Best Mini/BMW dealer in NI

shell820810

I am thinking of buying a Mini Cooper, and all the dealers also seem to be BMW as well as Mini.

Nearest would be JKC in Coleraine, or Prentice in Omagh, and there is one in Ballymena.

Who would you recommend for value and service? Am I right in thinking that Bavarian/Boucher Road is going to be more expensive than the "countryside" dealers?

ballyblack

You will only need the BMW dealership to buy new.

Also afterwards there is no need to use them for servicing, a competent independent will be much cheaper and will not invalidate any warranty

shell820810

Its a Cooper D I want, and they seem to be quite scarce at the minute - only 2 on autotrader, and the private sale is dearer than JKC, and it about same age and more miles.

Milko

JKC get a very good name for customer service & price.
Country garage are currently having their new Mini showroom built so stock may not be as good as other dealers but super customer service levels.
Can't comment on Prentice but any Bavarian (BMW) experience hasn't been great.
Good luck with the new motor. I know a guy who recently got 1 and averages 65mpg with upward of 75 on motorways !!!

shell820810

Good to hear about the MPG. Most of my miles are motorway miles (100 miles day to work and back) and I am getting about 58-60mpg in my Clio, so wouldnt want to be taking a step backward.

blackpongo

my dh bought a red copper d 4weeks ago from mini on the boucher rd i have to say say the service you get is great i have been to many a car showroom and they out class the rest ,we got the chilli pack in ours and i have to say if you got anything less the car would be very basic as for the servicing im near sure you pay for it in the price of the car and haggle for a price we sent the money man back 4 times before we agreed on a monthly payment .
by the way they're great to drive i feel like a twentysomething again

shell820810

Gosh I really want one. will have to wait to the middle of next year at earliest - want a 2 yr old, and dont want to take out a loan in these conditions. :mad:

ballyblack

not entirely fault free;

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=803&

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=253&

shell820810

Those links are for the One model - its the Cooper D I'm after, they were only brought out last year. Supposed to be a VAST improvement on the One.

ballyblack

Thanks

MINI MINI Cooper Diesel R56 (2007 - )

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=1200&

thetope

I bought a Cooper D from country garage in July. i also went to bavarian and found country garage to be much friendlier and ready to knock a few quid off. They also didn't automatically add on nearly £1000 of unnecessary extras (GAP insurance, supaguard, tyre insurance - all of which are MUCH cheaper elsewhere if you really want them) whereas Bavarian kept adding them on, even on my third visit when i'd made it abundantly clear that i wasn't interested... i had to pay three visits to bavarian because their sales person did not know the product and mis-advised me on seat options and cruise control...

country garage even lent me a mini for 5 days as i had sold my car privately and was without wheels for the week preceding my mini's delivery. I thought they were great. have also heard good opinions on JKC and Prentices - in fact the only dealers i haven't heard much praise for are Bavarian. there's an excellent MINI forum called MINI2.com who are full of help and there's a long thread on northern ireland dealers

edit: if you get 58-60mpg in your clio i'm not sure you'd do much better in the mini, i get about 60mpg when driving sensibly and my commute is 80 miles a day, mostly motorway/A road. and especially not if you have hills on your commute!