MotoringFile Most liked posts in thread: Why Are MINI USA Sales Are Dropping?

Again the folks at MotoringFile ignore the 800lb gorilla sitting at the table. That gorilla is trying to say that MINI has pretty much lost it's uniqueness. It's now a slightly downmarket BMW but with the maintenance and running costs of the big brother.

Then there is the styling...need we say more about this, it's been covered again and again.

 

You nailed it Nathan. I think that MINI's are still unique, but in a bad way. The first 2 gen's at least look and feel similar. This new thing is a completely different car, and it rides like a small 4 sedan, feels like one when you're in it as well. Not that it's a bad thing, but you buy a sports car for a sports car feel not comfort. You would think that if someone was looking for a more comfortable car they'd just look elsewhere and that's ok, but BMW decided it wanted to get the folks looking elsewhere instead of looking at current owners. Alienating the base is what MINI is doing and they're now paying for it. The only good thing about the F56 is the motor... And that's not saying alot...
Instead of trading an older MINI for a new fresh/better version folks are keeping/buying the older gens. I'd like if they would of kept the same design from Gen1, much like the classic MINI's. They were produced up to 2000 (I think) and they've remained basically unchanged since the beginning. You'd think the classic Mini trend would transfer to the BMW MINI's but no. They're trying to re-invent the wheel when it was perfect to begin with. Keep making your bigger models to get more sales, who cares, but keep the Cooper a Cooper.

 

Follow the $$.
When a question us asked....you must follow the $$.
Motoring file unfortunately lost it ability to be impartial...
Rather than limit the influence of BMW/MINI, the owner went all in with starting "bimmer-file"...yup...so he is "all in 2x"...
And I don't think "scooter-file" is exactly paying the bills...make me think of sites like folks review items they use or have a hobby...but on a more focused scale.
So we know
1-motoringfile is NOT impartial :crazy:
2- even the Guys on the podcast "WhiteRoofradio" have finely seen the light and see what's going on...
3- BMW is turning MINI into a feeder brand for BMW, NOT a distinct brand or car, maybe it is a $$ reality due to scale...who knows, but just the fact it has happened says volumes.:frown2:
4-The marketing has pretty much moved on from the REASONS why we like MINI...they have all but abandoned much of the market they once had, and are going after a different buyer...sure, there is a $40,000 MINI that pays hommage to the sporty mini of old, but really?! $40,000+?!:eek6:
5- MINI has moved on...they don't want us...:mad2:
maybe it's time for us as older owners to stop weeping like a man who got dumped by an ex girlfriend, and move on...find the next love.:idea:

I keep looking at gen3 cars, trying to make it "my future" car, but can't do it...not at the $$ vs performance vs usability vs reliability vs douchebagy-ness of where they are going....
Let's face it we drove MINI's INSPITE of what people said and thought about them.....now MINI wants folks to buy them BECAUSE of what is said...they are so over-doing the premium thing IMO that they are cheapening it....

 

Perfectly said. When it comes time to replace Bitsy Mae I'd like to think I can get a new MINI, but they'll need to bring it back to a Gen 1 or 2 likeness(you know, a SPORTS CAR) in order to get me in the dealership.

 

While I agree that the F56 has lost it's way, let's be realistic, our cars are hot or sporting hatches, they are not true sports cars. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

I'm just going to through this out there (with no real supporting facts):

With the increase in sales worldwide, maybe BMW is completely fine with the decrease in sales in the US. It is a niche vehicle here and it seems it would be less profitable to build it in England and ship it over here than it would be to just sell more in Europe. Hypothetical question time....would you buy something closer in design to the R53 if it was built out of the Spartanburg plant here in the states?

 

MF had extra "ARE" today.... Appeared first on MF....

WHY ARE MINI USA SALES ARE DROPPING?

ARE... ARE... ARE.....

 

That's very evident with the latest model. I'd agree if you said they're not a race car. They're definitely a sports car. Considering the racing heritage behind a Mini it's kind of an insult to the Mini/MINI name to say they're not a sports car. Just because they're not a 500hp fully caged mid engine car doesn't make them any less a sports car than the big boys, they're just a different class of sports car. Sh&% if I can annihilate a "true sports car" from the 90's on a circuit track with a stock MINI Cooper S I'd say they qualify.

 

Sure would

 

Warning an old fart's thoughts......

I wanted to buy a new MINI when I decided to sell mine & buy a car with an automatic due to a bum knee. Trouble was for me there was no MINI to buy. Drove one & thought meh. Looking at it was a shock to me, what the fark had they done? The shock value of the styling has gone away, but I still can't see owning one.

My solution was to buy a GTI, not everyone's cup o tea but it works for me. I've come to enjoy it quite a bit. Maybe as much as my old MINI & a whole lot more than what is sold as a mini today.

I'm only one sale lost for mini, but I'm sure there are very many more who would have bought a new MINI had one been available.

 

MINI sales are falling because:

Cost to buy - Cost is way too much.
Recalls- build quality sucks.
Reliability - See above and read some car reviews done by the non-BMW paid press groups.
*Like it or not people trust Consumer reports, Edmunds and Kelly Bluebook.

^ Those are the three main reasons MINI sales are dropping as the honeymoon has been over for MINI in the US Market for the past few years.

Additional Reasons:
MINI's are not special, cool and "cute" anymore and they have become huge. (FACT)
Since BMW bought JCW it has become nothing more then a sticker package with a tiny power increase. (FACT)

New MINI cars have no soul and they are not "special or unique" anymore.
*If you want a car that rides nice, is quite inside, gets great gas mileage, is somewhat cheap in todays market, and is very reliable buy a Honda Civic.
*They also have all the stupid tech and most importantly HOLD VALUE. A Honda will run forever!

Last but not least the fact that the new MINI cars look like MINI's version of a AMC Pacer. <-- yup they are that ugly. (FACT) :lol:

 

Summing up:

1. Expensive

2. Unreliable and expensive to fix

3. Not attractive

4. Not as much fun to drive - more sedan like

That it?

OK, forward that on to MINI World headquarters and let's see what they say.

I have a feeling their responses would be:

1. We deliberately have moved the brand upmarket, there's not enough profit to maintain the brand at the introductory pricepoints.

2. We've taken care of that by using the BMW engines (but - have they really fixed it? The number of new 2.0 engines being replaced early on might suggest otherwise) Quality is the best it's every been. As to cost of repairs, all cars are expensive to repair today.

3. Styling is subjective, this is what we came up with that meets all the requirements imposed on us by governments around the world. We like it.

4. These are the best driving MINIs we've ever built and we have the numbers to prove it, just because you don't think so doesn't make it true. Besides, we're selling boatloads of them everywhere else, so what do you know? Neener neener neener.......

 

This is also why you are all idiots and design ugly cars and they don't sell in the US Market.

Please do us a favor and pull out of the US Market. :lol::lol::lol: Wrong finger but you get the idea. -->

 

Two thumbs up for the 3 Gen MINI design..... What's not to like...

I can't wait to start on the 4 Gen MINI.....



Whoops....

 

I cant speak for anyone else, but I've owned a few new bmw's and minis

I am tired of the class action lawsuits to get them to fix things that should have been recalled, I will not buy another new one period.

I just picked up another R53 JCW and I'm sticking with the r53 until something more FUN comes out, ford is really close!

 

The absolute root of the issue, value given for money spent - true of all new cars IMHO including the new Fords.

No question these new cars are the absolute best engineered stuff every built but so what - if you can't make the payments and the insurance is too high it will be a tough sale.

Frankly, there isn't one car sold today that I would plunk down new car money for - not one.

They wonder why Millennials don't buy new cars - they can't afford them on a barrista's income! Eventually car ownership simply ceases to be an aspirational goal, not just because of the cost but also because there are alternatives - ride share, rentals, mass transit. And who wants the trouble and expense of owning, maintaining, fueling etc an expensive car when you can call Uber and get a cheap ride to your best friend's Mom's basement?

 

Yep Nathan nailed it!

All the new 3rd Gen MINIs just don't look right, the price is too high for what you get, and they are putting too much focus on tech features instead of driving features. Granted it's a nice upscale small car with a solid enthusiast following, (If you don't mind the new look and bloatedness) but when you can snag a real BMW for an extra $70 a month, staying with the brand doesn't make sense.

Kinda like me... Trade in a 1 1/2 year old R60 (payed $30K and only got $20K on trade in) for a 3 year old 135is and have a lower payment and lower insurance on a car that beats the MINI hands down in every way except winter driving.


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Four nice snow tires & a BMW will do fine in the snow. :yesnod: