MotoringFile Spotlight: Kurt Collins

Sections: Uncategorized Aug 2nd, 2004 47 Comments

For this August's MotoringFile Spotlight we've got something really special. Kurt Collins gives us not only details of his new 2005 MCS but also the full story behind the other three MINIs he's owned:

Some history on my MINI ownership Ã¢â‚¬â€œ My 2005 MCS is my fourth MINI. Ã‚Â I’ve been a MINI goonhead since back in 2000 when Autoweek had a small blurb about the MINI Cooper coming to the US. At the time I didn’t know what type of car we were getting, but based on the spy-shots, I knew I had to have this car. Ã‚Â

My first MINI Cooper S was a pre-spec 2002 EB/White equipped only with the sport package. No sunroof. Like everyone that got an early build ’02 MINI, I suffered the indignities of squeaky seats, 1st generation weird seat releases, cold start problems, leaking coolant expansion tank, and a noisy rear hatch. Regardless, I loved the car Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and was incredulous about the handling even though the sports suspension with the 17′s was a bit harsh for the environs of Washington DC. The only thing I really wished I’d been able to spec in the car was a sunroof. So I sold it for close to what I paid for it new and bought a 2002 MINI Cooper S DS/White. Ã‚Â

This car was plagued with even more early build problems even though it built in August of 2002 as a very late 2002 model. Cold start problem was gone, however I went through three coolant expansion tanks Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the last one rupturing and sounding similar to a rocket impacting the car. The rear hatch latch failed within three days of ownership, seats squeaked, the sunroof rattled. In the dead of winter, the ECU failed at 6000 miles while on a business trip to Rochester Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the car had to be towed to Buffalo NY, nearly 90 miles away. Ã‚Â

After approximately 20,000 miles, the car was traded for Subaru WRX STi. I missed the MINI and decided to purchase a MINI Cooper (non-S) for my business use. Only options on this car were H/K and chrome. Even though I was then driving a Cooper I noticed a substantial increase in build quality Ã¢â‚¬â€œ no rattles, squeaks odd behavior Ã¢â‚¬â€œ everything worked as planned. I’ve put 6,000 miles on this car with no problems thus far.Ã‚Â

Flash forward to my 2005 MINI Cooper S Ã¢â‚¬â€œ I moved from Northern Virginia to Washington DC Ã¢â‚¬â€œ problem I have only one parking spot in the new condo I’ve bought Ã¢â‚¬â€œ so I decided to sell both cars (the 2004 MINI and the 2004 WRX STi) rather than pay 6 percent tax on both and have to worry about parking for a second car. I decided to spec (for the first time) a car exactly to my liking Ã¢â‚¬â€œ my spec for the ’05 is as follows Ã¢â‚¬â€œ CR/Blk MCS, with half leather/cloth, option packages, Premium, Sport and Cold. I was a little worried going with the anthracite headliner, body color interior panels and chrome accents sight unseen Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the international MINI site only had one picture of a Cooper with the half leather/cloth seats. Thankfully I think I’ve chosen wisely as I was floored when I saw the car rolled off the truck. I saw a liquid yellow Mini Cooper S with the interior body color panels but without the chrome interior package. It looked like a VW New Beetle. You can decide if that is good or bad. My advice, if you’re kitting out the car with the interior body panels, make sure you check off the chrome interior package (and the anthracite headliner for the next month). Some interior styling and ergonomic goofs I’ve noticed with the 2005 models Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the chrono package is ugly.

So what’s different and improved and what will motivate an ’02 buyer to upgrade to an ’05? Well besides the improved MINI bling bling on the inside, the improved drive-train stands out as being most significant. Before my ’05 MCS, what boggled my mind is that from a stoplight a stock 02-04 MINI Cooper can actually outrun a stock ’02-04 MINI Cooper S to about 40 mph. My second ’02 MCS had a 15 percent reduction pulley and a Borla exhaust Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it was making 180 hp at the crank Ã¢â‚¬â€œ this car feels BETTER than that car felt on a good day. Two things are most likely happening here Ã¢â‚¬â€œ lower gearing, and a revised supercharger. With a stock 02-04 MINI Cooper S, you’d have to rev the car to 4,000 rpms to get your 164 hp. Now, at 3,000 the 170 hp are readily available. Also, the dreaded flat spot that is especially pronounced when you start out (especially with the A/C on) is almost non-existent! Bad news, these changes have had an impact on gas mileage ratings for the MCS Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 25 MPG City and 32 MPG Highway Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 2004 models got 34 MPG Highway. I am noticing some part throttle issues at 3,200 when cruising and you decelerate quickly Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a little stumble. I’m hoping this is only a break-in issue and the ECU gets more comfortable with my foot.

Build quality inside the car is on par if not better than a BMW 3 series. I’ve driven my ’05 about 500 miles and I’ve noticed the ride quality is greatly improved over the ’02 models. Nothing is leaking out of my coolant expansion tank, no cold start problems, no weird rattles, no hatch problems, no recalcitrant seats – nothing. My XM direct box works as it did with the ’04 MINI Cooper Ã¢â‚¬â€œ meaning the satellite input is still intact, they’ve only added a bigger knob for you to turn the volume up and MP3′s now play on the head unit. I’m not sure if the Sirius satellite antenna is embedded with the radio. Ã‚Â
I was planning on equipping the car with a JCW kit when it comes out in September 2004 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ after driving this car this weekend I’m not so sure I want to invest $6000 to purchase the kit and have it installed by the dealer. Ã‚Â I’ll be curious to see what happens when someone puts a pulley on an 05 model and is able to dyno some results.Ã‚Â

Keep motoring all…

Written By: MF Staff

minivt

Thanks for the details… CR/B with the black bonnet stripes looks amazing… especially like it w/ the black/red cloth seating. Hope my DS/B w/ black stripes looks as nice.
http://fedward.org fedward

I'm curious about how you like the sport suspension with 17″ wheels now that you live in the District, instead of NoVA where the roads are somewhat better.

I'm still waiting on my job situation to settle before I order my MCS but the 17″ wheels (I don't want) and the DSC (I don't need) are keeping me away from the sport package. The streets in Columbia Heights still need a lot of help.

How's your experience been with Tate? Where do you go for service? And the rhetorical question of the day is, if the MINI is such a city car, why is the nearest dealer to DC still 25 miles away? Grrr.
JonW

I'd been waiting for someone to confirm/deny that XMDirect works with the '05s. Very glad it does. Now I'll have to stretch out the credit card again for my MCS that should be here this week!
GSKChicago

OUTSTANDING report. Now I finally know what the seats I ordered look like! I had an idea, but now I see. Phenomenal. My '05 MCS is on the ship right now and should be here sooooooon. :o)

Gabe, you rock for having this site and everyone that contributes rocks too! :o)

G.
Kurt Collins

Commuting from Cap Hill to 16th and U this morning on Florida Ave., definitely not as plush as the 2004 MINI Cooper with 15″ non-run flats – but not unbearable. I'll be fine.

As far as my dealer – Tate is 25 mins from my home in Capitol Hill – they're a smaller shop and definitely more laid back. I had a mixed service experience with Sterling – they seemed pretty uninterested in fixing problems if they couldn't be solved quickly or easily. My sunroof rattle and a lazy xenon (only came on 75 percent of time) never were fixed before I traded in the car.
diamondrg

Beautiful! You may have changed my mind from Hyper Blue to Chili Red with the Red/Black interior. Is the rear seat all red or two-tone like the front seats? Thanks, Randy
ChrisW

Kurt, very sweet-looking ride. I think I may have to reconsider my choice of dark silver for my new convertible. The red looks quite tasty (plus extra $$$ in my pocket to forego the metallic paint). The red interior panels look killer as well.

I got my first look at the convertible over the weekend. I still must have one, but I was a little disappointed with a few details. The hinges on the boot not only look tacky, but they aren't even metal! They're covered with cheap-feeling plastic caps. Weak. And the plastic shells covering the side mirrors felt as though they could blow off in a stiff wind. Also, on initial impressions I'd disagree on the comparison to 3-series interior quality. The switches had a bit of a cheap feel to me (primarily the control stalks on the steering column). Nothing (to me) like the rock-solid, always-satisfying feel of the 3-series and up. Or even of my current Passat. Much better than my old Miata though.

Nonetheless, despite my minor gripes, you can't find a 4-seat convertible to match its looks/performance/quality/fun for under $30k. So the car is a no-brainer for me. '00 Passat + '94 Miata = '05 MCS Convertible. I can't wait.

And unless I read the brochure wrong, I'm bummed that you can't get the black/red leather/cloth seats in the S convertible. I'm hoping I'm wrong, and would be happily corrected. Please, please, someone correct me. :)

P.S. Post more pics!
Robert

Wow…awesome color combo with your car Kurt…after seeing the chrome interior I wish I would have ordered it on my MCS but I will definatley install it myself! A question about the XMDirect….what is that? How does it work? I was going to get a Roady 2 when my MCS arrives. Thanks for all your input and comments!!
Joe Santoyo

A beautiful CR/Blk MCS, you have Kurt. For a slightly different take on an '04 CR/Blk MCS w/JCW, take a look at the portfolio of pics available at http://www.allminitrackday.com — Click on “Cars of The Month” then click through to “March.” Scroll down past all the verbiage – a portfolio of very large photos will appear.
Kurt Collins

XM Direct is the way to go – it's easy to install – see http://www.xmfanstore.com/showproduct.php?id=xmdirect – it gives full details on the product. It's basically an XM receiver (manufactured by XM) and a Blitzsafe adapter that interfaces with the satellite input on the head unit. It utilizes all existing inputs where you would normally plug in a cd-changer – nothing to splice into.

One downside – the satellite input displays on your head unit are truncated to 11 characters. Otherwise works just like Sirius. For 2005 – my XM direct mini antenna didn't fit on the roof so I've got it sitting loose on my parcel shelf until I can take it to an audio shop to have them snake the satellite antenna from the rear of the car to the front dash.
SWhittington

Thanks for the photo of the red/black interior. I ordered sight unseen and had my fingers crossed it would look this good.

My MCS was put on the boat last Friday or Saturday. I can't wait.

I promise to post photos of the interior with red/blk, chrono, chrome interior pkg. and standard headliner/ dash/door trim.

Stan
ChrisW

Question: if taking a chance on a bold interior panel choice, is this easily changed later? The red panels look very nice, but if you happen to tire of it after awhile, is it easy/affordable to replace those panels?

My motto: be daring, but with a backup plan! :)
http://fedward.org fedward

Hmm … 16th and U. Where do you hide your spare key, and don't look at me if it's missing this afternoon. ;-)

I made a visit to Tate when I was taking care of some loose ends in Annapolis (used to work out there; still haven't gotten paid for something) and they seemed nice, but the waiting list for the Convertible (until recently what I thought I wanted) was long so I've been calling around. I talked to the MA for about an hour, but it was also a slow day that turned rainy when we got back from my test drive of a hardtop MCS, so it wasn't like he was in a hurry to do, well, anything. The test drive was fun, too. My del Sol VTEC has 160hp like the MCS, but it doesn't handle like one.

I'd heard bad things about Sterling BMW from people who own Bimmers, and what you say about their unwillingness to try very hard corroborates with what I've read elsewhere. Plus when I called them about the Convertible they said they were only going to sell them with their own specs and dealer options including a LoJack I don't want to pay for, so I'm not too interested in them. Sad, 'cause my best job lead is out in Reston.

The MA I got on the phone at Crown MINI (in Richmond) was really nice on the phone, but I'm wary of buying the car out there if service from dealers who didn't get the sale suffers. Richmond's too far to go for regular service.
David

Hi Kurt, I also live in DC, Hillcrest, but I work in McLean, VA. I was planning on ordering my JCW MCS by the end of the year and wasn't sure if I should give my business to Tate or Sterling. I had a feeling that Sterling would be more prudish about service. They are, after all, the only choice for all those I-66/395 commuters (Richmond and Towson are too far), so they can act however they want. How is Tate with loaner cars when you go in for service? Thanks for making the decision to go with Tate a bit easier.
minivt

fedward, I am unsure how other dealers handle service on cars they did not sell… but I have been dealing with Kelly at Crown MINI in Richmond. She has been great and I have always had nothing but good experiences there.
Deborah

Kurt — That dash is incredible. I wonder if it could be retrofitted into my 2002 MCS? It's shiny… : ) Thanks for the write-up!

All you DC folks (I'm in Germantown), are you in DC Metro Minis? Just curious if I've actually met you and don't know your screen names.
RB

Nice, thanx for sharing.

Interesting that your '02 troubles mirrored my '02 MCS, almost to the item. Your comment about the flat spot, “is almost non-existent!”, 0n this MINI's latest offering, troubles me. Mine is still plagued with that.

To each his own but…I think the control stalks are very cool, the chrome package a little too Chrysler-ish and never liked the MINI stripe package, but that being said that is one of the things that is so much fun about theses cars…CHOICES.

To ease up the ride with the 17″ run flats I changed to the Dunlop SP 9000 VR, not super sticky but a big ride comfort change, and great in bad weather, Tire Rack. After 12,000 miles very minor wear…CAIO, ROBERTO
http://fedward.org fedward

Deborah -

I've only been considering this motoring adventure since my car became maybe-maybe-not totaled in May (it's still in legal limbo). I'll most likely join the DC Metro Minis once I've actually got one in my grimy little hands. Depending on how the job hunt and my finances work out, I might wait until the January build so I can get the new limited-slip differential.

RB -

I had Dunlops on a car once. I hydroplaned on the highway (going in a straight line) and totaled it. I then had our family mechanic tell me, “oh yeah, Dunlops are terrible in the wet.” It's only anecdotal evidence, but since it's my personal anecdote it's good enough for me.
elmor fudwel

Super looking car Kurt. Have fun with it.

As an aside and a little off topic. Global in Atlanta seems to be tanking. I'm starting to wonder about their service only if the car was purchased there. Their attention to a warranty issue on my car has lapsed and is disturbing.

I had mentioned previously that I thought things were turning around….not so sure now. Dillon had mentioned about checking out Hank Aaron. Looks like I'll be going there sooner than later. Steams me about Global though. A warranty is a warranty.
RB

Fedward…

I can only speak from my experience with my Dunlops as they have been only positive.

I recently drove from LA to my sister's house in Los Gatos, Ca in under 5 hours in driving rain at speeds up to 125mph on CA's Intersate 5. I did the last part on HWY 17 in very wet conditions and passed most. HWY 17 is very very winding piece of road.

The Dunlops, I choose, were an all season tires not just, I love general statements like, “I had Dunlops on a car once.” and, “oh yeah, Dunlops are terrible in the wet.” All Dunlops? Maybe some better tire choices would help that “hydroplanning” thingy you have going on and a Bob Bondurant weekend.

Just kidding, I love those type “STORIES”…RB
Sean

It looks Incredible! Your car and the 05 MY are getting my mind turning now that my 330Ci is gone. =)
Randolph Lee

Fedward: I have the Dunlop 17″ 9000s on my MCS and I consider the best wet weather tire I have ever used… amazing grip even in monsoon conditions…. saying “oh yeah, Dunlops are terrible in the wet.” is just nuts with vast number of tread paterns tread compounds and carcass designs that they sell. What I like about the 9000 is that it is a good solid performance tire in the dry with cood wear life as well as being a fine rain tire… but I fully expect that other tires/tread designs from Dunlop will not bea sa good…. every tire is a compromise… and no one design can be best at everything…. there are other tire that are better performance track day designs… but they give up tread life and wet weather performance… esp if the tread has been shaved to get better dry performance…

Cheers ~R
http://fedward.org fedward

Great, now I've started a tire flamewar. I didn't find my mechanic's statement particularly helpful either, but all I meant from my earlier comment was that I won't be buying Dunlop tires, ever. I don't remember specifically which model they were, but one spin at 65 miles an hour is good enough for me, thanks.

Anyway, even Michael Schumacher sometimes loses control of his car in the wet, and he's got access to much better tires than I have:

“As for my accident, I was aquaplaning and in that situation, you are just a passenger in the car.”

http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/happenings/2003/april/brazil_gp/report.asp
Frank

Just 10 months ago, I remember the excitment surrounding the launch of the 2004 model year… Man time flies!

Anyway after 11K miles I am still very happy with my '04 MCS. The car has been absolutely troublefree and build solid like a bank vault. Power delivery (Car is still stock @ 163hp) is EXCELLENT and disagree with certain comments suggesting that pre-2005 MCS' are snails or unresponsive because they are not.

The 2005's are indeed very tempting from many points of view and given MINI's sensational resale value trading up should not be much of a brainer…However, having said that, looking at the big picture I really enjoy my '04 MCS as delivered from the factory and while a 2005 is a very tempting suggestion, I think I'll wait for the R56 generation coming to a MINI dealer near you in about 24 months…
RB

Randolph Lee…

Spot On!

Fedward…

No tire wars just commenting on your comment.

But do you think Schumy would get rid of his bridgestones after “losing control?”

I have aquaplaned but I have never blamed it on the tires. It's usually, DRIVER ERROR. Driving past the tire or your , meaning anybody, capabilities or the conditions at hand that cause “loss of control.”

I don't care if you buy Dunlops or Uncle Billy Bob's Hoops for the Masses…RB
http://www.peopleshow.com wen

Quick Question: Are the new Xeons brighter than the 03' Xeons?
Scott Markle

Thanks very much for sharing Kurt! I have a 2005 CR MCS cab on order… I ordered the red interior panels and interior chrome, but I was worried the red and black seats would be too much red. Now that I see them on yours, I'm rethinking my decision and wondering if it's too late to change my order. Is there any way you could post or send me pics of the back seats? One of my concerns is that in Euro pics I saw, the back seat was almost entirely red (not the mostly black you see on the front). Is yours the same way? Thanks!
Kurt Collins

See pics at http://homepage.mac.com/kdcollins/PhotoAlbum21.html – they're mostly red in the back.
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

BTW – congrats Kurt… you have the most popular Spotlight yet!
allan MICHAEL

Thanks Kurt. and thanks Gabe for posting this.

So glad the power and power delivery is more than the 02-04. That is the whole reason i didnt take delivery of my ordered 04.

Kurt .. i simply beg to differ.. 1. the chrono package looks awesome. (good to get that speedo away from the bride :] ) 2. I think chrome is excessive if you are trying to anthricite the interior out.

glad to see a JCW is not necesary ,,,, maybe a 15% pulley isnt either ( at least not under warranty :] )

thanks again, guys allan PS my 05 MCS is on its way to port –cant wait!!!!!
Peter Maag

Kurt, Great writeup! Makes me even more excited to get my 05 here.

Allan, I also ordered the Crono package without seeing it in person. I hope it looks as good as you think it will!

Peter
GSKChicago

I'm curious if anyone that has/had an '04 or earlier MCS that has just taken delivery of an '05 can report as to the increase in HP (and subsequently, the increase in acceleration, etc.) on the '05 MCS's? I know it isn't a huge jump, but with BMW engineering, 7 HP can do an awful lot. Probably not the most accurate thread to send this inquiry to, but it's the best matching of the recent threads. :o) Thanks!
GSKChicago

Kurt-

Now that you've taken possession of your '05 MCS (thanks for all the pics and info posted BTW), I was wondering if I could bother you with a quick question I am curious about.

Since you have had previous model year MCS's, have you noticed a noticeable difference in the increased HP in relation to acceleration from 0-60 or any other speeds in general?

While 7 HP is not a ton of a bump, with BMW engineering, that 7 HP can be quite a bump from past BMW experiences (most recently driving a 330Ci with 225 HP vs. the Infiniti G35 Coupe with 280 HP and the Bimmer was much quicker).

So curious if you have any input.

Thanks very much for allowing the intrusion into your life. :o)

G.
Kurt(h) Colins

The engine does seem a bit sprightlier – I would imagine that if one pushed the MCS hard enough you could get a 0-60 time of 6.5 secs – the auto rags will most likely have that out for us soon. Also, since you don't have to rev the car as hard to get to max torque the car does feel like it has bigger cajones.
J.M.

Kurt,

Where in the Northern VA/DC area did you get your work done on your '02 MCS with the Borla Exhaust and pulley?
http://www.YachtsOfAnnapolis.com Tom Hamel

Kurt, thank you for the article and all the others who sent in the comments, you can feel the passion for owning, and wanting a Mini. First I got say thanks to Ben & Scott at TATE Mini for putting up with me and my 16 old son. We live 3 miles aways these guys have let me drive EVERYTHING on the lot and ask every question. I ordered a 2004 Cooper with an automatic with every option my son could find in the book. ( Leave kids at home next ) The order got in too late and we re-ordered a 2005 PW/CBK with all 3 options and the GPS (my son will drive it to school in 2 years 3 miles and I didn't want him to get lost) Got the Chono accents; upgraded the stereo, auto trans ( for the family) and anthracite headliner. Ours ( mind and 2 teen age sons) will here in September. I test drove a 2005 Cooper with an automatic tonight and had to stop and fill the tank. When the ride was over I told my sons I hope they get into the Naval Academy so Dad can Motor longer. TATE Mini you guys are the greatest… go there folks you want be disapointed. Oh, I sold my my SAAB 5/sd convertible to get the for the boys and we drive the hugh Z71 Suburban for trip only. If there is anyone who can help me get my sons in the Naval Academy… please call I want to tkeep motoring.
http://tatemini.com Ben Pettis

Tom and Kurt, you guys are great! It is amazing to be part of the MINI world. The customers are the greatest. I am a car enthuiast, driving instructor at Summit Point and motorhead in general, and having customers who are as excited about the cars as I am is all I could ask for in the car business. It is different than selling Mercedes where the customer just wants to impress people with their big expensive car. Someone posted that we had a long wait for the convert. We have some cooper 5 speed orders for Sept build that we can still change, we will sell them at sticker and not force you to take anything you do not want on the car. I would like to fill my orders from people from Motoring file. Motoring File is the Best! Ben Pettis Sales Manager Tate MINI
Tom M from Delaware

You guys are right. The boys at Tate were great when I test drove a MCS about 3 weeks ago. I worked with Chris and Ben and they answered all my questions and let me drive 2 cars. I would have bought one from them based on how well I was treated. Just by chance I stumbled upon Ottos Mini in West Chester PA. They had just gotten a shipment of 05s. Talk about being at the right place at the right time… I just bought an 05 MCS dark silver w/black top. It has premium, sport and cold weather packages. It also has HK stereo, conveniance package and crono w/ cloth and leather, red and black interior. It also has the highly coveted anthricite headliner. What a find. It sounds from the rest of the threads I've been reading, I'am pretty lucky. It was a little more than I wanted to spend but when I saw it, I just had to have it. I am picking it up Friday. I cant wait! I would like to thank the guys at Tate once again for all your help. You guys got me bit by the bug, Ottos just happened to have it in stock. So far it been a great experiance. Kurt, I just live an hour up 301. Maybe we can meet at Harris Crab House one Sunday and get together. I'll be MOTORING ON FRIDAY! I'll post some pics when I pick it up. Gabe GREAT SITE! I guess I'll be a regular from now on.

Tom M from DE
http://tatemini.com Ben Pettis

Tom, you are extremely lucky to have gotten a 05 MCS with the anthricite headliner, that has been discontinued because the of the cost (this was a no cost option)

I am glad that you had a good time at Tate and I invite all of you to come by the dealership on Sat Aug 21st. The DC metro MINI club is sponsoring a breakfast meeting 9:30-11:00 at the dealership (cofee and doughnuts) and perhaps a drive to downtown Annapolis. It would be quite a sight to see a caravan of minis in the traffic circle downtown! Ben
Tom M from Delaware

Ben, I'd love to join you but I'll be on vacation in OC MD that week. (it will also be my first weekend Motoring) Maybe next time. I'm still intrested in the DC Mini Club. Do you have any info or contacts on them? Tom
http://tatemini.com Ben Pettis

http://www.dcmetrominis.org
http://www.ette.com okoh

l love this site my fellow ette's
Bob Poole

Hello: I just ordered a MCS 2005. I had to ordered a automatic trans. I have a leg problem.Their is no Limited slip differential or traction control with the auto trans.How do they get around in snow? Front wheel drive ok with LSD.I heard a 4 or all wheel drive is coming should I wait? I need traction? Bob Poole
http://motoringfile.com Gabe

The MINI handles fine int he snow as traction control is standard on all MINIs.
http://N/A dondada

Sorry but this is going to be a bit long. I would like everyone out there to know that DON’T EVER GO TO TATE MINI, it has to be the worst dealership I’ve ever dealt with. What’s more amazing to me is that the management their are lieing, two faced shmucks.

Read my story with what happened to me at Tate Mini.

Bought a Mini from Tate Mini recently and let me tell you it was the worst place I could’ve ever bought from. The Sales manager Rick was a complete A@#$%&e who was walking around like something was stuck up his A@#.

This is first time I have ever had someone lie to me in front of my face with 2 witnesses at 2 different points in time.

This bastard Rick ruined my day in such a way that I couldn’t even enjoy my new Mini.

The Story: When I first decided to buy a mini, I shopped around a bunch of places. I was able to find the Mini I was looking for at Morristown Mini with some options missing, since I didn’t want to wait for the order to come in. Then during my research I found that Tate Mini also had the car I was looking for with all the right options.

So I contacted Tate Mini and got a call from Brian (a great sales guy) and later by Darrin (a great sales guy as well). I went in to check the car out. At which point I was approached by Rick who was waiting outside for me and gave me the keys to the car I was looking for. (I thought to myself “…wow, what a great guy…”, 1st mistake.)

After checking out the car I started talking to Rick, since the sales guy who contacted me was busy helping someone else. I informed him that I was able to find the same car in NJ and the dealer there was offering me $500 of MSRP to take the car off their hands as well as throwing in FREE floormats and offered dealer installed items at cost. He told me that he can not meet that but he was willing to meet me half way. He stated this, in front of my girlfriend as a witness, he can give me $250 off MSRP since I drove all the way out and also throw in FREE floor mats and give me dealer installed parts at cost. I thought to myself, this is exactly what I want and it’s amazing how nice this guy is (2nd mistake). So that night I informed him that I needed to get my cash ready, I’ll call the next day to put down a deposit and that I will come over the weekend to buy the car. He said to me don’t worry take your time, we are hear to help. (HE SHOULD’VE SAID WE ARE HERE TO LIE TO YOU AND SCREW YOU).

So come the weekend, I go to the dealership. The sales guy is waiting for me to start on the paperwork. I went outside to check out my new Mini, it had a FREAKING SCRATCH on the flare thing right above the rear wheel. I didn’t say anything cause I wanted to wait to see what these BASTERS would say. (This is when I started to feel that things were not going the right way.) Anyway, back to the story…I went back inside, the sales guy had everything filled out and when I check the price it said MSRP. So I told the sales guy about my conversation with RICK and he went to talk to RICK. He comes back and says RICK said you are getting $200 off. I was like WTF, this is not what we agreed. (Now I know what you guys are thinking, $50 and you are making a big deal. It’s not about saving $50, it’s about what was originally agreed).

Anyway, I asked the sales guy to get RICK. I talked to him and he denied even having a conversation with me about anything. I was like I have a witness, would you like me to call her and prove to you we had a conversation about this. At this point that F**C face RICK says to me “…well don’t worry about it, I’m not going to make a big deal about $50…you don’t need to call anyone…I’ll give you $250 off…” So I said to him and the free mats too, right. He said “…sure, anything to close this deal…” or something like that. This was also said infront of another witness, a friend who came with me to buy the car.

Everything went along and now came time for me to speak to the finance guy. I went in there and the guy pulls out a rate of something 6%. I almost fell out of my chair cause when I spoke to Tate people on Fri. they told me don’t worry about finding any rates since they are currently offering 4.5% to 5%, which is pretty competitive. But 6%, that’s nuts. No rate goes up that much in less than 24 hours. Another sleazy thing this freaking dealership pulled on me. Anyway, after some time of arguing with Rick and going back and forth we came to a mutual ground and completed the deal.

So now came time for the final check out. Brian goes through all the paperwork and shows me the things that come with my binder. We are ready to go outside to go through final check out. I turned to Brian and said where’s my Matts. He looks at me and says “..What mats???” This just drove me over the edge. I turned to Brian and said “…please get Rick…this is something we agreed on…”.

When Rick came out he says to me “…What free mats are you talking about? It’s not on the work order when we wrote it up and the paper you signed. There for I have no idea what you are talking about.”

I turned to him and said “…do you not remember our conversation couple of hours ago, the conversation in front of my friend and the conversation in front of my girlfriend on wed night, where you offered $250 off, dealer installed parts at cost, and free mats?”

He said to me “…No I don’t remember offering anything for free. I’ve given you enough discounts and frankly this whole process is starting to get little frustrating with you and you are starting to piss me off…”

I just stood there with my mouth open in disbelief. I thought to myself you call yourself a manager. That’s when I realized that the deal is done and it’s not worth it to screw around with $100 mats. After all, they are processing my title, registration, and I still need to get some work done on the car. After all that happens I can do whatever.

So that’s when I told RICK that this was all my mistake from the start. I should’ve never signed any paperwork without completely reading what I was signing. I just wanted to get the hell out of there and away from that F**K face RICK.

At the end I thanked Brian for being such a great sales guy and drove off into the sunset with my new Mini. But I was so pissed from the whole ordeal that I couldn’t even enjoy my ride home.

Trust me this is not the last that Tate has heard of me. They will get a letter of compliant from me. I will also write a detailed letter of complaint to Mini Corp. of USA. As well as file a complaint with B.B.C. And if there are any agency’s in M.D. that deal with consumers, they will be contacted as well. And I will go out of my way to make sure that every Mini related web-site hears my story about Tate Mini. And finally, I sit on the board of a professional organization with member list of over 3,000 working professionals in D.C. and trust me every one of them will be hearing about my experience. Tate Mini thinks that they can screw with consumers and walk away thinking it is OK, well they have another thing coming.

Case in point, the day I got my car I was out with a friend was able to sell her on the car. SheÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s going to go order the car after my conversation with her. During my conversation I made it a point to make sure she stays clear of Tate Mini.

So for those of you who made it these far, thanks for letting me rant & rave and get my frustrations out.

And for those of you who are considering Tate Mini, don’t do it. It will be the worst choice you will probably ever make when it comes to buying cars.

Finally, it’s amazing that the car industry has been around for over 80 years now but yet we, as consumers, still have to deal with sleazy car dealers.

Regards, dondada
vanderspunk

Het Krut!!

You need to update this with your 5th MCS with JCW.
LucoBratsi

Ok, Im just getting in the market for a mini, Im looking for a 2 door and im looking for the lowest to the ground suspension package they make stock, Im wanting to paint one flat black wheels and everything nothing left shining can you help me on what package is best for me to look for as far as something used.

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