So I'm browsing the MCS inventory at the nearest Mini dealer...

[SARAFIL]

Originally Posted by IndyMike

Are Mini wheels a highly prized item?

Which begs the question who even uses wheel locks anymore?

It's all about getting an extra $500 of gross profit per car. 100 cars a month and that adds up nicely.

[ff]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

seems like most dealers around here try to do that crap too. Window etching also. I have just told them I will not pay for it and they remove it.

The Honda dealers in Tampa put pinstripes, mud flaps, and wheel locks on all their cars (is this the 1980's ??), and call it "protection package" to the tune of $1500. Last purchase, I told the sales manager the only thing that those items "protect" is his profit margin. He didn't find it as amusing as I did.

[wdc330i]

Yes. Very '80s. I remember arguing my way out of paying for stupid pin stripes on my Honda Accord Ex Hatchback back then. "Protective" undercoating was another ploy back then.

[Rob]

My favorite MINI and BMW dealer in Escondido did LoJack and something else. I said no and they said ok, we just won't activate it. I wouldn't write off the dealer without challenging the vs first. Take off the wheel locks, keep the LoJack, and reduce the price by another $200 to cover the bs charge.

There was a time when rust protection meant something bc they didn't do much of it in the factory. That ended, of course, a long time ago.

[TD]

Just to be clear, I'm not considering this specific car. I picked this photo as an example. Heck, I still haven't driven (or re-driven) any of the cars I mentioned in the OP. But I'll start on that soon.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by RMR

Or a Golf R.

Or an ST and a trip to disneyLand. Oh? Never mind.

When I bought the wagon a million years ago in Dec 2001, the F&I guy at Tischer BMW really did a hard sale on LoJack. Made a number of pitches, dropping the price every time. Can't remember if I told him I would walk if he asked once more.

[TD]

Originally Posted by RMR

Or a Golf R.

Just noticed VW is running what seems to be a pretty solid lease deal on the Golf R at the moment.

I need to go drive one.

[JST]

Originally Posted by TD

Just noticed VW is running what seems to be a pretty solid lease deal on the Golf R at the moment.

I need to go drive one.

I know where you can find one, if you want to take one for a spin.

[TD]

Originally Posted by JST

I know where you can find one, if you want to take one for a spin.

I think that might be in order.

Scroll down- http://web.vw.com/templates/Service?...&zipcode=20850

Golf R with sunroof and NAV - $469/mo for 42 mos 12k miles/yr $0 at signing.

[JST]

Originally Posted by TD

I think that might be in order.

Scroll down- http://web.vw.com/templates/Service?...&zipcode=20850

Golf R with sunroof and NAV - $469/mo for 42 mos 12k miles/yr $0 at signing.

Wow, it's been a long time since I leased a car. I am rusty, but at least VW gives you a lot of detail.

Using those numbers, I get 56 percent residual after 3.5 years and a 0.00157 MF, which works out to 3.8 percent interest. It's not a bad deal, though not as good as some that I got back in the day (I still remember the deal I got on that Audi with a fair amount of awe).

Can you live with 12K/year?

I suspect that this car will have a higher resale than that at the end of 3.5 years, as long as you don't wreck it. Not clear to me whether the 0 percent financing deal applies to the R, but it sounds like it should. That might be the better way to go, especially since you can probably get the car for close to invoice at this point.

EDIT: And I'm pretty sure that I/we are around at some point this weekend, if you want to meet up. Have to check on the schedules.