Service is always going to be a trap shoot!! No matter what you buy.

A Mini over a Xfire... I can't seem to make that connection.

A 350/GS would probably be a nice trade.

 

The Mini dealer in Cincinnati have been GREAT !!! A good hours drive from Lexington and I don't dread it at all... they have always given a Mini or BMW loaner no questions asked, and i didn't even by the car from them.. My wife would buy another Mini just for the service and so would I... I haven't had the honors to go to my chrysler dealer just YET, as i have only had the car for a month.

 

Drive one. Make sure it's a 2007 mini-cooper "S" 6 speed
Then I'll explain.

Carl

 

Gotta love this forum. Even those who have "defected" and got rid of their Xfires, can't seem to let the forum go! LOL

To that I say, "WELCOME errr...back???" This forum has all kinds of CAR PEOPLE, young, middle aged and born again oldsters. Gus, gals and CAR PEOPLE from around the world.

The one thing that does seem to irritate the Xfire purists is when a "defector" starts bad mouthing our babies. Just like with our families, we can complain about them, but don't you say something bad!

Bottom line is when you purchase a ride, sometimes you get a peach and sometimes a lemon. Dealers are no different. I personally have had very good luck with my local dealer over the last 10 years. I have had 3 different Chrysler vehicles during that time. Any issue that came up was corrected (sometimes it took more than one visit) and sometimes I had to tell them repeatedly what was wrong. But I have to say overall they have been the best of all the dealers I have dealt with. Over the years I have bought over 20 new cars both import and domestic. I have had my share of peaches and unfortunately lemons. Not always the car, often it was the dealer.

My previous car I traded in on my SRT6 was a BMW Z4. In the 1 1/2 years I had it I have to say I was not impressed with the service I got from a "top rated" dealer. Oh sure, there was free coffee, donuts, juices, soft drinks and water. The waiting area had a nice Plasma display to watch while they worked on the car. But the service was not as good as I get at my Chrysler dealer. Their hours were short and rigid (closed at 6 PM) and Mon-Fri only. In contrast, my Chrysler dealer's service dept is open 7 days a week and til midnight Mon-Fri (no appointment needed). With my Z4 I always had to wait for parts when I needed them and worse of all everything was done by appointment. Unless the car was broken and couldn't be driven, you had to have an appointment, sometimes a week or more later. Never once was I offered a loaner and more than once I had to point out that they were overcharging me (not for service, that was free, but accessories and a new run flat tire...that's another story).

Does this mean all BMW dealerships are bad? Absolutely not, but making blanket statements about ALL cars and dealers is certainly not correct either.

I agree sometimes there is some sniping that goes on amongst members, but the fact is we all love cars. As individuals, some more than others.

Long live the Crossfire Forum!!!

 

Ben where did you come up with Rolex gold calipers? Let me know please, Rig ay nrawe@fuse.net

 

The Mini is a chick car!! Just kidding, I would like to ADD one to my stable. Enjoy!

 

I sold my 2003 MINI Cooper S for the Crossfire. I kept the MINI four years, which is a record for me as I usually get rid of a car after a year or two. The MINI is fun to drive and fun to personalized. My car had all the classic MINI quirks - which meant that it spent three days at the dealer before they returned it with the "they all do that" diagnose. I just waited for the TSB to be released, and took it back to be repaired. Sure, I got a loaner and the dealership was fancy, but I was concerned about the reliability and the expense once the warranty was over. I also enjoyed being somewhat elite in owning a MINI as there were not many available at the time and there was even a waiting period for the "S" model. Now they are almost a dime-a-dozen and you can not pass a car lot without at least one sitting there for sale. I located a "new" SRT-6 and found myself in the "elite" class again - plus it is a blast to drive. I do thank MINI for it's high resale value, but I think that's going to drop out as well. I realize that the Chrysler resale values are horrible, and the service may not be great. But you must weigh those facts with the fact that this is one car that is tremendously different from the rest of the mainstream cars on the road today - and nothing else can be mistaken for it. If you are worried about service or reliablility - buy a Honda.

 

I love minis BUT i would have to drive almost 2 hours to a dealer.....LOL and if its anything like any of my BMWs, they can keep it

 

Traded in a Mini for my xfire...best thing I have ever done! Unless you have an "S" with manual forget about acceleration
Foot to the floor and with the air on it was hilarious. The xfire is just a blast to drive!!!!