2013 Mini Ray - New Daily

[Stagg]

Bit slow with starting a new thread on it, but here goes

Since moving to Gold Coast from Melbourne, I couldn't any longer ride a motorbike as a daily; drivers were much worse, there wasn't traffic nearly as dense, and on the coast it doesn't look kindly to parking your motorbike on the footpath (which is all the rage in Melbourne). So I had to get a car.

I decided on getting a brand new car to use as a work car; and it has to be something small, but also had to at least have some sort of personality and be different and not just feel like a crappy whitegoods daily hatchback.

Pretty much a no brainer for me, I got a brand new Mini Ray:





I'll post some more in-depth photos when the sun is shining tomorrow


I was a little cheeky about how I was going to buy the car though, but being a salesperson myself, I knew how they were going to operate and so I went to two mini dealers, and took the same car for test drives at both dealers. I got written quotes from both dealers, and said I would be going with what dealer would give me the best deal on a mini. Many a game of phone tennis was played, I counted 66 calls in 72 hours between the dealers, their managers, their finance managers, and even their previous customers. The Mini Ray is the base model mini, and the starting price was $23,990 driveaway with the 6 speed manual and no extras. However the accessories pack they were offering was the Vanity Pack, which was $28,990 driveaway including bluetooth handsfree, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights and leather steering wheel. I needed all the bluetooth handsfree and cruise control for work so I went with the vanity pack; but after the phone tennis I ended up paying $24,000 driveaway with the vanity pack from the dealer that came out on top.



What attracted me to the Mini in particular was that over a four year period, if financing the car, you were able to go for a deal called the MINI FLEX, which was a guaranteed trade-in value of over $11k after four years, and repayments were made through BMW finance (MINI parent company) at 7.4%. So it was all very attractive from that point, with the interest rate lower than banks as well as a guaranteed trade in value.


The Mini Ray however has less power than the Mini Cooper (Ray 72kW or Cooper 98kW) but I managed to squeeze the dealer mechanics number out of the young and not very mechanically minded saleswomans head, and gave the guy a call and asked him what the difference between a Mini Ray or a Mini Cooper was, and the only difference between the petrol engines was the software used in the car; which he is able to upgrade the Ray software to the Cooper software without voiding the warranty (a lot of people going for a Ray and upgrading the software for a cut price cooper methinks!)


Car also came with a 3 year unlimited km warranty, and run flat tyres. So I thought I would share all this info with you guys. I compared and test drove the following:

Suzuki Swift
Ford Fiesta
Fiat 500
Volvo C40

the Mini in terms of how you feel driving it compared to everything else, well everything else felt like a whitegoods car. the mini is no testosterone machine by any means (I have my Tickford Fairmont for that) but it sure is a very unique car.

[Yellow_Festiva]

When I started reading your post the first thing that came to mind was Fiat 500.

Are they still doing the 14k drive away deal???

Interesting point about the power differences, and the apparent ease at getting the higher tune from the dealer. What they want for the upgrade?

[fanboi]

what a bargin, only 20 odd grand and your manhood

[mcnews]

We have a 2009 Cooper S which is a good little jigger. The turbo versions have so much bottom end torque for a tiddler engine, will pull away from standstill in third gear with hardly a grumble! And for Fanboi if your manhood is so in peril that owning a Mini can take it away you never had any to start with :-)

[Alan D Segal]

Originally Posted by mcnews

We have a 2009 Cooper S...if your manhood is so in peril that owning a Mini can take it away you never had any to start with :-)

Whatever helps you sleep at night

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by Stagg

Bit slow with starting a new thread on it, but here goes

Since moving to Gold Coast from Melbourne, I couldn't any longer ride a motorbike as a daily; drivers were much worse, there wasn't traffic nearly as dense, and on the coast it doesn't look kindly to parking your motorbike on the footpath (which is all the rage in Melbourne). So I had to get a car.

I decided on getting a brand new car to use as a work car; and it has to be something small, but also had to at least have some sort of personality and be different and not just feel like a crappy whitegoods daily hatchback.

Pretty much a no brainer for me, I got a brand new Mini Ray:

image

image

I'll post some more in-depth photos when the sun is shining tomorrow


I was a little cheeky about how I was going to buy the car though, but being a salesperson myself, I knew how they were going to operate and so I went to two mini dealers, and took the same car for test drives at both dealers. I got written quotes from both dealers, and said I would be going with what dealer would give me the best deal on a mini. Many a game of phone tennis was played, I counted 66 calls in 72 hours between the dealers, their managers, their finance managers, and even their previous customers. The Mini Ray is the base model mini, and the starting price was $23,990 driveaway with the 6 speed manual and no extras. However the accessories pack they were offering was the Vanity Pack, which was $28,990 driveaway including bluetooth handsfree, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights and leather steering wheel. I needed all the bluetooth handsfree and cruise control for work so I went with the vanity pack; but after the phone tennis I ended up paying $24,000 driveaway with the vanity pack from the dealer that came out on top.



What attracted me to the Mini in particular was that over a four year period, if financing the car, you were able to go for a deal called the MINI FLEX, which was a guaranteed trade-in value of over $11k after four years, and repayments were made through BMW finance (MINI parent company) at 7.4%. So it was all very attractive from that point, with the interest rate lower than banks as well as a guaranteed trade in value.


The Mini Ray however has less power than the Mini Cooper (Ray 72kW or Cooper 98kW) but I managed to squeeze the dealer mechanics number out of the young and not very mechanically minded saleswomans head, and gave the guy a call and asked him what the difference between a Mini Ray or a Mini Cooper was, and the only difference between the petrol engines was the software used in the car; which he is able to upgrade the Ray software to the Cooper software without voiding the warranty (a lot of people going for a Ray and upgrading the software for a cut price cooper methinks!)


Car also came with a 3 year unlimited km warranty, and run flat tyres. So I thought I would share all this info with you guys. I compared and test drove the following:

Suzuki Swift
Ford Fiesta
Fiat 500
Volvo C40

the Mini in terms of how you feel driving it compared to everything else, well everything else felt like a whitegoods car. the mini is no testosterone machine by any means (I have my Tickford Fairmont for that) but it sure is a very unique car.

Congrats on the purchase, but lumping the Fiesta into the whitegoods car category is a nonsensical choice.

[blackf6]

Cool car. Mini's can go hard and handle well with the right mods.

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by fanboi

what a bargin, only 20 odd grand and your manhood

Thankfully it's a daily drive, when I need to feel like a man again I can throw a brick around in the backyard.

Or you know, take my V8 for a spin

[Stagg]

More detailed photos

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by fanboi

what a bargin, only 20 odd grand and your manhood

nawwww what a clever comment. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and lose your manhood on your way to school?

[mcnews]

Someone that makes comments like Fanboi has, already has very questionable manhood indeed :-)

[wookie836]

nice signature Stagg.....

THE SHOPPING TROLLEY

2013 Mini Ray
It gets the girls attention... that counts more than the boys attention

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by wookie836

nice signature Stagg.....

THE SHOPPING TROLLEY

2013 Mini Ray
It gets the girls attention... that counts more than the boys attention

Well it's true I have my AU V8 sedan that is my pride and joy... But all the girlys just look at it like its another car.

So a second car had to be my daily as well as something that would get the ladies attention! and I guarantee that this car won't get you any boys, but it most certainly will get the girls attention

[Stagg]

One thing that just seems like witchcraft to me is these adaptive headlights; where the headlights will turn around corners when the car turns.

When the car starts up it has auto headlights, and they point up and then down on startup and you think that the car is lurching up and down... lol

[Xauterus]

If they judge a man by the size of what he drives then there is an awful lot of compensation going on out there!

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by Xauterus

If they judge a man by the size of what he drives then there is an awful lot of compensation going on out there!

True but if I didn't have a petrol guzzling V8 as a weekender and only had one car, I would have got something between a Mini and a V8!

Besides the mini is going to be the scapegoat car; getting dents in shopping centre carparks, getting parked outside, the car for one of the brothers to borrow if they need a car.. All these things keep my lovely AU out of harms way

[fanboi]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Someone that makes comments like Fanboi has, already has very questionable manhood indeed :-)

People who keep bitching about a joke, have questionable levels of butthurt can get you some anusol?

[Nikked]

What's your opinion on the interior fit and finish? Have one at work at the moment and was disappointed (for lack of a better word) for a car that is all but a BMW....

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by Nikked

What's your opinion on the interior fit and finish? Have one at work at the moment and was disappointed (for lack of a better word) for a car that is all but a BMW....

I liked it because it is different. It's not the usual speedo & tacho sitting next to each other in front of the steering wheel, but it's just the bare bones seats in my mini. The mini coopers had awesome sports seats though.

As for being all BMW, it didn't feel at all like a bimmer to me, except all the paperwork for purchasing was all done at the BMW parent dealership, and servicing/warranty/finance is all through BMW. For the feel of the car driving it, its definitely uniquely a mini, but everything else is full blown BMW

[2.8L Hilux]

Nice looking mini mate. I've got a '67 Morris Mini and believe me, you won't stop copping it about your manhood. Although these comments generally come from VN drivers...

[Stagg]

I have found that I cop as much road rage in this little car as compared to what I did on the motorbike. There has already been one instance where I've had to hop out of the car in a carpark where someone cut me off and go and ask them why they did that.

May need to take notes here...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXT-W9WwBk

[Hally]

Stagg,

A bit of a thread mine but have used your pricing to see what kind of deal I can get locally in <elbourne.

Can you tell me what they charged to upgrade the software to bump up the power to Cooper levels?

Regards,

Andrew

[hodge_williams]

Originally Posted by Stagg

I have found that I cop as much road rage in this little car as compared to what I did on the motorbike. There has already been one instance where I've had to hop out of the car in a carpark where someone cut me off and go and ask them why they did that.

May need to take notes here...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXT-W9WwBk

why hop out of the car unless you are intending on getting into a fight. Rather silly if you ask me.

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by Hally

Stagg,

A bit of a thread mine but have used your pricing to see what kind of deal I can get locally in <elbourne.

Can you tell me what they charged to upgrade the software to bump up the power to Cooper levels?

Regards,

Andrew

Yeah it seemed almost too easy to get the Mini Ray with the Vanity pack options down to $24k, especially by getting two dealers to battle it out for my business.

But they never got back to me on the pricing to upgrade the software to get the same power output as a mini cooper! I did manage to find a few flash tuners for the mini at under $1000 though

[Hally]

Thanks mate. It will be interesting to see what they can do. I presume you purchased in QLD?

[chloelola]

Hi Stagg,

My partner and I are looking to buy a Black Mini Ray with the Vanity pack and we have really appreciated the extra photos and information on the car. We have been to a few dealers but they are all VERY hesitant to get below the 26.5k mark; obviously we are not sales people and our negotiation skills aren't as good (very jealous!). We are not financing the car if that makes any difference.

We would love to know if you have any tips on getting a lower price, and also, how you are liking the Ray? If you have any other advice it would be GREATLY appreciated and we would love to compensate you in any way possible

Thanks,!
Chloelola x

Originally Posted by Stagg

Bit slow with starting a new thread on it, but here goes

Since moving to Gold Coast from Melbourne, I couldn't any longer ride a motorbike as a daily; drivers were much worse, there wasn't traffic nearly as dense, and on the coast it doesn't look kindly to parking your motorbike on the footpath (which is all the rage in Melbourne). So I had to get a car.

I decided on getting a brand new car to use as a work car; and it has to be something small, but also had to at least have some sort of personality and be different and not just feel like a crappy whitegoods daily hatchback.

Pretty much a no brainer for me, I got a brand new Mini Ray:

image

image

I'll post some more in-depth photos when the sun is shining tomorrow


I was a little cheeky about how I was going to buy the car though, but being a salesperson myself, I knew how they were going to operate and so I went to two mini dealers, and took the same car for test drives at both dealers. I got written quotes from both dealers, and said I would be going with what dealer would give me the best deal on a mini. Many a game of phone tennis was played, I counted 66 calls in 72 hours between the dealers, their managers, their finance managers, and even their previous customers. The Mini Ray is the base model mini, and the starting price was $23,990 driveaway with the 6 speed manual and no extras. However the accessories pack they were offering was the Vanity Pack, which was $28,990 driveaway including bluetooth handsfree, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights and leather steering wheel. I needed all the bluetooth handsfree and cruise control for work so I went with the vanity pack; but after the phone tennis I ended up paying $24,000 driveaway with the vanity pack from the dealer that came out on top.



What attracted me to the Mini in particular was that over a four year period, if financing the car, you were able to go for a deal called the MINI FLEX, which was a guaranteed trade-in value of over $11k after four years, and repayments were made through BMW finance (MINI parent company) at 7.4%. So it was all very attractive from that point, with the interest rate lower than banks as well as a guaranteed trade in value.


The Mini Ray however has less power than the Mini Cooper (Ray 72kW or Cooper 98kW) but I managed to squeeze the dealer mechanics number out of the young and not very mechanically minded saleswomans head, and gave the guy a call and asked him what the difference between a Mini Ray or a Mini Cooper was, and the only difference between the petrol engines was the software used in the car; which he is able to upgrade the Ray software to the Cooper software without voiding the warranty (a lot of people going for a Ray and upgrading the software for a cut price cooper methinks!)


Car also came with a 3 year unlimited km warranty, and run flat tyres. So I thought I would share all this info with you guys. I compared and test drove the following:

Suzuki Swift
Ford Fiesta
Fiat 500
Volvo C40

the Mini in terms of how you feel driving it compared to everything else, well everything else felt like a whitegoods car. the mini is no testosterone machine by any means (I have my Tickford Fairmont for that) but it sure is a very unique car.

[chloelola]

PS. We are in Brisbane but are considering both Brisbane and GC dealers!

Originally Posted by chloelola

Hi Stagg,

My partner and I are looking to buy a Black Mini Ray with the Vanity pack and we have really appreciated the extra photos and information on the car. We have been to a few dealers but they are all VERY hesitant to get below the 26.5k mark; obviously we are not sales people and our negotiation skills aren't as good (very jealous!). We are not financing the car if that makes any difference.

We would love to know if you have any tips on getting a lower price, and also, how you are liking the Ray? If you have any other advice it would be GREATLY appreciated and we would love to compensate you in any way possible

Thanks,!
Chloelola x

Originally Posted by Stagg

Bit slow with starting a new thread on it, but here goes

Since moving to Gold Coast from Melbourne, I couldn't any longer ride a motorbike as a daily; drivers were much worse, there wasn't traffic nearly as dense, and on the coast it doesn't look kindly to parking your motorbike on the footpath (which is all the rage in Melbourne). So I had to get a car.

I decided on getting a brand new car to use as a work car; and it has to be something small, but also had to at least have some sort of personality and be different and not just feel like a crappy whitegoods daily hatchback.

Pretty much a no brainer for me, I got a brand new Mini Ray:





I'll post some more in-depth photos when the sun is shining tomorrow


I was a little cheeky about how I was going to buy the car though, but being a salesperson myself, I knew how they were going to operate and so I went to two mini dealers, and took the same car for test drives at both dealers. I got written quotes from both dealers, and said I would be going with what dealer would give me the best deal on a mini. Many a game of phone tennis was played, I counted 66 calls in 72 hours between the dealers, their managers, their finance managers, and even their previous customers. The Mini Ray is the base model mini, and the starting price was $23,990 driveaway with the 6 speed manual and no extras. However the accessories pack they were offering was the Vanity Pack, which was $28,990 driveaway including bluetooth handsfree, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights and leather steering wheel. I needed all the bluetooth handsfree and cruise control for work so I went with the vanity pack; but after the phone tennis I ended up paying $24,000 driveaway with the vanity pack from the dealer that came out on top.



What attracted me to the Mini in particular was that over a four year period, if financing the car, you were able to go for a deal called the MINI FLEX, which was a guaranteed trade-in value of over $11k after four years, and repayments were made through BMW finance (MINI parent company) at 7.4%. So it was all very attractive from that point, with the interest rate lower than banks as well as a guaranteed trade in value.


The Mini Ray however has less power than the Mini Cooper (Ray 72kW or Cooper 98kW) but I managed to squeeze the dealer mechanics number out of the young and not very mechanically minded saleswomans head, and gave the guy a call and asked him what the difference between a Mini Ray or a Mini Cooper was, and the only difference between the petrol engines was the software used in the car; which he is able to upgrade the Ray software to the Cooper software without voiding the warranty (a lot of people going for a Ray and upgrading the software for a cut price cooper methinks!)


Car also came with a 3 year unlimited km warranty, and run flat tyres. So I thought I would share all this info with you guys. I compared and test drove the following:

Suzuki Swift
Ford Fiesta
Fiat 500
Volvo C40

the Mini in terms of how you feel driving it compared to everything else, well everything else felt like a whitegoods car. the mini is no testosterone machine by any means (I have my Tickford Fairmont for that) but it sure is a very unique car.

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by chloelola

Hi Stagg,

My partner and I are looking to buy a Black Mini Ray with the Vanity pack and we have really appreciated the extra photos and information on the car. We have been to a few dealers but they are all VERY hesitant to get below the 26.5k mark; obviously we are not sales people and our negotiation skills aren't as good (very jealous!). We are not financing the car if that makes any difference.

We would love to know if you have any tips on getting a lower price, and also, how you are liking the Ray? If you have any other advice it would be GREATLY appreciated and we would love to compensate you in any way possible

Thanks,!
Chloelola x

In terms of negotiation skills I just convinced the two dealers before I put any money down, that I was a genuine buyer (which I was and you guys would be as well); just tell them the car you want, what date you want it by, asking them 'hinting questions, like "How soon can we have our mini delivered?" or ""When do we get to drive our new mini home?", because those sorts of questions show the salesperson that you are a genuine customer instead of a tyre kicker.


Comparing the mini to my AU is very different though, I mean the mini is a daily car; meaning it has all of the on board little features like handsfree bluetooth, automatic adaptive headlights, automatic wipers and all that... but it's a DAILY car, it has nimble handling but there is very little power, hence I want to look at getting it a flash tune, because the mini ray has the same motor as the mini cooper but is tuned down over 20kW.

Whereas the AU weekend drive is a raw, powerful, low, fire breathing track car compared to the mini :P getting the mini ray as a daily is ok if you're ok driving something not as exciting as a V8 every day! If I was after an exciting mini I would have gone for the John Cooper Works mini

[zilo]

Minis are too "mini" for my liking.

Not enough metal around the occupants, be careful in your driving style is my advice.

[mcnews]

Ancap 5 safety level.... Partner got rear ended by a Nissan soft roader thingo week before last in our Cooper S, Cooper drove away with a few dings in the bumper, Nissan left by side of road with front crumpled in and radiator peeing water everywhere... Think BMW know a little about safety.