MINI Dealers in the US Continue Consolidation
MINI dealers are continuing their consolidation amid stagnant sales. That’s the word from Automotive News who spent some time looking at the data.
Last year MINIUSA made the official call that dealers could deviate from the long-standing policy of having an exclusive showroom. Since then, the number of Mini-exclusive dealerships fell to 82, down 11 since 1/1/19.
Six MINI dealers closed in 2019 and a dealer with two Locations in Chicago consolidated into one. Four MINI dealers were integrated into BMW dealers in 2019, 15 more are in process and five dealers are interested, according to MINI.
We spoke to MINIUSA last year about the topic and it was evident that they were focused on not leaving key markets according to MINI USA’s Head of Sales Claude Bruni.
“What we don’t want is for our customers to feel abandoned when there are these types of transitions. And if they have questions or concerns about a closure we’d love to hear from them directly”.
Have these closures and/or consolidations affected you? Let us know in the comments below.
If this doesn’t scream there are fundamental issues with the products, nothing does. BMW really flopped with the F56 and subsequent models. You can blame an aversion to small cars as the reason for MINI’s US woes, but that is simply not the real reason sales have suffered so badly.
The real reason is that people hate the way the products look inside and out. The F56/55/54 don’t appeal to those of us who loved the first two generations of MINIs for the way they drove. The price is also a sore spot. $40,000 is a lot to ask for a well equipped small car, but it’s easy to get close to that with a Cooper S. Then there’s the lack of features like blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, etc. that aren’t even available as optional extras.
I honestly thought MINI would have done an emergency restyling of the cars, boosted power, made more features standard and stopped raising prices. 7-years later and we have what’s essentially the same cars that have never done well. The new MINI Cooper E is not going to sell well because of the pitiful range. I hope MINI doesn’t have the expectations of that car saving them. The only thing that will save MINI is a completely new car. One that goes back to the first two generations for inspiration.
I heartily agree with your comments! I have own both a 2004 MC and a 2012 MCS and they were fun to drive and great cars at a reasonable price. Mini and BMW have got much too clever for their own good. What once seemed quirky and unique now seem poorly conceived and just plain silly. British flags in the tail lights? Custom back lighted graphics 3D printed in the dashboard. Non-functional armrest issues that don’t allow me to access the infotainment system, or allow me to delete the freakin’ armrest.
We cross shopped and cross-priced a new 2018 Mini Clubman JCW with a 2018 VW GTI Autobahn. Nearly identical specs, horsepower, driver aids, size, and comfort. The Mini came to $45K while the VW was $37K sticker, and $32K out the door with a 0.9% financing and a 6 year/72,000 mike warranty.
The Mini dealer looked at the VW deal and said, you know, JWC’s are really hard to get, but they really hold their value so I can’t offer you much of a discount. Or a long warranty. The dealer (jokingly said), but I can get you a custom 3D printed, back-lighted, color changing dashboard piece and those cool British flag tail lights, that make it well worth that extra $13K. It’s not really a Mini you know, it’s like a very small BMW!
Guess which one I bought.
I totally agree with the commentary above.
MINI has indeed lost the plot with their current crop of ugly bloatmobiles.
Also in my opinion, they are hostile toward their core patron base who want to keep R series MINI’s on the road by ridiculous parts pricing on Genuine bits. Instead of making me angry and alienated they could offer some goodwill price breaks which would induce an embrace and endearment of the brand.
As of right now, my local dealer has let their certificate lapse for their online parts catalog which I was a frequent user of, and it going offline is a bummer plus an indicator of how MINI in general are fumbling bollocks.