at it's basic so anything else that you have added when new will be worthless then when you come to selling. If you like your toys and gizmos etc and can afford to lose money further down the line when trading in time comes round then thats fine.

The down side to this is that when looking to buy a second hand car, most people will always want to try and get the car with the most toys etc that they can afford to get and you will most likely have trouble selling your minimalist specced car compared to the well specced one, but then again it will just depend on a persons circumstances at the time. :yes nod:

Sorry about the long speech again :rolleyes:

[AndyP & Lenore]

I think the only thing that "adds value" to a MINI on trade-in is the Chilli pack. We've sold and traded in a few MINI's over the years and the only thing any dealer is interested in or prepared to up their bid on is if the car has a Chilli pack.

IIRC, the price guide books have two listings for all S's; With Chilli, and without CHilli. Either that, or it assumes all S's have a Chilli and suggest a standard drop of monetary value if no Chilli is present.

All other items, like 18" wheels, upgraded brakes, body kits, sat nav, fog's, driving lamps etc, etc get you ZIP on trade in. All it helps to do is make the car more desireable to the customer - and therefore to a lesser extent to the dealer buying the car.

All IMHO.

A.

[Mon the fish]

^^ true, and you don't get the £1k premium (or whatever it is these days) back for the chilli pack either - more likely £300-500 I would have though

[AndyP & Lenore]

^^ true, and you don't get the £1k premium (or whatever it is these days) back for the chilli pack either - more likely £300-500 I would have though

^^ True also.:frown:

[ianking]

The glass guide lists all models of minis with the various packs (salt, pepper and chilli) and the price that the dealer should be paying trade and selling retail.

[Duncan Stewart]

I've never put more than a few £100 pounds worth of extras on my minis and never had any trouble trading them in and got good prices (better than price guide figures) - that was on the 3 Coopers I've owned, none of then even had aircon

Depends on what you want, these minis had everything I wanted so I was happy
But if theres something on the options list you really want is it worth putting up not having it to save a few quid?

[KenL]

A lot of excellent input, thanks. Probably this time next year before I am changing. I may even wait for the next gen MINI, which I think is due late 2012.

[badwolf340]

I think the only thing that "adds value" to a MINI on trade-in is the Chilli pack. We've sold and traded in a few MINI's over the years and the only thing any dealer is interested in or prepared to up their bid on is if the car has a Chilli pack.

IIRC, the price guide books have two listings for all S's; With Chilli, and without CHilli. Either that, or it assumes all S's have a Chilli and suggest a standard drop of monetary value if no Chilli is present.

All other items, like 18" wheels, upgraded brakes, body kits, sat nav, fog's, driving lamps etc, etc get you ZIP on trade in. All it helps to do is make the car more desireable to the customer - and therefore to a lesser extent to the dealer buying the car.

All IMHO.

A.
Spot on :thumbs up:

[ianking]

There is a 60 plate factory JCW on the mini cherished web site at the moment that doesnt have a chilli pack but it really is as cheap as chips. Just not sure I can live without my xenons, bluetooth and ipod control. I can live without climate control as they all have air con anyway.

[badwolf340]

There is a 60 plate factory JCW on the mini cherished web site at the moment that doesnt have a chilli pack but it really is as cheap as chips. Just not sure I can live without my xenons, bluetooth and ipod control. I can live without climate control as they all have air con anyway.

would find it hard to do with out xenons or bluetooth Ian ,A girl that works for christina had a new R56 cooper S with the only option of a 3 spoke steering wheel ,and when she tried to get rid of it after 18 months ,no one wanted it .private or dealer,

[ianking]

would find it hard to do with out xenons or bluetooth Ian ,A girl that works for christina had a new R56 cooper S with the only option of a 3 spoke steering wheel ,and when she tried to get rid of it after 18 months ,no one wanted it .private or dealer,

Mmm, maybe thats why this 60 plate car is sooooo cheap from the mini dealer.
Only options it has are H/K hi-fi and sports suspension.

However it really is cheap which makes it tempting to me as I want to cut back on how much I spend on my next car.

[Craig]

Mmm, maybe thats why this 60 plate car is sooooo cheap from the mini dealer.
Only options it has are H/K hi-fi and sports suspension.

However it really is cheap which makes it tempting to me as I want to cut back on how much I spend on my next car.

You were told it had to be a clubbie !! :lol:

[ianking]

You were told it had to be a clubbie !! :lol:

Ive been told now I can just get whatever, as long as it wasnt a Focus RS as she really thinks it looks like a Halfords car and to be fair the Focus RS is going to be too expensive to run.

The Volvo C30 T5 R has a strong appeal but the terrible residual value puts me off. I could over come the residual with a C30 Diesel but it wouldnt sound or go anything like the T5.

There fore if I buy a new car it may well just be another mini. Just have to decide if I should change or not. Its the longest I have kept any car ever but it will be out of warranty in 2 months and minis without warranty frighten me.

[The Dogfather]

There fore if I buy a new car it may well just be another mini. Just have to decide if I should change or not. Its the longest I have kept any car ever but it will be out of warranty in 2 months and minis without warranty frighten me.

Yup, scary though. My MINI has had the chain tensioner fix but the rattle is back on cold mornings.

[Mon the fish]

Mini out of warranty + Bentley service manual + hammers = no problems. Anything can be fixed :thumbs up: