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My 2005 Cooper (Astro Black/White) is chugging along with 118,000 miles on it and I, along with a bunch of others, plan on driving it forever, or longer. The only hitch is if I get an unfixable (from a cost standpoint) disaster like the feared $7,000 automatic transmission replacement. Of course, the new Clubman gets my pulse up too, so that could be a factor in any thoughts of replacement. The big downside to driving the MINI forever, is that eventually when you get a lot of miles on them, they aren't worth the 62% of sticker price that low mileage ones are. Anywayz, more fun is better than less fun. Drive your MINI all you can.
For - eh - ver!! Sounds like a long time, but my plan is to keep the MINI as a "fun car" once it gets paid off AND I save up a DP for a Smart Car or some other commuter gas sipper that I can use to get to work and back. At that time, the MINI will become a weekend / vacation / autoX machine. I plan a complete overhaul of the power train by that time prominently featuring RMW products and services!
I wanted to keep my '04 R50 forever as I loved it very much! Thing is after a laundry list of issues, I had to part ways with it, sadly. Now that I've got an '07 R56S, I'm in love all over again. It would seem that BMW has addressed most of the quality issues I had issues with on the R50. I've got a little over 13,000 mi (Alfie is an OCT/07 build) and nothing has gone wrong! If the car stays together in a better way, I'll keep Alfie forever. If not, I'll just get another one, although I predict with more demand for MINI's, the price will go up as well, so its probably best to keep it anyway. We'll see. One thing for sure, one way or another, I will ALWAYS have a MINI.
I've had something on the order of 200 vehicles in my 30 years of driving. Most of them were crap. A lot of them were really cool cars. I consider the Mini really cool. But I figure I'll get bored with it someday.
I want to keep my 05 JCW as long as possible. Although it is really tempting to trade it in, since it's worth 1k over what I paid for it over 1 year and 21,000 miles later. I'd only trade it in for a Element SC or a BMW Z4 Coupe (although I love the M coupe, but it's out of my price range )
I have only 22K on my 04 JCW. After this winter it will cease being a daily driver. Can't wait for my kids to some day ask to drive the Mini (no kids yet!), so I can tell them to forget it. Yup, I will have my toy for a long, long time.
i thought that was what was going to happen with my first MINI, my 06 MCS was my favorite car. But i had to sell it when i couldnt afford it anymore. Now im looking for another that i hope to keep as long as i can.
We learned what happens when you sell a MINI without getting another one. A year later you get rid of its replacement and get 2 MINIS. Thats' going to be a really expensive move if we do it again (4 to replace the 2)
I still have my 2000 VW Golf with 153,000+ miles so the Minis will likely stay indefinitely. They only have 43333 and 52435 on the clocks so plenty of life left.
Well The newer models are getting bigger and bigger and taller.
So yes i hope to keep my 1st gen forever, only reason to ever sell it will be if i have a money issue. : (
i love my mini s !
I'll keep mine until it's worth more than what I still owe and/or when the maintenance package expires. The economy will not be in the doldrums forever. Things always pick-up again.
I've been driving cars for a long time, as many here have been.
I've had cars that have been in my possession from 2 to 8 years. Not one has thrilled me 3 1/2 years into ownership as this Cooper has. I plan on keeping it forever.
For those who doubt anyone who will keep their Mini for a long time?
My very first car, a 1975 MGB, that I bought when I was 19. Bought it brand new off the dealer's lot. It is now 33 years old, and still in my possession!