May I recommend used Toyota Camry?
I loved my 23 MINI SE (electric) but today at the same price point you can buy/lease a Model 3 RWD. Positively, it is a hoot to drive and works well for dense urban areas but trucks and SUVs never respected my personal space and would creep into my lane. The range concerns are overrated as this is purely a city car. It works best as a third car to me.
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Is this the one on the i3 platform? I loved our i3!
In case I wasn’t clear…I would have ZERO interest in this car at 3500 down which effectively raises the monthly to about 400 a month. By the same token I would have ZERO interest in leasing a Tesla as I haven’t seen any of their leases with less than 4500 down which adds another 125 a month to the mid to high 3’s stated on their website. But at far less down and 12-15K miles a year for 3 years might be something I’d jump at. I’m simply trying to determine if anyone out there has tried to lease this car at more favorable terms than their national offer which seems to be meh
What % discount is required for you to get to where you want to be?
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Not quite sure…it’s hard for me to see if they are passing along the 7500 tax credit. The MSRP is around 36 give or take. If the 7500 is in then it would put the cost at around 30, maybe 29…so if there was another 15% more on the top of that…
I think this car is dog for them which may make it an attractive lease–the current plan isn’t good…but maybe there’s a better one ahead or someone has negotiated a better deal.
A good place to start here would be to actually put together a real target deal to see what it would take.
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No way… these electrics were selling pretty well in 2022 and folks love them. The removal of $7500 purchase credit caused them to be about $3-5K more than a gas MINI I think. They don’t sell as well because the Model 3 RWD is almost the same price now and the Bolt price cuts in late 2022 + early 2023.
These electric MINIs were $399/month in the past without the $7500 lease incentive… basically like the gas MINIs.
Currently, Tesla leases seem vastly better than before they passed the $7500 commercial tax credit through. $680/month for a loan and $472/month for a lease - with $0 down.
My calc here is accurate, your target deal is not realistic:
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So ~22% off msrp go get to the target when brokers are at 6%.
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I would broaden your search. There are better values in the electric vehicles sector that will hit the ~$400 effective range…
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Are there any additional incentives in your state? For a few states the current incentive might be high enough to pay for the typical DAS.
Also, if you want to get the lowest price, you’ll have to find the trim/color that brings the price closer to the starting MSRP. Most of the advertise deals are for the Signature trim level, so you might save about about $30 a month with the basic color and Classic trim level.
I bought the 2023 base version in 2022. Came out to $24k otd with the fed and state incentives. Able to squeeze around 120 mi out of it, but it’s best intended to be a secondary car with home charging.
Drives almost like a gokart and obviously fits in tight spaces.
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I’m in SoCal, so I think I’m tapped out–the CVRP is out of money. It’s really about whether a manufacturer will pass down the 7500 tax credit on a lease. What was happening in 2022 with respect doesn’t matter right now. For example I have a BOLT EUV that has a lease expiring in Dec. The monthly is 243. There is ZERO chance I’m replicating that in today’s market.
In Los Angeles, where I am…I have a hard time wrapping my head around an EV that has 110 miles of range being a car that has a ton of demand. Maybe in another city but in the sprawl of LA…I think it’s a tough putt.
If MINI isn’t going to pass down the federal credit perhaps a 3rd party (ALLY) will or at least give some of it which would reduce the monthly.
And…at the and of the day NONE of this may be possible and I just move on.
Mini already is including it in their leases
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No one is telling you it has a lot of demand, but you have to be realistic with what is actually feasible as a bottom line monthly payment
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Exactly, demand could be flat as a pancake but it doesn’t mean dealers are going to take 15-20% off, it means they they’ll continue to age and maybe, just maybe, Mini/BMWNA will further incentivize the car.
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There are not many data points that suggests you can get this in $300’s effective so all you can do is to try. I suspect there is not much of a supply and dealers have no trouble moving the limited inventory they have to city dwellers as the second/third car.
I also think you will hate it but this is just my gut feeling. There are so many better options out there for the same or a little more. Btw, total cost to own a Tesla 3 purchase will likely be lower once you decide to sell it but that’s a gamble and your payments will be more than double. IMO, best bang for your lease bucks in today’s market in Cali is EQB at $400ish effective.
Thanks to all for the input. I don’t want to “buy” an EV…theres just too much change in the tech to these cars that make a purchase a bit more risky to me. Maybe in 10 years when the market has stabilized and things like effective battery health can be determined and there’s incremental as opposed to fundamental changes in the batteries it will be different but I’d rather put the risk on the manufacturer than take it on myself. It’s the same reason I wouldn’t buy a used EV. Looking only to lease. I’m not married to the MINI by any means. Hoping there will be some strong incentives in Nov/Dec but who knows…
I wouldn’t count on them adding an extra $6k in incentives to get you where you want to be.
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