I need some advice! I'm new to the mini market and am looking at buying a used mini - I would be a daily driver, any tips on what to look for or stay away from?

 

Price range?

 

That's a tough question , originally I was thinking 12000 CAD but once I started looking I wasn't sure if that was reasonable

 

As new as you can get, and avoid an S. The condition of the mini is everything, be sure to have it inspected before purchase. Money well spent. These cars are not cheap to repair in comparison to a non-european vehicle.

 

Hey minisamantha! I was in the same boat a month or so ago... ended up spending just over $13k Cdn (before tax) from a used place just outside of Toronto. I did a fair bit of reading and did not want an S as AZdsrt mentioned as it is also my spirited DD so wanted slightly better mileage . I also shied away from the 1st generations as I had read they had some issues, particularly the CVT's (I preferred Standard anyway) and some rumours about a water pump issue I think...

So that left me with a 2nd gen and I wanted a couple years into the 2nd Gen to hopefully have any of the bugs worked out which had me at 2010/2011. There were only 2 for sale in my area (Toronto area) not including Mini Dealers the cars I considered were from used car dealers, one was sort of shady and the other I would easily do business with again. Mileage on both cars was approx 94,000km which I felt was reasonable. I lucked out with my car for a bunch of reasons one being that the original owners were Mini Quebec which has me assuming all the service intervals were done by them, so that is something I would look into, see if you can get a hold of the service records for the car.

If you are in Canada as I am assuming you are then all used cars come with the CarFax Report which will tell you if there are any Leans on the car and also if there have been any Claims done to the car. In my case there was a $400 claim made to the 'Front' of the car. The Report does not say exactly what was done, but the amount that was claimed, $400 on a Mini could have been the grill...

Actually, they still have the 2009 S which I did drive as a comparison, but preferred the non S.

Another thing I would check (also did not know how to check till after) if you take it for a test drive, as soon as you put the key fob in the ignition and start the car some numbers will come up on the Speedo showing when it needs it's next scheduled service. There is a way to scroll through the computer and have it tell you what needs to be done at the next service but that is a bit more complicated, but at least you will have an idea of when it needs to go in again.

Hope that is of some help. I am sure some of the other guys/girls on here that know way more about Mini's than I do will chime in...

D

 

Hi Minisamantha,

I would suggest reading up on MINIs in general. There are a number of threads here that describe the differences between the different models.

I would suggest that you try and secure the lowest mileage, best maintanence recorded, least modded MINI you can find in your price range.

If you stay with a non S model I think you will find they have fewer overall expensive problems, tend to be less modded, and would make a nice daily driver.

Look for a one owner car as well if possible. I'm sure as you discover possible options if you share here folks can provide some guidance. Better yet, if you know of someone that has a MINI with experience with the cars you may enlist them to help too.

Best of luck in your search.
Matt

 

...Also take a look on www.cars.com and do your search for MINIs...

This will give you a great idea of what they are selling for and where they are compared to where you are located... (I found all three of mine on www.cars.com)

Motor on!

 

I agree! Yes, cars.com is great. You will also see the rating of the potential dealer you choose which is helpful.

Matt

 

Here are a couple of good reads regarding what to look for:

• How To Choose The Right Mini
• First Gen Buyers Guide

Unless you're buying from a MINI dealer, I'd recommend that you have the car inspected before you buy. It should cost you less than $200 but is worth it. I bought my 2009 Clubman S and then spent $1,500 in repairs within the first month. Not trying to scare you, just that I could have negotiated the cost of the vehicle down to compensate.

If the idea of repairs is daunting, then I'd recommend getting a certified used directly from the dealership. You'll pay more, they're only for 2012 or newer Minis, but you'll at least have peace of mind that should something go wrong, it'll be covered.

Hope that helps.

 

I started looking about six weeks ago, and bought one two weeks ago. Had a limited budget, so I ended up with an 06 (R-53). 92000, very clean, $6500. Now I have to replace the P.S.pump, but I knew that going into it. A lot of these have that problem, there was a recall up to 2005 , mine did not. Look at the strut covers for rips in the rubber, if their ripped ,plan on spending $700-800, because you will want to change the struts at the same time. I have worked on cars, and plan to do a lot of my own work. The cooper S will cost a bit more , but it can be made to really preform , I guess it depends on what you want in the long run. If you have a friend that has a Mini, drive it and listen. Drive as many as you can, and listen to the car.

 

This really only applies to a R56 Cooper S with the N14 engine.

 

Not much love for the S!! I own a 2008 Cooper S with 105,000 miles. (OH the DREADED N14!!! So horrible!!! ) I purchased the vehicle with around ~70K. This car has been totally reliable and has given me no major problems whatsoever. The only time I've had a check engine light over the course of 35K miles was once, and it was easily resolved. The PCV spring failed and I ultimately had to replace the valve cover ($348). I notice EVERYTHING and keep up with regular maintenance, plus more. Another words I'm very particular about my cars and will notice when something is amiss. If I felt the R56 was a time bomb, I would have noticed a long time ago!!!

For absolute reliability a non-turbo R56 is obviously a safer bet. They're still peppy and rev smooth. But the Cooper S is far from an unreliable car some make it out to be. The reason is because people typically write posts when they have a problem, not when everything is going smooth! Look around and you'll see some horror stories, but keep this in perspective.

Long story short, and like with any car: Change your oil with full Synthetic every 5-7K (Cant stress this enough). MINI's 15K interval is a horrible idea
Check your oil, coolant and brake fluid level weekly or bi-weekly
Follow regular maintenance (OEM parts last a long time and are durable, unlike cheaper car companies. You get what you pay for remember)
Use only OEM parts for "critical areas" i.e. belts, tensioners, control arms, O2 sensors etc

MINI's are great cars. They're well put together and really do put a smile on your face every time you drive. Even on a daily commute Combine this with decent safety (for it's class) and excellent mpg, and it's a solid choice!

Ian

 

I found a 2010 mini cooper at 48,000km -1.6L 4 CYLINDER - automatic - only had one driver - vin #WMWMF3C54ATZ22325 - any thoughts?

 

Caveat emptor: A MINI is a love-hate relationship. The good side is that you'll not find a more fun, unique, or satisfying car in this price segment. It's got loads of personality and begs you to drive it hard. The bad side is S or "Justa", these claptraps are a bucket of reliability issues. Consumer Reports hates this car.

Maybe it's Stockholm Syndrome, but I love mine. N14 engine and all.

 

MINI specs ...

 

That could be an interesting little car for sure and with one owner then they can tell you all the service that has been done and even better hopefully have the receipts to back them up.

As Zenbuilder mentioned, I'd take it for a test drive and any other you can find that are of the same year as a comparison - if anything drive the other cars first.

In my search I managed to drive a 2012 non S about 60min before and it honestly drove like a bag of bolts on wheels. Then I drove the one I ended up with and it was a night and day difference. That same Used Dealership had the S I included in my post above with the link which we took out for a drive as well and again quite the different car.

You do not mention the price, so as long as it is within your budget which I am assuming it is as you are posting it then that may not be a bad find with those low km's assuming all else is golden. Do keep in mind the price differences between here and the States. Zenbuilder mentions the car he found, but he is below the border, $6500 for him is really closer to $8k for us.

D

 

+1 to AZdsrt

Totally agree. Surely you are not searching for the faster Mini Cooper.
Cooper S, JCW, GP, GP 2 is just for people with car coding and solving problem skills and, obviously, looking for a high-performance vehicle with no problems with spending money on the car to add more power, etc (I think this is not your case).



I think a Mini Cooper R56 (non S) is a good option and, it would be great if you can find this:

- Warranty (ie: 6 months)
- Multifunction Steering Wheel (radio, cruise control, cell phone)
- Climate control instead of AC

It would be perfect if you can have a trusted mechanic who can test the car (take a little trip with you before buying it) and also to do a test with an official BMW/Mini scanner software to check the car health.

My favorite model is the Mini Cooper non S R56 (2007-2013):

R56



I love the sport line on the Mini Cooper R53 but it has many years running on the streets and that can means more "problems" for you:

R53



Still I dont like the F56 model exterior design, but that's a personal opinion. F56 is the latest model, modern (2015) surely you will have factory warranty, more comfort and less problems.

F56


I'm very happy since you want to have a Mini. It is a unique experience!

 

very happy with my non-s cooper - and that is what i'd go with.

 

Miss Susan (my neighbor) she hates it when I write that... Has a 2007 R52 S with the Automatic and a 2012 R56 Justa with the 6 speed manual, she loves both, the Automatic transmission has had issues but with over 105K miles she plans on having it serviced.

Now for the reason I'm writing this, her 2012 R56 Justa, she absolutely loves it, gets 42 MPG and always drives in Sport Mode, almost as zippy as her R52 S and very reliable.

She gives the thumbs up on the R56 Justa as a great car.

Motor on!

 

Dear, there is a DIY mod? Sport Mode is not present from factory for R56 Justa.
Sport Mode is present on my R56 non-S after a long long long coding day

 

My R-56 Justa has a sport mode button. Maybe it's different in Minis around the world?

 

HA! New Name... "Justa Girl" from the thread title "Just a girl who really wants a mini!"

Motor on!

 

 

AVOID ANY S up to 2010/11 , they changed motors in 2011 to the N18 , the older S's got the N14 which is prone to many problems that can cost you a whole engine.

 

That may be true for the early ones, but by 2012 they all had sport mode. Mine certainly has it--standard, it was not an option that could be ordered.