MINI of San Diego

I have to say Wesley has wonderful customer service! My husband, daughter and I went to Mini of San Diego, our daughter was going to purchase her first car. I couldn’t believe how patient he was when she couldn’t decide between two cars. He helped her look at pros and cons, patiently. Not was he friendly at the time of purchase, but has been helpful with question after the purchase of the car.

Be cautious when dealing with these people. I took my Mini if for the re-​call on the power steering pump. At first they refused to do the work until Mini USA contacted them and told them it was ok. They acted as though they had never heard of the recall. They wanted to charge me over $ 700.00 to do the pump. There was also a power steering leak on my car. They quoted me $ 737.00 to replace the two reservoir pipes. The leak was actually the 0 ring on the pump that was replaced upon installation of the new pump. Leak solved. They also wanted to charge 3 times the cost of the hoses from what I would have paid on E-​Bay. They also noted a leaky coolant reservoir. I had just replaced the reservoir 2 weeks prior. A $ 35.00 part. Mini wanted $ 313.00 to replace the reservoir. A job that literally took me 15 minutes. I will never take my car to this shop again

Could not be more happier with our experience with Mini of San Diego. Our Salesman Raffi, made it so easy to look at all of the vehicles and patiently explain all the options that mini’s have to offer (they have a bunch!). Purchased a deep blue metallic Coop S and immediately put a smile on my face. Thanks Raffi !!! Thanks Mini of San Diego!

I had an amazing experience at Mini of San Diego, and Raffi is to thank for that. He was super helpful, patient, and went out of his way to answer all of my questions. This was definitely a relief not to have to deal with a pushy salesperson… he is exactly the opposite. THAT is what made me want to deal with him, and I’m glad I did because I’m happy to be driving a new Mini :)) I love it.
If you’re looking for a new car, be sure to stop by this Mini location and ask for Raffi!!! He will definitely take good care of you!

Heads up people! When buying a used car here, inspect EVERYTHING! I made a purchase recently and noticed that one of the tires was almost bald, check engine light turns on and off, and the CD player is defective! Watch out.

Rafie was great! He was really helpful and nice, super fast he really did a great job selling us a hardtop 4 door, We didn’t feel pressured at all and the great thing about him is that he talks spanish and for some costumers its better and easier to communicate with. Great salesman!

Always have had a positive experience at Mini of San Diego! They really know how to take care when the customers only form of transportation has had a mishap. Big shout out to Anthony Palomo! He’s most definitely the guy you want to be asking for!

Mini of San Diego has been wonderful especially after some horrible experiences with the other dealership prior to it’s opening. I want to give special recognition to my service advisor Aaron Haji who has been so helpful and sympathetic with my concerns for my car. This man is always in a good mood and has a smile on his face every time I come in. You can really tell that he wants to do a good job and cares about his customers. I want to sincerely thank him for listening to my concerns and arranging for me to be able to drive my awesome little clubman for another 7 years!
Let’s Ride!

After a 12 hours shift at the hospital And only wanting to go home and sleep I came out to a very dead Mini and got a jump from AAA. I headed straight to Mini SD to Anthony P. who always gives such great service. He greeted me like and old friend and he saved my day by taking me in with no appointment and got my Mini back in tip top shape and zooming around again. Thank you

Raffi was really helpful and fun to deal with. All the time he was courteous, he explained all the features of my Countryman, and was with me throughout the entire process. A couple of days later he called to check on me and how I was liking my new car. I’M LOVING IT!
The whole MINI experience when you purchase a car is AMAZING. The crew makes you feel special and part of the family!

I saw my dream car on the dealership’s website and fell in love. I was a little nervous initially because I’ve never bought a new car. Rafi greeted me outside and immediately I felt at ease. He was so informative, laid back, and felt like a close friend. We took the car for a test drive and I knew it was my car. The process of purchasing the car was super easy and we felt like we were getting a good deal. Also, the people who work here are amazing! We talked to Jay and Fiona that night and I felt like they too were already good friends. They welcomed me to the «mini club» and I felt like, not only did I have a new car, I was a part of this really fun new community. I would definitely come here and highly recommend getting a Mini!

I LOVEEEE my 2004 Mini Cooper S. I love it. It’s my first car, and we have seriously bonded.
Unfortunately, it’s oil changes are expensive! I am diligent to change the oil every 3000 miles so it will keep treating me well, so I was happy to find a place that has the «cheapest» oil change around, at $ 70. This seems to be the average price, but I have had my oil drain plug stripped at most of the places I have gone to and paid this amount, so considering that they didn’t damage my car, cheapest, best option for sure.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT a couple weeks ahead of time at least, because they service a ton of minis here, so a walk in is not super reliable. I did a walk in and it was okay, but I recommend making an appointment if you can.
The staff here are AMAZING. They do a 1 million point inspection during any service, and they showed me a hundred things I need to fix on my car (SIGH, it’s getting old), printed out their recommendations, and DID NOT pressure me to do anything with them, so I can get a quote from my other mechanic as well. I LOVE THAT! Thanks for not scamming me and treating me and my car well.
I also really appreciate that they showed me the things I should fix on my car. So often, mechanics will just tell you and ask for your credit card, so I don’t even know if they’re telling the truth or not. It took me a long time to find a mechanic I think I can trust, but I just might add Mini to my list as well.
I would come back here for my service needs, especially oil changes. If I am ever in the market for a new one, I would certainly buy it from here, too! But let’s hope my 2004 lasts me a long while longer!

I started my Wednesday morning with the check engine light turning on my way to work. I immediately headed to MINI of Kearny Mesa for help. I was able to secure the first spot in the service line. Although, I was there before their first appointment, I was greeted by Jesse and helped out by Anthony P. with no delay.
My world class advisor Anthony got me back on the road in a loaner car in no time. He kept me informed by phone and email throughout the day. He worked with my tough schedule and was very flexible in returning the car. My car washed and ready when promised. Thank you so much for going the extra mile Anthony! It’s always a pleasure working with you; I know my car is in excellent hands.
I like the new option to pay online.

This dealership has one of the best service departments I’ve ever been to. One of the reasons the service department is Soo good is because of the employees. If you own a mini, make sure to ask for Anthoney when you need service. He will take care of you.

Under informed sales staff. They had no clue about the upcoming changes for the new minis. They also misinterpreted what the 3 year/36,000 mile service covers (I looked it up before I came in). They also had the audacity to quote me $ 580 a month LEASE on a $ 34k car. With excellent credit. The place lacked professionalism, in my opinion. I would never pay that much for a mini, or any other car in that price range. That is completely absurd. I’m not sure if they thought I didn’t know much about leases or negotiating, but they basically told me … Minis are the same payments as a Mercedes. Lmao! Good luck selling cars for that kind of payment. I’d rather get another brand new fully loaded c class!
I forgot to add! Two of the sales guys were writing notes on their phones and showing each other quotes to give me, while I was sitting in front of them. I advise you to go to another mini dealership and get a REAL quote. It would be well worth the drive to check elsewhere and view better inventory at that.

Alfredo Garcia diagnosed my car and got my part needed for the repair the same day so he could have it finished by the end of day. I was delighted at the efficiency and friendly service I received. I felt the price was fair as well. Thank u for getting me safely back on the road!

SHOUT OUT to Mini of San Diego!
Christopher D, visiting from San Jose, had his MINI looked at @ Mini of SJ before the trip. A check engine light came on. LEAKY Valve cover and thermostat fixed here, under warranty. They say Mini of SJ should have caught it. Cost to my dear friend and Mini owner:’$ 0
Terry Zito, I commend your team!!!
I will SHOUT my praise about your quality and friendly service!

First time ever buying a mini & I absolutely love it !! I bought it used pre-​owned countryman Mini Cooper s ! The downfall of this all is how caught up I was into the car & didn’t bother noticing the scratches & dents ! They offered us to have our car detailed for the scratches & dents but as for the dent that I found out about, I was seriously disappointed that they didn’t disclose this information to me ! If I had known about the dent before making the purchase I wouldn’t have gone with that car … I mentioned the dent on the bumper to them on the day of taking it to get it detailed & it came out worse ! I was so upset. So quick tip before you buy ANY CAR look for scratches & dents !! Oh and I don’t think it’s fair that they didn’t disclose this information to me ahead of time ! Like be honest with your customer !!

After having such a bad first impression, it was going to take a lot for me to write a new review. Luckily MINI has done quite a bit for me over the years since.
I’ve had great experiences with many of the services managers, including Aaron, who has always looked at getting me the best deal they could offer, looking for coupons and volunteering that they will price match any competitor on new tires, etc. They’ve given me loaners when my car would be in the shop for more than one day and have honored my extended warranty that was purchased elsewhere with no complaints.
The biggest reason for updating my review is the most recent experience I had. I got in a minor fender bender and was told by a body shop that my car would be ready in 2 – 3 weeks. Over a month and a half later, I had picked my car up from this place 4 different times with multiple check engine lights immediately coming on. I made them bring it to their mechanic who tried to say it must have been happening before the accident. The best part was when I got it back the engine light was STILL coming on. And now my car was making a grinding noise whenever I made a left-​hand turn. I was literally at my wits end.
Finally I had enough with the body shop/​mechanic and brought it into MINI to get their diagnosis. They were kind, quick and immediately discovered everything that was wrong. After bitching out the other mechanic and body shop, I had them pay for MINI to take care of everything. Lo and behold, my check engine light was FINALLY off by the time I picked it up and hasn’t come on since! I don’t think I’d bring it anywhere else again. They know their stuff!
My only negative is more often than not, when they quote a day/​time that it will be ready, it usually isn’t. But that’s the least of my worries, I’m glad they’ve taken care of me!

TL;DR: I reaffirmed a valuable life lesson! Nearly got a bit burned buying my dream car, but when I reached out to management with my frustration, they worked with me to make it right and that’s a practice I support. Plus! Hot coco machine & free car washes!
UPDATE: I am still waiting on my repair 5 months later.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
Life Lesson #472: Test everything before buying a used car. No really, E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Of course I tested the trunk, the locks, the windows, etc etc, and duh, the convertible portion! But during the test drive, I was shown the buttons on the steering wheel and how they control the volume of the radio and can scan presets during our test drive that I never touched the actual radio in the car. I’ll give you a second to guess what happened as a result… Yeah, exactly as you thought. The buttons on the in-​dash radio don’t do diddly squat! At least not the ones I need to program the radio presets. BOO.
When I brought the car back to Mini to do the service items we had previously agreed upon at the close of the sale — fix the little paint chips, add an auxiliary cable to the radio and replace a broken cup holder — I was informed adding the AUX cable wasn’t necessary because the car already had a port. What?! I hadn’t found it because it’s deep in the glove box, and must be why Gabe told me the car didn’t have one.
So instead, I asked about programming the radio buttons since I hadn’t figured it out yet. I was driving when I tried, but then remembered that the radio was going to need to be removed for the AUX cable and I knew it’d erase the stations so I didn’t bother again. I asked at the service center and when Alexa wasn’t able to do it either, she had them take a look at the radio since the car was there already… Flash forward to the phone call where I find out the buttons just plain don’t work. DOH! I hadn’t even had the car two weeks! Plus, because I had purchased my vehicle «As-​Is» they couldn’t replace the radio a-​gratiz, but offered to cover half of the new radio and install… My portion was $ 555 for a single-​CD in-​dash radio. GAH!!!
I was a little fumed, all things considered, but I reached out to the General Manager of Mini San Diego, Alan. He was immediately receptive to my concerns and we were able to come to an agreement that will leave me rocking tunes out of the car, won’t leave a dent in my wallet and doesn’t completely suck for them. Everyone ends up happy!
As for the actual purchase, prior to the near radio disaster:
I’d like gripe about the horrible waiting that seems to accompany every aspect of being at a dealership… Waiting to hear from the sales manager. Waiting on the paperwork. Waiting on the finance person. Waiting on the parts. Waiting on the service guy… waiting waiting waiting!
However, in my experience at dealerships, I haven’t seen much of an alternative so I won’t ding these guys for what seems to be a major fault of the system. The trick then becomes about the comfort of the waiting situation that really makes the difference. Mini does an excellent job of offering waters & hot chocolates, there are relatively not-​so-​ancient magazines and a TV in the waiting room, and the are very good at keeping you updated step by step whether you were waiting in the dealership or for the update on your car at the service center.
Besides the pain of waiting, the purchase process was pretty smooth. Sales were not high pressure. I knew what I was looking for but was lucky enough to find it available at the dealership, which is a rarity. Taking it as a sign from the heavens and knowing the dealership would be more trustworthy than a craigslist or shady used car lot, I jumped on the purchase! That given, I didn’t feel pressured to leave the 2007 behind in favor of an expensive lease or newer used model. It’s nice because I can’t say the same for other dealerships I visited on my recent car searches. It made the experience that much less high-​stress.
Gabe Perada, my «Motoring Advisor» was knowledgeable enough about the vehicle in question, had a few canned jokes about being a Mini Owner, «I not only sell them I drink the juice,» (hehe) and worked with me despite the fact I was not going to be the reason he surpassed his sales goals for the month. I also had emailed Jay Puno through the Mini website and appreciated that when I actually came in to purchase the car he took the time to say hello!
Which leads to a note that it seems the staff really works hard to know you. I saw people that imagine to be long time part of the «Mini club» greeted and chatting up with employees throughout my last few recent visits like they were old friends. From the purchase area to the service center, I know why they call it «the club» now.
Random gripe: The Mini they lend you while doing the service is really more of «Mega!» It seems they don’t make them like they use to anymore…