Irvine MINI

This review is for the sales part.
I came here on the ⁶⁄₂₃ to look at the shop, which doesn’t have lots of interesting things (online for cheaper there is much more). After that, I headed to the sales cause I went to get rid of my 2009 Mini Cooper hardtop for a clubman.
I talked with a guy with a beard, about 40 yo i would say, I’m unsure but I think his name was Jeff.
This guy was the most «I don’t care» man I every met, the small 10 min I spent with were just horrible. I was explaining what kind of details I wanted and for all my requests, his answers kept being the same: «we don’t have that here, people don’t want that». Did he mean there were a difference between me and the «classic costumer» ?
Rude.
Moreover, after he finally decided to get up of his chair, he showed me 2 cars but didn’t even ask if I wanted to look at it, but he knew I was there for a test driving. Because he didn’t seem interested at all by selling me anything, he couldn’t not even introduce me to the car, he just wanted to go back inside with the AC. I cut off this annoying meeting and he didn’t even care. He was just «sorry for that», not having was I asked earlier. BUT, I only asked to SEE. I wanted to drive test the car to know if I could order one with the interior design I wanted, but the car and engine would still be the same, right ?
Now, how do I know if I want to order the car ?
I’ll probably go to an other mini dealership, where they can only care more. I’ll be glad that he wouldn’t have the commission on my purchase, I’ve owned several mini and this place was by far the worst, terrible experience.

I have been on hold with the parts counter for over 30 minutes now, so glad they forgot about me

⁵⁄₂₃
This experience was made possible by José Herrera and Allison Lubus in sales.
The night before we purchased we spoke to JP who was stellar. He was polite, friendly and courteous. JP helped us select a few cars and we test drove one we really liked. It was quite late and cold and we made an appointment for the following day on Sunday.
The next day we arrived about an hour early to spend time walking around and shopping alone. We’d faced challenges finding the MINI we’d designed online but luckily, José greeted us at the door. We needed more help, even if we didn’t know it at that time. José allowed us time to browse and connected with us later. He phoned JP, but because we were so early, José ended up helping us through the entire process that day. He found another option that better met our needs and was diligent in ensuring our every question was answered to the best of his ability. He made us feel comfortable. We test drove the vehicle and between his outstanding service, personable nature, and high-​level professionalism we knew we’d buy that day and we did. I’d do it again in a second and I’d still pick José and Irvine MINI. We couldn’t be happier. I’d encourage you to seek out José and find your fit.
Update: ⁵⁄₂₆
We met with Allison Lubus who is the MINI Genius at Irvine MINI. She walked us through our MINI and was very diligent in answering our every question and query. She’s patient, helpful, funny and loaded with good advice. She is quite literally a compassionate yet brilliant human computer. Test her, she knows everything. I cannot speak highly enough about her service and her person.

This review is solely based on my experience with the Service department…
This place is awesome and the customer service is outstanding. Everyone I have come in contact with has been friendly and helpful and I can’t say enough great things about Aldo and Jose. They go above and beyond to make sure you and your car are taken care of. They explain everything in detail and answer questions until you understand what they are talking about-​my knowledge of car parts is not impressive so I greatly appreciate their detail and patience. Thank you for making every experience a positive one!

This review is for VIKI in the sales department !!
I just bought my mini from her today. But the process took about 3 weeks of back and forth, back and forth.
I probably spoke with all mini dealerships in SoCal and Viki stood out the most, and here is how:
1. Sincere — the first car I wanted to look at was sold before I even got to the dealership. Instead of luring me in and give me something else, Viki actually texted me and let me know that one wasn’t available anymore, and gave me my additional options. I am the type that doesn’t like surprises, unless it’s good, and this made me so much more comfortable working with her going forward.
2. Integrity — Viki promised she would work with me on pricing prior to going in to the dealership. She delivered her promise and we worked on pricing until past 7pm on a Sunday. The price of the very basic model I bought is less flexible than others. But Viki was still very patience and willing throughout the process.
3. Professional — Viki was very professional throughout the whole process. Whether it was test driving or explaining the smallest mini details. By the time I signed the contract and was about to enjoy my new car, it was already 9pm. I told Viki I can just read the manuals myself so she doesn’t have to stay so late. But she insisted on helping me set up the Bluetooth and Go over the features of my car. I really appreciated that because it was such good customer service.
Long story short, Viki was the first person who answered my inquiries and she turned out to be the best, of all the reasons above and more. (fast response, follow ups, … Etc) I would highly recommend Viki to everyone, ESPECIALLY female first time buyers that need a trustworthy mini sales advisor.

Buying a car from Irvine MINI was a very good experience. No pressure — everyone was very informative and friendly — The entire deal took less than 2 hrs — which is a record in all my car buying experiences. They have a very helpful event called «A second date» which is a must. A gentleman named Jim Forbes will take you one on one and explain everything about your new Mini and that was extremely helpful. He is always available for you to answer any questions you may have. This really put my mind at ease. I purchased a new Mini Countryman and I absolutely love it. Its time to go motoring —

Just walked in the other day to look for a used Mini for our daughter. The guy was so helpful, no pressure. We told them we can’t buy now as we are just looking and it was not a problem. We test drove a 2013 and they are solid little cars!!! Great place to shop.

This review is solely based on my experience with the Service department.
I recently bought a Mini Cooper from another dealership and had issues from the get-​go. Though they said they had done a full inspection, I was hesitant as my car was hesitating when accelerating. I came to Irvine Mini for an initial diagnostic, and in less than 30 minutes I was out of there with a loaner. That first time they were not able to determine exactly what was wrong with my car and they determined it might have been some bad gas as the issue diminished when I changed gas stations.
A couple of weeks later, I started feeling the same hesitation. Immediately I called Irvine Mini and let them know I needed another appointment. When I arrived, I spoke with Jose and told him what I was experiencing and how they had previously not been able to diagnose it. He was very understanding and let me speak with the mechanic himself.
The technician drove with me in the car and also agreed that it was not driving properly. They agreed to keep the car and to follow up as soon as they did further testing. In the end, I was told they spent hours trying to replicate the issue, and were able to diagnose it and fix it accordingly. My car now runs as a brand new car!
I was very pleased with the honest and open communication Jose kept with me throughout the whole ordeal. He kept in touch with me on every step of the way and answered the phone every time I called with any concerns. Jose truly went above and beyond for me in such a frustrating situation, which made me very comfortable with having trusted Irvine Mini with my car. Truly Irvine Mini has a commendable team in the Service department and I will most definitely be back.
Thank you, Jose!

Sitting in the parking lot right now after just purchasing new floor mats and a chrome trim piece that had broken and feeling like half the employees I encountered at this place could care less if I shop here or not. The exception is the gentleman named Hector that I spoke to on the phone about 30 minutes ago who cheerfully helped me locate the parts I needed and then told me he would give me a 15% discount because they didn’t have the rear floor mats I needed. The other exception is the woman who asked me if I had been helped as the man behind the counter exited and walked past me. She appeared very busy but stopped to greet me, which I appreciated.
Eventually, the man who exited came back to help me. As planned, my parts had already been set aside by Hector. The counter guy rang up the parts at full price and when I asked if the total included the discount he said «let me check.» He was not pleased. He gave me a new total with a 10% discount. When I told him thank you and how much I appreciated Hector’s help, he said «that’s what we’re supposed to do.» It was not cheerful.
I went outside to the front row of the parking lot and installed my new floor mats. When I walked the old ones to the service drive up lane and asked the man if he could throw away my old mats he let out a big irritated sigh and said «I’ll handle it» and slapped them down on the counter and walked away leaving me standing there feeling as if I may have just done something wrong.
The moral of the story is that I could have ordered everything from online dealers without the bad attitude. Next time I will. Good luck, Hector. Sorry about the grumpy people you work with.

Was promised a second-​date to help go over some of the features on the MINI cooper countryman. I received an e-​mail but no call back. After a phone call and e-​mail to Jose and Allison, still haven’t heard anything back. So far, not too happy with the experience post-​buying the car but open to see how long it will take for them to contact me. One of the reasons I bought the car was because the service plan was suppose to be good, but now I“m not so sure! The care is also making a weird rattling noise.

This review pertains to service only because I am a first time Mini owner and have had the car for only a week.
I worked with Jose Herrera when I bought my Mini Clubman S. He was very attentive, friendly, knowledgable, and patient.
I then had my 2^nd date and detail with Alison. I had to work so she set me up at a desk, checked in on me frequently, and was very friendly! Throughout our 2^nd date, she clued me in to all the fun features of my new Mini.
Everyone was outgoing, friendly, and possessed a cool vibe that made me feel part of the Mini family. Irvine Mini rocked!

Stop recommending Spectrum Collision in Irvine to your customers! I called you back in November to get a recommendation on where to take my 6 mo old Mini Cooper Countryman after it was in an accident. As you know, only certified shops can work on Minis. From your service department, I was transferred on the phone to Spectrum Collision. That was in NOVEMBER! I still do not have my vehicle back (going on 3mos now). I had a simple panel damage on the right side of my Mini and it shouldn’t have taken this long! Do your customers and the Mini Cooper community a favor and do not recommend this sham of a shop. I was hoping that I could trust a Mini Cooper dealership to recommend a reputable body repair shop and not cause anymore frustration to a customer who has been through a lot already after an accident.

I came here for my MINI 2^nd Date for my new car. I had the appointment with Allison. First of all Allison is super friendly and very energetic. She helped me to answer all the questions I had about my car. I appreciate the good customer service she offered and her good personality. I hope everyone from this dealership can be as energetic as Allison.
Thank you for making my 2^nd visit here enjoyable.

I came into the dealership with the intention to purchase a new vehicle since my truck takes a lot of gas!.I waited in the lobby for about 10 minutes without anyone coming to see what I needed of even noticing me. A couple that came in after me was helped almost immediately. I was very upset at the fact that it took so long for someone to show yo and mad that I was completely ignored. I rather drive to another dealership and buy my car from them opposed to waiting around linger. So I left and will never come back.

I took my 2006 Mini for a manufacturer update in Nov. I was asked to sit a while till someone could help me. I waited about 5 min. After getting my paperwork and keys from me, I waited in the lounge area. There’s bottled water, little pastry treats (try the mini chocolate croissants) and coffee & tea while you wait. They even wash your car. I love that part of the service. All of the guys are very friendly & easy going.
BUT… I was told I needed new brakes and other work totaling $ 1800.
When I took my care in to my very trusted MINI service MiniWorx OC they told me that wasn’t the case at all. This is the third time the dealer told me I needed a lot of work that MiniWorx OC proved I didn’t. I could have wasted a lot of money. My car is still running well at 115k miles and I’m thankful I found trusted service providers.

SALES EXPERIENCE — UNABLE TO BEAT COMPETITORS
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Long story short, I secretly took pictures of finance numbers from Monrovia Mini and showed the offer to Irvine Mini. I only went to Irvine Mini because they had the color combination I wanted, but Monrovia didn’t. I met with Jose, and Jose was nice, and took the offer to his finance manager Wes. Moments later, I’m pulled into the finance office and blatantly told by the finance manage, Wes, that it is IMPOSSIBLE they would waive the acquisition fee. They said if I went through with it, they (Monrovia) would never go through to the end and seal the deal. Okay, so I smiled, thanked them and left.
Well, guess what? I drove to South Bay Mini because they also had the color combo. I presented the same paperwork offer from Monrovia. Yep, they waived the acquisition fee. I got the Mini and then scanned the contract and emailed it back to Irvine Mini to rub it in their face and elicit a reaction. Obviously, I got no response.
I think ultimately, it just came down to the fact that Irvine Mini wanted to make the extra $ 925 profit and hide it. They bluffed me, I called it.
But that’s okay though. It is Irvine. Irvine calls for a higher standard of living and therefore commands a premium profit margin. I also couldn’t reach a deal at Crevier due to the sale price, not acquisition fee.
Moral of the story: shop around, then shop around some more, then finally, go back and decide. Trust me, the car will always be there. Dime a dozen.
That is not to say the sales experience was bad. Jose was still a great, no hassle agent. It’s just unfortunate because his management team is unable to make the sale. I brought my game, they didn’t.

I would like to start off by thanking Jose Herrera for the amazing customer service he demonstrated from start to finish. My heart really wasn’t set on a Mini, I actually wanted a Lexus. However I decided to stop by Irvine mini simply to LOOK at the vehicles with no intensions of purchasing. I was sure to express my feelings to Jose just so he is aware that I am not purchasing. With a smile on his face he politely expressed to me that after he shows me a Mini I will fall in love.
Well… As a woman it is hard for me to say a man is right. But Jose was right. After he showed me a white «Countryman» and all its features I was just blown away. I am very appreciative that he took the time to explain every single feature and patiently answer all my questions rather then just handing me the keys.

I was about to «take the hassle» out of buying a new car and go to Carmax, but I’m glad I took a few minutes to look at a some dealerships. As luck would have it, I was contacted by Jose Herrera and had the best car buying process I could have asked for.
Jose was respectful, patient, and eager to answer all my questions from the beginning and really help (not push) me drive away happily in my new car at the end! Here’s a salesman who prioritizes the customer so much that I could honestly say that I could have been a family or friend, and I still believe he would have treated me the same way.
Dealerships owe their thanks to salespeople like Jose Herrera, who truly make the business about the customer rather than just another sale.
If you’re in the market for a MINI, it’s worth driving up a couple hours just to make a deal with a guy like Jose, that’s what I did! Thank you, brother!

Natalie,
Thank you for your help today. After my issue is resolved I will be glad to write a revised review. You and your pleasant attitude and demenor was an unexpected suprise today. Thank you!
Please let your GM know and service manager know that the little guy does matter.
I look forward to seeing this to completion. Once again your assistance was greatly appreciated.
RoseAnn Goy

Break pads are getting thinner, needed to be replace — one of the routine maintenance under extended warranty. Love visiting Irvine Mini, good Espresso, excellent current-​year loaner car. Plus, one free car wash after the Mini is fixed or maintained.
Always ask for a hot loaner; well, I try .
Today, I got a bright Orange-​yellow Cooper Sport with checker back covers for rear view mirrors